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Laura's Notes on the 06/20/2024 BOE Meeting
We expect that remote participation will again be allowed during this meeting and that the public can comment via Zoom. Link can be found here. E. Amend SI employment dates. Mr. Nixon will remain on his role as acting SI through September 30, 2024.
Mr. Nixon - 3 Months In
BHCW Position Statement on Mr. Nixon's Three Month Tenure as Acting Superintendent. Over the past three months, Mr. Nixon has shown himself to be a capable Superintendent. He has been part of a six-month whirlwind that has been a golden age of transparency and change for the District. In partnership with the Board of Education, the District has accomplished the following:
Berkeley Heights BOE Committee Meeting Notes for May 2024
In 2024, the Berkeley Heights Board of Education voted to make all BOE Committee Meetings Minutes Publicly Available on the District Website. Here are quick notes on the 05/2024 Committee Meeting Minutes with links to the full documents.
One Possible Solution to the BHPSNJ Busing Issue
Staggered school arrival/dismissal times could save the district dollars on buses and bus drivers, provide more access to busing, and preserve instructional minutes. Berkeley Heights Public Schools (BHPS) administrators and Board members should consider the following for the 2025-26 school year.
Pamela Stanley's Ethical Failings: A Costly Lesson for Berkeley Heights Schools
Edmund Tom Maciejewski is a resident of Berkeley Heights, NJ. On Tuesday, June 11, at roughly 1:50 PM, my routine visit to Starbucks took a disconcerting turn. While enjoying my daily tea and a game of online chess, I found myself unwittingly thrust into a situation that underscored the ethical quandaries plaguing the Berkeley Heights Board of Education.
NJ21st 06/16/2024 Newsletter
What’s Important to Know About Our Local & State Government This Week…. The first two articles in this week's newsletter focus on some unanswered questions connected to the BHPSNJ Math Presentation during the 06/10/2024 BOE Meeting and an update on the Collaborative Consultative Model.
My Concerns About HIB (Harassment Intimidation Bullying)
Matthew Behne is a resident of Berkeley Heights NJ. During the last two BOE Meetings, Speakers publicly questioned Board Decisions on several HIB cases. One Speaker was an officer of the PTO who was later interviewed to become a Board Member. The other was a staff member.
Inclusion in Academics – Update on the Collaborative Consultative Model
In the past few years, Berkeley Heights Public Schools has been making an effort to be more inclusive of special education students. Perhaps the largest decision in the efforts that have been made was the move to the Collaborative Consultative Model. In fall of 2020, graduates of Columbia Middle School who attended Governor Livingston were all moved into this model. The results were a mixed bag.
Notes on the BHPSNJ 06/10/2024 BOE Meeting: Math Department Update
The District updated the website to include a presentation by the Mathematics Department. What is important here is that the District finally acknowledges parental concerns connected to Math without the dismissive condescension the community has experienced in years past.
Laura’s Notes on the 6/10/24 Berkeley Heights BOE Agenda
We expect that remote participation will again be allowed during this meeting and that the public can comment via Zoom, which can be found here. The meeting will start in the GL Cafeteria, whereupon the Board will adjourn into Executive session.
NJ21st 06/09/2024 Newsletter
What’s Important to Know About Our Local & State Government This Week…. This week’s newsletter continues the breakdown of last week’s BOE Meeting with an article from Shauna on Academic Goals and the steps the District is taking to continue progress on improving academic proficiency. Shauna follows up with a response to Town Council Member Susan Poage’s article regarding the newly appointed BOE members’ responses to questions during her interview process.
Academic Goals: Shauna’s Notes on the 05/30/2024 BOE Meeting
Academic Goals -this is what is at the heart of every district, and there has been a lot of recent discussion about the Berkeley Heights Public School rankings. Data given at the May 30th Board of Education meeting shows that we have made modest-to-significant improvements during the last period for which we have reports. The tools and exams used to measure this are discussed below.
Parent Expresses Concerns on Activity Fees
We've received reports from parents of graduating students on emails/letters they've received in May concerning Activities Fees. We understand that these collection letters, arriving just two weeks before graduation and summer break, have caused significant concern and anxiety among students and their parents, as we've heard from the feedback we've received.
A Response to Town Council Member Poage's Letter to the Editor
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) is important when it comes to our schools. There's no arguing that. And yet... argument is exactly what we're seeing. I'm troubled that Ms. Susan Poage seems to be purposely misrepresenting new BOE member Kelly Hufnagel's views on DEI to further the narrative of 'certain group bad'.
Update on Efforts to Bring the CMS Tiger Back
I would like to provide an update on efforts to reinstate the CMS Tiger Mascot. Since my last article, I have received documents as a result of an OPRA request. I sent the OPRA request to help my daughter with her advocacy efforts. Not surprisingly, a Candidate for Town Council accused me of "weaponizingOPRA".
NJ21st 06/02/2024 Newsletter
What’s Important to Know About Our Local & State Government This Week…. This week’s newsletter starts with a packed and significant 05/30/2024 BOE Meeting that saw the appointment of a new member to the Board of Education, significant approvals connected to programming and staffing, and proposed changes to impactful policies.
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