District hires new director of curriculum
Some concern among Board of Ed members about changes in post
BY LAYLI WHYTE
Staff Writer

RED BANK - The district hired a new director of curriculum last week but not without some discussion about changes in the job description and salary for the position.

Dr. Toni Mullins was hired as director of curriculum and instruction at last week's Board of Education meeting at the rate of $102,000 annually by a unanimous vote of the board.

Board member Mary-Ellen Mess said that she was concerned that changes were made to the job description and salary without board approval before the resolution to hire Mullins was brought before the board for a vote.

Mullins was recommended to the board by newly hired superintendent Laura Morana.

The previous job description was for a supervisor of curriculum and instruction, which, Morana said last week, would not have called for the level of education and experience that a director would.

"Because of the change of the job from supervisor to director," she said, "a decision was made, with the knowledge of the board, to increase the salary to reflect that."

Morana said that the supervisor position would have carried with it a salary closer to $80,000.

"I was told by the board that I had some flexibility concerning that salary," she said. "A director was better suited to fit the needs of the district."

Morana said that Mullins met the criteria best out of the nearly 50 applications received for this position.

"I am 100 percent sure that she will be an asset to the district," Morana said.

According to Morana, Mullins, formerly with the Ocean County school district of Ocean Gate, began work at the district on Aug. 9.

The position became open when Assistant Superintendent Dr. Elizabeth Keshish, who had been hired as the director of curriculum and instruction and later promoted to assistant superintendent, left to take a position as superintendent of the West Long Branch School District.

"I am very concerned with how this board makes decisions," Mess said. "It is incumbent upon the board to have a full discussion about decisions like this."

Mess said that when the job description was first posted, it was described as a supervisor of curriculum and instruction.

"The job description changed," she said, "and the salary increased, and we didn't have a discussion about it as a board. I continue to be concerned about how decisions are made. I don't want to continue to go down this path, and I feel the need to speak on it because we always seem to find ourselves making eleventh-hour decisions."

Board member Ben Forest said that although he agreed with some points made by Mess, he would support the appointment of Mullins to the position.

"There are many of us who want to be more involved in key decisions," he said.

Board member Rosemary Kopka said that the changes were first brought to the personnel committee before they were put in the board's packet, which board members received several days before the meeting.

"The committee hears the superintendent's reasons first," she said. "If after the board members receive the packets, they have any questions, they are invited to call committee members or Mrs. Morana. As head of the personnel committee, if I was aware of such grave concerns, I would possibly call a small committee meeting to discuss the problems before the board meeting."

Mess said that she did call Morana before the meeting, but she still felt compelled to speak about her concerns publicly.

"I know there is a lot of encouragement to call the superintendent and speak about concerns privately," she said, "but I am reluctant to do that because other board members don't get to hear what I have to say. Previously, private conversations were used very effectively to manipulate the board."

Forest said that he believed the purpose of speaking with Morana in private was not to keep the discussion from happening in public.

Kopka suggested that Mess, a member of the policies committee of the board, could perhaps add a step between discussion of a topic in committee and bringing a resolution before the board.

"I think we should establish something like that," said board member Juanita Lewis. "When something impacts the budget and money, it needs to come before the board in a different way."

Board member Dr. Diana Salvador said that she believes better team work and communication is the key to the board avoiding miscommunications.

"I think as we start working better as a team," she said, "these sort of issues won't come up."

Morana said that one of her goals as the new superintendent of the district is to keep the board as informed as possible, especially concerning the filling of high level positions such as director of curriculum and instruction.

"What I was hearing from the board yesterday," Morana said last week, "was that for the last 12 years, there have been communication problems. I will do my best to keep them apprised as much as I possibly can."

Mullins was hired by a unanimous vote, with Mess saying she believed a "no" vote would be wasted if she were the only one voting that way.