The NEW Kearny BOE

[Guest Mr. Kirk]

Hey citizens of Kearny.... YOU FINALLY GOT IT RIGHT!!! And we finally have a BOE in place who is looking at the best ineterests of the kids, in addition to watching out for your tax dollars. The new Superintendent seems very good, and he seems to be SINCERE in his interests concerning the kids. A breath of fresh air after dealing with Degesere for the past couple years! The new attorney is very professional, although I also thought Lindenfelser did a good job too.

The new Board Members to this point have fulfilled their promises, and are doing a great job. King is good as President. Castelli does need to be replaced at V.P., we can do that in this year's vote in April but he will be insignificant with the other guys doing their thing. O'Malley, Plaugic, and Leadbeater are tremendous, and their choices already are proving to be excellent, a step up in competency while saving the tax payers money. Nicely done guys! Even some of the old guard like LS, BM and ZV seemed to be impressed and happy...

There is definite change in the air, and it is GOOD. Keep up the good work.

Next, MAKE CHANGE AT THE HIGH SCHOOL!!!! We don't need 3 VP's, knock off the VP of Discipline and return Athletics to an administravtive support position as it always was, save thousands of $$$

Now, we need to move on and get new blood on the Town Council...

Please run for Mayor again John Leadbeater, we'll make sure there is an ACCURATE count this time!

[Guest Guest]

Hey citizens of Kearny.... YOU FINALLY GOT IT RIGHT!!! And we finally have a BOE in place who is looking at the best ineterests of the kids, in addition to watching out for your tax dollars. The new Superintendent seems very good, and he seems to be SINCERE in his interests concerning the kids. A breath of fresh air after dealing with Degesere for the past couple years! The new attorney is very professional, although I also thought Lindenfelser did a good job too.

Really, I didn't realize he was even in the office on Davis Avenue yet? I guess he's phoning in his sincere dealings from his last job that he hasn't left yet.

[Guest Guest]

You don't need a vp of curriculum either. He does absolutely nothing to do with curriculum. He does dress code violations. Test scores are down again....What new inititatives has he done to help the students at Kearny High School be competitive with other students trying to get into college....absolutely none...maybe if he can do his work in the gym something will get done..............

[Guest Guest]

Hey citizens of Kearny.... YOU FINALLY GOT IT RIGHT!!! And we finally have a BOE in place who is looking at the best ineterests of the kids, in addition to watching out for your tax dollars. The new Superintendent seems very good, and he seems to be SINCERE in his interests concerning the kids. A breath of fresh air after dealing with Degesere for the past couple years! The new attorney is very professional, although I also thought Lindenfelser did a good job too.

The new Board Members to this point have fulfilled their promises, and are doing a great job. King is good as President. Castelli does need to be replaced at V.P., we can do that in this year's vote in April but he will be insignificant with the other guys doing their thing. O'Malley, Plaugic, and Leadbeater are tremendous, and their choices already are proving to be excellent, a step up in competency while saving the tax payers money. Nicely done guys! Even some of the old guard like LS, BM and ZV seemed to be impressed and happy...

There is definite change in the air, and it is GOOD. Keep up the good work.

Next, MAKE CHANGE AT THE HIGH SCHOOL!!!! We don't need 3 VP's, knock off the VP of Discipline and return Athletics to an administravtive support position as it always was, save thousands of $$$

Now, we need to move on and get new blood on the Town Council...

Please run for Mayor again John Leadbeater, we'll make sure there is an ACCURATE count this time!

School board elections are a far cry from General Elections. John Leadbeater is an honorable man but his time has passed. He could never be elected mayor. Our town needs change and the time is ripe but it takes organizing and work and new faces. Where are they?

[Guest Mr Kirk]

Well he has lapper (last one in a race)....

The new Superintendent has been on the job, and he is actually approachable as opposed to our previous highest omnipotent ruler. Get a clue, will you? The new attorney is top notch as well. old days are OVER, new days coming for the good of our kids! This new BOE, and I am serious here, is the best thing to happen to Kearny in the last 3 decades.

Again, we need to get new blood and similarly transform the Town Council

Really, I didn't realize he was even in the office on Davis Avenue yet? I guess he's phoning in his sincere dealings from his last job that he hasn't left yet.

[Guest Mr Kirk]

PS -- we must revamp structure of the High School and REPLACE all 3 VP's

[Guest Guest]

I'm curious. What exactly did the 3 new board members promise that they have delivered on? I remember one saying we should keep appointments local, but then got rid of the local attorney &hired one from Metuchen. Hardly local. So what other PROMISES have they kept, or were they all personal, secret promises?

[Guest Guest]

First of all, they made sure they didn't take back Degesere and Sprague. That's a HUGE plus. Also, other hiring policies in place and about to be completed.

They need to restructure the administration of the HS, which they will do. Already good moves on Principals.

Lastly, transparencies have begun and backdoor politics have stopped, this is a great step in the right direction.

Get rid of VP's at the HS!!!

[Guest Guest]

First of all, they made sure they didn't take back Degesere and Sprague. That's a HUGE plus. Also, other hiring policies in place and about to be completed.

They need to restructure the administration of the HS, which they will do. Already good moves on Principals.

Lastly, transparencies have begun and backdoor politics have stopped, this is a great step in the right direction.

Get rid of VP's at the HS!!!

I agree that Mr. Degesere and Mr. Sprague should not have been given another opportunity to rescind their retirements - I mean what are they going to do, hedge their bets every year making the district - employees, families, and citizens of Kearny - on edge wondering what's going on?

But the new principal movements? Do they realize that they now have no bilingual administrators in three schools with the larges bi-lingual population? Neither Ms. Cali nor Mr. Hoff are bilingual, Mr. Zimmerman is not bilingual, nor is Ms. English? Hopefully for Washington and Lincoln they'll find a VP who is bilingual and can handle the great need for that service in each school.

I wish all of the new placements of administrators well and I'm sure they'll do a great job, but I hope someone takes the ever growing need for a bilingual administrator in our schools into account when they start they're next phase of hirings in August.

[Guest Joe E.]

First of all, they made sure they didn't take back Degesere and Sprague. That's a HUGE plus. Also, other hiring policies in place and about to be completed.

They need to restructure the administration of the HS, which they will do. Already good moves on Principals.

Lastly, transparencies have begun and backdoor politics have stopped, this is a great step in the right direction.

Get rid of VP's at the HS!!!

There's new hiring policies in place all right. No more transparancy and the backdoor deals are out of control. They talk about hiring people from town but that was just for show. The FabFive are making too many promises to too many people. They can't possibly keep them all. Look at the principal appointment for Washington School. A long term district employee that should have been unanimously approved. Seems like the school nurse there wasn't happy with the interim Superintendent's choice. With her speach at the meeting, she made her feelings known prior to the vote. I guess positive change for Washington School isn't wanted.

No more free thinkers on the board. Just King George and his merry men of followers.

[Guest Guest]

There's new hiring policies in place all right. No more transparancy and the backdoor deals are out of control. They talk about hiring people from town but that was just for show. The FabFive are making too many promises to too many people. They can't possibly keep them all. Look at the principal appointment for Washington School. A long term district employee that should have been unanimously approved. Seems like the school nurse there wasn't happy with the interim Superintendent's choice. With her speach at the meeting, she made her feelings known prior to the vote. I guess positive change for Washington School isn't wanted.

No more free thinkers on the board. Just King George and his merry men of followers.

You have some interesting things to say - I just can't figure out what it is you think. Who doesn't want positive change for Washington School? the nurse or the board?

[Guest Guest]

There's new hiring policies in place all right. No more transparancy and the backdoor deals are out of control. They talk about hiring people from town but that was just for show. The FabFive are making too many promises to too many people. They can't possibly keep them all. Look at the principal appointment for Washington School. A long term district employee that should have been unanimously approved. Seems like the school nurse there wasn't happy with the interim Superintendent's choice. With her speach at the meeting, she made her feelings known prior to the vote. I guess positive change for Washington School isn't wanted.

No more free thinkers on the board. Just King George and his merry men of followers.

How is it positive change for Washington School? Number one JZ is not bilingual and number two - Why would you move him from Roosevelt after only one year? Now you have to replace principals in 2 schools. Where is the continuity? Come on be smart. By the way the last time I checked the dictionary, the word speech was not spelled speach. Maybe you should go back to Washington and learn how to spell

[Guest Guest]

There's new hiring policies in place all right. No more transparancy and the backdoor deals are out of control. They talk about hiring people from town but that was just for show. The FabFive are making too many promises to too many people. They can't possibly keep them all. Look at the principal appointment for Washington School. A long term district employee that should have been unanimously approved. Seems like the school nurse there wasn't happy with the interim Superintendent's choice. With her speach at the meeting, she made her feelings known prior to the vote. I guess positive change for Washington School isn't wanted.

No more free thinkers on the board. Just King George and his merry men of followers.

I don't understand why it wasn't obvious that King, Castelli, Leadbeater, et. al., are all about show and angry complaint. They don't have the maturity to govern, even at the school board level.

Good luck to Kearny. We're going to need it.

[Guest Guest]

I'm curious. What exactly did the 3 new board members promise that they have delivered on? I remember one saying we should keep appointments local, but then got rid of the local attorney &hired one from Metuchen. Hardly local. So what other PROMISES have they kept, or were they all personal, secret promises?

These are the guys that promised accountability. So instead of paying an attorney for one hour to attend a one hour Board Of Ed meeting last month, they had to pay an attorney for three hours.

One hour to drive to the meeting, one hour to attend the meeting and one hour to return home from the meeting. Watch this tab ring up.

[Guest Guest]

These are the guys that promised accountability. So instead of paying an attorney for one hour to attend a one hour Board Of Ed meeting last month, they had to pay an attorney for three hours.

One hour to drive to the meeting, one hour to attend the meeting and one hour to return home from the meeting. Watch this tab ring up.

These guys are right wing political hacks. That's all they have even been and all they will ever be. But because they know how to use the right words to complain, people assume that they have answers behind the rhetoric. "I'm mad, so I'm going to vote for the guy who sounds like he's mad too!" Great. Real smart.

For them, it's all about favors: rewarding those who support them and punishing those who oppose them. And they have no hesitation to give jobs to their relatives, as we have already seen. They couldn't care less about the quality of education the students receive, partly because they don't understand education. There isn't one educator on the current Board. Have you ever spoken to Castelli or Leadbeater? They ain't the brightest bulbs in the box. If you press them on an issue, they can't answer you. But they can complain and criticize others, and that's what people wanted to hear.

So congratulations, Kearny. You just put five nincompoops in charge of the BOE. As you are now finding out, they are going to cost us money, not save us money.

[Guest Making things better]

These are the guys that promised accountability. So instead of paying an attorney for one hour to attend a one hour Board Of Ed meeting last month, they had to pay an attorney for three hours.

One hour to drive to the meeting, one hour to attend the meeting and one hour to return home from the meeting. Watch this tab ring up.

It is amazing how when CONTROL is lost all the cry babies want to see people fail. Things around the BOE are getting better everyday. Your statement about the attorney getting paid for travel time is FALSE. But, how about a fact.......Lindenfelser was getting paid a $20,000.00 health insurance plan, the same of which the employees of the BOE get.....WHY? tHE NEW ATTORNEY DOES NOT get this , either did prior attorneys. get your facts right before you post nonsense to stir the pot!!!

Edited August 13, 2011 by KOTW
Neither the Cost of Health or Coverage Has been confirmed.

[Guest Captain Kirk]

These are the guys that promised accountability. So instead of paying an attorney for one hour to attend a one hour Board Of Ed meeting last month, they had to pay an attorney for three hours.

One hour to drive to the meeting, one hour to attend the meeting and one hour to return home from the meeting. Watch this tab ring up.

Wait. It gets better. They also change the hourly rate for the attorney from $110 per hour to $180 per hour. Beam me up Scotty.

[Guest True or False]

These are the guys that promised accountability. So instead of paying an attorney for one hour to attend a one hour Board Of Ed meeting last month, they had to pay an attorney for three hours.

One hour to drive to the meeting, one hour to attend the meeting and one hour to return home from the meeting. Watch this tab ring up.

If this statement is being made by some idiot who wants to start crap and is trying to pass around a rumor to discredit "the guys that promise accountability" I can accept it and understand his/her jealousy of the work "the guys" are doing.

If this is fact, than the "old biddies" at the front office have to be FIRED because their constant release of information before any member of the BOE or public has it must end once and for all!

[Guest Board Attendee]

If this statement is being made by some idiot who wants to start crap and is trying to pass around a rumor to discredit "the guys that promise accountability" I can accept it and understand his/her jealousy of the work "the guys" are doing.

If this is fact, than the "old biddies" at the front office have to be FIRED because their constant release of information before any member of the BOE or public has it must end once and for all!

The last board meeting was at least 2 hours long considering they were in closed session for over an hour and then came out and started the regular meeting. Seems to me you need to get your facts straight. Or are you just a pot stirrer?

[Guest Sounds like election time]

Wait. It gets better. They also change the hourly rate for the attorney from $110 per hour to $180 per hour. Beam me up Scotty.

Wait. Don't lie or guess, ask and get the right answers before you insert foot in mouth. Old attorney, Ken Lindenfelder ==== $190.00 per hour, NEW ATTORNEY DAVID RUBIN ===== $180.00 per hour my math says $10.00 per hour less, not to mention the fact that he is * **** attorney. KEEP CRYING, THE OLD DAYS ARE OVER!!!!!

Edited August 14, 2011 by KOTW
Content.

[Guest Guest]

Wait. Don't lie or guess, ask and get the right answers before you insert foot in mouth. Old attorney, Ken Lindenfelder ==== $190.00 per hour, NEW ATTORNEY DAVID RUBIN ===== $180.00 per hour my math says $10.00 per hour less, not to mention the fact that he is * **** attorney. KEEP CRYING, THE OLD DAYS ARE OVER!!!!!

Nope $110

[Guest Guest]

So, according to your thoughts, someone who is bilingual is automatically qualified for the job? The two new VPs got their job because they are minorities and not because they were the most qualified applicants. You want proof of that, go to a board meeting and ask to see the qualifications of all the applicants. While I agree someone with bilingual ability would be ideal, I prefer that they actually know something about curriculum and test improvement strategies. I would also have liked to see them have some experience in the field, but I'm not the Superintendent who will be gone in a few months.

I agree that Mr. Degesere and Mr. Sprague should not have been given another opportunity to rescind their retirements - I mean what are they going to do, hedge their bets every year making the district - employees, families, and citizens of Kearny - on edge wondering what's going on?

But the new principal movements? Do they realize that they now have no bilingual administrators in three schools with the larges bi-lingual population? Neither Ms. Cali nor Mr. Hoff are bilingual, Mr. Zimmerman is not bilingual, nor is Ms. English? Hopefully for Washington and Lincoln they'll find a VP who is bilingual and can handle the great need for that service in each school.

I wish all of the new placements of administrators well and I'm sure they'll do a great job, but I hope someone takes the ever growing need for a bilingual administrator in our schools into account when they start they're next phase of hirings in August.

[Guest Cj knows]

So, according to your thoughts, someone who is bilingual is automatically qualified for the job? The two new VPs got their job because they are minorities and not because they were the most qualified applicants. You want proof of that, go to a board meeting and ask to see the qualifications of all the applicants. While I agree someone with bilingual ability would be ideal, I prefer that they actually know something about curriculum and test improvement strategies. I would also have liked to see them have some experience in the field, but I'm not the Superintendent who will be gone in a few months.

This poster is correct... The other 2 finalist were certainly more qualified and have gone above and beyond for this district.... You can ask anyone who knows them. Secondly...you are aware that there are students who speak polish, mandarin, arabic, etc in our school district? Who takes care of them? A good leader knows that all students/ parents should have all resouces to make communication effective....that includes finding translators when needed.

[Guest Guest]

This poster is correct... The other 2 finalist were certainly more qualified and have gone above and beyond for this district.... You can ask anyone who knows them. Secondly...you are aware that there are students who speak polish, mandarin, arabic, etc in our school district? Who takes care of them? A good leader knows that all students/ parents should have all resouces to make communication effective....that includes finding translators when needed.

Who were the other 2 finalists?

[Guest Guest]

So, according to your thoughts, someone who is bilingual is automatically qualified for the job? The two new VPs got their job because they are minorities and not because they were the most qualified applicants. You want proof of that, go to a board meeting and ask to see the qualifications of all the applicants. While I agree someone with bilingual ability would be ideal, I prefer that they actually know something about curriculum and test improvement strategies. I would also have liked to see them have some experience in the field, but I'm not the Superintendent who will be gone in a few months.

Not automatically qualified. Nowhere did I say that. What I mean is, that the administration should be able to have conversations with parents in a confidential manner. As a parent, I wouldn't want a part-time secretary to be the translator in a meeting regarding my child. Like it or not, Washington School has a very large population of non-English speaking families. I believe that since there are qualified people, both in and out of district, who could fill those positions a concerted effort should have been made to accomodate that important need. I was away and wasn't able to attend this week's BOE meeting, so I don't know who was appointed Monday night, perhaps, that was taken into consideration.