"How Are The Children?"

May 12, 2011 Reorganization Meeting of the Englewood Board of Education. The most disappointing thing happened later when I was going over my notes. I remembered the look on my neighbor's face when she realized that not one of the new hires was an  African American, Latino, or Asian man.  Not one of the new hires looked like the young men who had just won first prize. She kept saying that the young people in the District would never call on those folks for help. We just saw more people with empty offices and large salaries. I thought about those Eagles@Liberty children, the school Psychologist and the Social Worker new hires. And I wondered, "what is he thinking, and what were they thinking?" The new hires may be fantastic at what they do, but we all know that this new hiring was not intended to benefit the mainstream of Englewood's student population. How do new board members  in clear conscience vote on new hires when they have not been trained as board members yet? The new hires and the new board members are in for a very bumpy ride.

I was also disappointed to learn that a promise of No Layoffs had been broken.  The question was asked and put aside. The question needs an answer.  Look to article b. of the Ethics Code.

  b.I will make decisions in terms of the educational welfare of

children and will seek to develop and maintain public schools

that meet the individual needs of all children regardless of their

ability, race, creed, sex, or social standing.

In previous meetings, 'before the elections' a lot of lip service was given to "0 % Layoffs" and "No Tax Levy". Do we also have a tax levy coming our way? Oh, and off subject, but not really, NJ just found millions of dollars. Now we have a surplus. Transparent. Transparent. Transparent. Transparent.