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Health & Fitness

Invitation: Come to the BOE meetings!

Looking for parents to represent their own needs and wants at BOE meetings--they need to hear from you!

Hearing things second hand, in the schoolyard, parks or over a cup of coffee will never give you the same understanding as when you live it yourself. I say this repeatedly to people who stop me on the street or in a store, or at a game – so here is a big shout out!

I guess I am a little exasperated at this point with what goes on at the BOE meetings. I am not sure if it is a meeting about education in Fort Lee or a special interests forum. Do not get me wrong, some issues and concerns are needed but should be secondary to what we need in the school system right now.

I sit at the BOE meetings time after time, and very often, there is little interest about the educational issues that are currently in Fort Lee. We have no space, no language arts elementary curriculum, a piloted K-2 Math curriculum, a failing middle school, no permanent superintendent, no assistant superintendent; there is no professional to develop the curriculum, tired teachers, incredible build-outs and huge amounts of money being spent out of the referendum and some great things too—we have outstanding student representation at the BOE meetings, team championships, new math clubs etc.

Find out what's happening in Fort Leewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

However, for whatever reason, there is more interest about peripheral issues, rather than being present to ensure that we are getting quality educations for our children. Issues like lawsuits, private student information, furniture for the new central office and insinuations about board members, misunderstandings about school law and school policy, too much interest in finding fault with the BOE, its processes and political affiliations.

I understand we need to be updated about these things, but these concerns are peripheral to the education of our children, and honestly, it is the responsibility of the BOE, not the gallery, to ensure those details are what are in the best interest of the district. We are not privy to the details and should not be. We (parents and non-BOE citizens) need to support the education system in Fort Lee and make sure our children’s needs are being met, and then exceeded. We need to begin with a presence at the BOE meetings and maintain a focus on education and issues that directly affect the quality of our lives.

Find out what's happening in Fort Leewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

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If you have been reading my blogs, you know I am a critic of the BOE. I am also a supporter. I only speak when I have something fact-based to offer. I do not get personal; if I have a question, I ask. Sometimes, I have to inquire more or research information, but I guess I prefer a little work over rumor and gossip. It makes life easier.

There is something new about this BOE. They seem stronger in their resolve to do what is best for the children. They are not as timid to stand up to loud rhetoric and innuendos, and, my favorite, they are becoming resistant to the special interest groups. This is new for the BOE and incredibly important to Fort Lee. Some of the changes that have been made at the board level are: agendas are published on the Fridays before the meeting, the meetings moved to the HS auditorium to accommodate the video, they revamped the plans for the referendum and got the first substantial referendum passed in decades—to fix the prior boards' neglect; they are controlling grandstanding and soapbox speeches via a three-minute limit per gallery member at the meetings; they have moved the election to November in efforts to attract more residents to vote. The board members are not responding with comments or remarks that inflamed the gallery all too often and created misunderstandings. They have become proactive in decisions and not reactive--this is a substantial change in culture of the BOE, and I look forward to more progress over the next few months.

I haven’t committed to running for the BOE quite yet. I will though and believe me, my campaign is going to contain much of last year's---Putting education first!

Love to see you there, or at the very least, hear from you here!

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