“I was shocked to learn that there was gambling going on here.”
That's the famous line from the movie. “Casablanca” “Not only does he know that gambling takes place at Rick’s Cafe, but he also participates in the sport,” said Captain Louis Renault.
That appears to be the New Jersey Department of Education's response in a “scathing report” by attorney Michael Inzelbuch, who earns nearly $1 million a year in taxpayer funds, leads public hearings and serves, detailing how the Lakewood School Board actually operates. , it will appear as local superintendents, school boards, negotiators and strategists.
The report itself, written by former state Education Secretary Kimberly Markus, calls out a “culture of low expectations,” “unresponsiveness” to the public, “uninformed” school board members, lack of discussion on important policy issues, any strategic plan, and “ There is no sense of urgency or responsibility for the district’s financial situation by leadership… Employees reported feeling disrespected by the administration and fearing retaliation if they spoke in a critical manner. Instances of unresponsiveness or unclear communication from the district contribute to the perception that support is inadequate.”
About Inzelbuch she wrote:
“Lakewood Board of Education attorneys take a much more active role in district business than the typical board attorney. The council attorney stated that his role is not only as counsel to the council, but also provides services to the district as a communications director. Lakewood’s per-pupil legal costs are significantly higher than comparable districts.”
Why is this surprising? Anyone who knows anything about this area knows that this type of avoidance of responsibility by duly elected officials has been going on for years. At least not since the Lakewood School District hired Inzelbuch back as their attorney after suing him and making a ton of money. Represents Haredi (ultra-Orthodox) children with special needs.
Whatever the reason for the board's decision, Inzelbuch appears to be acting as a one-man board. In fact, his demands before signing the contract included an ultimatum for the board to rehire the superintendent. Restarting teacher contracts to make life harder for union leaders. Replace all employees who supervise yeshiva students with “consultants.” Stop paying consultants who have already written reports. Separate managers at public meetings; Pays for four attorneys to assist Inzelbuch.
I cannot think of a school board that would grant this level of authority to a lawyer. Let's take a look at the citywide impact on students, teachers and parents.
students: While Lakewood has far less funding than Asbury Park or Newark to educate the district's 6,000 students (the state funding formula does not apply to a district with 50,000 private school students who must ride gender-specific buses to school) ) 140 Yeshiva students each day), with a high school graduation rate of 82%, not to mention student achievement. But because schools there opened earlier than many others, COVID-19 learning loss has not been as steep as in other parts of New Jersey. (This new report vindicates Lakewood's decision.)
employee: How does Inzelbuch's supervision work for teachers? Well, they don't stay that long, which is why the difference in average salary occurs. The average salary for a teacher in New Jersey is $79,460, but in Lakewood it is $56,934. (Due to a strict tiered salary guide, the longer you work, the higher your salary will be.
parents: It's hard to say because most of the non-Haredi community is Hispanic. 77% of students' primary language at home is Spanish. However, all board meetings are held in English and the district website does not appear to offer a Spanish version. When the district reorganized grades and changed the schools children attended, Markus said there was little “notification or explanation” to students, parents and staff about the reasons for the decisions. There was no discussion at the board meeting or opportunity for public comment.”
Now, let's be fair. Lakewood is a difficult area to properly supervise and needs more state support. But what if the school board, and not Inzelbuch, who is actually an employee of the school board, actually oversees the district? Instead of having seven haredi board members and two Hispanic board members, what if the ratios were reversed to reflect the fact that 85% of the students in the district are Hispanic? (5% are black, 8% are white.)
I know. The community doesn't choose the board. Ultra-Orthodox leaders are like that. Should we really act so shocked that there is gambling going on here?