PLUMSTED – A new school year is well underway and the school district’s interim Superintendent John Russo gave his first report during a recent Board of Education meeting where he responded to questions about a virtual math class.
Parent Christine Read brought up a concern regarding virtual math instruction at New Egypt High School.
Russo explained, “many districts including ours own are having a very difficult time hiring mathematics teachers at the high school level. There is a shortage around the state.”
“Despite all our efforts to hire a qualified certified math teacher at the high school level we were required to put a course in place that is credit worthy and one way to do that was through the Monmouth-Ocean Educational Services Division,” he added.
Russo explained, “we have also put in one of our own certified teachers in the classroom who has a great deal of experience with mathematics at that level but unfortunately her certification does not align with math. She is a special education teacher. She is a teacher of the handicapped so she is allowed to teach multiple subject areas.”
“She has been in those math classes at the high school level for several years and we believe she has become an expert although not certified,” he added.
Read asked, “what about the special ed kids in that classroom? You just said that teacher is not certified in math for special ed so that would be against the law?”
Russo answered that “as a teacher of the handicapped she actually would be.”
“You said that at the high school level they have to be highly specialized in math and special ed in order to meet the criteria. That would be in the IEP (Individual Education Plan) that they would need a teacher there so you would be in violation of their IEP,” Read responded.
“I don’t think we are because she is a teacher of the handicapped which gives her permission to do that,” Russo responded.
“The high school law states they must be highly qualified in math at the high school level in order to be a special ed teacher in there,” Read said.
Russo said he felt the fact that the instructor was a special education teacher met the requirements but said he would look into the issue further.
Read, who is a teacher, added “there is a test they have to take to be a high school mathematics teacher and the law states now that if it is a special education teacher and they have to have highly qualified status.”
“I have two boys that will be in that class. You will have 30-something kids in that class with one teacher and one virtual. How in the world is that teacher with 30 kids – some of them special ed and some of them regular – how are they going to be able to function in that classroom?” she asked.
“You are opening up a can of problems. I’ve taught freshmen before and freshmen is the last classroom you should do that to. Upper classmen can handle sitting in their seats. Freshmen cannot. They actually need to do something,” Read added.
She added, “I understand your challenges but I need to know that you are abiding by the law, especially the special ed law.”
“I am certain that we are,” Russo said, requesting she send him an e-mail for follow up to the matter.
Russo was appointed to the position in July and had served as an assistant principal in Keyport, principal in Tinton Falls, assistant superintendent in Middletown, and superintendent in Tinton Falls.
Most recently, he served as an interim principal in neighboring North Hanover Township in Burlington County, interim superintendent/principal in Avon, and interim superintendent/principal in Brielle.
Russo received a bachelor’s degree from Monmouth University, a post-baccalaureate from Kean University, and a master’s degree from Georgian Court University.
Russo said, “it has been a pleasure to meet all of our staff and I’m getting to learn more about the district each day as I interact with all the professionals, staff and parents over the last couple of weeks.
