the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, the League of Women Voters of Ridgewood will host a candidates forum for the Ridgewood Board of Education on Wednesday October 18th.
This a quick overview of the candidates forum :
The candidates forum provided an insightful overview of the participants and their stances on various issues. Current Board of Education Trustee Saurabh Dani stood out for his articulate and well-prepared responses, particularly regarding the long-standing field flooding problem. He offered a cogent solution, emphasizing the significance of addressing this issue. Malcolm R. Jennings also shared insights on fields and drainage, though not as cohesively as Mr. Dani. However, Board President Michael Lembo’s response to the field problem was lacking, and it was suggested that he stick to his law enforcement role in the future. The other candidates amazingly had no plan .
The forum also highlighted the alignment of Board President Michael Lembo with the teachers’ union, raising concerns among some attendees. Several female candidates, Laura McKenna, Julie Mchedlishvili, and Mary E. Micale, appeared to be closely associated with the teachers’ union, with shared talking points that revolved around supporting education policies in line with the union’s agenda. This alignment raised concerns about the direction of the school system and the extent to which parental voices were being heard.
The candidates also acknowledged a decline in the Ridgewood School system’s academic performance.
To sum it up Laura McKenna, Julie Mchedlishvili, Mary E. Micale, and Board President Michael Lembo pushed the teacher’s union agenda . Saurabh Dani was a the clear winner . Malcolm R. Jennings and Claude J. Guinchard II sounded more like concerned parents than administrators , which was not a bad thing but they needed to put together a more articulate in their talking points.
Lastly, the forum was a major improvement compared to some of the previous forum fiascos hosted by the League of Women Voters of Ridgewood.
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Most who vote couldn’t explain why they are supporting a specific candidate.
Any parent/voter with kids in elementary/middle school stand clear of the teacher union candidates if you want any input on your their education.
Which ones are the union candidates?
Laura McKenna, Julie Mchedlishvili, Mary E. Micale, and Board President Michael Lembo
Any parent who doesn’t trust the teachers……. that boggles my mind, why would you sent your children to school day after day if you don’t trust the teachers?
Also – most of the policies and decisions that this board has to UPHOLD come from the state, not much other than hiring the superintendent and creating a budget (under state regulations) falls under the jurisdiction of the local school boards.
If you want to have a real impact – Stop voting for “progressive” candidates at the state level.
Teachers Union candidates support the state and Murphy. We need candidates who push back
if I had kids in school in Ridgewood I would take them out , the NJEA candidates are scary
School boards in Marlboro, Middletown, and Manalapan pushed back on Gov Murphy/state policies that require teachers to hide certain information from parents .
Cherry Hill resident and parent, Rick Short, has filed a lawsuit against the state of New Jersey.
That’s terrific! Glad he’s using his own $$ to fight the state. When the school district has to fight lawsuits it’s going to directly affect the amount of money available for programs that benefit the students.
like with Ms Brogan? or fighting the NJDEP or like over turning the historical designation at Schleder?
Nevermind…..the rest of the article loaded up.
Have slow internet today. Thanks for making this clear!
Micale made it clear that she wants to go back to old days of no accountability with teachers.
“Leave it to the teachers, they know the best, don’t worry about tetst scores.”.. that’s the excuse teachers union has used for the last 12 years of decline. New admin team is trying to change that and push for accountability and Micale was proud to say that she was a teachers union candidate and wants to go back to the “no accountability” days.
Stay away from MICALE.
And Julie M has 23 years in the NYC “failed” public education system. Certainly don’t need that kind of leadership.
Or the woke NYC policies
She will win because residents vote without having any information. Its a popularity contest. Do ur homework and u might select a different candidate. The same people who have buyers remorse for electing Winograd have Micale signs in their lawn. Ask them what she stands for and gtee they have no clue. Teachers Union = no parent involvement.
Micale seems like one tough mofo. She scares me.
Dani won that hands down IMO. Wishing I could vote for him twice
its New jersey you can
How did he win? He avoided answering every other question and instead repeated BS stats that RHS rankings went up and stated his “accomplishments “.
Anyone who has kids in RHS and checks the school proficiency levels in math should be worried. For the first time ever RHS average score fell below the state average.
But why should you care if your kid is not in RHS.
He said he didn’t know the answer. I take honesty any day over political BS, anyone who is aligned with the teacher’s union, anyone who is a bully and several ignorant people who read from a script like JM. At least he knows what he is doing over the others who are going to steam roll their agendas or ban books.
Dani knows how to add so the libs in town hate him
The cheapest option is not necessarily the best one
love when NJEA stooges call everyone else politically motivated
NJEA is flexing the muscle here to signal that they are not ready to be held accountable!!
Hands down it is Saurabh Dani who is the best choice. The rest of them all have issues and won’t be able to do the right thing for the BOE and for Ridgewood.
Lembo needs to GO!!
Meyer v. Nebraska, 262 U.S. 390 (1923). The Court held that a statute forbidding the teaching of the German language impermissibly encroached on the liberty parents possess. The Court explained that the Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment protects this liberty, incorporating “the right to marry, establish a home, and bring up children.”
Pierce v. Soc’y of Sisters, 268 U.S. 510 (1925). Relying on Meyer, the Court struck down an Oregon statute requiring children to attend public schools. This statute interfered with the right of parents to select private or parochial schools for their children and that it lacked a reasonable relation to any purpose within the competency of the state.
Wisconsin v. Yoder, 406 U.S. 205 (1972). The Court held that Wisconsin’s compulsory education law violated an Amish father’s rights to take his 15-year-old children out of school to complete their education in Amish ways at home.
Time to set new precedents
Progressive fascist?
Liberal Fascism is real
OK, most of us know Dani is the best candidate. Who is the second best??
Any consensus??
Any candidate who supports parents rights and is against hiding info about ur son or daughter
No union candidates
No nyc candidates
Dani + one if the 2 remaining
Kwak us the brightest of all and will hopefully be president again
Why don’t her kids go through the school system?
Because they had other interests (like performing on Broadway) that RPS could not accommodate. The parents could afford a private school that could accommodate their academics and interests and needs.
Lol, they could’ve made it on Broadway if they are good enough at RHS, others have done it. You don’t believe in the school system if you send your kids to private. She clearly doesn’t.
The parents have addressed this ad nauseum on many forums. Where have you been? It’s not a big deal. She is a taxpaying resident of Ridgewood with an interest in bettering RPS. She is doing a phenomenal job!!!!
Thanks Steve
Jennings.
The least qualified candidate. He didn’t even try.
I’m bullet voting for Mr. Dani. None of the other candidates even come close to his resume.
Dani was the clear winner, head and shoulders above the rest. Lembo as the current Bd. Chair should’ve done much better, nonetheless I would place him 2nd compared to the rest of the candidates, but still far away from Dani. If you listened closely the majority of the candidates don’t really understand the mission of a school board, they seem to believe that “they” have the “power” to institute programs, this is a typical problem and leads to a fracture within the board, I would be very cautious with this field. Also, it was amusing when in the discusson about expanding the number of board seats, when one of the candidates suggested that 6 or 10 seemed like a good number, amazing!
If you believe Dani he was personally responsible for, well, just about everything the BOE accomplished since her was elected. But he has 0 responsibility for the loss of two superintendents, two business administrators, and one assistant superintendent all of whom departed within the last 3 years. One Business Administrator seemed to vanish into thin air with no explanation.
In my understanding of the BOE it takes the majority to pass an idea or change, not one vote, 3 votes. So, while much has occurred under Mr. Dani’s tenure- good and not good- it takes at least three board members to make something happen. Perhaps he should have said that he was pleased to be a part of the coalition that…? Of course, if he said that he would have been including Mr. Lembo because they voted in lockstep pretty much every time.
He did say he was part of it you moron. Dani was very clear that he advocated for this initiative and that initiative. He did not claim full responsibility. Whoever wrote that is probably either Mike Lembo or his stupid girlfriend.
Dani and Kwak did run with Lembo in 2020. And yes, things change.
Lembo took ZERO initiatives. He had the audacity to claim success with world language and late start, while world language was a LWV effort and Late Start was 100% Anne Robinson effort. What did Lembo do there?
If it takes three votes, then why did the admin union blame Kwak and Dani for Fishbein resignation? What was different about those two?
3 reason, 1) Kwak and Dani outed Fishbein on teachers freebee daycare and subsidizing (at glen School) a private entity with taxpayer money, 2) Kwak and Dani know how to add and 3) Ridgewood Progressives cant stand the fact that to non-white people can think for themselves
who does the blog endorse? (from a taxpayer with no kids in school, subsidizing those with enrolled)
I have questioned that from day one. Where is the tax break for those of us who no longer have children in the school system for years. 65 percent plus of our taxes are for schools. Why can’t we get a break? And to whoever keeps posting rich and stupid, please stop.
they newbies are subsidized by those of us with no kids in schools
maybe we should invite our neices and nephews and grandkids to move in and fill the schools to double capacity and teach them a lesson
then taxes will soar exponentially
be careful what you wish for
empty nesters are the only way to keep taxes down
So let’s get this correct when Susan Knudsen ran with all three of her children as part of the union and she voted on both contracts she wasn’t the union candidate? Steve Kim wake up and smell the hypocrisy.
Wrong ,she rescued herself nice try like a grown up
Who t
Is the Ridgewood blog endorsing?