Point Pleasant Borough Board of Education Candidates Share Views on Teacher Tenure, Superintendent Salaries

In what's been the campaign that wasn't, two challengers are opposing two incumbents for two, three-year seats on the Point Pleasant Borough Board of Education in Wednesday's election.

Incumbents John MacDermant, Morris Avenue, and Regina Foley, Bayberry Avenue, are challenged by James Barber, Middle Avenue and Susan Ward, Riverwood Avenue.

Tim Harrison, whose name is on the ballot, announced Wednesday he no longer wants to be on the board and has endorsed the incumbents.

Harrison said the demands of his work, graduate school studies and family have increased and he doesn't think he'll have time to adequately fulfill a board member's duties this year, although he intends to run in the future.

That leaves four candidates who, so far, have shown no outward signs of actually campaigning.

In interviews, the candidates tend to speak in such glowing terms of each other that it's hard to tell there is a political contest taking place.

Barber could not be reached for comment.

Susan Ward, Riverwood Avenue, the only challenger who even spoke at any board budget meetings, said in an interview this past week that she respects the incumbents and thinks they've done a good job.

When asked what she would do better than the incumbents and why people should choose her instead of them, Ward replied, "That's a good question. I'm not here to say I can do better."

However, Ward did say that her experience as a mother of three grown sons and work experience as an occupational therapist would help her bring a new perspective to the board.

Ward, who has lived in the borough for 26 years, had worked as an occupational therapist for the borough school district for about six years until about four years ago.

She had worked for the borough, as well as other districts, as an independent contractor. Currently, she is working in the Lacey schools.

Ward noted that given Gov. Christie's numerous proposals to change educational policies, this is a time of great change for school districts.

"The governor had said that each district should come up with its own review policy for evaluating teachers," Ward said. "But I think there should be a statewide policy."

Ward said evaluating teachers should be based on evaluation of the teacher's classroom performance as well as student test scores.

As for tenure, Ward said she would favor a system where teachers could be terminated after receiving two or three poor evaluations.

"But not after one," she said. "There should be an opportunity for teachers to address what they've been given feedback on."

When asked if she would alter any personnel changes made during last year's budget cuts, she said, "I can't say if I would have done anything differently because the board has group discussions and those are group decisions."

Ward said if the numbers of incoming students overall in town decrease, the board "may need to look to the number of elementary classes or  sizes."

She also said if the overall budget picture worsens in the future, the board may have to look at possibly freezing the salary of Superintendent Vincent Smith.

MacDermant, who has been on the board for 13 years, said Smith earns about $200,000 annually.

He said he does not support Christie's proposal to cap superintendents' salaries.

"Don't forget," he pointed out, "that the proposal was just to cap the superintendents' salaries, not those directly under them. So, eventually, you would have those under them making more than them. I don't agree with that."

MacDermant, who works at Conoco-Phillips, said he has the same goals now that he has had while serving as a board member.

"I'm always striving to improve the quality of education and efficiency and how to increase communication," he said.

As for tenure, MacDermant said a modification may be needed, such as using mediators instead of the court system, but that he does not want to see tenure eliminated.

He said the district can, and has, terminated tenured teachers, although in one case it took a few years to do so after battling court challenges.

"It shouldn't be that hard to get rid of an ineffective teacher," he said. "You want a speedy trial, that's the main thing that has to be changed."

"But if a teacher is abusive towards a student, they can be terminated immediately," he said.

Teacher evaluations should not be based solely on students' test scores "because that changes every year," he said.

Currently, teachers receive tenure after three years and one day.

Teachers are evaluated annually before and after receiving tenure and there are progressive steps in a disciplinary process used when necessary, MacDermant said.

Foley, vice president of nursing and operations at Ocean Medical Center in Brick, has worked at the hospital for 22 years.

The board appointed her last year to fill an unexpired term vacated by Larry Williams, so this is the first time she is running for election to a board seat.

Foley confirmed that originally she was unsure about running because she had been working as interim president at the hospital.

"I told the board that I was worried that if I was picked as president, I wouldn't be able to fulfill my board duties," Foley said in an interview earlier this week.

"But I was not picked for that position, so I no longer had that worry and decided to run," she said.

Foley has three children in the borough high school, has lived here since 1974 and graduated from the borough high school in 1983.

Foley said she brings a willingness to challenge other board members and administrators.

"I'm the question asker," she said. "I'll look at a retirement and ask, 'Do we have to fill this position in the same way?'"

As for tenure, she said she would consider a policy that would allow for teacher termination after two or three poor performance reviews.

"But only if the reviews are done objectively, if the teachers are given the support and resources they need to improve and if they are given ample notice," Foley said.

"But I don't think the vast majority of teachers in this district are complacent," she said.

As for Christie's proposal to cap superintendent's salaries, she is not a fan.

"A cap will breed and bleed mediocrity," she said. "You want the best and the brightest. The best and the brightest won't go into that profession if they know they're going to be capped."

She said she wants to continue working on providing the best education possible for the least amount of money and to pursue ways to trim utility costs, such as the board's current consideration to replace at least some of the school roofs with solar panels.

Residents will also vote yes or no on a school tax levy of about $29 milliion to support a total budget of about $37 million.

The proposed budget raises the local school tax rate of 90.89 cents per $100 assessed valuation by 2.43 cents up to 93.32 cents per $100 of assessed value, district officials have said.

That increase means the owner of a home assessed at $375,000, which is the borough's average assessment, would pay another $91 in school taxes per year, according to district administration.

Polls are open 2 to 9 p.m. on Wednesday. Ocean County mailed sample ballots for the school election to all registered voters in the county that provides information on polling places. If any residents did not receive a sample ballot or need more information, they can visit www.njelections.org or www.oceancountyclerk.com or www.pointpleasant.k12.nj.us, the district web site.

All candidates were asked for interviews and photos. Of the candidates who could be reached, only Foley and Ward provided photos.