Thursday, August 18, 2011

And Then There Were None

Pat Demarest’s resignation from the Matawan Aberdeen School Board marks the end of an era. On the school board, it’s the end of Barza, a political machine that corrupted the school district. Come January, the entire town council will be a group of rookies.

Will the new era mark an improvement? I believe we’re already seeing the changes taking effect despite their glacial pace. From improved budgets to greater transparency to more responsive service, the town is slowly getting better. In the school district, we’ve seen smaller tax increases and improved programs. I just hope they quicken the pace.

Whatever reasons Demarest had for returning to the board, things plainly didn’t pan out as she had planned.

In January of last year, during her run for the school board, she submitted an affidavit on Wayne Spell’s behalf, stating “I believe it is reasonable to interpret Board Policy 4117.51 as being applicable to . . . increment withholdings related to school administrators.”

(Mr. Spell’s salary increment withholding resulted from his failure to properly administer the TERRA NOVA exams, which resulted in the entire district failing the exam.)

Her stand against the school district was so egregious, she wasn’t allowed to participate in or be privy to any board deliberations regarding the matter.

On April 21, 2011, the Commissioner of Education rejected Demarest’s position and stated, “the Commissioner found that several due process safeguards articulated in Policy 4117.51 were provided to petitioner, notwithstanding that they appeared on their face to be intended for the protection of teachers.”

(The sad thing is that the board was prepared to settle with Mr. Spells and reinstate his increment. However, Mr. Spells never offered an apology to the board and we had a slam dunk case to prove we were taking a hard line with the unions.)

Ms. Demarest also lost her two allies on the board, Rubino and Ruprecht, when they both chose to not seek reelection.

To add insult to injury, Ms. Demarest was seated directly across from Ken Aitken, one of her least favorite people. (That’s an old trick. Majority, in coordination with the administration, determines the initial seating order. All board members are free to move their seats but nobody ever does.)

Following Aitken’s election, Demarest stopped attending most of the board meetings. She held on for the opportunity to present her son a diploma at graduation.

Finally, it’s become easy, even vogue, to resign from the school board in recent years; so many of us have done it.

As for the challenges that lie ahead, it’s nice to know that, despite their differences, everybody on the school board is fighting, first and foremost, for the children and the community.
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14 comments:

F ZAVORSKAS AND BARBATO said...

BARZA was far more than corruption. Don't forget the thirty eight million dollars they misspent. A-holes all of them. They deserve to be scorned in public like OJ Simpson. Actually they deserve to be just like OJ in jail.

Anonymous said...

DON'T HOLD BACK

K.Z. WAS A WHACK JOB

JOHN B. WAS AN EGOTISTICAL JERK

THEIR FOLLOWERS WERE SHEEP

BUT WITH ALL OF IT

THEY DID NOT SCREW US AS MUCH AS NORMAN KAUFF


THATSAFACTJACK

Anonymous said...

I've been in this community for 21 years and this is the first time there is a buzz in the community about our school system being a great place to work and to send our kids to school for a safe quality education. Whatever is taking place with the board, Healy and the district is working and I for one am so pleased to finally hear the focus is on the kids and not the infighting and politics that has plagued our school district as far back as I can remember. Kudos to Kenny, Hayward and the rest for having the sense to bring Healy back to where he belongs for our children. Good news travels fast. If things have improved this much in a few short months I can't wait for what is to come. Stay tuned. It can only keep getting better.

Anonymous said...

What a bunch of bullshit. The district is improving in what way? Where is the proof that the district is improving. An over $60 million budget for what. Teachers are working with no contract. Superintendent is brand new with no experience or accomplishments yet. A quality education based on what facts. A board of education that is unelected and has its own special interests. An asshole that doesn't live in town is the judge of whether our kids are getting a "quality education". COme on, wake up and stop drinking the kool-aid.

Anonymous said...

Ding! Ding! Ding! WE HAVE A WINNER!

I especially like the part about the asshole that doesn't live in town.

SDRINK MY KOOL AID YOU FOOL said...

BUT YOU LIVE IN TOWN AND SAY

ABSOLUTELY NOTHING

DRINK MY KOOL AID YOU FOOL

DRINK MY KOOL AID YOU FOOL said...

BUT YOU LIVE IN TOWN AND SAY

ABSOLUTELY NOTHING

DRINK MY KOOL AID YOU FOOL

Kool-Aid is great said...

Kool-Aid is so ghetto. I love Kool- Aid and I am white. But I really love the idiots who pick on JMAC for doing his job in Aberdeen. Look at my town in Matawan you idiots. Now look at Aberdeen. Enough said I think. I only wish we had someone to do that job here. Just look at the stores and the stupid signs like weeds all over the place. If Bucci was smart he'd hire JMAC but then again Buci and smart is Oxymoronic.

our idiot mayor said...

They would never hire code guy. He is Normies secret weapon for corrupt campaign fund raising. Maybe Coach Fred will negotiate another going nowhere fast deal of shared services. We don't do much with that shared services stuff even if it would save the taxpayers money. Much less have Kauff and his crooks sharing the stage with the idiot mayor of Matawan and the rest of our three ring circus. Then again Matawans idiot mayor does not want to have people told to maintain their properties or not have signs here and there. They rather have it look like it does I guess which is like crap. Right mayor idiot.

Anonymous said...

Your taxes are going way up - They are developing Anchor glass with 110 low income housing @ 2 kids per unit that will increase the school cost by 220 x $12616 = $2,775,520 and you know it going to be a pilot so the schools get nothing

Wake up all of you said...

110 low income? What about the other 500+ units that are rumored due to the size of the property over there. Remember one thing all of you Norman Kauff and his corrupt horde will all get rich on it and us taxpayers will pay the bill.

I live in Matawan and have never had kids in the educational system so I have paid the freight for all of your kids and for the corruption and wasted construction monies in the tens of millions. I am so tired of bending over and paying for corruption, incompetent politicians and the ignorant taxpayers who don't pay attention to what is killing our communities.

Wake up people it is already too late.

Anonymous said...

I talked to a former town worker who thinks some religious school over in the beach is somehow involved in the anchor glass project. Not that the school owners cannot be involved in development and stuff but the guy told me if Norman Kauff don't get his share nothing gets built in town Not that we have not heard that name before ten thousand times but he said that anchor glass building sat for years and when Mr. Brown got the building open for shipping companies he got put out of his job. Never cross Mr. Kauff seems to be the fear factor for anyone in town hall to speak out.

Anonymous said...

"And Then There Were None"
Should have been a story on the amount of readers on this blog.

Anonymous said...

Anyone hear that CZ may have finally snapped. The marvels of prescription medication can only do so much to keep ones psyche under control. It was bound to happen. She just looks so on the edge all the time.