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Editor, the Asbury Park Sun,

The recent attempt by State Monitor Carole Morris to reverse the decision of the school board in appointing Mr. Gregory Allen to the position of superintendent is another example of the state controlling  urban districts. Let’s put some cards on the table.

Ms. Morris was interested in being the interim superintendent for the Asbury Park School District. Mr. Robert J. Mahon was appointed to the position. So what happens next? She is appointed the monitor for the district. Now she has power over the board and the superintendent. Her decision not to acknowledge the present board’s decision is an example of Tea Party politics executed on the parents and students of the Asbury Park School District.

In a true Democracy, the people put in place by the people to represent the people should be heard and their decisions should be honored. In the past, decisions were made not in the best interest of the students. Programs were cut and money wasted. This was done under the guise of state monitors.

I have witnessed the board question the monitor about lost funds and receive no answer. Yet this person tells us how important it is to select the right person to lead our district.

Are we selecting the right person or are we just waiting for another political puppet to be placed in a position to undermine the education of our children?  Ms. Morris wants to wait for the new board to make a decision on the superintendent knowing that four members of the new board will agree with her suggestions. What happened to the six members of the present board who picked a leader for our district? Does their decision count? Obviously not for Ms. Morris. Once again, Tea Party politics at its finest.

The State of New Jersey has failed in Newark, Jersey City and Paterson. Who does Ms. Morris represent? She represents the state. Many of the people elected to the board are neither graduates of our system or long time members of the community. They don’t even have children in the district. They have very little knowledge of our proud and glorious past. Oh yes, they know about Bruce Springstein but the recollection stops there. While they say that there intentions are well-intended, who do they represent?

While there have been failures, much of that has come from the inability from top to bottom to understand the problems and dynamics of the city. So be careful in recognizing who really makes decisions involving the education of our multi-ethnic student body. Especially when the person overseeing the operations and selection process appears to have another group’s best interest at heart.

In New Jersey and America, poor, urban districts are becoming the dumping grounds for political favors. We need to make sure that it does not happen in Asbury Park.

Daniel Harris, Asbury Park

[This letter represents the opinion of its writer and is not representative of any opinion of the Asbury Park Sun staff. All readers are welcome to submit Letters to the Editor to news@asburyparksun.com for our consideration. For guidelines on letter-writing and submission, click here.]

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