Middletown School Superintendent Moving On??

Here is a little tidbit, which should be taken with a grain of salt. It was passed on to me today and I believe it bares passing on to you. I've heard from two different individuals, both reliable and who wish to remain nameless, that Middletown School Superintendent, Dr. William George will be leaving the school system in the near future.

One individual told me that  Dr. George handed in his resignation and is interviewing for Keansburg's superintendent's position, while the other person mentioned that he was leaving to take the position of School Superintendent for Monmouth County.

According to the person who heard Dr. George may be heading off towards Keansburg, they stated that George has denied this and said any rumors  circulating that insinuates he is leaving Middletown for greener pastures are not true. He plans on staying put and is trying to put an end to the rumors. However, many other reliable sources have said that the rumors are true according to my source.

As I stated above, this information should be taken with a grain of salt at the moment. Dr. George's job status and/or alleged  resignation, until confirmed by him or announced at a Board of Education(BOE) meeting, is a private personnel issue and wouldn't be discussed, on the record at least, by any member of the Board of Education, so asking for a comment from the BOE would be pointless at this time. And since Dr. George seems to be denying the rumor himself, I wouldn't expect to hear differently if I called his office, so we'll have to wait and see.

But as they say, where's there's smoke, there's usually fire.

New Video: Interview at High School South with Dr. George on the Referendum

A new video was posted online yesterday at the Middletown Board of Education website featuring Middletown School Superintendent, Dr. William George. This video was produced by the students of Middletown High School South TV Production club.

There isn't much new information in this video. However, Dr. George addresses two rumors circulating about the referendum:

1. Does the district have discretion on what the referendum funds can be used for.
2. Will the referendum, if approved, lead to a redistricting of the school system.

According to Dr. George neither rumor is true. The funds from the referendum can only be used for and will only be used for the upgrading of building facilities around he district.

High School South TV Production club interviews Dr. George about the upcoming Voter Referendum

Educating Myself On The March 11th Middletown BOE Voter Referendum - You Should Too

Next Tuesday is an important date to keep in mind because it's on March 11th that the Middletown Board of Education(BOE) will be holding a voter referendum for the approval of a $19.3 million bond issuance that would fund much needed school facility upgrades.  The BOE announced in late January that they had received $12.9 million in state ROD grants and needed to match it with additional funds totaling $32 million (hence the $19.3 bond) in order to receive the whole amount of from the state.

The BOE has since held 2 public information sessions on this referendum, neither of which I was able to attend. Instead, I've read a number of comments posted online, both pro and con, left here on my blog, Middletown Patch, the Asbury Park Press and elsewhere in an attempt to educate myself on the issue.

Below you'll find 3 videos that I found on the BOE website; 1 from the 2/19/14 meeting at Thompson Middle School, 1 of an interview School Superintendent Dr. William George did with a student of Middletown High School North discussing the referendum and the 3rd is from the 1/28/14 meeting of the Middletown Board of Education where the presentation was first introduced. There is also a link to the actual PowerPoint presentation used in the videos. At this point, after reading all the comments and watching these videos, I'm still not sure what to think.

Are the schools of Middletown in need of some major upgrades and repairs? Yes, they are. Has the BOE been negligent over the years for allowing the conditions of the schools to get this bad? In my opinion, yes. Absolutely. In the 1/28/14 video below,  Dr. George gushed about how proud and special he felt that Middletown received the most Regular Operation Districts (ROD) grant money for facility upgrades from the state, than any other school district in Monmouth County. To me that's nothing to be proud of and bolsters my assertion of negligence for letting the schools fall into such disrepair.

 Does all this work need to be done immediately, all at once? I'm not sure.  I understand the "want" in order to take advantage of all the state monies available, but $19 million is a lot of cash to ask from residents who are only just beginning to feel better about themselves and the economy after so many in town were effected by the "great recession". There are still a lot homes in the area under foreclosure and many who are still under employed. Can they afford this referendum at this time? I don't know.

I'm still on the fence on this, I still have a son in the school system and I have a number of family and friends that also still have children in the system, so I want what's best for them. But I just can't get over the history of failed leadership and past school construction projects that have gone terribly wrong here in Middletown under current and previous BOE administrations. Maybe some of you reading this can  help make up my mind.

Come Tuesday however, when I step inside the of voting booth, I'm sure I'll be holding my nose no matter how I decide to cast my vote.


February 19th Referendum Presentation by Dr. George and Amy Gallagher, Hosted by the Thompson Middle School PFA

Uploaded on Feb 19, 2014
On Wednesday, February 19th, Superintendent Bill George and Business Administrator Amy Gallagher presented information on the March 11th voter referendum.



Interview with Dr. George on the Referendum by Cindy Fernandez, High School North Student

Uploaded on Feb 19, 2014
Middletown H.S. North student Cindy Fernandez interviews Dr. William George on the March 11 voter referendum




Presentation on the Referendum at the January 28, 2013 Board of Education Meeting

Spiezle Architectural Group, Inc. and Wilentz, Goldman and Spitzer P.A. provided a presentation to the Board of Education at the January 27th and 28th board meetings.



Here is the PowerPoint presentation from these meetings that is posted on the Middletown Board of Education website.

Video: Middletown BOE Rehires Harmony Principal 5/21/13

This is old news but I promised to post video from the May 21st meeting of the Middletown Board of Education. It was at this meeting that the board made the unprecedented decision to reverse its prior decision to not rehire Harmony School principal Mr. Erik Paulson.

The BOE's earlier, unexplainable decision not to rehire Mr. Paulson against a stellar job performance review by School Superintendent Dr. William George, sparked anger and a major backlash against the BOE from the parents of Harmony School and its PTO.

This first video is of the public comments portion of the meeting where several people spoke on Mr. Paulson's behalf (but not before similar pleas were made to rehire district special education teacher Mr. Dilworth). Interestingly, in anticipation of those comments board president Chris Aveta, addressed those in attendance, compelled I suppose, to discuss Paulson's previous rehirings.  Dr. George also spoke a few words about Mr. Paulson's situation before the floor was opened.

Mid-way through the comments, board member Jim Cody interrupted the proceedings and asked his fellow BOE members for a vote to enter into Executive Session to discuss the situation. Surprisingly, after the board was locked 4-4, board president Aveta broke from his colleagues who had initially voted against Paulson's rehiring and voted in favor of entering into Executive Session.



After being in Executive Session for over an hour, the second video shows BOE Attorney Mr. Parton addressed the audience to discuss what had happened in session, stating that new information concerning Mr. Paulson was brought to the attention of board members and because of the this new information the board would vote again on whether or not to rehire Mr. Paulson. The BOE then voted unanimously to do so.  The floor was then opened back up to finished the public comments portion of the meeting that had been interrupted earlier

At the 9:05 mark of the second video a Mrs. Gyher (not sure of the spelling), who I believe was a district faculty member, scolded board president Aveta for his wrong and misleading remarks on school tenure (which many believe was behind the decision not to rehire Mr. Paulson). Mrs Gyher pointed out that it was not impossible to fire a teacher today and tenure was not for life as stated. Aveta backtracked slightly stating that it has been or would be to expensive or cost prohibitive for the district to fire a teacher so essentially tenure was for life (or something close to that effect).

NJ WATCHDOG: Double Dips Add Up to Millions for 'Retired" School Chiefs

For Immediate Release:

Thomas Butler can take you to school on the study of double-dipping in New Jersey.

Since he retired as a superintendent 18 years ago, Butler has held 23 jobs as an interim or temporary chief at public school districts in 12 different counties. While continuing to draw six-figure salaries from taxpayers, he has pocketed $1.2 million in state pension checks.

At present, Butler collects $212,340 a year – $135,000 in salary as interim superintendent of Mendham Borough schools in Morris County, plus a $77,340 pension as a retired educator. He says he saves the school district money as it searches for a permanent head.

"I'm in this just to help the district out," said Butler. However, the brunt of double-dipping falls on the state's troubled pension system, which faces a shortfall of nearly $42 billion.

A New Jersey Watchdog investigation found 45 retirees have worked as interim superintendents so far during the current school year. They use a loophole in pension law to collectively receive more than $4 million annually from the state Teachers' Pension and Annuity Fund in addition to executive pay from districts.

The full story – plus a list of double-dipping superintendents – is now online at http://newjersey.watchdog.org. New Jersey Watchdog partnered with NBC 4 New York to produce the investigative report.

Middletown Schools Superintendent Reassures Community After The Recent Tragedy in Newtown, CT

After watching the video from last night's Middletown Township Committee meeting and hearing that Middletown School Superintendent William George, yesterday had issued a statement in the wake of the horrible Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in Newton CT.

Seeing how I and a number of my friends, have kids still attending school here in Middletown, I was curious to see what this statement consisted of. I first found it on Middletown Patch then located it on the Middletown Board of Education's website, where it wasn't very obviously placed. According to Patch, it was issued around 12pm.

I'm wondering why a copy of this announcement wasn't sent home with the students?




Dear School Community,

In the wake of the tragedy in Newtown, Connecticut this past Friday, I feel it is important to inform you of the steps taken by our school district to keep our students safe and mitigate theemotional impact of this horrific act.

Our central office administration has been in constant communication with our building level principals to review our safety plans, procedures and protocols.

Our safety plan was developed in consultation with the Middletown Township PoliceDepartment and the Office of Emergency Management based on recommendations from the Department of Homeland Security.

This past weekend, we communicated with our local police to discuss the details of our plan as they relate to this incident. It is important to note there will be increased police presence in our district to assist us in reviewing our procedures.

Administrative meetings are scheduled this week to continue this review.

The feedback we have received from parents, staff, students and the community will help us reflect and improve upon our current plan.

Our staff has been briefed on strategies to respond to students and will not initiate discussion regarding this event.

Students’ knowledge of the incident, as well as their emotional reactions will vary; therefore, our staff will take all concerns seriously and offer reassurance that the adultsin our schools care deeply about their safety and that their school is safe. We have counselors available at all school levels, trained and prepared to assist our students should they need further support.

Our thoughts and prayers are with the entire community of Newtown during this most difficulttime. Additional resources for families are available on our website.

Sincerely,

William O. George III, Ed.D.

Superintendent of Schools

Middletown Board of Education Gets Their Man; George Lured Away From Hazlet

In a press release issued by the Middletown Township Board of Education earlier today, it was announce that the board of education finally found their new Superintendent of Schools.

The Middletown Board of Education was successful in luring Hazlet's current school superintendent William George away to take over the Middletown school system.

According to his terms of employment contract William George will be compensated handsomely for agreeing to come to Middletown. George will be paid the equivalent of $187,500 a year for the next 4 years, 9 months of the contract length.

In order to pay Mr. George such a large sum of cash, Middletown needed to get the approval of the Commissioner of Education in order to exceed the cap on Superintendent salaries that Governor Christies implemented earlier this year, as I stated in a previous post .

I hope all works out well for Mr. George when he finally takes over the reigns of Middletown School system sometime in December ( he must give Hazlet 60days notice before taking over in Middletown). God knows that the school system needs some stability to bring back a little credibility after such a turbulent year thus far that has seen 3 Board of Education members resign there positions and 4 Superintendent presided over the school system by the time George takes over.

Middletown Patch has posted William George's resignation letter to the Hazlet Board of Education, it's interesting and worth the read for anyone that wants to know a little bit about Mr. George and his accomplishments in Hazlet.

________

Update: The Independent also has an article published today on the hiring of William George as Middletown New School SuperIntendent - check it out

Middletown Board Of Education Meeting Tonight - What You will Hear and Not Hear

Tonight's Middletown Board of Education meeting that will take place at High School North @ 7pm will be interesting for a few of reasons that you will and won't hear about.

To open up the meeting there will be a presentation by Birdsall Engineering to the Board by Birdsall on a proposed district solar project that will involve several school site. It should be interesting but don't expect too much information if this presentation by Birdsall turns out to be anything like the one presented at Town Hall a few months a go. That presentation left a lot to be desired.

Attendees to the meeting will also hear that the resignation of BoE member John Macrae has also been accepted which should lead to in the not to distant future, an announcement on a new search (or appointment) for someone to fill his position on the board that he vacated.

What you won't hear tonight are many details about the appointment of a new Superintendent to take over from interim superintendent Pat Houston, who resigned last month and will be allowed to leave as of September 26th, unless of course something is dropped into the agenda at the last minute.

Word out of Hazlet though is that Middletown offered the School Superintendent's job to Hazlet's Superintendent of Schools Bill George but he turned it down, possible due to the salary being offered, possible due to other reasons.

Seeing how the Middletown school district is nearly 3 times larger than Hazlet's and Bill George is currently earning $192K salary (according to Data Universe) from Hazlet, a move to Middletown seems unlikely at this time but not out of the question totally.

Hazlet sources stated that Middletown BoE has applied to the State for some kind of waiver that would enable George to come to Middletown and take over the school system.

To sweeten the pot a little for Bill George did the Middletown BoE seek a waiver from the State that would have allowed the BoE to exceed the mandated cap on school superintendents salaries that Governor Christie put in place this year, in order to lure George away from Hazlet? Or was the waiver requested of the State something less extraordinary like asking for a waiver of rules that would enable the board to appoint a new superintendent without the usual guideline procedures?

Regardless, I was told by my Hazlet connections that the request for a waiver was turned down by the State and that Bill George will be staying put, where he is, in Hazlet for the time being.

Of course though anything can happen and the Hazlet people could be wrong, in the mean time, the search a for new Middletown School Superintendent go on.

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.

Mid'Town Board Of Education Disfunction Leads To Yet Another Superintendent Resignation; Interim Superintendent Pat Houston Storms Out Of Meeting

It's a shame that I can't make it to every meeting that goes on around town but luckily there are sources of information like friends, neighbors and Middletown-Patch to keep me informed. After reading what went on during last night's Middletown Board of Education(BOE) meeting, there isn't much left to say about how totally dysfunctional the current make up of this BOE is.

According to Middletown-Patch (you can read the article below) Middletown's interim school Superintendent Pat Houston resigned suddenly and walked out of the meeting due to a 5-2 "No" vote on accepting Houston's recommendations to hired Middletown High School South Interim Principal, Patrick Rinnella, as it's new full-time Principal, replacing Dr. Anthony Shallop.

If you remember, last month there was a huge outcry from parents and students when Shallop was demoted as South's Principal and returned to his former position as a science teacher within the school by the BOE. And to add to Houston's sudden resignation last night, Shallop also suddenly resigned his position within the school system.

Now that Houston has resigned, Middletown BOE will be looking for it's fourth Superintendent since January with the possibility of a fifth and High School South will be with out a Principal to start the school year.

When will this insanity stop? I have kids in the school system myself and it's starting to make me very angry at the direction in which Middletown schools seems to be heading - it's been all downhill for the past 16 months or more.

I would be remiss however if I didn't commend board members Vinnie Brand and Mike Mascone for trying to end the craziness last night by voting to approve Pat Houtson's recommendation of Patrick Rinnella. If approved, Rinnella's appointment as South's Principal, as controversial as it my have been, would have shown that a little common sense and stability returned to the school system.

In an abrupt, unexpected move, Middletown Township Schools Interim Superintendent Patrick Houston, minutes ago during the Board of Education
meeting, announced his resignation.

"I can't work under these conditions," Houston said before leaving the meeting. "Tomorrow I will be resigning as interim superintendent of schools."

The public gasped and grumbled as he slammed his microphone down on the dais, at which point Board of Education President Joan Minnuies called for a five-minute recess and Houston clutched his briefcase and walked out of the Middletown High School North meeting venue.

This happened after a contentious majority "no" vote (5-2, with one absent and one abstention) was taken turning down Houston's recommendation to hire Patrick Rinnella, who was serving as High School South's interim principal until tonight, as its permanent, untenured principal. A very vocal Vincent Brandt cast one "yes" vote; and Michael Mascone cast the other.

There has been much controversy lately over the demotion of Anthony Shallop, former High School South Principal, and Houston's rapid recommendation of a new principal. Board members had complained that the move, albeit legal, was made entirely too autonomously by the interim top administrator.

While parents, students and others in the public questioned what they deemed Houston's lack of transparency about the process to the public and adamantly opposed his earlier recommendation to demote Shallop, they supported Rinella as top candidate to fill the South principal slot.

The majority of the board voted "no" to the recommendation of Rinella's hiring based on what they saw as a flawed procedure. Those who supported Houston's recommendation felt that Rinella, regardless of claims of procedural flaw, was qualified for the job and should not be the one to fall victim to board politics.

Rinella declined to comment when seen outside during the break.

Houston, as superintendent, has the legal right to make such a recommendation without any public or board input. Procedure dictates that once such a staff recommendation is made, the board then votes to either sanction it officially or turn it down, with a majority vote. The recommendation then becomes an appointment.

However, in light of recent contentiousness over the Shallop demotion, there has been an outcry from the community to have more input on such decisions. According to the agenda, Shallop, who was due to return to the classroom as a science teacher in September, resigned effective Aug. 30, "for personal reasons."

While the public, according to comments during the public portion, did not necessarily approve of Houston's method, they were eager to have a new principal in place at South for the start of the school year.

Tired of what many have called a "revolving door" of administrators in the district, many teachers, administrators and other colleagues applauded the notion of having an administrator in place who has demonstrated commitment to the district and is more likely to stay put.

There were 15 candidates for the job, Houston explained. Fourteen of the 15 were out of district. Rinella was the only in-district contender with experience as assistant principal.

Minnuies, before Houston announced his resignation, had made a motion to revise the procedures by which new administrators are hired.

During the recess, people were outside grumbling, milling around, as the recess extended well beyond five minutes to over half an hour. One woman was crying. Another stormed up to the stage and yelled at the board members after the recess was called.

People were clearly upset over the board voting down Rinella's appointment as interim principal for South. Much of the source of their malcontent was derived from the fact that with the "no" vote, High School South will begin the school year
without a principal in place.

Board attorney Chris Parton said that it is legal to be without a principal in a school. That fact did not soothe anyone. On the other hand, it is not legal for a school district to operate without its top administrator, the (interim) superintendent. Resignation or not, Houston is obligated by law to stay for a month.

After reassmembling and hearing more disapproving comments from the public and board member Vincent Brandt (who voted "yes" to Rinella), the meeting ended at about 10:45, with a disgruntled public exiting.

A game of musical chairs for Middletown schools superintendent position

Around and round they go, where they'll stop nobody knows....

Kevin Penton of the Asbury Park Press pretty much asks that in his column appearing online today, pertaining to the Middletown Board of Education's search for a new schools superintendent.

Since January the district has had three superintendents, Karen Bilboa, Thomas Pagano and currently Pat Houston, with a possibility of a fourth before the end of the current calendar year. Will the Board of Education ever find a qualified and competent person willing to take the job of school superintendent when that person knows that he or she will need to work with a domineering and as some others have suggested, incompetent board?

As some would say "time will tell", but what do you all say?

MIDDLETOWN — If the Board of Education finds a permanent replacement for Karen Bilbao before the end of the year, the township’s school district will have had at least four different superintendents in 2011.

Since Bilbao’s departure in January, two others have taken her position on an interim basis. The latest is Pat Houston, a 37-year veteran of the district who came out of retirement to serve as superintendent through Oct. 31.

Houston, who was hired last month, earns $600 a day but receives no personal or vacation days and no health benefits, said Christopher Parton, the board’s attorney. Houston is eligible for one sick day a month, Parton said.

Houston replaced Thomas Pagano, who resigned on July 7 for health reasons, said Parton, who noted that the board still hopes to hire a superintendent this year.

“The process is ongoing,” he said.

Two Meetings Tonight That Shouldn't Be Missed; MIddletown Board of Ed and Middletown Library Board of Trustees

If you are free tonight there are two meetings this evening that shouldn't be missed, both the Middletown Board of Education and the Middletown Library Board of Trustees meet tonight.

If you attend the Middletown BOE meeting you will find out that Interim Superintendent Thomas Pagano has submitted his resignation, if lucky you will find out why.

I have been told that he is leaving due to health reasons, evidently he is very sick and can't perform his duties as Superintendent of Schools. Funny, that is the same reason that recently elected BOE member Bob Banta gave when he handed in his resignation after only 1 board meeting.

If you happen to stop by the Middletown Library tonight, Library Director Susan O'Neal should be presenting the projected library budget (history and forecast) to the board of trustees.

From what I understand, it will demonstrate that transferring $500K of surplus funds to the township will mean the libarary will not recover to the 2010 funding level until 2022.

Knowing this, would the library board, as advocates for the library, vote for this transfer of funds to the Township? More than likely so, but should be? I think not, at least not all of it. The library is transferring nearly $250K more to the Township than legally required to do.

Both meetings should be interesting.