Notes on BOE Reorganization

New school board members Dorian Hurtt, Jameelah Surgeon and Alex Edache.

Before going into closed session to discuss "reduction in force" actions, Board of Education members including three elected on April 27 recited the entire 12-point New Jersey School Boards Association Code of Ethics. Read it here in a Plaintalker post from last April. There is one addition since Plaintalker copied it: "I will behave toward my fellow board members with the respect due their office - demonstrating courtesy, decorum and fair play at all public meetings and in all public statements."

Thus will be the watchwords as the board starts a year with Renata Hernandez as president and Wilma Campbell as vice president.

The "Grand Slam" winners of last year welcomed a slate they backed this year, Dorian Hurtt, Jameelah Surgeon and Alex Edache. Two incumbents declined to run in the election and one, Agurs Linward "Lenny" Cathcart Jr., lost to the slate. In remarks on their election, Edache warned incumbents up for election next year that they will face a similar challenge.

Speakers in public comment alluded to the district's two turbulent years under Dr. Steve Gallon III and hoped for a continuation of progress and stability under acting Superintendent Anna Belin-Pyles.

Dr. Yood has a good overview of the meeting on his blog, Doc's Potpourri, though neither of us waited out the board's estimated 10 p.m. return from closed session on the reduction in force. Bloggers Dan Damon and Maria Pellum and Courier News reporter Mark Spivey were also on hand for the meeting. Pellum and several others objected to the anticipated targeting or world language teachers in the reduction in force, but as mentioned above, this writer did not wait out the board's return from executive session on the topic.

Hernandez proposed having all regular board meetings at the centrally-located high school instead of at schools across the city, saying she had not seen an increase in the turnout at the alternate locations. The board agreed to the change. Another innovation announced at the meeting was a new law that requires boards to give a time by which they will return from closed session. On Tuesday, the board set a one-hour limit for the executive session, a welcome change from the open-ended situation that left the public languishing sometimes for hours awaiting the resumption of public session and possible votes. Having been out Monday until midnight at a council meeting, Plaintalker had to pass on waiting for the board to return last night.

Bookmark this link for future district news, meeting announcements and more. Agendas are posted online before meetings and bloggers have tried to highlight important items to encourage public turnout.

Congratulations to the new board members and officers and best wishes for a productive year in office. Affable "kingmaker" John Campbell pointed out that the slate might have had Plainfield spelled wrong on their campaign signs, but he said, "They certainly know how to spell 'win.' "

--Bernice