“Fame, I want to live forever”. These words sung by Irene Cara echoed off the walls of the School of the Performing Arts as talented teens strive for the stars. We all marveled at the brilliance of these performers. But for the brilliant and talented teens in Fort Lee, their dream appears to be dead. The APA dance program has been dismantled, a victim of budget cuts. Their inspiration, Ms. Claudia Cutler, a teacher with twenty years professional dance experience, has been given notice. The replacement teacher, Ms. Denise Beffre, who has been teaching gym for the last two years, may have the certification, but it is unclear that teaching dance is her forte.
Twenty Seven students benefit from the APA dance program. How can we possibly justify a full-salaried teacher for only twenty-seven students in an era of budget cuts? How can we not?! The BOE must adhere to government mandates for the use of educational funding for “special education programs” and ESL programs, but there is no mandate for the gifted! So we, the community, must mandate for our talented students. And if you viewed them at the Monday BOE meeting, speaking eloquently to the Administration, pleading to keep their program, you would feel very proud of these young adults, the “brightest and the best”!
The State of New Jersey has cut the Fort Lee School Budget by approximately $2 million over the last few years with a small part of the cuts returned through a one-time grant. The budget will be pared additionally next year, creating a need for additional cuts. Services and staff have to be reduced, but was it essential for this amazing program to be cut?
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The BOE is being sued by Jay Berman for “wrongful discharge” when he was suspended as the principal of Fort Lee High School. A conservative estimate of legal costs and/or settlement costs would be several hundred thousand dollars. Surely these monies could have salvaged the program. Helen Yoon, newly elected BOE member, could withdraw her vindictive “ethics charge filing” if she really cared more about the students than her personal indignation. The potential cost of her legal action could be in the thousands of dollars. The BOE now may face a potential lawsuit over the recent Rice notice given to the School #1 principal, Kristine Cecere; another potentially damaging expense to our school budget. Conclusion: Poor BOE decisions may have forced the demise at Fort Lee High School of one of the finest programs implemented in years.
We have to try harder! Our BOE members have to try harder. We need community leaders to step up to the plate and make their voices heard. To quote the Valiant 27: “We want to learn! We want a quality education”. “HELP US”!
