A New High School for Hillsborough? Part One

In 1995, Hillsborough High School was beginning to become overcrowded. The 26-year-old high school was 150 students beyond its 1,350-student capacity with no end in sight. Besides, the school already seemed outdated.

The school board believed that the solution to this problem was to build a brand-new high school and to reconfigure the other schools  - notably making the 1969 high school a 6-8 school. I have written about that plan - and the two rejected referenda that followed - and you can read about it here. Since then, the current high school has been expanded twice to its current nominal capacity of 2,400 students - but the talk of building a new high school persists.

A few years ago, a new fancy high school proposal was floated. A presentation by the high school principal condemned the current high school - once again - as being overcrowded and outdated.

There is no doubt that the two additions to the high school in the late 90s and early 2000s while adding classrooms, did not adequately address the common area issues. The cafeteria, the hallways, etc. are still small. Imagine building a skyscraper with just enough elevator capacity to reach the top floor, and then adding 50 more floors on top of that with no ability to build more elevator shafts. It won't work.

One of the reasons that the first 1995 high school referendum was rejected was that people objected to the site at the corner of Beekman Lane and New Center Road. They were concerned that the site was too far from the population centers of the 54-square-mile township and worried about what bringing sewers to that part of town would do to its rural character. 

Before the second 1995 referendum, the school board published a map denoting the 15 properties in Hillsborough that were considered for the high school, and why 14 of them were rejected. The referendum still failed.

During one of my final years on the school board - 25 years after the failed referendum - I accompanied the superintendent on a site visit to two of the rejected sites from 1995. One was the site bounded by North Willow Road on the west, Hamilton Road on the north, and Amwell Road on the south. This property was rejected by the school board in 1995 because of the presence of a major gas pipeline and substantial wetlands. Those conditions were unchanged in 2021.

The other site I visited was the Belle Mead GSA Depot. Since 1995, the southern half of the tract had been purchased by Somerset County and became Mountain View Park. Now the northern part of the property was controlled by the Hillsborough Township Committee and was available for development.

The difference with this property was that there had been significant changes since it was rejected by the school board in 1995 for "environmental reasons". The property had undergone a multimillion-dollar cleanup and was just awaiting final testing to be given the "all-clear".

So...what to do? I will give you my thoughts in Part Two!

Board Member Privilege?

Today, we hear the word "privilege" almost exclusively in the context of the debated concept of "white privilege". It's a sneaky way of saying "advantage" that makes it harder to argue against. Today's question is whether school board members - regardless of race - have privilege. Do they enjoy advantages merely by being school board members apart from how much effort they put into the position?

Even before I first ran for school board in 2007 I was aware that there was a notion that board members were privileged in regard to their children. The only privilege that became immediately apparent to me is that as a board member, I had the superintendent's cell phone number and a guarantee that he or she would answer pretty much every time I called. 

That is an advantage that the typical parent or concerned resident doesn't have. The problem is that as far as your own children are concerned you, as a board member, are prohibited from calling the superintendent. You simply have to follow the "chain of command" from teacher to principal and up to the superintendent. If a concern ever got that far the superintendent would already be aware and would be involved with any parent equally - including board members.

Another advantage - one that I put in the "blessing and curse" category - is that a board member acquires a much better understanding of how the school system works. You get to see the bureaucracy in action. Witness how the sausage is made. Your eyes will be opened, but it can also be infuriating! 

Since we are examining privilege in the context of advantage it might be useful to list some of the DISadvntages that accrue to you as a board member and to your school-aged children. Here are a few from my own experience and from the experience of board members I have served with:

• You will be the target of disinformation campaigns. Teachers and school employees with whom you had good relationships before you ran for school board will turn against you because they will believe lies promulgated by dishonorable union leaders. In my case, it was the lie that I was the "architect of privatization". In reality, I fought against it and preserved union jobs.
• You may have teachers' union picketers outside your home during contract negotiations. This happened to board members during and before my time on the board.
• You may be the target of a vicious, libelous, letter-writing campaign. In 2017 I was the target of such a campaign. Teachers, neighbors, friends, professional associates, and others received anonymous letters through the US mail with preposterous accusations of illegal activity. All false. This went on for almost a year.
• Your children's academic future could be threatened. During a contract negotiation, a union leader turned to one board member and said, "Your children are out of the school system. They're safe." Then turned to me and another board member and said, "Your children are still in the system, think about that before you make your next offer." P.S. The other board member had the resources to remove his younger children from the district, and did so.
• Your children could be singled out and made to feel uncomfortable in class because their parent is a board member as happened to my daughter.
• Forget about getting college recommendation letters for your kids if you are in contract negotiations. It's not happening. And these are the people that use the phrase "for the children". It's a joke.

I could probably go on but you get the idea. The disadvantages far outweigh the advantages - at least externally. The privilege, if there is one, comes from an internal feeling that you have been of service to your fellow citizens. That has to be enough.

Wawa and the Meaning of Life

After thirty-seven years, the Hillsborough, NJ Wawa is no more. The daily - sometimes twice daily - routine of hundreds of commuters, neighbors, and friends has been permanently disrupted. 

I have patronized the Wawa on Triangle Road in Hillsborough for over 30 years. Indeed, there was a period of seven or eight years when I was there seven days a week. I am a creature of habit, but I strive to make them good ones - and Wawa was a good one.

The Wawa morning shift cashiers must be the most patient people on earth. Why? Because they interact with customers who have yet to drink their morning coffee! I will miss them - just as I miss all the great employees who have moved on over the years (Nettie, AJ, Justin - even the other Justin!).

As my travel patterns in and around Hillsborough changed over the past three years I became a Wawa weekend warrior almost exclusively. But now even that is gone. And while I will miss the coffee (I can't see driving out to Summer Road/Route 202 for 20 oz. of joe) what I will miss the most are the friendly faces that I only ran into at Wawa, and their inevitable greeting, "How are things going on the school board?"

I have been off the board for nearly a year already and I still get that question. 

School board members (as well as school employees and local politicians) come in two varieties - those who are happy to engage with the public, and those who aren't. In some cases, it breaks down to whether or not the board member thinks residents of the town are truly his constituents. As discussed in a previous article, the New Jersey School Boards Association trains board members to NOT be accountable to residents as their representatives, but rather to act as "agents of the state". I was never an agent of the state.

I have known school board members - and other school employees - to avoid the public. In other words, if they must go to the local Shop Rite, it's during off-hours. And Wawa is to be avoided during the morning rush.

Of course, I know many who have the completely opposite philosophy.

The best example that comes to mind is my friend and longtime New Jersey Assemblyman the late Pete Biondi. During his most active years representing the residents of the 16th legislative district, he would be at the Hillsborough Wawa once or twice a week during the morning coffee hours. After making his coffee, he would step outside the store and make himself available to anyone who wanted to talk.

What I observed in those years was a confident person willing to engage. Although I never went as far as setting up shop outside the doors, I did try to emulate his attitude towards the public. And I never shied away from the hard questions - even when they came from Pete himself!

And one other thing...about 15 years ago at the coffee counter, as I was about to add the half-and-half Pete stopped me briefly, reached into the cooler, turned to me, and said, "I've got the secret to the meaning of life." In his hand, he held a carton of French Vanilla creamer. 

I am going to miss Wawa.

So Many Questions

What are children taught in school? That used to be an easy question to answer. Beyond the three "R"s (reading, writing, and arithmetic), they learn the sciences, history, arts, and many other readily described vocational and academic subjects - and we used to know what each meant.

Today's educational landscape - around the country and New Jersey - has become so politically charged that no traditional subject can escape contemporary politics. The law demands it.

Even classes that we thought were safe have succumbed. And so we learn that what we thought was an objective math truth - two plus two equals four - should instead be looked at under the microscope to find the percolating molecules of white supremacy. The sciences are not much better.

But that's not what this column is about. Rather, it is about how the public can discover what is being taught.

I first became interested in this subject in my second term as a school board member 12 years ago. It was the tenth anniversary of 9-11 and I wanted to know if our school district had a lesson about 9-11 and what was in the lesson. You would think that type of information would be easy for a board member to get. LOL.

In all fairness, the assistant superintendent was happy to show me the 9-11 curriculum. There were definitely a lot of typewritten words on that printout. The problem was that most of them were in the form of a question. 

What I needed were the answers. For example, how were teachers answering the question, "What motivated the 9-11 hijackers?" It seems like that would be essential but that information wasn't available. It's all roses and hedgehogs to pose a bunch of important-sounding questions - but what were the answers? 

You might say that there is no one correct answer to that question. OK. Then let me know some of the answers. Nope. Board members don't need to know that because that crosses the line into managing the schools. What hope is there for parents to know what their children are being taught if board members don't even know?

This sort of came to a head during the major 2020 to 2022 New Jersey Social Studies curriculum revisions. I asked to see a representative lesson plan - for any Social Studies topic. It was not going to happen. How dare I ask to see a lesson plan. Who did I think I was? That is for the professionals, not lowly board members. It was the first time I remember board members voting NO on curriculum. 

As we pay our respects today to the victims of 9-11, let's pray that their deaths were not for nothing and that our children may know that.

The Six Board Members You Meet In Hell

In my nearly 16 years on the Hillsborough Board of Education, I sat at the dais on Monday nights with thirty-four different board members. As the years passed and the turnover continued, I had the opportunity to observe - and squirm. I served with some terrific board members, including a few with whom I got along well and some that I remain friends with to this day. And then there were the others.

Before I talk about "The Six Board Members You Meet In Hell" you must know that these observations have little or nothing to do with whether or not the individual was effective as a board member - or if they are a good person in general. I am confident that a "Greg Gillette" type would make someone else's list. Nevertheless, plenty of board members exhibited traits during their tenure that were just infuriating (to me). So, let's begin. [Note: this is all about behavior at public board meetings]

The Know-It-All

A board member that does his or her homework, is familiar with the schools and the issues, and offers thoughtful solutions is always appreciated. That is not this person. The school board Know-It-All uses their outside professional status as a cudgel to demand acquiescence to their point of view. They dabble in that age-old logical fallacy of Appeal to Authority. This wears thin in a hurry - especially when spiced with an air of contempt. Board members come from all walks of life and all education levels. Pro tip - if you have a bunch of letters after your name, leave them home on Monday night.

The Windbag

At least the Know-It-All knows something. The Windbag likes to hear himself speak. That wouldn't be so bad if he had or point, or, at a minimum, had looked at the agenda and read the notes. This person presumably wanted to be on the board, we just don't know why. Pro tip - if you are going to first open your packet (in the days when we had paper packets) at the dais, then don't say anything else the rest of the evening.

The Persistent Pugilist

It's great when a board member has a little fight in them - I certainly did. But when the ref counts you out - you're done. In the context of a school board meeting, the usual etiquette is that a board member can speak - and be rebuked by other members -  three times on any subject and then they need to throw in the towel. That has always seemed abundantly fair. The Persistent Pugilist has a good opportunity - three of them in fact - to make an argument and win support. Pro tip - know when it's time to hit the showers.

The Last Word Lecturer

Different from the Persistent Pugilist, the Last Word Lecturer has to have the final retort in any exchange. It's no good following on with more thoughts on the subject, you will be contradicted again - and again. I was on the board with a few members who had this affliction, and it drove me batty! Honestly, for some of these board members, it's the only thing I remember about them. Pro tip - we're not married; I am allowed to have the last word once in a while!

The Stone-Stepper

Ah Yes! The lowly school board as launching pad. School boards in New Jersey are supposed to be non-partisan. Board members agree to not let their opinions, votes, etc. be swayed by any political parties. Get real. I have served with board members who had engraved nametags that read "Jane Doe, Hillsborough BoE" that they wore to political gatherings. I also served with board members from both political parties who were elected county committee members of their parties - actually elected by the general public during the NJ primary elections in June! Pro tip - be humble on your way up, you may be back here on your way down.

Ms. Manifesto

Often a repeat offender, when Ms. (or Mr.) Manifesto begins to speak, get ready for ten to twelve minutes of misplaced righteous indignation. When I would spot that single-spaced typewritten sheaf of paper come out I felt like running out of the room. This is not the US Senate. You are not Daniel Webster. Sure, some of the histrionics were fun -- the banging of tiny fists, etc. - but come on! The other eight board members didn't get the assignment. No one is prepared. It's not right! Pro tip - if you need one of those special industrial staplers to get it together, it's too long!

There you have it...but, you know what? Spending a few hours today thinking about this makes me realize that I might need to do a Part 2 someday! Maybe before that, I should do one about the board members who made meetings seem like Heaven! Would it surprise you to know that they could be the same people? People are complicated.

Let's Get Elected

Many of my posts concentrate on the frustrations of being a school board member  - especially in New Jersey. Sometimes I wonder why anyone would want to run for a seat - let alone do it five times! I can only conclude that the frustration of being on the sideline and the desire to do SOMETHING to turn the tide outweighs any perceived future pummeling! In any case, I give every prospective school board candidate the same advice I was given back in February 2007 when I threw my hat in the ring - be prepared to win!

 

That statement can, and should, be read two ways. Firstly, never go into the campaign season just for the experience, or to give it a try, or whatever. Assume that you are going to win and be ready to put in the work it takes to be a successful board member once you are elected - including giving up all of those evenings for three years.

Secondly, be ready to launch a winning campaign. If you are at that stage today, you have come to the right place. Here are my proven tips that will get you to the finish line "in the money".

• Declare Very Early or Very Late. Most candidates don't file their petitions until the final day, which is fine - no need to let anyone get a head start to defeat you. On the other hand, there was one year I made my intentions known very early, months before the deadline. It was my third run and I believed myself to be a very strong candidate and I was hoping to deter other candidates from jumping in. And it worked! I essentially ran unopposed with only three candidates vying for the three available seats.
• Raise $500 from family and friends. That's really all it takes, even today. In fact, there are plenty of successful school board campaigns that spent no money at all. Ask for donations of between $25 and $50. This will not only get you the cash you need but also build a group of between 10 and 20 committed supporters. Once people have donated they literally have a vested interest in the outcome and will be good advocates for the campaign. This forms a pool of people to draw from for "Letters to the Editor" on the local news websites.
• Purchase Lawn Signs.  I don't advocate spending money on anything else. I have seen so many campaigns that didn't put up any signs, and lost by a few votes. That was someone who didn't "prepare to win". Even one sign in front of each polling place might have been enough. In my day you could get 150 signs for $500 but perhaps now it's only 100. No problem - that will be enough.
• Employ a good sign strategy. Your lawn sign design should be as simple as you can make it. I went with my last name on top and "School Board" underneath. Anything else is a waste. Your voters are smart enough to know what town they are in and the date of the election - no need to inform someone else's voters of these facts. As far as slogans go - trite ones (think "for the children") will be mocked and others are difficult without context (in other words they may turn off as many people as they turn on!). Placement locations are easy enough. All of the polling places and all of the schools should get signs. Then, simply place a sign adjacent to the signs of other candidates. The rule of thumb here is that no one should see someone else's sign while not also seeing one of yours. Simple. If you are coordinating your campaign with another candidate, read the next bullet...
• No "Ticket" is the ticket! A few years ago New Jersey began allowing school board candidates to run together on one ticket and be listed together on the ballot. This can be problematic as voters don't always realize that they need to "pull the lever" for each individual candidate (it's not like voting for president where you get Dan Quayle as a bonus!). I suggest, instead, that like-minded candidates - ideally two - simply coordinate their campaigns. The most visible way to do this is by employing identical lawn sign color and design. This will immediately double (or triple) your campaign visibility on the highways and byways as drivers will recognize the color and design first before they even read the name. After that, simply endorse each other in your emails and social media posts. Note: I do not recommend running three candidates together as this has a tendency for all three to lose votes to each other when a voter has a personal commitment to a candidate outside of your group. In other words, when voters are left with two votes to give for your campaign they won't always give those votes to the same two candidates but rather spread them around among all three. Better to win two seats than narrowly lose two, or all three!
• Get the Social Media working for you. Facebook, Instagram, Twitter - none existed when I first ran back in 2007 but I did use Facebook extensively for my final campaign in 2019. Use your lawn sign design on your social media page, and update regularly with your views and especially a countdown to election day. It's free and it works!
• Have a simple platform. People generally only remember three things at a time (unless I am at Wegmans, in which case I can usually only remember two). In 2019 my three were Respect Parents and Taxpayers, Repair the Damaged Relationship with Stakeholder Groups, and Restore Confidence in the Board. Ideally, one item in your platform should be timely. For instance, under Repair the Damaged Relationship with Stakeholder Groups I listed settling the teachers' contract, working cooperatively with the township committee, and hiring a superintendent. Within each of your three planks, you can either state the specifics of how you will solve the problem or simply state what makes you the best candidate on that issue.
• GOTV Until we reach the point where there is near 100% participation in voting, getting your voters to the polls is paramount. These days, that also means utilizing early voting and mail-in ballots. Be sure to have instructions on how to do that on your social media!!!!
• Have principles and don't forget them. Explaining yourself to others is fine, but if you find that you are explaining yourself to yourself - that's a problem. 

Good luck candidates!

Who Do You Trust?

In a letter to the Massachusetts Militia dated 11 October 1798, President John Adams wrote, "Our constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other." He was speaking not only of morality but also of the virtues needed for trusted interpersonal relationships - things like courage, prudence, and honesty. 

The issue of trust comes up a lot on the school board. Much is made about the need for school board members to trust each other and the administration, for the administrators to trust each other and the school board members, and for mutual trust between the board, administration, and employees. After serving for more than 15 years as an elected board member, my first inclination would be to tell new board members to trust no one.

Unfortunately, that is wholly impractical. School board members are not hands-on enough - indeed are prohibited from being hands-on - to make decisions on most issues without the input of administrators. A board member needs to know that facts and figures from the business administrator are accurate and that reports from the superintendent truly reflect what is happening in the schools.

In a district like Hillsborough, the five main administrators that board members are in contact with are the superintendent, the assistant superintendent, the business administrator, the assistant business administrator, and the human resources director. I served with quite a few over the years and trusted each of them unless they gave me a reason not to. I can say confidently that there were many who were honorable and trustworthy over the course of their entire tenure at Hillsborough - and sadly there were many who were not. 

An administrator is dishonest primarily by having a hidden agenda revealed to other administrators but not to the board - or at least not to all board members. It's no secret that superintendents are good at getting what they want. Most of the time they are motivated by what they think is best for the district and the students - and aren't going to let a school board stand in their way!

Who do you trust? Can you trust anyone? My advice is to trust yourself first. Have a noble purpose and stick with it. Don't apologize when you have done nothing wrong. Have courage as well as patience. Show by your example that you are not an ignoble dirty trickster. Perhaps others will follow.