Friday, May 18, 2012
Allison McConnell will have a hearing to determine whether she gets tenure
The bulk of Thursday night's five-hour-long Board of Education meeting was spent discussing a single school district employee: Drum Point Road Elementary School principal Allison McConnell. Last month, the board denied tenure to McConnell, which means she would be demoted to her previous tenured position of assistant principal next school year. About 150 of McConell's supporters came to the meeting bearing signs and frequently shouting words of support from the seats at the Brick Township High School auditorium. After the board completed its regular business, the marathon public comment portion of the meeting began with McConnell's attorney, William Nossen of the New Jersey Principals and Supervisors Association, delivering a 45-minute-…
Jackson Jaguars ace Brandon Holup blanks Brick Memorial Mustangs 1-0 in OCT.
Any sports fan would have appreciated the boys’ baseball Ocean County Tournament finale between (6) Brick Memorial and (1) Jackson Memorial Thursday night. Before a noisy crowd at Toms River High School North, Jackson’s 6’7” senior ace Brandon Holup and the Jaguars blanked the opposing Mustangs, 1-0. It was a pitchers' duel from the start, as Brick Memorial also had an ace on the mound in Brian Cottrell (6-0). After Holup struck out two Mustangs in a 1-2-3 top of the first inning, Jackson scored the only run of the game in the bottom half of the inning on an RBI groundout by junior Spencer Young that plated senior Nick Petrizzo. That was all the offense Holup would need, as he carried a one-hitter into the fifth inning, where he would …
Thursday, May 17, 2012
Annual event sponsored by college includes local high school, middle school students
Lake Riviera Middle School's Tommy Costanza, Jack Jachim, Shariff Osorio, Mike Phelan, Shaun Smith and Jason Wilkowski sailed to victory in the 2012 Cardboard Canoe Race at Ocean County College last week. The annual event at the college, which consists of students racing canoes they design and build out of cardboard, duct tape and other basic materials, is part of Ocean County College's Tech Prep program. The program is designed to promote problem solving and teamwork skills among the county's youth. The students from Lake Riviera Middle School took first place overall in the race, which is held at the college's pool.
Growing enrollment, OCC-Kean partnership sparking need for new access driveway, student center
In two separate ordinances on Wednesday, the Ocean County Board of Freeholders approved $18.5 million in spending for improvements to the campus at Ocean County College. Thanks to state funding and money from the college itself, the measures are expected to cost the county $11 million of that total, however, Freeholder Deputy Director John C. Bartlett said. The improvements are the result of the college’s partnership with Kean University that allows students to start at OCC and wind up with a bachelor’s degree from Kean. “This is going to be a major development for our community,” Freeholder Director Gerry Little said. “It will offer students an affordable baccalaureate degree for under $25,000 total.” One ordinance, for $8.5 million, will…
Board of Education meeting
Backlash expected over tenure votes
Tuesday, May 15, 2012
Male students to live on campus and compete in athletics
Georgian Court University announced a change on Tuesday that will dramatically change the face of the Lakewood school in the fall of 2013. The school will go co-ed after having served as a school for women since it opened more than 100 years ago. The school, which had only allowed men to take classes at night, will allow them to reside on campus as well as take part in the school's athletic program. The decision, according to a school news release, followed "a strategic planning process that began in the summer of 2011." Tara Strickland, the school's assistant editorial director, said having men on the campus will not be new as they have been allowed to attend graduate classes since 1976 and regular classes since 1979. But fall 2013 will …
Backlash expected over tenure votes
Supporters of at least two school employees who were not granted tenure are expected to express their displeasure to township Board of Education members at a meeting Thursday. Last month, the board voted against granting tenure to Drum Point Road Elementary School principal Allison McConnell, as well as Brick Township High School math teacher and former head football coach Patrick Dowling. Board of Education members are prohibited by law from divulging personnel information, such as the reasoning behind denying tenure to an employee, to the press. Board President Sharon Kight said those employees who were denied tenure would have the opportunity to appeal the decision. McConnell has nine years of teaching experience, according to public …
Wednesday, May 9, 2012
Executive committee approves proposal to add Group V
Beginning this fall, 160 high school football teams around the state will have the opportunity to win a state sectional championship, under a proposal approved by the NJSIAA this afternoon. The NJSIAA Executive Committee approved the proposal to create a Group V designation in the four public school sections by a vote of 22-5-3 at its meeting in Robbinsville, according to Jack DuBois, NJSIAA assistant director who's in charge of football. "This creates a greater opportunity for schools and for student-athletes," DuBois said. "It increases the number of teams playing in the playoffs from 128 to 160. At the same time, it eliminates 16 consolation games that schools didn't want to play anyway." The proposal also allows teams whose records are…
The NJSIAA Executive Committee is expected to vote on — and likely approve — the creation of Group Vs in the public school sections for the high school football playoffs
More local football teams will have an opportunity to play in the high school football playoffs if the NJSIAA Executive Committee approves an expansion proposal at its meeting today. In early April the committee approved on first reading a proposal submitted by Northern Highlands High School of Bergen County to create a Group V in each of the four public school sections. Currently, there are four groups in each of the state’s sections: North Jersey Section 1, North Jersey Section 2, Central Jersey and South Jersey. NJSIAA officials say the proposal would create more opportunities for the players and the teams, while some point out that it also would increase playoff ticket revenue for the organization, which has come under fire in recent …
Sal Petoia
12:06 pm on Saturday, May 19, 2012
An article in today's Asbury Park Press (Sat, May 19th) reports that the letter advising Allison McConnell she would not be given tenure states "…you have failed to demonstrate the standard of excellence required by the Board of Education to obtain tenure…". That statement provokes some questions. What are the "standards of excellence"? Was Ms. McConnell aware of the standards by which she would … more ›