Thursday, June 23, 2016

Commentary on Tuesday's School Board Meeting

In light of the less-than-stellar performance by the school board and officials Tuesday, I would like to call attention to a blog post from April 29, after the election but before the organization meeting. The point of the post was that due to changing the election and other factors, the new board would be relatively lacking in experience. I held out hope that the new president and vice president would have qualities that would foster collegiality and adherence to state education law at all times while the board gains experience. It is still a hope, but the six members present Tuesday as well as officials got off track enough on Human Resource resolutions that the board secretary will have to listen to the tape to figure out the votes.

Every year, three board members are normally elected to three-year terms, creating an overlap of longevity. Of the six present Tuesday, two had only served since May 3, following the April 19 election, and one since Jan. 1 as a result of the Nov. 3, 2015 general election. Others had nine months, 15 months, 18 months of service. Some past boards have had the benefit of members with years or even decades of experience.

Too bad the voting process faltered when so many people were already in a state of nerves over their job status. The board and the administration must do better.

--Bernice

17 comments:

  1. The six months of experience lost by the changing election is much less of a factor than simply having elected brand new/recently appointed boe members three election cycles in a row. In november the board would be in almost the same place it is right now.

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    1. True. And add the fact that the new president appointed all of the new members as chairpersons of important committees, removing more experienced members.

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    2. That's what happens when political considerations take precedence over getting the job done. I heard one regular boe meeting attendee say this was the worst meeting in 25 years of attending.

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  2. Monday morning quarterbacking is so easy isn't it? People without a clue commenting and just making up theories and placing blame.

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  3. Someone obviously has a vendetta against the new president. Sounds very much like sour grapes for not getting the position they believe they are so qualified for. However a professional team player would work to make the whole board effective. Spare me hateful people who would just want to obstruct progress. I'm reminded of crabs in the basket.

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    1. Anonymous or should I say not so anonymous. I doubt there’s a vendetta against Morgan, people are just stating the obvious. It never ceases to amaze me that whenever someone disagrees with the current administration or the past administration they are labeled as negative, obstructions, troublemakers, haters, vindictive, elites, so on, I know you get my drift. Why can’t it be exactly what it is and what is appears to be. With four months on the school board Emily Morgan was simply not ready to take on the responsibility of being board president. No more no less! It has nothing to do with one having sour grapes because they didn’t get the position they want. If your weren’t so afraid of going against your supporters or “team”, you would speak the same truth. I may be part of a team but I am an individual thinker whose capable of analyzing a situation for what it is without ignoring the facts. Yes a “professional team” player would work to make the whole board effective but how do you do that when from day one Morgan told all board members that any request for the superintended had to go through her that no one should reach out to the superintended on their own? She drew the line with her insecurity.
      For the record, It’s not a personal attack on Morgan’s character but her ability, experience and knowledge. Don’t be such a suck-up that you can’t see right from wrong and what’s good for the entire city not just some. If you read the article in C-N online yesterday on Fairness in NJ School Funding you would be more concerned with having knowledgeable people at the helm than not.

      Robin B.

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    2. Hi Robin,

      I would rather work with Ms. Morgan's inexperience than deal with the Campbell machine's rip-off of the public and a Superintendent of Schools who was only put in charge, after $400,000 of tax payer money was spent, because she would be Wilma's lackey. The BOE needs to work together and fire Belin-Pyles and get someone who doesn't wait until the last minute to prepare important information at the last minute. I wonder if Belin-Pyles has a reason for putting these moves up so late that the BOE didn't have time to plan or think about how to handle the situation. Let's be real. This BOE needs time to congeal, learn to work together, and most of us are glad Wilma is gone. city.

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    3. Wilma, Wilma who? She's not a sitting board member is she? But Ms Morgan does a very good job of channeling her. Morgan very much reminds me of Wilma with her controlling ways. The difference is Wilma knew what she was doing, greed and self preservation caused her to lose sight of her purpose. On the other hand, Ms Morgan knows nothing and appears to be un-teachable.

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    4. Bob, these are elected officials, how much time do you think they have? Our children’s lives depend on our getting it right; right now!

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    5. Stop being a drama queen! Did you complain as much or more when Wilma screwed things up at the BOE and wasted millions of dollars. She did this for too many years. This is important, but it is definitely not life or death.

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    6. Your right Bob the black and Latino kids of Plainfield are not that important and providing them a quality education is definitely not life or death.

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  4. This is what - the second or third board meeting with the new board. Relax people - the board members are smart people who have Plainfield kids at heart. They will figure it out. After years of ineffectiveness and inefficiency, can't you give them a break and wait another month or two?

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    1. Wilma has here supporters on here working the blogs. Maybe Jerry too.

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    2. Where have you been? According to their website the BOE had 10 meetings since 4/5/16.

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    3. Yes there were 10 BOE meetings and they still couldn't get the job done. And this is routine end of the year business. What a mess.

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  5. To 4:03 PM where have you been? The new board wasn't elected until 4/19/2016, and the reorg for the BOE was 5/3/2016.

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  6. Don't put words in my mouth, especially when you are anonymous. This has nothing to do with race, but with a superintendent making last minute changes. The BOE doesn't recommend where school employees work, that comes from the superintendent's office. Ask her why she did this and waited until school was ending. The BOE needs time and would have had it if Wilma didn't play games and change the BOE election date. She lost, so get over it and give this BOE a chance to do their job. Wilma played a game of poker and lost big time. She got what she deserved.

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