Friday, July 13, 2012
Steven Cohen's hearing is July 18
South Orange Middle School teacher Steven Cohen has a Donaldson hearing scheduled for Wednesday, July 18, at 6:30 p.m. at the Board of Education meeting. Cohen's is the second Donaldson hearing this summer for SOMS teachers; fellow eighth grade Social Studies teacher Kathleen McCort also had a Donaldson hearing. In her case, the Board of Education upheld the decision not to rehire and tenure made in the spring by principal Joseph Uglialoro. It is not known if Cohen's hearing will be public or private. A key point of the hearing law is that results must be made known to the teachers, in writing, within three days. According to a district handout, The Board is not required to take a vote at the conclusion of the hearing. Should the Board …
Tuesday, June 26, 2012
Kathleen McCort's hearing is Tuesday
Kathleen McCort's Donaldson hearing is Tuesday, June 26, at 6 p.m. at the Board of Education building on Academy Street.This has been confirmed by the involved parties. It will be a private hearing. Steven Cohen's hearing has been postponed until July 18. The Donaldson hearings will allow the eighth grade Social Studies teachers to challenge the decision made earlier this year not to rehire each of them. That decision, in their tenure year, led to numerous student protests and parents speaking on their behalf at Board of Education meetings. The superintendent, Brian Osborne, and first-year principal of South Orange Middle School Joseph Uglialoro took the unusual step of meeting with concerned parents to discuss the situation. At the most …
Monday, June 25, 2012
The district has not yet confirmed the date change
The Donaldson hearing scheduled for Steven Cohen has been postponed until mid-July, according to numerous sources. The district has not yet confirmed or replied to inquiries. It is not clear if Kathleen McCort's hearing has also been rescheduled. Parents and students in the district spread today's news quickly via email, facebook and twitter. According to several parents who are close to the source, Cohen's hearing will take place on July 16, when a regular Board of Education meeting is also scheduled. Patch will continue to update this story as more information becomes available. We regret that we can't yet confirm the time and date of the hearing(s).
Two well-known teacher will have a hearing on Tuesday
South Orange students and parents have learned what a Donaldson hearing is, as two eighth grade Social Studies teachers have such hearings scheduled. Both Steven Cohen and Kathleen McCort will go before the Board of Education on Tuesday, June 26, at 5 p.m. at the Board of Education building. It is not known yet if the hearings will be public, normally a choice made by the teacher. A key point of the hearing law is that results must be made known to the teachers, in writing, within three days. According to a district handout, The Board is not required to take a vote at the conclusion of the hearing. Should the Board decide to act to reinstate the employee, it would require five affirmative roll call votes to pass. This is the only provision…
Kalani Thielen
9:51 pm on Saturday, July 14, 2012
Tom, I sympathize with your sentiment but please don't take it out on the most recent three elected members. Madhu Pai, Wayne Eastman, and Jeff Bennett ran on a positive agenda for updating and improving the curriculum at the schools, as well as holding the present administration accountable for its duty. They're thoughtful, fair-minded folks, and although they might not be leading the protest … more ›