The Morris School District won’t have to spend much on new business cards or stationery.
On Monday the school board named its former superintendent as its new one. At least, temporarily.
Thomas Ficarra, who retired in 2014 after a dozen years at the helm, will step in as interim superintendent on Nov. 1, 2021, succeeding Mackey Pendergrast, who is retiring after six years.
Ficarra’s contract runs through June 30, 2022, though the term will be shorter if a permanent successor is hired.
He will earn $923 per day. New Jersey allows retired superintendents to serve as interims for up to two years in a district, while collecting hefty pensions.
Since leaving the Morris district, Ficarra has worked as an interim in Bridgewater, South Orange/Maplewood, and Hamilton Township.
“When we found out Thom was available, it pretty much was a slam-dunk,” said board President Melissa Spiotta. Ficarra’s familiarity with this district, with this position, and with running a school district during this pandemic convinced board members they did not need to look any further, she said.
Pendergrast credited Ficarra with handing him a district in good shape, and said there “was some poetry” in handing back the baton. “This community is very, very lucky,” he said.
Ficarra thanked the board for the opportunity to come home, calling his time in Morristown the happiest and most productive years of his career, which began in 1975.
The Chatham resident praised Pendergrast for a “clear, fresh, new vision” that took the district “to a better place.”
Ficarra said he plans to spend the next few weeks on a “listening tour,” reaching out to parents, teachers and administrators to get up to speed.
‘WE STRUCK GOLD BOTH TIMES’
The interim superintendent also praised former board President Lisa Pollak, who stepped down in 2020 after 22 years of service. She was honored Monday by the board.
“Before I met Lisa, the phrase ‘brutally honest’ was just another phrase,” said Ficarra, recounting how Pollak’s candor shaped his approach to running the 10-school district, which now has 5,700 students from Morristown, Morris Township and (for high school) Morris Plains.
“What she instilled in me was that the Morris School District was more than an educational institution. It’s a community, a proud diverse community. Lisa was fond of constantly telling everyone we were the first forced merger in the state of New Jersey, for integration purposes.
“Extremely proud, (she was) always pushing the idea that I had to immerse myself in the community, and that really formed the superintendent that I was for 12 years. I remember she met with the board members, and came up with about 60 or 70 names of individuals that I had to meet– by a week from Thursday,” Ficarra said.
In coming days, the board will announce plans for soliciting public suggestions for selection of the next superintendent, Spiotta said.
Pendergrast, voted by peers as the state’s top superintendent last year, has not disclosed what’s next for him after he steps down from the $219,000 job. Hired from the West Morris Mendham Regional High School District in 2015, he has advocated for technology in the classroom and data-driven educational decisions.
On Pendergrast’s watch, the district’s Pre-K program has expanded dramatically. He and board member Nancy Bangiola praised Pollak for pressing for this expansion throughout her board tenure.
Pollak also was instrumental in hiring Ficarra in 2002, and in hiring Pendergrast, according to Bangiola.
“We struck gold both times,” Bangiola said.
Pollak was lauded at a virtual meeting in December, but she was battling health issues and could not participate. She is feeling better every day, she said at Monday’s session in Morristown High School.
The retired attorney recalled her puzzlement years ago when a successful businessman confided that serving on the school board was his most interesting work. Now, she said, she understands.
“Intellectually, and morally, and emotionally, it was valuable for me, for all of these things that I feel strongly about,” she said.
As for Pre-K, it “came about because we finally got enough money.”
A state grant of almost $9 million has enabled nearly 90 percent of children in the program to attend tuition-free, board member Linda Murphy said in March.
QUARANTINES, PARTING SHOTS
In other business, Pendergrast announced that students who travel outside New Jersey no longer must quarantine upon their return, as long as they get tested for COVID-19 on their third and fifth days back.
A couple of parents weren’t ready to let Pendergrast ride into the sunset without a few parting shots.
One woman suggested grading policies have grown lax at Morristown High and the Frelinghuysen Middle School.
Another parent, Michelle Cottone of Morris Township, contended quarantine policies discriminate against unvaccinated kids. She also said the district failed to provide pandemic data she requested last year: How many positive cases were adults, and how many were children? And of those required to quarantine, how many actually got sick?
Pendergrast said he would try to provide answers.
Things grew testier when David Hudak, a Morristown father of three kids in elementary school, sharply questioned the district’s academic rigor.
“I think the district has lost its focus,” he said.
Claiming homework is rare so far this year, Hudak said the district should “hit the ground running” to make up for classroom time lost in the pandemic.
Along those lines, he challenged last week’s decision to send students home after a half day because of heat.
“It wasn’t too hot in Morris Plains. It wasn’t too hot in East Hanover,” Hudak said, adding that after-school athletic activities continued as normal on that day.
Morris Plains and East Hanover have air conditioned schools, Pendergrast countered. The state allows districts to authorize mask removal in warm weather. But unmasking kids now, Pendergrast said, could have health consequences.
“We don’t want to quarantine kids. We also don’t want a big outbreak,” he said.
The superintendent cited a slew of test scores in defense of the district’s academic record, and he invited Hudak to call him and partner with the district to ensure his children’s success.
“This should be an evidence-based conversation,” Pendergrast said.
@StillPretendingToBeStuckInNJ – care to provide details of articles/copy that were refused by this publication? Pretty strong claim ‘never dare report or take opinions pieces from others who disagree’ without citing examples…
If there is an assistant superintendent Kelly Harte why do we need an interim? The assistants position was created recently and if she is unfit to fill in while they hire someone new one should ask why do we have this role to begin with? Also the school district is a joke making kid go home for half days when it’s a little warm not other district in the county had a half day last Wednesday. I guess the teachers need the half day before yom kipper. It’s hard working 4 full days in a row.
As a parent with years under both of these Supers I can honestly say this is VERY positive news. Ficcara was miles above the one who is leaving. Of course no idea how he will handle COVID hysteria but I can honestly say the quality of education was far superior under him than what it has been during the Mackey years. Best of luck.
Agree with you, Stuck. The teachers are being told to keep track of who wears their masks well and for how long. We could take them off last year for heat but not now!
Wishlist for new super: answer parent questions, be able to take criticism, maybe actually throw in education somewhere, do not have ridiculous covid policies that go above and beyond all reason. KEEP THE KIDS IN SCHOOL!!!
Respectfully Kevin I don’t want to hear it. If my child takes his mask off in school he’s told to immediately put it back on with no exceptions by these people.
You and your site are nothing but pro mask and never dare report or take opinions pieces from others who disagree. If you deemed a maskless photo necessary you’re a hypocrite. When you asked these 2 to remove their masks you put their health and others at “risk.”
They should have declined your request and abided by the rules they make my children follow.
FIRE THEM….ZERO TOLERANCE.
To be clear: Masks were worn throughout the meeting, and the superintendents removed theirs at my request, for the photo. They were unmasked for about five seconds. The other unmasked pictures in the story also were at my request. The subjects were photographed at a distance, with a telephoto lens. I was masked, and nobody else was anywhere near us.
Where are their masks? My kids have to wear masks all day and these elites pose for pictures inside a school building without a mask! FIRE ALL OF THEM!!
Sounds like all the Board did yesterday was give themselves awards and applause. Meanwhile, kids are unnecessarily sent home from “potential exposure,” there is no teaching or work going on, and we now close for half days rather than remove the all powerful mask.