Incumbent BOE Member 'Shirked' Responsibilities, Voter Says

Dear Editor,

I urge your readers to vote for Rob Strobel for Regional High School Board on November 4.

Academic excellence and fair funding of the district are objectives of the utmost importance to every Township resident. With only one vote on the Board, Mendham Township cannot meet these objectives if its representative fails to work with our outstanding superintendent and fellow Mendham Township resident, Mackey Pendergrast, and the other Board members. As demonstrated by his work as a Township Committee member on the study to possibly reconfigure our district, Rob has the ability to respectfully engage with others, take constructive action and deliver concrete results.

Rob’s approach and successes are in direct contrast to those of his opponent, Jamie Button, a six-year incumbent who no longer has children in the school. Mr. Button’s recent claim that he is somehow responsible for the rise in Mendham High School’s NJ Monthly ranking is particularly surprising. Those who have followed Mr. Button during his six years on the Board know that as a vocal advocate for dismantling our very successful high school, he has been an obstructionist to Mendham High School’s improvement.

Mendham High School’s rise in the rankings is due to two undisputed reasons: 1) A comprehensive redesign of the district’s curriculum and programs as well as a new, redesigned administrative structure which directly led to increased gains in reading, writing and math scores; and 2) district administrators’ successful efforts to have the NJ Department of Education recognize the international baccalaureate (“IB”) program in its state report card, which in turn resulted in its recognition by NJ Monthly.

Unfortunately, Mr. Button, a member of the Curriculum Committee, failed to attend nine straight Curriculum Committee meetings between December 2012 and December 2013, the year in which the curriculum redesign initiative and IB Career Academy Programs were explored and developed by the Board of Education. In fact, Mr. Button voted against district curriculum approval in April 2013, a vote he later reversed. Mr. Button also voted against the new, redesigned administrative structure as well.

Additionally, Mr. Button has not supported district administration and the superintendent in their data analysis and goal setting. Mr. Button voted against district goals specifically targeting metrics used in NJ Monthly’s rankings in August 2012 and August 2013.

Even more alarming for Mendham Township residents, he has called the superintendent, “misleading” and “like an ostrich with his head in sand” and sought to censor his public statements in order to protect the “integrity and reputation of the district.” And, in six years on the High School Board, Mr. Button has never held a leadership position on a committee, including the last two years when the Mendhams and Chesters have held a majority.

Mendham Township voters have a simple question to ask themselves – How can a High School Board representative who shirked his responsibilities on the Curriculum Committee, voted down district goals designed to improve the high school’s ranking in NJ Monthly Magazine, denigrated the superintendent and has never held a position of influence now take credit for Mendham High School’s achievement?

Once you answer that question, the answer to the question of who to elect to the High School Board on November 4 is easy? Rob Strobel.

Sincerely,
Linda Alexander
Devonshire Lane
Mendham Township