While this is an interesting footnote to the tale of Dr. Cavanna's suspension, unsaid is whether or not he was actually offered the position in Greenburgh.

A little quick research inidicates that he was not:

http://greenburgh.dailyvoice.com/schools/greenburgh-agrees-contract-superintendent

How is this breaking news? This news broke several months ago, and was troubling then, maybe troubling now, but certainly NOT breaking.

Mr. Editor are you running the national enquirer? why are chasing Cavanna? You guys already embarrassed him and his family?

Your headline "superintendent suspended" may just disqualify from the job. Also calling a potential employer to find out if someone applied for job is illegal. You are not dealing with a celeb, you are dealing with an employee of an organization, that still needs to be gainfully employed......

This is public news... not a breaking story. If a board and superintendent can't or don't or won't work together, what else can be expected.

In my view the way we should hire and pay a superintendent schools should be changed. Also the NJ State Law as to a how a superintendent is hired or removed should be changed. In West Orange the new schools chief who ever that person may be should have a low base pay and be paid over time based on bonuses for achieving measured objectives.
In my view a school chief should be an at will employee of the given Board of Ed. The voters can hold to BOE members accountable for how the interact with a schools chief and taking firings and hiring into account when the go into the voting booth. The standard discrimination laws that protect all employee in the state with respect to race, gender, age, and so forth should apply school chiefs.

Whoever gets named the next super won't get more than 175k. That should help achieve Adam's hope for lowballing salaries.

Paying people on a performance basis happens all the time in the real world. Sale staff who sell more earn more. Wait staff that really work hard and provide great service get extra tips. Extending it in practice for those in education is a rational thing and can be a tool to improve our schools both in terms of educational quality and cost . It is also means to address salary cap and attract a very good leader for our schools. I would argue that leader for the schools who is unwilling to link salary to performance is not worth hiring in the first place.

Adam Kraemer: Public education is not Mary Kay Cosmetics, a Ford dealership, or a stock brokerage firm (all of which compensate some employees via commission on sales) and it certainly isn't Olive Garden where wait staff is largely paid through tips.

Each of the former is selling and delivering a product (whose quality can be previously researched) to an end user, whereas an educator must provide varied instruction in broad disciplines to an ever changing clientele, whose ability to grasp and master any of them will be as varied as the wind.

Like it or not and all anyone's best efforts aside, there are children who will never sing a note in tune, throw a football accurately or master algebraic equations and their parent's vicarious dreams of spawning the next Barbara Streisand, Peyton Manning or Albert Einstein will never be realized.

What public education can and should be doing is encourage each child to live up to the level of their potential...and provide the requisite curriculum and opportunities for them to do so.

As an enterprise, public education needs to be managed and we should endeavor to attract the best and most competent individuals to do so.

To suggest they should be compensated based on performance that is as much the product of genetics, culture and economic status as anything else, is simply ridiculous...and trying to suggest one school district can or should change the paradigm as to how superintendents are traditionally paid is nonsense.

@ Adam Kraemer: A single school district in these United States, opting to create a performance based compensation package toward attracting its next Superintendent of Schools, will have absolutely no effect on the market concerning the profession and it is analagous to urinating into a hurricane.

The rich are different from you and me, Adam, and so are the communities in which they live, as are the cummmulative test scores in the public schools therein and to which they send their children.

It isn't the schools, teachers, curriculum or their management that are solely responsible for those scores; it's primarily that their students are the children of privilege and all the advantages that go with it.

Further, our school budget is closer to $130 Million than 140 and the number of employees is closer to 700 than 1,000.

If this is the kind of "innovation" and basic knowledge you are bringing to the table, your candidacy for the Board of Education is rightfully doomed.

West Orange High School provides the equivalent of 14 days less yearly instructional time than the State average. Recently, Dr. Cavanna announce the addition of not one but two field days to the schedule . There will also be fitness testing, and a representative from the food vendor service West Orange employs will come in to the classes and speak to the children about healthy eating choices.Multiculturalism education , Anti- Bullying and Tolerance programs , a Character Curriculum, the D.A.R.E. program, the S.A.L.E.s program, co- ed gym classes, music, art , Health and Sex education, World languages, library, computer science , several days of standardized testing, Black History , New Jersey Social Studies,an Arbor day program, an Autism Awareness program , breast cancer awareness, Career Day, recycling and environmental education , a Turkey Trot, scoliosis screenings and health exams,field trips,fire drills and on and on and on . The response to all this by the people who care deeply about the children , you know , the people who come early and stay late and who work through the weekends ,is to have several scheduled early dismissals, in- service work shops ,at least one mandated free period a day , and no attempt is made to make up hours lost because of bad weather . Now give a teacher with poor or mediocre attendance a student teacher . Why do they have the children on an academic starvation diet? Is it laziness, apathy , elitism ? Moonlighting is an epidemic.Note the

Adam , The latest number of West Orange Board of Education employees is 1,101 . So the number IS closer to 1,000 than 700. Also, The Township is bonding for West Orange School construction projects, { inter- local agreement } AND the P.T.A. seems to be a fund raising juggernaut . They just donated $24,000 worth of White Boards to the Redwood School. And when I say a fund raising juggernaut, ,consider that an individual is accused of stealing over a period of time the staggering sum of $100,000 from ONE school's P.T.A. fund ?? I would say $140,000,000 is a very good estimate.

Adam FINALLY a Superintendent of an urban school district explained the reality of how socio- economics relates to student performance . The topic was a longer school day and year , He said that student performance IS related to economic status . However ,it is not that economically disadvantaged students do not have the ability to achieve comparable results to their more affluent peers He said that because the students have been placed on an academic starvation diet, money is absolutely needed to pay for so - called Enrichment Courses, private or semi - private tutoring classes ,"extra" help, Curriculum Camps and the like.The amount of social engineering that goes on in urban districts is even greater than what goes on in suburban districts .It was sad to hear a student at a low achieving Newark High School respond to the question " What can be done to improve test scores ?" She replied " They don't give us enough time . We need more classroom time " Maybe, just maybe, things might improve if the Principal wasn't also a Newark Councilman . Further, a noted educator said "If you want to see urban schools improve over night , just make the teachers put their own kids in those schools. You would see security and education like you wouldn't believe " Currently the vast majority of Newark teachers I know don't live in Newark, and many of them moonlight ,taking the jobs of the student's parents and the students themselves Quote; " The greatest classroom resource is time "

Adam , We must always reject the excuse makers, the people who say they care but never demonstrate it, the defeatists who flee in terror from challenges and competition, and the rabid defenders of the status quo , who offer only hopelessness and despair in their mantra " If you don't have a buck, you're outta luck " They are stating that the many billions being poured into poor districts is utterly wasted on the children There doesn't appear to be much chance of improving test scores when more and more and still more non- core curriculum mandates are being taught in less and less time . " Nothing great was ever achieved without effort . " If, as the educrats say, they " Come early and stay late, and often work through the weekends" what would be the problem with putting these hours in the contract ?

On two occasions I have spoken to Teacher Union Reps . In the course of the conversations , I asked " Do you see any advantages over the private sector in having things like tenure, Summer's off, 30 or 40 fewer work days, shorter work days and the like ? " Both times their response was the same ; ' No, a job is a job " So I said ' So there would be no problem in eliminating all those things, right ? " That remark abruptly terminated both conversations .As Noel Coward said to the cast after an especially uninspired performance of one of his plays :" I guess it was a case of never mind over doesn't matter " Let us continue to prepare students for "The high - tech, hyper - competitive , global economy " with a schedule that doesn't even meet the needs of an Agrarian society. .As Shakespeare said ; " Words are but the shadows of action "

The West Orange High School site lists a total of 213 educrats . Of that number , 35 teach no classes, 3 teach 1 class and 1 teaches 2 classes . So eighteen and a half percent of the staff teaches a total of 5 classes . Like the spending per pupil figures , the student to teacher ratios , teacher attendance figures , Iowa test results, and instructional time figures, all of which were or are fraudulent , the educrats and their syncophants wage yet another battle of semantics . Non Supervisory Coordinators, In School Suspension Officers, Substance Abuse Coordinators, Guidance Counselors , Special Educaton Consultants, Department Chairpersons, etc.etc. ,all are categorized as teachers , yet none of them teach . Hence, the nationwide "teacher shortage " The State mandates Guidance be provided for all grade levels , but it doesn't mandate a student to Guidance Counselor ratio, and it doesn't mandate that Guidance Counselors be members of the Teacher's Union . Like the 9 salary steps , the salaries themselves,the longevity pay, the extremely expensive benefits package, the early dismissals, 14 days less than the yearly State average of High School instructional time, etc.etc. the School Board does these things because they CHOOSE TO . They honor the only true mandate of the Public School ;: Take care of your friends ! Did you always want to be employed as a professional by the Public Schools , but you hate kids and don't want to teach ? Hey , be a teacher !

Nick Salese is employed by the Township at a base salary of over $104,000. Nicolina Salese works for the WO Board of Education at a base salary of $55,928. Nicola D. Salese works for the WO Board at a base salary of $29,480. When William Paterson Professor William Willis ran for the School Board , he said he would take a hard look at all spending,... " but the teachers HAVE to be paid "After he was elected he literally fought for higher starting salaries. After achieving his goal., he boasted " We were determined to get those starting salaries up there " ?? Generous teacher Pat Urso sat on the Board. Patti Stansfield now teaches in another district. Nick Galante's mother - in -law worked for the Board. Dentist Andrew Brafman did not recuse himself from negotiating the teacher's dental plan . I hope they have demonstrably expressed their gratitude to him . When the sham search for a Superintendent concluded and Jerry Tarnoff was selected, Board Member Alice Skeffington said " Jerry was always our guy " The fences in O' Conner Park say "Lemma Fencing" . That's Michele Casalino's maiden name . I'm sure that " Lemma Fencing " is her brother . It's been stated that Laura Lab's son has a job with the Board .Since I wasn't in in the " take care of your friends " category, she turned her back on my Autistic son EPIDEMIC levels of nepotism and cronyism - Gary Englert has no qualifications to sit on the Accreditation Board. Is it any wonder why thing are so screwed up ?

Gary Englert has been/is unqualified for all his PURELY POLITICAL APPOINTMENTS . He is an Aide to John Mckeon . He is so hopelessly, head over heels biased about his dear friend and benefactor , it is inconceivable that he could be even remotely objective in discharging his duties as an Aide. He receives taxpayer dollars, yet they receive zero representation . To the contrary, his sole purpose is to defend and elevate, indeed, to deify, John Mckeon . The money he receives is not " merely " wasted, it pays to provide a deleterious effect on Mckeon's constituents . Sir John Harington; " Treason doth never prosper,what's the reason ? Why. when it prosper, none dare call it treason ." I shall conclude my latest expose with two quotes from the inimitable Bard of Avon ; "Foul deeds will rise, though all the earth oerwhelm them to men's eyes " And "So full of artless jealousy is guilt, it spills itself in fearing to be spilt " Finis

Oh no guys...You need to grow up. How can two distingiush men carry on like gangsters? You are trying to defend a territory that does not exists. John and Gary, you need to stop this now! Please consider your legacy. I dont understand why grown men see the need not to humble themselves. Are you trying to see who make the worse punch? "Speak when you are angry, you make the best speech that you will live to regret".

TABALAS First, watch your grammar and syntax ! Secondly,nice try . Englert clearly admits that he gets his positions which are" neither publicly advertised " C... C... Competition !! NOOOOO!, " nor are they subject to Civil Service rules and regulations , as was the position I held with the Township " i.e. PURELY POLITICAL APPOINTMENTS sans competition , sans advertising, sans Civil Service rules and regulations etc. Tabalas, you know I speak out on any situation of waste and cronyism and nepotism and profit - making liars and taxpayer ripoffs I am made aware of. But right now, I want to bring attention to the very dire situation of veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan . Almost half are disabled. Many of these great men and women have multiple disabilities . The unemployment rate among these veterans is in the stratosphere. Most of the jobs they do find are in either retail or Government Service . In New Jersey, what else is there ? In the classic Arthur Miller play "Death of a Salesman" Main protagonist Willie Loman's wife says, " Attention ! Attention must finally be paid to such a man !...... " Attention ! Attention MUST be paid to these great men and women !

John, I see you cannot help yourself. Who cares about grammar. You are acting like an old lady right now. Stop your bashing of this gentleman, why are you so adamant in trying to discredit him?

By the way this town will not vote for any angry person. You are definitely angry.

Webcast of Cavanna's Meet and Greet in Greenburgh, NY
http://www.greenburgh7.com/resources/board-of-education/superintendent-search
His job history hits WO about 11 minutes in. He says when he got to West Orange "students come into the school system, and stay in the school system, sometimes leave after elementary school, sometimes leave after middle school, and don't get to the high school. So when I went to PTA meetings, parents were apprehensive about sending their children to the high school, so that was one of the first things that I focused on when I got to West Orange.[ ]That has resulted in more students choosing our high school and middle schools than ever had in the past."

But when Cavanna was appointed in 2009 his main challenge was an INFLUX from private schools due to the economy.

http://www.nj.com/essex/index.ssf/2009/06/west_orange_hires_new_schools.html
"According to Tarnoff, one of the biggest issues Cavanna will face in West Orange is a large influx of students. This year the district received 100 new students from private schools. "Students are coming over because of the economy," Tarnoff said. "It will be a challenge for him to maintain reasonable class sizes, but he is bringing a lot of experience to the table." Cavanna said he has a lot to learn before he comes up with a comprehensive plan to address the influx.."

Makes one wonder about the rest of the history he relates, and what he told WOBOE when interviewing here...

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