Board of Education

Jeffrey_Bennett said:

DaveSchmidt said:

The C-1 form I see says Cuttle raised $2,398.78 in total, of which Maini donated $698.78.

I do not think this is correct, although I'm also capable of making a mistake.

On the C-1 for 2021, Maini is listed as giving $2,000 in currency on August 25th and then on October 5th she is listed as giving $2,398.78 for lawn signs.  

I think Cuttle's total spending was higher than $2398 because they is listed as getting $1700 from Beth Daugherty and $1000 from the NJ LGBTQ Dems.

Jeffrey_Bennett said:

Jeffrey_Bennett said:

DaveSchmidt said:

The C-1 form I see says Cuttle raised $2,398.78 in total, of which Maini donated $698.78.

I do not think this is correct, although I'm also capable of making a mistake.

On the C-1 for 2021, Maini is listed as giving $2,000 in currency on August 25th and then on October 5th she is listed as giving $2,398.78 for lawn signs.  

I think Cuttle's total spending was higher than $2398 because they is listed as getting $1700 from Beth Daugherty and $1000 from the NJ LGBTQ Dems.

I see $700, not $1,700, from “Elizabeth Daughtery,” presumably a typo for Beth Daugherty.

$700 + $1,000 + $698 (Maini) = $2,398.

(Screenshot deleted after Jeffrey_Bennett saw it, so it doesn’t appear on the Forum homepage.)

DaveSchmidt said:

I see $700, not $1,700, from “Elizabeth Daughtery,” presumably a typo for Beth Daugherty.

$700 + $1,000 + $698 (Maini) = $2,398.

Ok. I see I made a mistake. It's surprising that Cuttle didn't get any small-value donations in 2021, nor did previous big donors like Sally Unsworth and Stephen Mershon donate. 

Anyway, I added an ETA to my original post.  My point is right that Maini is the Pancholy & Meyer manager for 2022 and likely a sizeable donor, if not at the $2k level.

Jeffrey_Bennett said:

It's surprising that Cuttle didn't get any small-value donations in 2021, nor did previous big donors like Sally Unsworth and Stephen Mershon donate.

The Cuttle race is history, but for future reference in this election: As I understand it, the C-1 accounts only for donors who give $300 or more.

Jeffrey_Bennett said:

DaveSchmidt said:

The C-1 form I see says Cuttle raised $2,398.78 in total, of which Maini donated $698.78.

I do not think this is correct, although I'm also capable of making a mistake.

On the C-1 for 2021, Maini is listed as giving $2,000 in currency on August 25th and then on October 5th she is listed as giving $2,398.78 for lawn signs.  

The $2000 is the "aggregate" amount for the large donations.  Next to the aggregate amount is the amount given on that specific date.  Maini gave $300 (agg $2000) on 8/25 and then gave $398.78 on 10/05 for lawn signs (agg $2398.78).

NJ LGBTQ Dems gave $1000 then Beth Daugherty gave $700 (aggregate $1700).

Jeffrey_Bennett said:

I think Cuttle's total spending was higher than $2398 because they is listed as getting $1700 from Beth Daugherty and $1000 from the NJ LGBTQ Dems.

Excuse me, but that should be "they ARE listed ...".  Just because "they" is being used for one person rather than a group does not change the verb form.  Similarly, it is never correct to say "you is" when "you" is referring to one person.  You don't say "they is" when you are referring to an unknown person, do you?

I doubt it was your intention, but this kind of misuse of grammar with respect to preferred pronouns comes across as one more insult to those who prefer they/them pronouns.

When driving around town today I saw so many different signs for the BOE. I am completely  confused. Who are the best sensible candidates?

Reread this thread.

galileo said:

When driving around town today I saw so many different signs for the BOE. I am completely  confused. Who are the best sensible candidates?

none of the above, imho.

galileo said:

When driving around town today I saw so many different signs for the BOE. I am completely  confused. Who are the best sensible candidates?

The first debate is tonight (Oct. 10) so you can learn more. Organization-wise, Pahcholy and Meyer are aligned with the group that has had operational control of the Board for the last several years. A sweep by Eckert, Wilson and Gifford would mean that group loses their Board majority.

Thanks Chalmers.What time is the debate and how can I see it?. Others might also like to know.

galileo said:

Thanks Chalmers.What time is the debate and how can I see it?. Others might also like to know.

Sure, it's 7:30 in the meeting room at the Board of Ed building on Academy and the live stream will be visible on YouTube at the URL mentioned in this link:

https://www.facebook.com/lwvmso

Thank you,bak. I did watch it and it seemed like an agreeable group.Will have to watch the others. Name plaques would have been nice.

I haven't watched it yet, but saw near the very beginning it looks like they have name tents in front of them, but unfortunately, these are not readable on the screen -- and they are not in the frame when the video zooms in on them when responding to questions.

The moderator called on them by name each time.  There are only five candidates between the two slates.  I didn't find it hard to follow who was speaking.  Regardless of positions, I did find Gifford very much unprepared for prime time.

galileo said:

Thank you,bak. I did watch it and it seemed like an agreeable group.Will have to watch the others. Name plaques would have been nice.

One area where the BOE has a large degree of control and which I'm focused on is the integration plan, specifically transportation, a parental role in placement, and a transfer possibility.

Bill Gifford made it clear he is in favor of more bussing and that the complete outsourcing of transportation is something he would have opposed. He has spoken out elsewhere that he does not think subscription bussing is fair, except as a last resort.

I liked Nubia Wilson's answer about the III that starts at 21:07 "Our slate wholeheartedly supports the integration plan.... For successes, if you look at the data, racially and socioeconomically, the schools are more balanced, but we're missing some of the human element of that story.  Where are the experienced survey results? We haven't gotten them yet because they [the survey] were never sent out."

"I'm tired of the narrative that only white families are complaining about transportation, that's just not true."  

I like that Regina Eckert talked about how extraordinary that the Maplewood TC and SOBOT who called the October 6th BOSE meeting to talk about transportation, not the BOE.

galileo said:

Thank you,bak. I did watch it and it seemed like an agreeable group.Will have to watch the others. Name plaques would have been nice.

The Village Green has elicited good answers.

Here's transportation.

https://villagegreennj.com/election/village-green-ask-the-candidates-2022-boe-candidates-on-busing-and-transportation/

And here's access & equity.

https://villagegreennj.com/election/village-green-ask-the-candidates-2022-boe-candidates-on-access-equity/

FYI,  Bill Gifford, Nubia Wilson, and Regina Eckert did an online forum with SOMA for a Safe Return to School that I think some people here might like.

Although our schools are operating in-person, there are still a lot of important issues relating to health & safety and educational and social recovery that we must address.

You can register for the Coalition's debate here:

https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZwpdOCopjIiHtIkdnRwRk8pIkfSwClSuoRq

Virtual BOE Candidates' Forum on Tues., Oct. 25th, 7:30 PM.

Unfortunately the beginning of the forum was not recorded, but more than half of it is available here.  

The conversation begins in the middle of Bill Gifford's transportation statement.

The Board of Education is conducting a public survey to refine the district's branding in case anyone is interested.

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScjXc5dHhribNT7dwdL08xThHsR3xS18lfJH_yY0Xzq2-ldGQ/viewform?fbclid=IwAR3bXklOLXt0PDA4LEnJN05XtytkqHWUt3Xs0FLtLcFes2Kztw3jSh6sOKc

chalmers said:

The Board of Education is conducting a public survey to refine the district's branding in case anyone is interested.

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScjXc5dHhribNT7dwdL08xThHsR3xS18lfJH_yY0Xzq2-ldGQ/viewform?fbclid=IwAR3bXklOLXt0PDA4LEnJN05XtytkqHWUt3Xs0FLtLcFes2Kztw3jSh6sOKc

this thoroughly disappoints me.  We have so many budget issues and they spend 40k on a consultant from Montclair who writes a Google form full of buzzwords.  We don't need this at all, and if we did need it there had to be a local consultant who could fleece the district just as well.  Tone deaf.  

Of all the topics the BOE could choose to conduct a survey, it's branding.  This is one of the stupidest things the BOE has ever done.

If there was a vote on this I'd like to see the break down.

DanDietrich said:

this thoroughly disappoints me.  We have so many budget issues and they spend 40k on a consultant from Montclair who writes a Google form full of buzzwords.  We don't need this at all, and if we did need it there had to be a local consultant who could fleece the district just as well.  Tone deaf.  

this is basically what I put in my response to the survey , in addition to mentioning examples of where resources should have been targeted - teachers, leaking ceilings at MMS and getting the ongoing construction completed more quickly so kids don't continue playing soccer on blacktop and injuring themselves.

jfinnegan said:

DanDietrich said:

this thoroughly disappoints me.  We have so many budget issues and they spend 40k on a consultant from Montclair who writes a Google form full of buzzwords.  We don't need this at all, and if we did need it there had to be a local consultant who could fleece the district just as well.  Tone deaf.  

this is basically what I put in my response to the survey , in addition to mentioning examples of where resources should have been targeted - teachers, leaking ceilings at MMS and getting the ongoing construction completed more quickly so kids don't continue playing soccer on blacktop and injuring themselves.

Based on a limited sample size, the BOE is getting very negative feedback to the branding survey. Deservedly so.

DanDietrich said:

If there was a vote on this I'd like to see the break down.

There was no vote because the amount was under $44,000, but the BOE inner circle knew about this.  Thair Joshua mentioned a mysterious "rebranding" at the September 2022 meeting (at 2 hours, 12 minutes).  

The independents only found out about this when it was time for the BOE's own focus group.  Elissa Malespina talked about not knowing about this until almost as late as the general public.  

https://villagegreennj.com/schools-kids/somsd-tone-deaf-rebranding-draws-community-wide-disbelief-and-scorn/

I saw that article.  You know, every election cycle we are lucky to have good candidates.  They always seem experienced.  Certainly they are caring.  And yet once elected nothing changes.  I always try to vote against the inner circle but it just goes on and on.

DanDietrich said:

I saw that article.  You know, every election cycle we are lucky to have good candidates.  They always seem experienced.  Certainly they are caring.  And yet once elected nothing changes.  I always try to vote against the inner circle but it just goes on and on.

This is my conundrum. I want to vote for the 3 just to see if anything will change. I'm going to watch the 2nd and 3rd debates over the weekend to see if more substantial answers are provided by some candidates, because at the moment I'm split.