Board of Ed approves acting superintendent amid problems
TRENTON >> Sloppy would be one way to describe the public school district’s method of appointing a new acting superintendent.
Despite legal questions surrounding the hiring process, the Trenton school board went ahead Friday morning and awarded a oneyear contract to Nelson Ribon to serve as the district’s acting superintendent until Dec. 31, 2017.
Ribon comes over from Fair Haven, where he served as superintendent from July 2013 until June 2016.
“I’m grateful for the opportunity,” Ribon said Friday night .“I’ m looking forward to working with my staff and the community and moving Trenton schools forward.”
However, his moment in the sun may be short lived.
The Trenton teachers and administrators unions plan to file unfair labor practice complaints with the New Jersey Public Employment Relations Commission claiming Ribon was hired improperly, The Trentonian has learned.
Last month, Ribon was appointed by the Trenton school board on Dec. 12 to serve as interim superintendent and started his new job this past Tuesday.
But last week, the district stated that the New Jersey Department of Education (DOE) instituted a policy change, which no longer approves interim superintendent contracts for non-retirees, such as Ribon. The district then submitted a revised contract with Ribon as acting superintendent rather than “interim” at the direction of DOE, which was approved by the county superintendent, the district announced in a statement.
To go through with the plan, the district hired Ribon as an assistant superintendent and then promoted Ribon to acting superintendent in the same resolution on Friday to attempt to make the maneuver legal.
But not in the eyes of the unions
Trenton Education Association (TEA) President Naomi Johnson-Lafleur said the school board “does not have the authority to hire an Assistant Superintendent when no vacancy exists for such position.”
“However, this morning, six members of the Trenton Board of Education did just that with full knowledge and disregard for multiple violations, passing the blame to the state and to Yasmin Hernandez-Manno – interim county superintendent for Mercer County,” the teachers union boss said. “This fiasco is yet another example of this board’s outright refusal to collaborate with anyone: community members, educators, and even a united Trenton City Council. Their reckless arrogance and tone
deafness won’t be tolerated by this community.”
Describing the improper process, Johnson Lafleur said there was no vacancy for assistant superintendent, no job description was created, no vacancy was posted, and there was no proper screening for an assistant superintendent. The union president said an additional assistant superintendent was not added to the board approved organizational chart, “therefore no line item exists to pay him.”
Additionally, the hiring violates the contractual rights of the union members because they would be allowed to apply for the position if it was properly posted and advertised, Lafleur-Johnson said.
“The Trenton Board of Education failed to advertise for an acting superintendent affording employees holding a School Administrator certificate that ability to apply for the position,” Johnson-Lafleur said. “While the board continues to ignore the will of the people, the question becomes: Since there was no position for Nelson Ribon in the organizational chart, will he receive a paycheck on January 15th?”
Trenton School Board President Jason Redd did not return a message seeking comment.
Ribon, who was in attendance with his wife, said he listened to the concerns at Friday’s meeting and said it was the “board’s business.”
“Whatever direction they take, that’s up to them,” the new school leader said. “That would be up to the board to manage that and work that out. I have been hired to lead the school district. I will not look at that as a distraction in our efforts to make some changes where they’re needed, update some things and prepare us for the 201718 school year as well. My focus is children, education and moving the district forward.”
On the eve of Friday’s vote, city council unanimously passed a resolution to oppose Ribon’s appointment. The acting superintendent said he was aware of the resolution, but is not worried.
“I look forward to working with them and hoping that we can redirect some of that passion ... so that we can work together and help the children in this district,” the positive-minded Ribon said. “They’re passionate about their community and that’s great to see. Passion is not something you can turn on and off.”
Ribon takes over for Lucy Feria, who resigned earlier this month. Ribon will earn a salary of $177,500, which is the same as Feria was making.
The search for Trenton Public Schools next leader has been anything but smooth sailing since former Superintendent Francisco Duran announced his resignation in September 2015.
Feria was appointed to take over as interim superintendent in October 2015 and vowed to stay on until a permanent replacement was found.
A previous search that started last December landed two finalists that were passed over for the job due to baggage from their previous employers.
Some of the frustration has now turned to Trenton Mayor Eric Jackson, who appoints all of the members on the school board.
“No Action Jackson” posters and chants were seen and heard in Friday’s meeting.
“If it calls for us having to run ‘No Action Jackson’ out of town, then that’s what we’re going to do and we are going to support a candidate who is truly for public education,” threatened Janice Williams, grievance chair of the TEA. “We’re going to support a candidate who will appoint board members that have children who attend public schools.”
TEA endorsed Jackson for his mayoral bid in 2014. The New Jersey Education Association, which TEA is affiliated with, donated the maximum $8,200 to Jackson’s campaign.