BY SHERRY CONOHAN
Staff Writer
A field representative for the New Jersey Educa-tion Association has demanded that the Monmouth Beach Board of Education provide reasons why two teachers were not rehired.
Ronald Villano said at the May 13 board meeting that the teachers needed a statement of that information before a hearing can be held on their status.
Despite the pleas of several parents who wanted him to return, the Board of Education declined at a previous meeting to rehire and grant tenure to Robert Jorgensen, a social studies teacher for the sixth, seventh and eighth grades.
Jorgensen, who is completing his third year at Monmouth Beach School, was one of two nontenured staff members who were not rehired for the upcoming school year.
The other teacher, who has been at the school for one year, is Emma Dawn Ciccone, who teaches sixth-, seventh- and eighth-grade language arts.
The school district has been working toward strengthening the criteria for granting tenure.
Christopher Parton, the lawyer for the Board of Education, assured Villano he would get the information he was seeking. He told Villano he had filed his request with the school in a timely manner, which triggered a 30-day window for the district to respond. He said the information would be provided within 30 days.
"Be assured they will get their day," Parton said. "They will receive a timely response to a timely request."
The board, at the previous meeting, rehired 17 tenured teachers in full-time positions and one tenured teacher who works part time for the equivalent of two days a week. The board also granted tenure to two teachers and rehired eight nontenured teachers.
The action was taken at the board’s regular meeting April 27, which immediately followed its annual reorganization meeting.
Susan Howard was re-elected president of the Board of Education and Steve Adams was re-elected vice president. One board incumbent, Mary Kay Wedel, was re-elected to the board in the April 20 school elections and two newcomers are now taking a seat at the table — Paul Sgro and Albert Starzinski.
Howard was elected to the Shore Regional High School Board of Education in the April 20 election and has decided to also continue serving on the local board.