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State takeover of Paterson school district ends after three decades | Paterson Times

State takeover of Paterson school district ends after three decades

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After three decades of controlling the Paterson school district, the New Jersey Board of Education has agreed to return power to the locally elected school board.

Members of the state board unanimously passed a measure returning local control in a virtual meeting on Wednesday morning.

“Today’s action will restore the deserved academic decision making for the people Paterson. I’m very confident that the community will utilize all of its talents and resources and creative vision to cement the foundation of success,” said Kathy Goldenberg, president of the New Jersey Board of Education.

Local officials welcomed the move.

“Reaching this milestone was no child’s play,” said school board president Kenneth Simmons. He credited the long list of school board members for their work in regaining local control.

“This is definitely a proud moment for Paterson,” said mayor Andre Sayegh. “We still have work to do. We have to make sure every student is set up for success.”

Paterson was placed under state takeover on August 7, 1991. A state report described then-superintendent Frank Napier as incompetent. His “management was characterized by an inability to demonstrate an understanding of the role and function of a chief school administrator,” according to the report. Napier was criticized for being isolated from daily operations and lacking vision for the district. The school board at the time was described as inept and busy with petty squabbles rather than focused on providing a good education to its students.

Paterson began to regain pieces of local control in 2014. In 2018, the state board approved measures to return control to the local school board following a two-year transition process. A three-person state team conducted three evaluation reports over the past two years. All three reports showed the district had the capabilities to run its own affairs.

The three decades of state takeover has been widely viewed as a failure. State board member Ronald Butcher voted for the takeover almost 30 years ago. He appeared to regret the takeover.

“I hope,” said Butcher, “we never see a takeover of a school district like this again in the history of this state.”

“We’re sorry. We have failed you,” said state board member Andrew Mulvihill.

During the takeover, local school board members presumed it would last for a few years.

“It took a lot longer and a lot of gnashing of teeth,” said congressman Bill Pascrell, who served on the local school board and later as mayor.

The school board still faces many challenges.

The district remains one of the lowest performing in New Jersey. It saw graduation rates drop two years in a row. It will also have to start a search to find a replacement for Eileen Shafer. Shafer has been serving as superintendent since 2017.

Paterson has almost 30,000 students and 4,000 staff.

Paterson has a $600 million budget. It has had to cut staff, including teachers, every year to balance its budget. It currently faces a $50 million budget shortfall, officials revealed last month.

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  • HankMorgan

    “The district remains one of the lowest performing in New Jersey. It saw graduation rates drop two years in a row. It will also have to start a search to find a replacement for Eileen Shafer.”

    Thirty years later the district is exactly where it was. Bottom of the barrel. Shafer got in at just the right time. In the few years she’s been super she was able to enrich herself and her cronies, throw money at sycophantic administrators in redundant positions, basically bankrupt the joint, stash the cash in her briefcase and run to her million dollar beach house and never think about the flailing and failing teachers and students of Paterson again.

    • Truth Serum

      Well said!

      • HankMorgan

        Thank you. She leaves a sad legacy.

  • Truth Serum

    Now the political cronyism will be at an all time high without any oversight. In my Oprah Winfrey voice "You get a contract, and You get a contract and You get a contract!" There is a reason why they wanted Shafer in place. She's ruled by the political bosses and does whatever they tell her to do, including getting rid of her trusted long-time school board attorney and hiring a new one that she didn't even like but is a political hack that will carry out the wishes of the political bosses. It was by design that one of the people that was part of the three person evaluation team was a political animal who wants to make sure that his political cronies get unfettered access to contracts and take as much money from the district as they can. Those folks will then be able to funnel money to their campaigns and probably their pockets, including his, to ensure that they stay in power. So, of course he is going to recommend that the State get out of the way and give control to his friends on the school board. This is in no way about the education of our children. Just follow the money and it will tell the real story.

  • MarquinhoGaucho

    The article states "Paterson has a $600 million budget. It has had to cut staff, including teachers, every year to balance its budget. It currently faces a $50 million budget shortfall, officials revealed last month" But no mention of the Charters which are responsible for a big chunk of that…Paterson has closed schools , cut staff with many classes in excess of 30 kids per class but the charters still gouging the tax payers and kicking back to their corrupt marionettes on the BOE.

    • Truth Serum

      Yes and one of the Commissioners, the Vice-President, is employed by a Charter School! The other political hack, County Commissioner and former school board member, that was part of the three person evaluation team, was recently hired by the New Jersey Public Charter Schools Association as their Director of Government Affairs. So, how can you advocate for Charter Schools, knowing that they take money away from the public schools and they haven't even proven to do a better job of educating our kids?

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