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Dr. Daniel Fishbei, Ed.D., to serve as interim superintendent of Livingston Public SchoolsPhoto Credit: Livingston Public Schools

By TAPinto Livingston Staff

LIVINGSTON, NJ — Livingston Public Schools (LPS) has announced that Daniel Fishbein, Ed.D., has been selected to serve as interim superintendent for the district for the 2024-2025 school year, with his employment to begin on July 1.

The Livingston Board of Education (LBOE) is expected to approve this appointment during Tuesday’s public meeting, which will be held in a hybrid format at 7 p.m.

Before the public meeting, an in-person “Meet & Greet” with Dr. Fishbein will be held at 6:30 p.m. at the Central Office, 11 Foxcroft Drive. Members of the public are invited to attend.

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"Dr. Fishbein's reputation as an educational leader is second to none,” said outgoing LPS Superintendent of Schools Dr. Matthew J. Block. “I am confident he will quickly discover what an amazing professional team we have here in Livingston, and together with the LPS team, will take the district to the next level. I look forward to working closely with Dr. Fishbein during the upcoming transition period."

According to LPS, the district will benefit from Dr. Fishbein’s leadership in high-performing districts, along with the knowledge, experience and insights he brings.

Dr. Fishbein holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Geology from the University of Maine, Orono; a Master of Education - Secondary Science Education from St. Michael’s College; and a Master of Education - Educational Administration from Teachers College, Columbia University. He earned his Doctor of Education - Educational Administration degree from Columbia University in 1992.

In 2020, Dr. Fishbein retired as Superintendent of Ridgewood Public Schools, a position he held for more than a decade. There, he served as the chief school administrator for 5,800 K -12 students and 800 professional and non-professional staff members.

As superintendent, he was responsible for the leadership and management of the educational program, financial and technology operations, and all parts of the physical plant, as well as for leading, inspiring, guiding, and directing each administrative, instructional, and support services staff member. In addition, he oversaw a $115-milion budget.

Highlights of his tenure in Ridgewood include a successful $48-million bond referendum on the facilities that was approved in December 2009 and completed in 2012.

Prior to joining Ridgewood Public Schools, Dr. Fishbein served as Superintendent of Schools in Glen Ridge for seven years.

Since his retirement, he has served in various interim positions in Glen Rock, Hillsborough Township and Pascack Valley.

Dr. Fishbein has served as an adjunct professor at Ramapo College in Mahwah since 2018. Over the years, he has served in various leadership roles with Bergen County Superintendents’ Association, Essex County Superintendents’ Association, Northern NJ Superintendents’ Study Council, and the Garden State Coalition of Schools.

He has also served as a trainer and mentor for new superintendents and administrators who aspire to be superintendents. He is a founding member of the National Superintendents Roundtable and the New Jersey Superintendent Study Council. He has traveled to Japan, China and South Korea as an education ambassador and guest of their governmental education agencies.

LBOE President Pamela Chirls announced at the April 18 meeting that the board would be hiring an interim superintendent to allow sufficient time for the district to seek stakeholder input and conduct a thorough search for a permanent Superintendent of Schools.

“I am honored to be appointed as the interim superintendent for Livingston Public Schools,” said Dr. Fishbein. “I look forward to working with the board, the administration, the staff, and the community for the smooth transition to a permanent superintendent.”

On April 1, 2024, Dr. Block announced that he would be retiring from public education in New Jersey effective July 1, 2024, before assuming his new role of Superintendent of Schools in Ardsley, NY. His resignation, for purposes of retirement, was approved at the last board meeting on April 16.

A temporary replacement has been chosen for soon-to-depart Livingston school superintendent Matthew Block.

LIVINGSTON, NJ — A temporary replacement has been chosen for Livingston school superintendent Matthew Block.

On Monday, administrators in the Livingston Public School District announced that Daniel Fishbein will serve as interim superintendent for the district for the 2024-2025 school year. The board of education is expected to approve his appointment at their meeting on Tuesday.

Prior to the meeting, a “meet and greet” event with Fishbein open to the public will take place at 6:30 p.m. at the district’s central office, 11 Foxcroft Drive.

Fishbein will begin his tenure at the head of the district on July 1.

Block previously announced that he would be retiring from public education in New Jersey effective July 1. He will be taking over a new post as the superintendent of schools in Ardsley, New York.

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Board of education president Pam Chirls previously said that the board will be hiring an interim superintendent to allow sufficient time for the district to “seek stakeholder input and conduct a thorough search” for a permanent superintendent.

Departing superintendent Block said that his interim successor’s reputation as an educational leader is “second to none.”

“I am confident he will quickly discover what an amazing professional team we have here in Livingston, and together with the LPS team, will take the district to the next level,” Block said.

“I look forward to working closely with Dr. Fishbein during the upcoming transition period,” he added.

Fishbein agreed with this sentiment.

“I am honored to be appointed as the interim superintendent for Livingston Public Schools,” he said. “I look forward to working with the board, the administration, the staff and the community for the smooth transition to a permanent superintendent.”

The Livingston Public School District provided the following background information about Fishbein:

“Dr. Fishbein holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Geology from the University of Maine, Orono; a Master of Education - Secondary Science Education from St. Michael’s College; and a Master of Education - Educational Administration from Teachers College, Columbia University. He earned his Doctor of Education - Educational Administration degree from Columbia University in 1992.

“In 2020, Dr. Fishbein retired as Superintendent of Ridgewood Public Schools, a position he held for over a decade. There he served as the chief school administrator for 5,800 K -12 students and 800 professional and non-professional staff members. As superintendent, he was responsible for the leadership and management of the educational program, financial and technology operations, and all parts of the physical plant, as well as for leading, inspiring, guiding, and directing each administrative, instructional, and support services staff member. In addition, he oversaw a $115,000,000 budget. Highlights of his tenure in Ridgewood include a successful $48,000,000 bond referendum on the facilities that was approved in December 2009 and completed in 2012.

“Prior to joining Ridgewood Public Schools, Dr. Fishbein served as Superintendent of Schools in Glen Ridge for seven years.

“Since his retirement, he has served in various interim positions in Glen Rock, Hillsborough Township, and Pascack Valley.

“Dr. Fishbein has served as an adjunct professor at Ramapo College in Mahwah, NJ since 2018. Over the years, he has served in various leadership roles with Bergen County Superintendents’ Association, Essex County Superintendents’ Association, Northern NJ Superintendents’ Study Council, and the Garden State Coalition of Schools. He has also served as a trainer and mentor for new superintendents and administrators who aspire to be superintendents. He is a founding member of the National Superintendents Roundtable and the New Jersey Superintendent Study Council. He has traveled to Japan, China, and South Korea as an education ambassador and guest of their governmental education agencies.”

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LIVINGSTON, NJ — A national debate academy and a trading card/collectible store are coming to a shopping center in Livingston.

Bergen Debate Club and Monmouth Cards have signed new leases at The Livingston Town Center, according to Azarian Realty Co. the leasing and property management agent for the property.

The two businesses will join a tenant roster that includes Wells Fargo, 16 Handles, HotWorx, Shiseido and LA Bikini.

According to Azarian Realty, there are three vacancies remaining at the 29-space, two-story shopping center, which range from 612 square feet to 3,244 square feet. Some suggested uses? “Office, retail and restaurant space,” the firm says.

Azarian Realty offered the following background about the newest arrivals at The Livingston Town Center:

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Bergen Debate Club is one of the largest and most successful debate academies in the United States. Their focus is on helping children and teens develop their public speaking, critical thinking, and persuasive argumentation skills. Their coaching team is made up of highly experienced instructors who have collectively accomplished multiple titles and accreditations including 53 TOC Bids, NSDA, NCFL, NDCA Nationals Qualifications, and a handful of APDA Championships both as competitors themselves as well as debate coaches. They operate out of Bergen County, New Jersey, and also offer online classes for students aged 10 and up. Their newest location in The Livingston Town Center marks their third opening, while their other locations can be found in Glen Rock, NJ and Fort Lee, NJ.

Monmouth Cards is a trading card and collectible store and online platform. They are passionate about collecting and trading nostalgic and rare collectible trading cards, and they offer a space for other collectors to access and indulge their shared passion. Their offerings range from sports cards to entertainment cards, as they enjoy having a wide selection for fanatics. The thing that separates them from another trading store is their team of experienced collectors who can pinpoint authentic, high-quality cards, which include rare and limited-edition cards. Their incoming occupancy at The Livingston Town Center will mark their fourth brick-and-mortar opening, with their other locations found in East Brunswick, NJ, Wall Township, NJ, and Oakhurst, NJ.

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"It may surprise many to learn that 'nursing' homes often fail to have a registered nurse on premises at many hours of the day or night."

Patch Staff

|Updated Mon, Apr 29, 2024 at 12:48 pm ET

NEWARK, NJ — A new set of federal staffing rules for nursing homes is a “long overdue” move that will protect residents – and workers – from chronic understaffing at facilities across the nation, according to an expert from Rutgers University in New Jersey.

The White House announced the new rules last week, which will apply to nursing homes that receive federal funding through Medicare and Medicaid.

“Medicare and Medicaid pay billions of dollars per year to ensure that 1.2 million Americans that receive care in nursing homes are cared for, yet too many nursing homes chronically understaff their facilities, leading to sub-standard or unsafe care,” a statement from the Biden administration said, explaining the need behind the new regulations.

“When facilities are understaffed, residents may go without basic necessities like baths, trips to the bathroom, and meals – and it is less safe when residents have a medical emergency,” officials added.

Here's what to know about the new rules, the White House said:

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“The Nursing Home Minimum Staffing Rule finalized today will require all nursing homes that receive federal funding through Medicare and Medicaid to have 3.48 hours per resident per day of total staffing, including a defined number from both registered nurses (0.55 hours per resident per day) and nurse aides (2.45 per resident per day). This means a facility with 100 residents would need at least two or three RNs and at least ten or eleven nurse aides as well as two additional nurse staff (which could be registered nurses, licensed professional nurses, or nurse aides) per shift to meet the minimum staffing standards. Many facilities would need to staff at a higher level based on their residents’ needs. It will also require facilities to have a registered nurse onsite 24 hours a day, seven days a week, to provide skilled nursing care, which will further improve nursing home safety.”

“This rule will not only benefit residents and their families, it will also ensure that workers aren’t stretched too thin by having inadequate staff on site, which is currently a common reason for worker burnout and turnover,” officials added.

Some nursing home providers say the mandate will be difficult to meet when facilities are already grappling with workforce shortages – potentially leading to downsizing or even closures. Nearly all nursing homes in America will have to hire more nurses and aides to meet the new requirements.

A representative of the Health Care Association of New Jersey said the majority of the Garden State’s nursing homes do not currently meet the standards of the new federal staffing rule, and that compliance is “nearly impossible,” NJ Advance Media reported.

But supporters, including Stephen Crystal, the director of the Rutgers Center for Health Services Research, have applauded the new rules.

“The new staffing requirements are a long-overdue reform that can greatly improve quality of life and outcomes for nursing home residents,” said Crystal, a distinguished research professor at the Rutgers School of Social Work.

“In the current under-staffed and under-regulated system, in which funds are too often siphoned off from direct care to profits through related companies, and where care is too often of low quality and indeed unsafe, the new staffing requirements are an essential reform,” Crystal continued.

“It may surprise many to learn that the facilities that we call ‘nursing’ homes often fail to have a registered nurse on premises at many hours of the day or night,” Crystal said. “In the context of the heavy care needs of today’s nursing home patient mix, these newly required levels are indeed essential minimums for patient safety and well-being.”

New Jersey passed a state law regulating staffing levels at nursing homes in 2020. The law requires:

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Do you have concerns about special education in Livingston's public schools? You're not alone, a newly released report says.

Patch Staff

LIVINGSTON, NJ — Do you have concerns about special education in Livingston’s public schools? You’re not alone, a newly released report says.

In the spring of 2023, the district commissioned an audit involving Livingston’s schools. The goal? To get feedback from an outside third-party about “inclusivity and equity.”

That report was released in early December and discussed at a board of education meeting. See the results of the general audit here.

After the meeting, some Livingston residents asked for more information about special education – and alleged “retaliation” when parents complain. In response, a2z Equity Coaching prepared a follow-up addendum to the report that addressed their concerns, noting that the feedback they received from parents and other community members has not been “verified as fact.” View the full report online here.

Some of the concerns that participants expressed included:

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The two most-frequent issues reported across grade levels were:

ALL OR NOTHING – “The school's inability to program for neurodiverse students. A common theme is that the school takes an "all or nothing approach" - either you can be included in everything or nothing. Parent perception is there is little or no flexibility.”

EQUAL COURSE ACCESS – “The inability of students with special needs to have access to courses at the secondary level that are not required or do not meet graduation requirements (example, ICS offered in Spanish; if your child wants French, they cannot get ICS). These types of issues were mentioned repeatedly.”

The report noted that there was a “persistent theme of fear of retaliation and a perception of favoritism” among parents and staff who interviewed for the survey on special needs.

Some of their concerns included:

Favoritism – “Shows up when a student misbehaves, but has a parent who is friendly with a principal, district administrator, or board member. The perception is that the ‘friend’ makes a call, or has coffee, and the consequence for that student is reduced. Both family and staff cited incidents such as this.”

Retaliation – “Many staff recounted incidents in which they took a stance on an issue counter to what leadership wanted – sometimes advocating for a student, sometimes for themselves or against a policy or practice – and then received negative evaluations during their next observation cycle, even though they had a history of high evaluations to that point. Others spoke about being reassigned to less desirable positions or schedules, or about reaching out to ask for support (health concerns, overwhelming workload) and rather than receiving that support, instead receiving negative evaluations or write-ups.”

Threats – “Examples were provided about students being ‘threatened’ with not graduating if they continued to post in the Black at Livingston social media space.”

WHAT COMES NEXT?

Shelley Zion of a2z Equity Coaching gave a presentation about special education at Tuesday’s board of education meeting (watch footage below, video is cued to the discussion).

“While the audit is done, and the final report shared, your work is just beginning,” Zion’s addendum report from Feb. 6 states.

“Now the district – via administrative teams, district departments, individual school teams, equity councils, parent groups and board committees – will have to engage with the findings, ask more questions and come up with strategies to respond to the recommendations,” the report continues.

“The single biggest challenge for the district is to create the organizational structures and supports that allow the students, faculty and staff, and community members to engage with and implement the recommendations in their interpersonal interactions, classroom, building and team settings,” the report adds.

See other suggestions here.

“The purpose of the equity audit is not punitive, nor should it be weaponized,” the report added. “It is meant to help all stakeholders in the district engage in a process of continuous improvement. If we are to build a humanizing system, we have to all work together to repair, restore, and build trust and communication.”

The report also painted an overall positive picture of Livingston’s public school system:

“Livingston Public Schools is a good school system. Overall, students fare well on academic and co-curricular standards, behave as expected, and succeed in completing their schooling and progressing to college and career. The district does not have any significant areas of disproportionality, and most faculty and staff see it as a good place to live and work, contributing to high levels of staff retention in most instructional and support services areas. Changing demographics have created some tensions, and the district has responded by increasing its attention on matters of diversity, equity and inclusion. There are challenges and occasional incidents that are addressed, but outcomes are good.”

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