I am taking a position on the Plainfield High School principal, Dr. Brian Bilal. I don't care if it is not popular with the BOE or the administration. The community wants answers.
Today's Courier News ran a story on the fact that the Plainfield BOE is planning on not renewing Dr. Bilal's contract despite him having made progress over the past several years.
Read here: http://www.mycentraljersey.com/article/20110527/NJNEWS/305270033/Plainfield-principal-hanging-on?odyssey=tab|topnews|text|FRONTPAGE
This seems to be a pattern of this BOE. They seem to not want to retain young, competent administrators that have documented their progress and the fact they they are making a difference. I am a white male and have stated my support of the work that Dr. Gallon did in the district. Add Dr. Bilal to this list based on his improvement of Plainfield High School. I don't know neither but met Dr. Gallon once at a community event. My support is based on facts and data that no one seems to want to look at including this interim superintendent and BOE that have decided that he should not return next year. Why?
Dr. Bilal is up for tenure in the district. He did his time. It will be nearly 3 years and a day in which he would have served the district in which according to the article he hasn't missed a day of work. The Interim Superintendent who, according to some of the comments that I received on another post pointing me to this story, has never served as a school principal or vice principal, yet has decided to that Dr. Bilal should not return as principal next year. She naturally hid behind the "no comment" cover which is often used by officials when it comes to personnel issues. Seems though she has also mastered this two liner when it came to the Cook School plan according to Maria's Blog in which she simply didn't answer questions regarding plans for Cook.
This is yet another Grand Slam decision. They appointed her as interim superintendent after Gallon's ouster. If it is in fact true that she never served as a school principal or even vice principal, then one would question what criteria, if not data is being used to not bring Dr. Bilal back.
According to the article Dr. Bilal improved test scores, reduced suspensions and raised graduation rates. He also increased advanced placement studies and had the school removed from the state's list of dangerous schools. These achievements seem to be aligned with the goals that were laid out on the district's strategic plan developed by Gallon in which he also achieved in these areas. What is with this place coming to? What are they doing here?
These guys seemed to had been moving the school and district forward only to be thwarted by decisions that had no rhyme or reason. We know that Gallon's hiring of staff began a series of events that fueled public discontent and ended up with him being charged in the South Plainfield matter although the OFAC report shows that the hiring issue was mainly a function of an incompetent HR department and the South Plainfield matter was dismissed without ever going before a grand jury. But what is this with Dr. Bilal? He is a product from the community and graduate from Plainfield High school.
If after reading today's article the community does not have questions, well I do.
Interim Superintendent Belin Pyles and Board President Hernandez why are you two deciding to get rid of a man who has seemed to have done a good job at the school?
Why would you want to continue the instability of leadership of the high school?
What information or data are you using to decide not to bring Dr. Bilal back?
Are there other principals that are not being brought back next year?
Are you using the same criteria to determine who stays and who goes as a principal for next year?
Are there other principals that were hired after Dr. Bilal?
Has Dr. Bilal and other district administrators been evaluated according to the law?
What role if any does the HR department have in this decision?
These are questions that should be answered by this administration and BOE.
Should Dr. Bilal be allowed to stay as principal of Plainfield High School?
Why is Ms. Belin Pyles and the BOE taking this action against Dr. Bilal?
Can anyone shed some light?
Ken,
ReplyDeleteThis is a great post. I love your straight, matter of fact writing style. Many more people should read your blog. I was concerned since you didn't post since last week.
I don't know the high school principal either but am also concerned about what the BOE seems to be doing to the district.
This all seems too political. If we are not going to judge principals on improving the schools then what are we going to judge them on?
Go figure.
Let there be light.
ReplyDeleteMrs. Belin Pyles was NEVER a principal. She was NEVER a vice principal. I dont think she was EVER even a teacher.
She always held the family or community type positions in the district which were mainly political in nature.
What she has become is a puppet for the Grand Slam Team and their ringmaster Wilma Campbell.
Everybody knows that Mrs. Belin Pyles, although she used to be a nice lady was not considered a top administrator in the district. She was chosen because she can be controlled. Because of her lack of education experience she is NOT very respected in the field and even her own PR person spoke publicly in a meeting about her incompetence.
I want to see how much cover she is going to find when the lawsuits start flying her way.
Belin Pyles did the SAME thing last year. She got rid of Kathleen Gorski and Rashad Adams. These were two very successful and experienced principals.
ReplyDeleteAdams had ran the Queen City Charter school with success and was starting to improve Jefferson who also had a revolving door of principals.
Gorski was a veteran principal in New Jersey and came to Plainfield. She was doing good at Woodland too.
Adams was black and Gorski was white.
The only thing they both had in common was that they were hired by Gallon. It was clearly a political move.
Now Jefferson has yet another brand new principal. The guy was just appointed by Gallon as a VP. His experience could not compare to the two principal that were let go.
I agree where is the rhyme or reason to these decisions?
There is none.
The principal at Jefferson did NOT have the required number of years for the position.
ReplyDeleteHe was only a VP for a year and they gave him the job. The position required AT LEAST 3 years as a VP.
The BOE approved him when he did NOT meet the minimum qualifications.
Shame. Shame. Shame.
The BOE is a disaster and so is this community that elected them.
ReplyDeleteYou trade the likes of Cox, Cathcart, Estevez, Burwinkle, and others for Hernandez, Abdul Haqq, and Campbell?
And yes, Gallon for Belin Pyles? As far as education and running a school district they are not even in the same league.
This is what we got because this is what we elected.
How was the principal at Jefferson hired if he did not meet the minimum requirements?
ReplyDeleteWow, this blog is really incredible... No disrepesct to any one of the folks who posted comments on this blog... But... I can only assume that it is highly likely not one of you has set foot in PHS. Because if you have, then you would know the real deal! How about the lack of uniforms? I can't even count how many daisy dukes and tank tops I've seen walking the building and Bilal allows it. The man doesn't even enforce the uniform policy! Are you serious people? He has some petition going around the school being signed by cheerleaders and athletes. The cheerleading squad does not a school make! Plus you need to get your facts straight! The Grand Slam team did not hire Bilal OR Gallon, none of them were Board members at the time except Wilma Campbell and Abdul-Haqq. You can thank Lenny Cathcart, Bridget Rivers, Lisa Logan-Leach and Pat Barkdale for that dibocle!
ReplyDeleteAlso, the HSPA scores were increased because of the TEACHERS, in spite of Bilal's lack of competence and leadership, the TEACHERS are the ones to be celebrated at PHS. Suspensions were reduced because he DID NOT discipline ANYONE! He just outright DID not report it and covered it up! Bilal barely comes out of his office so how could he possibly know what's going on. He is supposed to OBSERVE classrooms during the day, EVERYDAY, ask a teacher the last time they were observed. Ask the staff why they can barely stand the sight of that loser. He is the WORST thing that ever happened to PHS.
However, this much is true, there is political favortism, and personal vendettas still running rampid in the District. That's one legacy Gallon left behind! And he's as disingenuous as they come!!
Shuman. You blog about something you know absolutley nothing about. What a waste of time your blog is. Certainly won't be reading or posting a comment again. Not worth my time.
ReplyDelete3:23,
ReplyDeleteThe reading of my blog is a personal choice. You can choose not to read it.
As for me writing about something I know nothing about, I asked readers to shed some light.
Your comments seem to show that you as with many have no truth or facts about the matters of which I have written.
The principal's performance was not evaluated and the school seems to be improving. Now it is being disclosed that the principal at Jefferson was hired after not meeting the minimum requirements.
If this is the case the fact that Mrs. Campbell, head of the Grand Slam team is the CHAIR of HR should be of concern since she appeared to be vocal against the same allegation just last year.
I guess that is just the poltics of Plainfield.So other than not planning to read my blog do you have any light you would like to shed?
If not, then we both have wasted time. Please dont read or waste my time in the future unless you have light or facts or both on matters that I post to my blog.