By Susan Levine, Inquirer Staff Writer
Posted: June 18, 1986Burlington County school districts revised curriculums, intensified instruction, offered special refresher courses and special booster contests - and the efforts seem to have succeeded.
The results of the 1986 New Jersey High School Proficiency Test (HSPT) reflect well on the districts' special preparation. The mathematics and reading scores released by eight of the 11 school districts in the area show continued improvement over last year's results and average scores, in almost all cases, well above the state's passing levels.
"We certainly reinforced the importance of the test with ninth graders, and I believe they took that warning seriously," said Robert Simons, the Burlington City school administrator.
Results of the writing section, which included an essay, will be returned to districts within the next two weeks. The state Department of Education will release statewide results in August.
This was the first year any passing marks accompanied the HSPT, which high school students have taken for several years as a kind of trial run. The ninth graders who did not make the cutoff score this year automatically will be enrolled in remedial classes in the fall. They will have three more chances to pass the test by graduation; those who do not will not graduate.
With that threat overshadowing what state educators billed as a much harder examination - the HSPT's predecessor, the Minimum Basic Skills test, contained simpler reading passages and math problems and no writing section - many feared that great numbers of students would fail.
In urban areas, there were predictions that more than 40 percent of the students would fail in reading and writing, and that 60 percent would fail in math.
In response, Gov. Kean sought a $48.6 million appropriation to assist districts with remedial measures related to the test. For Burlington County districts, the projected aid varied from $1,072 in Washington and $4,716 in Eastampton to $168,274 in Willingboro and $275,027 in Pemberton.
"We talked about putting more money in the budget (for additional remedial classes), but I don't think we're going to need it," Stephen Scharff, a spokesman for the Willingboro district, said last week.
"We did much better than what we expected. We can certainly handle our problems."
Of the 589 Willingboro ninth graders taking the test in April, 73 did not pass in reading and 179 did not pass in math. (The math section, with its more complex, multi-part equations, some of which required algebra, was considered the area that would most likely trip up students.)
But Willingboro's average scores of 84.9 in reading and 68.2 in math rose several points from the previous year and came in comfortably above the marks set by the state for passing - 75 in reading and 61 in math. They also were well below the first-time failure rates projected for the state as a whole.
The only district with an average score that fell below the state's passing mark was the Burlington County Vocational and Technical School. Its mean score in math was 54.6. Of the 317 students taking the test there, 208, or almost 66 percent, failed that section and will have to take the examination again next year.
Delran and Cinnaminson had the highest passing rates and the highest scores, and district administrators did not hide their pleasure.
"I just looked at them and said, 'Holy mackerel,' " said Delran Superintendent Joseph A. Chinnici, who will have fewer than a dozen students in HSPT remedial classes in the fall.
Administrators are now examining how students did on the various skills tested by the HSPT. Lenape Superintendent K. Kiki Konstantinos, for one, was interested and somewhat surprised to find that his students fared better in algebra and geometry than they did on percentages and said he was looking at what that might mean.
The three districts that declined to release their results were Burlington Township, Rancocas Valley and Riverside. Officials of all three said they would not release the information until they had first presented it to their respective school boards.
State and local officials cautioned against comparing the scores of districts, which vary greatly in their size, fiscal resources, student composition and socioeconomic composition. Factors such as student turnover and students' educational background affect a district's performance.
Superintendent Searches May Occur More Often
Source: https://web.archive.org/web/20151227014924/http://articles.philly.com/1988-03-06/news/26279175_1_superintendent-searches-retirement-age-districts-searchBy Louise Harbach, Special to The Inquirer
Posted: March 06, 1988School superintendent wanted: Must have knowledge of state laws, experience dealing with budgets, skill in contract negotiations, teaching experience, and knowledge of curriculum development. Ability to walk on water would be strong asset.
Three Burlington County school districts - Medford Lakes, Rancocas Valley and Medford - are among the 50 districts in the state that are now searching for superintendents. The task can be time-consuming and costly, and according to the New Jersey School Boards Association, with a lower retirement age now, school districts may find themselves engaged in it more often.
Joseph Butcher, 57, the Medford Lakes superintendent, will retire at the end of this school year after 34 years as an educator.
William Clark, also 57, superintendent of the Rancocas Valley Regional High School District, plans to retire in June after 35 years in education.
And Kenneth Grew, 46, Medford Township's superintendent, will be leaving in June to pursue a new career.
With more superintendents eligible to retire, an increasing number of districts could find themselves competing in the same pool for chief administrators. Joseph Flannery, executive director of the New Jersey School Boards Association, said changes in pension entitlements make early retirement more attractive.
"Fifty-five and 25 are the magic numbers for school administrators," said Flannery, whose office is helping seven districts search for superintendents. ''Once these administrators reach the age of 55 and have 25 years of experience as a teacher or administrator, they'll start thinking seriously about retirement because they'll be able to draw a pension without incurring a financial penalty. For many, it's a good chance to slow down and switch careers."
That is exactly what Robert Salati, 59, did.
Two years ago the Laurel Springs resident retired after serving 11 years as Medford Township's top school administrator. He is now a consultant in partnership with another retired school superintendent and a Rutgers University professor.
Their firm, University Consultants on Education, conducts searches for school boards that do not have the time or the expertise to do their own.
"During my tenure in Medford, few superintendents in Burlington County school districts left," Salati said. "The county is a very stable area in terms of superintendents being on the job for a long time, but I suspect you'll begin to see many retirements in the next few years."
He explained that at the time he began his career, there was an increase in the number of schools and therefore in hirings of superintendents, and that now these administrators are reaching retirement age.
Once one superintendent decides to leave, said Flannery, it often produces a chain reaction.
"If one person retires, it can set off several other searches, since the person hired to fill the first vacancy creates another vacancy and so on," he said. "If the school boards want to limit their searches to candidates already working in New Jersey, there will be even more vacancies created statewide."
In his years of assisting school boards, Flannery has noticed a trend toward regional searches rather than national searches, a trend he attributes to the fact that a search is a "very time-consuming process for board members who are serving the community as volunteers on the school board."
A nationwide search usually will draw a much larger number of applicants than a more localized search would, said Flannery, who added that "a higher number of applicants doesn't mean a higher number of qualified applicants. It's much easier for a board to conduct a search if it has a manageable number of applicants."
A regional search is sometimes easier "because board members can get a greater feedback on the abilities of candidates," Flannery said.
Any search for a new superintendent is a tedious, time-consuming one, watched closely by the community, said Sanford Schneider,a member of Medford Township's superintendent search committee.
In January, school board members invited township residents to tell them the qualities they seek in a new superintendent. Among the responses: knowledge of state laws, experience in dealing with budgets, skill in negotiating with teachers and other staff members, past experience as a teacher and administrator, knowledge of curriculum development and the ability to get along with students, teachers and members of the community.
Since the job of superintendent is such a complex one, "We're seeking a candidate as close to the ideal as possible," said Schneider, who quipped that "the successful candidate should be one who can walk on water."
For the last two months he has devoted up to three days a week to sorting applications: 58 were received from candidates seeking to succeed Grew, who told the board in December that for personal and professional reasons, he did not wish to have his contract renewed.
Medford is becoming somewhat expert at searching for superintendents. After 11 years of stability with Salati, the district engaged a private consulting firm - at a cost of $15,000 - to find a new leader. But now that Grew is leaving after less than two years on the job, the district is conducting the search on its own.
"At the time (that Salati was leaving) we board members felt we didn't have the expertise or the time to do a good job," said Judith Hamm, the current school board president, who also served on the search committee two years ago. "I think those are the major reasons why school boards choose to hire a consultant. Selecting the right superintendent for a district is one of the most important tasks any school board must undertake, which is another reason why some boards elect to hire a consultant."
The consultant helped the board narrow the field of 138 candidates to a shorter list, said Hamm, and then the board took over the search itself by interviewing the candidates and visiting the home districts of the three finalists.
"At one point I remember going to board meetings 18 times in one month, and nearly all of those meetings were devoted to the superintendent search," Hamm said.
"This time we felt we had the experience in conducting a search," Hamm said. "In addition, a board member (Sanford Schneider) who had the time and expertise offered to coordinate the initial part of the search."
Medford hopes to announce its choice by April 1. According to Schneider, the board is pleased by the quality of applicants from what has been termed a more "regional" search than the one conducted two years ago.
Both Hamm and James Willson, president of the Medford Lakes Board of Education, where Timothy Wade was named last week as new superintendent of schools, say that timing is important in the selection of a superintendent.
"A school board seeking a superintendent finds itself in a competitive situation with other boards," said Willson of his district's search, which attracted 60 candidates. "In our search, we have discovered that some of the top candidates are candidates for positions in other districts. It becomes almost a foot race to see who can get the best candidate under contract first."
Unlike the Medford board, both the Medford Lakes and the Rancocas Valley boards hired the New Jersey School Boards Association to assist in the search.
"Since Joe (Joseph Butcher) has been superintendent for more than 20 years, none of us on the board had any experience in selecting a new superintendent," Willson said. "We felt hiring a consultant would give us the help we needed to make such an important decision."
The Medford Lakes school board felt a localized search was best. "We wanted a candidate who knew New Jersey well and who would feel comfortable working in a small district like ours," Willson said. Medford Lakes, which is surrounded by Medford Township, has about 500 students in kindergarten through eighth grade. Medford Township has 2,600 students in the same grade levels.
Medford Lakes' search will cost the community "$3,000, tops," with most of the expenses going for newspaper advertising, Willson said. Most of the consulting work done by the School Boards Association is covered by yearly dues paid by the board, Willson said. A final decision on who will be the new Medford Lakes superintent is expected by mid-March.
In Rancocas Valley, a statewide search conducted by the board yielded 67 applications, said Robert Sapp, board secretary. Eight applicants have been interviewed, and a decision is expected by April 1.
A search that is more local in nature has had its drawbacks, said Willson of the selection process in which nine finalists were interviewed.
"While we were very pleased by the high caliber of the candidates who applied, many of them are well-known to members of the community. In any situation like this, while we're inspecting the candidates, they're also inspecting us. As a result, in a small community like ours, it seems just about everybody knows who the finalists are and everyone has an opinion on just who should be selected."
SCHOOL SUPERINTENDENTS' SALARIES
ANNUAL
LOCATION NAME SALARY
Beverly Glen Gray $50,588
Burlington City C. Joseph Martin $69,900
Burlington Township Walter Haworth $58,802
Cinnaminson Joseph Carol $66,200
Delanco Joseph Miller $52,730
Delran Joseph Chinnici $63,000
Eastampton John Holcroft $49,600
Edgewater Park Walter Dold $54,450
Hainesport Thomas Reardon $51,725
Lenape K. Kiki Konstantinos $81,000
Lumberton Cornelius McGlynn $59,200
Medford Kenneth Grew $70,000
Medford Lakes Joseph Butcher $65,000
Mount Holly John Mengel $51,226
North Hanover Clinton Miller $53,300
Palmyra Daniel Mastrobuono $62,000
Pemberton Borough Peter Clicquennoi $40,000
Pemberton Township Robert Moore $68,500
Rancocas Valley William Clark $72,252
Riverside Joseph Cancellieri $62,500*
Shamong Leo Rea $55,686
Southampton James Kerfoot $55,000
Springfield Christy Ball $47,800
Tabernacle Kenneth Olson $59,800
Westampton Daniel Martin $52,400
Willingboro Peter Romanoli $63,945
Burlington County Vocational Benjamin Verdile $75,894
and Technical School District
* Plus $1,500 bonus, which employees of Riverside who have served the district for several years receive.
These school districts do not have superintendents: New Hanover, Riverton and Woodland Township. An administrative principal helps to run these districts.
What Does It Take To Be A Principal At A Local School?
Source: https://web.archive.org/web/20151017031722/http://articles.philly.com/1988-09-28/news/26230587_1_prospective-principals-public-education-prinicipalsBy William H. Sokolic, Special to The Inquirer
Posted: September 28, 1988Meet Anita Homola, the new principal of Medford Lakes' two elementary schools, Neeta and Nokomis. Homola comes to the job with 25 years of experience as teacher, curriculum specialist and, the last four years, as a principal in Pemberton Township.
But is a strong education background like this enough for the demanding role of school principal? In regulations issued Sept. 7, the state Department of Education increased the requirements for principal certification but at the same time opened the position up to those outside the education field. As part of a four-year pilot program, the department will evaluate up to 50 principals hired from outside the education field. During a one- to two-year period, each will be required to teach one class a day if they have less than one year's teaching experience.
A number of local school officials disagree with the state plan. They say that principals must first be educators.
"Principals need to be instructional leaders," said Tim Wade, Medford Lakes superintendent.
Under current state regulations, eligibility requirements for principals include three years experience in public education - either in teaching, as a nurse, librarian or other related field. In addition, candidates must have a master's degree in any field and at least one course in curriculum, school supervision, and administration, according to Leo Klagholz, director of Teacher Preparation and Certification in the Department of Education.
The new regulations - which go into effect next September - require that principals hold a master's degree in some form of administration. Candidates will also have to take a written examination, and more important, successfully complete an intensive assessment course that measures simulated experiences in a school setting.
Toni Mullins is director of the New Jersey Assessment Center, which this year will conduct at least six sessions around the state for the assessment of prinicipals. The center assesses prospective prinicipals through a series of six simulated activities, examining 12 skill areas including problem analysis, judgment, organizational ability and leadership. Activities are conducted in groups and individually, with each candidate observed by a trained assessor. The skills, said Mullins, are all education oriented.
"We won't change (the regulations) to adapt to business people," she said. "Whoever goes through has the same activities and is judged the same."
Prospective principals outside education may face a tough time securing positions.
Medford Lakes' Wade said the search for a principal in that district was exhaustive.
"We take 30 items and from that develop a profile for the hypothetical person," Wade said. "Our profile would have precluded someone without teaching experience."
More than 55 applicants responded to ads placed in colleges, education magazines, newspapers and the assessment center newsletter. Each application was examined by a six-member committee. Besides a resume, applicants were asked to include a one-page educational philosophy plus sample letters written to parents, copies of evaluations and letters of recommendation.
After that screening, 15 applicants were called in for a round of interviews. The list was narrowed to five, and from that the school board voted to offer the position to Homola.
The search for Homola's replacement in Pemberton Township has been just as extensive, said Thomas Kirschling, director of personnel for that district.
Close to 60 applications have been received for the job as principal for the Brotherhood School, Browns Mills No. 1, and the Fort Dix annex.
"It wouldn't make sense to look outside the field," Kirschling said of the search. "There are plenty of people who are certified and with teaching experience and good backgrounds."
Klagholz of the Department of Education said hiring 50 principals outside education would be difficult, given so many applicants for so few positions. Last year, only 35 new principals were hired in the state.
In Burlington County, less than a handful of openings existed by the end of the last school year. In addition to Medford Lakes and Pemberton Township, principals are being sought in Medford Township and in Delran. And Medford Township hired another principal this summer for the middle school.
Still, the new regulations shift the focus of the principal's role into a more managerial one.
Joseph Chinnici, superintendent of Delran School District, agreed that business acumen and managerial ability have to be considered along with educational leadership.
"You have to keep a budget, given the constraints the board has set," he said. "What kind of principal would you be if you have a budget of $10 and are always spending $20?"
Still, given the choice of a candidate with great management skills but little or no teaching experience and one with teaching experience but limited managerial experience, Chinnici leaned toward the latter.
"It's much easier to teach management than to observe and coach teachers," he said.
Homola said that while principals should give a major portion of their time to instructional focus, it's not always a reality. They have to be good managers of both time and resources.
"Principals have to wear many hats in the course of a day," Homola said. ''It's knowing when to put one down and pick up another."
Retiring School Chief Grew With The District
Source: https://web.archive.org/web/20150926071058/http://articles.philly.com/1989-03-29/news/26130162_1_chinnici-small-elementary-schools-middle-schoolBy Gary H. Sternberg, Special to The Inquirer
Posted: March 29, 1989In 1955, when Joseph A. Chinnici arrived in Delran to teach the sixth grade, he was one of only 12 teachers serving a district of about 250 students. Now the district has more than 185 teachers and about 2,100 students, and Chinnici is the district's superintendent.
But not for much longer.
On June 30, Chinnici will retire after serving Delran for 34 years. Last Thursday the school board named Bernard Shapiro, principal of Haddon Township High, to replace Chinnici. Shapiro, 51, will take over July 16. Chinnici will work part time for the district as a consultant..
"I've seen quite a bit of growth since I've been in Delran," said Chinnici, 55, whose first job out of college was at Delran's Aronson Bell Elementary School. "In fact, when I first came up here, Route 130 was just four lanes, and you had to stop for the cows to cross the road at the Millside Farm, where there's now the shopping center," Chinnici said.
As the school district grew from two small elementary schools to today's five schools, which include a high school and a middle school, Chinnici grew professionally. In 1962, he became principal at Aronson Bell, and in 1965 he became the district's second superintendent.
Chinnici, who was born and raised in Vineland, came to Delran right after graduating from Glassboro State College.
"I decided to make this my home town," said Chinnici. He and his wife, Louise, whom he met while they were students at Glassboro, live in Delran and have raised four children.
In 1975, Delran opened its own high school; Delran students had previously attended Riverside High.
"There was real excitement in building a building and getting what you wanted in that building so that you could do your best," Chinnici said.
Although he said Riverside had provided a good education, he said it was satisfying for Delran to develop its own program.
"We were able to work toward exactly what we thought a high school should provide," he said.
There have been many changes in teaching since Chinnici became an educator, particularly because of the increased involvement of the state.
"Now, there are so many things mandated by legislators. You have to get in all of the things that you must get in, and then you have to squeeze in other things," Chinnici said.
Along with the many mandated programs, Chinnici said Delran has added nonmandated subjects to keep up with the times, such as computer education.
"A lot of the state's ideas are good, but I think they need to do a little bit more research and let the local districts decide what's best for their communities," Chinnici said. "When you have to put in something new, you have to take something out."
Despite such difficulties, Chinnici said that there have been many bright spots during his career, and that his job has had many rewards. "It's particularly wonderful to watch the kids go on and then come back and say what their education meant to them," Chinnici said.
"It's harder for kids to be kids nowadays because of the peer pressure. There are so many influences out there," he said, mentioning drugs, alcohol and sex.
But he said children in Delran are fortunate because "we have a lot of parents working with the schools." In addition, Chinnici does not think problems are as bad as they are often made out to be. In his 34 years as an educator, Chinnici said he gained "a lot of faith in young people," and he continues to trust in that faith.
"You have a lot of good kids, in all the schools, and you often don't hear about that. The good kids are doing things quietly, and I think they'll prevail," Chinnici said.
Challenge Begins For Schools Chief
Source: https://web.archive.org/web/20150919075114/http://articles.philly.com/1989-07-19/news/26134009_1_school-administrator-bernard-shapiro-officeBy Ruth Masters, Special to The Inquirer
Posted: July 19, 1989Bernard Shapiro likes to have an open-door office policy. As a school administrator, he wants the students and others he works with to feel free to pull up a chair and share their ideas and problems. He also likes to have an office.
But on the morning of June 20, Shapiro walked into his office at Haddon Township High to find that three chairs reserved for guests were missing. So were his desk, his book case, a side table, all his papers. Even the large rubber-tree plant that had added a touch of deep green to the more institutional shades of brown was gone.
That evening the office furniture reappeared, set up to the left of the podium on the high school's athletic field where commencement ceremonies were being held. Student pranksters had broadened the annual tradition of pilfering Shapiro's desk chair to include his entire office.
It was a bon voyage gesture for Shapiro, who was leaving as the high school's principal, and it was indicative of what one former colleague called Shapiro's "generous spirit." Students felt close enough to him that they knew they could pull such a prank and that Shapiro would take it good- heartedly.
Shapiro, 51, took over Monday as superintendent of Delran schools, a position that pays $66,125 a year. He is a career educator who has risen to the top in part because of his people skills - including his ability to take a joke.
He talks about "people energy" as the best resource available to him in his new job.
"If we (the Delran administration and those in the schools and community) can agree that people are our most valuable resources, then I think we can find resolutions to the most difficult problems we're going to face," Shapiro said. "If we can't agree, then we will likely find that those things that divide us will overwhelm us."
Shapiro said he wanted to foster an environment in which teachers and staff are not afraid to suggest or try out new ideas.
"I believe in making mistakes and learning from them," Shapiro said. "I don't want a faculty and staff that's afraid of trying something because they will have to pay for it if they make a mistake."
Shapiro said that he had no specific programs or changes in mind for Delran because he doesn't "set goals from afar."
"I am aware that there is a feeling in the community and the staff that there is untapped potential academically," Shapiro said, although he would not specify ways to realize this potential. He did say that he would not fiddle with the athletic program that has made the high school a power in almost every sport.
At Haddon Township, Shapiro had a reputation for encouraging academic excellence, Superintendent John McGovern said. Shapiro instituted midterms and final exams at the school, McGovern said.
In addition, Shapiro said that during his tenure Scholastic Aptitude Test scores rose, attendance went up and less tangible areas such as student and faculty morale improved.
Besides serving seven years as principal at Haddon Township High School, Shapiro has also been principal at both Cherry Hill high schools and Park Ridge High School, and has held other administrative positions in area schools.
"I had always wanted to be a high school principal," he said. "I think it is one of the best ways to live. One could make a significant difference, a major contribution, and go home with the feeling that life is worth living. I hope that's true of being the superintendent as well."
Shapiro considers growth the most important issue facing Delran, which serves 2,100 students in kindergarten through 12th grade. About 1,500 houses are scheduled for construction near Creek and Hartford Roads. Included in the developers' plans was land set aside for a new school.
Any changes that Shapiro does favor are unlikely to be made unilaterally.
"I believe that everyone affected by a decision should be involved in making it," he said.
With that in mind, he already has a committee of two parents, two students and himself to screen candidates for a new middle school principal, a position the school board hopes to fill by September.
"In public school administration, the secret is to share power, not to accumulate it," Shapiro said.
As principal of Cherry Hill High School East from 1974 to 1979, Shapiro brought a factioned, tumultuous school into line and helped shape it into an academic and athletic success.
Former Cherry Hill Superintendent William Shine credits Shapiro's success to a combination of openness and toughness.
"Dr. Shapiro has a generous spirit," he said. "He's open and willing to listen to everyone. He really cares about kids and schools. He's accessible, but he has courage. When there's a need to implement a rule he does it."
When asked whether Shapiro was a disciplinarian, Shine responded: "He is a disciplinarian in the highest sense. When there was a reason to discipline - to promote the higher good - he wouldn't shirk from it."
Another School Chief Steps Down
Source: https://web.archive.org/web/20160102103752/http://articles.philly.com/1991-04-25/news/25780211_1_shapiro-school-board-public-educationBy Ovetta Wiggins, Special to The Inquirer
Posted: April 25, 1991The retirement of Delran School Superintendent Bernard Shapiro has left the local school board, for the second time in two years, advertising for a new superintendent.
On March 8, Shapiro gave notice to the school board that he had decided to retire from the district, effective July 1, after fulfilling two years of a three-year contract he signed in 1989.
"I'm in a position where I can begin another career, and I'm looking forward to that," Shapiro said. "I'm retiring from public education. I want to stay in education, but I won't be working for a local school board - or at least not one in New Jersey."
Shapiro, 52, went to Delran after serving as principal of Haddon Township, Cherry Hill East and Cherry Hill West High Schools.
Shapiro said budget cuts had inhibited him from reaching the "vision of excellence" he had for Delran two years ago.
"I feel some frustration in trying to implement programs that I feel would raise the level of education in Delran," Shapiro said. "I don't want to waste their time or my time. I feel the best thing to do is to step aside."
Shapiro's contract was to end in June 1992, but a clause that says the contract can be broken if the superintendent decides to retire has allowed Shapiro to nullify the agreement.
According to Ronald Napoli, president of the school board, a search committee has been formed to find a successor for Shapiro. He said advertisements, which began earlier this month, had resulted in 12 responses.
"We're looking for someone with strong people skills and with credentials to improve the academic environment," Napoli said. "While we're pleased with our academic and extracurricular programs, we are looking for someone to help us improve on course."
Delran's Superintendent Keeps Soft Spot For Teaching
Source: http://articles.philly.com/1991-08-01/news/25807632_1_assistant-superintendent-mental-math-superintendent-searchBy Gordon Mayer, Special to The Inquirer
Posted: August 01, 1991Carl Johnson is looking forward to being "the captain of my own ship" when he takes over as superintendent of Delran schools today.
Johnson, 49, the former assistant superintendent of Burlington City schools, was named to replace Bernard Shapiro at the last Delran Board of Education meeting.
Johnson's $75,000-a-year salary in the district is only marginally more than he made as assistant superintendent in Burlington City, a 2,200-student district that is marginally slightly smaller than Delran, with 2,300.
His career in education began as a math and science teacher at middle schools in Bordentown and Moorestown, and included stints as assistant to the Burlington County superintendent of education and as manager of the state Education Department's testing program.
But what he likes is teaching. In Burlington City, he made regular forays into the classrooms to teach.
He said his "mental math" lessons in Burlington City were a hit with third graders. Mental math involves reeling off a string of simple numbers that students must add, subtract, multiply or divide in quick succession, until Johnson tells them to stop. The object is to keep up with him until he asks for the answer.
"Kids stopped me in the hall" in Burlington City to play a round of mental math, Johnson said. He is also proud of a new program that had the students "reading and reading," he said.
Johnson's contact with the students and the fact that he remembered so many of their names were points in his favor during the superintendent search, said Harry Gutelius, Delran school board member.
The school board was looking for a superintendent who had administrative experience, said Gutelius, who chaired the committee that spent about five months narrowing the candidate list from 50 to nine to two. Gutelius, a principal at Washington High School in Northeast Philadelphia, said it was a more rigorous search than usual.
"We did everything we could to try to put together a picture of (Johnson)" Gutelius said.
He assessed Johnson as a "leader. He's sincere, open and honest," Gutelius said. "He tells you what's on his mind."
Johnson used some of the same words to describe himself, as did a former colleague, Stephen Koffler of the Princeton-based Educational Testing Service.
Koffler, who was Johnson's boss in the state Education Department's division of testing programs, described him as a "problem-solver and a fine leader."
Gutelius said that as an educator who himself holds a New Jersey superintendent's certificate, he was "comfortable" with Johnson's selection because of these qualities.
"We look to Carl to take the reins," Gutelius said. "He runs the system, not us."
Johnson has lived in Riverton for 23 years. He has three children, who attended Palmyra High School, and his wife, Lynn, is a marketing consultant.
He is organizer of the Riverton-Palmyra Soccer League for Children, and said he likes to attend school games.
He said his comment at a Burlington City school board meeting that he would have to give up his blue and white City jacket for Delran's brown and gold was not a superficial remark. "I was (at the games) because I wanted to be there," Johnson said.
Delran Educators Have High Hopes For Success Of New Reading Program The "Whole Language" Program Integrates A Variety Of Subjects. It's A Far Cry From Dick And Jane.
Source: https://web.archive.org/web/20151017145554/http://articles.philly.com/1992-08-30/news/25990888_1_reading-program-dick-and-jane-test-resultsBy Josh Zimmer, INQUIRER CORRESPONDENT
Posted: August 30, 1992Go back to your school days and those language classes where the class was split into rigid ability groups and students read contrived stories that led to boring workbook assignments.
Repetitive drills reinforced basic English skills and kept you busy.
That, said educators' research 30 years ago, was how children learned best.
Now, imagine a reading class where students work together regardless of ability, where quality literature speaks in a realistic manner about life and is connected to writing, grammar, geography, art, math and science.
Present-day educators say this is the right way to teach English and, according to Delran Superintendent Carl I. Johnson, this approach - called Whole Language - is yielding better test results. More important, he said, youngsters are learning to enjoy reading.
When school reopens next month, Delran students in kindergarten through eighth grade will get a full helping of the new recipe with the implementation of a Whole Language program put together by the DC Heath company.
It will be a radical change for kindergarten through sixth grade and something entirely new for grades seven and eight, which have never had a reading program, Johnson said.
"Everything I've read and seen is that it (the DC Heath plan) is very effective in two respects," Johnson said. "It really motivates children to become avid readers," while "the initial test results show comprehension scores going up dramatically."
"And the teachers like it very much," he said.
According to Johnson, the Delran reading program "in place for the last 10-15 years was based on research done in the 1960s. I could go back to my school days when they had Dick and Jane (books)," which featured the infamous ''See Spot, see Spot run," lines.
Burlington City schools have been using DC Heath for several years. James W. Pharazyn Jr., Burlington City elementary school principal, said the program is a success.
"For our district, it appears to be pretty much at the reading level we need," Pharazyn said. "The kids enjoy it, that's the main thing."
Delran opted for DC Heath largely because of teacher recommendations and after an analysis of test results pointed out inadequacies in the district's present reading program, Johnson said.
Following months of scrutiny and presentations by various educational publishers, Johnson asked a group of 16 teachers to select three finalists and, then, list them by preference.
DC Heath topped 15 of 16 lists. Johnson said the $70,000 program, which provides the district with staff training, classroom materials and a 48-book library for each class, was also the most cost-effective.
A series of specially designed lessons in each grade level forms the basis of the DC Heath plan. For example, lesson eight in the fourth grade is titled ''Fabulous Feet," which begins with a piece, to be read together by all, about fictional marathoner Wesley Paul.
Researching the first marathon and compiling a training diary reinforce social studies and writing skills. Organizing a marathon and planning an interview help integrate math, geography and listening and speaking skills.
In addition, every lesson includes a "cluster," a group project that brings together students' varied aptitudes and talents.
For "Fabulous Feet," they will create a bulletin board and a folder of foot-related materials.
Johnson said group learning will increase creativity and allow poor readers greater room for improvement, which educators say is discouraged under the current system.
"Once they (students) were placed in a low group, they were always in a low group," Johnson said.
Suit Filed Over Counselor's Refusal To Release Files Delran's School Board Reprimanded Her And Denied Her A Raise. An Arbitrator Disagreed. She Wants Back Pay.
Source: https://web.archive.org/web/20150922084652/http://articles.philly.com/1993-08-14/news/25969617_1_release-files-binding-arbitration-arbitration-awardBy Josh Zimmer, INQUIRER CORRESPONDENT
Posted: August 14, 1993The New Jersey Education Association has filed a lawsuit on behalf of a Delran school counselor who was reprimanded after she refused to hand over confidential student files to the district superintendent.
The suit, filed Monday in Burlington County Superior Court, seeks back pay with interest from the Delran School District for Norma Roth, 54, a member of the district's child study team who was reprimanded for insubordination and denied an incremental pay increase.
The dispute dates to Feb. 19, 1992, when Superintendent Carl I. Johnson requested child study team files for analysis by a consulting firm that was assessing the district's program. Roth said she had refused because state law prohibits releasing the documents without parental consent.
In addition, the board had already promised to speak with parents before any releases, she added.
Child study teams collect academic and, sometimes, psychological records on students to help place them in the proper classes and provide them with the necessary support, Roth said. As a result, the records can be very sensitive, she said.
"It's my responsibility to see those records are kept confidential," Roth said. "I was trying to do my job."
Four months after the incident, the school board accepted Johnson's recommendation that Roth be reprimanded and have her increment withheld.
Johnson declined to discuss details of the case, except to confirm that he cited Roth for insubordination.
The suit follows arbitrator Jeffrey Teener's May 1 ruling that Roth, who filed a grievance with the district over the reprimand, be given her incremental increase. In June, the board voted to appeal the decision, though an appeal has not yet been filed with the court, Johnson said.
"What she's looking for is the arbitration award to be obeyed by the board," said attorney Steven Cohen, who represents the NJEA in South Jersey. ''The board agreed to binding arbitration, and, ordinarily, you shouldn't have to go to court. It's extraordinary to have to go to court."
Binding arbitration is a provision in the teachers' contract, Cohen said.
The NJEA also wants the Chancery Division of the court, where the suit was filed, to add the interest that would have accrued to the increment since the May 1 decision, Cohen said.
Roth said she lost $2,000 in salary in the 1992-93 school year.
The board definitely intends to appeal the arbitrator's ruling, Johnson said.
"The NJEA beat us to the punch," he said.
A Sept. 10 court date has been scheduled before Judge Myron H. Gottlieb, said Cohen, who explained that Gottlieb would be deciding whether the arbitrator's ruling should be upheld without rehashing the case.
He predicted that Gottlieb would render a decision that day.
Ever since the reprimand, Roth said, her work has come under a microscope.
"I feel my performance is very carefully scrutinized," she said. "I felt I conducted myself professionally."
Administrators In A Daze Over Loss Of School Days Yesterday Was The 7th Day Many Schools Were Closed This Winter. Question Is: How To Make Up The Time?
Source: https://web.archive.org/web/20151225142644/http://articles.philly.com/1994-01-27/news/25822048_1_school-year-makeup-days-administratorsBy Annette John-Hall, INQUIRER STAFF WRITER Inquirer staff writer Gwen Florio and correspondents Judy Baehr, Karla Haworth, Lynette Khalfani, Christine Lutton, Michael Raphael, Jane Reynolds, Laurent Sacharoff and Meera Somasundaram contributed to this article
Posted: January 27, 1994At first, it was kind of fun. Now it is turning into a serious problem.
Many schools in Camden, Burlington and Gloucester Counties were closed yesterday for the seventh time because of the weather. For some, that is six more days than what they had allotted.
The dilemma has left administrators scratching their heads, wondering how to make up the lost days.
"And it's not over yet," said Delran Superintendent Carl Johnson, whose district closed for the seventh time this winter. "We're not out of January yet - with two storms on the horizon."
Indeed, more bad weather is predicted for today and tomorrow.
Schools should not expect to get a reprieve from the state. Gov. Whitman's recent two-day statewide energy emergency will not reduce the number of days that schools must make up, as some superintendents had hoped.
The state still expects students to attend classes 180 days this school year, ice or no ice.
"The state emergency related exclusively to the state and government buildings and employees," Rita Manno, a spokesman for Gov. Whitman's office, said yesterday. "It had nothing to do with the closing of the schools."
Faith Sarafin, director of information for the New Jersey Department of Education in Trenton, said schools can appeal the 180-day rule.
But, she said, "the best advice is to make up whatever they've already lost, because they're going to have to show why they couldn't make those days up."
With as many as six days to make up and possibly more to follow, schools are already making contingency plans.
Meanwhile, students, particularly high school seniors, wait anxiously.
"My daughter's antsy, and so are all her friends," said Alice McIntosh, whose daughter, Kaya, is a senior at Willingboro High School. "They want to know whether they'll have a graduation June 23."
Although few districts have decided how they will make up the days, several said they would prefer tacking on makeup days at the end of the school year rather than subtracting them from the upcoming Presidents Day weekend or spring break, around which many families have planned vacations.
But that is a possibility, one that has prompted travelers to buy trip- cancellation insurance and forced many last-minute bookings, said Jay Roseman, vice president of the Travel One agency's Cherry Hill office.
School was open in a few districts yesterday. For example, children in Haddonfield and Haddon Heights, most of whom live within walking distance of their schools, were in class.
Haddonfield Superintendent Barry Ersek decided that the streets were safe enough.
"The forecast indicated that the snow would stop by about 8 a.m.," Ersek said. "The roads appeared to be passable.
"And," he added, "we were concerned about making more extensive changes in the calendar. We've already closed more this year than in the last 10 put together."
Ersek said that, while snow days were not built into the school calendar, 182 days - two more than the state requires - were scheduled this year. Ersek's goal is to have an eventual total of 190 school days.
But most districts, having little leeway, find themselves facing a long winter. And that has made administrators rethink the meaning of snow day.
School principals say they have operated on as little as two hours of sleep per night for two weeks now as they have fretted over whether to close. The decision must be made in the morning, the earlier the better.
Sometimes principals take matters into their own hands. Delsea Regional High School principal Frank Borelli drives the roads in the wee hours before making the call. And West Deptford Superintendent Lawrence Hobdell jogs at 5 a.m., the better to see firsthand just how safe the roads are.
Others seek advice from their transportation managers and other colleagues, such as fellow principals. Some, like Walter Dold, superintendent of the Edgewater Park schools in Burlington County, rely on input from Carmine DeSopo, superintendent of Burlington County Special Services School District.
DeSopo oversees 1,150 disabled students who each morning travel from the county's 43 municipalities to DeSopo's Westampton school complex.
The overriding factor is road conditions.
"Literally, I was pacing at 5:30 (yesterday morning), and I didn't know what I was going to do yet," Pennsauken School Superintendent Harold Kurtz said. "You always have this vision of the bus coming to a stop sign and not stopping and hitting a kid. It's a scary kind of responsibility."
"I'm not going to jeopardize the lives of any children so we can finish a day earlier in the summer," said James Fiebig, acting superintendent for the Delsea regional school system. "We can replace a day, but we can't replace a life."
The following is a list of school districts that have scheduled makeup days:
* Edgewater Park School District: One allotted snow day, six to make up. Makeup day: Friday, Feb. 18.
* North Hanover: School extended from June 21 to June 24; Easter break reduced from April 4-8 to April 4-6.
* Pemberton Borough: School extended from June 20 to June 29.
Holy Cross High Officials, Teachers To Seek Mediation A Meeting Might Not Be Scheduled Until Next Week. Lay Teachers Remain On Strike, School Remains Closed.
Source: https://web.archive.org/web/20150928181543/http://articles.philly.com/1996-09-05/news/25633314_1_association-of-catholic-teachers-contract-and-school-math-teacherBy Natalie Pompilio, INQUIRER CORRESPONDENT
Posted: September 05, 1996DELRAN — Students at Burlington County's only Catholic high school are on an extended summer vacation as administrators and teachers await an outside mediator to resolve a contract dispute.
About 64 lay teachers, who went on strike Tuesday, demonstrated again yesterday outside Holy Cross High School. School officials said it might be next week before a meeting could be set with a mediator.
Teachers have refused to work without a contract and school will not begin until an agreement is reached.
Michael Luke, union representative for the Philadelphia-based Association of Catholic Teachers, said salary was only one sticking point in the negotiations.
``No one here expects to be paid like a public school teacher,'' said Luke, a math teacher.
A first-year teacher with a bachelor's degree made $21,550 a year under the contract that expired Saturday. However, the average teaching experience at Holy Cross is 17 years and the average salary is about $35,000 a year.
In comparison, the average salary for a teacher in the Delran public school system is $45,500, according to Delran Superintendent Carl Johnson. The public school teachers average 18 years experience.
Pay raises at Holy Cross, Luke said, are generally flat, across-the-board amounts. The most recent offer from school officials was $1,200 for the first year, $1,300 the second, and $1,450 the third.
That offer considered current salaries, settlements in similar districts, and the school's financial situation, said Herbert Keene, a Philadelphia lawyer representing Holy Cross. The school's initial offer was for a one-year contract with a pay raise of about $800.
Union members want a three-year contract, similar to previous agreements. They requested pay raises of $1,700 the first year, $2,000 the second, and $2,300 the third.
Tuition and fees for the 1,250 students at Holy Cross are about $3,900 for the 1996-97 school year, up from $2,600 during the 1992-93 school year.
Union representatives say there is room in the budget to pay for their salary requests without raising tuition.
Keene said the school cannot fully meet the teachers' requests and this year's tuition cannot be increased. The school also ``has a debt in excess of $5 million that it's trying to handle,'' he said.
Union negotiators had requested mediation during the summer. School officials rejected the idea then, saying they did not want outsiders involved in internal business.
``It's a private, Catholic school,'' Keene said. ``Second, we didn't think it was necessary.''
The administration still holds that intervention is unneeded but Keene said it wants to settle the strike and start the school year.
Other open contract issues include a union request that administrators who observe a teacher's work in the classroom be state-certified. That last item is in response to a new contract clause that requires teachers at the Catholic high school to be state-certified, Luke said.
``If it's proper for us, it's also proper for the administration,'' Luke said.
But Keene said to his knowledge the union had not agreed to the state-certification clause. That's why, he said, the administration has not agreed to it.
Cherry Hill Schools Close Book On Suit Insurers Will Pay The $800,000 For A Wrongful Dismissal. The District Paid $170,000 In Fees.
Source: https://web.archive.org/web/20150923063326/http://articles.philly.com/1996-09-27/news/25632980_1_legal-fees-assistant-superintendent-legal-costsBy Deborah Kong, INQUIRER CORRESPONDENT
Posted: September 27, 1996CHERRY HILL — The school board last night approved an $800,000 settlement in an eight-year-old lawsuit against the school board and the district superintendent.
The board's unanimous vote marks the end of a legal action alleging wrongful dismissal filed by former assistant superintendent Joseph Picogna against the board and Superintendent Philip Esbrandt.
Board president Mona Noyes said no board member would comment on the settlement at last night's special meeting, noting that a formal statement would be forthcoming from the board today. However, board members spent a chunk of their time together bickering over the wording of the proposed statement.
Picogna's attorney, John J. Finnegan 3d, said earlier that his client feels the settlement is a fair one.
But some board members and a half-dozen residents at the meeting said they were dismayed at the cost of the case.
The board's approval included the acceptance of approximately $1 million from its insurance carriers, Cigna and North River. The package included a lump sum of $800,000 for the settlement and $50,000 for legal costs and fees. The companies had already paid $180,000 in legal costs.
The board's agreement with the insurance companies ended three years of litigation over footing the bills for the Picogna matter.
Over the eight years, $170,000 in legal fees were paid by the district. Those fees will not be reimbursed by the insurance carriers.
Resident Marleen Bernstein questioned Esbrandt's conduct and called for disciplinary action. ``The real victims are the taxpayers and our schoolchildren,'' she said.
Said resident Mindy Rosen: ``We lost much more than $800,000 and lots of legal fees. We lost a caring, dedicated employee.''
Picogna, now an assistant superintendent in Delran, was fired in 1988 from his position as assistant superintendent for business and board secretary. According to court documents, while Esbrandt's first two evaluations of Picogna's performance were favorable, the relationship deteriorated as Picogna asked for documentation of Esbrandt's expenditures and questioned retaining school consultants.
In 1992, Superior Court Judge E. Stevenson Fluharty assessed a $1.3 million judgment against the district. Successive appeals to an appellate court and the state Supreme Court found that the awards to Picogna - $750,000 in economic damages, $560,000 for emotional distress and $50,000 in punitive damages assessed to Esbrandt - were wrongly determined and should be refigured at another trial.
Art Testing Draws Fans, Critics The Exam That Some N.j. Fifth Graders Will Take This Week Is Itself A Test, A Pilot For One To Be Given For Real In 2001.
Source: https://web.archive.org/web/20151017204511/http://articles.philly.com/1999-10-24/news/25507172_1_art-teachers-standardized-test-art-educatorsBy Tom Avril, INQUIRER TRENTON BUREAU
Posted: October 24, 1999Analyzing a modernistic bronze sculpture. Describing a collection of African and Asian masks. Probing the concepts involved in critiquing theater and dance.
These are the kinds of challenges that will face half of New Jersey's fifth graders this week when they take a pilot version of an unusual, new standardized test. The children will still use pencil and paper, but the subject will be one not usually confined to a ticking stopwatch: visual and performing arts.
Art teachers are generally thrilled that their subject is getting recognition, though a few wonder how knowledge of a creative field can be evaluated by multiple-choice and short-answer questions.
Others freely predict that the test will highlight what they have been saying for years: that many school districts treat art as a fringe benefit - one that is the first to be cut when budgets are tight - and that, as a result, children will perform poorly on the exam.
One thing is not in dispute: New Jersey will be in rare company when the test is given for real in 2001. Currently, just four states require students to take a standardized test in the arts, according to a July survey conducted by the Council of Chief State School Officers.
Pennsylvania is also one of a growing number of states that plan to get into the arts game, albeit in a more limited fashion. Rather than require all students to take a standardized test, the state plans to work with national testing groups to develop a variety of tests for local districts to use as they see fit, state Education Department spokeswoman Michelle Biddle said.
Keith Warren, an art teacher at West Deptford Middle School, is elated about New Jersey's arts efforts, which began in 1996 as part of Gov. Whitman's new "core curriculum" standards.
"Finally! For years, we've been screaming and yelling, 'We're important! We're important!' " said Warren, who is also first vice president of the 1,200-member Art Educators of New Jersey. "Thanks for giving us the credit."
Half of the public-school fifth graders will take a pilot art test next week' the other half will take one in social studies.
Though they are still being phased in, New Jersey's battery of new standardized tests for the fourth, eighth and 11th grades have already generated their share of controversy. The fourth-grade tests have drawn the most fire, with teachers saying students are confused, stressed and even frightened by exams that are long and difficult.
State officials counter that the tests are supposed to be difficult. The sentence "We're raising the bar" became a favorite of former Education Commissioner Leo Klagholz and has been adopted by his successor, David Hespe.
The state, however, has made concessions on length, agreeing to administer some of the fourth-grade tests in the fall of fifth grade and lopping off an hour from the 3-hour, 45-minute reading and writing portion.
The latest flap arose last month, when the first published results showed that nearly 60 percent of fourth graders scored "partially proficient" (the lowest possible rating) in reading and writing.
Carl Johnson, the Delran superintendent and a manager of the state's testing program in the 1980s, said he was skeptical of the scores. Close to 100 percent of his fourth graders did well in science, while just two-thirds were proficient in reading and writing.
"It seems like I have all these brilliant scientists who can't read," he said. "If they're doing so poorly on the reading and writing, we should spend more time teaching that and not testing whether you like a play or not."
To be fair, the arts questions don't have much to do with the students' subjective opinions of art. They measure the students' knowledge of artistic concepts and vocabulary in visual arts, theater, dance and music.
There are 32 multiple-choice and two short-answer questions on the pilot test, which is expected to take an hour and 20 minutes. A performance portion is being considered for future years, but state officials say it would be flexible.
"These are not standards or assessments that are trying to make every student an artist," said Clyde Reese, head of the state's testing program. "They are designed to make students literate in the arts."
Some teachers, though, predict that many students will fall short of the mark.
George DiBouno, historian for Art Educators of New Jersey, believes the problem is that today's schools have such a variety of programs. "Some [arts classes] are once a week, every week," said DiBouno, who is also an art teacher in River Vale, Bergen County. "Some are five days for a 10-week cycle. Some have certified teachers." He added that other art teachers have no permanent classroom, and wheel their supplies on carts.
One concern raised by FairTest, a national testing-reform advocacy group, is whether poor children will have had as much exposure to the fine arts. "The likelihood of seeing an actual play probably corresponds pretty closely to socioeconomic status," Monty Neill, executive director of the Massachusetts organization, said upon having sample questions read to him over the phone.
Still unclear is what will happen when the results are published.
Still, art teachers are optimistic.
Rick Lasher, a retired Bergen County art teacher and adjunct instructor at Philadelphia's Moore College of Art and Design, said the test will result in positive changes.
"There are teachers who fear the results and advertising the results," said Lasher, who is on the committee to develop the eighth-grade test for New Jersey. "I'm really convinced this will lead to more comprehensive programs."
Delran's Head Of Schools To Retire Carl Johnson, 58, Who Was Superintendent For Nine Years, Says He Will Stay Until His Replacement Is Found.
Source: https://web.archive.org/web/20151017075158/http://articles.philly.com/2000-09-10/news/25582382_1_assistant-superintendent-new-superintendent-new-intermediate-schoolBy Lauren Mayk, INQUIRER SUBURBAN STAFF
Posted: September 10, 2000DELRAN — After nine years as superintendent of schools here, and more than 37 years in education, Carl Johnson is planning to retire.
Johnson, 58, has said he would stay until the district found a suitable replacement, and board members said they hoped to have a new superintendent in place by Feb. 1.
"I just decided I'd had enough," Johnson said. "This is a very demanding job. I put in 120 nights a year."
Johnson's announcement comes less than two years after he received a 13.5 percent raise in pay, from $104,000 to $118,000 (his raise for the 2000-2001 school year was 3.8 percent).
The board's action in 1999 raised questions about how the bump in salary would affect his pension. At the time, however, Johnson said he had no plans to retire soon.
Board President Sandra DeSimone said board members raised Johnson's salary to put it more in line with the compensation other Burlington County superintendents received and because they worried about losing him.
"We wanted to put him in an area that he would stay with us - that he was getting paid what he was worth," DeSimone said.
Johnson's retirement will be reviewed by the board of trustees for the Teacher's Pension and Annuity Fund, as are all public education retirements, said Fran Rapa, a spokesman for the state Treasury Department.
"The main thing they're looking for is, are these raises being granted in anticipation of his retirement," Rapa said.
That review may not happen for months because the division does not have to be notified of a retirement until shortly before it takes place, Rapa said.
Last week, Johnson said of the raise: "It's nice to know you're appreciated."
Johnson, a Riverton resident, said he hoped to spend more time with his three grandchildren who live nearby, to play golf, and "make no rash decisions" for at least six months after he steps down.
He counts among his accomplishments in the district the construction of a new intermediate school in 1996, the installation of a full-day kindergarten program, and the increased emphasis on technology in classrooms throughout the district. "We have the district in very good shape," he said.
"He's very proactive for Delran as a township and for what we need," said DeSimone, who described Johnson's relationship with the board as "wonderful."
Johnson formerly served as assistant superintendent in Burlington City.
Lauren Mayk's e-mail address is lmayk@phillynews.com
Ballot question asks voters to authorize funding full-day kindergarten in Delran
Source: https://www.burlingtoncountytimes.com/article/20121026/NEWS/310269747By Todd McHale
Posted: Oct 26, 2012
DELRAN -- Township voters will decide Nov. 6 whether the school district will bring back full-day kindergarten.
Not every taxpayer is for it, because the program won't be cheap.
"Education is an investment in all of our futures," Superintendent Patricia Camp said.
The special ballot question will ask voters to authorize the Board of Education to raise $400,000 more than the allowable tax levy to develop, operate and maintain the full-day kindergarten, which became a half-day program in 2010.
Approval of the additional expenditure will result in a permanent increase in the amount to be raised by taxation for the district.
If voters say yes to the question, the owner of a home assessed at the township average of $209,000 will pay $29.70 more a year in school taxes, according to District Business Administrator Chris Russo. When factoring in the district's total budget, the tax bill for the average homeowner would increase to about $4,113 to support the $43.3 million spending plan for 2012-13 school year.
Money raised would pay for an additional five teachers' salaries and benefits and all the supplies, technology and textbooks needed for the program, Camp said.
"It actually comes to more than the $400,000, but the savings realized from not having to bus the children in the middle of the day will cover the additional costs," she said.
"It's not inexpensive," she noted.
But Camp and other supporters believe it's money well-spent.
The district trimmed kindergarten to a half day in 2010 to deal with the loss of millions in state aid in recent years and a school budget rejected by voters.
Previously, the full-day kindergarten had been in place for 15 years.
Last fall, a group of residents formed Delran Parents 4 FDK to bring the program back. The group gathered more than 400 signatures through an online petition.
Julia McGraw, spokeswoman for the group, said statistics show that students who attend full-day kindergarten score higher on tests in future years.
"We feel it's part of a quality public education," McGraw said.
The extra time allows the kindergarten staff to better teach the curriculum. Otherwise, the teachers need to condense the work into a three-hour period, she said.
"We're setting them up for failure," McGraw said.
Todd McHale: 609-871-8163; email: tmchale@phillyBurbs.com; Twitter: @toddmchale
Delran school board strike deal with superintendent
Source: https://www.burlingtoncountytimes.com/article/20140411/NEWS/304119611By Todd McHale
Posted: Apr 11, 2014DELRAN -- The superintendent may be stepping down at the end of the school year but she won't leave empty handed.
The school board approved paying Superintendent Patricia Camp $117,045 as part of a confidential separation agreement and general release reached with the school chief.
"The board believes it is in the district's best interest the parties terminate their employment relationship," according to the separation agreement signed by the school board President Diane Zierler and Camp.
Executed last month and later signed off by the state Department of Education Commissioner, the early termination of employment agreement included the payment of compensation as a condition of separation.
As part of the deal reached Camp agreed to resign effective July 1. Since the superintendent did not receive a written notice of the board's intent to not renew her contract, the deal calls for a separation payment, which represents three months pay for every year remaining on Camp's contract.
Payment will begin in July and be paid in accordance with schedule of salary payments in effect for other certified employees until paid in full. Currently Camp's annual salary is $156,060.
The agreement comes in the wake of a number of contentious school board meetings in recent weeks during which former district leaders came out in support of Camp.
"You can put lipstick on a pig and you can use euphemisms like 'severance pay' and 'resignation,' but it's still a buyout," former school board President Ingar Blosfelds said. "It's still a firing and the BOE, when you include attorney fees, will be using $125,000 of the taxpayer's money, leaving the district without a leader and setting back the educational advances that Dr. Camp was achieving."
Prior to accepting the position in Delran, Camp served as director of curriculum at the Morris School District for three years and science supervisor for the Scotch Plains-Fanwood Public Schools.
Even though Camp would not talk about the agreement she said she enjoyed the time and work in the school district.
"I will miss it at Delran," Camp said. "I've been there three years concentrating on achieving higher academic standards and working to expand the curriculum for every child in the district."
Zierler did agree to write a reference letter for Camp pointing out the superintendent's strengths.
"In her short time in Delran Dr. Camp made an impact in a number of areas," Zierler wrote. "Dr. Camp coordinated a (New Jersey School Boards Association) facilitated strategic planning; focus on student achievement, financial efficiencies and community relationships. She restored needed instruction positions that were cut in 2010, middle school academic teaming, high school and kindergarten teacher..."
On Friday, Zierler reiterated that the board is limited on what it can say about the agreement, but assured the public that it is working on finding a replacement.
"The board will take all appropriate measures to secure a new superintendent who will continue to provide the students of the Delran Township School District with the best education possible," Zierler said.
Her predecessor didn't seem as confident about the situation.
"I fear for the children and taxpayers of Delran, who are ultimately the victims of this ignorant and irresponsible board," Blosfelds said.
Todd McHale: 609-871-8163; email: tmchale@calkins.com; Twitter: @toddmchale
Delran spells out public comment policy, is quiet about deal with school chief
Source: https://www.burlingtoncountytimes.com/article/20140415/NEWS/304159605By Todd McHale
Posted: Apr 15, 2014DELRAN -- The school board was very vocal about addressing personal attacks against members over Superintendent Patricia Camp's future, but it remained tight-lipped about the administrator's separation from the district.
Board Secretary Christopher Russo issued a stern warning to residents at Monday's meeting in the wake of a number of contentious meetings. For weeks, the board has said nothing about the negotiations and deal reached to pay Camp $117,045 as part of a "confidential separation agreement and general release."
After the warning was issued, only one resident addressed the board.
"There's no interrogation of board members," Russo told dozens in the crowd. "No debating. State your position and end the statement. And no personal attacks on the board members, please."
Russo said remarks would be subject to recording, and that the board president could interrupt a comment "when the statement is too lengthy, abusive, obscene or irrelevant."
He also said if "decorum" is not observed during the meeting, the board president can ask a resident to leave, seek assistance from law enforcement, or call for a recess or adjournment.
As part of the deal that was reached, Camp agreed to resign effective July 1. Since she did not receive a written notice of the board's intent to not renew her contract, the agreement calls for a separation payment, which represents three months of pay for every year remaining on her contract.
"As much as the board would like to comment on the rumors that are being spread and the articles in the (Burlington County Times), it is not possible," board President Diane Zierler said. "Unfortunately, the board is limited to what it can say, and we don't want to jeopardize violating the terms of the confidential separation agreement that are subject to the board's liability, which could be financial or otherwise."
Resident Robert Wachter was the only member of the public to speak.
"Dr. Camp, it's nice to see you in that chair," he said. "My family appreciates everything you've done for this district over the last couple years."
Wachter noted that the separation agreement is an open public record and should be released.
"I just find it quite unusual we are still using that word 'confidential,'" he said. "The only time that word should be made or expressed in a board agenda is for a position, confidential secretary.
"There's no such thing as a confidential agreement," Wachter said of a severance agreement with a public employee. "We can debate that, but to what avail? Everything's already been done."
Zierler said the board remains focused on the future.
"At this time, the board's primary objectives are focused on hiring an interim superintendent and new permanent superintendent. As always, our priority is advancing student achievement for every child in the district."
On Tuesday, Russo said the board wanted to clarify its public comment policy Monday after recent outbursts at earlier meetings.
"I was asked to make the statements, as the members felt that they have been ridiculed and personally attacked recently," he said.
Camp earns a $156,060 annual salary. She will begin to receive separation pay in July, in accordance with a schedule of payments in effect for other certified employees until paid in full.
Todd McHale: 609-871-8163; email: tmchale@calkins.com; Twitter: @toddmchale
Interim superintendent ready for challenge in Delran
Source: https://www.burlingtoncountytimes.com/article/20140812/NEWS/308129723By Todd McHale
Posted: Aug 12, 2014
DELRAN -- Students returning to school next month will find a new leader at the helm.
Longtime educator Joseph Miller will be serving as the district's interim superintendent, a role all too familiar to him.
Since retiring in 2005 from the Delanco School District after 21 years, Miller has served in an interim capacity as superintendent and principal for eight districts in Burlington County, along with a two-year stint in Brazil as principal of an American international school.
"I find it interesting and a challenge professionally to come into a district brand-new and hit the ground running and keep the boat afloat," Miller said.
The position is one the 67-year-old administrator has grown used to taking on, and he looks forward to serving here. The first day of classes is Sept. 3.
"I like Delran," Miller said. "Having spent most of my life in Delanco, I've been very familiar with Delran my entire life."
Dating back to the 1960s, Miller said he has worked closely with five superintendents in the district and looks forward to filling the position as the Board of Education continues to search for a permanent school chief.
Miller will be paid $600 per day with no benefits.
The board selected him based on his many years of service.
"He has a lot of experience, and we felt he was the best person for the job," board President Diane Zierler said.
Miller replaces Patricia Camp, who left July 1 after the school board decided not to renew her contract.
As part of a "confidential separation agreement and general release," Camp will be paid $117,045 since she did not receive a written notice of the board's intent to not renew her contract.
The agreement calls for a separation payment, which represents three months of salary for every year remaining on her contract.
Zierler declined to comment on what sparked the decision, but she indicated that the board has begun the process of finding a permanent replacement.
No timeline has been set for filling the position.
Given the situation, Miller said he's ready to serve as long as needed.
"I think it benefits both sides," he said of being interim superintendent. "It keeps me out of trouble and interested in my profession, and it gives the board the time they need to bring in quality people into their leadership."
Over the last few years, Miller has served as interim superintendent in Bordentown, Hainesport, Lumberton and Springfield and as an interim principal at schools in Cinnaminson and Moorestown.
Todd McHale: 609-871-8163;
email: tmchale@calkins.com;
Twitter: @toddmchale
A new leader selected for Delran School District
Source: https://www.burlingtoncountytimes.com/article/20140909/NEWS/309099681By Todd McHale
Posted: Sep 9, 2014DELRAN -- A longtime Middlesex County educator has been named the school district's superintendent.
Brian Brotschul, who has served in a number of capacities for the North Brunswick School District, soon will be the leader here.
"It feels great," Brotschul said after the Board of Education approved hiring him during its meeting Monday night in the high school cafeteria.
The husband and father of five can't wait to get started.
"I'm looking forward to connecting with the Delran community, and meeting all the stakeholders and starting to develop core programs that support kids," Brotschul said.
The 38-year-old former principal and administrator agreed to a four-year contract that will pay him a $155,000 annual salary plus benefits. The resident of Monroe, Middlesex County, expects to start as soon as a separation agreement with his former employer can be finalized.
Board President Diane Zierler said Brotschul's experience made him a perfect fit to lead the kindergarten-through-12th-grade district, which serves nearly 3,000 students.
"We think Brian is an excellent choice for Delran because of his background in all levels of education, elementary through high school," Zierler said. "He's been a middle school principal, a high school principal, and we feel that he's going to take Delran to the very next level in education."
She said the board is confident that under Brotschul's leadership, the district will continue to be a place where all students can achieve academic excellence.
Brotschul said he hopes to build on the positive steps that have taken place in the district of late and will strive for even more.
"I'm looking forward to helping revolutionize the schools here and implement solid curriculum that enables students to grow in the classroom," he said.
Interim Superintendent Joseph Miller has filled in since July, after the departure of Patricia Camp, whose contract was not renewed by the board.
As part of a "confidential separation agreement and general release," Camp will be paid $117,045 because she did not receive a written notice of the board's intent to not renew her contract. The separation payment represents three months of salary for every year remaining on her contract.
Todd McHale: 609-871-8163;
email: tmchale@calkins.com;
Twitter: @toddmchale
Love of science leads Delran scholar to Ivy League
Source: https://www.burlingtoncountytimes.com/article/20150611/NEWS/306119623By Todd McHale
Posted: Jun 11, 2015
DELRAN -- What a year it's been for Aubrey Paris.
The township resident graduated from college, was accepted to an Ivy League graduate school, and was selected for a prestigious fellowship. And now, she is being called an inspiration to younger students.
"It's been quite an amazing couple of months," Paris said. "It's always been a dream of mine to go to Princeton University."
To cap it off, the Ursinus College alumna has been selected for the 2015 National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Program.
The oldest fellowship of its kind, the program supports outstanding graduate students in science, technology, engineering and mathematics fields who are pursuing research-based master's and doctoral degrees. Past fellows include numerous Nobel Prize winners.
It's an opportunity that Paris found hard to believe upon learning of her selection.
"I thought I was dreaming," she said. "I woke up to an email from the National Science Foundation. I thought it was a dream."
It was no dream.
Paris' proposal "demonstrated potential to contribute to strengthening the vitality of the U.S. science and engineering enterprise," the foundation said in a letter to her.
"I proposed that novel iron complexes be studied for their ability to reduce carbon dioxide using light instead of electricity," Paris said. "If this type of technology could be optimized scientifically and used in the future, it could result in a net decrease in the amount of carbon dioxide in our atmosphere."
Paris graduated last month from the school in Collegeville, Pennsylvania, majoring in chemistry and biology and minoring in French.
That, along with her other academic achievements, led to her being recognized this week by the Board of Education.
Superintendent Brian Brotschul said the district wanted to honor Paris for all her successes.
"As a student at Delran High School, at Ursinus College and now at Princeton University, Ms. Aubrey Paris has consistently demonstrated excellence, and the (school) board is most supportive of her accomplishments," Brotschul said.
Paris credited the district's dedicated staff for encouraging her to pursue her dreams.
"I'm so thrilled and grateful for the teachers I had in high school, who were so passionate about science," she said.
Her father, Mayor Ken Paris, and mother, June, said they are very proud of their daughter and are pleased that the district has acknowledged her efforts.
"She's an example of how far kids can go when they apply themselves at school," the mayor said.
The superintendent agreed. He believes Paris serves a good example for every student.
"On behalf of the Delran Township Board of Education, I thank her for inspiring a new generation of scientists and scholars in and around Delran," Brotschul said.
Todd McHale: 609-871-8163;
email: tmchale@calkins.com; Twitter: @toddmchale
Delran school district receives grant funds for improvements
Source: https://www.burlingtoncountytimes.com/article/20150902/NEWS/309029650By Sean Patrick Murphy
Posted: Sep 2, 2015DELRAN -- The township school district has received a nearly $1 million state grant that will fund improvements to the roof at the Delran Middle School as well as asbestos remediation there.
The New Jersey Schools Development Authority recently announced the grant for the district through its Regular Operating District (ROD) program.
"We're pleased with the support from the Christie administration in order to allow us to execute these important facility upgrades," Superintendent Brian Brotschul said. "Additionally, being able to apply these grant monies ensures that the taxpayers in Delran were not obligated to fund the entire project."
The school project represents $1,987,322 in total estimated costs, including the state grant of $948,028. The authority has executed nearly $1.8 million in grants for the improvements.
Since the start of the Christie administration, the authority has executed 2,147 grants in 385 school districts. The state grant program funds at least 40 percent of eligible costs for projects in the RODs, addressing health and safety issues and other critical needs.
The state has provided $715.2 million in grants to local districts since January 2010, leveraging projects with total estimated costs of $1.66 billion. The authority's current portfolio of active grant projects represents $1.5 billion in total project costs.
The state Department of Education, which determines the selection of school projects to receive grant funds, has approved more than 1,600 ROD grant projects in 335 districts in the state. Between state and local contributions, the total cost of the eligible projects is estimated to exceed $1.2 billion.
Sean Patrick Murphy: 609-871-8068; email: smurphy@calkins.com; Twitter: @SMurphyBCT
Delran Education Foundation kick starts grant program after fundraising success
Source: https://www.burlingtoncountytimes.com/article/20160401/NEWS/304019746By Caitlyn Stulpin
Posted: Apr 1, 2016
DELRAN -- As schools continue to face funding and budgeting challenges, the school district has a new ally in a team of volunteers looking to support the needs of students that fall outside the annual budget.
The Delran Education Foundation was formed last year to help raise money and work toward improving the district to benefit students. The nonprofit held its first fundraiser last month and is now accepting grant applications from teachers and staff.
"We want to support and innovate educational programs that would otherwise not receive the necessary funding and support," foundation president Geoff Weber said. "The district budget is bare minimum, so they can't afford to take chances on innovative programs. We, as a foundation, can raise money to take those chances."
Delran, like many districts statewide, has had to cut many of the "extras" in its budgets as it works to remain within the state's 2 percent spending cap. The foundation looks to fund some of those things. The district currently operates under a $43.6 million budget.
Weber and the rest of the foundation, comprised of parents, community members and a few district representatives, got started late last year when a call to action was prompted by Superintendent Brian Brotschul.
"I recruited many of the initial members of the education foundation," Brotschul said. "Some members of the community expressed interest in advocating for the children and I had an interest in helping to start a foundation, so we all worked together and got things rolling."
To combat the financial limits of the budget, the foundation works to raise money from local businesses, corporate sponsors, parents, alumni and other community members to support its efforts.
The foundation held its first fundraiser, Casino Night, last month. It functioned as a real casino, with a company bringing in tables, dealers, chips and all the necessities. Participants would buy their chips and at the end of the night cash them in for tickets, which were used to bid on a basket to be raffled off.
"The first time you do something, especially as a new group, you never know how the turnout is going to be. But Casino Night was packed, which is very indicative of how deeply rooted our residents are in their school system," Brotschul said.
With enough funds raised to start the grant program, teachers and other professionals in the district are being encouraged to apply for grants that will be used for innovative programs along the lines of robotics and engineering. Grants will be awarded to projects and ideas that will have the greatest impact on students' educational experience. Applications are due by May 6.
"We weren't sure we'd be able to start grants in our first year as an organization, but because of how much we raised at Casino Night, we are able to jump right into it," Weber said. "I wish we made enough to fund everything, but we'll have to be selective. Regardless, I look forward to the chance to help at all."
With the grant applications available, the process is well underway to getting new programs added for the 2016-17 school year, helping to quickly get the foundation well on its way to reaching goals.
"This is really a great thing for the community as a whole," Weber said. "We have this great group of volunteers who want to do something great for the students and the schools, and we've managed to pull off this really great event to get things going."
"But none of this would have been possible without the community's support," he said.
"It's been such a great relief having this foundation to take some of the pressure off the district and step up to help out with funding," Brotschul said. "They're excited to help, and we're excited to see what these grants will do for our students. We look forward to the upcoming events and endeavors of the Delran Education Foundation."
No further events have been planned for this year, but the progress of the foundation, the grant program and upcoming events can be followed by visiting delranedfoundation.org.
Caitlyn Stulpin: 609-871-8055; email:cstulpin@calkins.com; Twitter: @caitstulpin
Delran participates in national campaign to improve STEM education
Source: https://www.timesonline.com/e922968a-8be1-11e6-a2e7-7337c4ea9b5c.htmlBy Kelly Kultys
Posted: Oct 10, 2016DELRAN -- The school district is working to improve its science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) programs with the help of a $60,000 grant and participation in a national campaign.
The district was one of four in the state chosen to become a New Jersey STEM Learning Ecosystem Alliance school. It was selected by the New Jersey branch of the STEM Pathways Network, which was started in early 2015 by Secretary of Higher Education Rochelle Hendricks.
Hendricks organized a group of educators, entrepreneurs and industry leaders to suggest ways to improve STEM education from kindergarten to 12th grade. Laura Overdeck, founder and president of Bedtime Math and chairwoman of the Overdeck Family Foundation, also chairs that group.
The foundation distributes grants to fund STEM education, including the $60,000 to Delran.
"We are excited to announce the launch of four New Jersey STEM Learning Ecosystems across our state," Overdeck said in a statement. "This White House-backed national initiative connects STEM resources within and across and local districts."
Superintendent Brian Brotschul was thrilled the district's application was chosen.
"The inherent belief in the Delran Township Public Schools' application speaks volumes regarding the work that has been done in the district in recent years in addition to our vision for the future," Brotschul said.
The district plans to help students graduate with STEM knowledge, skills and hands-on learning experience that they can take with them to college and their careers. Through the new alliance, the district will gain community partners, such as Rowan College at Burlington County, Lockheed Martin and Princeton University.
The district has been working to improve its STEM education offerings over the last few years.
This year, Mary Jo Hutchinson, the district's supervisor of mathematics and co-coordinator of the STEM program, received a grant from the Delran Education Foundation to expand the robotics program. Also, a STEAM (including arts) summer camp was started for elementary students throughout July.
Brotschul said the new partnership and grant money will help the district continue to invest in STEM education.
"We are not where we need to be, and we have to work together to make sure that our children are prepared to compete in the world's economy," he said.
Brotshcul said the grant will help provide "realistic" opportunities and environments for students to gain experience in the classroom.
Kelly Kultys: 609-500-0429; email: kkultys@calkins.com; Twitter: @kellykultys
School funding remains one of biggest questions ahead of Murphy budget address
Source: https://www.burlingtoncountytimes.com/news/20180226/school-funding-remains-one-of-biggest-questions-ahead-of-murphy-budget-addressBy David Levinsky
Posted: Feb 26, 2018DELRAN — New Jersey has a new governor who has promised what no politician has managed in the last nine years: to fully fund the school funding formula so that every public district receives the amount of aid it prescribes.
It won't be easy. By most estimates, Murphy and lawmakers will need to agree to add at least a billion dollars to the considerable sum already divvied out to public schools. And billions more would be needed to make up for the nine previous years that the formula was underfunded.
Murphy, who is expected to deliver his first budget proposal to the Legislature next month, hasn't set a timetable for how soon he hopes to keep one of his biggest, and arguably most difficult, campaign promises, although he has said he intends to ramp up school funding as quickly as possible.
But residents in Delran and several other towns in Burlington County remain angst-ridden and continue to call for changes in how aid is distributed to prevent their districts from being shortchanged. Their complaints were heard by 7th District lawmakers Troy Singleton, Herb Conaway and Carol Murphy during a school funding forum last week at the Delran Middle School.
The most frequently heard gripe during the over two-hour discussion concerned discrepancies with so-called "overfunded" districts that have continued to receive more aid than prescribed by the formula, while residents' own districts are forced to scrape and raise taxes.
"I believe all taxpayers should be concerned, because we're being overtaxed to subsidize other districts," said Stephen Heberling, school board president at Bordentown Regional, which is among the hundreds of districts still considered underfunded even after it received a roughly 3 percent increase this year.
Delran resident Ryan Huryn expressed the frustration felt by many taxpayers struggling with rising property taxes.
"It seems to me, as Joe Blow taxpayer, that things are out of control. You're killing the middle class," he said. "The way things are going, you're truly going to be left with only the haves and the have-nots. What you're doing is making people move to where they can afford to live a good life."
Delran Superintendent Brian Brotschul told the group the intent was not to "create a divide among communities or pit District A against District B." He stressed that residents need to understand how important the issue is to their children's education.
"(The funding formula) is like a vehicle to provide resources to the classroom level. But in order to power the vehicle, we need fuel. That's the biggest challenge," Brotschul said.
Singleton and the other lawmakers at the event explained that the discrepancies among districts are because the state has been unable to provide enough money to implement the formula properly, and because of the politics involved in getting it approved in the first place.
The formula, known as the School Funding Reform Act, was created in 2008 during Gov. Jon S. Corzine's tenure and sets district aid amounts based on enrollment, district wealth, and populations of impoverished and other special needs students. The law was written to provide fair funding amounts to all districts while still complying with the New Jersey Supreme Court's long-standing Abbott v. Burke rulings, which mandate that extra aid should go to the poorest districts to ensure they have the opportunity to receive the same "thorough and efficient education" as students who reside in wealthier ones.
The Corzine administration was initially able to mix state tax dollars with federal stimulus money to award districts close to the prescribed aid amounts during the first year the formula was implemented. However, since then, the state has never had enough money to provide districts all the aid prescribed.
Rapidly growing districts like Delran and Chesterfield have been especially at a disadvantage, as their aid has not kept pace with enrollment increases, causing them to raise property taxes to cover growing expenses or forgo or cut programs. At the same time, some districts with significant enrollment losses have continued to receive large sums of extra money, called "adjustment aid" or "hold harmless aid," which was created to ensure that no districts lost aid because of the formula..
In total, the state has shortchanged growing districts by about $1 billion a year, while awarding close to $700 million to shrinking districts to prevent their aid from decreasing.
"Hold harmless aid probably harms most people in this district," Singleton said, adding that some districts that receive it have become dependent on it. "When it gets baked into your budget, you think it's yours (forever)."
The issue came to a head during last summer's state budget battle when Senate President Stephen Sweeney, D-3rd of West Deptford, pushed for the discrepancies to be addressed by both appropriating more money for school aid and by beginning to redistribute adjustment aid from overfunded districts. Former Assembly Speaker Vincent Prieto, D-32nd of Secaucus, initially resisted, arguing that no district should lose funding. But he eventually relented so that school aid was increased by $100 million while about $31 million more was redistributed from overfunded districts.
The changes marked the first time the state had reduced adjustment aid since the formula was created, but the increases marked only a fraction of the aid that underfunded districts claim they should receive.
Several residents asked the lawmakers why the state doesn't redistribute all the remaining adjustment aid. Others suggested the state scrap the formula and start anew.
"This formula has been around 10 years. It was implemented the first year correctly, and the last nine years it hasn't floated," said Glenn Kitley, of Delran. "I think a reasonable person has to say there's something wrong here. If it's only worked one out of 10 times, then reasonable people have to say it hasn't worked and let's do something differently."
The 7th District lawmakers said they understand the frustration, but they don't believe the formula itself is flawed or needs to be replaced.
"I don't want 40 years again trying to pass a formula that passes constitutional muster. We have one," Conaway said.
Carol Murphy, who previously worked as the communications chief for the state agency responsible for school construction in New Jersey, said one big difference this year is the new governor, who has committed to keeping and funding the formula as intended.
"I do know the governor will be totally supportive of running the formula," Murphy said. "Whatever resources we can come up with will be given to fully funding it."
How much additional aid will be proposed and where it will come from are the big unknowns, the lawmakers said.
During his successful campaign, Murphy said he would press legislators to increase the state income tax on earnings over $1 million, as well as close tax loopholes used by large corporations or hedge funds to avoid paying New Jersey taxes. He said the extra revenue could be used to increase funding for public schools and increase the state's payments into the public employee pension systems.
Sweeney had also endorsed the so-called "millionaires' tax" as a way to boost school funding, but he has since reconsidered in the wake of the federal tax law and its new limit on the state and local tax deduction. Earlier this month, he described raising the income tax as the "absolutely last resort."
Sweeney has assigned Singleton and Sen. Dawn Marie Addiego, R-8th of Evesham, to a special task force of lawmakers and financial experts charged with reviewing the state's tax structure and how government services are provided. Among the topics the group expects to examine are the pros and cons of possibly transitioning to county school districts or merging smaller districts into new regional ones.
Singleton said other new revenue sources like legalizing and taxing marijuana or expanding and modernizing the sales tax have also been discussed, but it's still unclear what Murphy will propose. He said Sweeney and new Assembly Speaker Craig Coughlin, D-19th of Fords, appear committed to continuing to redistribute adjustment aid from overfunded districts, but how much will likely need to be negotiated.
"The goal is for that (redistribution) to continue to occur," he said before urging residents to keep lobbying lawmakers and press for fair funding. "We did something different (this year), and our goal is to build on it. ... I truly believe the only reason change occurred is because of these types of conversations."
Delran BOE rebids STEM lab project
Source: https://www.burlingtoncountytimes.com/news/20181122/delran-boe-rebids-stem-lab-projectBy Lisa Ryan
Posted: Nov 22, 2018
DELRAN — The township Board of Education has gone back to the drawing board after rejecting bids for a new STEM lab.
With the district anticipating spending about $500,000, the board rejected bids last week that ranged from $849,000 to $1,192,000 to cover renovations for the proposed science, technology, engineering and mathematics wing, according to Superintendent Brian Brotschul. Though the entire project is expected to cost $1.5 million, the rest of the money will be covered through donations, district officials have said.
"This is not unusual in the world of school facilities construction," Brotschul said.
The board anticipates rebidding the project Monday and awarding contracts at its Dec. 17 meeting, Brotschul said. The new bids will only cover automotive shop renovations instead of construction of the auto and wood shops during the 2018-19 school year, he added.
Prior to the bids coming in over budget, the district planned for a fall 2019 soft open of its digital fabrication laboratory, which would transform the former auto shop into an open-concept creative space featuring higher ceilings and natural light with a connection to the wood shop next door. The refurbished rooms would be outfitted with laser cutters, 3-D printers, woodworking equipment and other STEM tools for hands-on learning that models in-class concepts and teaches students important technological skills, officials have said.
Those concepts still will be included, but on a different timeline as renovations to the wood shop will be pushed to next school year, Brotschul said. By that point the auto side of the shop should be complete, he added.
"It's really allowing us to reclaim an instructional space back for instruction," said Mary Jo Hutchinson, district STEM co-coordinator.
Hutchinson and co-coordinator Erica DeMichele said that the updated STEM curriculum will prepare students for future careers, which will be in need as older workers begin to retire.
Officials said the "Fab Lab" will give teachers and students a space to build instructive models, and work on graphic design and computer-aided design projects.
The high school plans to soon partner with Rowan College at Burlington County so students in the lab can attain dual credit at the high school and college. Eventually the lab will be open to elementary and middle schoolers for field trip-style enrichment, officials said.
"A Fab Lab can take the kind of stuff we already offer and take it to another level," Hutchinson said.
Delran to solicit bids for middle, high school security upgrades
Source: https://web.archive.org/web/20181127060544/https://www.burlingtoncountytimes.com/news/20181126/delran-to-solicit-bids-for-middle-high-school-security-upgradesBy Lisa Ryan lryannews
Posted: Nov 26, 2018The Delran Township School District plans to go out to bid for the first of its security projects funded through the county’s new school security initiative, as well as capital improvements.
DELRAN — The Delran Township School District plans to go out to bid by mid-January on two security projects, one of which will be funded through the county’s new school security initiative.
The district will use funds from a roughly $902,000 county grant to create a $340,282 security vestibule with the rest of the money going towards updating outdoor lighting and other security improvements at Delran High School, district officials said.
Superintendent Brian Brotschul said the district applied for funding to complete projects suggested by county-approved architects.
The district also plans to take about $250,000 from its $1.3 million in capital reserves to build a vestibule at its middle school, according to its website.
The goal is to have a vestibule at all four district schools, Brotschul said.
“It's been a topic of discussion and priority for the (Board of Education) for a long time now,” he said.
At the township’s elementary schools, vestibules have provided better vetting and management of visitors, officials said.
After awarding the bids, the district hopes to begin construction on both vestibules in June and have each finished in August before students come back to school, Brotschul said.
The district was awarded its grant from a $20 million pool of funding created this summer by the county's Board of Freeholders to fund security improvements at all 21 public high schools in the county. Grants are being awarded on a rolling, first-come, first-serve basis in order to fund upgrades as quickly as possible.
Pemberton Township High School was the first to receive its award of $1.2 million in early October. The other seven approvals include:
Burlington Township — $768,000 Cinnaminson — $380,000 Florence Township — $707,000 Maple Shade — $1,272,000 Rancocas Valley Regional — $1,001,000 Riverside — $977,000 Willingboro — $1,450,000
Burlington County districts working to feed all students while schools are out due to coronavirus
Source: https://www.burlingtoncountytimes.com/news/20200319/burlington-county-districts-working-to-feed-all-students-while-schools-are-out-due-to-coronavirusBy Gianluca D’Elia
Posted: Mar 19, 2020For some students, free and reduced lunch are the only consistent meal they might have during the week. Pemberton, Mount Holly and other districts are offering free meals to all their students.
Editor’s note: This content is being provided for free as a public service to our readers during the coronavirus outbreak. Please support local journalism by subscribing to the Burlington County Times at burlingtoncountytimes.com/subscribenow.
MOUNT HOLLY — Though students won’t be in their classrooms for a while, there was still a heavy flow of traffic at Brainerd Elementary School on Wednesday morning.
Outside the school, families were waiting in line for free breakfast and lunch, which the Mount Holly School District has made available to any student under 18 living in the township.
In keeping with proper social distancing practices, parents and kids stood spread out on the sidewalk, and families were let in one at a time to pick up food from school employees in the main entrance.
Inside the lobby, administrators and cafeteria employees waited with juice, milk, sandwiches, fruit and snacks for students to take home.
Such was the scene at several other schools in Burlington County that are offering free breakfast and lunch to all their students while the coronavirus outbreak keeps them at home through at least April 17. Many districts are finding ways to provide meals to all students, no matter their eligibility for the federal meals program.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture, which oversees the National School Lunch Program, is offering flexibility and waiving restrictions to allow school districts to customize how best to feed their children, according to USDA Secretary Sonny Perdue.
This includes tapping into “tried and true local methods” like the Summer Food Service Program, he said. That program allows district to provide meals in approved areas where 50 percent or more students qualify for free or reduced lunches, without having to get federal approval.
Mount Holly and Pemberton have both taken similar measures to ensure all their students have food with help from their food services programs, such as Nutri-Serve and Sodexo, and the New Jersey Department of Agriculture’s Summer Food Service Program. Pemberton has about 5,000 students in its schools, and Mount Holly has just over 1,000.
The first day food was offered, about 120 Mount Holly students picked up food from either the Holbein, Brainerd or Folwell schools, according to the district. By Tuesday, 211 students were served.
“Based on our socioeconomic status and the number of students getting free and reduced meals, we’re able to serve all of our students free meals, whether you’re affluent or not affluent,” Mount Holly Superintendent Jim DiDonato said.
“It’s a critical piece,” he said. “We want to make sure our families know about it. They can come to any of the three schools, whatever is closer to you, whether a child or their family has to walk. We’re here for our community.”
Pemberton Superintendent Tony Trongone said the district “pretty much mobilized what we do over the summer” with summer meal programming, just at a different time of the year.
Free school meals will be available to ALL students during our school closure! Bagged, take-home breakfast and lunch will be dispersed M-F from 9am - 1pm at Busansky, Denbo, Stackhouse and PECEC. Check web for more info: https://t.co/KDwZXdTpID pic.twitter.com/wjKL8QGkLC
— Pemberton Schools (@PembertonSchool) March 15, 2020
Regardless of lunch status, all Pemberton students can receive free breakfast and lunch, according to Trongone, who said the district’s status of being above the free and reduced lunch threshold allows it to provide that service.
“I’m proud of our folks and their response to this situation,” he said, thanking the food services employees for their effort. “I think it shows you the goodness in the souls of people who work in the district.”
“It’s Pemberton helping Pemberton.”
Lumberton also made the decision to make free lunches and breakfasts available to all its students for remote learning days, and Florence set up a “Grab and Go” program that allows any family to request food by filling out a Google form every day.
Delran Township Public Schools and Board of Education brings on one of two refrigerated trailers to make sure our kids receive proper nutrition during the #COVID-19 closure @NewJerseyDOE @Troy4NJ7 @Momof4Rafs pic.twitter.com/UUqWNXikYt
— Brian Brotschul (@Delran_Super) March 17, 2020
Delran announced earlier in the week that it would provide five-day supply packages in a “grab and go“ bag to help any of its 3,000 students, regardless of free or reduced lunch eligibility.
“We’re here to serve the community and our children,” Delran Superintendent Brian Brotschul said. “We take our responsibility as a social hub for the entire township very seriously. There’s a moral imperative to serve everybody that requires services.”
“And if we can’t help somebody out or get them an answer,” he added, “we want to put them in touch with the folks who can support them during what really is the most challenging time the district and the state are experiencing.“
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