Wyckoff Parents Seek Answers In Sudden Departure Of Principals

WYCKOFF, NJ — Public Schools officials and the township's Board of Education have left Eisenhower Middle School parents with more questions than answers in 2021.

Quietly, Superintendent Kerry Postma announced that Assistant Superintendent Grace White would be recommended for the role of acting principal at the middle school. But multiple parents told Patch they were never notified of the departure of Principal Chris Iasiello and Assistant Principal Chris Giordano.

One parent told Patch via email that it's as if the two administrators "vanished into thin air."

The Board of Education did little to address rumors about the reason for the sudden departure of the school's highest ranking officials, but did confirm White as acting principal during their Monday meeting.

Township Committee member Thomas Madigan was the first resident to ask the board for transparency on the matter.

He didn't get it.

"The board really has no comment at this time, for reasons of privacy and confidentiality," said Board President Robert Francin.

Francin said the district has two "primary objectives" as an administrative body: making sure students are safe, and also that they're learning.

"It's not the Board's role to make those things happen, it's the Board of Education's role to ensure those things are happening by the administration," said Francin.

Parents in the district were hit with another surprise after Northjersey.com reported Friday that a state arbitrator ruled a teacher should be reinstated after the district certified four charges against him last May.

The charges included alleged "acts of misconduct" during the 2019-2020 school year.

Francin told the publication that the district has no plans to reinstate the teacher, and are considering their legal options.

A link to a 50-page opinion on the matter is no longer live on the New Jersey Department of Education website, and representatives didn't immediately return requests for clarification as to why.

The Township Committee said they are "shocked and appalled" after learning of the "activities alleged to have occurred at the Eisenhower Middle School."

"It is apparent that this situation has existed for at least the past 6 years. The district leadership during that time period had an obligation to protect the safety and welfare of the students at Eisenhower Middle School," committee members said.

"The lack of transparency continues and we urge the K-8 Board of Education to hold a special meeting to address the many concerns of Wyckoff parents prior to their regularly scheduled March 15th meeting."

It appears the board will have more to address than the vanishing principals come March.

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