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Community member says Holmdel denied teacher visit to observe rotating schedule; superintendent says message was miscommunicated
Summary
A community member criticized the district's refusal to host teacher visits related to a rotating schedule; Superintendent Dr. Cascone said the district did not intend to bar visitors and will investigate the miscommunication.
A community member criticized Holmdel administrators during public comment March 26, saying he and a team from another district were not permitted to visit and observe Holmdel teachers working under a rotating schedule. Superintendent Dr. Cascone said the response was a miscommunication and apologized for any impression that visitors were not welcome.
Why it matters: the exchange highlights tensions about inter-district collaboration on schedule changes and the importance of clear staff-to-staff visit protocols as Holmdel considers a new rotating schedule model.
The speaker (identified in the transcript as Bill, a community member) said he had organized a Westfield High School team to visit Holmdel so teachers could "meet other teachers" and learn classroom practices under a rotating schedule. Bill said he was told by district staff that a visit "wasn't possible" and was offered a conference call instead. He said the refusal felt personal and left him "bitterly" disappointed.
"Perception drives the truth. And my perception is I wasn't welcome here with my team," Bill told the board during public comment.
Dr. Cascone responded that the district did not intend to bar teachers from meeting with Holmdel staff. "If you received the message other than that, I apologize for that. It was not what was intended to be delivered," he said, and added he would follow up to determine where the miscommunication occurred. He also defended the district's record of staff-led learning exchanges, saying administrators and teachers "are regularly venturing out beyond the confines of our district to learn from others."
Board members who spoke afterward framed the exchange as a miscommunication to be resolved; the superintendent said he would follow up with the commenter and staff to clarify how visits are handled.
Ending: Dr. Cascone said he would investigate how the message was conveyed and will seek to ensure future requests for teacher visits are handled with clearer coordination.
