School Board Approves Five-Year Superintendent Contract
Dr. Geoffey Zoeller will remain the superintendent of the Westwood Regional School District until 2018.
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The Westwood Regional Board of Education unanimously approved a new contract with Superintendent Goeffrey Zoeller during their meeting Thursday.
The contract will extend Zoeller's term as head of the district from July 1, 2013 until July 1, 2018. He will make $157,500 each year with the possibility of making about $23,600 extra in merit bonuses each year if he meets goals set by the board.
Board of Education President Carol Mountain described Zoeller as "a great superintendent."
"I'm extrememly happy to have him coming back," Mountain said.
Zoeller said he was pleased with the approval and he hopes to raise test scores and increase both the number of colleges students are accepted to and the number of scholarships they earn.
"I like it here," Zoeller said. "We're doing good work and I'm very pleased the board wants me to stay."
Zoeller holds a doctorate from Rutgers and was first appointed by the school board in 2006. He made $197,150 in 2009, before the governor's new salary cap for superintendents took effect.
Mountain said she was "sad the board can't compensate him what he deserves."
Zoeller recently presided over Westwood Jr./Sr. High School's graduation for the class of 2012.
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News Man
9:31 am on Friday, June 29, 2012
It's a board decision to be respected.
Falcon Fan
9:55 am on Friday, June 29, 2012
Our schools have improved since Dr. Zoeller was hired. He and the administration have done an excellent job and should be congratulated on the improvements to both the ciriculum and the facilities. Keep up the great work!
Glenn A. Scheyhing
10:25 am on Friday, June 29, 2012
As we transition to Westwood in the next week or so (w/a soon-to-be first grader), I look forward to working with Dr. Zoeller in the years to come.
buffymcbuffy
1:28 pm on Monday, July 2, 2012
Dear Mr. Scheying, Please be aware that some teachers in kindergarten read inappropriate books to our young children. They treat the kids as if they're all the same, when clearly they are not. They do not award "star student statis" based on merit but instead make even the underperforming students winners. This is not REAL life. How do children learn to deal with adversity if they are taught they are winners at everyting? Even the Yankees lose sometime. Our schools are not the best they could be, nor what I had expected when I moved here. I hope more parents get involved with the board of ed meetings and running for board of ed. Mr. Zoeller should be fired but instead he has become a sacred cow for the district.
No name
1:44 pm on Friday, June 29, 2012
School has improved...what have you been smoking? The high school is a mess, academics declining, have you talked to any high school students lately? The amount of non-teaching is a disgrace, and don't get me started on the quality of education...
B@B
7:17 am on Sunday, July 1, 2012
Isn't some of the reason academics are declining is that the parents don't care? The worship of youth sports in WT has always made me wonder if parents care anything about learning or if it's all about being fast, strong, and physically coordinated. I realize that the big scholarship money is for athletics, not academics, but don't you think that in the long term, being able to reason and problem-solve is going to be far more important than learning how to obey orders from a coach?
buffymcbuffy
1:44 pm on Monday, July 2, 2012
I have to AGREE with you. I have spoken to my neighbors kids whom now attend our high school after graduating from ST. Johns academy. She is in 9 th grade and she says the school is chaotic and has no sense of rules. She also told me that bad behavior at ST. Johns would not be tolerated and kids would be suspended or kicked out of school. When I was a kid that's exactly how the public schools were run. My son has to deal with a child in his 2nd grade class constantly disrupting class. How does he get a quality education when we praise even those that behave badly? At Berkeley they awarded a student bully " student of the year" what is that all about? Our schools teach only to the NJASK test from 3rd grade until they graduate from high school. They miss vital learning from 3rd up until high school. Our students going on to college is also lower then all the other surrounding towns. That is shameful. Shame on the school board.
buffymcbuffy
1:18 pm on Monday, July 2, 2012
This is a SAD day in Westwood. Everyone should look at our school district ranking . Our school district is rated 169 out of 559 schools. I don't think that is anything to celebrate when the other surrounding towns rate higher then us. Hillsdale rates 138, Rivervale rates 43 and Emerson rates 108. Mr. Zoeller should be replaced with a new superintendent who really shows concerns for the students. Mr. Zoeller does not return any phone calls to parents with concerns of low performing schools. St. Johns academy won BLUE Ribbon status and Westwood rates lower then all the schools that surround our towns. The board of education needs to be replaced too!
buffymcbuffy
1:50 pm on Monday, July 2, 2012
The goals for Mr. Zoeller should be made public. All taxpayers should have a right to transparency in education especially since we pay ALL their salaries.
Get Up! Stand Up!
8:58 am on Friday, August 3, 2012
The school district has gotten so bad that someone removed (censored) my comments. The truth will set you free.
Get Up! Stand Up!
9:01 am on Friday, August 3, 2012
Open Your Eyes! Things are so bad at Westwood that someone had to remove (censor) my comments. The truth will set them free.
James Leggate
10:02 am on Friday, August 3, 2012
You're free to express opinions about the district/superintendent/whatever, but defamatory comments are not allowed, GUSU. Check out our terms of use if you want more info- http://westwood-hillsdale.patch.com/terms
Get Up! Stand Up!
10:24 am on Saturday, August 4, 2012
If the truth is defamatory, so be it.
resident
5:48 pm on Tuesday, September 4, 2012
james.
you might feel these are defamatory, but if you dig deeper you will find most of it is FACT
Walnut
7:26 am on Saturday, November 10, 2012
News of zoellers use of school generator and vehicle during hurricane sandy recovery has not hit the patch yet. Zoellers explanation for using these items is flimsy. We pay him almost 219000 a year. That is more than enough to buy his own generator and SUV to get him out of Boonton during a storm(his "my compact car" excuse is rediculous). He concedes he's done this in the past as well. The core issue here is that at minimum he has no qualms about stretching the rules to suit himself. Given he has a salary that makes him more than capable of responding to this storm situation out if pocket, and much more easily than the vast majority of township and Westwood families, and he leaves the items at home to go on vacation to Florida, really begs the question of whether he should continue in this job. Not long ago, he gave what I consider to be an inappropriate interview to The Record complaining his salary after the cap was instituted by the governor. Well, after this, he should look for another job. Lastly, in the report in the Record today, Mayor Birkner is quoted as saying he "doesn't have any problem" with Zoellers use of the vehicle and generator. Citizens of Westwood, that quote should be an eye opener for all of you