Campbell is seeking her
Wilma Campbell's retorts Wednesday included calling Hurtt "the very talkative, outspoken model board member, Mr. Hurtt" and later saying, "The young man doth complain too much."
L-R: Lynn Anderson, Wilma Campbell, Jackie Coley, Alice Horton-Mays, Dorien Hurtt, Frederick Moore Sr., Carmencita Pile.
Seven of the eight candidates took part in the forum Wednesday, which was preceded by forums held by the Plainfield Area Branch NAACP and the Plainfield Education Association. Candidate James Plummer was in the hospital. He is on a slate with Wilma Campbell and Frederick Moore Sr., both incumbents. The slate backed by Mapp includes Dorien Hurtt, Carmencita Pile and Lynn Anderson. Former board member Jackie Coley and Alice Horton-Mays are running on their own. Background information for all candidates can be seen on the Plainfield LWV blog. See also the sample ballot.
Asked what steps they would take to improve transparency, Moore called it "a lop-sided issue" because a lot of issues cannot be discussed in public, such as personnel.
Anderson called board members "an embarrassment," .saying if someone asks a question, they should listen and if they don't have an answer, they should at least say, "we'll get back to you."
Wilma Campbell said some issues, such as contracts, can't be discussed publicly. She said attendees during campaign season are "very rude," talking and yelling out and calling staff members names.
Pile said board meetings were very unfriendly, with the board up on a lighted stage and the audience "down in the dark" of the high school auditorium.
Coley said the district website is supposed to handle communication.
Horton-Mays said the board should first change the structure of its meetings and there should be a way to submit questions to the website. She said quarterly the board should make itself available for comment at every school and there should be a newsletter on issues.
Hurtt said community involvement was not what the board is currently doing. He cited action taken at the work and study meetings, such as moving the election.
Other issues included improving the graduation rate, recognizing the district's unique needs including what Wilma Campbell called "port of entry" students who arrive with little English, and how to manage the budget.The forum moderator was Marlene Sincaglia of the Berkeley Heights LWV.
The election is Tuesday, April 19 and the polls will be open from 2 to 9 p.m. School board elections are supposed to be nonpartisan and all the candidates are in a row. Voters pick three for three-year terms and can also vote for or against the local school tax levy of $24,295,492. (The total budget is $189,643,334.)
--Bernice
Bernice, Wilma Campbell is seeking her FIFTH term, she's been on the board for well over a decade.
ReplyDeleteIt's time for new leadership, new ideas and a new direction. Plainfield's children have not benefitted from ten long years of Wilma Campbell and company.
ReplyDeleteLet's move on.
Everyone needs to vote next week to change the BOE's direction to one that will benefit our children and not individuals on the BOE or their friends. I hope everyone who can vote is paying attention. Our kids are depending on us to do the right thing.
ReplyDeleteAnd I hope people vote NO for the budget. It will not make a difference but will signal that this city wants the BOE to be accountable for the money it has, which is considerable.
ReplyDeleteWilma Campbell had 12 years to get it right and make improvements but last night she couldn’t even speak about any real improvements so instead she took the opportunity to attack Mr Hurtt for telling her secrets. I understand her reasoning. After 12 years controlling a school district that is still failing, what could you say.
ReplyDeleteMrs Campbell referring to Mr Hurtt as "The young man doth complain too much “ is a perfect example of what Mr Hurtt was trying to point out about Wilma Campbell and Co. The last thing they want is for someone, anyone, to challenge them on their decision making and actions. Their motto is ‘what’s done in the dark, should stay in the dark, don’t ask and we won’t tell’. Transparency completely eludes the Campbell’s.
For the life of me I can’t understand these career politicians and their audacity to solicit votes after demonstrating their incompetency for leadership and positive change over a 12 year span. Why does Mrs Campbell believe she deserves another 3 years for a total of 15 years at our children’s expense? More important, why should we allow this?
Mrs Campbell’s fear of Mr Hurtt telling what is really happening with the school board and how her and her husband control the superintendent is real. That is not alleged, it’s a reality. Mr Hurtt is the one candidate that ran with the Campbell’s but did not go along with their controlling ways and his voting record proves that.
On the other hand, you have other candidates that ran with the Campbell’s and either left the board after a nasty fright with Wilma and her husband but, will never challenge them in public because they simple went along with the Campbell’s and to implicates the Campbell’s in any wrong doings would mean implicating themselves.
Before going to the polls on Tuesday 4/19/16, ask yourself this, did having someone on the board in a position of control for 12 years do anything to improve our children’s education and do that person deserve another 3 years? If she didn’t get it done in 12 years, I’m not holding out any hope for another 3.
Under the Campbell reign we have a budget double the size of the city of Plainfield, more than double the size of schools in surrounding towns, and still our children lack basic supplies and continue to graduate at a lower rate.
Why are we allowing a 12 year incumbent to continue to mismanage our money and our children’s lives, while giving their close friends and family members jobs with salaries over $100K? Jobs that they’re not even qualified for; like HR consultant (close friend) and head of security (cousin). Changing the school board election from November to April without community input at a cost of over $110,000. This is just a few of the bad decision made by Mrs Campbell.
Under the Campbell reign we have an overwhelming amount of charter schools that was able to open due to our schools performing below grade level or failing, but still Mrs Campbell takes no responsibility for that, how can that be? This list can go on and no.
Regardless of who you vote for, just know, 12 years of Mrs Campbell is more than enough. Our children deserve better and as a community we should give them better. We have the power to make a positive change on Tuesday April 19, 2016. Please vote for change!
RCH
We need change and now is the perfect time for it.
ReplyDelete