Welcome to the 2024-2025 School Year!

Summer news roundup, early September happenings, and more.

〰️ Welcome to Our Newsletter!

Hi! Each month, we plan publish a newsletter following the Executive and Regular Session Board of Education meetings in Union Township, NJ. In September, we’ll publish 2 - one to roundup the summer and first Working Session news, and a second to report on the first Regular Session news.

📅 Next Board Meeting

Your voice has power! The next Board of Ed meeting is on Tuesday, September 17 at 6pm at the Union High School. The agenda can be found here.

⚖️ What is the Role of Board of Education

In New Jersey, “[t]he school board has a dual role: To represent the concerns of the citizens, taxpayers and parents to the school administrators, and to represent the needs of the students and school district to the citizens, taxpayers and parents of the community.” Learn more about Boards of Education in New Jersey here.

🫱🏽‍🫲🏿 Get to Know the Board and the District

You are represented by 9 Board of Education members, whose names, contact information, and photos can be found here.

The Township of Union Public Schools are organized under the supervision of the Board of Education and the Superintendent of Schools, Dr. Gerry Benaquista. Dr. Benaquista oversees five direct reports, who are responsible for the functioning of the District.

The Board of Education will vote to approve the 2024-2025 Organizational Chart during the 9/17/24 Regular Meeting. The proposed organization chart can be found here and is linked to from in the meeting agenda above.

☀️ Summer News Roundup

1. The overwhelming parent and community response to the proposed Elementary School curriculum and schedule changes had an impact! 🎉 Dr. Benaquista reversed course with regard to 50% cuts in Art and Music.  Unfortunately, the District proceeded with 50% cuts and reduced faculty for Spanish Language and Library and Media classes.  We continue to push to restore these subjects, particularly Library and Media.

2. The Board violated constituents’ NJ Sunshine Law right to comment without censorship by refusing to allow public comment regarding Assistant Superintendent Mackenzie’s contract and qualifications.  Concerns include that the contract:

   1. Leveraged the policy change she voted through as a Member of the Board to limit the waiting period between serving on the Board and becoming a paid member of the District staff. 

   2. Pays tuition for her to achieve certification for Education Leadership through NJ Excel (item 36).

   3. Overrides the standard 3 year waiting period for tenure to 120 days (item 47)

   4. Ignores prior ethics violations, upheld in court, against McKenzie when serving the East Orange School District

🏫 So Far This School Year

1. At the 9/12 meeting, the Board again violated NJ Sunshine Law by refusing to allow public comment via electronic device (phone call).  Board members intimidated the individual offering accessible commenting by threatening removal by Security for continuing to allow the individual attending via phone to speak.  The Board cited Board Policy, however, Board Policy does not disallow comment via electronic attendance.

2. Members of the community urged Dr. Benaquista to uphold his promises for regular, open meetings with parents and regular open meetings between parents and the District Curriculum Team, including newly hired Dr. Jose Rodriguez

3. Members of the community urged the Board to reconsider elimination of librarian positions and reduced library time for elementary schools, citing NJ’s new law regarding curriculum for Media Literacy.

📜 Issues in Focus

1. Transparency, accessibility, and communication

   1. Add salary ranges to job descriptions

      1. Two job descriptions are on the docket for approval for administrative assistant for the Dr. Benaquista - one standard and one whose only focus is confidential information. What are these overlapping roles costing the district?

      2. The Board will approve a Residency Investigator job description on 9/17. What is the cost vs benefit for this position?

   2. Constituency intimidation during meetings must end.

   3. Electronic meeting attendance and other enhanced accessibility must be allowed.

   4. Provide information to the public and to summer survey respondents regarding the Realignment Committees - when will more be said and will opportunities for involvement open again given the start of the school year and new registrations in the district?

2. Curriculum excellence

   1. Dr. Benaqusita must uphold his promise of regular meeting with the Superintendent and the Curriculum Team

   2. Let’s get our kids into the libraries! School librarians help students find books on their reading level, evaluate media, and instill a love of reading! The District must employ full time, certified librarians in every school and provide curriculum time for library visits.

3. Calendar

   1. The School Calendar has an enormous impact on families! Invite parents to partake in the Calendar creation process by opening up a parent/District partnership committee to review and create the school year calendar!

✅ Board of Education Election Spotlight!

Sol Atencio is a Union parent and advocate! Learn more about her campaign!

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