Despite no contracts in hand, the third-party vendors providing special education services will begin providing the services tomorrow, Thursday, based on a letter of intent.
With nearly 1,000 people present at the emergency Board of Education meeting, State Monitor Michael Azarra agreed to Board President Zlatkin’s recommendation that services resume based on the intent that the vendors would be paid based on the 2014-2015 school year contracts, contingent on review by Board Attorney Marc Zitomer.
A motion made to provide services based on last year’s contract was overrode by the State Monitor, saying the contracts are no longer valid.
Services were withheld by all three third-party vendors due to the newly-interpreted state law which could leave them without funding.
Additional details of the meeting will be published later.
[TLS]
This is just another reminder that with all the comfort we have, we are still in Golus!
Why would any vendor sign a letter of intend? It might severely restrict their negotiation power once signed. People have to understand that those vendors are in the business to make money and not to provide services with no profit margins.
Regarding the board memebers, werent they supposed to check way “prior” to the beginning of the school year that everything is in place – and if not – to have an emergency meeting in July/Aug to tackle the issues? Why are we reacting vs being proactive?
Last, regarding the staffing issue, if in this economy you cannot staff an office when you offer decent compensation then you know that you have a serious issue at hand. It should tell you that are borderline incompetent.
cant you sue whoever is denying students what they are legally entitled to? If student has Iep, that is a legal document that must be followed. students are also entitled to text books
what does it mean- newly interpreted law? if the law did not change, someone just came up with a chidush?
What does this have to do with galus. The Lakewood children need special services. And B”H all my children are healthy.
Can someone explain this whole fiasco? I dont get it. The services were stopped and are now starting again based on a contract that was signed already. Why were services stopped. What changed that now they are starting again?
Answers anyone?
A big thank you to all who attended tonight’s meeting. Your thunderous applause will be ringing in the state monitors ears long after he leaves lakewood…
I don’t see Helen up there. The mastermind behind this all!
We need real fixes not another band aid to keep the ball rolling temporarily!!!!!
Was the reason WHY this happened addressed? Do they really want everyone to believe it was the business office? Really??? Those poor souls are the latest victims to be the fall guys. Didn’t see THAT one coming. Pretty creative ms superintendent.
What does Golus have to do with it? Really? Do you think it was comfortable as a yid to hear one person after the next talk about how Lakewood is divided? That we only take care if our own? It is irrelevant whether their points were correct or incorrect – we must be careful not to provide fodder for those always out to blaspheme us!
So, yes! This is Golus!
A simple way to understand is that contracs expire at a specific date so certain exciting loopholes or benefits arent autoamtically rolled into next yeats contracts.
You also have changes each school year with new regulations and restrictions. One cannot just say :let me bill you based on last years basement sale.
But the question is did the district draft clear lines? WERE THOSE CLEARLY COMMUMICATED TO ALL.PARTIES INVOLVED? When did the contacts go out to providers? Don’t say well I sent contracts now the mean vendors are ate fault. They tpo shall review every word amd line to ensure its fiscally fin for them.
We are hiring first class trailer part geniuses that jave no idea aboit a contract left along to negotiate. A shame
I take it back, we are in a long dark galus.
if the B of Ed is understaffed like it was said tonight why should there be a meeting to discuss hiring people, it should ‘ve been voted on the spot .
I’m a bit confused.Can someone please tell me if in the end there will be an issue with providing services the way they have been(supplanting)? Will we be forced to provide the services in a supplementary way or has everything stayed status quo?
There were a lot of valid comments by public school parents about no concern being shown when their issues come re: busing and school disrepair, etc. come up. Other comments about board members’ behavior in other sessions were noted and if true, were also valid. There was a distinct lack of professionalism going on in the conduct of the meeting, which would be completely unacceptable in any other forum, such as interrupting, talking out of turn, etc. The above comments by the public school parents were, often enough, included among comments that the people care for all students, but that their children weren’t getting helped. In my opinion these accusations against the board, as well as the reaction of one of the members of the audience, constitute a huge Chillul Hashem, and create a perception that extends to the rest of the frum community. The suggestion by R’ Pruzasky of the Agudah, as well as the pastor (I forget his name) should definitely be taken up – improve the communication, not only between the BOE and the frum community, but between the frum community and the public school community. This way many perceived discrepancies can be explained, and biases and complaints resolved (hopefully), to the satisfaction of the community at large, annd in a peaceful, civil manner.
I see, so the state monitor said NO to last years contracts because they’re no longer valid – but yes to this years requests, even tho there is no contract in place; valid or otherwise. In the New Kersey of 2014, this sounds perfectly fine. Thanx to all who helped get this done.
I thought that Rabbi Avi Svhnall of the Agudah spoke great.
I went last night and was floored by the incompetence. Blaming the business office for being understaffed was a joke. No mention of Helen and her hand in this- classic! Vendors got contracts in last day only because of meeting. Pathetic. No accountibily!!!
Yehuda- SPOT ON. Very well said.
What about the the text books & school nurses, are they also coming tomorrow?
Did anyone see that Laura couldn’t answer a single question intelligently becasue Helen runs the district! So she doesn’t know the answers.
Sorry to say, but as someone succinctly put it, “the Board is being run like a shteeble…”