SOMSD BOARD OF EDUCATION NEWSLETTER
March 21, 2022 Public Meeting Recap | Vol.1 Issue 11
Highlights from the March 21, 2022 - Regular Session Board of Education Meeting
The District will share a monthly newsletter with the SOMSD community to keep you informed and to provide a recap of key action items discussed and approved by the Board of Education during their monthly regular Public Session meetings. The BOE meeting recap newsletter will be shared monthly after each regular session public BOE meeting (and will only be provided for regular-session Board meetings).
Board President's Monthly Statement
The school board meeting is a business meeting in public and not a meeting with the public. Oftentimes it may appear to members of our audience that the Board of Education takes action with very little comment and in many cases a unanimous vote. Before a matter is placed on the agenda at a public meeting, the Administration has thoroughly reviewed the matter with the Superintendent of Schools/Chief School Administrator (CSA). If the Superintendent of Schools/Chief School Administrator is satisfied that the matter is ready to be presented to the Board of Education, it is then referred to the appropriate Board Committee. The Members of the Board Committee work with Administration and the Superintendent to assure that the members fully understand the matter. After the committee discusses the matter, it is presented to the full Board for discussion before any action is taken. Only then, is it placed on the agenda for action at a public meeting.
Meeting Overview
Roll Call
Approval of Board Minutes: Executive Session and Special Public Session - February 24, 2022
Approval of Board Minutes: Executive Session and Special Meeting Session - February 28, 2022
BOE Student Representative Report (cued to begin at video): https://youtu.be/QJeJjg9PQwI?t=6435
- Agenda and Attachments
- Presentations: SOMSD District Goals Updates | SOMSD III Yr. 1 Review & Yr. 2 Considerations
Superintendent's Monthly Report
- Acknowledgement of Women's History Month
- Watch the Superintendent's full statement here (cued to begin at 14:24 mark): https://youtu.be/QJeJjg9PQwI?t=861
- Update as of Friday, March 25: The District is pleased to announce that after months of negotiations, the Board of Education and SOMEA have reached an agreement in principle. The three-year contract will run retroactively from July 1, 2021 to June 30, 2024. We are grateful to the participants of both negotiation teams for their focused efforts to bring this settlement together. Read more here.
- Watch Board President Thair's Monthly report/statement(cued to begin at 1:51:30 mark): https://youtu.be/QJeJjg9PQwI?t=6694
Key Action Items
- A full list of action items and associated resolutions is available here.
- Presentation #1: 2021-2022 District Goal Update
- Presentation #2: SOMSD II Yr. 1 Overview & Yr. 2 Considerations
- Approval of Resolution 4281 - SOMSD Intentional Integration Year 2: The Board approved the Superintendent of Schools’ recommendation and directed the Administration to move forward with the year 2 of the Intentional Integration Initiative inclusive of rising kindergarteners and 6th graders for the Fall of 2022 (6th grade families will be informed of their middle school placements by the first week of April 2022; Kindergarten families will learn of their school placements in June 2022).
Approved Resolutions:
- 4271: Personnel Fiscal Resolutions
- 4272: Personnel Substitute Resolutions
- 4273: 2021-22 ESY Out of District Placements
- 4274: Financial Reports
- 4275: New/Revised Curriculum: STEM - Computer Science AAP
- 4276: School Field Trip Destinations
- 4277: Transfer or Removal of Non-Domiciled Student(s)
- 4278: Affirmation of Harassment, Intimidation and Bullying Investigations for the Month of February 2022
- 4279: Confidential Special Education Settlement Agreement
- 4280: Adopt Board Policies
- 4281: SOMSD Intentional Integration Year 2
- Policy 0156.1 Board Representatives
- Policy 2415.04 Title I - District-Wide Parental Involvement
- Policy 7436 Drug Free Workplace
- Policy 8330 Student Records
- Policy 9130 Public Complaints and Grievances
There were first readings of 7 policies:
Current BOE Members
Note: to email all board members, please email boemembers@somsd.k12.nj.us.
Thair Joshua
Board President
Term: 2020 - 2022
email: tjoshua@somsd.k12.nj.us
Susan Bergin (1st Vice-President)
Term: 2021 - 2023
email: sbergin@somsd.k12.nj.us
Kaitlin Wittleder (2nd Vice-President)
Term: 2022 - 2024
email: kwittled@somsd.k12.nj.us
Elissa Malespina
Term: 2021 - 2023
email: emalesp1@somsd.k12.nj.us
Erin Siders
Term: 2020 - 2022
email:esiders@somsd.k12.nj.us
Qawi Telesford
Term: 2022 - 2024
email: qtelesfo@somsd.k12.nj.us
Arun Vadlamani
Term: 2022 - 2024
email: avadlama@somsd.k12.nj.us
Courtney Winkfield
Term: 2021 - 2023
email: cwinkfie@somsd.k12.nj.us
Johanna Wright
Term: 2020 - 2022
email: johannawright@somsd.k12.nj.us
Student Representatives to the Board of Education
Noah Morros
Term: 2021 - 2022
email: boestudentrep1@somsd.k12.nj.us
Vanessa Previlon
Term: 2021 - 2022
email: boestudentrep2@somsd.k12.nj.us
South Orange & Maplewood School District
The mission of the South Orange Maplewood School District is to empower and inspire each student to explore and imagine, to pursue personal passions, and to collectively create a better future by creating a learner-centered environment through multiple pathways; reimagined structures, systems and supports; innovative teaching; partnering with families; and maximizing community expertise and resources.
Email: info@somsd.k12.nj.us
Website: https://www.somsd.k12.nj.us/board-of-education/
Location: 525 Academy Street, Maplewood, NJ, USA
Phone: (973) 762-5600
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/somsdk12/
Twitter: @SOMSDK12