I was lucky enough to be invited to last nights graduation- and have only 2 issues. 1) How can a valedictorian have a speech where she says that when getting on a roller coaster she gets "a scared" instead of "afraid"?
2)"Board of Education President Dr. Karen Cortellino's remarks strayed from the traditional graduation speech and focused heavily on the impact government intervention has had on public education" - strayed is an understatement, she had nothing to say related to the young adults graduating and entering the real world. Really pathetic that she rambled on for at least 10 minutes and didn't get the hints from the audience that she should just finish. Hope she's really proud of ruining the evening. Would be nice to see Patch track her down for a statement on how the public is reacting to her speech.

2 Issues with the above post.

1. It was outdoors, open to the public and no invitation was needed.
2. Only you can choose too allow anything to "ruin" your evening, after all they are your feelings and you choose them.

Dr.Cortellino's speech did not just stray from the traditional graduation speech, it also strayed from the appropriate and crossed the line into political grandstanding. Whether you agree with her sentiments or not is irrelevant. This was an apolitical event and her comments were not fitting the celebratory nature of the evening, as evidenced by the attempts by the audience to clap her off the stage, to which she responded with determined and continued advancement of her agenda.

I fully agree with both Wally and Liz. Last night was supposed to be a celebration of the graduates not a time to push one's political agenda. The sad fact is on the way to the graduation i was wondering if her speech was going to be another self serving political diatribe since she made the similar speech at last years graduation, with a similar response by those in attendance.

Note to Dr. Cortellino, the clapping from the audience was not favorable, it was to get you to stop spewing your political agenda in the most inappropriate venue. This was a celebration of years of hard work by a wonderful student body. Unfortunately, you decided it was a great place to hold a captive audience hostage with your ongoing diatribe. It was horrendous.

Way to go montviile....2 years in a row we allow this bd of ed member to think of only herself and her political opinions and put a damper on a celebration that hundreds of students have been working for over 13 years. Wow......

I wholeheartedly agree with the other comments criticizing Dr. Cortellino's speech. Instead of speaking about the graduates and their noteworthy achievements, she wasted the audience's time by pushing her own agenda. She described the graduates as being caught up in the rhetoric of the political debate concerning education, but failed to see the irony in the fact that she is part of the problem.

I agree with the above comments. Dr. Cortellino was out of line with her speech. I thought that in order to acquire a PhD you should be able to prepare a speech geared to the occasion and not a political speech. I guess you can have degrees but no common senses.

Leave it to our town and a blog site to focus on the negative and not the positive.

Overall, this was an excellent ceremony. As a member of the community I was proud. Most importantly, the four students that spoke did a great job!! Congratulations to them, their families, their teachers and the administrators. These four kids and all the students are what it is all about, are they not? The principal handled himself really well. He is enthusiastic and articulate as is our super.

That plane flying above was a great touch and I wondered who had the foresight to do it. Kudos to the people and businesses that donated water, ice, and whatever. What a nice community feel.

Also, lost in all of this was a hard but smart decision to keep the graduation outside and make it later. Outdoor graduations are always better. Great decision to whomever made it.

I like to see the good and there was a lot of it last night! Good going.

I agree with the above comments, she used our time and kids ceremony to get on her soap box and give her opinion. Next time she does that at graduation, I hope they allow parents with different thoughts to come up as well and speak their minds.

I'm sure the students speeches were reviewed prior to the ceremony but did anyone care to review the tripe delivered by Karen Cortellino before the event?

I myself have several issues with the comments above. I believed that Doctor Cortellino was right for telling the graduating students to protect public education. You need to understand YOUR children graduated under public education. I am a tax payer and a graduate of public education. Allow me to point out your kids are no longer “kids”. They are going into the world and need to know the obstacles ahead of them. Some of you stated the fact that in her speech she did not focus on the positive…..neither are any of you. The fact that she is asking the students to protect what drives this country (meaning public education) is more than just focusing on the positive. In fact my interpretation of what she said was that they are the guiding light to bring this country out of the rut we have gotten into. How fast we all forget that your children got a good education with the system as is. If some of the changes that Dr. Corteliino spoke of hurt the schools, we should be talking about that.

- Joe J.

I wasn't at the ceremony but I think the comments about Dr. Cortellino are a little harsh. Yes the night is about the Graduates completing the what for many will be the first phase of their educations but anyone who believes that Education and politics (meaning government) are not joined at the hip are kidding themselves. Dr. Cortellino has had well over twenty years as an involved parent, community member and Board Member. Taking 10 minutes to confront the hurdles facing public education and how to move forward is not asking a lot even on a hot night. Her agenda is making the Montville School District the best she can and that benefits everyone. Her passion for Education ought to be recognized and give her some latitude.

Joe, Pat and Dan,
In the context of a board of education meeting your comments are fair. Let's ask the graduating students what they derived from the speech--I bet you more will remember the wonderful words spoken by their classmates. Why, because the content related to them and encouraged them to prepare and embrace the future. What message did Dr. Cortellino instill in the minds of 17 and 18 year olds?

I was at graduation. In her speech Dr. C praised this graduating class for being accomplished; noted some of their accomplishments; told them she would not offer advice, but rather, asked that they preserve public education; noted the negative effects visited upon public schools in NJ and the US by federal and state laws which have not and will not produce the intended results, but rather, have produced teachers forced to 'teach to the test" and a system geared towards test-taking, rather than sparking needed creativity and innvoation; noted that citizens are being stripped of their right to local governance in their schools by legislation already passed by and more still pending in the NJ Legislature; noted that educational experts agree we need to move away from standardized tests & shift toward curricula that focuses on the STEM (Science, Tecnnology, Engineering, Math) subjects to ensure success in a economy requiring such skills to obtain the best-paying jobs. You may believe that such remarks shouldnt have been made at a graduation, but perhaps asking young adults, of voting age, to consider being involved citizens, is not such a bad idea. That was the message. So she caused some to sit for 15 mins through a speech they did not care for Let's put what she did, and what she does for the community, in perspective. Oh, and trying to "clap" someone off stage is rude, pure and simple. I am a Bd of Ed member, but I only speak for myself here. Carmela L. Novi, Esq.

I wasn't present at the 2012 graduation exercises, so I can't fully comment on Dr. Cortellino's speech, but as one of the several student speakers at the 2011 graduation, I do know a bit about the pressures of putting on a graduation speech, as well as the challenge of telling your audience something different. High school seniors know what graduation means: it's a time to reflect on one's accomplishments and prepare for the journeys that come ahead. They've been told that for months, and it's repeated nearly by every graduation speaker. It's nothing new.
However, if students of the class of 2012 really are the leaders of tomorrow--as each graduation speaker has told them--they must know that leadership isn't just about sitting around extolling each other's greatness. Leadership depends on being able to handle real issues, about being unafraid to shy away from discussing one's problems. Although I understand how Dr. Cortellino referring to specific political figures and events may seem inappropriate, I'm sure her words struck home for the future politicians and educators in the Class of 2012. Graduation is about inspiring future leaders, about making them think!
Furthermore, her comments that "We have become obsessed with testing, ranking and competition" have very special significance for the MTHS 2012--they were rocked by a major cheating scandal last year, and I'm sure for some, that incident was one of the defining "learning moments" of their high school career.

lexih, you are correct. I believe Dr. Cortellino's call to shift focus from the obsessive rank & test culture in education towards one that encourages creativity,innovation and collaboration is critical towards students' future success. At least one student speaker noted the empasis on rank and testing in his speech. Dr. Cortellino's speech was, in fact, dead on as it relates to this graduating class. So out of 6 speeches delivered at the ceremony, she delivered the lone one which focused on the impact visited upon them by their elected representatives (See, No Child Left Behind, et al) and the need for their commitment to preserving public education. She noted in her speech that a free public educational system is the cornerstone of democacy. That is a positive message and one meant to encourage civic participation. I dont understand how people find that offensive as a message to young adults about to strike out in the world, and who have the capacity to determine the legacy they will leave behind in public education for their own children.

Dr. Cortellino's comments only became inappropriate when they seemed to go on and on, with no end in sight. Looking at the students, it was obvious that the attention of many was starting to wane. It is obvious that the gist of the comments of those of us who attended the graduation ceremony are not intended to be personal attacks on the President of the Board of Ed. She is obviously passionate about public school education and the complicated issues related to it, as any Board member rightly should be. A few brief, concise comments would have had just as much impact and would have been better received by many in the audience. The bulk of comments and speeches given at any high school graduation should ultimately be focused on the graduating seniors. that is what the majority of people are there for.

The entire ceremony, minus "that speech" was wonderful, especially the plane with the banner and it's message; our gift the the MTHS Class of 2012 Graduates, and most specifically, to our very own GRAD!! Congratulations to you all!

Dear "Kid From Brooklyn"
1. I am not sure what my law degree has to do with my comments, other than I include it because I earned it. I will respond to your comment today, but the next comment which insults my common sense will go unanswered, unless you own the comment by printing your name, as I do. You have gone off-topic here, but to clarify:
2. If you want to know what I have been done since I was elected to the Board in April of 2010, please feel free to come to a Board of Ed meeting. They are public.
3. I have voted "yes" to approve two qualified Asst Supertindents because they appeared to be the best people for these two critical positions. Their total sum compensation, if you had been paying attention (a press release was issued some time ago) is about the same than was paid to the two previous people who held those jobs (Director of Curriculum and Instruction and Asst Superintendent). The title change on one permitted a change in duties, making the new hiree more valuable from a positional and authoritative standpoint.
4. I have, since my election, met with Sen. Pennachio and Assemblyman Webber, on my personal time, with other board members and administration to discuss our concerns with current pending legilsation that impacts local governance. So has Dr. C., who has also met with Assemblywomen DeCroce recently.

5. I have been part of a Board which has seen the lowest increase in taxes levy in 8 years, way below the fairly-new mandated cap.
6. I have been part of a Board that has supported a Superintendent who has begun many new EDUCATIONAL initiatives. We talk about those at Board meetings. Perhaps you could try to make one sometime to hear about the new foreign language program in the elementary schools, the new science research program at the high school; the new special education programs geared towards brining our special needs children back in district; or the revamped language arts curriicumlum at the middle school. Just to name a few.
7 I have supported a Superintendent who is overseeing the greatest number of facilities improvements (currently on-going) in years, while steering a budget that is fiscally responsible, and during a period where our state aid was greatly decreased.
8. I serve on the Board's Curriculum, Instruction and Technology Committee (an additional meeting per month) These are just to name a few that I remember off the top of my head, since you asked. I have opinions about how things can and should be done, so I volunteer my time in an area I am passionate about, public education. Sincerely, Carmela L. Novi, Esq.

Carmela, I think it is good to get this information out there but my experience in elective politics says it isn't going to change the minds of the people who whined about Karen's remarks. From what I understand, her remarks were not all that long and were simply a call to arms to understand what is happening to education generally and an encouragement to graduates to support and defend public education. If a Graduating Class and their parents aren't the right audience for that then I don't know who is. I have followed Board activities for years and will say categorically that this Board is the best we have had in at least a decade. Whether it is the Leadership or the composition, it is working. Does that mean it is perfect, of course not but over all from someone who pays attention and has for decades good job.

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