[Anonymous]

Steve Fulop has a regular newsletter that he sends to anyone who wants to subscribe. Today I received the message below and wanted to share. THis is great news for JC school.From Fulop:Last night, the Jersey City Board of Education took a huge step toward improving public education in Jersey City. In a significant vote for the future of our city, board president Sterling Waterman, along with board members Sue Mack, Carol Lester, Carol Harrison-Arnold, and Marvin Adames, approved and finalized a formal separation agreement with superintendent Charles Epps. Per the agreement, Dr. Epps will continue in his role until December 31, 2011. After that date, he will step aside as superintendent.Additionally, the board formally said it would start the process of a national search for a new reform-minded superintendent. The goal is to have a new superintendent in place by the start of the 2012 school year.It was the belief of this board that every day that the Jersey City school system is not striving for absolute excellence is a day of opportunity for students squandered. That is a very steep price to pay. The terms of the separation will open the door for new leadership. Dr. Epps’s contract will be bought out at 50 cents on the dollar, thereby placing new, proactive leadership at the helm of the Jersey City school system two and a half years ahead of schedule.This has been a complicated process, to say the least. It has been two years since we began organizing as a team focused on supporting reform-minded candidates for the Board of Education. Not coincidentally, it was also two years ago that the former majority on the board fast-tracked contract extensions to protect the status quo. Yesterday, was a correct, principled, and major step in the right direction.Leadership does matter. It sets the tone and establishes a course for outcomes. We should strive for nothing short of excellence in our leaders. Jersey City and its students deserve that. A special thank you to the board members that supported this step; and of course the residents, volunteers, and voters, who ultimately drove this process by demanding results.Steven Fulop

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