Ed. Note: This is an announcement from Berkeley Heights Community Watch.

In an email this morning, Dr. Melissa Varley resigned as Superintendent of Berkeley Heights Public Schools.

We will not use the phony and false tactic of positively spinning her tenure simply because she is leaving – this is a welcome announcement for the families and students of this community.

We wish her the best in her future endeavors and hope she has learned a great deal during her tenure. We hope she does not repeat the same mistakes if she obtains employment in another District. According to her email, Her end date may change pending negotiations with “another entity.”

As the new Board of Education will be split, this year will be an ideal opportunity to select a new Superintendent in an open and transparent process that allows for stakeholder feedback and influence.

Full Email From Dr. Varley Announcing Her Resignation:

Dear Families;

This has been a busy few years! I’m so proud of the hard work the administrative team, members of the Board of Education, the staff and you, the very involved parents have done to make this such a great School District!

I’m writing this letter to inform you of my resignation as the Superintendent of Berkeley Heights Public Schools. This is my fifth year in Berkeley Heights and my time here has been eventful. Let me discuss the things we have done together to make Berkeley Heights Public Schools a better place.

1. We survived a Pandemic! We were one of the first districts to bring all students in person in 2021.
2. We have Full Day Kindergarten! (Without taxpayer impact!) All children of Berkeley Heights will be better off for myself and members of
   The Board of Education embracing our youngest learners.
3. We realigned the district to create equity and create space for Full Day Kindergarten.
4. We created a DEI Strategic Plan so that ALL of our students feel included when they walk into our doors.
5. We used stakeholder input to create a new Brand; Include, Inspire, Empower
6. We hosted lunch and learns, literacy lunches, and student led diversity days to listen to the voices of our students
7. We held roundtables with students and notable community members
8. We created the Heights Headlines
9. Our athletes won many, many championships
10. We had more National Merit Scholars in 2023 than we have in over 15 years!
11. Our SAT scores at GL have risen by 20 points!
12. We completed BHEA negotiations in RECORD time!!!

When I arrived in Berkeley Heights, there were many, many aspects that were outdated in the areas of instruction as well as technology. We started focusing on professional development, early childhood education, instructional leadership, concrete,-focused evaluations, technology assessments, and so much more. I have to give credit where credit is due. Change is hard. I’ll have to say that creating Full Day Kindergarten after the district struggled for over 20 years to get it done…is my claim to fame!

I have also had the pleasure of hiring some amazing instructional leaders as directors, principals, and assistant superintendents. All who are advocates of teachers and students. For the purpose of giving the Board plenty of time to search, I’m putting my end date as June 30th, 2024. However, I am in pending negotiations with another entity and could possibly be changing the date.

Remember, always Include, Inspire, and Empower!

Sincerely,
Melissa Varley
I wish Berkeley Heights Public Schools all the best!