"...The audit was requested after it was found that school money appeared to be used to improperly. The allegations prompted the school board, in January, to place on administrative leave district Business Administrator Jason Jones and his assistant, Jade Wilson. Lots of Funny Business Found in Roselle School Spending, says Audit | Roselle, NJ News TAPinto..."
I like that Henry Pruitt had questions about the presentation on test results and Pathways to graduation. It appears we were both wondering why this presentation was being given when graduation is less than a month away. Another thing, why not encourage 11th graders to choose a "Pathway to Graduation" before the final hour? We would not have this problem if students were required to take a class designed to help them learn to take and pass the test. The concept of teaching to the test is deplorable, but preparing students specifically to take this required test is what? Forbidden? I think not. Students are prepared to take the SAT. Why not prepare them to take the NJGPA and all of the others based on their choice? Let them practicepractice with supervision. We have agreed as a profession that all students learn differently. Considering that, why are we testing them all the same? Another thing, how does a child actually do well on the PSAT in 10th grade and fail the NJGPA 4 times? Perhaps the problem is not the students. I repeat, students should be encouraged to choose a Pathway to graduation before 12th grade. This should be a choice, not a punishment in the final hour. This is too demoralizing. For instance, the 29 Portfolio Review Students should have more time to put together a Portfolio. Will a Portfolio thrown together now, in such a short timespan, represent the student's best work? Does the District care about the student achieving his/her best work?
81 students failed the NJGPA 4 times and all the School District did was schedule another test date. Where was our Guidance Director, that they keep praising, during this time? What does he think of all of this? Scamardella has been here all of ten minutes and is an Elementary School Professional, not a high schoolprofessional . Her tone while dealing with the numbers was quite offputting.
Nothing was done in the interim, either time, to make sure that the scores improved, yet they expected improvement. Why would the District/or the Board of Education expect improvement? Let us also remember that this 12th grade class was in the 9th grade during a full Virtual Schooling year because of Covid 19. In March of 2020 Teachers did not know which way was up, neither did Administrators or students. Some students had not been on their computer but 4 times in their entire school experience. This information was there and available when the students signed in for Virtual Learning March of 2020. This grade should have been given some kind of support and maybe even been exempt from this standardized test. What did the District do to prepare students to retake the test? Why would the test score be higher if nothing was done in between test taking? How do you ignore the fact that nothing changed from test to test? Did anyone even wonder why nothing changed? Why would 81 students take the same test and fail it 4 times? Another thing, educators all over the world agree that children learn differently. So why does the state test all of them the same?
Hazelton has not even been here a year, and barely knows
anything about the district, yet the Board of Education has allowed her to change things drastically. For change sake? To make a name for herself? Why? If a new Superintendent is hired every 2 or 3 years and they are each allowed free reign with change, where is the stability? Another thing, we are "not" going to have a Superintendent with a NJ address by June 30 and she is not filing a lawsuit that The New Jersey First Act is unconstitutional. The Englewood Board of Education has interceded at the state on her behalf. The State's Employee Residency Review Board of NJ has given her a pass, because the Employer, the EPSD has a "critical need" for her services. Seriously?
"2024-127(R) Marnie Hazelton Englewood Public School District The applicant’s request for exemption from the residency requirement was GRANTED on the grounds of employer critical need." Click here and scroll down Click here and scroll down to the bottom of the 2nd page.
The Englewood Public School District has failed yet another group of seniors and are actively blaming the victim. I blame the School Board, the same School Board that just made a heaping lot of questionable decisions based on the recommendations of a totally unproven Superintendent. The only thing missing now is George Garrison III running into the Grieco Cafeteria with his arms in the air yelling, "we just hired a Superman". I am not impressed. I am also not impressed that the Board is moving ahead with the plan to send the 6th grade back to McCloud School.
Again, I will say that the Englewood Board of Education is a broken machine. Everytime a new Superintendent comes in, the machine is remade as the person gets his/her sea legs. The District and the Students never have stability in any area of the QSAC because of this. The New Superintendent becomes the tail wagging the Dog. All one need do is count the numerous Superintendents, including when the County has had to take over, to see that there is a problem with our School Board knowing how to hire a Superintendent. That is the minimum basic requirement of a School Board. We even had a Superintendent for a few years that was never approved by the state and who did not have a NJ Certification when hired. Since the days of John Grieco this has been happening more often. The Board never gets to see if the Superintendent's Action Plan has indeed been successful in implementing the Board Goals and Objectives. The Board ends up having to pay our hard earned money to get rid of Supertintendents that do not make it. Many times Superintendents are paid merit pay for things they did not do because those things were in place when they got here. For example, R. Kravitz was given Merit Pay for making Twitter and Facebook accounts, but we already had these Social Media accounts long before he became Superintendent.
There was no documentation or indication of how many students in this graduating class dropped out of school. I am interested in that number. They should not be forgotten. The Englewood Board of Education abolished the Alternative School, but the students who needed The Program are still here. How are the Children?
All I can say is that the Website looks great! Unfortunately a passable looking electronic sign nor a great looking interactive Official Website page with a state Senator congratulating the states 2024 graduates will "not" increase test scores. Oh, and by the way, the graduating Seniors should be told that there is a message on the Website from our United States Senator from NJ. I have not spoken to a single student who has seen or listened to it.
All I can say is that the Website looks great! Unfortunately a passable looking electronic sign nor a great looking interactive Official Website page with a state Senator congratulating the states 2024 graduates will "not" increase test scores. Oh, and by the way, the graduating Seniors should be told that there is a message on the Website from our United States Senator from NJ. I have not spoken to a single student who has seen or listened to it.
