Ironically the train wreck today in Paulsboro followed one in Deptford last night! Last night’s Board of Education meeting was certainly eventful AGAIN, to say the least!
Let’s start with the good! The STEM program seems well on it’s way to becoming a reality! This program will be a huge academic asset to the High School. It has the ability to offer an amazing and unique opportunity for future students in our district as soon as next year. The update was very encouraging! The Anti-Bullying coordinator is investigating some research based Character Ed./Anti-bullying programs to be implemented across the district…..excellent news for our children and staff to address the bullying epidemic in a proactive way. Speaking of bullying, John Halligan will be presenting on Monday evening and sharing his son, Ryan’s personal and touching story of suicide as a result of bullying. I had the privilege to hear Mr. Halligan speak and he is so poignant and passionate! If you can make it, I strongly encourage you to go. Finally, there was a huge crowd present and hope that continues in the future. Unfortunately, they were NOT happy but all board members should be happy for that turn out because problems can’t be addressed or solved if they aren’t made aware of them and that is their job after all!
The bad…… many of the community were band members and their parents and directors. I am sure everyone is aware of the amazing band program and the immeasurable success of this year’s group. They surely are spectacular! I saw them perform at half time at the Homecoming game and have heard them from my home since the summer during their nightly practices. Unfortunately they were unable to compete in Hershey as the number 1 seed due to the trip being cancelled because of Sandy. The sad part is the other districts were allowed to go and Deptford’s chance of competing in the championship was gone. For the first time in the 52 year history of the school district, the marching band was in FIRST PLACE going into marching band finals at Hershey Park – SEVEN TENTHS OF A POINT(a huge margin in marching band) behind the Second Place school. It was a contest that EVERYONE on every level wanted to see- two great bands going head to head in what was easily the most anticipated “play-off” of the entire East Coast. A week earlier they had captured the first South Jersey championship in the school’s history and 2nd state championship. This is a very special “family” and last night was truly heartbreaking- especially when a student read a letter and the situation was seen through their eyes. They found out when arriving at the school dressed and ready to go that they were not allowed and the whole group was devastated. Such a sad ending to a fairytale story. 
And now for the UGLY! At this point nothing really surprises me but I still get annoyed by the blatant, unethical moves that are made that provide little to no foresight for the academic progress of this district. First, we continue to appoint more interims. This needs to STOP!!!! It is to the point of beyond ridiculous. We desperately need some new blood, people with a vision for the future that is in this for the long run, not 2 years. We’ve already had over 2 years of interims and still no distinct plan on when and how to hire some permanent administrators. There is no prospective hires or even interviews set up as of this blog post. They mentioned waiting until reorganization in January to START the searchES! So, Ross is moving on to Monroe, Gary Loudenslager is the interim superintendent at $500 a day (moving from interim principal of Pine Acres-since September) and Rebecca Tribbett will move from an interim position at New Sharon School to interim principal at Pine Acres at $375 a day. (psssst…I don’t know Mr. Loudenslager personally so I can’t comment on anything related to him but I am a HUGE MRS. TRIBBETT FAN- you will LOVE her Pine Acres :) Next- former board president Berglund was hired as Supervisor of Buildings and Grounds at $89,000 effective December 3rd 2012. He also gets benefits, vacation, sick time, and some sort of tenure under the Deptford Township Administrators and Supervisors Association Collective Bargaining Agreement. Many in attendance were furious and commented as to how shady it was. Remember, I blogged earlier about this possibility as several people said it was coming. Here is why there is such disdain on the public’s part and frustration on mine.
1- Board members must be separated from the BOE for 6 months before acquiring a position from the district. He attended the May 23, 2012 meeting then his resignation letter was read and accepted at the June 26, 2012 meeting. See GC Times article with comments and facts regarding this.
2- Last night it was surprisingly reported that he actually resigned and his letter was dated May 23rd (weird-why not at the actual meeting the night before 5/22? but I digress) According to Mr. Ross the board members were never privy to this information and were under the impression that he resigned in June. This was verified by Rachel Green’s question in reference to when he resigned and does it qualify as June-November is only 5 months???? Something is fishy——keep reading!
3- Now I understand why the meeting was moved from last Tuesday to this Thursday! Last Tuesday would have only been the 20th and THAT would NOT have been 6 months. And here I thought Thursday was just a better night to go out and celebrate Mr. Ross’s retirement than Tuesday ;-/
4- I asked who signed the diplomas in June as board president? (come to think of it-did we really NOT HAVE a board president from May until July???? And how come the craziness that went with the new president being chosen didn’t happen until July 5th???? I think because the resignation WAS JUNE 26th, like the paper said) How could none on the board NOT know their President resigned? Why would that be a secret? How come it was never corrected as the proper date in board minutes, or quoted in the article?
Sorry-back to the diplomas- Did he sign them? He said NO! In fact his name IS on them and is listed in the programs as Board President. And, before you say well maybe they were already printed- I checked and was told they are ordered a couple of weeks prior to graduation for various, obvious reasons. The calendar/handbook even had new board member Gentile in them in September and he was sworn in the end of July and they are much more detailed than the diplomas.
5-What about the guy who’s been doing the job up until now?? The grounds look pristine to me! I wonder why that gentleman didn’t get to keep the position?
6- In my opinion and maybe yours this REAKS of pay-to-play when you look at the fact that he is quoted in the GC Times article as naming himself as the present board president’s (and my opponents) campaign manager and he also told me that he got them their signs. Conflict of interest much??????
Well……according to many this is immoral and unethical but is it illegal????? There are many that are investigating, so stay tuned! As a side note, this is OUR fault…..yours, mine and everyone else who fails to do their due diligence and show up at board meetings or at least read the minutes and stay informed. When the cat’s away-the mice will play, so they say! It’s never to late to BE THE CHANGE YOU WANT TO SEE! Come to the next meeting and the ones after that. It is apparent you can not just go on blind faith and trust. Think of it as your civil duty or a holiday gift to the board….just show up and stay informed….share the good, bad and ugly….that’s how we move forward! Have a great weekend!
Deptford BOE President Steps Down
Deptford Board of Education President Walter ‘Butch’ Berglund steps down
Published: Thursday, June 28, 2012, 6:00 AM
Photo providedWalter “Butch” Berglund leaves school board positionDEPTFORD TWP. — Board of Education President Walter “Butch” Berglund has stepped down from his position after four years of service to the district. Berglund said he came across a business opportunity that wouldn’t allow him to finish out his term on the board.
“I had to step down. I didn’t want to, but I had to,” Berglund said Wednesday.
Berglund, a former township councilman, said because of professional obligations to fulfill with his full-time job and the hours required, he wouldn’t be able to properly carry out board member responsibilities.
The business prospect is expected to last about eight months, according to Berglund, during which he said he would continue to be heavily involved with the district and volunteer his services when possible.
Berglund said he was especially looking to continue negotiations on a prospective cost saver — which would be to purchase the Delaware Valley Junior Academy, a private school that seems to be serving only a handful of students, for the purpose of relocating New Sharon School students there.
“This was not an issue of whether or not I want to be on the board,” said Berglund, who said he was in the vending business.
He said he is not opposed to running again in the future when he has more time again.
“Butch was a good president, he was on top of the issues, and he was very knowledgeable of the policies,” said Interim Superintendent Ralph Ross. “Butch will be sorely missed.”
Ross said the administration will have about 60 days to fill the vacancy. The board expects to advertise for the position as soon as possible.
“I think it’ll be a fluid transition. All the other board members have been around for quite a while,” Ross said. “We shouldn’t miss a beat.”
Contact Jessica Bautista at 856-686-3729 or jbautista@southjerseymedia.com.
Campaign Manager Article
http://www.nj.com/gloucester-county/index.ssf/2012/11/deptford_board_of_education_pr_1.html
Quote from article-But Butch Berglund, former BOE president and now campaign manager for Wilson,
Stacy Gray For Board Of Education 