School board to act on principal reassignment
MEMS administrator
acknowledges he will
be among transfers
Reports of a plan to reassign school principals and staff members brought residents and employees to a Dec. 5 meeting of the Manalapan-Eng-lishtown Regional School District Board of Education.
"I think it’s important for the board members, when they go into closed session (tonight), to think of some of these things," said Vincent Farinella of Manalapan. "What you are proposing is to move five principals to new disciplines. One principal of the five may have served at one time in the capacity which is similar to the transfer that is being made."
Farinella, who teaches at the Manalapan Englishtown Middle School (MEMS), said the district’s new facility, the Wemrock Brook School, Millhurst Road, Manalapan, will be opening in September, and the board is dealing with construction of that school at the present time. He also pointed out that a new bus facility will be put into operation at some point next year. The bus depot is being built next to the Wemrock Brook School.
"I think there’s a lot of things that you’re trying to do all at once," Farinella told board members. "The rumor out there is that you’re going to be hiring a lot of new staff members to open the new school."
Farinella said a notice went out to the staffs at each school requesting transfers.
"There will be people transferring voluntarily," he said, "but we know that when we opened MEMS, there were some involuntary transfers. There’s not much we can do about it, but it does happen."
Farinella told board members one rumor making the rounds is that some of the people to be transferred are of retirement age.
"I don’t believe Mr. (Joseph) Scozzari, (superintendent of schools) is that kind of person who would transfer people hoping they would retire," Farinella told the board. "But that is a scenario that is out there and you need to know that."
He also noted that another item on the board’s plate is Scozzari’s retirement on Jan. 1, 2002 and the search for a new superintendent.
"I think you’re trying to accomplish a whole lot of things too fast and I don’t particularly believe it will leave the district faring too well come September," he said.
Farinella asked the board members to consider whether there are too many things being done too fast.
Responding to Farinella, Michele Stipelman, board president, said the panel members would discuss the matter during a public hearing.
MEMS Principal Thomas Sherman then addressed the board. While not revealing details of a plan the board is apparently considering, he said that plan "will leave MEMS empty" and nearly 1,400 middle school students with a new principal. Sherman said he has worked with seventh- and eighth-graders in the district for 27 years.
He said in 1993 he was told by the superintendent that he would be moved to MEMS.
"One of the superintendents said to me, ‘We built this brand new school, but the children cannot eat in it safely (in the cafeteria). Do something about the behavior in the school. It’s a brand new school and the kids are running wild,’ " Sherman said. "I came in and became principal in May or June. Now the children are well-behaved and our state test scores are equal to or better than our neighboring communities.
"Students are happy. They are learning and it’s safe," said the principal. "MEMS is a wonderful place to be, but I am worried about the 1,400 children next year by taking me away from the middle school and bringing in a stranger to administer the building."
Jim Wilfong, a 13-year faculty member at MEMS, told the board, "Tom Sherman is an expert on the community-based system and the middle schools kids. Our school lacked direction until he came aboard. We now have a caring, nurturing, excellent program because of Tom Sherman."
Donna Probasco, a parent with children in the Taylor Mills and Lafayette Mills schools, said, "I want to voice my opposition to the proposed shuffling of the principals. The students as well as the parents need to have continuity. By allowing the principals to stay for a long period of time at one location, you enable them to have long-range plans, many of which benefit the students as well as the school.
"I think you have to step back and see what each principal deals with on a daily basis. Is it really in the best interests of the children when you move a principal who deals with things like drugs, alcohol and date rape to a school where they are going to deal with kids crying about bubble gum or they left mommy or daddy for the first time for a full day?" Probasco said.
She added, "I don’t think there’s anything wrong with leaving a principal for a specific age range when they do an excellent job. As parents, we prefer it and we expect it. I think you should reconsider your proposal."
Donald Colbert, assistant principal at Pine Brook School, said the second largest school isn’t represented in discussions about the proposed moves.
"When the board takes this into consideration, these changes not only effect principals, they effect every child in our district. I hope that you look out for their best interests," he said.
Responding to the comments from audience members, Scozzari said he made the recommendations regarding the transfer of principals after meeting with the board and the principals. Some of the public’s questions will be answered at a meeting scheduled for Dec. 19, he said.
"I think right now, until we finalize it in terms of the final recommendations, I would defer until that particular time," the superintendent said.
A closed meeting of the school board and the principals was held later that evening. On Dec. 7, Scozzari said the board members met with the principals and "we will stay with my recommendations."
The recommendations will be on the Dec. 19 agenda for the board’s consideration.
According to Scozzari, the principals have been told what their new assignments will be and they are being given time to work out details with their staffs.
In another matter relating to the district, Ken Weber, president of the Manalapan-Englishtown Education Association, told the News Transcript that members of the teachers association have voted to ratify a new contract and are waiting for the board ratify the agreement.
Addressing that issue, Scozzari said the board is waiting for a slight change in the language before ratifying the agreement. Details of the contract are expected to be available following the board’s vote.