Thursday, March 20, 2014
Mrs. Rheault's Address to the BOE 3/19/14
Make no mistake, when I speak before this body on any matter - it is not meant to be a personal attack, that I am telling you what to do, or that I am looking for a "gotcha" moment.
As local association president of the Mullica Township Education Association, I represent 107 professional and support staff members who have provided almost 900 years of service to this school district.
A president advocates for the rights of the association members.
A president is charged with protecting and defending the interests of her members.
The MTEA has been and always will be united as a working "family"
The MTEA has been and always will be dedicated to providing the children of this district with a safe and supportive learning environment.
The MTEA has been and always will continue to support the parents and families of the Mullica Township community.
The MTEA believes actions speak louder than words.
On March 5th the MTEA officially expressed a vote of no confidence in the leadership and authority of Mullica Township Superintendent Brenda Harring-Marro.
93% of 107 members, tenured and those non-tenured, both professional and support staff took that vote for many reasons. The situation with Kelly Mascio was merely the tipping point, forcing our membership to take this vote.
Quite simply, Dr. Brenda Harring-Marro's poor judgement, administrative deficiencies, and her fundamental inability to relate to the needs of this school community have brought us to this point.
As educators, we are held to new standards, education reform and evaluations that hinge on scoring rubrics, observational "evidence" collected by administrators, and our student's test scores.
You as members of the Board of Education are Dr. Marro's "Boss". What evidence, what observations, or what scoring rubrics have you used to evaluate her performance and base your decision to renew her contract and offer administrative tenure?
The vote of no confidence in Dr. Marro's leadership was taken by the MTEA based on irrefutable evidence and direct observation.
The members of the MTEA have been frustrated and dismayed by her serious and disturbing lack of judgement and gross overreaction in her pursuit of tenure charges against kindergarten teacher and Mullica resident Kelly Mascio.
Kelly Mascio reported a classroom incident immediately and followed the established protocols. However, Dr. Marro has mishandled the situation from the beginning. Her decision to immediately suspend Kelly without taking the time necessary to adequately investigate the situation displays an egregious lack of judgement.
In addition Dr. Marro has repeatedly counseled you, the Board of Education, to pursue tenure charges against Kelly despite the fact that the division of Child Protection and Permanency (CPP) which was formerly known as DYFS, cleared her.
In her pursuit of tenure charges, the superintendent has failed to adhere to appropriate disciplinary protocol; she has ignored normal due process disciplinary action; and her actions have created a hostile work environment for every school employee.
She allowed false statements to be made in police complaints filed by a school administrator. For 5 months these statements have not been corrected. These false statements continue to mislead the public that the children involved in the September 30th incident were "naked and having sex".
Equally disturbing is the fact that the superintendent permitted two five-year old students to be interviewed about the September 30th incident without first informing the children's parents, or obtaining their permission, or having Ms. Mascio or her representative present during the questioning.
Dr. Marro has irreparably damaged her working relationship with this staff.
She has involuntary transferred staff without sufficient explanation.
She has repeatedly shifted and shuffled staff into and out of positions she creates and recreates and modifies. Staff is continually "reassigned" or given duties in a band-aid approach to scheduling. This practice places members at significant risk, raising issues about staffing levels necessary to properly and safely supervise students under our protection and care.
Our Gifted and Talented Program has been gutted.
She has effectively privatized computer and technology services, with the district facing serious financial consequence to remediate the situation.
Her inability to effectively manage district technology snafus continue to frustrate the teaching staff tasked with using technology to deliver instruction.
She privatized the cafeteria staff rather than take the time to work with the MTEA to investigate measures and discuss ways to maintain district oversight of the cafeteria and 7 mostly part-time staff, 5 of which were community members.
Her inability to manage the long-running "Latchkey" After-School Childcare Program resulted in the program's outsourcing to a private agency, the loss of affordable childcare for our parents, and loss of an additional source of employment for many of our PT support staff.
She has failed to provide meaningful, professional development for both the professional and support staff.
Her interactions with staff have resulted in mass retirements, created low morale, and the inability of the district to retain qualified staff.
Most importantly - our student's test scores have been on the decline.
Dr. Marro's actions and ineffective leadership have irreparably damaged relations with the school community.
In August, 2013, one of the stated district goals was to improve community and school relations. With the large numbers of concerned parents that have attended the past BOE Meetings to complain about administration of the Gifted and Talented Program and our school curriculum - both issues that have not yet been resolved - and now the case of Kelly Mascio...I respectfully state that this goal has not yet been met.
Dr. Marro has ignored the public outcry by parents, other taxpayers, and local elected officials in her single-minded pursuit of a punishment for Kelly Mascio that is unsubstantiated by the facts in the case. In doing so, she has made the district - and ultimately taxpayers - responsible for skyrocketing legal fees.
A 93% staff vote of no confidence sends a clear message to this Board of Education that Dr. Marro's inability to function as a school leader extends beyond the Kelly Mascio case, as serious as it is.
It is no accident that parents, teachers, support staff and concerned community members stand united before you. Our common goal is now and always will be to ensure that our students and children receive caring support and an optimal educational experience.
Join this united body...you have the power to make things right and heal this community
This address was given by Barbara Rheault, President of the Mullica Township Education Association, to the Mullica Board of Education at the 3/19/14 meeting.
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13 comments:
Has anybody thought of investigating why the cafeteria staff was privatized,why the computer and technology services were privatized and why the Latchkey program was outsourced. Who's making all this money and what is their connection to Marro.
It seems we,the taxpayers,are going to be paying more for these inefficient services and the children and teachers are suffering without a proper computer system. The loss of affordable childcare for our Mullica parents is a big blow. The old Latchkey program was a big help to struggling families.
After reading this, I feel that Marro should go even if the Mascio incident never happened. That woman is destroying the school bit by bit everyday.
Barbara Rheault stated effectively the common themes of dissatisfaction with the Superintendent and the MS Principal.
Mrs Rheault you are a very effective teacher and leader. Your remarks point out how this Administration hasn't even tried to address it's goals of outreach to the community. It has pursued it's own agenda including libeling Kelly Mascio so that she will never obtain another teaching position if she is forced to leave Mullica.
Parents don't know that this is the tip of the iceberg. Staff have left rather than face the harassment by Principal Mazzoni as he follows her instructions.
The staff has only the BOE who seems to have stuffed wax in their ears. They have no objective "rubric" to measure her performance. She excuses her declining test scores as her "reforms" haven't had time to be effective. The witch hunt forces effective teachers to leave. She hires those she can control. They dare not speak up as they don't have even the minimal protection of tenure. (see Kelly for how tenure protection is working)They know that 400 applicants await their open slot if they are fired or let go as they are "at will" employees.
New hires didn't go to the "openings" in Kindergarten or 2nd grade. Dr Marro moved a 5th grade teacher to 2nd grade and moved the 2nd grade teacher (Kelly mascio) to kindergarten. Yet there is a new hire in 3rd grade who could have gone to Kindergarten and Mrs Mascio could have stayed in 2nd. Looks like it was a plan. Then the Administration neglected to inform Kelly about a similar incident with one of the students who was in the "bathroom incident" this Sept 30th. Poor administration or a plan that backfired in awakening the community?
The Mascio case didn't go according to plan. She was supposed to go away to another school. Then no one would have been aware and Dr Marro could continue her reshaping of Mullica. It is now up to the taxpayers of Mullica to intervene. To speak out. To stand up and to pay up when Kelly's case comes to final adjudication. We may even have to pay to get rid of the Superintendent and Principal Mazzoni.
The real money is made by paying the Superintendent and others by "double dipping" from another source, Greenbank in Burlington County. They get an annual and ongoing "stipend".
She makes more than her Mullica salary and she justifies hiring another administrator (STEM Coordinator) in addition to the Curriculum Coordinator. EHC downsized and combined their Superintendent and Principal and their enrollment is similar to Mullica. They are under the same mandates to evaluate their staff. We just "SUPERSIZE" it in Mullica and hire more administrators.
Poor administrative decision making. They also need more administrative support (ie, secretaries) when an administrator is hired.
I am very sad to read about how badly the Mullica school has deteriorated in the decade since my children attended. This is not just a school problem, it impacts every resident of this community. A major factor in our decision to buy a house house in Mullica was the wonderful reputation of the school. The Latchkey program was a model that received widespread recognition. The Gifted program was exceptional and I credit it with giving my children the academic foundation for successful careers. The demise of these programs is even more disturbing to me than the Mascio incident which has made the school an international laughingstock. Any parent looking for a house today will perceive the Mullica school as a deterrent to living in this community. The decline of the school will most certainly have a negative impact on property values.
Mrs Rheault spoke very effectively.
Taxpayers will pay for a 25% increase in ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF including secretarial support for new hires.
Teaching hires: Moved Kelly from 2nd grade to kindergarten and a 5th grade teacher to 2nd to cover Mrs Mascio. We hired a new 3rd grade teacher. Why didn't the 3rd grade teacher go to Kindergarten, The 5th grade teacher to 3rd and leave Kelly in 2nd? Very interesting, but not in the plan. Then on a day when MAPS testing (a planned activity) the aide is in and out of the class, the MS Principal blows this up and makes the Police Report (in error) that stands for 5 months. Hmmm.
Privatizing the Cafeteria was done to "save" money, low wages to Part-timers from Mullica must have saved a lot. We get the Superintendent and Principal a raise with the GREENBANK stipends and the people on the 2nd floor who "help". Privatization of custodial staff will be next. But we pay top dollar for the excellently rated Superintendent and Principal. Danielson rubrics employed give experienced teachers "2"'s but I am sure the inflated Administrative ratings are all TOP NOTCH> After all Matt Mazzoni wants to be the next Superintendent when Dr Marro moves up the food chain
Talking about moving teachers around, it was mentioned last night that Mrs.Brown, one of the best math teachers who worked the gifted and talented program,was stationed out at the front desk working security.
Does anyone wonder why she is retiring early?
Maybe Marro put the officer in class to teach math.
re8:16am
Paying now to get rid of Marro and Mazzoni might be the cheapest option in the long run. The way things are being done,I see a litany of law suits in the future because of these two.
I would be on the phone to call my lawyer if Marro called my employer to "discipline" me for speaking out at a BOE meeting. Both she and Mazzoni have proved they play dirty games.
To 12:15pm
I was floored when I read Marro contacted the employers of parents to have them disciplined. If this is her mentality, I can't imagine what our poor teachers are going through. She's expanding her power trip to try to intimidate residents now.
MARRO HAS TO GO !
Wow. Freedom of speech doesn't exist for the Superintendent. She contacted the parents employers when 2 parents emailed her from their work emails that they couldn't attend the Feb BOE meeting and wanted to express their support for Kelly to the Superintendent
Freedom of speech doesn't apply to the staff (policy to not speak about this to each other or the community or there would be consequences the Super threatened the Staff) ... Now she takes action against parents expressing their opinions.
It would be cheaper to release M Mazzoni and B. Marro from their contracts. They continue to earn 6 figure salaries for poor decisions including the loss of K Brown and other gifted and talented teachers.
When Mrs. Brown was out for personal reasons. Her sub was a health/PE teacher.
Mrs Brown is losing out on her health care benefits and pension by retiring before 25 years of service and age 60. Many others chose to do the same to avoid the stress and potential health risks from the harassment of the MS Principal and the Superintendent's culture of fear for speaking out.
If you watched the board, as people were speaking from their heart... pouring out heart felt, meaningful statements, some whispered with the lawyer, some had their eyes down, and TW had his phone in his hand, doing something.. taking selfies/? playing candy crush? He had his phone out
Dr Marro called a no notice faculty meeting for 7:50 am to tell the teachers if they are unhappy, it's their owni fault. Her son told her " they just don't want to change" and she told the staff " I'm not going anywhere" called the staff to a meeting to rant and tell them what her child thinks? That's leadership? Her staff has a 93% confidence rate for a valid reason? She is not a leader. She is malicious, vengeful and using her power I appropriately to ruin the school.
The scores are declining with her progressive program iniatives. She is firing Mrs Middleton who the BOE hired over her objections last year. Her selection was a Mazzoni clone. Look at the mess Mazzoni created with the false police report and just wait until he is the reporting official for the new Assistant Principal she intends to hire.
Mullica is in chaos and the BOE is unable or unwilling to do anything. Marro must go. The NJ DOE should appoint a Special Master to investigate What is going on and clean up the Marro-Mazzoni mess(es).
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