Independent Audit Finds Glen Ridge Special Education Solid but Stretched Thin on Staff

An independent audit of Glen Ridge's special education programs, presented to the Board of Education on January 24, 2022, found no evidence of disproportionality in how students are classified but concluded the district's support services are hampered by a shortage of middle-management staff. Dr. Christopher Tienken of the Ricerca Group, who led the four-month review, told the board the district has "too few people doing too many jobs," a gap he said drives inconsistency in how individualized education programs (IEPs) are written, monitored and implemented across schools. The review, conducted between August and December 2021, drew on more than 120 interviews, on-site classroom observations, and roughly 120 to 130 IEPs out of the district's approximately 320 classified students (about 17% of enrollment, split 52% male and 48% female). Tienken said the district could find no record of being cited by the state for disproportionality going back to at least 2015, and that its roughly 7% rate of out-of-district placements is not unusually high. His recommendations, meant to be phased in over four to five years, included adding a middle-level special education administrator, standardizing IEP goal-setting and progress monitoring, restructuring the high school's academic development period around executive-functioning skills for different grade bands, and improving communication, including a goal of acknowledging parent queries within 24 hours. Board members pressed him on specifics, including whether some high-functioning co-taught classes might rely more on trained paraprofessionals rather than certified teachers, and whether homework deadlines could be written into some students' IEPs as a disability accommodation given how missed assignments were dragging down report-card grades for some students with ADHD.

The board also accepted the superintendent's recommendation on a Harassment, Intimidation, and Bullying investigation (Report 21-22 FAS #1), finding that the complaint was not substantiated.

Superintendent Dirk Phillips announced the retirement of Giuseppe Giardina, a custodian at Glen Ridge High School, effective September 1, 2022.

Board President Elisabeth Ginsburg thanked the Epstein family for an $1,800 donation, made in honor of Teddy Epstein of the Class of 2004, to be split among the ice hockey, football and boys lacrosse programs. The board also approved routine financial reports, including bills and claims of $1,014,463.84 and payroll and related disbursements of $3,452,522.55.

Central School's new building principal, Dr. Keisha Harris, gave a tour of the school in her first year in the role, highlighting the building's focus on inclusion and social-emotional support alongside academics, and recognized two staff members: first-grade teacher Ms. Crin as the school's teacher of the year and Ms. Goss as its service professional of the year.

High school student council leaders Maggie Brown, Michael Cefelli and Ron O'Neill reported that a candy-cane gram sale during the holidays raised money for the Human Needs Pantry, and that the annual Battle of the Pizzas fundraiser -- featuring pizzerias including Angelo's, Mr. Dino's and Enzo's -- has been pushed from January to the spring because of rising COVID case counts, with hopes of hosting it outdoors.

Ginsburg reported that negotiations with the Glen Ridge Public Schools administrators' unit have concluded, that a new contract for Phillips was on the night's agenda, and that a preliminary organizational meeting toward negotiating a new contract with the teachers' union, GREA, was scheduled for the next morning ahead of its contract's June 30 expiration. The board also approved the first reading of Policy 5111 on eligibility of resident and nonresident students and adopted the district's 2022-23 textbook list.

During public comment, resident Tricia Akinwande spoke on the district's curriculum review cycle. Robyn Fields and Eric Goldman both thanked the board for commissioning the special education audit, with Goldman also asking for a delay in the deadline for submitting follow-up questions. Residents Harris Teran and Goldman asked administrators to clarify how settlement agreements involving tuition reimbursement relate to the audit's 7% out-of-district placement figure.

Action items

• Accepted the finding that a Harassment, Intimidation, and Bullying investigation (Report 21-22 FAS #1) was not substantiated.
• Accepted, with regret, the retirement of GRHS custodian Giuseppe Giardina, effective September 1, 2022.
• Approved bills and claims of $1,014,463.84 and payroll/related disbursements of $3,452,522.55, along with an open purchase order report of $113,706.08.
• Accepted a $1,800 donation from the Epstein family, in honor of Teddy Epstein (Class of 2004), split among ice hockey, football and boys lacrosse.
• Approved the district's 2022-23 textbook list.
• Approved the first reading of Policy 5111, Eligibility of Resident/Nonresident Students.

Watch key moments

• 21:02 — New Central School principal Dr. Keisha Harris explains why students "roar" every Friday over the loudspeaker even though, as she jokes, "cheetahs don't roar, they chirp."
• 55:14 — Auditor Dr. Christopher Tienken tells the board the district's special education inconsistencies trace back to "too few people doing too many jobs" in middle management.