Annemarie Maini

South Orange-Maplewood BOE Members Clash in Testy Exchange Over Policy Details

Debate over policies governing the authority of the South Orange-Maplewood Board of Education president and the rules surrounding public comment at meetings took a sharp…

New South Orange-Maplewood Schools Superintendent Dr. Ronald Taylor Is On the Job

The age of interims is coming to a close. After years of administrative churn and something of a clearing-of-the-decks by interim superintendent Dr. Thomas Ficarra,…

An Open Letter to the South Orange-Maplewood Board of Ed on the Non-Renewal of MMS Science Teacher

To the Members of the South Orange–Maplewood School District Board of Education: I attended your meeting on June 13, 2019, in which the Board of…

BOE Sends $160M+ Facilities Plan to Board of School Estimate — With Turf Fields & AC Included

The long and winding two-year road to undertake massive improvements to the school district’s crumbling infrastructure crossed another hurdle last night as the South Orange-Maplewood…

South Orange-Maplewood BOE Declines to Reverse Non-Renewal for MMS Science Teacher

Despite remarks from nearly a dozen supporters asking that sixth-grade science teacher Debra Hwang have her contract renewed (and a reported 23 or more letters…

Board of Ed Responds to Controversy and Confusion Surrounding MMS Principal Renewal

The recent renewal of Maplewood Middle School Principal Dara Gronau, reportedly against the recommendation of Interim Superintendent Thomas Ficarra, continues to raise questions among residents…

2 South Orange-Maplewood BOE Members Abstained From Superintendent Vote. We Asked, ‘Why?’

“Hiring a new superintendent is one of the most important responsibilities of a school board,” wrote then-Board President Elizabeth Baker in July 2018, when the…

UPDATED: Ethics Commission Rules Lawson-Muhammad Violated Code at Traffic Stop, Recommends 6-Month Suspension from Board of Ed

The New Jersey State Department of Education School Ethics Commission has ruled that South Orange-Maplewood Board of Education member Stephanie Lawson-Muhammad violated State ethics code…

Increase in South Orange-Maplewood State Aid Will Help Alleviate Budget Freeze

The South Orange-Maplewood School District received more than a half million dollars more in state aid for 2019/20 than anticipated, but that increase will go…

South Orange-Maplewood Superintendent Search Down to Final Few

The search for a new superintendent to lead the South Orange-Maplewood School District is nearing its conclusion, Board of Education President Annemarie Maini said Monday,…