Opportunity in Netcong

Doesn't anyone wonder why the new interim school superintendent negotiated his per diem salary downward, from the offered $500 per day to $475 per day? He was replaced by someone who is being paid $600 per day in his former school district, Long Hill Township. This doesn't sound like a very bright individual. He easily could have taken the $500 per day and donated $25 per day to the school distict and taken the tax write-off. And why is he willing to take less than his market value?

My daughter lives in Long Hill Township and DiBenedetto had some very serious problems. First, he has an Affirmative Action claim/suit hanging over his head according to his resignation letter. Second, he distributed some letter at the February board meeting about some parent and was threatened with a law suit. It turns out that the letter was a complete lie and he had to appologize or be sued. I saw this letter, the parent's attorney's response, and the appology on a website.(I Googled "Long Hill Township" and "Art DiBenedetto" and got the website.)

Then there is the question of why he really left Long Hill Township. He was about to sign a four-year contract giving him an 18% raise. The newspapers said it had something to do with his inability to do his job while his "team" was having difficulty re-negotiating their contracts. Who in their right mind refuses to sign a four-year contract with an 18% increase just because two members of his staff (that is his "team") are having difficulty with the board? Why didn't he go to bat for his team instead of leaving? Why didn't he hang in there to see what happened before he resigned? I understand this has all been resolved, so why didn't he ask for his job back and why didn't the board offer him another contract?

I also read in the Star-Ledger that the board president in Long Hill Township claims that he was only granted a 1.5% raise. He got paid for being the school superintendent as well as a member of the child study team, and the combined riase was over 18%!(This website has the Long Hill Township Board of Education budget on it.)

It sounds to me like we have a problem here. I hope the board members look a lot closer at this man's background. Never look a gift horse in the mouth, but don't buy him without checking his teeth!

Just because someone types something does that make it true? The original post by the lone arranger is not only fraut with mistatements and outright lies, it is a complete mistatement of the truth. The only fact that is accurate is that Art Di Benedetto was the superintendent in Long Hill and now he's in Netcong.

The post by TLA was clearly written by the a man who spent all of his time and energy trying to make life difficult for the board of ed in Long Hill. Why would someone do this? Because his offer to do volunteer work in the school was refused. thereafter, he went on a warpath causing all manner of disruption and extra work for people in the district. Most every district has someone who comes to board meetings to disrupt things but this man take the cake. He has brought frivolous lawsuits against the district which were dismissed. He has requested documents which have to be reviewed and have names redacted (which takes countless hours) and then he does not pick them up. He calls the police because he reviews a purchase order and mistakenly thinks a swing set is supposed to have three swings when in fact it had three parts. All of this takes time and energy away from the goal of the institution. He should be ashamed of himself and the fact is he probably is. He probably has a miserable life and his only source of enjoyment is trying to cause trouble in other peoples' lives.

The people in Netcong will soon come to realize they've bought a lemon. It will take about 2 - 3 years after Art has shored up all the control he can muster with his God Blesses and yes sirs convincing everyone that someone so nice can't possibly have ego and control problems - and then he will then answer to no one wearing as many hats as possible and not keeping those that should be in the know informed. This is what he did in Long Hill and that is a FACT. By the way, has he put a cot in somewhere in the school yet so he can tell everyone he often works all night?

the truth be told wrote:

Just because someone types something does that make it true? The original post by the lone arranger is not only fraut with mistatements and outright lies, it is a complete mistatement of the truth. The only fact that is accurate is that Art Di Benedetto was the superintendent in Long Hill and now he's in Netcong.
The post by TLA was clearly written by the a man who spent all of his time and energy trying to make life difficult for the board of ed in Long Hill. Why would someone do this? Because his offer to do volunteer work in the school was refused. thereafter, he went on a warpath causing all manner of disruption and extra work for people in the district. Most every district has someone who comes to board meetings to disrupt things but this man take the cake. He has brought frivolous lawsuits against the district which were dismissed. He has requested documents which have to be reviewed and have names redacted (which takes countless hours) and then he does not pick them up. He calls the police because he reviews a purchase order and mistakenly thinks a swing set is supposed to have three swings when in fact it had three parts. All of this takes time and energy away from the goal of the institution. He should be ashamed of himself and the fact is he probably is. He probably has a miserable life and his only source of enjoyment is trying to cause trouble in other peoples' lives.

I have no idea who wrote this, but I dont' even live in Long Hill township. I am divorced and my wife lives there with my daughter. However, whoever wrote this has a lot of inside knowledge about some guy who DOES live in Long Hill Township. As for the guy's activites who he is describing, it sounds more like the moron who wrote this is they guy with the problem. And what has this idiot got against anyone who wants to see what is going on in his school district? So what that he filed against the school board? I bet he's not the only one. So what that he wants to see stuff that has to be redacted? This moron should do the same. anyone who thinks that their school board is honest needs to have his head examined. and I'm not the only one who thinks DiBenedetto is a total jerk. so does he person who posted after you.

good guy,,doing a good job so far. my family lives in l.h.t and they didnt have any issues with him. also every school administrator in history has had law suits against him/her. its the nature of the beast. i think you all agree about 20% of every community is insane and cant deal with the fact the world does not revolve around them. but time will tell

How do you know what that he's doing a good job so far? Especially if you live in Mine Hill?

Notsosure wrote:

How do you know what that he's doing a good job so far? Especially if you live in Mine Hill?

ahhh i dont r-tard,,they just pop up,,are you from denville

whatajoke wrote:

<quoted text>
ahhh i dont r-tard,,they just pop up,,are you from denville

Why are you so mean? How dare you call someone that name.

Sorry, I AM from Denville, but used to live in Long Hill and know of some of the mess he left there. I pity the poor people of NEtcong. Didn't anyone do a check of references before they hired him?

Notsosure wrote:

Sorry, I AM from Denville, but used to live in Long Hill and know of some of the mess he left there. I pity the poor people of NEtcong. Didn't anyone do a check of references before they hired him?

well just to anger you more,,,,he is now also the super. of stanhope schools as well.fyi. like i said before time will tell

whatajoke wrote:

<quoted text>
well just to anger you more,,,,he is now also the super. of stanhope schools as well.fyi. like i said before time will tell

Dosen't anger me...I don't live there. And yes, time will tell, but at what cost? If you don't do your homework then you deserve what you get.

So, what? Now two districts have to be worried?

I am currently having serious issues with Arthur DiBeneetto. I am meeting with The Netcong Board Education.This is a sick man with anger and control issues who should NOT be allowed near children! I will post ALL information.

Netcon Parent: If you are posting ALL information, perhaps you could tell us why you call him a "sick man with anger and control issues." You are making a hell of a charge against this guy - but say nothing to back it up. Posting unsubstantiated namecalling is simply cowardly inflamatory and irresponsible.

For Your Information...He has NO control over his anger and emotions! I can't post the information until I present them to the Board. In June I will post ALL the information I have. Take this as a warning, keep him far from your children!

Netcong Parent is a paranoid schizophrenic who has tendencies to revolt violently against authority - I will post supporting evidence for this within 30 days. In the meanwhile, don't let your kids near him/her.////of course, I don't know whether this is true or not, but it is tantamount to what you are doing on this Blog\\\\

IF YOU CAN'T SAY WHY, THEN KEEP YOUR MOUTH SHUT.

Justaguy wrote:

Netcong Parent is a paranoid schizophrenic who has tendencies to revolt violently against authority - I will post supporting evidence for this within 30 days. In the meanwhile, don't let your kids near him/her.////of course, I don't know whether this is true or not, but it is tantamount to what you are doing on this Blog\\\\
IF YOU CAN'T SAY WHY, THEN KEEP YOUR MOUTH SHUT.

Well "justaguy" hows your "hope" tatoo! You will need Hope! I can't wait to see your backup of the mental condition you are accusing me of having! My post is to warn parents of a dangerous situation. Every child needs to be safe! What do you care anyway? Don't you think there might be a problem since I came across this blog full of not very nice posts from Long Hill??? Show facts or mind your own business!!!

Paranoid schizophrenic is an interesting diagnosis. Thanks for the heads up Doc Justaguy.

In the meantime, DiBenedetto has a history of this kind of behavior. In LHT, the parents of the special needs children had to band together in a group called PASS to counter his allegations of their "paranoid schizophrenic" behavior and stop him retaliating against them when they opposed his opinions and edicts.

DiBenedetto and former Gillette School principal Johanna Hughes are in Morris County Superior Court, docket number L-2600-06 (for those who need to see the actual filing) where Hughes is accused of locking a first grader in her office because he was crying and DiBenedetto is accused of offering the child a drive in his truck to have a "heart-to-heart" with the child. There is a lot more alleged in this case and it is worth reading. You can get a copy by requesting it from the LHT school administration.

There is a lot more, but you have to do your homework. All I can say is that there is enough evidence in the LHT school district's files that DiBenedetto is a loose cannon to support Netcong Parent's allegations.

Where there's smoke, there's fire!

I had the priveledge of working with Art DiBenedetto about fourteen years ago when he was in Suss-Wantage. When I read these lynch-mob posts, I had to reply. Art is NOT your typical superintendent. He is 110% behind the kids. I remember him making a statement saying "if I visit your classroom five times, I better see five different methods". What people don't like about Art is that he will not pander to the influential that try to throw their weight around. He won't kiss a$$ in order to do what is right. For the "editor" to think that his resignation is a "victory" is pure poppycock. When the environment becomes so polluted with unqualified opinion and conjecture, Art always had the guts to leave. Now, I think its time for you to deflate your hot air balloons and pick a superintendent that will kiss your a$$ and not care about the kids.

Hi Outspoken ... This isn't about the kids; it’s about the parents. However, let’s talk about Art leaving Long Hill Township for a moment.

Who in their right mind walks away from a three-year contract with a huge increase because he doesn't like the way the boss is treating his employees. Protest? LOL ... If Art cared about his employees the way he said he did, he would have stayed and fought for them instead of leaving. That's number one. Think about it.

Second, plenty of people in LHT had big problems with Art. None of them were in the slightest way, influential. He panders to the influential. And the statement he makes to a group of parents is very different than what he does to a parent who opposes him in private. Ask the people in the PASS group in Long Hill Township. There are 50 families involved in that group and each one has an Art story to tell.

Third, start getting some of the documents they have on file in LHT and see what an incompetent he was there. There is a website here in town that posts the actual documents. You have to see the enrollment projections he submitted to the DOE in 2005; he projected a doubling of the enrollment from 2005 to 2010 and a good look at the numbers shows that it is an obvious error; he never checked before it went out. There are a lot of documents on that website that show what a fool he is.

As for the parent who is having a problem now with Art, she is having some of the same experiences that some of the parents have had in Long Hill Township. In fact, she is describing exactly the same behavior! This is a pattern of behavior that he is unable to do anything about.

His technique is to separate out the "trouble makers" and turn the board and community against these people; divide and conquer. He talks to parents individually about private meetings he has had with these trouble makers in order to convince the community to shun them. It worked to an extent in Long Hill Township. I hope the people of Netcong have more on the ball than the stay-at-home moms of Long Hill Township.