Thirty-three educators from the three schools in the Henry Hudson Regional District have either resigned or retired since Superintendent Dr. Tara Beams was hired in July 2021, a Highlands resident pointed out at the Henry Hudson Board of Education meeting last night.
While she was quick to add she is not saying there have been no improvements during the year since Dr. Beams has been here, she wondered whether there is a connection between the new superintendent being hired and the number of persons leaving all three of the schools.
Cynthia Fair, Navesink Avenue, Highlands, sat through the approximate 90 minute long meeting before presenting her statement during the public portion of the meeting, noting that 33 resignations represents approximately 20 to 25 per cent of the staff. She called on the board to investigate the “excessive attrition rate.”
While Board President Michael Gannon gave no response to Ms. Fair’s request, board member Claire Kozic rose to say “people retire all the time” and added the schools needed changes and the fact this many have left their jobs in each of the three schools in the district, “doesn’t mean anything.”
Earlier at the same meeting, Atlantic Highlands resident Tracy Abby-White told the board “I was a teacher” before pointing out she also “sat in your seat” referring to her time as a member of the Board of Education. After listening to Dr. Beams explain her position on regionalization when at one point she put the microphone to a deafening pitch to shout “it doesn’t matter how Tara Beams feels” about regionalization, Abby-White politely told Dr. Beams “As a taxpayer asking a question, I would appreciate if you wouldn’t be so condescending. It’s insulting”.
Mrs. Fair said after the meeting that things were different before Dr. Beams came to Henry Hudson. As an example, she noted her daughter’s experience before she graduated in June, “she (Dr. Beams) never even talked to her.”
She also pointed out she has seen several instances where the superintendent was less than polite and courteous to staff members as well as the general public. The resident cited an incident when she was present at a public meeting for a holiday presentation. “I personally witnessed Dr. Beams correcting the previous principal in front of staff and students. “That’s just wrong, it’s discourteous.”
Comments from others after the meeting focused on Dr. Beams’ ‘body language’ during the meeting and gave as an example how she “rolled her eyes” when Mrs. Abby-White was speaking, and how she made it obvious she feels above everyone who attends a meeting. One resident added “I’m a taxpayer, I pay her salary as a taxpayer, and she is there working for me. She has no right to talk like that. It’s simply condescending.”
Mrs. Fair presented statistics and read into the minutes the names of the eight personnel from the Atlantic Highlands Elementary School who have retired since July of 2021 when Dr. Beams came. She then named the ten teachers at the Highlands school who also left the system in that time period as well as the 15 educators at Henry Hudson Regional School who are no longer here.
“When it comes to a fifth to a quarter of the staff leaving, you have to wonder if there’s a specific reason,” she said.
The board did not respond to her question of “when are you going to investigate why we have such an excessive attrition rate?
