“Fishbein, your second “resign” letter reads more like a self congratulatory I done a great job reflection of your career and most significantly, your perceived value to the citizens of Ridgewood during your tenure at the Ridgewood school district. Well Dan, you really have a flair for the dramatic. Rather than reflecting on the sorrow and pain associated with the 19th anniversary of 9/11, you decided on that day to “formally resign” only to then to sit back and watch the staged support and for you with pleas of “…Please stay…” over the next 1 1/2 weeks.”
“To more appropriately comment on Fishbein’s 12 years in Ridgewood, the district’s schools and in particular RHS went from #5 down to # 37 in the most recent high school rankings, the bullying in the school district that is all to common continues after Fishbein was a meek participant in the most recent bullying incidents at the high school over the last few years. Add to this, the sexting scandal at the middle school about 5 years ago where it appears the Ridgewood school district attempted to keep the local press from catching wind of any improper behavior on school property. Also, when parents asked 6 years ago if the Glen School could house an all day K program, the answer was that there was no room there because of x, y, and z. All now know the xyz rational has resulted in years of hidden deficits and phony accounting to cover how the Glen School actually operates. As a result, Ridgewood became one of the last Bergen County school districts to have all day K, once some of the teacher’s “conference rooms” in the elementary schools were reassigned . Sorry about that teachers but at least you got to keep the subsidized day care you get for your kids at the Glen School while the majority of Ridgewood parents got the “waiting lists” treatment from the staff at Glen.
Don’t know if an investigation of the district’s accounting practices will uncover any illegal activity by anybody, but some people have wondered why a certain food vendor was given a contact years ago during Fishbein’s tenure that some felt did not provide healthy meal alternatives but was awarded a contract instead because the administration felt comfortable with that vendor.
So Fishbein, you can reflect on your career all you want, but the fact remains that the Ridgewood school district has not been a stellar example of ethical and moral excellence. Are you really leaving on the 10th?”
I looked at this impartially with no fore knowledge of the issues or individuals. If Fishbein could have defended himself against the charges made against him and his administration, he probably would have. Instead he put much more energy into making appeals to popularity. I believe the two board members in question saw some wrong doing and pursued it. My understanding is that Glen school is operating a day care open to outside residents at a loss and covering up that loss. So they are essentially making Ridgewood residents pay part of the cost of day care for people in other towns. This is wrong if it is true. But much worse is poor leadership during the current panic. There is simply no elevated risks to running the schools as normal and this is what should be happening.
Ridgewood school rankings would be even lower but a few years ago, Fishbein and his then-board deliberately tinkered with the length of the periods at the high school in order to game the ranking system and artificially improve RHS’ ranking. True story.
Sounds like you folks are right on the pulse of things. Keep whining!
I am glad I was not the only that thought the fake drama on 9/11 was offensive , Fishbein should know better and that in a nut shell is what is wrong with public education
Good riddance to Dan Fishbein. Whatever it is that made him retire, HOORAY
When are the indictments coming?
Please do not highlight Father Mychal Judge’s name on this crap. He was so much more than this bullshit crap.