Kearny Schools: Sports & Politics

[Guest Fred Romano]

Ok in Today's The Observer article we see more of the same old same old here in Kearny. I was really surprised to learn the new Kearny BOE let this one go. I thought things were turning around. Again, I am referencing a newspaper artcile and using only facts from that article.

Kearny HS hired a 25 yr. old as it's new Baseball Coach. Yes a "TWENTY FIVE" year old teacher, one who does not even teach in Kearny High School, a teacher they moved from the High School because he could not handle teenaged kids. A former soccer player under the current Athletic Director John Millar. (Again, we know this from today's artcile, I won't even get into any other connections with the A.D...) Mr Bifulco did not even play baseball in college. He has been coaching a grand total of 3 years all on the assistant level, he has no Head Coaching experience. Overlooked is at least 2 candidates infinitely more qualified.

Also hired are 2 ex-soccer players, dave Smart and Robert Kelley, also ex-SOCCER players for the Kearny HS A.D. Amazing. Lastly, we also hire the A.D.'s SON, another of the 4 coaches with no college baseball-playing experience. Let me repeat that, we hire the athletic director's son as the freshmen baseball coach, when he has never even coach baseball before...

To the Kearny BOE, this is your first blemish as newly constituted. I cannot actually believe you guys let this one go. I can see PC on the Board bowing to political pressure, but I sure didn't see the likes of you new guys and especially a baseball guy in JL on the Board letting this happen. I hope this is not a sign of things to come.

Edited December 2, 2011 by KOTW
The author of this post may not be Fred Romano per post below.

[Guest Fred Romano]

THE ABOVE ARTICLE WHICH WAS SIGNED FRED ROMANO WAS NOT WRITTEN BY FRED ROMANO THE FORMER ATHLETIC DIRECTOR AT KEARNY HIGH SCHOOL. I OBJECT TO MY NAME BEING USED. I WOULD NEVER CRITICIZE A FELLOW ATHLETIC DIRECTOR FOR HIS SELECTION PROCESS WHICH I KNOW WAS NOT FLAWED.

[Guest Guest]

What does he being 25 have to do with anything? I graduated highschool at 17 and college at 21. I'm not getting what your argument is here.

[Guest Guest]

What does he being 25 have to do with anything? I graduated highschool at 17 and college at 21. I'm not getting what your argument is here.

Were other candidates even interviewed? Are you going to tell me he was the most qualified? How can you possibly build a program with a kid with no head coaching experience in baseball. I smell another rat..................

[Guest Baseball Parent]

Ok in Today's The Observer article we see more of the same old same old here in Kearny. I was really surprised to learn the new Kearny BOE let this one go. I thought things were turning around. Again, I am referencing a newspaper artcile and using only facts from that article.

Kearny HS hired a 25 yr. old as it's new Baseball Coach. Yes a "TWENTY FIVE" year old teacher, one who does not even teach in Kearny High School, a teacher they moved from the High School because he could not handle teenaged kids. A former soccer player under the current Athletic Director John Millar. (Again, we know this from today's artcile, I won't even get into any other connections with the A.D...) Mr Bifulco did not even play baseball in college. He has been coaching a grand total of 3 years all on the assistant level, he has no Head Coaching experience. Overlooked is at least 2 candidates infinitely more qualified.

Also hired are 2 ex-soccer players, dave Smart and Robert Kelley, also ex-SOCCER players for the Kearny HS A.D. Amazing. Lastly, we also hire the A.D.'s SON, another of the 4 coaches with no college baseball-playing experience. Let me repeat that, we hire the athletic director's son as the freshmen baseball coach, when he has never even coach baseball before...

To the Kearny BOE, this is your first blemish as newly constituted. I cannot actually believe you guys let this one go. I can see PC on the Board bowing to political pressure, but I sure didn't see the likes of you new guys and especially a baseball guy in JL on the Board letting this happen. I hope this is not a sign of things to come.

Although I don't agree that age has much to do with an appointment I do think that being qualified does. I think there was some special consideration for the hirees based on the relationship with the A.D. I attended the meeting and was concerned by a comment made by one of the BOE members that information regarding candidates applying was not even given to BOE members to review.(para phrasing) How do you vote for an appointment if you don't even know who applied? I give credit to that member that made that statement and for not just voting yes(did not vote) for the sake of voting. I don't think it was fair for you to rip the "new" guys when 8 members voted for this action. A large group of people,that is, administrators, staff and general public like what has been happening lately at the BOE. The hiring practices at the BOE have been terrible for years and that is why there is the mess we have now. Hopefully that can get cleaned up.

[Guest Stop Whining]

Seriously? How long have you lived in this town? Haven't you learned by now that Kearny BOE members and employees take care of their own first? Shall we talk about how "qualified" some of the related teachers are in this district? Please....

That being said, why don't you really just stick to the positive side and talk about how "qualified" the candidate YOU wanted IS. Does he teach in Kearny High School? Do you think he would if he was asked to leave his current school? Perhaps not. Has he ever been the head coach of a baseball team? Hmm... In my opinion, playing college baseball has no impact on what kind of coach you'll be.

I think Mr. Bifulco will do a great job as coach. I mean, I think he'll at least do the best he can with what he's been given to work with. Yikes!

[Guest Miss understood]

Seriously? How long have you lived in this town? Haven't you learned by now that Kearny BOE members and employees take care of their own first? Shall we talk about how "qualified" some of the related teachers are in this district? Please....

That being said, why don't you really just stick to the positive side and talk about how "qualified" the candidate YOU wanted IS. Does he teach in Kearny High School? Do you think he would if he was asked to leave his current school? Perhaps not. Has he ever been the head coach of a baseball team? Hmm... In my opinion, playing college baseball has no impact on what kind of coach you'll be.

I think Mr. Bifulco will do a great job as coach. I mean, I think he'll at least do the best he can with what he's been given to work with. Yikes!

You miss understood my comments. My point is that you should, let me be clear.....MUST be qualified for any appointment. I did not say I agreed with the appointment. I said I agreed with what was said by a board member about appointing a person without knowledge of candidates applying. I have lived in Kearny all my life and there is no doubt there has been problems, hence my comments about the mess we are in, but I do believe that some of the people on the board now are doing good things for the better of the district.

[Guest Guest]

The original post was trying to show how there are too much politics involved in Kearny, particularly in it's hiring process. Now it has come to play in sports. most 25 year old kids do not get to be a head coach at a group 4 high school in the major sports. If anyone can give any other example of that happening at any Group 4 High School I would love to see it. And the kind of scenario would seem to be a star college player coming home, someone who can teach players things he has learned at the highest levels. Along those lines, that is exactly why u would want someone who has played college ball to coach, because he would be able to increase the level of play with things he has learned at a higher level. Is that such a hard concept to grasp? All we will get from Bifulco is things he has learned from Sickinger, as a matter of fact it is probable that he will just do whatever Sickinger advises him to do -- you can read into that with some of Sickinger's comments.

The fact that a man who is older, is curerently a tenured teacher in the Kearny District, advanced to a higher level of play as a player, came from an outside High School Program that is acknowledged as a very good High School Baseball Program, and that man was not even considered when applying tells you what is going on in Kearny. The Athletic Director hired 4 soccer kids to coach the Baseball Program, one being his own son(who has never even coached baseball...), and this was just rubber-stamped by the current BOE. That is a blemish on the current Board and will have to be addressed in the upcoming elections.

[Guest Guest]

You miss understood my comments. My point is that you should, let me be clear.....MUST be qualified for any appointment. I did not say I agreed with the appointment. I said I agreed with what was said by a board member about appointing a person without knowledge of candidates applying. I have lived in Kearny all my life and there is no doubt there has been problems, hence my comments about the mess we are in, but I do believe that some of the people on the board now are doing good things for the better of the district.

Kearny is dying town, the board has gotten better but to much trash is coming in. It took years to remove a musician teacher as a super, just think how hard it going to be to remove some all the damage he's done.Also, people here on this forum worries more about world politics then what's going on in town. You should worry about the education here then who is a coach.

[Guest guestimate]

Kearny is dying town, the board has gotten better but to much trash is coming in. It took years to remove a musician teacher as a super, just think how hard it going to be to remove some all the damage he's done.Also, people here on this forum worries more about world politics then what's going on in town. You should worry about the education here then who is a coach.

You should worry more about your own education than what others are worrying about.

[Guest Guest]

"Kearny is dying town, the board has gotten better but to much trash is coming in. It took years to remove a musician teacher as a super, just think how hard it going to be to remove some all the damage he's done.Also, people here on this forum worries more about world politics then what's going on in town. You should worry about the education here then who is a coach. "

Well I'll take a "musician teacher" any day who is literate as opposed to say....someone who puts sentences together like you.

[Guest Guest]

"Kearny is dying town, the board has gotten better but to much trash is coming in. It took years to remove a musician teacher as a super, just think how hard it going to be to remove some all the damage he's done.Also, people here on this forum worries more about world politics then what's going on in town. You should worry about the education here then who is a coach. "

Well I'll take a "musician teacher" any day who is literate as opposed to say....someone who puts sentences together like you.

Funny comments but doesn't change that fact that it's true. The music teacher that got paid 200k for doing nothing and your worry about how old your kid coach is.

[Guest Guest]

You should worry more about your own education than what others are worrying about.

You missed the point completely, but hey thank god your kid's will be great at sports.

[Guest David Smart]

Just for the record my son has never played soccer, and as for playing baseball, he played and started for Kean University. The colleges baseball reputation speaks for itself.

[Guest Guest]

"Funny comments but doesn't change that fact that it's true. The music teacher that got paid 200k for doing nothing and your worry about how old your kid coach is."

Wasn't funny at all. Wasn't meant to be.

He started to do a lot and would have done a lot more given the chance. He wasn't allowed to.

[Guest Wake Up]

"Funny comments but doesn't change that fact that it's true. The music teacher that got paid 200k for doing nothing and your worry about how old your kid coach is."

Wasn't funny at all. Wasn't meant to be.

He started to do a lot and would have done a lot more given the chance. He wasn't allowed to.

A lot of nothing!! Actually that is not correct, he hired his friends and friends of the family, ran the district into the ground, never worked more than * **** a ***, test scores plummeted, morale tanked, wasteful spending, by the way does anybody realize the only Superintendent experience he had was 2 years in Bloomfield, and Bloomfield ran him out!!!!

Edited December 18, 2011 by KOTW
Content.

[Guest Guest]

"A lot of nothing!! Actually that is not correct, he hired his friends and friends of the family, ran the district into the ground, never worked more than * **** a ***, test scores plummeted, morale tanked, wasteful spending, by the way does anybody realize the only Superintendent experience he had was 2 years in Bloomfield, and Bloomfield ran him out!!!!"

Totally wrong. Committees picked the people. District was on an upswing BECAUSE morale was a lot better, trimmed the budget and passed them with little tax increase and had just gotten a contract extension in Bloomfield and LEFT to come to Kearny. Sounds like you just don't like him because you got every point wrong.

[Guest Guest]

"A lot of nothing!! Actually that is not correct, he hired his friends and friends of the family, ran the district into the ground, never worked more than * **** a ***, test scores plummeted, morale tanked, wasteful spending, by the way does anybody realize the only Superintendent experience he had was 2 years in Bloomfield, and Bloomfield ran him out!!!!"

Totally wrong. Committees picked the people. District was on an upswing BECAUSE morale was a lot better, trimmed the budget and passed them with little tax increase and had just gotten a contract extension in Bloomfield and LEFT to come to Kearny. Sounds like you just don't like him because you got every point wrong.

You must be one of the faithful ring kissers!!!!! Either you or a member of your family got a job from him. Everything listed is FACT and documents don't LIE. You see, by just stating the facts has absolutely nothing to do with LIKING or DISLIKING a person. But when the facts are not what you like right away it becomes personal. Do some research of your own, without your emotions envolved and ask teachers and administrators if things are not better now than 1 or 2 years ago. Make an appointment to speak with the interim super and find out first hand, don't take my word I am only a community activist who cares about our kids education.

If you want you can call Bloomfield and ask some board members that are still there if he left on his own or was RAN out!! Don't take my word again, hear it for yourself.

Explain to me your comment about "committees" hiring people, never heard such a thing.

[Guest Guest]

"A lot of nothing!! Actually that is not correct, he hired his friends and friends of the family, ran the district into the ground, never worked more than * **** a ***, test scores plummeted, morale tanked, wasteful spending, by the way does anybody realize the only Superintendent experience he had was 2 years in Bloomfield, and Bloomfield ran him out!!!!"

Totally wrong. Committees picked the people. District was on an upswing BECAUSE morale was a lot better, trimmed the budget and passed them with little tax increase and had just gotten a contract extension in Bloomfield and LEFT to come to Kearny. Sounds like you just don't like him because you got every point wrong.

Your joking right? If he was so great why did he have an assistant superintendent, have 4 secretaries under him and 3 vice principal. You think that how you save on taxes? Damn even his assistant was getting paid over 100k and he even had a secretary too. Again this forum is a joke, no one really cares about our school system or our town they just rant out about political issues, have a bad schools school system that ok, but don't even think about mess with my kids sports programs so i don't have to pay for a baby sitter.

[Guest Guest]

Just for the record my son has never played soccer, and as for playing baseball, he played and started for Kean University. The colleges baseball reputation speaks for itself.

Honestly, I don't care if your son a coach, if he's a good coach keep him if not drop him. The issue that is funny to me is they're more worried about the coach age then how our school or town operates.

[Guest Guest]

Your joking right? If he was so great why did he have an assistant superintendent, have 4 secretaries under him and 3 vice principal. You think that how you save on taxes? Damn even his assistant was getting paid over 100k and he even had a secretary too. Again this forum is a joke, no one really cares about our school system or our town they just rant out about political issues, have a bad schools school system that ok, but don't even think about mess with my kids sports programs so i don't have to pay for a baby sitter.

Edited December 21, 2011 by KOTW
Empty Post

[Guest Guest]

You must be one of the faithful ring kissers!!!!! Either you or a member of your family got a job from him. Everything listed is FACT and documents don't LIE. You see, by just stating the facts has absolutely nothing to do with LIKING or DISLIKING a person. But when the facts are not what you like right away it becomes personal. Do some research of your own, without your emotions envolved and ask teachers and administrators if things are not better now than 1 or 2 years ago. Make an appointment to speak with the interim super and find out first hand, don't take my word I am only a community activist who cares about our kids education.

If you want you can call Bloomfield and ask some board members that are still there if he left on his own or was RAN out!! Don't take my word again, hear it for yourself.

Explain to me your comment about "committees" hiring people, never heard such a thing.

Envolved? Really?

[Guest Guest]

Your joking right? If he was so great why did he have an assistant superintendent, have 4 secretaries under him and 3 vice principal. You think that how you save on taxes? Damn even his assistant was getting paid over 100k and he even had a secretary too. Again this forum is a joke, no one really cares about our school system or our town they just rant out about political issues, have a bad schools school system that ok, but don't even think about mess with my kids sports programs so i don't have to pay for a baby sitter.

Your joking or you're joking? Illiterate ranting.

[Guest Guest]

This is hilarious all you people have nothing better to do with your time...everyone is talking about facts,, none of the baseball facts mentioned are true, they are all wrong...and instead of assessing the actual problems (all of which are statewide) we are worried about nonsense...Kearny has always been the same...people are going to moan and be grumpy if they feel someone or something is up to how they feel it should of went so they will bash it anyway possible...then when things go there way they walk around like they are a boss or someone important...just let it be...the coach will do fine, the district is on an upswing, enjoy life and stop the nonsense...everyone just find another hobby, this is silly!!!

[Guest Spell Checker]

You must be one of the faithful ring kissers!!!!! Either you or a member of your family got a job from him. Everything listed is FACT and documents don't LIE. You see, by just stating the facts has absolutely nothing to do with LIKING or DISLIKING a person. But when the facts are not what you like right away it becomes personal. Do some research of your own, without your emotions envolved and ask teachers and administrators if things are not better now than 1 or 2 years ago. Make an appointment to speak with the interim super and find out first hand, don't take my word I am only a community activist who cares about our kids education.

If you want you can call Bloomfield and ask some board members that are still there if he left on his own or was RAN out!! Don't take my word again, hear it for yourself.

Explain to me your comment about "committees" hiring people, never heard such a thing.

Envolved? Really?

Spell Checker.....really?