NJ21st 09/26/2024 Newsletter
What’s Important to Know About Our Local & State Government This Week…. This week’s newsletter starts with responses from BOE candidates on transparency. Two Candidates running for two available three-year terms (Dr. Foregger and Matthew Behne) responded, as did Arik Samson, who is running for the available replacement seat left open when Angela Penna resigned. The Township is next, and...
09/24/2024 Town Council Meeting- Resolutions 9 & 4- Nokia Property and New Attorney with Higher Rates for Sewage Issues
Residents should pay close attention to a proposed Memorandum of Understanding regarding the Nokia Property, which involves the NJDEP Resolution #9 on the 9/24/2024 Town Council Agenda. The NJDEP is headed by Shawn LaTourette, who has been accused of using strong-arm tactics in connection with waterfront properties. Critics have argued that he places pressure on builders until the few preferred...
Westminster Project Coming Back A Year Later
The Westminster property is back on the Zoning Board agenda for 09/26/2024. The township vetoed the original project, and the builder is returning with a proposed settlement agreement. Interestingly, it is a meeting connected to yet another significant issue on a Back to School Night, and, unlike the Board of Education – the township does not allow for remote participation....
Union County Park at Berkeley Caterers Site
Berkeley Heights Residents Need to Ask Questions About the Proposed Park -Steven Kark Berkeley Heights residents need to pay attention to what’s happening to our town. Did you see this? Could Berkeley Heights end up losing its iconic Feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel—a 100-year tradition—with its July 16 Garden State Fireworks show? The Planning Board is reviewing the...
Laura’s Notes on the 09/12/2024 BOE Meeting
District Goals, Cell Phone Policy, Inaccurate TAP-Into Article, Visitor Scans, Superintendent Drama & More Mr. Nixon provided a presentation on District Goals. I will summarize, but watch the presentation for yourself, please – I am not going to do it much justice here: Goal #1 Student Achievement in grades 6-12 with a strong emphasis on improving the Math program. Goal...
Does BHPS need an Assistant Superintendent?
Given A Bloated Budget and a Need to Repair Math & Science, is there a need to employ a full time Assistant Superintendent? -Written by a non-politically connected Educator in the Community The past three years, Berkeley Heights Public Schools (BHPS) has been through four Assistant Superintendents. Two of these candidates were only in the role for one year each....
NJ21st 09/08/2024 Newsletter
What’s Important to Know About Our Local & State Government This Week…. This week’s newsletter starts with BOE Representative Dr. Tom Foregger’s clear and comprehensive analysis of changes the State Department of Education is making in its approach to evaluating District Performance. BOE Representatives Joly and Akiri finally responded to the Tapinto Disinformation Campaign concerning BOE Meetings. We follow up...
My Thoughts on NJ Department of Education Changes to District Evaluations
Statement from BOE Representative Dr. Thomas Foregger On September 4 the New Jersey State Board of Education proposed changes to the way the instruction and program component of the New Jersey Quality Single Accountability Continuum (NJQSAC) score is computed. A school needs to score 80 points in each component of the NJQSAC in order to be deemed a high performing...
Is it Time to Revisit Our Approach to Educational Inclusion?
For the Berkeley Heights School District, much fanfare has accompanied our efforts at inclusion for special education students, with administrators touting how other districts are looking to us as a shining example of what inclusion should be. I’m going to say something that will, for some (and maybe many), be an unpopular idea: we need to rethink whether inclusion is...
Potential Strategies to Improve Test Scores at Governor Livingston High School
Recent NJGPA score decline shows the need to look into current practices. -Written by a non-politically connected Educator in the Community In April 2024, U.S. News and World Report released their public high school rankings for the 2022-23 school year, which BHCW summarized and TAPInto published again recently. In the rankings, Governor Livingston High School (GLHS) ranked 90th, a ten-place...
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