Name that tune

Corporations are known for their team-building, icebreaker exercises designed to bring together staff who would not typically rub elbows. Faced with a seemingly divided Board of Education, Middlesex Borough School Superintendent Dr. Roberta Freeman used a similar strategy at the group’s Wednesday, Jan. 21 Committee of the Whole session.

Borrowing an exercise from a past seminar, Freeman tried a get-to-know-your-neighbor activity. By picking a song title, board members were asked to describe their outlook on board service. The replies ranged from Bill Withers’ hit “Lean on Me” to “One” by thrash metal icons Metallica. Board members tried to figure out who had chosen each song title.

There were laughs and humor during the endeavor. Board members might have gone home looking at colleagues in a different light. It appears, however, there are two board factions with differing opinions and no one-night activity was going to change that.

That became clear the following evening when the board met again for an action meeting. The amendment to a board member orientation policy passed, but by a 5-4 vote. It was the second time this month that the panel produced that tally. Board Vice President Sharon Schueler was elected by the same one-vote margin at the Jan. 5 reorganization meeting.

The five-member majority votes have included Schueler, Board President Danielle Parenti, Todd Nicolay, Amanda Bayachek and Patricia Reynolds. The dissenting four were Thomas Thornton, Jeremiah Carnes, Martin Quinn and Justine Decker.

The rosters of the respective camps aren’t surprising. Carnes, Quinn and Decker voiced concerns about the district during their victorious 2025 board campaign. Thornton, a board member for a year, has occasionally differed with colleagues. During last spring’s budget approval, he was one of only two dissenting votes.

Perhaps Dr. Freeman has been looking ahead. What school administrator is eager to work with constantly dissenting board members? That can stall initiatives and lead to longer, contentious meeting nights.

Maybe the superintendent should take heart. None of the board members picked “We Just Disagree” or “Enter Sandman” as their descriptive song. Although the song picks varied, none of them were negative in tone. There were a couple of instances of two board members picking the same tune, suggesting a degree of common perspective.

Concerns about a disruptive lack of board unity may be unfounded. Questions asked by Carnes and Quinn regarding the orientation matter were pointed, but not out of line. If board members are elected to represent the community, they should be encouraged to inquire, as long as the queries are respectful.

Perhaps that’s why so many recent Middlesex Borough voters have backed board candidates willing to go against the grain. A majority of voters might feel that probing discussions are needed.

According to the amended policy, new board members will be “invited and encouraged” to meet with the superintendent and board leadership to discuss responsibilities and authority. The revision changed the orientation’s timing to occur after a new board member is sworn in at a reorganization session, instead of beforehand. The policy also states new members “shall complete” a New Jersey School Boards Association (NJSBA) training program during their first year in office.

Informal in-house discussions could help a new member understand their board service parameters. Seminars offered instead by the NJSBA are sometimes viewed as restrictive. Some attendees have claimed that one message is to refrain from casting dissenting votes, in the interest of board unity. If so, are those sessions really meant to be instructive or an attempt to indoctrinate and rein in differences of opinion?

No one goes through the work week or family life without disagreements. How many times do meetings with office colleagues lead to conflicting ideas on how a new project should be handled? How often do we go through family tug-of-wars over simple decisions such as where to get takeout dinners?

Accept it. The dissenting four are going to challenge the status quo. Clearly, that’s why voters elected them. There’s been a degree of dissatisfaction with local schools for a while, although some might contend that the community has been overly critical. The best way to address concerns is to promote more questioning, rather than less.

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