Frustrated Teachers Walk Out of Board Meeting

A frustrated Sean DiGiovanna, president of the Watchung Hills Regional Education Association, and about 30 teachers and students walked out the school's Board of Education meeting Monday night, after he was told not to address a query posed by the board's student representatives because they were not "action items" on the agenda.

The student representatives had asked the board to consider returning April 9 to a day off as originally scheduled, but changed in December in anticipation of the possible need for snow days. Believing the threat of snow passed, the students asked the board to consider the move—which Dr. DiGiovanna said the WHREA had also requested when he began to speak during the meeting's initial allotment of time for public comment. According to board President Robert Horowitz, the initial time is reserved for comment "is limited for comment on agenda items for the March 19 meeting."

Board attorney Marc Zitomer said comments are limited to "action items" on the agenda as Dr. DiGiovanna began to address the board, however, Horowitz allowed Dr. DiGiovanna to make a short statement. Dr. DiGiovanna said the association had made a similar request regarding April 9, but noted it was not on the board's agenda for discussion.   

Dr. DiGiovanna also responded to comments board member Sondra Fechnter made, which she said related to email communications from parents the board members had received.

Fechtner stood and faced the gathered teachers and said she had been contacted by a student who was "rebuffed" in a request for help with an educational plan developed for him. She added that just after speaking to the student, she saw a TV advertisement by the NJEA with the tagline "NJEA believes students come first."

"And that was a knife in my heart after that phone call," Fechtner said. "So why, oh why, are our students getting hurt in the process?"

She added that she believes "our students are our purpose for being here," and urged the teachers to "do what you know is right." She also asked if some teachers were feeling intimidated regarding the work to rule instituted recently.

"You can ask the teachers here, you can ask the members of the association—nobody feels intimidated," Dr. DiGiovanna said. "What we're doing is fulfilling our obligations a hundred percent that we are required in our contract. That's what we're doing."

In a statement sent after te meeting, Dr. DiGiovanna took issue with the board's determination comments were limited to action items on the agenda, and expanded on his response to Fechtner.

"While in the past the board has very loosely interpreted what constitutes being on the agenda for public comment, at tonight's meeting the board attempted to silence discussion of important issues by keeping secret the subject of formally submitted correspondence and denying community members the right to speak to the issues raised in that correspondence," Dr. DiGiovanna said. "Seeing the extent to which the board maneuvered to avoid public commentary, the teachers present at the meeting decided to walk out, rather than participate in an empty exercise in public governance. 

"I hope in the future the board will seek to encourage community input rather than devalue it as they did tonight," he added.

Dr. DiGiovanna's statement also said he resented and rejects Fechnter's suggestion some teachers are being intimidated to limited service to the students.

"Unlike the board—which discouraged input and debate this evening—the WHREA has always valued members' opinions in the formation of our policy," Dr. DiGiovanna said. "To suggest otherwise is not only erroneous, but it clearly fails to grasp the extent to which the members of WHREA are united and stand behind their leadership.

"As I have stated previously, teachers are still offering extra help within the contractual hours," he continued. "The association is encouraging its members to meet with students after school and, if at all possible, during productivity and prep periods. Any suggestion that we are 'hurting students' is inflammatory and ill-informed."

The board carried discussion of the possible April 9 holiday into a closed session, which Zitomer said was allowable because there are "legal implications" to the discussion.