West Orange BOE: Social Media Is Wrong About Gifted and Talented Program

WEST ORANGE, NJ — The following letter to the editor is a joint statement from the West Orange Board of Education. Send local news tips, op-eds and correction requests to eric.kiefer@patch.com.

“The West Orange Board of Education feels compelled to respond to false information that is being circulated through social media outlets concerning its Gifted and Talented Program. The public should be aware that the West Orange School District Gifted and Talented Program is not new and has been in existence for decades. Over the last several years, prior Boards and Administrations attempted to revise and update the program to no avail. It is only with this current Board and Administration that the update for the West Orange School District Gifted and Talented Program has come to fruition.

“The Administration established a Gifted and Talented Committee inclusive of parents, teachers, supervisors, and principals to evaluate data and criteria and recommend programmatic changes. Over this summer, teachers and Assistant Superintendent de Mendez will write the Gifted and Talented curriculum to be implemented in January 2018. We are thankful to Superintendent Rutzky and Assistant Superintendent de Mendez for their leadership in this regard and to the teachers, administrators and parents, who served on this committee and provided invaluable insight and recommendations.

“It is only after a thorough review and presentation at last month’s board meeting that a majority of the Board voted on June 26, 2017, to approve the recommendations of the Gifted and Talented Committee. We are confident that the extensive research performed by Assistant Superintendent de Mendez and the Gifted and Talented Committee was thorough and inclusive.

“The Board is disturbed to read false and misleading statements on social media that accuses certain West Orange Board of Education members and the Administration of 'enshrining bigotry” and “racism.' Nothing could be further from the truth. The West Orange Board of Education and Administration are committed to creating an environment and programs that embrace our diversity and empower all of our students to achieve their full potential.

“The current Board of Education members have over 50 years of collective dedicated community service to West Orange and beyond. In addition to serving on the Board, they also serve as members of the New Jersey Arts Incubator, West Orange African Heritage Organization, the NAACP, the Mayor’s Disabilities Program, Parents Advocating for Special Services in Education (PASSE), UNICO, the Mountaintop League, the Police Athletic League, the West Orange Recreation Department, the West Orange Hispanic Heritage Organization, the Jamaica Organization of New Jersey, West Orange Public Relations and Human Relations Commissions, Boy Scouts of America, Girl Scouts of the USA, West Orange Men Make a Difference, as well as various New Jersey School Board Association committees. For anyone to publicly challenge the Board’s commitment and integrity goes beyond the pale and is simply inaccurate.‎”

• See related article: West Orange Op-Ed: School Gifted and Talented Policy Is ‘Unfair’

Photo: Flickr Commons

Don’t forget to visit the Patch West Orange Facebook page here.