Middletown Board of Education Member Branded Unethical

Joan Minnuies

Middletown, NJ- Board of Education Member Vincent Brand has accused his fellow Board Member, Joan Minnuies, of using her official capacity on the Board for the benefit of her daughter’s employment at Middletown High School North and of using her position to recruit Middletown North students to volunteer at her granddaughter’s birthday party in exchange for a letter stating that they performed volunteer hours.

Minnuies says that Brand’s accusations, which were lodged as an Ethics Complaint with New Jersey’s School Ethics Commission, are “bogus” and “political motivated.”   Minnuies is standing for reelection next Tuesday.

According to Brand’s complaint, Minnuies opposed efforts by Dr. William George, Schools Superintendent, to hire a new business instruction teacher, Miss Devan Crimi, at MHSN because Crimi is also an “elite” lacrosse and field hockey coach who was an Academic and Athletic All-American in lacrosse while a college student at Adelphi University.  Minnuies daughter, Jenna Minnuies Jackson, is employed by the school district as a coach of field hockey, bowling and lacrosse.

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State senators get lesson in school overcrowding, underfunding in Freehold Borough

FREEHOLD BOROUGH – State Senate President Stephen Sweeney and Senators M. Teresa Ruiz and Jennifer Beck visited Park Avenue Elementary School on Tuesday afternoon to promote the value of the district’s early childhood education program. The met with teachers and students, watched them read books and heard them sing songs. Then were told that the benefits… Read the rest of this entry »

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Overcrowding crisis: Should N.J overrule voters, approve $33M school expansion?

FREEHOLD — The sign that hangs above the door says “library.” But students at Park Avenue Elementary School don’t come here to check out books. The room has been overtaken, repurposed into seven miniature and makeshift classrooms partitioned only by thin, 6-foot temporary dividers. Students learning English as their second language sit between those dividers, meeting… Read the rest of this entry »

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Rejected by voters twice, Freehold Boro Board of Ed moves to borrow $33 million for school construction

Superintendent of Schools: Referendum would have passed if illegals could vote

Residents are asked to comment after voting twice

By Caitlin Brown, Contributor

Despite two rejections by voters, the Freehold Borough School District has decided to move forward with plans to force taxpayers to borrow $33 million for the financing of state of the art construction and renovation to the district’s current schools, in order to cope with the influx of undocumented residents to the borough and the subsequent overcrowding of 500 additional students to the school district.

The Board of Education has decided to appeal to the New Jersey Comissioner of Education for the appropriation and authorization of the school bonds, but are required by State Department of Education guidelines to provide a public comment period for residents, open until June 8.

The referendum in dispute was first rejected in September and again in December, by residents who balked at the bond referendum’s total cost of $32,902,400. The proposal calls for bonds of $22,091,500 for the construction of additions to the Park Avenue Elementary and Intermediate School, including: an additional cafeteria; an additional gymnasium; four new classrooms; an additional girls’ locker room; renovations to five existing classrooms; renovations to one of the two boys’ locker rooms; and a new library/media room, as a result of the existing library having been converted due to lack of space elsewhere into cubicles for special needs and ESL learning, according to the district’s superintendent, Rocco Tomazic. A total of $10,633,300 is also being sought for the building of 13 pre-K and kindergarten classrooms at the Freehold Learning Center, as well as renovations to the cafeteria and a new kitchen receiving area, according to the district’s referendum schematic plans.

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Christie: Dump Common Core education standards

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Brookdale Prez Doesn’t Get Texas Job

Brookdale Community College President Maureen Murphy’s search for her next gig continues.

One of four finalists for the presidency of Blinn College in Brenham, Texas, Murphy lost out when the Board of Trustees unanimously chose Dr. Mary Hensly, a 14 year veteran administrator of the Austin Texas Community College District.

Murphy has been the president of Brookdale for three years. In the 16 years since leaving teaching to become an administrator in 1999, she’s held five different positions at four different community colleges. Her contract with Brookdale was extended last October.

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Educators worried Christie will back off support of Common Core, report says

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Report: FBI tells N.J. students that ISIS is actively recruiting

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Westfield High School Displays Anti-Cop Student Art

photo via TAP into Westfield

A school district-wide student art exhibit by Westfield High School students titled, “Law Enforcement — Police Brutality,” is drawing criticism from the law enforcement community, according to a report at TAP into Westfield.

Westfield, a toney Union County town of 30,000 with a median family income of $112,145 as of the 2010 U.S. Census, was named the 24th safest city in the United States in 2015 by Neighborhood Scout.   The chances of being the victim of a crime in Westfield is 1 in 2057. Statewide in New Jersey, the chances of being the victim of a crime is 1 in 347, according to Neighborhood Scout.

Westfield is 13.5 miles from Newark and 10 miles from Elizabeth.

The art exhibit, which closed this afternoon, includes an image of a bloodied figure stabbed in the back with a badge and several images of guns aimed at unarmed figures.

TAP into Westfield reports that police officers worldwide are sharing photos from the display on social media and encouraging complaints to be emailed to Superintendent Dr. Margaret Dolan.

The student’s work was accompanied by artist statements.

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Freeholders honor MAST students

By Muriel Smith

FREEHOLD –  Eighty cadets from the Marine Academy of Science and Technology (MAST) NJROTC unit were honored Thursday night at the regular meeting of the Board of Freeholders, when each received a certificate of appreciation and the day was proclaimed MAST Day in Monmouth County.

Freeholder Lillian Burry brought the honors to the high school students citing their first place awards in senior and freshman divisions of drill competitions. The senior team placed first in three of the four, second in the fourth at the senior level, while both the senior and freshmen teams took all the top honors in the academics portion of the events. MAST’s varsity Color Guard led by Cadets Steven Vieira and Kyle McKean also is undefeated in each of the competitions.  The Color Guard opened the meeting Thursday night and presented colors for the pledge of allegiance which starts every freeholder meeting.

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