Cover Photo by Lara Del Bosco

By Cheryl Conway 

With a seat on the Mt. Olive Board of Education for the past six years, Dr. Antoine Gayles brings experience as an educator and parent, wisdom and innovative ideas to the table. 

Although Gayles’ seat expires this December, he is running for a third term in a contested race against six other candidates. On Tuesday, Nov. 3, Mt. Olive residents will get to select three individuals to serve a three-year term on the Mt. Olive School District BOE when they go vote during the general election. 

If reelected, Gayles of Budd Lake plans to keep serving the district by being fiscally responsible, a visionary leader who will guide with integrity, dignity and transparency, while working to improve the equity and access of courses for all students.    

Husband, father, educator are just a few hats Gayles wears daily. Keep reading to learn about his platform, ideas for improvement and solutions to challenges.    

Family Man & Volunteer 

Gayles, 52, has lived in Budd Lake with his family for the past 22 years. 

“My wife Gwendolyn, who is currently a classroom aide at CMS, has served as a room parent at CMS and volunteers at the Flanders United Methodist Church thrift store on Park Place,” he describes. “We have raised five children in Mt. Olive.”  Donovan graduated Mt. Olive High School in 2016 and Susquehanna University in Pennsylvania this past Spring; twin daughters Victoria and Caitlin, who just graduated MOHS in 2020, are both attending Johnson & Wales University in Rhode Island this Fall; Justin, who will be a MOHS senior this fall; and Stephanie, a fifth grader at CMS. 

He has managed to fit in some time for coaching and volunteering as well. 

“I have coached both boys’ and girls' recreation basketball and boys’ track,” he says.  “My family and I attend Flanders United Methodist Church, where I also volunteer at the thrift shop and deliver the youth ministry.” 

Education & Profession 

Gayles earned his doctorate in education leadership from Seton Hall University in South Orange; a master’s in management of human services from Brandeis University in Massachusetts; and bachelor’s in political science concentrating in public policy from Swarthmore College in Pennsylvania. 

He has worked professionally in sales, finance and education.  

“I traveled from Waltham, MA to Jersey City, NJ to take a sales associate job on Wall Street for NatWest Investor Services, NA,” he explains. “After three years in the financial markets industry, I transitioned to working in non-profit organizations in Newark, NJ that supported students in Newark Public Schools and their families.  I have spent the past 20 years as an educational leader in suburban and urban communities, serving in the State Dept. of Education, an assistant principal, principal and superintendent of schools.  I am also an adjunct professor at Centenary University, teaching graduate level communications and public relations to school leaders. 

“My current efforts are directed towards launching my own educational consulting company to provide professional development, coaching and motivational speaking services to school districts, for profit and non-profit organizations,” says Gayles. 

Board Experience & Accomplishments 

Gayles has served two consecutive terms on the Mt. Olive BOE: 2014-2017; 2017-2020, after being appointed to an unexpired term in August 2014.  

“During my two terms on the board I have served two times as vice president, in addition to serving on the Negotiations, Finance, Policy, Curriculum committees, and Curriculum committee chair in 2019.  Between 2016-2018 I served on the Morris County School Boards Legislative Committee and as an alternate delegate to the NJ Schools Board Association.  I currently serve as the board liaison to the township Recreation Department and Chester M. Stephens Elementary School. 

Gayles decided to run for the BOE six years ago to give back to the community that has given him so much and serve as a positive role model to his children.  

“Mt. Olive has been a great place to raise our family and educate our children,” says Gayles. “With the support and encouragement of my family and church community, I submitted my application for the Fall 2014 election.  When the vacant board position was posted, I submitted my resume for consideration.  As an educator, I felt that I could add value to the amazing work that was already taking place on the board.  I also wanted to lead by example for my children, who we’ve always encouraged to volunteer and be of service in the community.” 

From school facilities, curriculum, tools, resources and programs, Gayles has played a vital role in helping to shape the Mt. Olive School district during his past two terms on the BOE. 

“As a member of the board I have worked to improve our facilities, enhance our curriculum to include cultural exchange opportunities abroad,” explains Gayles.   

“Over the past six years, we have invested resources to integrate Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math into all of our schools,” he continues. “Our elementary students have access to the latest hands-on learning tools to explore and expand their curiosity for learning, including the M.I.L.L. and its state-of-the-art recording studio.  We have increased the number of students taking higher level AP courses, which is key indicator for college readiness and success.  As a result, our schools have annually been recognized as high performing across the state and our high school is nationally ranked by “U.S. News and World Report” as one of the best in the country.  We have also received a best community for music education award by the National Association of Music Merchants.”   

Gayles continues to list his accomplishments while on serving on the BOE. 

“I ushered in NJIT’s Real World Connections, a computer science program, aligned to the Governor’s Computer Science for All framework, that currently includes 75 Mt. Olive High School and MOMS students who have the opportunity to create and innovate in the areas of Intro to Robotics, Android App Development, CSI Digital Crime, Web Development and many more learning tracks, while learning project management, leadership, presentation and communication skills,” says Gayles.  

“In 2019 we signed a historic college credit dual-enrollment partnership with the County College of Morris, Titan Express, where Mt. Olive high school students can earn college credits towards an associate’s degree and engage teachers in content specific professional development in a post-secondary setting,” he continues. 

“In 2017, I introduced the district to Future Ready Schools,” adds Gayles. “In 2018, the board approved the letter of intent and in 2019 we achieved Future Ready Schools Bronze certification, that focuses on providing every student with access to a personalized, student-centered learning environment.”   

Goals Met While On BOE 

During his two terms, the BOE has implemented several S.T.E.A.M. initiatives including the fields of Biomedical Sciences, Engineering and Robotics, says Gayles. 

“We implemented a School of Rock and invested in technology upgrades for the performing arts programs” at MOMS and MOHS. 

“I was instrumental in the implementation of the Mt.  Olive High School Capstone Diploma Program by hosting several MOHS administrators in my former school district to visit our Project Lead the Way Engineering program as a possible model for MOHS,” he adds. 

The list continues: “In 2015-16, as a member of the policy committee we reviewed the existing board policy manual, by section, to ensure that all policies were up-to-date, then posted to the district’s website under a user-friendly search engine,” says Gayles. “We also investigated, and ultimately recommended having the district bear the cost of student AP Exams. 

“In 2016 we introduced a referendum to develop a full day kindergarten program,” says Gayles. “Although we were unsuccessful and the referendum was defeated, I am proud to say that we are now able to offer full day kindergarten beginning in the 2020 school year.” 

Why A Third Term? 

Faced with unprecedented times as the pandemic brought on by COVID 19 continues, school districts and BOE’s face new challenges. Gayles’ experience, expertise and wisdom can open the door to some innovative ideas to overcoming these obstacles.    

“My leadership experience and educational expertise has contributed to the last six years of our district’s success,” says Gayles, who is running independently to reclaim his seat, pointing out that his name will appear at line 7 on the ballot.  

“I am running for re-election to continue forging a path of what comes next for the school district, faculty, staff and students,” he says.  “To be a visionary leader, inspired by the aspirations of so many, parents and children like my own, who look to us to provide a safe, nurturing learning environment, where they can explore, experiment, fail, discover, learn and succeed.  I am motivated when I see our students excel in academics, athletics, music, art and drama; when I see them use their strong leadership skills to become change agents for a better Mt. Olive school community.”   

Gayle’s Election Platform   

“First and foremost is to be mindful of the taxpayer’s dollar,” says Gayles.  “As we continue to expand curriculum offerings, upgrade our facilities and look towards the future for Mt. Olive Schools, fiscal responsibility is a requisite. 

“Second, we are faced with an unprecedented pandemic that has resulted in school closures,” continues Gayles.  “Consistency is critical to navigate the balance between safely opening and virtual instruction.  This requires a knowledgeable educator who can balance the health, social emotional and educational needs/concerns of parents, staff and students. 

“I am a visionary leader looking for creative ways to enhance experiential learning opportunities that are inclusive of all students,” says Gayles. 

“As a representative of the community, a promise to continue to lead with integrity, dignity and transparency. 

“Solidifying the implementation of full day kindergarten and improve the equity and access of higher-level courses for all students, including ELL, students of color and twice gifted students,” he adds. 

Suggested Improvements 

There are several improvements Gayles would like to see within the Mt. Olive School District. 

“I would like to see new administrator and teacher appointments that reflect the growing diversity within the community; the board develop more avenues to connect with members of the public; a school-to-careers paid cooperative program for high school students, that includes mentoring and internships upon graduation.”  

Concerns/Challenges/Obstacles 

Gayles says “Our most immediate challenge is effectively meeting the educational and social-emotional needs of students, and concerns of parents and staff during the pandemic.  Of critical importance is re-establishing our schools as safe teaching and learning environments; and systematically assessing the level of learning loss as a result of virtual learning. 

“Second is planning for potential student population growth which may require building a new school building, in order to maintain acceptable class sizes for optimal learning, relieve overcrowding in CMS and to redistrict students in Sandshore and CMS,” he adds. 

Ideas To Tackle Problems 

“School closures due to COVID-19 has brought our district to a screeching halt, with rippling consequences for families throughout our community,” says Gayles.  As most would agree, “Opening schools has become a contentious topic of monumental proportions in Mt. Olive.  A recent survey revealed that 66% of Mt. Olive parents surveyed selected a return to in-person learning.  Gauging stakeholder perceptions via surveys or conducting focus groups via Google Meet, before undertaking any planning process, would have been a good first step to getting valuable feedback to guide that process.  “Including all voices, even those who may disagree, is invaluable to developing a comprehensive solution that addresses the safety concerns school personnel and the expectations of community stakeholders,” explains Gayles. 

 Growth in the community and the ability to serve all students also needs to be tackled sooner than later, he suggests. 

“In planning for future growth, we have received a demographic study in January 2020,” he says.  “The study predicts low birth rate over the next 5 years, but projects an additional 406 new students from new developments in Mt. Olive.  We have to think about new school construction today, as a necessity for tomorrow.” 

Suggestions On New Programs/Technologies/Courses 

“Now that we have installed the M.I.L.L., with its state-of -the-art recording studio, wireless devices, the LED screen to enhance theatrical performances and presentations and now adding Anatomage virtual reality dissection tables to augment our biomedical sciences program, what comes next?” Gayles says.  “My answer begins with the question - why should students have to physically sit at a desk, in a building as a requisite to earning high school course credit?” asks Gayles.  “Our world has been reshaped, flattened by technological advancements that connect communities around the world,” he explains. “I would like Mt. Olive Schools to become the first school district to use our technology to develop independent study opportunities, based on the students’ interests, that redefine the traditional seat time requirement to earn high school credit towards graduation; and effectively implement the flipped classroom instructional model to maximize student exposure at home and instructional time on task in the classroom.” 

When it comes to curriculum, Gayles has been vocal in seeking a curriculum that provides a more in depth look at African American studies.  

“I am excited about the two new courses scheduled for this fall – Holocaust Studies and the district’s first African American Studies class,” he says. “Curriculum for the courses are currently under development and the teachers who will be teaching the African American Studies class are currently engaged in professional development with the Amistad Commission.  I did provide some suggestions that would provide more depth to the African American Studies course, so I’m waiting to see how they are embedded into the course description, learning goals and outcomes.” 

Joys Of Serving on the BOE 

“Being on the Board of Education requires long hours reading, preparing and understanding the intricate operation of the school district in order to make informed decisions,” explains Gayles. Despite the commitment, Gayles has enjoyed his time on the board. 

“I enjoy watching our elementary scientists and entrepreneurs explain their experiments at school science fairs and their products at TREPS, interacting with students as they create, problem-solve and find solutions to complex problems at Johnson & Johnson, NJIT or a robotics competition; being transported to Broadway-like performances by our middle and high school drama students; the electricity of athletic competition or being uplifted by holiday concerts; attending Honor Society and Bi-Literacy induction ceremonies to see so many students achieve such high academic honors; to work in partnership with our strong parent organizations or recognizing the amazing faculty and staff whose dedication is evident by their continuous drive for self-improvement and passion for our students’ and districts’ success.  “Seeing the result of careful planning and responsible decision-making - a thriving school community, is what I enjoy the most about my service to Mt. Olive schools.”   

What Does Gayles Like About MOSD? 

“Where do I begin?” says Gayles. “My children have had tremendous support from their administrators, teachers, aides and counselors, which greatly contributed to their success as K-12 students.  We are an innovative, forward-thinking community with supportive township officials and parents.  Our schools offer activities of interest for just about every student to express themselves, explore their passions and pursue their aspirations, in safe, nurturing environments.   

“The town has achieved steady growth in our population over the past 22 years, that has contributed to our growing diversity,” he adds. “A part of what comes next for Mt. Olive schools is to create an environment that not only tolerates that diversity, but celebrates the unique cultural mosaic that exists here.” 

What Skills Does Gayles Bring to the Mt. Olive BOE?  

Educator, critical thinker, parent and advocate are the key still points brought on by Gayles.  

“As an educator, familiarity with how schools operate,” is one skill, says Gayles.  “While we don’t directly run the schools, my educational background has been helpful to my fellow Board members. 

“As a critical thinker, I have spent hours going through student performance data, budget detail and policy alerts, looking for trends that shed insight into our decision-making process,” he continues. 

“As a parent, I am guided by, and focused on, keeping the main thing the main thing – our children. 

As an advocate, listen what our community is saying about the impact of our decisions, the quality of our programs and the expectations for progress.” 

Property Taxes/Fiscal Responsibility 

Increasing property taxes are always a concern in Mt. Olive and officials would point their finger at the school district budget. The challenge every year is how to keep taxes down while Mt. Olive School District leads in its programs, facilities, technology, curriculum etc. 

“The unfortunate reality is that every year the board has to contend with the rising costs associated with operating a school district,” he explains.  “Approximately 80% of the school budget is directly tied to rising health care, pension and social security, salary and special education costs.  These cost drivers likely come as no surprise as education is a labor-intensive industry 

“Thanks to careful budget planning and creative cost-saving ideas such as programs that generate out of district student tuition, effective use of State reimbursements such as Extraordinary Aid, facilities management to conserve energy and lower costs, facilities rentals (including the dome), containing insurance costs and fees, our exchange program with schools in China who also pay to use our curriculum and creative before and after school care solutions, we were able to generate additional revenue for the district to help keep property taxes low.” 

Why Re-elect Gayles to the Mt. Olive BOE? 

“I believe that the best way to predict the future is to create it,” says Gayles.  “Whether I am collaboratively planning for potential population growth, working with our active parent associations, being the advocate for diversity in our teaching and administrative corps, improving equity in access to higher level courses for students of color and twice exceptional students or being a vital part of the team to guide us through this pandemic, my consistent leadership during these unprecedented times can be an asset in creating what comes next.   

“Do not be swayed by on-line commentators!  A vote for me is a vote for a true servant-leader, not an attention seeker who creates hysteria on social media; one who will hold the Superintendent accountable, take responsibility, ask the tough questions and keep students first,” he concludes. 

Another reason to vote for Gayles is his commitment to putting students first.  

“Keep an eye out for my re-election campaign FB page and remember, My name is last on the ballot, but OUR children are First!” 

Students in grades four through 12 in the Mt. Olive School District will start off the school year attending school virtually this September.

For those who may have missed the announcement for the sudden change of reentry plans, MOSD Superintendent of Schools Dr. Robert Zywicki shared the breaking news Friday, Aug. 21, at 8 p.m., during his live Parent University meeting on Facebook.  Students in the upper grades will attend full-day remote learning, while students in grades three and below will still attend in person on alternating weeks or virtually for those who chose that option.  

For listeners of MOSD's Parent Universities these past few months, Zywicki has been stressing the point that the reentry plan could change at any moment….and that it has. 

“This is a difficult message to receive,” Zywicki told listeners. “It is a difficult message to deliver. We are an amazing community. We’re going to get through this. We’re going to overcome and we’re going to make sure that we do so in a manner that is safest for our students and staff and that we are prioritizing and delivering the best academic product possible.”

Zywicki is also recommending that the first day of school be moved to Sept. 8 instead of Sept. 2. He has called a Special Board Meeting to be held tonight, Monday, Aug. 24, at 6:30 p.m. to request amendments to the 2020-2021 school calendar and discuss personnel and confidential pupil matters. The meeting will be conducted virtually via Google Meet.

He also says more answers to questions, updated documents and more Parent University sessions are planned for this week.

The next Parent University is set for Tuesday, Aug. 25, at 5:30 p.m. for general updates for all schools; and Sunday Aug. 30 at 5 p.m. for students in grades pre-K through 5; and 6 p.m. for grades 6-12.

He says “there are so many questions and lots of details coming.”

Zywicki’s decision to move the upper grades to virtual learning was based on several reasons.

He says over the past two weeks, N.J. Gov. Phil Murphy signed an executive order requiring six feet of social distancing for students. Also the guidelines set by the N.J. State Dept. of Health is requiring school buildings to close if there are two positive cases in one cohort. 

With the number of positive cases in Mt. Olive and the region being so low, Zywicki was optimistic that the district could execute its hybrid plan which would have invited all students to participate in an alternating A Week/B Week, or virtual option to attend school for half days.

However, over the past week “we received numerous leave requests and accommodation requests from our staff, so much that we will not be able to fully staff all of our programs and that creates a supervision issue and a health and safety issue because we wont be able to ensure the supervision with social distancing in some of our schools,” he says. 

“People are scared; people have personal risks and things going on in their families,” he explains. “They are immune-compromised. They are at risk. They at sometime had COVID-19 in the past six months or a family member has or had COVID-19 over the past couple of months.”

Zywicki asks parents and students to not blame teachers.

“They are an integral part of our community; they care about you; they care about their kids,” he says.

One of the main obstacles is finding enough substitute teachers who have requested to not return this fall.

“There’s been a sub-shortage in this county for years,” says Zywicki, adding that he has been trying to attract subs, “but even on our best day we struggle to be able to fill all of our staff absences and substitutes.”

New Reentry Plan

If the BOE approves the school start date, students will begin Sept. 8 with a hybrid entry, Phase One plan that will last until the first trimester for students in grades kindergarten through eight; and until the first marking period for high school students.

Students who have IEP’s and specialized learning programs will attend in-person school for half days; students in kindergarten through third will attend half days on an alternating  A Week/B Week or virtual schedule; students in grades four through 12, will attend “full-time, full-day synchronous remote learning.”

By Cheryl Conway 

A newly proposed contract for the Mt. Olive School District’s superintendent will include a base salary increase, but officials say there will be an “overall savings” to  the district when considering the full contract.

The Mt. Olive Twp. School Board of Education plans to hold a public hearing at its Monday, Aug. 31, meeting at 6:30 p.m., at the Mt. Olive Middle School to get community input on the proposed contract. Public notice was posted on the Mt. Olive School District website earlier this month and was also announced at the last two Mt. Olive Township Council meetings on Tuesday, Aug. 4, and Aug. 18 by Councilman Daniel Amianda, liaison to the Mt. Olive BOE.  

This will be the third contract in a 20-month time period for Mt. Olive Superintendent Dr. Robert Zywicki, since 2018. Lauding Zywicki’s performance these past two years, the school board president supports the proposed package and says it provides a savings to the district.

“We have the best superintendent in Morris County,” says Mt. Olive BOE President Dr. Anthony Giordano. “This contract is an overall savings to the district.”

Since the contract is still under negotiations, a copy has not yet been made public.

Giordano provided some specifics to the proposed package: “The salary was calculated by rolling Dr. Zywicki’s merit into his base pay which would be $226,000,” explains Giordano. “Dr. Zywicki agreed to concessions on his vacation and sick payout and, subsequently an amount approximately equal to 2 percent increase of $4,500 as well as the previous high school stipend $5,000 was added to the new base for a total of $235,000.” 

Giordano’s rationale to the proposed contract: “The salary is comparable, actually less than the newly approved salary of a K-12 superintendent in a neighboring Morris County district that has 1,500 less students. Dr. Zywicki also has more superintendent experience and a much larger district.”  

Zywicki’s first contract, Oct. 2018 through June 2023, was passed as part of the 2019/2020 budget with an annual base salary of $196,584.

In 2019, he negotiated for a new contract: July 1, 2019 through June 30, 2024, with the same base salary of $196,584, passed as part of the 2020-2021 budget.

By comparing the two first contracts, the most obvious changes were the addition of more vacation days, from 20 to 22 in one year, as well as changes to his health insurance.

In his first contract, Zywicki and the BOE agreed to a P.L. 2011 c 78 at tier 4 of 35%, with automatic deductions from his salary. In the second contract, the parties agreed to 1.5% of annual salary toward health care coverage with Zywicki paying co-pays and deductibles. 

If approved by the BOE, the third contract would extend until 2025 and would be part of the 2021-2022 budget.

During the last budget process, Zywicki shared with the BOE his suggestion on how to save the district money, explains Giordano. That was back in February with the plan to look at those numbers in the following weeks. But then COVID-19 hit, placing the idea on hold, until early July when the suggestion resurfaced.

When looking at “the total package” of Zywicki’s proposed contract, “it’s an overall savings to the district,” explains Giordano. “You have to look at total compensation when you are negotiating.”

While some may say three contracts in 20 months is unusual, Giordano explains that the first contract was to hire Zywicki; the second contract was approved because the BOE was “pleased” with Zywicki’s exemplary performance; and the third contract is a “budget cost savings.”

Looking at the specifics, Zywicki’s base salary will jump from $196,584 to $226,000 after adding in his merit. In previous years, that merit has been awarded separately once the superintendent earned it by meeting certain goals. The merit amount in the contract is an increment of $5,000 annually, totaling $30,000 thus far.

Then with a 2 percent increase, $4,500 is added in along with the $5,000 stipend from the first year bringing the new base salary to $235,000.

A superintendent himself, Giordano is schooled on salaries of his colleagues.

“Dr. Zywicki has been a gentleman about negotiating,” says Giordano. “He’s been very humble. He wants to stay in Mt. Olive to retire. We all like to be free market, right now the market is bearing.”

With the salary cap for superintendents abolished last July, other school districts are also considering new contracts for their district heads by also rolling merit pay into salaries.

Roxbury Schools Superintendent Loretta Radulic was granted a new five-year contract in July with a salary of $235,184, an increase from her previous $230,573 salary.

Chatham Superintendent Michael LaSusa received a new contract in July 2019 with an annual salary of $238,000.

According to Salary.com the “average School Superintendent salary in New Jersey is $180,116 as of July 27, 2020, but the range typically falls between $147,124 and $217,332. Salary ranges can vary widely depending on the city and many other important factors, including education, certifications, additional skills, the number of years” spent in the profession.  

If you’re living large in your “New Jersey Dream Home” …. Protect it!

Life insurance can pay off your mortgage & protect your most valuable assets!

Call today to hear about “Term Life Insurance coverage without an Exam” 908-684-0023

or click here https://andrichbrokerage.com/request-a-quote & we will reach out to YOU!