Green, Abdul-Haqq on NBC Thursday

After a Star-Ledger article noted that 350 school board members and charter school trustees will have to step down for failure to get background checks, NBC reporter Pat Battle visited the Queen City Thursday to interview Assemblyman Jerry Green and Rasheed Abdul-Haqq. View here.

Green sponsored A-444, the legislation that established the requirement for background checks and disqualification of those who had criminal histories. Locally, some saw it as arising out of a vendetta by Green against Abdul-Haqq for the latter's outspoken commentaries on the legislator, while Green pointed out the vast support the bill garnered in the Legislature.

Abdul-Haqq resigned last month and a vacancy now exists on the board. Although the Plainfield board initially proposed a possible direct appointment as was made in the case of a vacancy earlier last year, this week the vacancy was advertised with an open invitation for anyone to apply. However, Plaintalker learned today that because the vacancy was caused by a lack of qualifications under the new law, the selection process is in question, according to spokesman Michael Yaple of the New Jersey School Boards Association..

"We are waiting for the NJDOE’s legal interpretation concerning which entity has the authority to make appointments to fill these vacancies. Our interpretation of state law is that, since these are vacancies were created by lack of qualifications, the NJDOE’s executive county superintendents have the responsibility to make the appointment. The NJDOE, however, is the regulatory authority and its interpretation of the law would determine if the executive county superintendents or the local school board would make the appointment to fill the vacancy," Yaple said Thursday.

Whoever fills the vacancy will only serve until the annual school board election in April. The winner will then fulfill the unexpired balance of the three-year term Abdul-Haqq won in 2010. The filing date for candidates this year is Monday, Feb. 27 and the school board election is Tuesday, April 17.

Although 354 individuals are facing removal for failing to register for background checks as required by the new law, Yaple said the number stood much higher before the NJSBA mounted a campaign for compliance.

"According to the New Jersey Department of Education, the number of board members who have not registered for background checks is 189. There are also 165 charter school trustees who have not submitted for background checks. That’s a substantial change over the past several weeks; As of Nov. 17, roughly 1,600 board members and charter school trustees still had not complied, according to the state Department of Education (NJDOE), which is the state agency that operates the criminal background checks for school employees and, now, school board members.

"One reason for greater compliance was clear communication from the NJDOE last month, including establishment of a firm deadline of Dec. 31 to complete the process. Before December, there had been a communications gap, with no clear deadline. NJSBA’s role has been to provide service to school board members through news and information. For instance, NJSBA issued automated telephone calls and e-mail blasts to its members this fall about the need to comply with the new law. We’ve written numerous stories about the law in our newsletter, which is sent to all school board members and superintendents," Yaple said.

Every year, three school board seats are up for election in Plainfield. The incumbents this year are Lisa Logan Leach, Brenda Gilbert and Keisha Edwards, who was appointed to fill the vacancy caused by Patricia Barksdale's resignation last year. Additionally, voters will choose someone in April to serve the unexpired term of Abdul-Haqq. Applicants should be aware that they will be subject to criminal background checks should they win board seats.

--Bernice.