Breaking Up Is Hard To Do

Neil Sedaka probably wasn't crooning about school boards in his 1962 hit song, but it certainly seems to apply this month, as some long-term and some shorter-term board members wrap up their time on the boards.

At Monday's Watchung Hills Regional High School Board of Education—the last meeting for three-term member Bernard Yaged, of Long Hill—where Board President Paul Seelig and WHRHS Education Association President Sean DiGiovanna each took time to recognize Dr. Yaged's contributions to the board.

Dr. Seelig noted Dr. Yaged's innovative work studying the teacher contract salary guides, which set the pay rates across a matrix based on years in the district, educational levels and other criteria for teachers. His study led to changes which Dr. DiGiovanna noted when he read a resolution passed by the education association's executive board.

"When I got on this board, I had a real passion for several things that I thought really needed attention," Dr. Yaged said. "And with the help of board members and the staff, those things were really improved."

He added teacher salary guides at the time were weighted against younger teachers, which he believed was unfair. He said his work to change the guides, whihc he launched while a member of the Long Hill Board of Education, was initially opposed by the NJEA. That opposition began to change in 2000, he said.

"And when I got here, I had support from board members, but more importantly, I had support from the union members on the negotiating team," Dr. Yaged said. "It really was a calling of my life for the last 15-16 years."

Comments from Dr. Seeelig and Dr. DiGiovanna, as well as Dr. Yaged, were answered with applause from the audience and board.

Dr. Yaged's tributes followed similar recognition given to two departing members of the Warren Township Board of Education at its April 11 meeting, when resolutions noting the contributions of Kathy Winter and Anthony Sardis were read.

Winter, leaving after two terms, was recognized for her contributions serving on the board's personnel, curriculum and finance committees, and was hailed as "worker bee" and "policy guru."

"And whereas Mrs. Winter has been srteadfast in her beliefs and has never been afraid to speak her mind—even if her opinion was not the most popular among board members," board member Mildred Spiller read from the resolution honroing Winter's service, "And whereas the example Mrs. Winter set day in and day out for her board mates, friends and neighbors in terms of how to pour one's life and soul into volunteering, which included turning her house into a 'bed and breakfast' for stranded travelers...

"Now be it resolved the Warren Township Board of Education, on behalf of the entire Warren community, does hereby extend its sincere thanks and gratitude to Mrs. Kathy Winter for her six years of service to the children of Warren."

The resolution honoring Sardis' service on the board's negotiations, finance and policy commitee, and the Educational Service Commission, also noted his work streamling and improving the board's policies on competitive bidding, setting standard procedures and implementing regular reviews for contracted services, as well as one bit of levity.

"Whereas Mr. Sardis' passion for playing the guitar and his efforts at explaining insurance plan options, have garnered much attention by board members, administrators and teachers," board member Patricia Toubin read from the resolution.

Later, Sardis quipped about not being prepared to speak but instead was going to play guitar as Winter sang. "That was the deal—she was going to sing," he said.

The Sardis-Winter duo did not perform, but it's easy to imagine what could have been an easy choice of what to sing.