Friday, April 22, 2011

LWV Holds School Board Forum

Three newcomers and a nine-year incumbent vying for three school board seats shared their views with the public Thursday at the Plainfield League of Women Voters candidates’ forum.

Alex Edache, Dorian Hurtt and Jameelah Surgeon are running as a slate, while Agurs Linward “Lenny” Cathcart Jr. is the only one of three incumbents to file for re-election.

Cathcart was an ardent supporter of former Schools Superintendent Steve Gallon III before Gallon left the district under a cloud over hiring irregularities. On Thursday, Cathcart said he considered not seeking re-election, but then decided not to “allow one incident to define me,” citing 25 years of community involvement in addition to his board service.

A city resident since 1997, Edache said after people kept telling him the Plainfield school system was no good, he decided to get involved “and be part of the solution.”

“I know it can be done,” he said.

Surgeon said she is a lifelong resident and product of Plainfield schools who wants the current status of the schools to improve in part because her daughter is a district student.

“If you are concerned, you can’t stand by and let something go to ruin,” she said.

Hurtt, a 10-year resident, said he and his running mates share a feeling of “frustration with the state of our schools.” Though relatively unknown, he said, “Personally, I don’t think that a bad thing,” as he is “not someone who has been involved in politics in this city” with predictable views.

Moderator Kathleen Fetissoff of the Union League of Women Voters posed written questions from the audience to the candidates. Topics included the impact of charter schools, qualities of a good school administrator, the district’s most pressing need, how to attract top teaching and administrative talent and the middle and high school’s failure to meet Adequate Yearly Progress standards.

All the candidates agreed that getting a well-qualified superintendent is the district’s most pressing need. Cathcart said a strong leader was needed for Plainfield to “fall back in love” with education. Hurtt said the district can’t keep having the turnover it has seen, which Edache described as “changing superintendents like coats.” Surgeon advised using Google searches to learn more about superintendent candidates.

“If we take the time, we can get the leader we deserve, who can take the district up instead of down,” she said.

On attracting talent to the district, Hurtt said Plainfield should look for someone who already understands the issues and is looking for a challenge, while Surgeon called for “just being honest about where we are.”
“If you don’t agree that you have a problem, you won’t get a solution,” Edache said.

Cathcart said he wanted “someone who is going to want to come here” rather than a person looking for a high salary.

“If you want $250,000, we don’t want you,” he said.

Asked whether they would be willing to take classes to be qualified board members, Cathcart said he has done so previously, but has not been able to do so for the past couple years due to constraints of his job. Edache said requirements to run for the school board include being a citizen and being over 18, but said “to be more effective, you have to have training” and that he was willing to go for classes.

“I am not just willing, but eager,” said Hurtt, who cited his work in the “constantly changing” IT world as making him aware of the need for ongoing training.

Surgeon was also willing and said training was “very flexible” now, with classes on Saturdays or online.

“You want to make sure you are being your best,” she said.

On charter schools, Edache said they were making people look down on public schools, but he said,”There is nothing wrong with public schools.”

Hurtt said there is a reason why charter schools are being pushed in urban rather than suburban schools.

“If we have better performance, there is no need for charter schools,” he said.

But Surgeon said parents at charter schools are “just as dissatisfied” with performance.

“We support education wherever it might be,” Cathcart said, but named safety as a reason why parents look to charter schools.

The next question was how to make district schools safer, and Cathcart said the administration has to promote safety with security systems and training.

Hurtt said there is an overall impression that district schools are not safe, but said there are fights in all schools and advocated more use of techniques such as conflict resolution.

Edache said people go to charter schools because they are thinking about safety, but he said it “didn’t make sense.”

Surgeon called it a “perception” that schools are not safe and called for more “peer mediation.”

The forum concluded with LWV of Plainfield President Rupert Crawford making a pitch for members. To see more information about the League and also to see candidates’ bios and answers to three questions, click here.

Voters will have their say on April 27. Polls will be open from 2 to 9 p.m. The budget question this year is whether to approve $22,285,795 for the 2011-2012 school year, up from $21,848,819 last year. From 1992 to 2007, the school tax levy stayed the same at $17,683,906, but yearly increases were mandated by the School Funding Reform Act of 2008.

--Bernice Paglia

12 comments:

  1. Bernice -- isn't interesting that the 'slate' misspelled "Plainfield" on their campaign signs?

    Gives a lot of confidence in their compentency.

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  2. Actually -- the slate didn't produce the signs. A company did. And since that makes them "FREE" and we all know how Plainfield is spelled -- is it really that critical?

    So PB calm down and try, try again.

    At least they have signs. The other candidate is so sure of his "pull" he skipped the NAACP forum and has made little effort to speak with community.

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  3. To anonymous#1

    We can't put any confidence in the 9yr. Board Member (running for re-election). He stated at the LWV meeting that he did't even know if the budget increased or not? He did't even remember the amount of this year's budget? Didn't he just vote on it???)#/@#!I will take a chance on the newcomers.

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  4. I'm sure the candidates had a chance to proofread. Yes, it's just a letter .. but remember the little "mistake" the city made -- like a million boo-boo?

    If you are representing yourself, I'd think you'd take the time to carefully check things over.

    If they can't check over signs done on their behalf -- how careful will they be when they are checking budgets (lots of pesky numbers) .. or contracts (lots of silly letters).

    I think pretty much the whole crew on the BOE are pretty worthless, including the guy up for re-election. So, guess these guys can't be much more worthless.

    But it's sloppy. Just saying. Says something about them that they didn't put the CARE and CONSIDERATION into something as simple as proofreading a sign. And I'm SURE they were given proofs by the company -- all those sign companies do.

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  5. I think the BOE is made up of community members so if they are worthless it stands to reason that THIS community is too. And I have a hard time comparing a missing letter to a $1M boo boo which by the way had nothing to do with the schools, but if we are looking at the whole community then once again we are all useless, worthless and can't count etc. What an outlook. Good thing you don't run anything we just may have some hope!

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  6. I never said worthless -- you did. I think if you did a statistical census of Plainfield's population, you probably would find a very high number of individuals who can't count, can't read, react with emotions, with no skills or experience in critical thinking.

    Being uneducated does not make someone worthless -- but it does it make them qualified for the work required of a BOE leader? They will do their best, but I'd have no expectations of significant improvement in our schools, because their skills would not be up to the challenge.

    I understand they are concerned community members, and God help them while they try to clean up the BOE mess.

    But, if they can't proofread a simple sign -- how competent will they be when it comes to checking numbers, reading the fine print on a contract, challenging consultants, making difficult budget decisions? All that requires critical, detailed analysis and thought.

    Obviously the current BOE is not up to snuff -- hasn't been for a long time, given the mess the school district is in.

    The community can hope this batch will do something better, but I'm not holding my breath.

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  7. Lenny's declaration of 25 years of community involvement consists of involvment that he was paid for. Doesn't have the same flavor when his interest in the community is about a paycheck.

    And far as Gallon is concerned. Lenny ignored the growing cry from the teachers, parents and other community representives when they said there was something foul about him. He had to be smashed in the face with the evidence before that vote to just pay him off to make him go away. Is that who you really want to represent you??? Someone who refuses to listen to you with arrogance no less.

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  8. Anon 2:38 -- I bet you consider yourself educated, literate, well read.

    Yet you wrote: "but it does it make them qualified for the work required of a BOE leader?"

    Did you proof your post?

    I know, I know you are different, but how valid is your argument if you can't proof a simple post?

    Does this nullify all that you have said? Do you qualify as a community leader?

    My dear man you look for perfection yet you are at best mediocre. What a hypocrite!

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  9. @2:38 No, I don't usually thoroughly proof-read posts -- I dash them off quickly.

    If I were FORMALLY publishing something with my name on it (like a political sign), I absoloutely would proofread. I would have others look at it as well.

    I never claimed to be anything. I made an observation and expressed an opinion.

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  10. Unfortunately, the candidates did not get to proof read the signs; they were ordered and proofed by the person in charge of running the campaign. All three of the candidates realize the error immediately upon receipt of the signs but, for the sake of time they had to use them. For all you critics, I didn’t see your names on the petition to run. It’s so easy to criticize from your sofa but difficult to step up to the plate and try to make a difference. I say YES to the three young, bright and energetic candidates who are not tainted by the “usually politics of Plainfield” that avails of nothing!

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  11. It's unfortunate then that the person running the campaign couldn't spell Plainfield.

    I can understand the predicament the candidates were in -- they needed the signs, but it looks bad.

    Guess that's the first rule of politics -- make sure you are trusting the right people! It's a tough game -- when you put yourself out there to run, you have to expect scrutiny.

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  12. It is sad that current board member Lenny Cathcart does not know that the maximum amount a superintendent can be paid for a district our size is 165,000.00 per year! Mr. Christie capped superintendents salaries to begin the 2011-2012 school year. Where has this guy been?

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