Letter to the Editor: from Christopher Minks, V.P. Mountainside BOE

I have read and considered the statements of two individuals who recently resigned the Mountainside Board of Education.  These statements were submitted to local area publications shortly after their abrupt departures from the Board, of which I am a proud member and officer.  While I respect their right to express themselves, I strongly disagree with their sentiments.  I am surprised that two long-time residents who have professed their commitment to the children of Mountainside have chosen to grandstand in such a destructive and divisive manner.

Reasonable people may disagree, but it is the ability and commitment to work through that disagreement that leads to true understanding and progress - not picking up your ball and leaving the field, and then turning and deriding those left in your wake.  History is the great equalizer.  Emotion and passion shall wane, but the record of achievement, or lack thereof, will stand.  Ironically, in one respect I will echo the thoughts of one of those who have just abandoned our Board: her plea that the people of Mountainside get involved and ask questions.  Yes, please ask questions; express your concerns productively at meetings and our Community Roundtable events; approach your Board Members and share your thoughts AND your ideas.  In short, contribute to the growth and improvement of our District.  Do not fear or react to the recent changes - embrace them and recognize the opportunity that they present.  This Board will listen and respond, and will take responsible, visible action on your and your children’s behalf.

I ask you to conduct your due diligence and arrive at independent conclusions rather than subscribing to my personal opinions contained herein, or submitting to the distorted and selective renditions of the past ten years that some have chosen to irresponsibly and inexplicably promote as fact.  Please ask yourself who it was that oversaw the millions of dollars that once filled our District's reserves.  Our teachers and students are still without any measurable level of current technology in the classrooms, our buildings are dated and your current Board is absolutely broke.  Certainly you can point to last year's State funding cut, but why did our Board not have anything by way of reserves?  Financial ruin is not an instant phenomenon - it takes time to perpetuate such a dire situation.  The Board was left vulnerable and ill prepared, as it historically chose to hide behind its then-ample reserves rather than implement sound fiscal management. 

Today, our roofs continue to leak; our facilities are in a dire state, in need of repair or reconstruction; and, our Board was mired in seemingly insurmountable litigation for over 4 years.  Yet that Board continued business as usual in the face of possible significant liability without earmarking any funds to address same or mitigate the ongoing legal costs involved.  We have experienced a seemingly systematic removal of professional parents and family members from their employ within our schools; as recently as 2009 our arts and music programs were all but offered up for sacrifice.  But, you will hear, test scores improved!  Absolutely, and there is no argument that test scores are an important index of student achievement, and one of which we can all be proud.  However credit truly lies with our engaged students and parents, and our District's talented and committed teachers, aides and support staff who performed miraculously despite dated facilities, a lack of funding, and an absence of current technology.

The sky in our District has not fallen, but has for some time been at risk of collapse.  This Board is diligently fighting the battle of shoring it, and improving its foundation, having first had to endure the unpleasant task of exposing the house of cards that prior Boards had erected. The newer members of our Board, myself included, joined because it was evident that something was indeed very wrong, and no, we did not sit idly by as dutiful freshmen, but rather, we asked the hard  and often unpleasant questions, challenged the status quo, and have undertaken to expose and address our District's problems with enthusiasm, passion, and an educated vision for a better District.  Overall, I am confident that this Board recognizes that this truly is a new day, and I redouble my pledge to my fellow Mountainside residents that I shall remain focused and committed to participate in the Board's ongoing efforts to develop a stronger administrative team, maintain a fiscally prudent and lean business office, and provide greater support for the fine teachers and staff of our District, greater opportunities for parent and family involvement in our schools, and overall, a better educational experience for the children of Mountainside.

Christopher H. Minks

Vice President

Mountainside Board of Education