With a crowded field of 18 seeking five seats in the upcoming Bayonne Board of Education election, Mayor Jimmy Davis has endorsed Denis Wilbeck for a one-year term on the board.
By John Heinis/Hudson County View
“As a Bayonne resident and former educator, Denis understands the unique needs of our community,†Davis said in a statement. “He’ll be a needed and powerful voice for the children of Bayonne on the board of education.â€
Wilbeck, a military veteran, is a retired Bayonne teacher. Between Newark and Bayonne, he spent 26 years as an educator.
Possessing both a B.A. and M.A. from Jersey City University, Wilbeck is also a former commissioner for the Bayonne Rent Control Board – as well as an ex-president of the Hudson County Umpires Association and remains an active college sports official.
“I’ve dedicated my life to public education,†Wilbeck said in a prepared statement. “Mayor Davis’ endorsement is an honor, and if elected, I look forward to working with him to provide our children with a world class education.â€
Wilbeck is running with the team “Kids First†team of Chris Piechocki, a current board member, as well Nancy Solis and Barry Kushnir – who are all running for a three-year term.
Dr. Thomas Howard, who is seeking a two-year term, rounds out the five-person Kids First slate, all of which participated in the Rotary Club’s public forum last week.
The Bayonne Board of Education election takes place on November 3.
The 5 candidates should not accept this endorsement.
This is the peoples choice election.
Its a insult to the people…………..
this is the peoples choice election.
Bayonne Mayor Jimmy Davis endorses the 5 for BOE election
The 5 candidates should not accept this endorsement.
As I previously stated… Lets keep politics OUT of the Board of Education. Having the mayor endorse any candidate is totally contrary to the whole idea of having an ELECTED board. With endorsement comes patronage. With patronage comes corruption. So very disappointed that this decision was made on Mayor Davis’s part. One of the Mayor’s platforms was to have an elected board. To endorse candidates is a political move.
We were Fooled,The Fool team were Endorsed.
Endorsed by the present administration.
Cupo’s quote,
Any application for this board election who are sitting here should not accept any endorsement…. This is the People’s Choice Election.
I’m John Cupo and I’m running for the three-year term on the board of education.
Nine people are running for the three-year term, but on election day you will have the opportunity to cast three votes among those nine candidates.
I urge you to cast one of your votes for me – 6D – on the ballot, and cast your other two votes in this category for two other reform minded and independent thinking individuals who are not tied to the failed policies of the current school board.
I need your vote. I need your vote to oust the current school board president with a vote of no confidence. I need your vote to call upon the four appointed school board trustees – who are not up for election this year – to resign at once … so we can have a totally new board not associated in anyway with the previous administration.
And I need your vote so we can start fresh, and begin to provide better education to all of the students of Bayonne. After all, it is all about the kids.
Today, our schools rank in the bottom third of all New Jersey schools. There is no excuse for that. We must do better. We must put students and teachers first and school administrators and bureaucrats last. Because improving educational standards goes hand-in-hand with improving efficiency in the school system. And as a life long business owner, who built the largest real estate company in Hudson County, I know the power of efficiency and the benefits it can bring.
I helped create the MLS book for the real estate industry and turned it into a profitable proposition through it’s computerization – years before others in the industry even recognized the value of computers. I managed five real estate offices efficiently and was the top-selling and was top-listing broker for eight years.
You can be sure that I will use my proven business experience to cut expenses when necessary, and strike down any contracts with vendors that are non-performing.
For every dollar spent, I want to see a return of $1.50 in services. And I will fight each and every time to make sure we achieve this goal.
Our school system consists of 1600 employees, 800 teachers, and over 9000 students. Half of the local tax bill you pay goes to our schools. We need a precise accounting of every dollar spent if we are to reign in Taxes and serve the community.
I am determined to be The Watchdog Board of Education and watch out for your interests – and the interests of taxpayers,teachers, and students.
The current board has failed. As I speak, $11.8 million dollars in education funds is unaccounted for…
We have an ice rink that is badly need of repair and upgrading, And let’s not forget that it took five long years to get a new contract for our teachers.
We have a school board that consists of nine people. Baseball teams also baseball teams also have nine people. But if the baseball team has six losing seasons in a row, they shake up the line up and field a new team with new players. And if that doesn’t work they fire the manager in this case Jimmy Davis.
it’s time to put new managers in charge of the Bayonne school system so we can turn the situation around, and provide our students with winning semesters.
We need a clean slate, and we need it now.
We need a complete review of each and every contract – top to bottom- and we need transparency and openness.
It’s it’s the People’s Board now, and when elected I will be accountable to you and you alone
.
All of the candidates who are up here on the stage tonight are here in large part because of the efforts of two people. I am proud that I helped start the elected school board movement two years ago – and served as it’s co-chair – along with Michael Alonso, who founded Bayonne School Board Choice and served as it’s chair.
Together, with the help of dozens of others, we collected we collected over 8000 petitions to get it on the ballot so that Mayor Jimmy Davis and the council could ratify it.
Needless to say, I am completely dedicated to improving education in Bayonne, and I have shown it with my actions.
You already said “yes” to the petition that I helped start, and to the elected school board movement itself.
Now, I humbly ask you to say “yes” to me. I need your vote on November third.
I’m not running looking for a job – I’m running to do a job…To improve our school system and to serve all the members of our community.
Thank you.
Message to: Denis Wilbeck
You did not do it on your own……… shame on you…
Public Notice,To all of the 5 candidates…….do it on your own…..
I, John R Cupo have not asked for any endorsement from nor was I asked to be endorsed by the present administration. Any application for this board election who are sitting here should not accept any endorsement…. This is the people’s choice election.
Mayor Jimmy Davis has endorsed Denis Wilbeck a well respected professional who’s stability and deep understanding of the educational system will be a major asset to this transitioning movment. I am amazed at the narcissistic personality of John” the lier”Cupo to whom Mayor Jimmy Davis is now distancing himself from . Fact check anything that John ” leisure suit” Cupo said or posted and you will see it is a complete lie and fabrication of the truth. So on election day say no to John”hat in the ring”Cupo and yes to Denis Wilbeck to continue to move forward making Bayonne’s future brighter.