Job Change or Department Restructure?

A resolution to appoint World Languages Supervisor Brad Commerford as director of "World Languages, Arts and Culture" at Watchung Hills Regional was passed Sept. 8, but only after several members objected to the move.

Commerford will replace Judith Mulder in overseeing the Arts Department at the high school, responsible for management of the department except for three teachers in the Home Arts section. He will receive an annual salary of $135,032, which is an increase of $8,000 annually. School Superintendent Frances Stromsland noted the move saves additional funding by replacing a supervisory position with a teaching position.

She also said integrating the two departments enhances the school's "non-siloed" approach to education.

"The culture that this school embraces is based on inter-disciplinary (models)", Dr. Stromsland said. "What we've done is make it into a viable inter-disciplinary department. It's just a different philosophical approach and it's worked well for us here."

But board members Paul Seelig and Peter Fallon objected to the change, saying the move "is a de-emphasis of the arts department," and believed a deeper discussion of combining the departments was in order.

The board also received a sharp rebuke from resident Bob Morrison, of Briarwood Drive, who is an expert in arts and musical education and policies, as well as a parent of student. Morrison said his studies found "all successful schools have a supervisor in fine arts with expertise in performing arts."

"It is important to our community and it is important to our students," Morrison said.

The resolution passed with Dr. Seelig, Fallon and Peter Falzarano voting against it.