Secaucus schools superintendent Cynthia Randina effectively resigned Thursday night, saying she would step down at the conclusion of her five-year contract after the 2012-13 school year.
Randina, who saw the last two school budgets shot down by voters and faced a barrage of acrimony from the Secaucus teachers union and some factions of parents, expressed a desire to finish her dissertation. But the move also comes as she would have faced a steep salary if the board of education offered her a new contract this year per new rules implemented by the Christie administration.
Her base salary is listed at $227,000, a figure that would be cut to $150K based on the size of Secaucus.
School board trustee Salvatore Manente noted the maximum amount that any superintendent working in Secaucus for the year 2013 -2014 would be about $157,000. “At the present moment we have two administrators make well over that amount, which is going to make it a little difficult to attract some quality people into the district,” he said.
“I know she will do well because I have seen her with her colleagues at the various meetings when I went as part of the new evaluation team and they have the utmost respect for her,” Manente said. “She is a brilliant individual that has brought many programs here to our schools to bring them up to and beyond where many other schools are at.”
Manente echoed the remarks of other board members who said Randina’s political skills were seen as lacking, rather than her qualifications and capabilities in education.
“Her delivery of what she may want to get across may not be what people like, but she does it with all good intentions for the children and staff,” he said. “It will be difficult to replace such a talented and knowledgeable individual. With the governor’s capping of the superintendent salaries we will be finding individuals who do not have the intense experience and knowledge as many of the previous superintendents have throughout the state.”
Randina joined Secaucus in 2008, when she took over for the Constantino Scerbo, who retired. She was assistant superintendent in Wayne, N.J., and earlier worked in The Bronx, N.Y. Her husband, who retired as a New York City principal, died in 2010.
She told the Jersey Journal June 19: “I just did some introspection. I’m exploring. I’m not sure the direction I want to go in the next stage of my life. I was originally from New York state, so that might be a possibility. I have lots of options and I just want explore them.”
(Update: Correction made in first graph. Superintendent Randina’s contract was five years, not four as initially reported.)
yayyyyyyy
Oh not Wilhelm
who will replace her? wilhelm?
Secaucus has just won! Bye bye!
I think the article speaks for itself
This is great!!! Now maybe when I send the next Superintendent 5 letters, he/she will answer at least one!!!!! A great day in Secaucus!!!
About time Miss Greedy stepped down.Now we need to bring in someone from Secaucus,who cares about Secaucus.
this is great news for the town of Secaucus
Good riddance…!. 2 votes of no confidence, miscommunication, deception, divisiveness among colleagues, waste, questionable hiring practices,bureaucracy . And those were all of her ‘good’ accomplishments in 4 years..
Take Troyer, Dora, Weiner and Manente with you
I hope it’s not Wilhelm, what waste she is
No doubt the fact that she would have to take a major pay cut if she stayed helped make her decision.
Good deal…and goodbye.
The town of Secaucus’s children have just been released from Cindy Jail. Yes thats what she has done to the Students, Faculty & staff of the Secaucus School system. Maybe some of the forced retirees & terminated school employees should put in their job applications, as the witch is leaving. When world war 2 was over there were Parades all over the country. I strongly suggest a HUGE PARADE in Secaucus which I will be happy to march in, as well as every teacher, staff, residents and STUDENTS past and present.. And as all the Secaucus residents know, Secaucus always loved a parade.
Secaucus is a great town for many years and I have lived here for 43 years, through past Supers Arthur Couch, & Gus Scerbo. We have never experienced a school system go literally down the drain. I should say “DOWN THE WAYNE”, as princess Cindy has hired all her friends who needed favors and Cindy graciously accepted their thank you gifts.
The past years under her regime, have seen terminations, demotions, and total lack of respect for the Town of Secaucus, The governing body, and once again the students and staff.
I wish she would step down NOW, not in another year, but hopefully our new BOE trustees will shackle her to her desk.
Yes I am very bitter, as I have never experienced such a lying, vindictive public employee in all my life.
If the myth of pinoccio was true, Cindy would have to take a school bus to work from Wayne to fit her NOSE in to come to work. Please trustees, keep your eyes open, bullet proof vests on and cameras ready, cause she is not done with her bucket list for Secaucus yet.$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$..
Well enough said, I’m very happy, but sad that she has not left this school year
according to state law, every school superindent’s contract should be posted on the district website. I have been unable to find it, and questions regarding this have been ignored. Would ESecaucus be willing to follow thru with demanding that the public be given information it is by law entitled to? My guess is that she was told that she was not going to get her contract renewed, and she was allowed to save face by “resigning”. We as taxpayers who contrubute to her quarter million dollar salary have the right to see the contract that was negotiated
I thought pinocchio’s nose grew big when he lied. Do you know how many people in the schools and in town she lies to.She denies everything. see a doctor lady!!Yet her cronies wilhem ,small and diemer support her. they are next to go.The school system suffered but the teachers and principals kept it going strong.Everyone with a brain tuned her out since first vote of no confidence was taken.Some employees felt her wrath but were saved.those who wanted jobs for families or pay increase support the witch.Remember Diemer saying it’s not ABOUT THE MONEY.What s***.all she wants is money. she and randina want to destroy the district. throw a bucket of water on all of them so they melt.
By “gentlemen’s agreement” she should have announced her resignation months ago, perhaps in January; this way somebody would have been in place for fall. Now we’re under the gun to select somebody within a couple of months.
I see Manente is still taking his marching orders from Troyer. He can go with Randina when his term is up next year.
bring Jim clancy back into the board office as superintendent.we need someone who knows our schools and the people.She was awful.consumed by ego and hate.she put the teachers through hell.
They ALL must go!!! All parents should be talking to board members & telling them we don’t want Ron Smith (one of her Wayne Pals) to step in her place… I case you didn’t know, rumor has it that the board is considering him!! All those that were so far up her butt they couldn’t see daylight should be weeded out. The school district needs healing & the unity brought back. Thank God Dr. Bob finally saw the light (no disrespect intended) & sees the damage she caused. I’m not sure it’s a great idea, but could we bring back Pat Impreveduto for at least a year (if he’d come) just to try & bring back that great feeling we once had?? He’d have the balls to CLEAN HOUSE & that’s what we need!!!
Do you ever wonder why it took us 4 years to realize what the teachers, staff and union were trying to tell us.