Holmdel Board Member Calls Into Middletown BOE: Get Kids In Class

MIDDLETOWN, NJ — A Holmdel resident, and elected member of the Board of Education there, called into the Middletown school board meeting Tuesday night, where he strongly encouraged Middletown schools to reopen full time — and blasted the state teachers' union.

The man is Terrence Wall. Since Jan. 4, all Holmdel public schools have been open five days a week, full time, something Wall said Middletown should emulate. Related: Holmdel BOE Member Defends Opining On Middletown School Reopening

"It's going great; it's going fantastic," enthused Wall. "And any resources that you need reaching out to our staff, our superintendent, feel free."

"The NJEA (the New Jersey teachers' union, New Jersey Education Association) needs to take a hard look at themselves," Wall continued. "This is not about the pandemic at this time. This is about keeping your schools shut. And I'm just putting that on the record for you. Many schools are open, parochial particularly. Look at the data. Holmdel sends its data out every week. Look at the actual, literal data. The science, Dr. Fauci. Scientists across the country are saying kids have to be back in school. Suicide ideations, depression, anxiety, loneliness. It's having a massive impact. Look at the data. And my strongest suggestion is get your schools open; get those beautiful children back in their schools in front of their teachers. And ignore the union rhetoric. Thank you."

He also cited that the rate of coronavirus transmission is down to 1.0 or lower.

Wall made his comments as the Middletown school district is weighing the best approach to begin Phase 6, which is a return to in-person learning. He clarified he was speaking on his own behalf Tuesday night, and not on behalf of the Holmdel BOE or school district. Wall has also previously been on the Holmdel Township Committee, and his wife writes the Tap Into Holmdel & Colts Neck site.

In Middletown public schools, form letters have been circulating this January from the Middletown teachers' union, asking superintendent Mary Ellen Walker to temporarily end hybrid learning and pivot to all remote. The letters were circulated by John Cholette, an 8th grade math teacher at Thorne Middle School and president of the Middletown Teachers' Education Association, the Middletown teachers' union.

However, neither Walker nor Middletown BOE president Joan Minnuies responded to Patch when asked how many of these letters the district has received from unionized teachers. Cholette also did not reply to Patch's multiple attempts to reach out to him to talk about the letters.

The Holmdel school district has been battling with its teachers' union over the district's decision to return full time to class. In December, the Holmdel Board of Education rejected pleas from the teachers' union to go all virtual, calling it an "unacceptable option." Read: Holmdel BOE Rejects Teachers' Union Call For Remote Learning

Wall's two cents were not appreciated by some in Middletown.

"Wow. I'm pretty stunned that the Holmdel Board of Ed. person just called in to give this Board of Ed. advice. That is so inappropriate," said Middletown resident Michelle Collins, when it was her turn to speak. "And just so you know the Facebook boards for the NJEA teachers who you're bashing right now. They are saying that it's a sh**show in Holmdel. That it's not going as well as he's pretending it's going. It's a mess with the staff. People are being infected."

"So please don't believe whatever he just said. I'm so enraged right now — I can't," she continued. "We want our kids in school. We just want our kids in school safely .... (It's) great Catholic schools can manage to have 10 kids in a classroom. We're in a public school in the largest town in the state. There's no way that we can bring all of our kids back safely. It's not fair to have to then pull kids out who were safely in school hybrid so people can have their kids in school five days a week."

However, other Middletown parents who spoke at the meeting Tuesday night agreed with Wall, and encouraged Middletown to fully reopen schools.

"I have a younger daughter who is going to a Catholic pre-school, five full days. There have been no issues. (Holmdel) is open five full days with no problems," said Middletown mom Jackie Lynn Bailey, who spoke just before Wall. "I just want to reiterate the fact that if people are still in fear and do not want their children exposed, go ahead and keep them fully remote. I don't see any harm in allowing the people who want to move forward five full days to go ahead and have that opportunity."

Watch the meeting; Wall's comments start around the 2:33 mark:

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