COUTO DOUBLES DOWN ON CAMPAIGN LIE, DISPARAGES EMPLOYEES IN PROCESS
Couto Doubles Down on the Lie and Devalues Employees “I will only be approving professional service providers and those in leadership positions based on their capabilities, qualifications and demonstrated ability to get things back on track….” This is what Couto says he is responsible for as councilman for when it comes to hiring contractors. He’s right. It is exactly what...
Why I am voting for Mayor Devanney – Again.
In 2018 the community was battling the municipal complex. Residents who were against the building and opposed to the former Mayor’s Republican monopoly’s plan were ridiculed on social media by political operatives. I remember putting up an article that explained how the Mayor, at the time, appeared to be using a loophole to avoid a referendum and in my opinion,...
DON’T FALL FOR THE LIE
If you vote for Jeff Varnerin or Manuel Couto because of the lasting municipal complex issues or the stormwater/drainage issues or even any other issue in town, you’re likely falling for a campaign lie. Mayoral candidate Jeff Varnerin, in his latest TapInto dribble, is currently trying to blame Mayor Devanney for the problems Varnerin’s very own Republican Party, quite literally,...
ONE MORE REALLY LONG ARTICLE ABOUT PROFICIENCIES AND METRICS
BOE Members and Residents have been discussing the issue of proficiencies for some time now, and the same is true for metrics. Proficiencies were part of the discussion during last year’s election season. They came up again in the public debate surrounding the Budget earlier this year, and then again three months ago during a BOE meeting as a result...
SILENCE SPEAKS VOLUMES
The quest for a response to emails continues….. Over the last few weeks (and for the BOE, months) I have had my emails and requests for answers to questions not only go unanswered but completely ignored. This behavior is rude but also unacceptable, for elected officials and top school administrators to ignore parents. The administration holds its staff to a...
PEELING BACK DR. vARLEY’S POLICY RUSH
Given the number of policy updates in recent months during BOE meetings, and with a questionable decision about the League of Women Voters ability to host a candidate debate at Governor Livingston, Berkeley Heights parents expressed concern over the number of policy updates and their content. In response, during the September 22, 2022 Board of Education meeting, Dr. Varley had...
Sliding Grades and Proficiencies
The historical trend of Governor Livingston High schools Math proficiency scores shows a disturbing pattern, and Science also appears to be in troubled waters. Many parents in the community are questioning how we got here. The short answer – one reason we are here is that measurement, for whatever reason and for the longest time, has been incorrectly viewed as...
Goals, PerfoRmance, and Metrics
Metrics should be embraced, not feared There has been much discussion recently about goals, metrics, and student performance in the community as well as at the Board of Ed meetings. After reading through comments and listening to differing opinions, I wanted to clarify my view on the topic. I believe in the use of meaningful metrics because we need a way to...
Trees AND THE TOOLS TO SAVE THEM
There’s a Lot of Talk Around Trees in BH The problem In Berkeley Heights total tree coverage has been observed as declining since 1984 (per the Urban Ecosystem Analysis). Urban development, coupled with an outdated tree ordinance has made it difficult to keep our tree canopy consistent. The Emerald Ash Borer hasn’t helped. Mature tree removal without replacement hasn’t helped....
Filling in the Local Media Gap on the 09/22/2022 meeting
‘Contentious’ is arguably the best way to describe the 9/22/22 Board meeting. While local coverage of the meeting was detailed, it failed to mention some meeting highlights I felt was necessary for truly and wholly understanding the scope of the contention and all-around loss of control. Pamela Stanley’s prepared speech sought to accomplish one goal: attack parents for increased legal...
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