1 MAY 8, 2013 a Regular Public Meeting of the Board of Education
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MAY 8, 2013 A Regular Public Meeting of the Board of Education of the Township of Teaneck, County of Bergen, New Jersey, was held in the 3rd Floor Cheryl Miller-Porter Student Center at Teaneck High School, 100 Elizabeth Avenue, Teaneck, New Jersey, on Wednesday, May 8, 2013, at 8:00 p.m. Dr. Ardie D. Walser, President of the Board, presided. PRESIDING OFFICER’S MEETING NOTICE STATEMENT “I hereby call to order the Regular Public Meeting of the Teaneck Board of Education, held on Wednesday, May 8, 2013, in the 3rd Floor Cheryl Miller-Porter Student Center at Teaneck High School, 100 Elizabeth Avenue, Teaneck, New Jersey. Adequate notice of this meeting has been sent to The Record, The Suburbanite, filed with the Municipal Clerk of the Township of Teaneck and posted inside the Teaneck Board of Education, One Merrison Street, on Friday, May 3, 2013.” ROLL CALL Board Members Present: Mrs. Margot Fisher Mrs. Sarah Rappoport Mr. Sebastian Rodriguez Mr. Howard Rose Dr. Ardie Walser Mrs. Clara Williams Ms. Shelley Worrell Absent: Dr. David Gruber Mrs. Gervonn Rice Others Present: Ms. Barbara Pinsak, Superintendent of Schools Mr. Robert Finger, Business Administrator/Board Secretary Mr. Vincent McHale, Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum and Instruction 1 MAY 8, 2013 PRESENTATIONS Awards to Students (Student Reps, Bullying Program Winners and ACE Program) The Superintendent introduced the Students, Teachers and Mentors who were being honored at tonight’s meeting. ACE Presentation Student Liaison Board of Education Report May 8, 2013 Regular Public Meeting Student Board of Education Ambassadors April 29th –May 2nd Teaneck High School hosted Yavneh Academy in Paramus for 4 days to practice their Holocaust play. 600 students were invited to attend from various schools. May 2nd and 3rd Literacy Festival May 3rd Art show May 4th Senior Citizen Prom May 4th Cinco De Mayo Party sponsored by Teaneck Comes Together May 6th- May 15th Advanced Placement Testing May 7th and May 8th Junior Rutgers Trip May 10th and May 11th Dance Ensemble and will perform on May 16th at Teaneck Nursing Center May 10th Hall of Fame Dinner honoring Tamba Hali, Maya Lawrence, Curtis March, James Vuono, Price Water House had representatives attend the College Success Classes May 19th Vocal Music Concert May 28th National honor Society Induction May 29th Senior Prom Westmount Country Club May 31st Career Day-Alumni and Parents will be the presenters Several Students took the International Latin Exam College commitments are on the walls in the Student Center June 3rd and June 4th Freshmen Rutgers Trip June 4th Valedictorian Breakfast June 4th Athletic Awards Dinner June 11th Community Scholarship June 13th Honors Convocation at the World of Wings June 24th Senior Cabaret June 21st Physics Olympics June 25th Teaneck High School Graduation Spring Sports Joel Hernandez committed to Long Island University on a basketball scholarship Varsity Baseball Team 14-4 qualified for the counties first time in a long time Boys Varsity Volleyball team qualified for the counties Tamara Levin had a perfect game Alex Orzorio no hitter Girls Track team participated in Penn Relays 2 MAY 8, 2013 PUBLIC PARTICIPATION ON MEETING AGENDA The public hearing on matters appearing on this meeting’s business agenda commenced at 8:35 p.m. No one wished to address the Board on any agenda matters and the hearing was closed. FORMAL BUSINESS AGENDA The Board of Education took the following indicated actions on the business agenda items for this meeting. 3 BOARD POLICY MAY 8, 2013 Motion made by Mr. Rodriguez seconded by Mr. Rose ; 14. the Board approved FIRST READING of the following Board Policies: 8600 - Transportation (Revised) MANDATED Roll call on Board Policy Motion #14; Motion approved 7-0. 4 BOARD OPERATIONS MAY 8, 2013 Motion made by Mr. Rodriguez seconded by Mr. Rose ; 37. the Board approved the following Minutes for the March 27, 2013 Special Public Meeting, April 3, 2013 Workshop Meeting and April 10, 2013 Regular Public Meeting. 38. the Board approved the Minutes for the following Executive Sessions as the need for confidentiality no longer exists and formal action has been taken by the Board: June 8, 2011, June 22, 2011 November 2, 2011 August 22, 2012 October 10, 2012 November 14, 2012 December 5, 2012 January 16, 2013, January 23, 2013 February 6, 2013, February 13, 2013 March 6, 2013, March 13, 2013 39. the Board approved the following resolution: RESOLUTION Opposing S-1191 / A-3627 (Undermining a School Board's Ability to Subcontract Services) WHEREAS, New Jersey's boards of education represent the community's interests in the governance and budget oversight of school districts that collectively serve the health and educational needs of nearly 1.4 million children; and WHEREAS, school boards continually strive to provide cost-effective ways to deliver services, which will free up additional funds to be used in the classroom or for property-tax relief; and WHEREAS, many New Jersey school boards have found subcontracting of services such as transportation, cafeteria and maintenance is an option that has saved millions of tax dollars every year; and WHEREAS, the Teaneck Board of Education has always subcontracted transportation and has subcontracted cafeteria services since 1990. To reestablish these services in-house would be cost prohibitive. WHEREAS, Senate Bill 1191 and Assembly Bill 3627 of the 2012-2013 Legislative Session is a union-backed bill that would place severe obstacles in the way of a school board's ability to subcontract services and save tax dollars; and 5 BOARD OPERATIONS MAY 8, 2013 #39 (cont’d.) WHEREAS, the sole purpose of Senate Bill 1191 and Assembly Bill 3627 is to undermine a board's ability to subcontract services, thereby increasing school employees and increasing the rolls of union membership, which generates more dues for union coffers; and WHEREAS, Senate Bill 1191 and Assembly Bill 3627 would remove a school board's option to subcontract services, thereby diverting funds from the classroom and burdening property taxpayers. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Teaneck Board of Education, in its continued effort to provide cost-effective school operations to the community, opposes Senate Bill 1191 and Assembly Bill 3627; and be it further RESOLVED, that the Teaneck Board of Education calls on the New Jersey Legislature to reject any such measures that will have the effect of depleting limited resources from our classroom; and be it further RESOLVED, that a copy of this resolution shall be forwarded to members of the 37th legislative district delegation, legislative leadership and to the Governor of the State of New Jersey, and to the New Jersey School Boards Association. 40. the Board approved the following resolution: RESOLUTION Opposing S-2163 and A-3696 (Requiring binding arbitration over disciplinary matters involving non-teaching staff) WHEREAS, New Jersey's local boards of education represent the community's interests in the governance and financial oversight of school districts that serve the educational needs of nearly 1.4 million children; and WHEREAS, Proposed legislation, Senate Bill 2163 and Assembly Bill 3696, would give non-teaching employees, such as teacher assistants, bus drivers and cafeteria aides, tenure-like protection by forcing school districts to enter into binding arbitration over non-renewal of employment, as well as virtually any "disciplinary" action, ranging from reprimands to withholding increments; and WHEREAS, S-2163 and A-3696 would undermine the authority of local boards of education, the public's elected and appointed representatives, by preventing them from negotiating disciplinary procedures to effectively and efficiently manage employee conduct and performance; and WHEREAS, mandated binding arbitration would require the expenditure of valuable time and resources, while placing critical decisions in the hands of arbitrators, who are not accountable to the taxpayers of the community; and 6 BOARD OPERATIONS MAY 8, 2013 #40 (cont’d.) WHEREAS, S-2163 and A-3696 would subject economic decisions, such as a reduction of non-teaching staff due to a budgetary shortfall or enrollment decline, to binding arbitration; and WHEREAS, S-2163 and A-3696 define "disciplinary action" so broadly that the term would include non-renewals of employment contracts, thereby bypassing court rulings that have consistently held that the decision not to renew fixed-term contracts of such staff does not constitute discipline; and WHEREAS, extending binding arbitration to such "disciplinary" matters involving non-teaching staff employees will have an adverse economic impact on local school budgets at a time when school districts must make the best possible use of limited financial resources. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Teaneck Board of Education, in fulfilling its responsibility to provide effective governance and financial oversight to our community's public schools, opposes Senate Bill 2163 and Assembly Bill 3696; and be it further RESOLVED, that the Teaneck Board of Education calls on the Governor and the New Jersey Legislature to reject any and all measures that would require binding arbitration over disciplinary matters and non-renewal of employment; and be it further RESOLVED, that copies of this resolution be forwarded to Governor Chris Christie, Senate President Stephen M. Sweeney, Assembly Speaker Sheila Y. Oliver, state Senator Weinberg, and Assembly Representatives Johnson and Vainieri-Huttle; and be it further RESOLVED, that a copy of this resolution be provided to the New Jersey School Boards Association. 41. the Board accepted and approved the results of the Superintendent Evaluation for the 2012-2013 school year as discussed in Executive Session on May 8, 2013. Roll call on Board Operations Motion #38, 39, 40 & 41; Motion approved 7-0. Roll call on Board Operations Motion #37; Motion approved 6-0. Mrs. Rappoport abstained on the April 10, 2013 Minutes. 7 SCHOOL OPERATIONS AND CURRICULUM MAY 8, 2013 Motion made by Mr.