Bloomfield BOE Appoints New President, Vice President

Mary Shaughnessy and Shane Berger were appointed as Bloomfield Board of Education (BOE) president and vice president, respectively, during Tuesday night's reorganization meeting in the administration building.

The new appointments, coupled with the swearing in ceremony of new board members , were hailed as a "breath of fresh air" by several audience members, who tightly packed the room and overflowed into the hallways.

"We're hoping this is the beginning of something positive," said John Shanagher, president of the Bloomfield Education Association, the district's teachers union.

Shanagher was joined by a countless number of Bloomfield school teachers and administrators Tuesday night as a showing of unity to promote a "renewed spirit of cooperation" between the BEA and BOE, which have

"We hear a lot that we're a good staff, and we know we're a damn good staff," said Shanagher. "Let's knock this out of the park next Tuesday evening … so next September we can walk into our buildings to do what we're supposed to be doing, which is teaching the kids and not spending our time on all the foolishness that we've had to engage in (previously)."

BEA members and the new BOE negotiation committee, appointed Tuesday night, will convene for a mediation meeting next Tuesday to discuss ongoing teacher contract negotiations. Bloomfield teachers have been without contracts since they expired June 30, 2010. BOE's negotiation committee is now comprised of Berger and Smith, while Maribel Perez will continue as chair.

"This town, this district is teaming with talent, with people who stand ready to lend their skills, expertise, affection for our children to help our schools realize their full potential," said Shaughnessy, who was appointed by a 7-2 vote.

Berger, Bumpus, Robert DeMarino, Perez, Smith, Zaccone and Shaughnessy herself voted for Shaughnessy, while former BOE President Joseph Lopez and Dianna Fuller voted for Perez.

Berger was the lone nomination for vice president and was appointed unanimously.

New Appointments Made

Several BOE members have been appointed to the following positions:

• Shaughnessy as delegate and Smith as alternate to the New Jersey School Boards Association
• Berger as delegate and Bumpus as alternate to the Essex County School Boards Association
• Perez as a member of the Representative Assembly of the Essex County Educational Services Commission
• Zaccone as Bloomfield Educational Foundation liaison
• Bumpus as Special Education Parent Advisory Council (SEPAC) liaison
• Berger as Town Council liaison
• Michael Derderian as BOE secretary and business administrator

School Safety a Hot Issue

Brian McDade, president of the Firefighters Mutual Benevolent Association (FMBA) Local #19, petitioned the new BOE to consider the safety risk schools like Bloomfield High School and Fairview Elementary face in

"It's putting our youth and faculty in danger during the day having the engine closed," said McDade.

Later in the meeting, Zaccone suggested the issue be placed on the next agenda for discussion.

Click here to watch the entire BOE reorganizational meeting, courtesy of WBMA-TV.