yeah Thank you for your patience Good evening everyone and welcome to the Caldwell West Caldwell Board of Education public conference meeting today Monday April 21st 2025 Today the board met in executive session actually at 5:30 p.m in the faculty room here at
Wilson Elementary School 71 Orton Road West Calwell New Jersey The purpose of that meeting was to discuss personnel litigation miscellaneous and old business matters That meeting has been advertised and is in compliance with the open public meeting act and NJSA 104-6
also known as the Sunshine Law The matters discussed will be made public when confidentiality is no longer required and formal action pursuant to said discussion shall take place only at a meeting to which the public has been invited Tonight the public conference meeting is taking place at 7:06 p.m
forgive our tardiness The board of education meeting will be streamed live but all community questions and comments will be welcomed in person only The coal west coal board of education public conference meeting is also in compliance with the open public meetings act and
NJSA104-6 also known as the sunshine law Notices have been sent to the progress in Caldwell New Jersey the Star Ledger Newark New Jersey and tap into West Essex Notices have also been posted at the board of education business office in the Harrison School Building Grey Street West Caldwell and have been delivered to the clerks of the Burrow of
Caldwell and West Caldwell for posting Brian can you please take the role yes Miss Steve Martini here Miss Lindafi Jefferson here Miss M here Mr Dianola here Miss Roso here We have five members
present We have a quorum Great We are in Wilson School Thank you Mr Lincoln for welcoming us We're so happy to be here And we have Maya and Ava Can you come on up and lead us in the Pledge of Allegiance we're so happy to have you
I aliance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands One nation under God indivisible with liberty and justice for all Great job Wait girls let me just
Okay Brian are there any communications for the board this evening uh there were none Okay great So we're going to start with the superintendence report We have a lot going on tonight So I'd like to invite Coach Romano up to the podium so we can hear all the great stuff about
our championship wrestling team from this year As he walks up we'll say he is head coach of the year Thank you Uh I would first like to thank the board of educations its members President Groso Dr Conklin for inviting
our team our team here tonight Also thank you to the board for not only the invitation but for their support throughout the season You were always in attendance and it never went unnoticed and was always greatly appreciated by all Thank you to the administration at James Cowell High School as well for all
of their support and a big thank you to our athletic director Mr Dan Romano who was there every step of the way for us and all of his programs as well as his secretary Miss Prada uh my coaching staff one of the most loyal hardworking committed staffs you will find And the
kids and myself we're grateful to have uh all of you Uh to our parents the best and most supportive group we have all ever had Um I said it at our end of the season banquet Uh that most of our matches we didn't even need a student section because our parents brought the energy and noise at every event Uh it
truly takes a village and our village is uh fully invested and the best Uh to our kids this team was special and had a memorable season that created memories to last a lifetime uh an outstanding group of senior leaders that paved the way to the most successful season in program history A 24-2 season record SEC
conference champions district 10 champions North two group two section champions uh North group two champions and the overall group two finalist Uh also ranked in the top 20 in N in every NJ media publication Uh we finished with 12 region qualifiers five Atlantic City
state qualifiers and one state medalist Um to sum it up they were just a bunch of really tough kids that grow up together They look out for each other and they would got they are guys that you would want in your foxhole Uh I thank you very much for honoring a muchdeserved team and have a great night
Thank you so much Yeah So we're going to take a quick break to take a picture with the kids but I just want to again congratulate Coach Romano Um if anyone knows the wrestlers they'll see them around town on the back of their sweatshirts that all say family and they truly embody
that The way they support one another I think that wrestling is one of the most difficult sports I mean one-on-one you're by yourself on the mat with a spotlight Sometimes their face is pushed into the ground and we're screaming at them and I'm thinking "These kids have
more guts in their little finger than I do on my whole body." and Karm sipper It's it's important to call out that he placed third in the state The commitment the dedication the talent that takes is incredible I want to congratulate
K you know and all of the kids put in that much effort They It's a year-round commitment They work so hard We're so so proud of them And let's welcome them up right now Round of applause and take a picture Okay we're going to move
You can have a dinner Chris are you gonna announce it okay Now I'd like to invite Mr Lincoln up to the microphone to tell us all the great stuff that's happening in a Wilson school Yay Everybody get a little nervous public speak so
bear with me here Um so welcome to Wilson School Uh good evening Thanks everybody who's joining us in person and at home Uh I'm grateful for the opportunity to take a little bit of time to share uh what makes this place a great school for our kids to attend Um but before I do that I just want to say
thanks to Dr Conklin and the board of education for this opportunity Um and more importantly for your continued support as we seek to provide the students of West Caldwell and Caldwell with a top-notch education Um so tonight's presentation is organized into a few different buckets Uh we're going to start with a
quick look at some of the academic successes we're currently experiencing and then we'll move on to some of the things that make Wilson School great Um but I do want to make note of the fact that nothing I'm about to share this evening is possible without a great group of students strong support from Wilson School families and uh an
outstanding group of teachers who show up every day uh willing to meet the needs of each and every student in the building Uh I love working here and I'm I'm lucky to be the principal of Wilson School Uh so starting off with achievement and growth This isn't the the most entertaining stuff but it is important
to share Um so uh I want to start by just mentioning the amount of students who are reading honor above grade level last June was over 80% Um and right now in March of 25 uh we have 73% of our readers reading honor above grade level Uh we're currently working hard to meet
if not top last year's outcome Uh additionally on last year's NJSLA ELA assessment uh we had more students at Wilson School meet or exceed expectations in the state average You can see it's 13% up there which is a pretty hefty accomplishment Sorry about the light Uh that might be why we didn't
have it on That's okay That's no strobe lights in my presentation It's Do you want me to It's So it's There's a panel in the back Um I might have to pop up there and do it It's kind of complicated Yeah Jen you know where to do it yeah Okay
All right We hear a big yell We're all gonna Yeah Okay Uh on the other side of that slide you'll see we're continuing to foster growth in math as well With regard to last year's NJSLA we had 15% more Wilson students meet or exceed expectations than the state average And
in uh our internal benchmarking assessment we uh had 10% growth of students who were predicted to meet or exceed uh expectations on the 2025 NJSLA uh from September to January And I'm anticipating again another strong testing season for us here Um but while
there are plenty of things that are more important than uh the numbers we produce on state testing I do show this to to really speak to the fact that it's indicative of our teachers um commitment to the success of our students and our students commitment to success Uh the
district's efforts to align what we teach with state standards ensure that students are developing the skills and habits necessary to succeed academically And the important part there is that it instills self-confidence and a sense of purpose in all of our kids So they're more than numbers our students but it's
also an important part of this puzzle here Um buildings and grounds updates Um so since starting at Wilson we've been working to find ways to make this place a little bit better every year Um a couple years ago uh there's a a large effort from central office and the board
to get a baseball field which I uh affectionately refer to as the sandlot in the back of the Wilson school field there But um you know it's a big part of you know creating a great experience for our kids Uh so with the help of the district and the HSA we've been able to make some crucial upgrades to give our
students the best possible experience while they're here Um each year the fifth grade purchases a legacy gift And I don't know if this happens at every school but it's a really wonderful generous thing from the parents here at Wilson School They purchase a legacy gift with the funds that they've raised over the course of the school year Um
it's a great way to commemorate the the fifth graders time at Wilson And these generous gifts have really gone a long way into making Wilson school like a nice neat little campus for our kids to spend their days in Um the gifts we've received over the past few years include customized padding for basketball hoops
parking lot banners that display the Wilson Wolverine logo and this year's gift are going to be new Wilson Wolverine floor mats If you saw the floor mats on the way in they have the the chief hat on there They've been there for quite a while so it's going to be nice to spruce it up a little bit Um I'm also pleased to share that this year
we were able to outfit this room with new media equipment Um that you know I asked at the beginning of the year you guys work with me and we got it done last month and I'm really grateful Um so it's a really nice uh addition here building a community Okay so all
the important work that we do in the classroom is complemented by all the wonderful things we do outside the classroom as we provide students with a chance to learn how to be positive members of a school community So just kind of want to run through some programs that kind of really speak to our educating of the the whole child So
lunch punch is a new program here at Wilson It may be present in other schools but it's definitely new to Wilson Uh it's being run by our awesome counselor Mrs Pletia Um and it's an opportunity for students to switch it up uh at lunchtime There are plenty of kids who love to get out and play soccer and
football and do whatever it is they do every day outside There's also a group of students who like to maybe stay inside and kind of engage in different activities So students meet with Miss Pletchia They get a chance to do some team building Um play some games talk to one another but it's a great opportunity
for kids to connect with one another and to connect with our counselor Mrs Pletia She plays such an important role here So it's really a great thing that she's doing Um we've uh we've had a few assemblies for social emotional learning Uh this year we welcomed an organization called
Lead You to Wilson School They're a group of uh former teachers and child study team members who hit the road uh excuse me guys sorry little little dry here Uh they hit the road to share a positive message that helps kids manage
difficult situations in their school lives and beyond Uh lead U relies heavily on interactive games and activities to communicate their message and our students were excellent participants Uh the K to2 performance focused on how to productively manage strong emotions while the performance for students in grade three to five laid
out a step-by-step approach uh in managing conflict Um another assembly that we had this year uh was when our fourth grade special education teacher Mrs Tufo coordinated a visit from the James Cobb High School self- advocacy club Um during uh during which that
visit um high school students had the chance to spend the day at Wilson school serve as role models for the kids here Um the self- advocacy club is run by two great high school teachers who are here this evening Uh Mrs Kyle and Mrs Verscelli Um thank you And uh it's a group that provides
our JCHS students with a platform to share their experiences in school uh to to develop self- advocacy skills and to uh really share their expertise with you know younger kids in the district Um the club members also engage in mentoring programs and many of them have attended
conferences to speak and promote awareness around challenges that are associated with learning disabilities and their experiences in school Um so while at Wilson the group played games Uh they taught our younger students some valuable skills and everyone including our high school students enjoyed a
little bit of recess Uh it was a great opportunity for our kids to mentor their uh for our high school kids to mentor their elementary counterparts and we're looking forward to their next visit All right So some unique learning experiences happening at uh at Wilson School So when I moved made the move
from high school to the elementary level I learned pretty quickly that elementary teachers wear many hats They're part teacher obviously part entertainer and part caregiver Uh they display patience and creativity while upholding a standard of accountability to ensure that their students are getting what
they need from their education Uh in addition to all this a few of our teachers have curated learning experiences that go above and beyond what's expected of them So I want to start with uh our Macy's Day parade activity Uh right before Thanksgiving our third grade team had students create floats for our very own Macy's Day
parades Our teachers used the principles of design thinking to build their floats and they were put on display in our hallway to celebrate the accomplishment Uh one of the third grade classrooms took it a little bit further by attaching their floats to Dash robots and they worked to code a parade route to march their balloons down the hallway
Uh this activity incorporated STEM and some holiday spirit to create a memor memorable experience for everyone involved Doc STEM visits kindergarten I don't know if we have any people familiar with Verona the Verona teachers but we had a a Verona teaching legend
join us It's a husband of kindergarten special education teacher and Mrs Seagull Longtime Verona STEM teacher Doc Seagull came out of retirement to facilitate some hands-on learning for our kindergarten students Uh during his visit he taught both kindergarten classes about force and motion by using
gears to generate power Uh he even brought in a bike to demonstrate how the principle relates to the gears on a bicycle Um our kindergarteners were then given the hands-on task of connecting gears to transmit power while rotating Um and even though this concept may seem a bit advanced for some five and six-year-olds and an elementary school
principal uh Doc Seagull made it fun and exciting for everyone involved Kidding I understood I I figured it out All right Um another exciting thing um that's happening here is from West Coacetch That's a city in Morocco Uh Mrs Gunther
one of our third grade teachers has redefined the concept of pen pals Uh her third for her third graders She set up a video conference with students who attend the Racine School located in excuse me Marrach Morocco Uh during this meeting students from Morocco shared about their lives in school their
favorite foods sports and traditions If you can believe it or not our students were not shy to share what it's like living in America as well And uh we're currently looking into ways to continue this international conversation with our Moroccan friends Um we're also looking into connecting with another school
located in Taiwan And I plan on asking Dr Conklin if I can take the third grade to Casablanca next spring but I haven't formally put in that request yet Uh yeah we'll figure it out We'll figure it out Um all right So we have a couple Wilson classics These are just some
traditions that have been going on since I before I arrived here Um but I'd be remiss if I didn't take a few moments to talk about these things because they sort of make up the fabric of the Wilson School ch children's experience Um so starting with our Gotacha awards our kids get the chance to really become
like many celebrities on Fridays Um you know our gotcha program is a is an award program where we um catch students doing good things Uh any kids can be awarded a gotcha slip if their acts uh towards their their their school and classmates
um fall into any of the following categories Um tolerance appreciation respect integrity and more Students who receive a gotcha award will receive a gift from the school Uh they get a shout out during our Friday afternoon announcements and on our Friday newsletter and then their picture goes
up on a bolton board for the week I remember we forgot to put one student's picture up there and he asked me every single day for about a month why his picture wasn't up there but we got it up there We made sure he got up so it's all good Um another fun thing we do here is principal for a day Um it's been offered to students as a as a like a reward for
a prize for a raffle Um this opportunity allows students to work closely with me as we observe teachers help Mr Doctor off run a PE class and give their class an extra recess period Um these lucky students also get to pick a few friends for a pizza lunch in my office wherein I learned how to identify the best Pokemon
cards in a pack which Taylor Swift songs are the best and what things like Skibbidity and Chicken Jockey mean Uh all a part of the learning experience for me as a principal here Um we have the geography B which I'm sure everybody is familiar with but each year students in grades three to five get the chance
to participate in a geography B Uh I know I see Mr McGlaclin and Mr Bell here They're two high school history teachers They probably would have won it if they went here Um but sorry guys you missed your chance Um but uh they eventually you know starting at the classroom level students work their way up to compete in a district-wide B where they compete
against the uh the best and brightest geography students from the Caldwell West Cwell area Um it's also a great way for the elementary principles especially Mr Ayers to earn some bragging rights if a student from his school gets the win Um lastly we have our fifth grade uh jobs and
activities So fifth graders get the opportunity to take on some extra responsibility when they apply for a fifth grade job Uh students raise and lower the flag each day They make our morning and Friday afternoon announcements and they take responsibility for bringing in all of our recess equipment Um these jobs help students take pride
in their school and play an important role in keeping the building running smoothly This year we also started fifth grade Fridays So on the first Friday of every month fifth graders wear their t-shirts for the fifth grade graduating class or the promoting class Um and students in grades K through four are encouraged to high five a fifth grader
if they see them in the hallway Again just another way to celebrate them their time here and just really foster a sense of school spirit Okay so that's really all I have this year It's going to be nice and quick Uh but I just want to say as I stated in the beginning of this presentation everything that's good that happens here is part of a collective
effort The families students faculty and staff that make up Wilson School all play a a crucial part in creating this warm and supportive learning environment in which I'm grateful to play a role Thanks for listening and have a great evening Thank you So we're going to just take a quick
minute to take a picture with Maya and Ava and Mr Mr Lincoln And Mr Lincoln I have to say I'm so disappointed that you forgot to mention one of your most important activities Your kickball game Oh my gosh That's your bragging rights over Mr Heirs That's on the agenda tonight Come on Mr
Good coming up this year That's it That's a big one That's a big one You got to bring it home here We'll do [Laughter] Okay All right So with that I have one more
thing to report Y um now that the referendum question one has passed we are able to get all the bids for the bond and we did um get a bid on April 15th and we're going to be accepting that bid um from Roosevelt and Cross uh
at a 3.974% rate So we're happy to get that under 4% That's really good news for that Um all this information uh related to the bid will be on the website So if you're interested in the total package and the total bid from the different companies that bid it all be available
on the referendum website on the board uh on the website for the school district under referendum Great Um that concludes my uh report Fantastic Okay So just a couple things under the president's report We do not
have any committee reports tonight We may have a curriculum next week Next week we'll have definitely a curriculum possibly finance and facilities but um I do have Tom do you want to come up or do you want me to acknowledge i'm happy to do either
No Oh that's so sweet Okay so before I call Mr O'Harn up um for the um ice hockey cooperative on behalf of the ice hockey team I just wanted to read I mean our ice hockey team it's such a special relationship that we have Um I always joke uh haha it's one of our only good
relationships with West Essex but that's not true I'm just being I'm just being funny Um but really it's really a beautiful thing Kids wanted to play hockey There was no opportunity at James Caldwell High School The districts worked together and partnered as all good relationships should do in the interests of children And it's really
such a wonderful beautiful relationship Um the district does pay for the children to have that benefit of that relationship that hockey is a very expensive sport so we do cover the costs Um and uh the kids are fantastic I had the ability to go to a game at one point
to go to their booster club dinner Um and the relationship that they have the ability to work with another school district like that with other students It's really very very special We don't always they don't always get the um accolades because it is like a shared
sport Um but Mr O'Harn and his wife Adit have been the heads of the booster club this is their last year and he was like I really want to make sure these kids get acknowledged So I'm just going to read very briefly Um so the McKinnus division is one of three divisions within the
NJHL New Jersey Interscolastic Ice Hockey League It is the top division of the NJHL and widely considered to be the most competitive public school division in the state of New Jersey The McInness includes seven teams across Essex and
Union County and nearly 150 varsity players Each year the coaches from the league meet to pick the top three forwards two defenseman and top goalender which comprises first team all McInness Second team follows the same format This year's all McInness team
included players from James Caldwell High School So proud Patrick and Samia let's give them a big round of applause So first team was Patrick Deainy and Evan Zaminski And second team was Sam [Music]
O'Harn and both Patrick and Sam also served as team captains for the 2024 2025 season So on behalf of the board of education we want to congratulate you on your efforts Talk about a tough sport Wrestling hockey you got to hit that
puck and beyond skates I got to tell you these kids are We're so blessed to represent children that are so wildly talented and to Tom and Adid for all of your hard work and efforts and really your advocacy for these students You're always reaching out to us inviting us to
things sharing the schedule and really trying to make it really a part of our fabric here which sometimes it can get lost I hope that your predecessors do the same Um and they follow in your very strong example So thank you both too for your efforts And if you want to come up and
and say something you're welcome So thank you for that We appreciate it And uh you know I don't have any prepared remarks It was really just to say thank you But um you know with that you know you you've mentioned all the things I probably would have said and I will say but you know you think about um
the this time in our in our lives where differences are such a focus of of everything that's in our in our life today uh and sports in general kind of bring our our kids together Um as you mentioned um you know we have kids that
are on you know West Essex Knights and Cowell Chiefs um fierce competitors on the diamond and on the mats and then on the football field but these kids have come together It's it's really truly special to see these kids come from
these different schools such competitors and form an unbelievable bond Um it's it it really is amazing and we are so happy that uh you were our partners and for all of your support this board Um I had my older son Tommy play for his years in
high school Sam my other son but all of the all the kids that are on this team and we do have a couple of females as well Um but all the boys and girls that participate are very support uh very happy Um and I know you missed the dinner this year but all of these
captains who who got up and spoke all thanked and acknowledged the boards of education for your support So thank you again I really appreciate it And I know uh a couple of the the teams uh and the coach coach Mark Gregory is here as well Might want to say a few words but thank
you very much [Applause] So first of all thank you Tom and and you did a really nice job uh you know thanking them and acknowledging what their efforts and him and Ad did for so many years Um my name is Mark Gregory I'm the head uh ice hockey coach uh here
for West Essex and James Caldwell There were two purposes of being here tonight Uh and Tom was was certainly uh influential in doing setting it up Uh number one was to thank the board board of education and your support of the program over the last several years and and making you know the financial
obligation and and and you know commitment to us that you have So we really appreciate that And the second one was to acknowledge these great athletes behind me that are from James Caldwell High School and and understand that at the amount of athletes uh and the level of play that we're playing at
and the amount of athletes that are trying to be acknowledged and that we got three of them you know acknowledged here which is really remarkable and they've done a nice job And I also want to add uh Silus Levy is here tonight as well Uh he's been named our captain next year uh of the team So he's also a
Caldwell uh high school uh student here So it's really special and we want to thank you I I think that they may have something to say too uh before I we get out of here But real quick uh I think Go for it So I found out about 5 minutes
ago that I was saying something so we're going to do this as best as I can Um it's a privilege to be here Um I never thought I'd be speaking at a board of education meeting but here we are Um a lot of familiar faces It's really cool to see everyone um from all the way from
kindergarten up until now Um and it was a privilege to play West Essex Cowwell hockey Um I know I could speak for Evan and Sam behind me We were going through middle school elementary school our experiences and um worrying about not having a place to play high school hockey worrying about paying to play
high school hockey at a private school and um it worked out and the Andolino family worked so hard along with the board of education Um and it was just a privilege to have this opportunity Um I met some of my best friends and I'm just very thankful for everyone involved that
we were able to compete for our school So thank you Honor Thank you Thank you Okay Um three other brief updates uh before we go into public comments on agenda and then peruse the agenda Um so
first off I want to plug the CWCA 5K run Registration is open Please uh feel free to sign up We could use the support The Cobalt West Caldwell Education Association is one of the most
vital associations in our district in partnering to provide opportunities for teachers and students So the more participation the better And if anyone from the Cobalt West Caldwell Education Foundation is here tonight please feel free to come up and speak at the end of the meeting Okay check one Check two Um
on the agenda this evening you'll see when we peruse we have an approval for Peret Samjin our architects That is because we are going to be going back out in November for a revised version of the fieldhouse at James Cordwell High
School It is going to be a much simpler paired down um design that will come in about $8 million No district funds will be used It'll be completely bonded if it passes Um we are going to invite the architect in either next meeting or in
May definitely sometime before the end of the year to show the design but it basically is just the first floor that you've already seen a million times but we'll welcome you to come see it again Um it was the board's um intention
always to bring the 80 plus year old fieldhouse into the 21st century and provide Title N equity for our female athletes regardless of the things that were said on social media That was always our intention as well as providing cleanly bathrooms We feel that
this res revised design does both of those things Um we are going to put it in the November election so it's at no cost to the taxpayer We will not be going out for a special election for that We will continue to open up dialogue as well as I'll direct you to the district website where there still
is the referendum tab We will pro be providing updates One portion of it will be on question one and all the work that's getting done so that the taxpayers can follow what's being done with the money that was passed And then obviously for the November you can
follow the design will be put up there We'll start some FAQs and etc It's not going to be as much of a campaign so to speak Um but we will always welcome any questions And again we will ask Greg to come back in to speak about it and make sure we advertise that meeting for the
public Um and the final thing I'll speak about tonight is that the board has made a decision to bring in an interim superintendent We have met with the person we are going to bring in this evening That's why we met a little bit earlier here at Wilson School the board attorney who is present this evening is
going to be working out the details with that person and when it's time we will be announcing them prior to the end of the school year Okay So I know there's been a lot of rumblings on what's going on What's going on is an interim is coming in Okay Um and that's going to do
it for my president's report for this evening That being said um I'm going to move on to public comments on agenda items only at this point in time So public participation shall be governed by the following Participant must be recognized by the presiding officer and
must preface comments by an announcement of their name and address Statements are to be limited to three minutes duration Participant may speak no more than once on the same topic until all others who wish to speak on that topic have been heard All statements shall be directed
to the presiding officer Boards use the public comment period of the meeting as an opportunity to listen to citizen concerns but not to debate issues or enter into a question and answer session or a cross-examination between the public and individual members Be aware that not all issues brought before the
board will be resolved this evening Boards may respond to public comment by seeking additional information or by delegating the authority to investigate the issue to the superintendent or his designate The presiding officer may interrupt warrant and or terminate a participant's comments if they exceed
the allotted time or are objectively obscene Participants may be civily liable for any obscene defamatory or slanderous statements made during public comment That being said does anyone have anything on the agenda that they would get like to get up and address the board
with alyssa are you coming up or I just have a question's But can you just can you just wait you have to follow the rules Your name address please Hi uh Alyssa Minnelli 39 Forest Avenue Caldwell
I didn't plan on getting up here this quickly but since the um agenda has no names on it when you go to appointees how will we know whether we can speak since those are public
in minutes so to speak on the agenda until uh the board votes on it it doesn't go public Okay So if we had something to say about a concern for some of the personnel without It would not be something you'd be saying in public session anyway because personnel
matters are confidential and privileged So you wouldn't be asking questions because we couldn't answer them Gotcha Okay I just have one question then I'll step down Do you trust your teachers that's my only question Thank you Thank you for your question
Anybody else [Applause] okay that being said I'm going to close a public comment on agenda items and we'll peruse the agenda very quickly So curriculum and technology we have our HIB reports Um we have a new book
adoption at James Cwell High School for the statistics course Um everyone will notice that we are we had a give back day We are giving back Tuesday May 27th So there's an amendment of the calendar for Memorial Day weekend Um there's some
field trips expense reimbursements and if the board has any questions on anything as I'm perusing through please feel free to stop me Budget bills I mean pretty much we have an ESY contract a parental
transportation We have our our um contract with the architect for the revised drawings for November We have the approval of a donation of $2,000 for Lincoln School for library supplies meal
prices Um pretty any questions concerns issues from the board okay All right So now we're going to move on to things on or off the agenda Again I'll remind everyone public participation shall be governed by the following The participant must be
recognized by the presiding officer and must preface comments by an announcement of their name and address Statements are to be limited to three minutes duration Participant may speak no more than once on the same topic until all others who wish to speak on that topic have been heard All statements shall be directed to the presiding officer Boards once
again use the public comment as an opportunity to listen to citizen concerns but not to debate issues or enter into a question and answer session or a cross-examination between the public and individual members Be aware that not all issues brought before the board will be resolved this evening Boards may respond to public comment by
seeking additional information or by delegating the authority to investigate the issue to the superintendent or his designate The presiding officer may interrupt warn and or terminate a participant's comments if they exceed the allotted time or are objectively obscene Participants may be civily liable for any obscene defamatory or
slanderous statements made during public comment That being said would anyone like to speak on anything on or off the agenda mara um I am going to read uh an association We did a vote of no confidence resolution I will be reading that and um
hopefully I'm speaking for all my members so I'm hoping that I'll have enough time It should be just about three minutes Uh whereas Erin Madera is employed as a current director of special services and is tasked by the Caldwell West Calwell board of education under her employment contract with
significant responsibilities impacting members of the CWC district And whereas the mission of CWC BOE is to foster inspire and champion learning for all Whereas over the last three plus years from August 21 through present day Miss Madera's administration of district
affairs has broken down trust disregarded collaboration and failed to provide full and open communication among district stakeholders Instead breeding feelings of neglect distrust fear and everinccreasing disrespect for their voices expertise and resources And
whereas in totality the behaviors actions and omissions under Miss Madera's term has been contrary to the best interest of Matt I'm going to just stop in a moment Doug is this okay yeah The board obviously can't respond to any of the comments with respect to the
person being named uh by the speaker but we can't stop the speaker from from making these comments Okay I just want to make sure because you're speaking about an employee and its personnel and I don't want the board to be in any sort of liability No I understand I understand Okay I'm sorry Continue Oh good Um whereas in totality the behaviors actions and omissions under
Miss Madera's term have been contrary to the best interests of the district and have included unit unilaterally pursuing a revised public policy of equity and access impacting special education services throughout the district without collaboration with all stakeholders and
without providing any specific plan or protocols of said policy without hearing the opinions and feedbacks of stakeholders after the policy impacting special education students was implemented and not providing suspicious sufficient excuse me support for educators and students affected by these
policy changes Adopting a leadership model which does not foster or respect the expertise and contributions of professional staff who work with students on a day-to-day basis Failing to remedy the lack of several special education teachers in classrooms across
the district and failing to establish a work environment that will attract new hires to teach special education in our district Failing to provide programs and services for students with diverse needs and failing to consider alternate services that are not part of a
proscribed program to meet these student needs Creating a demoralizing and toxic work environment detrimental to both staff morale and student needs Where teachers are subjected to an atmosphere of fear and constant uncertainty where open communication is stifled and
teacher concerns and ideas are dismissed or ignored and where teachers no longer feel valued for their hard work or dedication contributing to the loss of 26 specialed teachers and professionals who have left the district in growing dissatisfaction with the day-to-day
management and policies under Miss Madera's term contributing them to pursuing positions in other districts where they feel recognized and appreciated or leaving the teaching profession ression entirely issuing egregiously low observation scores that
are inconsistent with teacher scores under past observers Whereas Miss Madera has engaged in the foregoing behaviors and actions in the midst of an increasing teacher shortage when a positive and rewarding work environment is essential to attract and retain
highly qualified teachers And whereas it is in the interest of all stakeholders of the CWC district to be in a compassionate collegial and collaborative environment to provide the best possible education for the students we all serve Therefore be it resolved
the members of the CWCEA have no confidence and no trust in the director of special services to effectively lead And therefore be it further resolved that the members of the CWCEA respectfully and willingly submit this vote of no confidence to the
CWCBOE And therefore be it finally resolved that the CWCEA urges the board of education to provide immediate notice of non-ref uh renewal of Miss Madera's employment as director of special services because the students and staff
of the CWC district deserve better [Applause] Mr Could you please address that last comment about Okay Could you please address that last comment about her not
being renewed and the liability they just exposed themselves to i'm just going to ask you I appreciate your show of support but I'm just going to ask you because the superintendent is trying to address the board attorney Please I was just asking the board attorney to respond to the liability they just exposed themselves to by
asking her to be non-renewed Yeah I I mean this is a topic that I've discussed with NJA council uh in the past several times Um I don't want to get into too much legal issues here Uh conversation I've been having ongoing with with the NJA attorney I will say there was a
comment at the end there about the board issuing a notice of non-renewal to a staff member The board does not have that authority uh that that uh except for the superintendent of schools those notices come from the superintendent So the board doesn't give a notice of non-renewal to a staff member Um you know I I've expressed my concerns
verbally and in writing to NJA Council and I'll be happy to reiterate those again uh following this meeting Thank you Sue Callahan English teacher at James Caldwell High School and past president of the CWCA And I never thought I would
be standing up here again after I passed my leadership over to Mara And you talk about courage for her to stand up here and say that today in front of people who are causing us to live in an environment of fear fear of reprisals
threats been have made to us right you just saw that right we are here because we care about the kids in our district We are here because we care about everything here And for us to stand up you know sometimes you have to risk that liability Doug I'm sorry but sometimes
we have to stand up for what we believe is right And that's why we are here Four years ago I came here as president and talked to the to the board It was a different board at that time And it was talked about the concerns that we had about the direction that this district
was headed We talked that there was the growing toxic environment We talked about the loss of teachers We talked about concerns for our students Well we're still here We're back And this is really sad I'm like I'm I'm you know like I'm at the end of my career Not quite I'm still here for next year but
anyway Um but um the fact that we're here shows that we care And to threaten us with legal action because we care about our kids really really deeply wounds me as an educator in this district All right Our association as
you hear has been threatened There have been teachers who have stood up who've gone to liaison meetings Threats of investigations That word was never in the vocabulary of this district right it it didn't happen We were we were peers We talked to each other We were colleagues We shared ideas We agreed to
disagree Right we are here despite these threats And we are here with this vote of no confidence because we feel it is what is right It is right for our students It is right for our teachers Right And over the years Dr Conklin has said to me well when you come up with
you know these claims you need to back them up Well we have We used to we that letter is supported by a packet of information a packet information from a survey that was conducted last year We have gone to roundts We have gone to liaison meetings We have tried to
influence the direction of this district and tried to be heard tried to have a voice because we saw things that we didn't like We didn't think that they were things were going well But people have been targeted People have been accused of different things And it's really sad that people live in fear
There are many people who are not here tonight They're probably watching from the anonymity of Zoom because they're fear of reprisals Okay I'm very upset about this I'm sorry Um anyway
I when I knowing that we would have to come up with documentation went back through all the board minutes which I must say I don't know who the parent was but it the minutes are very hard to discern how you don't know anything So I had went back and individually went through every meeting to find out because we threat you know we said
there's going to be a loss of teachers So we went back and looked and yes there are 26 names on this list of special education teachers who have resigned in the past four years These were not some of them you know there variety of reasons but some most of a lot of them
you can see had tenure and they left They'd worked here 10 15 years but they still left because they did not like the direction or they in some cases they've reported to me as president that they had been threatened with transfers threatened with other things They were told they were not allowed to do what
they wanted to do that they weren't allowed to give certain things So they they have communicated with me There are letters that from teachers who have left the district about what was happening and what they were concerned about These are just special education teachers
Anyone I I challenge you go back into those minutes You'll be shocked to see the number of elementary teachers that have also left in the past four years And I'm not even including the teachers who res who um retired There are probably about five or six special education teachers who probably could
have stayed longer but chose not to This is a serious loss of teachers the heart of our district So you know we're here again We have data to support the claims we've made right we are here not and we're not going to be intimidated We're
not going to be threatened moving forward I'm just going to challenge the board We need an environment where there is mutual respect We need programs that provide students with what they need We need to ensure that teachers feel valued
and supported We need administrators who will value all of the above I'm going to end with I want you to hear what we say and we it's coming from the heart It is not easy to come up here It is not easy to do a vote of no
confidence and we certainly don't do it lightly right we you know we tried other ways and that didn't work This is our last resort We've been pushed into a corner and if that means risking legal challenges then NJA hopefully will be
supporting us in that because frankly we're here because we love our students and we care about them So I don't know who you are but I'm gonna ask that question Do you trust your teachers [Applause]
hi Hi I'm Robin Kyle I'm from JCHS I've been there for 31 years Uh I am speaking today uh I'm speaking for uh Nicole Bergman who uh retire who left last year
I am speaking for people who are afraid to speak because of retaliation This is a climate I struggle with to understand because after 25 plus years of living a peaceful friendly professional environment the last four
years have been very difficult I don't fear retaliation because I'm retiring and I'm very happy about that Uh and I'm retiring for a multitude of reasons and I may have stayed but it is getting very difficult and very toxic Um Nicole left
out of frustration but she um and she is currently out of state otherwise she would be here herself Um she really wanted her story to be told And if anybody knows me they know that one thing I champion with all of our students and teachers is to advocate
what you believe in and to use the power of your strengths to overcome any obstacles that get in your way so that you can always forge a good path towards with a with a positive future And we all care about the kids of
Caldwell So this is her formal explanation for resignation Nicole's words I am writing this letter to formally document the reasons for my departure from the position of special education teacher at the Caldwell West Caldwell School District I feel compelled to provide
this explanation as I was never given the opportunity to complete an exit interview Having dedicated 11 years to the CWC school district I cultivated strong professional relationships with my colleagues and have always been committed to fostering a supportive and
effective learning environment for my students However the hiring of special education supervisor Miss Aaron Madera marked a significant shift in the professional climate ultimately leading to my decision to resign Under Miss Madera's supervision I constantly
observed a lack of professional respect and engagement towards both myself and my colleagues She exhibited minimal acknowledgement of our expertise and contributions failed to offer constructive feedback and neglected to facilitate meaningful departmental collaboration The absence of structured
departmental meetings and transparent communication channels led to unresolved issues and operational inefficiencies compelling staff members to seek informal solutions rather than relying on appropriate administrative support Furthermore Miss Madera's unilaterally
determined that replacement classes were obsolete mandating that all students be integrated into general education inclus inclusion classrooms based on the presumption that this setting constituted their least restrictive environment This broadstroke repro
approach disregarded the individualized needs of the students with disabilities and contradicted the foundational principles of special education which emphasized differentiated instruction and personalized learning plans by implementing a uniform inclusion model
without regard for ped ped pedagogical best practices or students unique learning profiles This policy not only undermined instructional efficacy but also raised concerns regarding equity and compliance with special education mandates of off This is not Nicole's
words but mine but watching one of my colleagues last year struggle to help students who were drowning because they were inappropriately placed in an inclusion setting was painful And there was so little we could do to help her And I tried We all tried We really JCHS
is an awesome place to work and we are really a family but it was very difficult because the kids were struggling so badly and no amount of differentiation was solving that problem Back to Nicole's words But Miss Kyle I don't mean to be rude but you're well over your three minutes So if you could
just sum it up for us I would appreciate it I know you're very I I feel bad I know you're very That is okay I will just um if it's okay I'm just going to pass it along Yeah Okay Thank you very much for your time We appreciate it [Applause]
Okay She didn't sign it So thank you for your time Alicia Janelli James Caldwell High School special education teacher 24 years in the district Additionally when Miss Madera did engage with our department she often did so through a
third party rather than directly further contributing to a disconnect between administration and faculty On multiple occasions it was conveyed that we as experienced special education professionals lacked an understanding of our field Such dismissive attitudes
toward trained educators created a hostile and demoralizing work environment that was inongruent with the values of professional respect and student advocacy My decision to leave the district was not motivated by financial
incentives or alternative employment opportunities but rather by an ethical obligation to uphold the principles of effective and equitable education I found it untenable to continue working under policies in
leadership that failed to prioritize the individualized needs of students and the professional integrity of educators I hope that my concerns are taken into consideration to improve the professional culture within the district and to ensure that special education
services continue to align with the best practices in legal mandates Thank you Thank you Thank you [Applause] Good evening My name is Judy O'Hagen I
um currently work at Harrison School in the Department of Special Services and have been with the district for nearly eight years During my time here I've had the opportunity to work alongside various principles and directors gaining valuable insight into the inner workings
of our schools As one of the administrative assistants in the department I support both the child study team and the director of special services During the past four years I've witnessed a deep and genuine commitment to our students especially those with
special needs The improvements and changes made within our department and across the district reflect a strong understanding of the complex codes and best practices including great strides towards increased inclusion inclusion standards that a high-erforming district
like Caldwell West Caldwell should employ Words that come to mind when describing our department include caring knowledgeable approachable dedicated and compassionate These qualities are demonstrated daily by our leader and our
team and I am proud to be part of it Thank you for your time and your attention Thank you Mr Hagen Thank you Hi everyone Hi Can you just tell us your name mainly because I'm not sure which twin it is And the second is I'm in disbelief because I think they're
seniors right Sabrina no we're juniors Thank god I can't believe it Okay so just tell me which one Okay I'm Angelina Angelina Right Okay Uh I live at 22 Washington AOS Cowell Um okay let's get started So I am a junior at James Cowell High School and I felt the need to speak
on behalf of special education and what the replacement classes really mean to all the children in them So for those of you that don't know I am a twin Uh my sister and I have utilized the special ed program since preschool I myself have
been in the inclusion classes whereas Juliana sorry whereas my sister utilized the resource classes We have been blessed with amazing teachers and aids in these classes that truly care about our education
um they have helped us shape in they have helped us been shaped into the people we are today and who we would become and honestly just to give an example I had a teacher stay almost two hours after school to help me with my math because I didn't understand it
that's how much these teachers care about us okay so uh my sister was in an inclusion class one year and it destroyed her self-esteem she was behind in the class and it made her feel incompetent Taking away resource classes will
ultimately set a bunch of kids up for failure You want these kids to succeed So why take away what's helping them without the programs that are currently in place my sister and I would not have reached and achieved the things we did So I'm asking the BOE to truly
reconsider the direction that our administration is taking on our education and to listen to the teachers and what they need We need to support them so kids like me and my sister can truly continue to flourish and succeed
in life Thank you Angeline You did great Thank you [Applause] Hi good evening My name is Trish Martin I'm a school counselor at James Caldwell High School Good evening members of the board of ed and administration I've been
in Caldwell since 2007 longer than many of your children I was a special ed teacher for 13 years and became the ninth grade school counselor in 2020 So I'm not new here and maybe it's due to the change in my position that now I'm more aware of the decisions that are
made about students but I can honestly say that I have never felt so frustrated when trying to do the right thing for students as I have these past four years There is no reason for me to detail my complaints or those of others that I'm aware of You have them in your packet of
evidence But what I will say is what I asked Miss Madera at a round table last spring in front of Dr Conklin and Miss Jones I asked if there was a start date for doing what is right for students And my question remains unanswered When will
she stop hiding behind policy and start doing what is truly right for our kids some people were nervous about me speaking tonight because there are rumors going around that anything negative could result in retaliation retribution or even a civil suit But I've been here long enough to
know that's not how we roll in Caldwell I don't take kindly to threats intimidation or bullying So I'm not afraid I will always stand up for what's right for my students I'll be frank When
I first heard that the board was um going to offer Miss Madera tenure despite the overwhelming evidence that the teachers and staff do not have confidence in her ability to lead my response was "Wow in a teacher shortage that's bold
In the fall members of the board of ed came to each school to meet with the teachers to find out what we were looking for in a new superintendent They asked genuine questions listened and took copious notes We as faculty felt seen We felt
heard So why now do our voices not matter over 90% of your faculty approves of this vote of no confidence 90% That's not a whisper That's a roar Teaching is not for the faint of
heart Teaching is for the bold the stubborn the people who love kids and want to do what's right for them Please trust us when we roar This is not what is right Don't worry I'm only at 2 minutes and 30 seconds You still have the chance to change your minds Do you
want to return teachers back to the low morale that has plagued us for the last five years or do you want to do what is right for the teachers but mostly for our students thank [Applause]
you Anyone else anything on or off the agenda i mean yeah anything on or off the agenda Liz Oh I don't know if you have any budget questions tonight Liz Didn't mean to call you on the spot Oh yeah Please come on up
Sure Liz It's like cheers in here Everybody knows your name You're a regular I know I just want to uh Okay so now that you just put me on the spot Liz Hart 149 Ravine Um I wasn't planning to talk but I will mention that
the JCHS scholarship fund committee is doing um a shredding event in collaboration with um Caldwell and it's Saturday May 3rd from 10:00 a.m to 1:00 p.m at the Kuanas Oval So please bring all your shredding
materials there Uh make donations Um the seniors would really appreciate it So thank you so much Thank you Lex Okay Anybody else tonight anything on or off the agendas yep Hi Jennifer Kachi and Alyssa Alyssa
Rogers Yes we are the parent facilitators for the special education parent advisory group at Coldwell West Caldwell Um we are actually just here to mention to the um community and everybody watching that we are having our third annual um inclusive resource
fair actually next Thursday A little snuck up on us a little bit here May 1st Um this is our like I said our third year hosting We have over 20 different agencies from within Calwell West Cwell and surrounding um towns It is geared
more towards um you know families that have children with special needs but anybody who requires any sort of support services whether it be variety of therapies um sports activities um there's uh all kinds of um planning for
the future there's legal firms that come help up with financial planning all kinds of things like that It's being held at um the James Caldwell High School cafeteria from 5:00 pm to 7 pm Um children are welcome to come as well We've got wonderful student volunteers
that help keep the kids occupied So parents can actually walk around and have conversations with people It's a lot easier than trying to play phone tag and email You can actually talk to uh different providers and get information about services available for your families and for your children Um we
will be we'll be posting information online about um some of the vendors that are coming I do have some flyers tonight I apologize they're in black and white Um but we hope to come you know the community come out We have a lot of wonderful vendors that come um have all
kinds of handouts We have snacks refreshments uh bags things like that So we hope that you if it doesn't apply to you maybe pass the word on to someone that might benefit from getting some information um about these great services Okay Thank you Thank you Thank
you [Applause] Hi Alyssa Manelli 39 Forest Um I was told I was allowed to come back up I was very unprepared to speak the first time but I would just like to address the
teachers because as I've been here my phone has been blowing up And again without names on the agenda it's really hard for us as parents of this district to know what's going on And I listen to these amazing educators speak And I have friends that said "If I only knew I would have been there to support these
teachers I would move mountains for them and the work they've done for our children." Excuse me I kept a close eye and ear on all of this and I've been watching and I've been screaming about best practice not being followed in our elementary schools
Our neighboring districts like Cadam know about early intervention and the importance of pulling out so teachers can support all our children I have listened to you We hear you as parents We need better communication and you've known I've been up here about this
before We need to hear from you I know what you do I know how hard you're working And I'll ask you again Do you trust your teachers i leave you with that Please I left I'm off right now I shouldn't even be here tonight I feel like that episode in Clerks you know
what I mean and I had to come I had to come because I heard about this anonymously and I challenged and I got here We care We care about our children Best practice I know you care Please if you care listen to your
teachers Thank [Applause]
you Anyone else anything on or off the agenda sabrina Graziano 22 Washington West Calald I wasn't going to speak but following my beautiful daughter and all you amazing teachers I have to say I am
so disappointed I cannot believe what I am hearing Number one I am a lifetime resident of West Caldwell I went through the schools here I stayed to raise my daughters here And
as some of you know I've always complained about special ed but it was nowhere near what it is now I have never heard the teachers so
upset and disappointed as I do now And I am so saddened by this What is going on without them Angelina wouldn't be collegebound Juliana forgot about it She needs those replacement classes and
she's thriving But why because she's had Miss Kyle three years in a row and probably every one of these other teachers This last year alone in Juliana's math class a replacement class of five students she went through three teachers
in one marking period What is that please you guys got to do better I have one more year left but all those kids underneath us I'm crying for it Is a sin and I don't want
to pay the taxes I'm paying if I'm going to keep losing these teachers Thank you Thanks Sabrina [Applause]
Anyone else okay that being said I'm going to close public comment I did have a comment I'd like to make at the end So sure before we go Um so let's do that before we um adjourn to executive Um it's profoundly disheartening to
witness the recent actions and rhetoric from some members of the Caldwell West Call to Education Association and the New Jersey Education Association These actions appear to undermine our collective responsibility to create inclusive and supportive learning environments for all students Any effort whether direct or indirect that promotes
segregations of students with disabilities is not only outdated it is fundamentally unjust It runs counter to decades of progress we have made in public education and advancing the rights of students with disabilities to learn grow and succeed alongside their peers Equally troubling are the personal
and professional attacks aimed at a respected administrator whose leadership has consistently championed inclusion access and student success This individual brings deep expertise in special education a calm and collaborative leadership style and an unwavering belief in potential for every
child regardless of their ability Even more concerning is what appears to be the silent protest this evening with staff members wearing black at a public board meeting While every individual has the right to express their views doing this in this setting raises serious questions about appropriateness and
intent it sends a message that feels combative rather than collaborative It stands in stark contrast to the student- centered vals we all expect and model Let me be clear Calo West called Caldwell students deserve better They deserve to see adults who act with integrity who engage respectfully and
professionally and who come together to support every learner Our community expects and deserves constructive respectful dialogue Dialogue that uphold dignity inclusion and educational excellence In that spirit I want to remind all the staff and partners of something equally critical the
importance of maintaining confidentiality Breaches of confidentiality especially regarding special education individual supports personnel matters and employment records carry serious consequences These include legal violations of federal and state
laws including FURPA and IDEIDA loss of trust between families and schools financial and legal liability for individual staff and the district emotional and academic harm to students damage to careers and reputations of staff and perhaps most importantly an
erosion of the ethical standards that should define our profession We are a district with clear mission to foster inspire and champion learning for all I know that the overwhelming majority of staff are deeply committed to that mission They believe in inclusion They
believe in student centered practices They believe in doing what is right even when it is difficult Now is the time for those voices to be heard Voices of compassion integrity and belief in every child's potential and put students first As a superintendent I will continue to
uplift and stand beside those who lead with courage empathy and an unwavering focus on fairness dignity and every student's success Thank you board president Thank you I'm just going to say again respectfulness is important
Wouldn't we all say that i'm just going to say I'm just going to say that No Rob I'm sorry Public comment is closed Okay Rob Rob listen I know you're fr It's a public comment is closed Okay we're going to move to adjourn the meeting I
just want to say something and this is to be clear The board of education strongly supports the inclusion model That is the way the district will continue to move forward with the interim superintendent and with the next superintendent who comes in next That is
something that we are steadfast committed to is the inclusion model It is not about not hearing the teachers We hear you We respect you We hold you dear to our hearts One thing I can just say on a personal level it's hurtful to me personally to be told that I don't listen to the teachers As the board
president I have gone out on a limb to do nothing more than extend the olive branch and listen to the teachers on multiple occasions including on my own personal time That being said sometimes parents and Sabrina Angelini you're not going to
always understand this but I'm going to say to you that we see things as a board through a different lens that other people don't see it including the teachers It's not that we don't respect what they have to say or that we don't value what they have to say but we're looking at it through a totally different lens There's a lot of other
things that play into the decisions that we make up here and some of them we just can't talk about in public especially before they happen Okay It doesn't mean that what you're saying to us doesn't mean anything to us because especially from your mouth because you experience it It means a lot I want you to just
understand that what you did tonight was so brave to be on camera and come up here in front of this big room That was amazing And I knew you when you were in your mommy's belly with Juliana at Memorial Park and we were with my kids running around and to see you do this tonight That is amazing You're an
amazing human being So you just really should feel so proud But I everyone just needs to understand that people watching you have to understand we listen We love our teachers This board of education stands behind our teachers But it doesn't mean we do whatever people want us to do We have to look at things with
a very objective lens whether people agree with it or not Okay and I will say one thing clear that I can say firmly tonight We support the inclusion model in this district and that is the way this district is going to continue to move forward That being said can I call for a motion
to move into executive session at 8:22 p.m i'll make a motion and a second I'll second Brian all in favor i I All against nay Any abstensions no Motion Good night everyone Thank you Yeah of
course