Monday, June 17, 2013
Jose Blankely-Celis will replace Pamela Longo beginning Aug. 13.
A new principal of Pines Lake Elementary School has been appointed for the 2013-14 school year. The Board of Education appointed Jose Blankely-Celis at its June 6 meeting. He will replace Pamela Longo. Blankely-Cela has a master’s degree from Northeastern University. He will earn more than $131,000 for the year. Longo earned more than $152,000 annually. Blankely-Celis will begin working Aug. 13. The Board approved Longo’s retirement in April. Longo is not ending her 42-year career on a high note. Residents have criticized the way she responded to incidents of abuse by a substitute teacher to two young Pines Lake students. The abuse reportedly occurred in March but was not made public until a few weeks ago. Three other Wayne principals are …
Sunday, June 16, 2013
Here were some of the top Wayne stories this week.
A substitute teaching firm at the center of a controversy involving student abuse will stop providing substitutes to the district at the end of the school year. Wayne resident Scott Niccoll plead guilty to charges of conspiracy and money laundering after authorities said they illegally paid doctors for referrals to their company. Wayne Hills High School students attended the prom thanks to the generosity of one Wayne family’s $700. The Board of Education approved rehiring Success Communications by a 8-1 vote at a meeting last week. A man has fulfilled his dream by opening a deli on Mountain View Boulevard with his family. — Have a question or news tip? Contact editor Daniel Hubbard at Daniel.Hubbard@patch.com or find us on Facebook and …
Tuesday, June 11, 2013
Superintendent, Source4Teachers each claim to have initiated termination of working relationship.
Source4Teachers, the firm that provides substitute teachers to the district, will not work with the Wayne School District next year. In an e-mail obtained by Wayne Patch, Jeff Belz, the firm's in-house counsel, notified district Superintendent Ray Gonzalez of the firm's intention to not renew its contract with the district via an e-mail sent at 11:34 a.m. Tuesday. "We are respectfully declining the opportunity to renew the Source4Teacher contract for the Wayne school district for the 2013-14 school year," Belz stated in the e-mail. "We thank you for allowing our company to serve the school district in the 2012-13 school year. We wish you continued success going forward." Gonzalez issued a statement at 1:42 p.m. stating that it was the …
Some have criticized Success Communications, saying it's a waste of taxpayer money.
Success Communications will continue to act as the school district’s public relations firm. The Board of Education approved rehiring the firm by a 8-1 vote at a meeting last week. Trustee Michael Bubba cast the lone dissenting vote. The $30,000 annual contract with the district begins in July and will end in June 2014. The firm will be paid $2,500 a month. Some parents contend that the firm is superfluous and a waste of taxpayer money. They have argued at board meetings that the work the firm does could easily be done by Superintendent Ray Gonzalez or someone else. Improving communications with residents and members of the media is one of the district’s goals for the 2012-13 school year. Gonzalez said during the presentation: “Effective …
Sunday, June 9, 2013
Here are this week's top Wayne stories.
Parents criticized the Board of Education and district administrators this week over claims of abuse by a substitute teacher at Pines Lake Elementary School. The agency that the teacher works for found the claim to not be valid. Kevin Olsen, one of the top quarterback recruits in the county this year, was charged with multiple traffic violations after he hit a car on Emerson Place last month. Police said they could not find him after the accident occurred. Thomas Ingham was indicted on charges of sexual assault and endangering the welfare of a child this week. Alan Purcell stepped down as the 1st Ward representative on the council effective Friday due to complications from Emphysema. Yogurtini gives residents another option when it comes …
Saturday, June 8, 2013
Substitute teacher will not work in the district again, a spokesperson said.
Source4Teachers, the firm that provided the substitute teacher who allegedly hit two kindergartners on their heads in March, did not “find any validity to the charges,” a spokesperson representing the firm said. A substitute teacher at Pines Lake Elementary School allegedly hit Karen Veale’s son and another child on their heads March 8. Parents and teachers spoke to the Board of Education and administrators at a meeting Thursday about the decision to outsource the hiring of substitutes to Source4Teachers. The move is saving the district $250,000. “Source4Teachers followed its practices and investigated the accusations [in] March when the allegations were first made and did not find validity to the charges,” said Pam Boyd, a spokesperson …
Friday, June 7, 2013
More than 50 people packed a Board of Education meeting Thursday to let officials know they've had enough of the district outsourcing its substitutes to Source4Teachers.
Parents blasted district administrators Thursday for failing to respond to abuse by a substitute at Pines Lake Elementary School in a timely manner. It was standing room only as more than 50 people packed a Board of Education meeting Thursday at the district office to express their displeasure with substitute teachers. A substitute teacher struck Karen Veale’s son and another child on their heads March 8 because she wanted the boys to sit back down. The boys were sharpening their pencils. The teacher is employed by Source4Teachers, an independent agency that the district has contracted with to provide substitute teachers for the district. Veal said she attempted to contact Superintendent Ray Gonzalez and Assistant Superintendent Marysol …
Thursday, June 6, 2013
Four incumbents to seek re-election.
Four incumbents are seeking re-election to the Board of Education. Tuesday was the deadline for candidates to file to run in the November election. Trustees Allan Mordkoff, Robert Ceberio, and Mitchell Badiner and challenger Christian Smith will face off for three, three-year board terms. Incumbent Rogger Ortiz will run for a one-year unexpired term against Cathy Kazan. Ortiz was appointed in February to replace former trustee Robyn Kingston. Kingston resigned from the board in January and moved to Texas. Kazan unsuccessfully ran for a three-year board seat last year. — Have a question or news tip? Contact editor Daniel Hubbard at Daniel.Hubbard@patch.com or find us on Facebook and Twitter. For news straight to your inbox, sign up for our …
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Tuesday, June 4, 2013
Special community group formed after allegations made that a substitute teacher hit students on the head.
A special community group will be convened to review the use of substitute teachers in the Wayne Public School District, Superintendent Ray Gonzalez announced Monday. Gonzalez issued a statement regarding a report last week that a substitute teacher abused two students at Pines Lake Elementary School. According to the report, the teacher allegedly hit two boys on their heads while they waited in line to sharpen their pencils because she wanted them to return to their seats. “I’m confident that, working together, we can continue to enhance our district’s environment related to substitute teachers,” Gonzalez said in the statement. The group will review the "utilization of substitute teachers and, if appropriate, make specific …
Friday, May 31, 2013
Here is a recap of the most-read stories on Wayne Patch last month.
Part of a federal lawsuit filed by one of nine former Wayne Hills High School football players accused of the aggravated assault of two students found beaten and left in the street was dismissed in federal court. The Town Council approved new rules governing how much and how long excessive noise can be made in town. A Chilean visitor to Little Falls was killed when a NJ Transit train struck him. A town resident was among 11 people charged with stealing identities to open credit cards in an alleged identity theft theme. Money and an iPad were taken from an Emerson Place home. Police are looking for a “young person” in connection with the incident. The Board of Education approved Wayne Valley principal’s Robert Reis’ retirement. A new …
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