The Hysteria
Is Mr. Cosgrove resigning?!? Is he leaving of his own volition, or is he the most recent victim of the Infinity Gauntlet??? Deep breath. Think about wearing clothes fresh out of the dryer. Much better, back to Cosgrove. Yes, Cosgrove is retiring, but the rumors swirling around his retirement point to a larger issue—an issue, which in recent weeks, has consumed the Mountain Lakes School District.
There has been a seemingly constant flood of beloved teachers and staff resigning, retiring, or being asked not to return. Legally obligated to keep employment information confidential, the Board of Education and the Superintendent have remained largely silent, releasing what some consider to be bland statements, which leave many questions unanswered. As a result, the rumor mill has been running rampant as people attempt to put the pieces together on their own. As the speculation reaches a fever pitch, it is necessary to bring some sort of clarity to the situation by presenting what happened, the response of the community, and what comes next.
So What’s Happened?
A total of 22 faculty members of the Mountain Lakes School District will not be returning next year. Of that number, 19 are retiring or resigning, and 3 have not had their contracts renewed. Most critically, Mr. Davies, Principal of MLHS; Mr. Downes, Vice-Principal of MLHS; and Dr. Schlenoff, Principal of Briarcliff, will not be returning to the district next year. It is important to note, however, that “no positions” have been cut, meaning the administration plans to fill all of the positions that are currently vacant.
In order to give the district time to find a suitable replacement for Mr. Davies, the Superintendent, Dr. Anne Mucci, will serve as interim principal of MLHS until at least January but possibly longer if a candidate has not been selected by then. Clarifying the reasoning behind such a long search process, Dr. Mucci notes, “We always want to make sure we have the best.” To facilitate the hiring process, the district has already conducted a career fair and has begun to interview applicants in ten positions.
Members of the student body and their parents, meanwhile, have attended many of the Board of Education meetings since the first ‘letting-go’ was announced to voice their disagreements. The most recent meeting, on Monday, May 21st, took place in the auditorium, featured a three-hour public comment section, and was attended by at least 200 residents of Mountain Lakes and Boonton Township. Additionally, several upperclassmen participated in the “Green for Ms. Green” protest, wherein students wore green shirts to support Ms. Green.
In summary, 22 faculty members of the Mountain Lakes School District are not returning, which has prompted Dr. Mucci to assume the position of interim principal of MLHS and host a career fair—amidst a loud outcry from students and parents. The context thus established, it is now time to leave the firm ground of hard facts and enter the mists of varied perspectives.*
Community Reaction
Many would agree that the perspective of the students and the community can be accurately described with one word: outrage. Outrage at, as one student described, beloved teachers being fired “for no legitimate reason.” Almost universally among students, Ms. Green was a respected and trusted educator. As a result, the Board’s decision not to renew her contract was perceived, according to one student, as a “betrayal” that shows “just how out of touch” the board is with the student body.
This sentiment underscores, what one parent described as, a “big underlying problem of morale.” Concerning any and all questions regarding personnel matters, the response of the Board is always that they “cannot respond to any questions regarding specific employees.” However, the Board has been willing to comment that the decision whether or not to renew the contract of a teacher is based, in part, on multiple evaluations of the teacher. These evaluations are conducted by the teacher’s direct supervisor either two or three times during the year. The response of the Board implies that any teachers who were ‘let-go’ failed to perform adequately on these evaluations.
As one student stated, the student body has become very frustrated, as they feel that their opinions regarding the value of teachers is being “ignored” by the administration. The Board has stated publicly that it plans to expand the role that students will play in the evaluation process. Some question, however, if this is just damage control—more of what one parent described as the Board’s “propaganda.”
Perhaps the greatest worry of all the members of the community is that Dr. Mucci has come into too much authority. Parents, students, and teachers are uneasy about how “Dr. Mucci has consolidated her power,” as stated by one concerned parent. In a few months, Dr. Mucci will be serving as the Superintendent of Schools, the Principal of the High School, and the Director of Human Resources for the district. Many members of the community are concerned, for, in the words of one parent, “Who would go to the director of HR if they have a problem with the superintendent?”
This question, posed to the board as part of a three-hour session of public outcry, strikes the heart of the issue: fear. Fear of “concentration of the power in the top of the pyramid.” Fear of losing the “checks and balances” on the power of one person. And, most chillingly, fear of “vindictiveness.” Indeed, one parent demanded that the board conduct “a meeting with public comment without the superintendent” present regarding the performance of the superintendent. This request, made by a parent during Monday night’s Board meeting, was met with prolonged applause from an audience of parents and students.
One parent, in fact, disapproves of the actions of the superintendent so strongly that she asked, “Tell me why we shouldn’t have a vote of no confidence?” (A vote of no confidence, if successful, would remove the superintendent from her position.) This too was met with sustained applause from the audience. In response to this large public outcry, the Board has offered a twofold answer: the public needs to “trust in the Board” and an anonymous “climate and culture” survey will be conducted to address the issue of morale.
In an interview with The Mountaineer, Dr. Mucci reiterated these sentiments and suggested that the community “give [her] a chance” to prove herself given her years long commitment to the district. Dr. Mucci, who has served the district in several capacities since 1995, remarked that the community needs to “have faith in [her] integrity.” Moreover, Dr. Mucci highlighted the pragmatic nature of this temporary arrangement, citing her former experience as principal and the complexities of finding a suitable candidate as “Mountain Lakes demands the best.”
It is the belief of many parents and students, however, that they “have no confidence or trust” in the Board of Ed and the Administration after how they have “conducted themselves” and responded to “serious problems facing the district.”
With summer approaching, all should consider that trust, like sandcastles, takes time to build and constant attention to maintain. But, no matter how well sculpted, both trust and sandcastles can be wiped away by a single wave, and, for many members of the community, the tide is rising quickly.
* All of the quotations in this article are direct quotes from MLHS students and parents, derived from personal conversations, interviews, and BOE meetings. Any statements regarding the perspective of the student body represent the aggregate responses received through various mediums. Any quotes from Dr. Mucci are similarly direct quotes from interviews or BOE meetings.
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All my life, I have never spoken up in any difficult situations/hardships, but this has to change today! When I first heard Ms.Green possibly may not get her contract renewed, I was so sad about the possibility of losing such an excellent teacher (who helped the past two classes of MLHS so much!) that I had tears in my eyes… I am still in complete shock that a teacher who delivered such excellent guidance and support to ALL students could actually lose her position! What signal are we sending to other great teachers just like Ms.Green?! What is the basis for such a decision?! For the students and parents, Ms.Green represents the best of the best! We heard that the board and Dr.Mucci did not directly initiate this proposal, but as a resident of the school district, we feel that the board and Dr.Mucci can and should clearly veto such harmful proposals – and we strongly feel that it is your very responsibilities to do so. Excuse me… We are polite but we are angry. To Ms.Green and other teachers: THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTIONS TO OUR SCHOOLS! You have our votes, you have our support, and you have our hearts!! You are all in our prayers…… The schools in Mountain Lakes need you back!!!
Well-put.