Thursday, September 15, 2011

And Just When You Thought They Couldn't Get Anymore Dysfunctional, Middletown School Board Member John Macrae Hands In His Resignation.

Latest word leaking out of the Middletown Board of Education (BOE) is that new board member John Macrae, who was elected this past April to the BOE, is being held hostage after he tried to quit the dysfunctional board two weeks ago by handing in his resignation. He has been told however, that Board members are not ready to accept his resignation and that the BOE would like for him to reconsider his decision to leave.

MaCrae's departure from the board would it make three board members who have quit in the last year if he sticks by his decision leave too. Does it sound like the rats are abandoning a sinking ship?

The problem is that since last year when board members supported by the township committee were elected to the BOE, things have gone steadily downhill. Three superintendents have come and gone, and central administrators have fled at an alarming rate; One can only assume they don't like the board members micromanaging and telling them how to do their jobs.

Word is that the BOE have gotten so desperate that they have been offering the Superintendant job to local superintendents, only to be turned down time and time again. The Superintendent of Hazlet’s school system said no, and he is just one of many. The word is out about Middletown's Board of Dysfunction, so no one is interested in taking the hem only to get second guessed or get the boot.

Not to worry though, according to what I‘ve been told by two separate individuals, both these matters maybe cleared up at the next Board of Education meeting. Allegedly the board may have found someone to take over the Superintends position for the $160,000 being offered after all (far below what other superintendents are in the area are making, so what can we expect?), and MaCrae will have his answer as to whether or not his resignation will be accepted if he still wishes to leave.

11 comments:

Anonymous said...

This is quite serious. McCrae was elected for his finance experience.
What is wrong with this BOE? Why are we losing good people? They'll never get a qualified, competent superintendent at that salary.
People were so incensed with the salaries adminstrators were making and now we can't get anyone to fill those vacancies.
Our quality of public education is in jeopardy due to the short sightedness and ignorance of the people in this town.

Anonymous said...

The taxpayers and voters in this community are going to learn ONCE and FOR ALL that nobody of quality works for nothing. YOU WILL GET WHAT YOU ARE WILLING TO PAY FOR....PLAIN AND SIMPLE !!!

What kind of moronic behavior are the BOE and TC members, who promoted this crap ,capable of anyway???

The price this township will pay for this nonsense is our education system will fail It will affect our children and it will impact the value of our homes.

This township has been through this asinine behavior some years ago. It was called "Back to Basics". Took years to straighten out that mess.

How can intelligent people have elected more inept,ineffective persons,seemingly without consciences. Politics over common sense.

UNBELIEVABLE!!

Anonymous said...

But why, why is he resigning, if he is? Can anyone find out?

Anonymous said...

He was suposed to be the guy to go in and run the schools like a bussiness. I guess they gave him the business he didn't need. Maybe he realized he was going to be able to do what he wanted because the GOP want to control what all of thier winning candidates do. Maybe he found out they don't want him to have a mind of his own. It will be interesting to see what the real reason is, if we ever find out.

Anonymous said...

I've heard he can't deal with the dysfunction but that's not confirmed.

He's the finance guy so losing him would be terrible. I'm trying to find out more.

Anonymous said...

I'm sure the excuse will be for personal reasons, just like Banta.
You've got to be pretty naive to believe that.

Anonymous said...

If you want to know the reason that almost all of central the office administrators have left in just over a year, why three superintendents have resigned before their contracts expired and why this board member is resigning, don't look at the people who left, look at the people who are still here and look at how they conduct business.

Why won't the remaining board members allow McRea resign? Because they want to choose the new super by themselves. They know MaCrea won't attend any meetings. He won't vote. He's gone. So it will be easier for them to get what they want without a new member. There are only eight of them with MaCrea gone, they all have more power now. Why bring in a new member who may rock the boat? Mark my words, MaCrea will not be a part of the process to select a new super, and that is what the board wants.


The board has selected a new super, it is public knowledge. The president of the board made it public this week.

Now remember, this is the same president that refused to approve the superintendent's recommendation for principal of South even though he was the best candidate because she did not approve of the "process". This is the same board that constantly complains to administrators about a lack of transparency.

So who was involved in the "process" to select the new super?

Parents? No.
Teachers? No.
Students? No.
Administrators? No.
Community members? No.

The eight remaining members of the board have selected the new super without seeking input from anyone. The process was conducted entirely behind closed doors.

This is the board's idea of transparency? This is the board's idea of an acceptable process? Just do everything behind closed doors?

They don't want to learn about the opinions of parents or teachers or administrators. They think they know better.

If they don't want to hear our opinions, they aren't representing us and they should not be re-elected.

These people were elected to be advocates for our children. Why wouldn't they try to make the most informed decision possible? How can you represent people if you are not interested in hearing what they have to say?

Clearly the onus for the mass exodus of excellent employees lies squarely on the shoulders of this board. They need to change the way they operate and start taking their own advice. There needs to be a clearly defined and open method of selecting the most important employee in the school district, the superintendent.

The taxpayers that elected them and the people who know more about educating students than they do, namely teachers and administrators, need to be a part of the process. The board must begin to put their money where their mouths are and provide some transparency or we need to show them the door.

Anonymous said...

I heard the BOE did accept his resignation. I don't see how they couldn't. You can't force someone to stay.
Such a mess.

Anonymous said...

"The Superintendent of Hazlet’s school system said no"

"the board may have found someone to take over the Superintends position for the $160,000"

Congratulations Mike, you have outdone yourself. Not since last October when you said that two board members were ordered removed by the state ethics board have you packed so much misinformation into an article.


Seriously, you really need to stop listening to whoever is feeding you this crap, they don't know what they are talking about and you are buying it hook, line and sinker.

Bob Banta said...

Just an FYI Mike: I had a major surgery in July
and am facing the possibility of 2 more. Unlike rats fleeing a ship I was very disheartened to have to make the decision to resign this year as the added stress of actually having to put my own needs over that of my desire to help our community and advocate for our kids education. I personally didn't feel it fair to the other board members to ask for an undetermined leave of absence.
With so many people who seem to know what should be done I hope they put their butt where there mouth is and run in April; right easier to slam people instead.

Anonymous said...

Mr Banta, I am truly sorry to hear about your medical problems and I hope everything turns out well for you, sincerely I do.

Having said that, "Butt where their mouth is"?

That's a new one.

I assume that is a response to my post above suggesting that the BOE should have included input from teachers, administrators and community members when they select the superintendent as many other school districts do.

I think it is a fair criticism to point out that this board is constantly asking for more transparency from the administrators but the process for selecting the superintendent had absolutely no transparency.

Could you tell me what harm could have come from including educators in the process? Why did the board decide to exclude everyone from the decision making process?