Tense Upper Community Welcomes Interim Superintendent

PETERSBURG – At a packed meeting in the middle school library, the Upper Township School Board hired Christopher Kobik to serve as interim superintendent.
The move comes on the heels of longtime Superintendent Vincent Palmieri’s departure, which was announced in a Nov. 22 letter to parents, which he cosigned with School Board President Michele Barbieri. Palmieri’s departure has been controversial within the community. He has been superintendent since 2006, according to his LinkedIn page.
Kobik is an experienced administrator, having risen through the ranks in the Lower Cape May Regional (LCMR) School District, where he worked for 30 years. He began as an assistant principal in that district in 1989, but quickly became principal of Richard M. Teitelman School, a role he served in for 14 years, before leaving for the district office.
Kobik became LCMR’s curriculum and instruction director in 2006 and served as superintendent for six years before retiring in 2019. He has since served in interim roles for other districts. Asked in an interview before the meeting what his biggest challenge would be, he said he didn’t see a challenge, he saw an opportunity.
However, clearly there is some division in the community over education. There is also division over whether it was the right move to part ways with Palmieri.
“Change is difficult, but it’s also an opportunity. It’s an opportunity to help our kids. It’s an opportunity to help our staff, who works with our kids every day. It’s an opportunity to help and support – even sometimes with negative feedback – our board of education, so that it truly can be a reflection of what the desires and needs of the community are and what our kids need most,” Kobik told the crowd when introduced.
It was perhaps with those words that he took the first step in what seems to be his most immediate job.
“I want him to be focusing on bringing this district back together. Because right now, it’s very fragmented. From admin to teachers to community members. And I think that’s [Kobik’s] strength,” Phillip Schaffer, a board member said.
Private Emails Made Public
One of the issues at the center of some controversy was the alleged posting on social media of an email sent to Barbieri which was intended to be a private correspondence.
To open the public comment period, Barbieri said that the board values the feedback from the public, but the first speaker pointed out what she felt was a contradiction.
Kiernan Black called on the board to make the expectation clear about what correspondence is public and what’s private, because she was surprised to see her email shared publicly, with commentary from the board member posting it.
“If the goal was to discourage parents from speaking it works. People do not feel comfortable to come up here and speak. They don’t feel comfortable to send emails. But that shouldn’t be the goal. Even though we might have different thoughts or ideas, we still need to be able to have a conversation,” Black told the board. “How can we teach kindness and inclusion to our children and students if we don’t exhibit those traits with each other?”
Asked about the posted emails after the meeting, Barbieri described the contents of the emails as a personal attack. She felt the message was inappropriate.
Asked if she regretted having posted it, Barbieri responded: “No comment.”
Support for Palmieri
Some board members and community members expressed appreciation for Palmieri, who did not attend the meeting. His resignation is effective at the end of the calendar year.
Although Palmieri resigned, it is apparent that his departure was negotiated carefully and the change was supported by Barbieri, the longstanding board president. One public speaker, Jenna Smith, put her view bluntly.
“I cannot allow this gross misjudgment of our hardworking volunteers to stand without opposition,” she said.
Several others took to the mic to express their appreciation for Palmieri.
Board member Bill Sooy, who lost his seat in the November election to Christine Lentz, recalled his first impression of Palmieri when, as a parent, he found himself running into the superintendent constantly around the school.
“I said, ‘do you have a room here somewhere? Because you’re always here.’ And as I saw the dedication that he had to his district and that the teachers have to this district, it made me want to become part of that.” Sooy said. “You might not have always agreed with him, but his heart was there. It was always for your kids. For all our kids,” Sooy added.
Palmieri did not respond to an email seeking comment for this article. 
Sooy Voted Out
Sooy was also the subject of praise from his colleagues on the board. The meeting was his last as a member.
Barbieri and board member Kristie Chisholm ran a three-person campaign with newcomer Lentz, and took all three available seats in the election, with both incumbents retaining their position and Lentz ousting Sooy.
“There are sometimes that we don’t all agree, but we are able to accept each other’s differences of opinion and move forward. And I really appreciate that you brought your perspective. Because, without someone else’s perspective in those conversations, we can’t grow. I truly appreciate that,” Chisholm said.
“You were a great asset to this board and great board member. We will miss having you here,” said Barbieri.
Search Firm?
The board also agreed to see what help is out there to guide them through the process of hiring their next superintendent. They agreed they will put out a request for proposals (RFP) to see what firms might be able to assist with the search for a permanent replacement for Palmieri.
“I also don’t believe that we have the educational capacity to conduct the search ourselves,” Schaffer, who advocated for bringing in outside help, said. “There’s professionals out there.”
Schaffer pointed out the board didn’t spend a minimal $259 to advertise the position on a site with broader reach. “Yet, there’s a hefty amount going to a separation agreement [with Palmieri],” he added. “It looks like we’re rushing this process. It looks like we’re trying to minimize the candidate pool. And I would just ask us to start over fresh.”
The board plans to set a deadline that will allow it to act on the RFP responses at its January meeting. In the meantime, they said they will continue to see what resumes come in. An adhoc committee is being formed to facilitate the search, which will avoid the need to do everything in executive session, since the committee will not make up a quorum.
Also of note…
Also of interest at the meeting was the revelation that the board’s prior attorney quit in the middle of an executive session. No other information was made public. The board retained Brett Gorman, of the law firm Parker McCay, to serve as their solicitor moving forward.
Multiple questions were asked pertaining to the specifics of the severance agreement between the board and Palmieri. Board members responded that it would need to be obtained by an Open Public Records Act request, which was not fulfilled prior to publication.
To contact Shay Roddy, email sroddy@cmcherald.com or call (609) 886-8600 ext. 142.