Ignore This! (The Board of Education Does)

Board of Education

Securing a copy of the letter a former Board of Education member sent to the Henry Hudson Regional Board of Education last January makes me wonder whether elected officials do listen to residents who do speak or write their opinions of the current Henry Hudson Tri-District Superintendent.

Tracy Abby-White is a long time resident of Atlantic Highlands, served on the Henry Hudson board of education for seven years when the late Robert Dziadosz was superintendent of the 7-12 school.

She was concerned about what she perceived as unprofessionalism on the part of the present Superintendent when she attended a board of education meeting in January, and wrote a letter to Michael Gannon, Board President of the 7-12 school district offering a suggestion to eliminate the problem she encountered. At the same time, she sent copies of the letter to each of the members of the Henry Hudson Regional Board of Education.

To ensure board members would know something about her own experience and background, Abby-White included that in her letter before describing the problem in great detail. She noted her criticism was about a specific incident she observed, not about the superintendent’s competence . But it was enough to outrage and embarrass her as a resident, Abby-White said, prompting the letter and suggestion.

The letter was received in January.

Abby-White has yet to hear a solution, a study, or whether her own suggestion was used.

The following is the resident and former Council member and Board of Education member’s letter.

Dear President Gannon and members of the Tri-District Board of Education,

I am a long-time resident of Atlantic Highlands who served on the Board of Education for seven years with the late Superintendent, Robert Dziadosz. My daughters graduated from HHRS, and I have been a vocal supporter of our schools for over four decades. I was elected to Atlantic Highlands Council for one term and have continued to serve on the Brookdale Board of Trustees since my appointment in 2013. I share my background to give you a glimpse into my commitment to education and public service. I have the utmost respect for the servant work each of you does to provide the level of education required for our children to compete in a global economy.

I was part of the regionalization discussions in the late 1980s and became involved with the current regionalization proposal at the request of Mayor Loretta Gluckstein approximately two years ago. Since then, I have met and respectfully listened to all members of the BoE and Dr. Tara Beams. They extended the invitation to attend the Tri-District BoE meetings on numerous occasions. Like you, I juggle multiple responsibilities, making this a challenge, and on Wednesday night, I attended my first BoE meeting since my daughters graduated from HHRS in 2004.

My purpose was to understand the status of the proposed regionalization between Atlantic Highlands, Highlands & Sea Bright. This email will not comment on the meeting content. This email concerns the delivery of the responses to the public I have witnessed consistently since my introduction to the Superintendent on February 7, 2021.

When the public comment portion began, Dr. Tara Beams, the highest-paid professional representing the Tri-District, began rolling her eyes and sighing, visibly signaling boredom for the tax-paying public seeking information. When it was my turn, I asked a question. I wanted to understand why the BoE appeared out of alignment with the findings of the two feasibility studies.

After noticeable physical movement, Dr. Beams launched into a loud and lengthy monologue. The theatrics of grabbing the microphone and yelling a personal opinion was shocking and vulgar. Her acute talent in circumlocution and condescending tone is appalling and insulting. Someone with this degree of visibility representing all three Boards of Education should be at the pinnacle of professionalism.

I want to be clear that I am not criticizing her abilities as a hands-on contributor or competence to introduce a vital data-led strategy, as noted by Board Member Claire Kozic. I am outraged and embarrassed by her lack of executive gravitas.

I only approach a problem if I offer a solution, so I encourage the Tri-District Board to retain the services of an executive coach for our Superintendent. Introducing professional development could help align the face of our educational institutions with a positive image and reflect the caliber of the education you strive to deliver. Condoning this behavior diminishes the collective hard work and accomplishments. Our community and students deserve better.

Respectfully,

Tracey Abby-White