
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, the hot debate in the Village of Ridgewood is whether school board trustees should have kids in school or not. While the question never arises over long term trustee Sheila Brogan who is white certain “non white” candidates and trustees have been targeted by the teacher union candidates . Sheila Brogan was also charged with and ethics violation , lost the appeal the status of which is currently being covered up the Ridgewood Board of Education.
In 2015, NAIS (National Association of Independent Schools) partnered with the capstone program at Vanderbilt University’s Peabody College of Education for a study that explored the topic of parent trustees. According to “Independent School Leadership: Heads, Boards, and Strategic Thinking”, which surveyed about 800 heads and board chairs, 41% do not have a preference on the makeup of their board. Twenty percent prefer a majority of current parents, and 16% prefer an equal balance of current parents and nonparents. The remaining 22% preferred a majority of nonparents.
School board trustees having children in the school system can bring both advantages and disadvantages to their roles. Here are some of the key points to consider:
Advantages:
- Personal Stake: Trustees with children in the school system have a personal stake in the quality of education provided. This can motivate them to work diligently to ensure that schools are the best they can be.
- First-Hand Experience: These trustees often have direct, current knowledge of the school’s operations and can provide insights into the student experience.
- Increased Empathy: Having a personal connection to the schools may make trustees more empathetic to the concerns and needs of students, parents, and teachers.
- Immediate Feedback: They may receive immediate feedback from their own children about the strengths and weaknesses of the education system, allowing them to address issues promptly.
Disadvantages:
- Conflict of Interest: There is a potential conflict of interest if trustees prioritize their own children’s interests over those of other students or make decisions that could benefit their children directly.
- Biased Decision-Making: Having a child in the school system may lead to biased decision-making or perceptions of favoritism, which can undermine trust in the board’s decisions.
- Limited Perspective: Trustees may have a limited perspective, primarily focused on the experiences of their own children, which might not reflect the broader needs of the student body.
- Recusal Issues: In cases where conflicts of interest arise, trustees with children in the school system may need to recuse themselves from important decisions, potentially affecting the board’s ability to make quorum.
In summary, having school board trustees with children in the school system can be a double-edged sword. While they bring personal investment and first-hand experience, there is the potential for conflicts of interest and biased decision-making. To mitigate these challenges, transparency, ethical standards, and a commitment to making decisions that benefit the entire student body are crucial. It’s essential for these trustees to navigate their roles with a strong sense of responsibility and fairness.
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I personally think any taxpayer has a right to a say on the BOE whether they have kids in the public schools or not. That said, there is a big difference between someone whose kids have graduated out of the system vs. someone who has elected to send their kids to other schools. Don’t make this about race when it’s not.
Why do you bring race into this? Shame on you for doing this.
Brogan gets away with everything and is never questioned
term limits!
Amen to that.
yes NJEA candidates made this so obvious
A veiled reference to Scarf Lady.
Someone should ask each candidate if they sought the REA’s endorsement.
Brogan has served Ridgewood for a long time- because she is always re-elected by a majority of voters- because she is knowledgable, hardworking, and focused on what is best for the schools. I don’t always agree with her but I do respect her. She rocks those scarves.
you mean despite the ethics violations
exactly the point of the post , Brogan gets a free pass because she is a white liberal
whether it’s ethical or not?
With Brogan it’s whether it’s ethical or not?
Vote Dani
if any of those who had the tiffany blue lawn signs in support of winograd can admit to having buyers remorse, take that to the polls when thinking about voting for her carbon copies for the board of ed…the 4 teacher union candidates.
But most will just do as ur told and cast a mindless vote.
Brogan is another NJEA suck-up
All of this “whites have the right” to get a pass is being orchestrated by the One Village One Vote backers.
bigotry in this town is obvious
As a person who does not have kids and read so many comments about how anyone can run but people wouldn’t vote for someone not having kids in the system because we are not invested, it is total BS and highly insulting. Also, I do agree that there is a fair amount of bigotry in this village, and it is sad that people who have eithics violations or are bullying others, get away with this nonsense and others who are hard working members of this committee trying to do the right thing are then made to look responsible for things they have nothing to do with. It is pretty clear. Also, look at all of the OVOV people = all white. Siobahn Winograd, Bob Fuhrman, Stacey Loscalzo, Matthew Lindenberg, Deborah Steinbaum,
they are full of sh$t the same people voted for Brogan
I will never forgive Sheila Brogan for brightly stating at one of the Valley Hospital hearings that the many (probably 20) years of proposed enormous disruptive construction in a residential neighborhood would not affect schoolchildren. I was there, at BF, and I was shocked.
As the BOE representative at the hearing she had an important and unique opportunity to protect the kids (mine having graduated long before; this wasn’t personal, and I don’t live near there, either) and blew it, sucking up to that monster attorney and others. Unconscionable.
Valley Hosp had Scarf Lady in their pockets.
Right! Who wants a hospital nearby, especially if time is of the essence? Better to call an ambulance and hope you get to the nearest hospital in time – oops, too late!
Be careful what you wish for – OH, yay! You got your wish!
Valley Does not have a trauma center , so you still go to HUMC
Actually maybe it was at GW. Not sure. But the rest of the memory is clear.
Just in the last few years, there is so much more focus on people of color. Watch the news. It’s all focused on the first African American this or, the first so and so that.
No wonder why it appears as bigotry for those of you who think we are bigots.
then how come you never asked Sheila Brogan or Jim Morgan if they has kids in the school ?
Both had children who attended and graduated from Ridgewood Public Schools.
but not for 20 years
same with the Dani is mean or Boyd is suspicious comments , its because they are dark and you are a bunch of bigots
A current Village Council member actively participated in an on line discussion in which Boyd was tagged a a possible child predator because he took a photo of emergency responders assisting a child in distress. This same Council member also filed a police report about a meeting in which the presence of Saurabh Dani made the person “uncomfortable.” Bigotry is alive and kicking in Ridgewood.
Not too hard to figure out which member of Council it is. Jeez!
Siobhan Winograd. She is guilty as sin
Shoving it down our throats.
agree with the post , and no yard sign is going to help you with this one
Sheila Brogan is the most destructive force on the BOE. She has done more to destroy the Ridgewood Public Schools that all of the other BOE members over the past 2 decades put together.
3 decades…
Kwak and Dani put their children needs above their own , that’s what a good parent does and that’s what makes them a good stewards of the school system
anyone who does not ,does not belong near the school system
Such B.S. neither one now has any children in the district. All their kids go to school outside of our community!
kids first, Dani had kids in the system , Brogan has not had kids in the system far longer than Dani
Dani and Kwak have to prove they are worthy to these lib racists a-holes in town, Brogan is exempt because she is white
Same way no one says anything about Michael Lembo, BOE President’s domestic violence or aggression towards female non-white members.
Maybe if the media and news stops focusing on people of color or different cultures obtaining new jobs and roles in the US, as trying to make up for the past by making it headlines. It has been shoved down our throats for a number of years now. No wonder why “some” folks think we are racist/bigots. Enough with the woke stuff already!
Lembo domestic violence? Say WHAT?’!
So Zigi Putnins can have his photos of children posted all over Facebook and people love them and him. Oh yeah. Right. Because Zigi is white.