Now that you've read about my background and my view on issues facing the next Board, it's time to pull the most important layer of skin off of the onion and ask the ultimate question:  Why vote for Evan Lerner?  The reason is both simple and complex.  The short answer is that I'm without a doubt the most qualified candidate running.  By qualified I refer to experience as a Board member, relevant professoinal experience, and educational (more on this below).  My previous experience as a Board member is both extensive and full of achievement.  Although there is no "I" in Board, it is undeniable that the District has made great advances during my time on the Board.  I am most proud to say that it is equally evident that the "mark" I have made on the District as an individual Board member is no less apparent.  Below I provide many examples of District progress during my tenure.  In addition, I note achievements for which my input or contribution was particularly relevant to the outcome.

 

The advances made by the District during my nine+ years on the Board are significant and numerous.  They include great curricular improvements, superior facilities planning, and very strong human resources management.

Perhaps the most obvious improvements are the tremendous advancements the Board with me on it has made in engaging our public and improving transparency. 

In this section I will highlight some of these improvements.  Also, I call special attention to instances in which my service on the Board was a major factor in effectuating the improvement or initiative. 

 

I was the first Board President in at least ten years to invite groups of students in for special recognition by the Board.  It started with state championship sports teams.  Recognizing students at Board meetings has happened regularly since and is now planned to be a regular feature at Board meetings throughout the year.

The District adopted and implemented a formal language arts curriculum for Grades K-4, Good Habits, Great Readers.  Almost all future learning requires a solid language arts foundation, and recognizing that fact the District adopted this program which emphasizes spelling, grammar, phonetics, and reading comprehension skills.  This major improvement benefits every elementary school student in the district.

 

As Board President I successfully convened and utilized a District Task Force to study the overcrowding that was occurring at the Adamsville School and to make recommendations to the Board.  The Task Force was made up of teachers, parents, Administrators, Board members, and other staff members.  Over the period of a few short months, it analyzed the problem, researched various solutions, and made a wonderful presentation to the Board outlining various alternative plans of action.  One of the options was adopted by the Board and the redistricting that resulted has been a rousing success with limited disruption to students.  It takes a strong President to delegate such an important function and an effective Board to rely so assuredly on the results.  Procedures like this can definitely be effective when facing a number of issues that we’ll face down the road, including Full Day Kindergarten.

The District has made great strides in connecting with the community.   As Chairmen of our Community Relations Committee, I worked with former superintendent Mike Schilder to establish a wonderful relationship with Henkel Corporation, one of the leading manufacturers of adhesives in the world.  As a result, Henkel professionals will be lecturing at our schools and they’ve made numerous internship opportunities available to our students. 

Public opinion is sought out and used regularly in other areas.  The current Board policy on surveys, adopted during my tenure, requires the Board to survey the community no less frequently than every two years.  The surveys are directed to both parents and staff and together give the Administration a new perspective on what's working and what's not.

 

To improve transparency, as Board President I’ve held discussions at public Board meetings that had previously occurred only behind closed doors.  The best example of this was the selection by the Board of Daniel Petrozelli to replace a Board member who has resigned.  Previously the Board would interview applicants in public and retire to closed session to discuss and debate the qualifications of each behind closed doors.  Unable to justify that approach in light of the Open Public Meetings Act, I sought to keep the entire process public.  Board counsel agreed with my analysis and the process was completed in full view of the public.  I have regularly counseled the Board to conduct as much of its business in public as can be done legally.

The District adopted and implemented a balanced math program for our elementary school children, HSP Math.  This particular curriculum was chosen after an extended evaluation was conducted by the District with teachers, supervisors, and parents having extensive input into the process.

Steve Beatty, BREA President, Dr. Schilder, and I formed a rock band, "Midlife Crises".  Together with Assistant Principal Godown and other teachers.  The formation of a “Staff Band” and our participation at several “Battle of the Bands” programs has helped foster improved relations among students, teachers, Administrators and the Board.

 

 

A very ambitious project undertaken by the Board during my tenure was our Strategic Planning initiative.  This was a highly successful project that lasted several months.  Well over 100 community members participated and provided feedback in the areas of curriculum, personnel, facilities, and community relations.  At the end of the process, action plans were prepared and presented to the Board and the Administration.  Implementing these plans has been a priority for the Board.  If elected, I will urge the Administration to undertake this process as soon as possible, hopefully conclude before the middle of May in 2015.  It is time to once again seek broad input from the public.

 

My participation as Board President, a regular member of our Personnel Committee, and as a member of the Board’s negotiations committee has paid significant dividends.  Former Board President Dr. Patricia Camp and I spearheaded the recruitment process that led to the hiring of Dr. Schilder as the Board’s Superintendent in 2006.  Dr. Schilder’s appointment put an end to the revolving door that previously swung regularly at the Wade Administration Building.  As someone who’s been an executive search professional for years, I suggested to the Board that look for an “up and comer” for this role rather than a lateral.  Dr. Schilder’s energy and vision led directly to many of the improvements I speak about here.  My input was equally important in hiring our current superintendent.  The Board again has wisely chosen a candidate with vision who can be with us a long time.   Fortunately, my counsel was also followed by the Board when it decided to extend the search and wait for a great candidate following the conclusion of the first search. 

 

More and more students have access to advanced curricula..  The E Program was expanded at the intermediate schools to include social studies and science in addition to math and language arts.  As a result more students can take partake in the program in more subjects areas.  In addition, at the high school, more the District has made honors and AP courses more accessible to more students.  Prevoiusly admission to these courses rested in hard entrance criteria that did not permit students and parents to opt for more advanced coursework.  The results are that more kids participate and excel.

 

Dr. Schilder and I designed the procedure pursuant to which the Board fulfils its statutory obligation to review allegations or Harassment, Intimidation, and Bullying (HIB).  The procedure we designed is now is now a Best Practice used in many districts in the State.

 

Committees have been established to get public input on various matters as issues present themselves.  One great example of this is the "Pay to Play" Committee and personnel committees.  The Pay to Play Committee was formed last year to come up with an equitable plan to share the financial burden of some student activities with the parents of participating children.  This was required as our budget no longer permitted the District to shoulder the burden alone.  The committee formed was composed of teachers, Board members and community members and the result was a plan that has since been implemented with great success.

 

I have served as liaison with Bridgewater Township almost every year since joining the Board.  I have established open lines of communication with our Town Council and Mayor’s office and strong relationships based on open, honest, and direct communication.  At times I’ve held views that differed greatly from those of others but in each case was able to communicate effectively because of the mutual respect of the parties.  Our relationship with the Township is strong and with a common goal of shared resources has led to great benefits for the District.

 

Advances made to assist our special education population have been plentiful during my tenure.  We adopted multi-sensory reading instructional resources for K-4 Special Education students and opened resource rooms for those in our schools who needed these additional resources.  The District's current budget, recognizing the growth of our special education population, includes significantly more money to help these students reach their potential.

 

Before I joined the Board, few programs or resources were directed specifically to the most in need.  New programs have since been designed and implemented to address the special needs of our economically disadvantaged and ESL students.  Our improved ESL program in particular has been tremendously effective and has been studied and implemented by a number of other districts in the State.

 

During my tenure the District established the District Committee on Curriculum and Instruction (DCCI).  The DCCI meets monthly with the Assistant Superintendent and others to hear about curricular initiatives as they're being planned and to provide input on them.   Input from stakeholders on these matters is very important and helpful in shaping the programs the Administration is preparing and implementing. Public input of this type is a far cry from the way things were just six years ago when we had a superintendent who liked to utter "I don't need a board of education or parent input to make decisions; I know better!"

Budget information is shared often and in detail with the public from very early on.  As a result, the public knows well in advance what makes up the budget, and which items were discussed while it was being crafted.  As a result, our voters are supplied with a wealth of information that was not previously made available to them.

 

The District approved and purchased writing and grammar textual materials for all children in grades 5 through 9.  These materials help further the emphasis now placed on reading and writing skills that is a hallmark of my tenure on the board.  This major improvement benefits every student in grades 5 through 9 in the District.

 

During my tenure, the District developed and commenced a regular curricula review process.  As a result, every area of curriculum in the District now undergoes a thorough review not less frequently than once every five years.  Each review covers a number of areas, including comparing our programs with those used by many of the most competitive districts in the state.

 

The Administration now maintains master lists of texts with copyright dates in use in the District.  Oddly, such records were never kept before I joined the Board.  In addition, the District has added textbooks in many areas where none existed before to provide for the optimal delivery of curriculum where none existed before.  Textbooks now in place includes science textbooks in the elementary schools and social studies texts in the middle school.  Previously, students in grades five through nine did not have the benefit of textbooks and supporting materials in many areas.