BOE Challenger: Chester Twp. Incumbent Following 'Political Agenda'

Dear Editor,

On Election Day, November 4, 2014, Chester Township needs to make the right decision concerning the future of our children’s education. For decades our students, parents, teachers, Board of Education and administration have all worked hard together to propel our high school district toward academic excellence. We must protect that legacy. During my thirteen years as a Chester representative to the Regional High School District Board of Education, I worked collaboratively with my fellow Board members to create one of the finest public high school districts in New Jersey and the country. I have a proven track record of success. My opponent, Marcia Asdal, has spent the last three years on the Board following a political agenda of obstructionism. For real information on the status of Mendham High School, please visit the Board of Education’s official website at www.wmrhsd.org .

A board member’s duty is to bring about healthy debate and consensus building to develop policies for the Superintendent to administer. Our schools now are progressing exponentially as a direct result of the Board’s reorganization of the district administration, including the creation of district supervisors. I voted for this change, which resulted in a more robust curriculum for our students and provided greater oversight of our teachers. Ms. Asdal voted against this reorganization. Ms. Asdal voted against both district and Board goals, which I and the Board majority supported and which led directly to increased student academic rigor and improvements in our AP, IB and SAT scores. Ms. Asdal voted against every budget—budgets that were fiscally sound and allowed the administration to implement programs that will continue to improve educational delivery and make our graduates successful in life. Ms. Asdal voted to censor our Superintendent’s communications with the public and questioned the validity of those communications. It is not a board’s member’s job to write personal newsletters or try to micromanage our schools—concepts that Ms. Asdal ignores. From day one during her tenure on the Board, Ms. Asdal has attempted to block administrative changes, voted against student safety issues and verbally ridiculed our current Superintendent. This has to stop. Once again, normalcy, in the form of healthy debate and consensus building must be brought back to the High School Board of Education. During my tenure, our high school Boards selected true visionaries as District Superintendents (Anthony diBattista and Mackey Pendergrast). Such school leaders deserve the support and cooperation of a school board willing to work with them—listening, advising and cooperating—in order to develop and maintain the best possible educational system for our students.

I have served on both our Chester Township Board of Education (1994-1997) and the West Morris Regional High School Board of Education (2001-2013). While on the high school Board, I was elected Board President and Vice President by my fellow Board members. I also served as Chair of the Negotiations/Personnel Committee and was a member of many other Board committees: Finance, Facilities, Energy, Policy, Curriculum Advisory and the Long Range Planning Council. I have served on the Board of Directors of the Morris County School Boards Association, the legislative representative for the Delegate Assembly of the New Jersey Schools Boards Association as well as the West Morris Regional High School District’s representative to the Mayors’ Meetings regarding potential reorganization of the district’s school structure.

I always served Chester with honesty, integrity and with a passion for the constant improvement of all aspects of the educational process, while being fiscally responsible to my fellow Chester residents. My future goal is to continue this work, with the collaboration of everyone in our community. Please give me your support on November 4 so we can again work with the leadership of our high school district toward our shared goal of further educational excellence.

Sincerely,

James Johnston
Chester Township