Asbury Park schools superintendent put on leave after ongoing fights with teachers union

ASBURY PARK - Asbury Park Schools Superintendent RaShawn M. Adams was placed on administrative leave by the Board of Education, and district administrator Mark Gerbino is now acting interim superintendent.

Adams has had a contentious relationship with the teachers' union since taking the lead two years ago, and at the Feb. 22 board of education meeting it came to a head. The board voted 5-2 to place Adams on administrative leave.

The union chief, John Napolitani, told the Asbury Park Press that the feeling around the school this morning was "euphoric."

"There has been a complete dark cloud that has been lifted off of this district and fully 100% support what the board did after several years of surveys, votes of no confidence, multiple grievances and a myriad of other issues that went on in this school district," Napolitani said.

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In August 2023, the superintendent told the Asbury Park Press that he had to "clean up a lot" in his first two years as head of the district, and that he was done waiting.

Adams, who earned a doctorate of education in educational leadership, has worked in the district since 2015, but took the helm as superintendent in mid-2021. He’s the fifth person to hold the position in the last decade and he says he has promoted "a system of accountability" after telling the district "I don't cut deals."

"I respectfully disagree with (there being) a lack of accountability because the staff members that I represent have always been accountable. It was just the mantra that the superintendent was spewing out to the public," Napolitani said.

He added "you cannot do this job as a superintendent without your union, which are your staff members."

"My staff worked very hard for these kids, but when you have leadership that doesn't collaborate with the staff that are actually in the trenches, it makes it difficult to move this school district in a positive and forward direction," Napolitani said.

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In December Adams held a press conference claiming internal critics and political figures in Trenton are working against the best interests of the district, blasting the local teachers' union leader for what he said was the union's role in removing a fiscal monitor assigned by the state.

The median teacher salary in the Asbury Park school district for the 2022-2023 school year was $93,885, the second-highest in Monmouth County behind Freehold Regional High School District and the 38th-highest in the state. However, the student test scores in 2021-2022 ranked the school district dead last, 436th out of 436 in language arts and 425th out of 425 in mathematics.

"All I want to do is fix this place. My family was born and bred here. I don't want to see this place fall apart; this is my hometown. I love the district," Napolitani said. " I will push my staff that I represent to make sure we are all doing the right thing by the school district to move us forward. That is all I want to do."

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Here is Napolitani’s email that was sent out the morning after the meeting:

Good Morning,

As you may or may not be aware, a significant change took place last evening with our district leadership. As a long time leader in the Asbury Park School District, I realize that this is a significant move, one that is never easy. Being in this position several years ago in my own municipality, I truly understand the significance of such a move and respect the Board for making this hard decision. This decision, as much as it was needed, still is extremely difficult because it affects peoples lives, and I understand that significance.

Moving forward, as the President of the APEA, it is my job to assure this Board they made the right decision for the staff we represent and the students we educate. Therefore, I am requesting that moving forward, we as staff, begin to heal together. This means I need your help with pulling this district together to move it in a forward and positive manner. I am requesting that we ALL work together for the betterment of the district, which means we need to significantly cut down the negativity. This will be no easy task as there has been a lot of damage done here over the years. But I believe with hard work and determination, we can fix this district.

In closing, we wish Mark Gerbino the best of luck in this new role. As leaders, we will work together to settle matters within the district that affect every staff member. This is a new day for the Asbury Park School District; but it will take a lot of hard work and collaboration to mend this district. I know in my heart that we ALL can do it. Please be positive about this change and work together.

In Solidarity,

John Napolitani

APEA President

Charles Daye is the metro reporter for Asbury Park and Neptune, with a focus on diversity, equity and inclusion. @CharlesDayeAPP Contact him: CDaye@gannettnj.com

This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Asbury Park NJ schools superintendent put on leave after union fights