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Candidate wants balance on BOE
To the editor:
Reaching consensus is not easy. It is a fine balance of respect and trust. A group must believe that the need to reach compromise is more important than individual opinion, which can be accomplished with respect and trust. That is why I am running for the Lawrence Township Board of Education.
My six years of experience (1995-2001) as president, vice-president, and member of the Lawrence Township Board of Education is not all that I bring to the table. I also served as president of the LHS PTO as well as a PTO officer at LES, LIS, and LMS. I was a trustee of the Education Foundation and currently serve on the board of Dollars for Scholars. I do not take the commitment for community service lightly.
Currently, I serve as the public information officer for a neighboring district. I am responsible for communications and board materials, and serve as liaison for the superintendent, board, and central office administration.
To achieve this balance of respect and trust, it is important to review the issues confronting Lawrence Township Public Schools:
* Communication. There needs to be a stronger bond of communication between all nine members of the board. A lack of communication signals a breakdown in conversation and a breakdown of respect and trust.
* Administration. To make a school district successful, you need a proactive plan to meet the needs of all students. The next board will hire the assistant superintendent for curriculum and instruction and will review the superintendent’s performance.
* Administrative Structure. A public school district must support a strong and well-designed administrative and supervisory structure for content areas as well as a director of guidance.
* Budget. I have no concerns about spending property taxes on education, but I do believe that the money that we spend must strengthen the system. While I have no disagreements with using tax dollars for public schools, I have concerns about how we are spending the money in the proposed budget.
* Professional Development. Professional development activities are a must for any school district. Under the direction of a strong leader, a district can organize programs, reach out for grants, and enhance teachers’ skills.
* Special Education. I know that it is important to offer students a strong K-12 program in their home district, if possible. This is not easily accomplished. It takes a great deal of funding and planning, which can be accomplished with strong leadership and planning for a continuum of programs in our schools.
It takes nine members of the Board of Education to make a difference. And, I know to be a strong advocate for our schools I cannot do it alone. It is a joint effort of the nine members of the BOE. I hope to be one of the members.
Gerri Hutner
Woodlane Road
Candidates defend accuracy of report
To the editor:
Edward Freeland was wrong when he criticized Anthony Cusimano and questioned our report on district academic performance (The Ledger, March 24). In fact, our report was completely accurate.
Edward Freeland was misinformed when he said we compared Lawrence to wealthier school districts that spend more on education. We compared Lawrence to the proper school districts (Demographic Factor Group GH), as defined by the most recent state Department of Education information. In fact, among comparable school districts, Lawrence ranked in the top third in per pupil spending in 2003-04, while our academic performance was in the bottom half on most measures.
Edward Freeland was wrong when he attributed our disappointing academic performance to language diversity, although you may very well hear this excuse echoed in the next few weeks. While Lawrence certainly has a great deal of language diversity, this characteristic is shared by much of New Jersey. Indeed, when compared to schools in comparable school districts with the same or a greater percentage of students for whom English is not their first language, Lawrence Township schools usually ranked in the bottom half on state tests, and in some cases very near the bottom.
Our objective in issuing this report, which is available to all at www.teamforchange.org, was to alert our colleagues on the school board and the community to the problems with academic performance in Lawrence. We believe that acknowledging the scope of the district’s challenges is the first step towards solving them; it serves no purpose to suppress or deliberately misrepresent disappointing results. With the support of the community and our terrific faculty, and an honest accounting of our difficulties, this district can move forward and once again provide an excellent education for all our children.
Leon Kaplan
Van Kirk Road
Bill Michaelson
Huron Way
Laura Waters
Ivy Glen Lane
Televise school board meetings
To the editor:
At the Lawrence Township school board’s March 9 meeting, a motion to televise the meetings finally came to a vote after languishing in committee since last summer. While the three members elected last year supported the measure, "no" votes were cast by President Philip Benson and Board members Carole Drury, Michael Winka, Michael Brindle. Bret Smith and Mike Wilson.
Why is this significant? For many months now our community has been pleading with our elected officials to share information openly so that citizens can be part of the process of educating our children. Given such and opportunity, the board majority refused. When asked for a reason, all they could come up with was that they didn’t want to spend the money, though the cost is estimated to be negligible.
Last August, late one night at the end of a school board meeting, board President Benson slipped in an unannounced, unnecessary raise for Superintendent Max Riley. This community would have been better served by using that $6,000 to televise school board meetings.
Mattie Wert
Adele Court
Schools can’t function without leaders
To the editor:
In the midst of school board election season, it is easy to lose sight of the "big picture," so here’s a thumbnail sketch. Right now Lawrence schools are functioning without an assistant superintendent or full-time high school principal. An elementary school principal resigned last month. The middle school principal resigned last week. Last summer, the Board of Education majority laid off the high school’s guidance director and three of the curriculum supervisors. Another curriculum supervisor will resign this year. A special education supervisor position has been vacant for almost two years.
It is impossible for any organization, let alone a school system, to function effectively when the leadership has been systematically drained. The responsibility for this chaos in our schools, due to bungled searches, poor planning, and a lack of strategic vision, rests squarely on the shoulders of Superintendent Max Riley, Board President Philip Benson, and the board majority.
Virginia Biondi
Barclay Court
Vote ‘yes’ on school budget
To the editor:
As a fiscally responsible guy, I was wondering what is being done to try to save my tax dollars in the school budget. I started to research and was determined to uncover gross overspending and fluff. However, I found just the opposite.
I found extensive cost-saving measures. Goods and services including supplies, electricity and transportation are purchased through consortiums to get the lowest prices. We have a bare-bones administration so dollars can be spent in our classrooms and not on management.
The administration has started an in-district preschool program so certain children with special needs, normally sent out of district (which costs huge dollars), are educated in district for a fraction of the price and a portion of this initiative is being funded through outside sources.
I discovered there are not a lot of places to make significant cuts. Salaries and benefits comprise a majority of our budget. Cutting teachers would increase our class sizes and eliminate important programs. We do not have any administrators left to cut. We also do not have any programs that could be cut without a significant loss of services to our students.
The proposed budget preserves the solid education our students receive, provides for a few minor adjustments, and repairs some facilities (which if not repaired now will cost us a fortune to fix in the future).
Join me in voting YES for the budget on April 19.
John Wengler
Laurel Wood Drive
Endo, Bigley deserve support
To the editor:
As the parent of a child with Tourette syndrome who is a student in the Lawrence Township School District, the upcoming April 19 election is a key one.
As a mother who’s had to work hard to have her voice heard advocating for my child, it is my firm belief that Debbie Endo and Ginny Bigley will work very hard on behalf of every parent who has a child who attends school here.
Mrs. Endo and Mrs. Bigley’s election to this school board would be a win-win for everyone, for I know both of these women, as a mother and a friend, and I can speak personally to each one’s great character.
Regarding Mrs. Endo, when she was employed as the school social worker at Ben Franklin Elementary, she always handled my needs and concerns with the greatest compassionate care and understanding.
As well, my experience has been one where Mrs. Endo has always brought great intelligence and humanity to the issues I’ve had before me. She is one of those rare people who can distill down to their essence the inherent truth of some very complex issues.
What Mrs. Endo brings is a clarity of vision.
In addition, Mrs. Endo has great diplomatic skill, and I am convinced that she will use her training in social work to help bring about a more unified board, one the citizens of Lawrence have right to and would be pleased to see again.
Regarding Mrs. Bigley, in her work helping develop a revised and fair discipline policy alongside Lawrence Middle School administrators, she has proved herself in her ability to work collaboratively, and well.
This district needs a person with Mrs. Bigley’s proactive attitude and spirit of child advocacy to serve on this board. As the mother of four children two who are graduates of Lawrence High; the other two who are students at the Lawrence Middle and the Lawrence Intermediate schools she instinctively understands the educational needs of our children, and will work hard to ensure that those needs are being met.
The bottom line is, Ginny Bigley has a can-do attitude. She is a mom who cares passionately about the educational health and well-being of all of the children in this district, and she has proven in her work with the administrators at the Lawrence Middle School and elsewhere that she doesn’t hesitate to step up to the plate and do all that she can in helping bring this about.
What Mrs. Bigley knows is, the work she does really matters, and she will continue to do all that she can in advocating for the children of Lawrence.
Alicia Grimaldi Brzycki
Dayna Lane
Lawrence provides first-class education
To the editor:
When my husband and I moved to Central Jersey five years ago, we looked for a community and neighborhood filled with kind and caring people, and a school system that would provide our younger children with a first-class education.
We chose Lawrence, and five years later we feel we made the right decision. We love our community, our neighborhood and we are thrilled with our daughter Eva’s first year at Ben Franklin Elementary School. Eva loves her teacher and she’s engaged, excited and learning everything a kindergartner should. It’s been a great year.
In addition, all the work done on BF has made such a difference for students, teachers and staff. We love our school!
I just read that the median home price in Lawrence grew at a faster rate last year than any other township or borough in Mercer County 19 percent. I cannot help but think that this jump reflects, at least in part, the investments we have made in our schools over the past several years and the excellent education Lawrence Township children receive.
That’s good news for everyone in town!
Pamela Frank
Pin Oak Drive
Hear what Drury, McGann have to say
To the editor:
It is that time of year to not only think of spring, but also to listen to the candidates for the forthcoming Lawrence school board election.
In every organization, there is a time when it is appropriate to remove members who no longer contribute to the growth or interest of an organization. Too often previously elected officials overstay their time and their interests become more personal rather than that of the constituency they were elected to serve. I believe it is time to elect at least two of the candidates I have met and listened to and remove those who appear tired and no longer have the passion to serve.
The two candidates I have had the opportunity to meet and talk with are Carol Drury and Kari McGann. Ms. Drury has recently been appointed to serve out the term of a board member who resigned. She has been on the board for less than three months but is already contributing ideas, standing up to our misguided superintendent, challenging board members in many of their outmoded decision-making ways, getting the superintendent to assign inspectors to report on the long-known mold and air quality problems at Eldridge Park School and being open and forthright to parents who seek her advice.
Ms. McGann is fairly new to our community but not new to the teaching profession. She is currently and has been for several years an elementary-grade teacher. She is a tireless innovator of education ideas and possesses a strong commitment to serving our Lawrence community. Ms. McGann understands the business side of education and will carefully balance our rising property tax burden with the need of a quality education program. She will prepare our students for the vigors of adult life.
Take the time to listen to what Carol Drury and Kari McGann are saying. See if you too agree, these are outstanding individuals who desire the opportunity for a full term on our Lawrence Board of Education.
Bob Kusek
Lannigan Drive
Many parents satisfied with special education
To the editor:
I write as a satisfied consumer of special education services in the Lawrence Township public schools.
Now, if you just listened to campaign speeches and press reports you might think that I am a rare bird here in Lawrenceville. But as remarkable as it sounds, many parents in our township (I think probably the majority) are not only satisfied with the treatment their special education kids receive here but are actually grateful for the help provided by Max Riley and his staff.
For our part, thanks to the professionalism and caring of the special education department under Max Riley, Bruce McGraw and Jane Bilik, our children one in district and one out have not only received the services best suited to their needs but the whole family has been treated with compassion. What more could you want? And one of the reasons we are all so grateful is that we remember what it used to be like.
When our kids first began to demonstrate that conventional learning arrangements might not be the most appropriate approach for them some six years ago, the special education system in Lawrence was a disaster. As a parent trying to get help, the emphasis of the staff seemed to be more on avoiding paperwork than educating children. In those bad old days, services could be provided, as long as you didn’t insist on an individualized education plan, compliant documentation or accountability. And if you didn’t like it, you could lump it, and retain a lawyer. What a waste.
We came back to the system after Max Riley arrived ready for a fight and found professionalism and responsiveness. The Riley team has gone above and beyond the call to understand what special education parents want and what the kids need. They listen and then do the right thing. We are all better off for their efforts.
Seth Lapidow
Green Avenue

