Kearny Schools Change

[Guest Nat G]

The new members of the BOE have been an upgrade and overall are doing a decent job. The interim Super and the current Attorney are sharp. We have started an over-haul that will generate results. I hope this BOE can finish what they started. They will need our help come November when BOE elections are now with the General Election. Since this is a Presidential Election year, huge numbers will be out to vote. This should help get new blood to work with the "Fab Five" (actually I really don't like that label for JL, JP, BO, GK & PC).

In 2006 Kearny HS was ranked 200 in NJ Monthly out of 316, not even in the top half. pretty bad. Well then we put in Somma, Ragnoni & Millar as Administration of the HS. How have they done? Well this past year, KHS ranked 235, a DROP of 35 places. Baumgartner has replaced Somma, and it has gotten even worse. Morale in the High School, both in the ranks of the Teachers and The Student Body, is at an all-time low. Other than a single sectional title by the Boys soccer team in a weak section, the sports programs have been really bad and are getting worse, participation is extremely low even in sports that used to command high numbers. The Band, a Kearny staple for many years, has sunk to an alarming level.

Test scores are bad. Discipline is atrocious; just watch the kids smoking and cursing leaving the building. Where kids used to go to Ivy League schools we now are happy to get them into County Colleges.

Please, BOE, make these last changes. There is no need for 4 VP's. And get new blood at the top, so the excellent teachers we have can start to improve our youth and we can have a renewed spirit in this once-proud institution on Devon St.

[Guest Guest]

need to get PC off the BOE, that's what must be done

[Guest hs insider]

Hey, Peeps! I am not into politics. Nat G. is a fan of the "Fab Five" , the Beetles? Politics should not be a part of the BOE or promises. What exactly have they done for the students and parents of Kearny?

You make up stories about NJ Monthly and ratings. If you check, Nj Monthly has not had a list of schools since Dr. B, has been a part of Kearny Schools. You also fail to note that Kearny made AYP last year, on the progress of the hs. If not, Kearny would have been called a failing district. AP & SAT scores are up, and so are those on the S tests. So, where are these "bad" test scores?

I find the morale of the staff and especially the students to be much improved. Dr. B. brought some interclass ideas to improve student spirit.

Speaking of the band, who only played one song during an evening football game at home, who appointed the Band Director? The BOE?

[Guest hs insider]

Hey Peeps! Nat. G. show me how the fab five,a reference to the beetles?, have been an upgrade from previous BOE members. R they not politically connected as all or most of the former BOE members? Most of them have agendas which do not deal with the students or the education in Kearny. They have personal gripes about family members, etc, & are not interested in the education or the students. Many of them want power. What new improvements have the fab five made to education?

Where are you getting your info for NJ Monthly? Since Dr. B. has been there, NJ Monthly has not printed a list of high schools. In fact, last year, Kearny Schools made AYP (adequate yearly progress) thanks to the scores of the high school students, which carried the district into this category. The SAT's and the ACT scores have also gone up in the past 2 years. Test scores have been raised. Talk to the majority of students at KHS; Dr. B. does not hide in her office. She knows and interacts with her students. The kids seem to have more school spirit than they did with previous principals. Dr. B. is a Kearny girl. She worked in Kearny for quite a few years (not hired by FD) before leaving to be closer to her young children. She is not a political person. She truly cares about the school and the students, not politics.

I say we get rid of all the old political cronies including the ones in DC who care only about themselves. We need people who truly care about the positions they are elected to.

As for the band, who appointed and approved the Band Director? At one football game, they managed to play one song.

Where are the 4 VP's? I count three, and they were all appointed by previous BOEs, when some of the Fab 5 & their buddies were on the BOE. Have not some of the Fab 5 & their friends been brought up on ethics charges???

The construction company working st the HS was hired by the current Super. Two Supers ago, the HS had scaffolding up for about 13 years, with little or no work being done.

Discipline is set by the BOE and carried out by the 2 VP's. Sounds like someone is grumpy and seeking power thru the Fab 5.

[Guest Not HS insider, HS Cryer]

Hey Peeps! Nat. G. show me how the fab five,a reference to the beetles?, have been an upgrade from previous BOE members. R they not politically connected as all or most of the former BOE members? Most of them have agendas which do not deal with the students or the education in Kearny. They have personal gripes about family members, etc, & are not interested in the education or the students. Many of them want power. What new improvements have the fab five made to education?

Where are you getting your info for NJ Monthly? Since Dr. B. has been there, NJ Monthly has not printed a list of high schools. In fact, last year, Kearny Schools made AYP (adequate yearly progress) thanks to the scores of the high school students, which carried the district into this category. The SAT's and the ACT scores have also gone up in the past 2 years. Test scores have been raised. Talk to the majority of students at KHS; Dr. B. does not hide in her office. She knows and interacts with her students. The kids seem to have more school spirit than they did with previous principals. Dr. B. is a Kearny girl. She worked in Kearny for quite a few years (not hired by FD) before leaving to be closer to her young children. She is not a political person. She truly cares about the school and the students, not politics.

I say we get rid of all the old political cronies including the ones in DC who care only about themselves. We need people who truly care about the positions they are elected to.

As for the band, who appointed and approved the Band Director? At one football game, they managed to play one song.

Where are the 4 VP's? I count three, and they were all appointed by previous BOEs, when some of the Fab 5 & their buddies were on the BOE. Have not some of the Fab 5 & their friends been brought up on ethics charges???

The construction company working st the HS was hired by the current Super. Two Supers ago, the HS had scaffolding up for about 13 years, with little or no work being done.

Discipline is set by the BOE and carried out by the 2 VP's. Sounds like someone is grumpy and seeking power thru the Fab 5.

Hey Peeps! Nat. G. show me how the fab five,a reference to the beetles?, have been an upgrade from previous BOE members. R they not politically connected as all or most of the former BOE members? Most of them have agendas which do not deal with the students or the education in Kearny. They have personal gripes about family members, etc, & are not interested in the education or the students. Many of them want power. What new improvements have the fab five made to education?

Where are you getting your info for NJ Monthly? Since Dr. B. has been there, NJ Monthly has not printed a list of high schools. In fact, last year, Kearny Schools made AYP (adequate yearly progress) thanks to the scores of the high school students, which carried the district into this category. The SAT's and the ACT scores have also gone up in the past 2 years. Test scores have been raised. Talk to the majority of students at KHS; Dr. B. does not hide in her office. She knows and interacts with her students. The kids seem to have more school spirit than they did with previous principals. Dr. B. is a Kearny girl. She worked in Kearny for quite a few years (not hired by FD) before leaving to be closer to her young children. She is not a political person. She truly cares about the school and the students, not politics.

I say we get rid of all the old political cronies including the ones in DC who care only about themselves. We need people who truly care about the positions they are elected to.

As for the band, who appointed and approved the Band Director? At one football game, they managed to play one song.

Where are the 4 VP's? I count three, and they were all appointed by previous BOEs, when some of the Fab 5 & their buddies were on the BOE. Have not some of the Fab 5 & their friends been brought up on ethics charges???

The construction company working st the HS was hired by the current Super. Two Supers ago, the HS had scaffolding up for about 13 years, with little or no work being done.

Discipline is set by the BOE and carried out by the 2 VP's. Sounds like someone is grumpy and seeking power thru the Fab 5.

This is not the HS Insider, but it does sound like the HS Cryer. The Fab 5 is not a self declared title, but a title given to some BOE members by other BOE members and their flock. There are 3 sides to every story and your story is one of damage control and made in desperation.

You want to be showed how the 5 members of the BOE are an upgrade, you got it. Here we go, first and foremost they DO NOT HIRE UNQUALIFIED FRIENDS AND FAMILY. They only hire the MOST QUALIFIED person for a job. That alone is the single best action they can make for the kids. There is 1 person from the 5 you speak of that is political, but he sets politics aside at the BOE. As for the remaining 4, 3 are just political hacks who do what is told of them and 1 who got elected last year made that very clear. Sounds like you have your members mixed up, 5 have NO AGENDAS, but 3 of the remaining 4 have nothing but their own agendas. The 5 you speak of do not want power, only want to do what is RIGHT. The four you do not speak of, 3 of them want nothing but power and are doing desperate things which will hurt them badly because they are upset they have lost this SO CALLED POWER. Dr. B "was" a Kearny girl, but left over 30 years ago for greener pastures. She could never get promoted higher than a director of curriculum in her "other" district, but amazingly is HIRED by FD in Kearny for the highest level in Kearny's Schools. Your biggest mistake is saying she is not a political person, she is by far the BIGGEST political person in the district. You are really confused, none of the 5 you are trying to discredit have been brought up on ethics charges, but some of the remaining 4 have, you obviously have people mixed up. The constuction company working at KHS WAS NOT hired by the current Super, they were hired by FD. The scaffolding you speak of is probably the only statement you made that is correct.......but now it is finnally gone and progress is moving forward, thanks BOE!

[Guest Fill Kearny]

The superintendent doesn't hire the construction companies. It's by public bid and that public bid took place during the term on the previous superintendent. The scaffold was up around the building to protect the students and public for an extended period of time do to gridlock between the Port Authority of NY & NJ and the Federal Aviation Administration, about funding the project. That's where the money for the high school work is coming from and that was delayed due to politics in Washington. And I would like to add that the person responsible for breaking that gridlock and getting the project funding to come Kearny's way was the previous Superintendent.

It's a shame that people on this site distort the facts in order to promote their own political agendas. What's worse then that is the fact that people believe the garbage that is written on this site. Time would be much better spent working together with the Administration on ways to improve the schools.

It's about the students, not people's egos. Remember?

[Guest Guest]

GOOD JOB BY THE BOE IN NOT BRINGING BACK CB AS PRINCIPAL OF THE HS. NOW MOVE ON TO VP'S GET PR & JM OUT AND THE SCHOOL WILL START TO GET BETTER IMMEDIATELY

[Guest Guest]

GOOD JOB BY THE BOE IN NOT BRINGING BACK CB AS PRINCIPAL OF THE HS. NOW MOVE ON TO VP'S GET PR & JM OUT AND THE SCHOOL WILL START TO GET BETTER IMMEDIATELY

As a former student, PR does a good job at the HS. Get rid of JM and MB. What is MB there for we already have directors of curriculum? Also the VP of athletics should be downgraded to athletic director.

Also could someone inform me of the other changes that were made in the last BOE meeting. Thanks.

[Guest cs]

You need to get rid of MB who has a glorified secretarial position. Nothing is done about curriculum and instruction.

[Guest khs insider]

Actually, I am a crier, crying for the students and parents of Kearny High School. Only 2 of the Fab5 had the courage to vote; the others abstained. Is that doing the right thing? The highest level in any district is Superintendent. Another enlightenment, check your facts; Dr. B. was an administrator in her other district. She was also not gone for 30 years. You are obviously mentally confused.

Apolitical and doing the right thing???? Get real.

[Guest Guest]

The new members of the BOE have been an upgrade and overall are doing a decent job. The interim Super and the current Attorney are sharp. We have started an over-haul that will generate results. I hope this BOE can finish what they started. They will need our help come November when BOE elections are now with the General Election. Since this is a Presidential Election year, huge numbers will be out to vote. This should help get new blood to work with the "Fab Five" (actually I really don't like that label for JL, JP, BO, GK & PC).

In 2006 Kearny HS was ranked 200 in NJ Monthly out of 316, not even in the top half. pretty bad. Well then we put in Somma, Ragnoni & Millar as Administration of the HS. How have they done? Well this past year, KHS ranked 235, a DROP of 35 places. Baumgartner has replaced Somma, and it has gotten even worse. Morale in the High School, both in the ranks of the Teachers and The Student Body, is at an all-time low. Other than a single sectional title by the Boys soccer team in a weak section, the sports programs have been really bad and are getting worse, participation is extremely low even in sports that used to command high numbers. The Band, a Kearny staple for many years, has sunk to an alarming level.

Test scores are bad. Discipline is atrocious; just watch the kids smoking and cursing leaving the building. Where kids used to go to Ivy League schools we now are happy to get them into County Colleges.

Please, BOE, make these last changes. There is no need for 4 VP's. And get new blood at the top, so the excellent teachers we have can start to improve our youth and we can have a renewed spirit in this once-proud institution on Devon St.

If discipline is atrocious now (if we can go over to the school now and witness this bad behavior), then apparently the five in charge haven't accomplished much, if anything.

An excellent teacher doesn't need "new blood on top." Apparently the writer didn't learn much about critical thinking at KHS.

Anyway, long-term academic performance is a function, first and foremost, of the parenting. What you see at the school reflects what is going on at home throughout the district.

[Guest Guest]

PR does not do the right thing. PR does not do a good job. PR is a politician and does not care about the Kearny kids. As a matter of fact, he mocks the Kearny kids, he looks down on them, and has a general disdain for them. His only solution is to suspend and kick kids out. How did this guy get the VP of discipline position anyway? What are his qualifications? he went to law school, failed the bar numerous times, and he was a damn Music teacher. He is a Yuppie who cannot deal with the "street" kids of Kearny.

He does not work with troubled youth, and he has zero consistency. He tries to make big splashes by "disciplining" kids (i.e. kicking them out of school) because it is much harder to keep them on board, guide kids through troubled times and turn a bad kid around. Kearny has the highest suspension statistics in the entire state. If this guy becomes Principal, that will be the death blow to Kearny HS as we once knew it.

As a former student, PR does a good job at the HS. Get rid of JM and MB. What is MB there for we already have directors of curriculum? Also the VP of athletics should be downgraded to athletic director.

Also could someone inform me of the other changes that were made in the last BOE meeting. Thanks.

[Guest Guest]

DO NOT HIRE VP OF DISCIPLINE PAT RAGNONI HE IS MORE OF THE SAME WE NEED NEW BLOOD TO TRANSFORM THE HIGH SCHOOL AND THIS GUY IS NO GOOD