On August 29th, at the Perth Amboy Board of Education meeting, President Mark Carvajal announced that the Board would be initiating a search process for Superintendent of Schools. He also stated that this process would not exclude me, indicating I could potentially apply for my own position. There has been much rumor and speculation about my intentions regarding my position here, so I would like to take this opportunity to clear things up.
I came to Perth Amboy over two years ago with one purpose; to work with the community to improve our public school system. Almost immediately, long before the infamous tenure article, the former Board president began relentless attacks against me that resulted in my retention of an attorney. This was just a couple of months after I started my job here. As you may remember, this continued until February 9, 2012, when Lebreault announced a sort of truce when he made his public statement. This statement can still be viewed on the paps.net website under the BOE Overview tab.
The next couple of months were very productive, and I was confident the worst was behind us. However, this was not the case. In late April, with no warning, I was contacted by my attorney and informed that the Board would be placing me on leave unless I would agree to quit. A long list of ridiculous accusations was made, and a special attorney was hired to investigate them. However, once it became apparent that the list was without truth, most BOE members knew that an investigation would backfire. So, no investigation ever occurred. I filed a petition for emergent relief to the Commissioner of Education and was sent back to work due to the illegality of the process.
The Board tried two more times to put me out, and I was returned again and again. The last time was on September 22, 2012. The resolution approved on this day also included a “non-renewal” clause which means that the Board was putting me on notice that I would not get a new contract after my current contract expires on June 30, 2014.
In January, 2013, I was delighted to begin working with a new President and several new members. This new Board would have plenty of opportunity to offer me a new contract, thus overturning the actions of the previous Board, and allowing us to continue with our work on behalf of our children and community. However, many months went by, and it became quite apparent that a new contract would not become a reality.
When I began to question this, and sought legal assistance to get a firm answer from the Board, there was a misunderstanding that I had resigned. As you can tell, I have not resigned. However, as President Carvajal stated last night, the process for searching for a superintendent is quite lengthy. It took me nearly a year to find my position here, and I know that I must start looking now in order to be gainfully employed by next July. So, I have begun exploring my employment options. I just want to do good work and continue helping kids.
It is clear that a majority of BOE members are not supportive of offering me a new contract. The people of Perth Amboy elected these officials to make this decision, and I respect their decision. Therefore, I will not be applying for my own position. I will continue working to the very best of my ability and focus on the students and families I serve, through my last day in Perth Amboy. Although the politics here have been challenging, I have enjoyed every moment of the real work of providing a great education to our students. Thanks to all of you who continue to support our children and all efforts to improve our school system. Our kids need you now more than ever!
Janine Walker Caffrey
Superintendent of Schools
