The 4th Ward Gazette: An Englewood, NJ Newsletter focusing on the events impacting the 4th ward, its residents and the family and friends who care about the traditions and welfare of Englewood residents. Members of our "Neighborhood Watch Program" do not carry guns. We carry telephones and cameras. The 4th Ward Gazette is dedicated to uplifting the hearts & minds of a people long overdue for some success & recognition. It is a warm friendly bear hug for a Community.
Saturday, July 11, 2020
Friday, November 1, 2019
Protect the Whistle Blowers!
PART II A Work in Progress
Whistle Blower #2 - Victoria Bauxbam, one of the certified teachers, quit after the first day of work in Mrs. David's Youth Camp/Day Care Center.
Whistle Blower # 3 - The Director of the Health Department was steadfast and followed the case to the end. September 12, 2019, Angela David pled guilty to a lesser charge and was fined $206.00 in Palisades Park Municipal Court.
I wrote the Business Administrator and asked questions about the rental. Please be aware of the fact that there are rules about School Board Members and members of their immediate families entering into contracts with the Board of Education. These 2 employees (Superintendent and Business Administrator) should be fully aware of these rules. The Business Administrator is also the Board of Education Secretary. The BA's job is the protect the Board of Education, so why were the pertinent questions never asked? Why was the rental request ever presented to the Superintendent and then to the Board of Education, when it is obvious that the venture will put money in Mrs. David's pocket? It does not matter that she put the Camp in her husband's name. It is her household. To top it all off, she does not even include it on her 2018 Financial Disclosure, which is required by law. She made money.
Whistle Blower #4 The Business Administrator/Board Secretary? The BA claims that the complaints went to the Englewood Health Department and not to the Board of Education. Notice that Janna Smith included Robert Kravitz in the email detailing the original complaint. Robert L. Kravitz is the Board of Education. (The Superintendent is a non-voting member of the Board of Education)
Below is the answer to my question. It seems that all communications to the Board were shut down during this event. Seems there may have been information contained in the responses between the City Manager and the Superintendent of Schools that were never to be shared. Seems there was some inappropriate comments shared between the 2 entities. Below is the response to my query.
So a Board of Education Member was banned from the premises of the Board of Education. Now that is news. Several spot checks were conducted by the Health Department designed to make sure that Mrs. David and her camp did not have access to Board property until after they were approved by the State and Local Health Departments. Based on the answer to my OPRA request, an Admin in charge of the email flow turned off or refused email from the City that contained certain key words. What do you think that means?
that he called her employer, where she worked with Angela David, and got her
How many of the Codes of Ethics has she violated in this one Text Message Exchange? She is Chair of the Personnel Committee.
The text below caused a great deal of commotion in the Community. One of her fellow Board Members took exception to Rick Whilby posting this Ezra Pound meme. In an email thread, obtained via OPRA, an Open Public Records Act, request. Elizabeth Schwartz blamed Donovan Rodriques for leaking an email that she sent to all the Board Members complaining. As you can see from the text to the left, Angela Midgette-David is the one who let the donkey out of the barn.
Number 1 on the list. Angela is not being sued. Chuckle, Chuckle. Click here for a link to the documentation of a law suit that has been filed against Angela David by the Board of Education of Englewood.
Notice that Mrs. David does not realize that she is posting as herself. She is speaking of herself in the 3rd person. Did Mrs. David created 2 fake profiles on Facebook so she could make all types of accusations against persons who oppose her running for the Board of Education? Barbara Jackson and Michelle Greene came to us out of the blue in order to defend Mrs. David. They only show up when Mrs. David needs them. They have no profile pictures and only 1 friend, the Recreation Department. Who is that?
In the post to the left Mrs. David got caught between her profiles. She is defending herself in the 3rd person. It would be hilarious if this person was not already a voting member of the Englewood Board of Education.
BER-DOC-008347-19 As you can see, her husband's Company ESTEPNJ, LLC. In Effect, she is being sued by the very Board of Education that she is running to retain her seat on. I hope that the members of the Community who never got their money back remember her on Election Day.
She was also sued by Janna Smith, the Whistle Blower who got her money, her salary for 55 hours.
Pictured above is the check awarded Janna from the NJ Court system. Below is another disgruntled person who did not get a refund when Mrs. David's Camp was shut down the summer of 2018. Why didn't she just admit to the parents that the Camp had to open later than planned? Was it easier to accept the 96 children allowing their parents to believe that the camp was cleared by the state and local authorities to open?
Below is another set of texts in which she is only supposed to discuss with other members of the Board of Education. Keep in mind that Mrs. David is the Chairperson for the Personnel Committee. At least one of the person's mentioned in the text message below is no longer with the Board of Education.
Some of the suspended kids just left her house. Is Mrs. David saying that some of the children suspended for the fight at the high school just left her home?
This is the one that really got me. How is it that she can accuse the 3 male members on the Board of having carnal relations with someone in the public? What havoc this woman wreaks among all who give her audience. I did not and do not have a protégé. This obsession with the Board is something that worries me.
Upon reading all of her ramblings, it is no wonder the Board of Education Members think we are all attacking them. I have never attacked a School Board Member.
There are times when we should
just let the whistle blow, and listen.
just let the whistle blow, and listen.
Whistle Blower #1- Janna Smith worked in ESTEPNJ for 4 days...
Whistle Blower #2 - Victoria Bauxbam, one of the certified teachers, quit after the first day of work in Mrs. David's Youth Camp/Day Care Center.
Angela David has accused the Whistle Blower of harassment, Intimidation and bullying. She even had her attorney write a threatening letter to Ms. Smith warning her that she was going to be sued if she did not stop investigating Mrs. David. Last I heard, it is not a crime to investigate someone. When that becomes a crime, all of us must be wary and begin to lobby our legislators. Ms. Smith's allegations against Mrs. David and the ESTEPNJ camp were substantiated by the investigation and reports of the Health Department Inspectors and the Health Department Director himself.
Whistle Blower # 3 - The Director of the Health Department was steadfast and followed the case to the end. September 12, 2019, Angela David pled guilty to a lesser charge and was fined $206.00 in Palisades Park Municipal Court.
I wrote the Business Administrator and asked questions about the rental. Please be aware of the fact that there are rules about School Board Members and members of their immediate families entering into contracts with the Board of Education. These 2 employees (Superintendent and Business Administrator) should be fully aware of these rules. The Business Administrator is also the Board of Education Secretary. The BA's job is the protect the Board of Education, so why were the pertinent questions never asked? Why was the rental request ever presented to the Superintendent and then to the Board of Education, when it is obvious that the venture will put money in Mrs. David's pocket? It does not matter that she put the Camp in her husband's name. It is her household. To top it all off, she does not even include it on her 2018 Financial Disclosure, which is required by law. She made money.
Whistle Blower #4 The Business Administrator/Board Secretary? The BA claims that the complaints went to the Englewood Health Department and not to the Board of Education. Notice that Janna Smith included Robert Kravitz in the email detailing the original complaint. Robert L. Kravitz is the Board of Education. (The Superintendent is a non-voting member of the Board of Education)
We wanted to know how Robert L. Kravitz, the Superintendent of Schools responded to the above email from the Director of the Health Department that clearly puts his boss, a Board of Education Member in a bad light. Please be advised that we made OPRA requests for and examined Facilities Rental Applications for the last 3 years and all other rentals were not handled like this one. EPSD is very lucky indeed that all rentals are not handled this way. Number 1 other rental agreements, or contracts have some type of signature where this one does not. Even though this "contract" is not signed, it is a legally binding contract, because it was presented and voted on in a resolution by the entire Board of Education. Iron clad, contract. It is even called a contract by the attorney in a Board meeting. Check the minutes here. Check out the condition of the paperwork. This is a contract between the EPSD and the husband of a Englewood Public School District Board Member for $24,750.00. Does that sum appear anywhere on this tackily executed form?
Where is Michael Hunken? He is the six figure Facilities Operations Director. We have not seen him in several years. In the past, he was present at all meetings.
I wanted to know what was done once the Board had knowledge of this dilemma.Where is Michael Hunken? He is the six figure Facilities Operations Director. We have not seen him in several years. In the past, he was present at all meetings.
Below is the answer to my question. It seems that all communications to the Board were shut down during this event. Seems there may have been information contained in the responses between the City Manager and the Superintendent of Schools that were never to be shared. Seems there was some inappropriate comments shared between the 2 entities. Below is the response to my query.
So a Board of Education Member was banned from the premises of the Board of Education. Now that is news. Several spot checks were conducted by the Health Department designed to make sure that Mrs. David and her camp did not have access to Board property until after they were approved by the State and Local Health Departments. Based on the answer to my OPRA request, an Admin in charge of the email flow turned off or refused email from the City that contained certain key words. What do you think that means?
On August 7, 2018, Janna Smith, the Whistle Blower filed an Ethics Complaint
against Angela Midgette-David detailing the inequities involved in the opening of a Youth Camp which also serviced children in diapers without prior approval from the State and Local Health Departments. She also filed and Ethics Complaint against Robert L. Kravitz, the Englewood Superintendent of Schools alleging
that he called her employer, where she worked with Angela David, and got her
fired because of her reporting the Camp.
Now I ask you, Have you ever heard of a Youth Camp that accepts toddlers
in diapers and children up to 16 years old. Isn't that a Youth Camp and a Day
Care Center combined. It seems the local and state Officials all seem to ignore that pertinent information. The rules for operating a Day Care Center are very
from those governing the operation of a Youth Day Camp.
February 9, 2019 –
Angela Midgette – began texting that she had a lien on Janna Smith’s, the whistle blower's home at 8:20 am. I have interviewed Janna Smith and needless to
say, Angela Midgette -David does not have a lien on Janna Smith's home. She also falsely stated that she fired Janna. I notice that she never mentions Victoria Bauxbaum who quit on the first day and was also the one who called the Health Department and alerted them to the fact that the Camp was open without approval. Mrs. David had been allegedly lying to the Health Department telling them she would open on July 2 with 40 Campers. In reality, she was already open with 96 Campers. Meanwhile, the teachers working in the Camp did not know that they were not supposed to be open.
Since I started my own investigation, Angela has also threatened to put a lien on my home and take my house and to teach me a lesson. Is Mrs. David predisposed to threats against the real estate of those who oppose her, because of the situation with her own home? She has called me names and threatened to R. Kelly me with golden shower. (For those of you who don't know, that means she will piss on me.
On or about February 26, 2019, the Daily Voice published an article detailing the events described in the Whistle Blowers email to all of the parties that should have been concerned. The Whistle Blower was forced to engage an attorney to try and stop Mrs. David from intimidating her.
Mrs. David has demonstrated time and again that she will do and say anything she
pleases to get what she wants. She has included this writer in her many threats contained in texts to persons who were to relay them to the intended. I have ceased all communications with Mrs. David since last year. This has only fueled her venom against me in that she blames me anytime something unpleasant happens to her that is related to her office on the Board of Education. Yes, I did advise Mrs. David that she should not run for re-election to the Board of Education. I advised that she should take her attention home and take care of her personal and financial problems.
I do not appreciate being called a "lying cunt" or her giving me a "golden shower". So this is the temperament that Stephen Brown and Glenn Garrison prefer. Notice that she likes threatening people with a law suit to take their homes. In this one, she is going to send Haitian Jack after me and he has been deported. She is also going to sue me for my home and my pension. Is she making these threats with the advice of and Attorney.
In an email distributed recently, Stephen and Glenn accuse current School board Candidates of behavior that is an outright lie. Not one of the Candidates have done what is said in this communication.
I do not appreciate being called a "lying cunt" or her giving me a "golden shower". So this is the temperament that Stephen Brown and Glenn Garrison prefer. Notice that she likes threatening people with a law suit to take their homes. In this one, she is going to send Haitian Jack after me and he has been deported. She is also going to sue me for my home and my pension. Is she making these threats with the advice of and Attorney.
In an email distributed recently, Stephen and Glenn accuse current School board Candidates of behavior that is an outright lie. Not one of the Candidates have done what is said in this communication.
"...Angela has shown that she has the right temperament and approach to dealing withNot one of the Candidates in question is guilty of what this writer suggests. Not one. I challenge them to prove this assertion. Then again, they know they don't have to prove it. All they have to do is say it, and there comes the doubt. Well, it is a lie. Straight up! Folks have yelled at School Board Meetings, but not one of those folks are running for a seat on the Englewood Board of Education.
our difficult problems. Other candidates in this election have come to school board meetings yelling at and trying to intimidate the superintendent and the board. That’s completely and utterly ineffective. We’ve seen Angela at work and we are proud to support her...."
How many of the Codes of Ethics has she violated in this one Text Message Exchange? She is Chair of the Personnel Committee.
g. I will hold confidential all matters pertaining to the schools which, if disclosed, would needlessly injure individuals or the schools. In all other matters, I will provide accurate information and, in concert with my fellow board members, interpret to the staff the aspirations of the community for its school.We have noticed that Angela does not deal well with criticism, nor does she hold secret events and conversations from Personnel Committee meetings and does try to use information from those meetings to gain power over the Superintendent and other School Board Members. We have seen that she does carry tales that keep chaos in motion.
Number 1 on the list. Angela is not being sued. Chuckle, Chuckle. Click here for a link to the documentation of a law suit that has been filed against Angela David by the Board of Education of Englewood.
Notice that Mrs. David does not realize that she is posting as herself. She is speaking of herself in the 3rd person. Did Mrs. David created 2 fake profiles on Facebook so she could make all types of accusations against persons who oppose her running for the Board of Education? Barbara Jackson and Michelle Greene came to us out of the blue in order to defend Mrs. David. They only show up when Mrs. David needs them. They have no profile pictures and only 1 friend, the Recreation Department. Who is that?
In the post to the left Mrs. David got caught between her profiles. She is defending herself in the 3rd person. It would be hilarious if this person was not already a voting member of the Englewood Board of Education.
BER-DOC-008347-19 As you can see, her husband's Company ESTEPNJ, LLC. In Effect, she is being sued by the very Board of Education that she is running to retain her seat on. I hope that the members of the Community who never got their money back remember her on Election Day.
She was also sued by Janna Smith, the Whistle Blower who got her money, her salary for 55 hours.
Pictured above is the check awarded Janna from the NJ Court system. Below is another disgruntled person who did not get a refund when Mrs. David's Camp was shut down the summer of 2018. Why didn't she just admit to the parents that the Camp had to open later than planned? Was it easier to accept the 96 children allowing their parents to believe that the camp was cleared by the state and local authorities to open?
Below is another set of texts in which she is only supposed to discuss with other members of the Board of Education. Keep in mind that Mrs. David is the Chairperson for the Personnel Committee. At least one of the person's mentioned in the text message below is no longer with the Board of Education.
Some of the suspended kids just left her house. Is Mrs. David saying that some of the children suspended for the fight at the high school just left her home?
This is the one that really got me. How is it that she can accuse the 3 male members on the Board of having carnal relations with someone in the public? What havoc this woman wreaks among all who give her audience. I did not and do not have a protégé. This obsession with the Board is something that worries me.
Upon reading all of her ramblings, it is no wonder the Board of Education Members think we are all attacking them. I have never attacked a School Board Member.
What was doing February 8? It is the birthday of someone very important to me and I was continuing to ignore the calls from Mrs. David. I have no idea why she wished to continue speaking with me. I develop and affinity towards a person when I learn that nearly everything they have ever said to me was a prevarication around the truth. That happened with me and Mrs. David.
Long before the ESTEPNJ Camp opened, Mrs. David asked my advice about opening a Camp. I told her it was a great idea, but she should open it outside of Englewood or at least not in one of the School buildings. I was in attendance when the Board voted to rent Mrs. David the Lunch Room at the Middle School. You would not believe the number of stories I was told about which government agency closed her Camp down and why. When I could no longer take the lies and the calls to my home before 7 in the am, I blocked her and stopped accepting her calls. She was interrupting my everyday life with her life, which seemed in shambles.
In my humble opinion, Mrs. David should not be given another chance to defraud the people of Englewood. I have grandchildren in District and shudder to think that Mrs. David will have any part in planning the future of their education.
I have often wondered what she said to the Editor of the Daily Voice in order to intimidate him into removing the article that simply states that she is challenging the Health Departments charges that she did not get Criminal Background Checks on her employees. How many times did she not appear in court when mandated to appear? She finally pled guilty to a lesser charge in a change of venue hearing in Palisades Park, NJ on September 12, 2019. She was fined $206.00, and her attorney tried to negotiate a payment plan for her. I guess I am the enemy because I followed the case to the culmination. I wanted to see if justice would be served.
Ethics Violation filed by Janna Smith against Angela Midgette-David
Thursday, October 31, 2019
Is It Over Yet?
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| Dr. Gordon 2015 Graduation Ceremony |
I am thoroughly disgusted with the antics of our present Superintendent and Board of Education. As late as January 25, 2019, the Superintendent and Englewood Board of Education filed tenure charges against Dr. Noel Gordon after having fired him effective June 30, 2018. Dr. Gordon has not been paid and has no medical benefits since June of 2018. Positions in which he had tenure were abolished in order to make sure that he would not be able to return. (The Positions of Assistant Principal and Director of Guidance were eliminated) Both of these abolished positions are needed in a Public School District. Compare this situation and our present organization chart to those in schools that work.
August 13, 2018 the NJ Commissioner of Education ordered the Superintendent and the Englewood Board of Education to reinstate Dr Gordon. The Superintendent had already written Dr. Gordon a letter informing him that his position as Director of Guidance had been abolished and that his employment would end as of June 30, 2018. I had no idea that they filed against the man again in January of this year. Dr. Gordon no longer works for the District, yet they filed tenure charges against him in January of 2019. He was not an employee, so why was this vote to file anew not taken in public? What were they thinking?
 |
Dr. Noel Gordon in attendance
at DMHS Graduation
in 2014.
|
Everyone wonders why the scores are going steadily down. It follows, that when the folks in charge exhibit the characteristics for which they are charging others they wish to torture, there exists a serious problem.
Education has not been a priority in this District since October of 2015. These people don't care about Test scores, Academic Achievement or the emotional health of students. It seems they only care about retribution and being right. Well, the train has left the station on them being "right", because they are wrong.
Read this latest Document. Notice that the State of New Jersey has decided in favor of Dr. Gordon, again. What does it take to end the torture? How much of our tax money are we going to allow to be flushed down a black hole?
Our School District desperately needs the suspended Personnel back at work? Our new high school Principal needs an experienced and supportive staff in order to put the school back on track to "Academic Success".
July 27, 2017 the State placed full blame for the supposed "transcript irregularities" and grading scandal on the Superintendent and the Board of Education. Read that here. Headlines at the time read, "3000+ grade changes". That was a very bad joke and terribly short sighted. In a failing school containing over 1,100 students, 3,000 grade changes is a conservative figure. This writer wants to know why there seems to be a media black out of the events in the EPSD recently. We want to know why no media source has found it peculiar that the auditor who found the irregularities actually ended up getting Dr. Noel Gordon's job. We want to know why this very important fact was not considered news worthy. Perhaps it was put in the same category of the current Board Member, who is running for re-election, who entered into a contract with the School Board on which she was serving, and proceeded to hide 96 children from the Health Department.
The tenure charges were filed after the state found that the Board and Superintendent broke the law. Read these charges that were filed wholesale against all suspended Personnel. Keep in mind that tenure charges must be filed individually. Why is it that our Superintendent, Board and Board Attorney did not know the procedure for filing tenure charges. Did they ignore the law?
Summary of Legal Requirements for Teacher Evaluation and Tenure Cases
How is it that we continue to employ persons who cannot follow directions? When students do not follow directions, they generally end up failing the course.
A current School Board member is running for re-election based on the QSAC Scores. (The QSAC is basically a report card for how the School Board is doing its job. (It is a School Board self assessment.) The test scores of the students are at an all time low and this Board member is using the results and congratulating herself on being able to get high QSAC scores? What about the fact that she voted to move forward on the tenure charges each time the opportunity presented itself?
Is it more important that the Board gets high scores or that the Students get high scores that are not exaggerated or made up?
Put the suspended back to work.
Stop wasting our tax dollars.
Stop fudging the numbers.
Stop supporting a School Board Member who has really shown conduct unbecoming. How can we take seriously any vote that Angela Midgette-David has taken in her 3 years on the School Board? How can we take seriously any action that this Board has taken?
Did this Board Member, through her actions, compromise and bully the Superintendent, the Business Administrator, the Board Attorney, the local Health Department, the Police Department, the State Health Department, Parents and other employees of the EPSD? Stop her, since the present Board members do not seem to have the courage.
End the farce that in my humble opinion equates to Union Busting!
 |
| 2014 Graduation Ceremony
Far left, Superintendent Donald Carlisle, Former Principal Peter
Elbert, Former Principal of Alternative School Joseph Bell.
It should be noted that Peter Elbert and Joseph Bell were
Co-Presidents of the Administrator's Union.
|
 |
Joseph Armental
Assistant Principal DMHS
|
 |
| Jamayla Scott |
 |
| Nicole Cartwright Guidance Counselor |
Not pictured.
Venus Rose
Louis Sanchez
Suspended also were 2 non tenured Guidance Counselors. All suspended Personnel have filed charges against this Superintendent and Board of Education.
It is time that this came to an end. We are paying the salaries and benefits of 2 sets of employees. It is damaging lives and compromising the operation of our entire School District.
Monday, October 14, 2019
Are You Ready to Vote For A Change?
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Right to Left, William Feinstein, Suzanne Mullings & Samuel Trusty
|
"...As an alumnus of the Englewood School System, I have a vested interest in the welfare of Englewood’s educational condition.
I want the children of Englewood to find the same delight in their educational experience that I had the opportunity to experience. I will dedicate time to advocate for our children and their future by improving the educational foundation the district provides to ensure our children are viable participants in the national workforce..."
Suzanne Mullings - Candidate for Englewood Board Education
"...We need school board members who will work for all our children. I will fight to ensure that every child receives the highest quality education. I will work to create an environment and culture that is conducive to teaching and learning, creating a positive experience for all students, teachers, administrators and parents. We need change to restore competence and confidence to the Englewood Public School District..."
William Feinstein - Candidate for Englewood Board of Education
Bill Feinstein is not new to the City, the School District or the race for equity in our Schools.
"... As a board
member and policy maker my number one priority will be to ensure we are
Providing EVERY child with the BEST education to prepare them for success.
While doing
that, we must also balance the interests of all stakeholders including, Our Students
& Parents, our Teachers & Administrators and The Englewood Taxpayer. I look forward to your questions and to discuss
the future of the Englewood Public Schools..."
William Feinstein
Claiming a future for our Children
I am very passionate and committed to the success of the Englewood Public Schools. I was fortunate to receive a great education that prepared me for the world outside of Englewood and I want every child today to receive that same great education and experience. As a community we have a responsibility, to ensure that each child is given that same opportunity from day one. We must put a very strong emphasis on early education. When a child falls behind in the early grades, it becomes extremely difficult, if not sometimes impossible, for that child to catch up.
William Feinstein
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