Ridgewood BOE Taps Cheryl Best as assistant superintendent for curriculum
New administrators beginning work in the district this fall.
August 27,2013
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, The Ridgewood BOE has appointed three administrators, including one to a newly created position, at its meeting Monday night.
In a major move Cheryl Best, a former director of curriculum for the Franklin Lakes K-8 district, will take over the position of assistant superintendent for curriculum, instruction and assessment on Oct. 1 at an annual prorated salary of $160,000.
Best fills the position after Regina Botsford left after a decade at the post. Botsford accepted a job as the superintendent of a regional district in Southbury, Conn. in July.
Best comes to Ridgewood Schools after the Franklin Lakes BOE voted 5-4 against renewing her contract as curriculum director. Best, received a laudatory performance review and recommendation by Superintendent Dr. Frank Romano
and endorsements by other administrators and parents.Romano, who tendered his resignation April 28.
BOE trustee Craig Urciuoli told the Bergen Record , “I do not believe Ms. Cheryl Best, over the long term, is the right fit for Franklin Lakes.” ( https://www.northjersey.com/community/events/205644821_Franklin_Lakes_schools_curriculum_director_s_bid_for_tenure_fails.html)
The record also reported that skills and Knowledge were an area of concern. Even
Romano has acknowledged that test scores have declined in recent years.
Urciuoli went on , “It seems that for today at least, New Jersey ASK is still the best tool in measuring our growth and success compared to our peers.”
Trustee O’Reilly also expressed concerns about the amount of time teachers spend out of the classroom for professional development, saying that some teachers have exceeded 200 hours of professional development within a few years. ( https://www.northjersey.com/community/events/205644821_Franklin_Lakes_schools_curriculum_director_s_bid_for_tenure_fails.html?c=y&page=2#sthash.1raSrap8.dpuf )
She gets let go at her job in Franklin Lakes because she wasn’t a good fit andthe students scores were poor, so we pick her up for $160,000!!! The BOE is so out of control. Is that the magic number to bring administrators in at? Have they ever thought about perhaps offering a salary of say below $160,000? Isn’t That the amount the new Business administrator was brought in at? Do they also get bonuses to pad the salary amount?
The environment in Franklin Lakes schools under the rule of Frank Romano and Cheryl Best was horrendous. The BOE and the parents there have been trying to get rid of them for years. It’s extremely disappointing that now she is here, in Ridgewood.