the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, in light of the recent misleading campaign initiated by Jeanne Johnson, Mary Micale, and the Teachers Union regarding administrative turnover in schools, it is imperative to set the record straight. Ms. Bender, a discerning reader on the Village Facebook groups, provided a clarifying response to Jeanne Johnson’s assertions.
“Hi Jeanne. There seems to be a misconception regarding this comment you’ve made here:
“Since 2020 two Superintendents, one assistant Superintendent, three Business Administrators, and one Director of Human Resources resigned.”
My online newsfeed is filled daily with board of education news from all over the country. Turnover of administrative leadership is far more common than most realize.
I attend pretty much every Ridgewood Board of Education meeting either in person or online. I’ve been attending our board of education meetings for about 30 years and would like to offer a bit of perspective on your observation.
The superintendent and business administrator you referred to from 2020 were caught filing false financial statements for the district, a very serious offense and certainly a breach of the public trust. Amongst other failings, such as declining school rankings, they brought one of our school sponsored programs into financial ruin while operating in violation of state mandated health and safety standards, issues that have since been resolved through no effort by them.
Our prior assistant superintendent in charge of curriculum was combative with the board and dismissive of parental concerns expressed at the meetings. Some of our candidates who have been paying attention could back me up on that point. She was certainly not delivering on every level that she could or should have.
I honestly don’t know why our last permanent superintendent left, but like many superintendents that took new positions while facing the pandemic, he left after what was undoubtedly the most colossal challenge he will face in his career.
Of the three business administrators you mentioned, one was an interim, only there to fill the position until a permanent selection was made. Of the other two, again, one of them was caught filing false financial records for the district. The other had made at least one major error that cost the district dearly. Both violated the Open Public Records Act, actually lying when they claimed that certain requested documents did not exist.
Our former human resources director retired, I believe.
What’s noteworthy is that our current school administrative leadership is off to an amazing start. If you have attended the meetings, you know how many much needed staff our new human resources director has brought us, how curriculum changes have been implemented for the betterment of our students, and how responsive and proactive our new superintendent and business administrator have been on so many important levels.
I hope that you and others who look upon these changes as an opportunity to throw shade at certain individuals will make the effort to look deeper, so your comments may reflect the true state of our schools.”
Tell your story #TheRidgewoodblog , #Indpendentnews, #information, #advertise, #guestpost, #affiliatemarketing,#
Jeanne Johnson is another bad actor just like our mayor and majority block council. They all stick together and do and say unethical things and try their best to spin untruths. When you really pull back the curtain and see the wizard of oz and the minions, you get it.
Wasn’t JJ awarded a county job? Also did she ever provide accounting for the 4M health barn grants? Has anyone noticed that health barn has almost gone off the radars since getting that 4M grant. Who were the benefitiaries of the grant money???
Laurie Bender is anything but discerning. More of a crackpot.
In this instance she is 100% correct. When teachers Union, a board of education candidate, and the so called neutral podcast producer lies, those lies must be called out, and in this instance Ms. Bender did that!
Far from it. Ms. Bender has, for decades, tirelessly followed RPS activities. Love her or hate her, she does her homework and, to the best of my knowledge, has always been found to be correct when facts and data are exposed. A lot of parents are still pissed off for her exposure of the unlawful diversion of funds from RPS to ITDC. I, as a taxpayer, was NOT happy about supplementing someone else’s daycare and was grateful to all who unveiled it. This women is wicked smart, attends meetings, does her homework and comes to the table fully informed. Perhaps this is why the Village social sluts (aka HSA have an ax to grind with her).
And she’s a very lovely, caring person and great mother.
I absolutely have to reply to this. She is not a loving and caring person. She is nasty and a control freak. She has been kicked off all community social media one after the next because she is vicious. And she torpedoed Melanie Hooban’s campaign with a great big terrible lie. Laurie may be smart and diligent but she is absolutely not loving and caring.
We can disagree to disagree on Laurie. I have never heard her be nasty to anyone….she just politely rips you a new one with facts and if that is your definition of nasty, so be it.
As far as being kicked off of social media, I think anyone with a view contrary to the Village kissass*rs had been kicked off. It’s kind of a badge of honor at this point. If you have t been kicked off, you aren’t making a difference.
I know and like Melanie but tbh she was an out of control for a while there (fighting in the streets with neighbor is never a.goos look). I could most definitely see her saying something anti-Semitic without realizing the damage and hurt her words would have. I believe Laurie, whose father survived the Holocaust, believes she heard Melanie say anti-Semitic things. I don’t know Laurie to be a liar; I know Melanie was a loose canon a few years ago when this all took place. I don’t think Laurie’s accusation changed a single vote….if you hated Paul, you still voted for Melanie.
Can someone explain when she’s Bender and when she’s Weber? I can’t keep track.
Why do you care? Petty BS..
Wow. Misogynist much?
I have never found the union president, Yanone or JJ to be truthful. They both are habitual liers.
As far as Micale, I have to wait and watch. I will give her the benefit of doubt for this one instance. May be she was repeating what she was told by her campaign staff to repeat. Only time will tell.
Well, Yanone has his three puppets now on the board. Get ready for a huge increase in the teachers union contract next year.
Teachers deserve a raise!
And they should get one, but something that’s fair, not something unreasonable, just because they have three puppets on the board now.
Laurie Wender on the blog. Hohohohohoh
she is a union pawn….
She’s a Beber or a Wender.
she’s a weber on a bender
It’s interesting that Micale posted all other letters to editor on her Facebook page, except the one from Dan Fishbein.
Micale’s decision to not post Fishbein’s letter to editor to her campaign page, shows that she knew the guy wasn’t liked by the community and that he was on the wrong side.
So, I would not give her any benefit of the doubt. She knew what she was spreading for her campaign’s benefit was not true!!
It doesn’t “prove” anything.
I was aware of the two incumbents and did not know about the other 5 candidates. I watched the League of Women Voters candidate forum. Micale was impressive. Her knowledge of the schools and administration made her stand out.
I looked at the credentials of the candidates and again Mary Micale had a solid background. I have never met her but I was happy to vote for her.
The two Moms for Liberty candidates have no record of involvement in ridgewood schools. Their lack of understanding was obvious when they attempted to answer questions.
I find it amazing how anyone volunteers for public service at all. People are so petty and nasty.
you volunteer to SERVE
No one deserves rumor and half-baked conspiracies. Good people volunteer and do their best. Try kindness
you volunteer to SERVE
You mean the union president and podcast queen, who lied?
I am pretty sure that Siobahn Winograd controls the Ridgewood Moms and Dads facebook page so she can control the narrative and Steve Friedes does the same. It is unprofessional as a councilperson that she is an admin of a facebook page but I guess anything is allowable in Ridgewood. As for Jeanne Johnson, she is a bad apple along with Vagianos, Winograd, Perron and Weitz. I will never eat at World Flats or It’s Greek to Me based on the fact that I would never want to patronize places owned by people who have their hands in so many pots.
Laurie knows her stuff and we should be grateful to her for clearing up the chaos created by Lembo and others. As for Micale, the jury is out on what her deal is. Time will tell. As for JJ the BS narrative that people like Johnson spew is very self serving. She is allegedly friends with Vagianos, so that should tell you something. Her podcast that isn’t neutral, right there should tell you what kind of a person she is and who she associates with.
What’s the backstory with Hooban and the anti-Semitism?
The backstory is that Laurie Weber out and out lied. Several Of us were there. Melanie did not say this. Weber just disliked Melanie intensely and she heard what she wanted to hear.
Thanks for clearing that up (not).
Google it and you will find Laurie’s statement.