SOUTH RIVER – The Board of Education last week promoted the wife of a school official, despite a heated debated on the issue.
The board voted 5-2 to appoint Cathy Miller, the wife of board member Andreas Miller, as vice principal of the South River Middle School. Andreas Miller abstained from the vote, and another board member was absent from the meeting. The Millers also have a daughter who teaches in the district, and Cathy Miller is a first cousin of Superintendent of Schools Ronald C. Grygo, according to those who opposed the promotion.
Board member Peggy Marino voted against Miller’s promotion, telling Greater Media Newspapers that the board interviewed four other, similarly qualified candidates. She said the board met with the candidates, all from within the school system, on June 24. She said the decision to go with Cathy Miller was made that evening and was put on the agenda for the regular public meeting of June 26. She said those who attended the board’s pre-meeting conference earlier last week did not know about the promotion.
“I feel Mrs. Miller is a gifted educator, and she currently is a supervisor,” Marino said. “I think that she fulfills that job well and she is not necessarily qualified for the assistant principal position. I think there were other strong candidates, and the fact that she is related to one of the board members gives the appearance of nepotism in our district.”
Grygo said Miller was promoted after consideration was given to her 20 years of experience as a teacher, and the enhancements she provided in professional development and through various activities in the district. He said any claims that favoritism played a role in the promotion are incorrect.
“I think it’s absolutely a mistaken interpretation,” Grygo said. “If anyone took a look at the resume of Ms. Miller, they would see that she is involved in a wide range of professional activity here in the district.”
Grygo also responded to concerns about the timing of the promotion, saying there was nothing unusual about it. He added that the board was trying for weeks to find a date to conduct the interviews, and the best date for those was June 24.
Board member Karl Haider was absent from the meeting last week, but he told Greater Media Newspapers that a law the state Legislature is expected to enact would forbid school officials from hiring or promoting people who are related to faculty as spouses, natural or adopted children, siblings, nieces, nephews, aunts and uncles. Situations such as this one would be unaffected, however, since district employees with relatives on the board would be “grandfathered in,” he said.
If a board were to promote the relative of a board member, with this law enacted, they would have to justify the action and request a waiver from the county superintendent of schools, Haider said.
Board member Donna Rafano spoke before officials voted on Cathy Miller’s promotion at the June 26 meeting, saying that as the chairwoman of the Human Resources Committee, she thinks the promotion would send the wrong message to a public that has lost faith in its elected representatives. She added that, while she means no disrespect to Cathy Miller, appointing the wife of a board member to this position is “outrageous and embarrassing.”
Board member Rick Rosenberg Jr. said, however, that he was thoroughly impressed by Miller’s performance, citing her efforts to create a family literacy program. He added that Miller was his teacher at one time, and she consistently exceeded expectations.
Board member William England seconded Rosenberg’s comments about Cathy Miller.
“The message that you send is that you support the best person, and that is what we did,” England said.
Marino said that while Cathy Miller is an exceptional teacher and supervisor for the district, she agreed with Rafano’s assessment of Miller’s promotion. She said she felt that another candidate was stronger for the position.
“I personally supported another candidate after the reviews,” Marino said.
Miller thanked the board for its support after it voted in favor of her promotion. She said she would commit herself to her new task, and gain the confidence of all board members.
“I do look forward to the challenge of going above and beyond,” Miller said.
Board opposes teacher’s transfer
Diane Grysko, a South River High School teacher who has expressed an interest in remaining at the school, will stay there for now, thanks to a divided board.
During last week’s meeting, Diane’s husband, Gary, requested that the board not transfer her from the high school to the middle school, as was proposed. He said his wife wanted to continue teaching at the high school, and that she was upset over the possibility of being transferred.
While a majority of the board voted to transfer another mathematics teacher from the middle school to the high school, the motion to transfer Grysko to the middle school failed in a 4-4 vote. Marino, Rafano, Miller and Board President Regis Wyluda voted against the motion.
Grygo said later that the board’s decision would require that he and the administrative team assess their options. He said it is too soon to say what will be done in light of the failure of the motion.
Gary Grysko said he was told that the middle school mathematics teacher who was transferred to the high school has several years of engineering experience and was not being used to potential in the lower grade levels. However, his wife works hard at the high school and deserves to stay there, he said.
“She’s a high school teacher, not a middle school teacher,” Grysko said.
Grygo said the administration made the recommendation with students’ best interests in mind. He added that he had to make a similar change in his own teaching career and, while it required a period of transition for him, it was ultimately a positive experience.
These decisions are evaluated on a yearly basis, Grygo said. He noted that professional development would be provided to Diane Grysko, and fellow staff members are often sympathetic to teachers who make changes like this.
“Staff are very supportive of people who make changes,” Grygo said. “I’ll do everything in my power to make her feel comfortable. If I didn’t think she would make a positive contribution, I wouldn’t have made the recommendation.”
“I think Mrs. Grysko is a very fine professional. This is organizational and not personal,” he said.