According to the New Jersey School Boards Association, the board has the right to make a direct appointment, unless there is some local policy on filling board vacancies that states otherwise. Plainfield School Board Secretary/Business Administrator Gary Ottmann confirmed that the vacancy had been filled by board action in a unanimous vote, with members Brenda Gilbert and Lisa Logan-Leach absent. Plaintalker’s query as to whether any local board policy exists on filling vacancies has not yet been answered.
When Bridget Rivers was about to resign in late 2009 after winning a City Council seat, the board launched a full process of outreach to the public to fill the impending vacancy. Sandra Chambers was subsequently appointed to serve until the April 2010 school board election. Chambers did not run for the balance of the term. Keisha Edwards ran with the Grand SLAM team and won, but in 2011 declined to run for a full term. The Grand SLAM team slate of Alex Edache, Dorien Hurtt and Jameelah Surgeon won and joined 2010 winners Renata Hernandez, Wilma Campbell and Rasheed Abdul-Haqq.
While it had been customary to have an open process to fill board vacancies in the past, Board president Renata Hernandez explained the direct appointment of Keisha Edwards this way: “Our district is at a critical juncture. In an effort to continue the Grand School Leadership Advocacy Movement -- The Board felt it was both prudent and appropriate to appoint someone who was familiar with the process, and would require minimal time to ramp up and hit the ground running.”
That leaves Gilbert and Logan-Leach a slim minority of non-Grand SLAM members. The terms of both, as well as Barksdale’s former seat, will be up in April 2012. If the Grand SLAM team fields a winning slate, it could be the first time that an entire school board here shares a “brand” or ideology.
What that means or doesn’t mean will be up to the public to decide over coming months.
--Bernice
Hello Bernice,
ReplyDeleteLet the record show that I was opposed to a same day appointment. I was however in favor of an appointment by the Board as opposed to open advertisement for candidates. I proposed that we delay the vote till the next meeting allowing each member a chance to bring any interested candidates of his or her choosing. This proposal was voted down by the Board. I voted yes on Mrs. Edwards because I know her to be an experienced and informed person with a mind of her own, who like myself and some others will vote her conscience.