Superintendent Responds to South Orange Middle Controversy

To the South Orange Middle School Community,
 
Last night, Mr. Uglialoro and I met with the Home School Association Executive Board. In consulting with the HSA Co-Presidents, we recognized that the community needed more dialogue and information about what has been happening at South Orange Middle School. We therefore asked to meet with HSA leaders to discuss the issues, answer questions, and talk about how we can help move SOMS beyond the recent controversy.   We appreciated the discussion with those who were able to join us on short notice. In order to make sure the full community has all of the information shared during this dialogue, we attach notes from the meeting.
 
I want to assure the SOMS community that Joe Uglialoro has my full and unequivocal support as Principal of South Orange Middle School.  Mr. Uglialoro clearly has the good of all of the students at heart, and brings tremendous capacity and competence to the work of an instructional leader. In all of the major decisions that Mr. Uglialoro has made, including those regarding personnel, he has collaborated with me closely and on a regular basis.  His approach has employed sound practices and he has been thorough, fair, and detailed in his work.
 
A number of community members have contacted me with concerns about the district’s decision not to renew some staff members for 2012-2013, and questions about why the district is not being more forthcoming with details about these decisions.  I sympathize with the frustration that some parents and students feel over the lack of transparency in this process. The annual work of evaluating and renewing non-tenured teachers is very complex, and governed by New Jersey state laws regarding tenure, confidentiality, and due process. We have developed the attached fact sheet to help clarify how teachers’ contracts are renewed, the options open to teachers who have not been renewed, and why we cannot share personnel information.  
 
I recognize that some community members are upset with the recent personnel decisions. We have heard your feedback, and take it very seriously. We may not always agree on specific decisions, but I know we are all committed to setting our students up for success, and giving them the challenges and the support they need to achieve their fullest potential. We all agree that effective teaching is essential in this journey.
 
Mr. Uglialoro and I look forward to continuing to work with the HSA leadership and the SOMS community to overcome the recent challenges and make SOMS an even stronger and more vibrant school.
 
 
Sincerely,
 
Brian G. Osborne, Ed.D.
Superintendent

Notes from the meeting are attached as a PDF