NEW SOMS TEACHER DRAWING OPPOSITION FOR PAST PROBLEMS

A new English Language Arts teacher set to start Monday at South Orange Middle School is drawing harsh criticism even before he starts from parents who object to his hire based on his dismissal from a previous position due to "ineffectiveness" and a "lack of professionalism."

Parents have even posted an online petition urging the school district not to hire him. As of this morning it had 84 signatures.

SOMS Principal Lynn Irby first informed parents that Lawrence Henchey was set to start on Monday in an Oct. 7 email. It indicated he was going to replace eighth grade language arts teacher Megan Alloway, who is taking a personal leave. 

It stated in part:

Ms. Alloway ELA teacher is taking a Family Leave effective October 10^th, 2016.  Mr. Lawrence Henchey will be her replacement.  Mr. Henchey is in his 14th year of teaching students in grades 8-12.  Before teaching, he enjoyed a career as an online and print writer/editor.  It is from this foundation as a business communicator that his philosophy of teaching evolved… Challenging students to achieve their maximum potential. A graduate of William Paterson University, he majored in English and Mass Communication. Mr. Henchey will send home an introductory letter next week.

Several parents reviewed Henchey's record and discovered he had been dismissed from his a past job in the New Milford School District in 2015 after the district filed a formal complaint to oust him. Since he was a tenured teacher, the procedure required such a filing and an administrative hearing under state law.

The complaint, found HERE, indicates he had taught in the district  since at least 2002. It also detailed five charges against Henchey. Among those were claims that he had demonstrated "inefficiencies and ineffectiveness" in his teaching skills from 2011 through 2014 and showed an "inability or unwillingness to improve."

They also said he had incremental raises withheld in the final years due to his poor performance, while adding he "demonstrated a lack of professionalism" and "a complete disregard for the high professional standards placed on him."

He even rejected efforts to help him improve, the complaint states. 

On March 4, 2015, the state arbitrator agreed with the request to dismiss Henchey and he was let go.

The parental petition contends that Henchey should not be hired for SOMS and states, in part: 

The very talented 8th grade language arts teacher, Megan Alloway, is taking a personal leave from SOMS and is scheduled to be replaced on Monday with Lawrence Henchey, who the New Milford school district in Bergen County tried to fire in 2014 because of a "consistent record of failing to teach." 

Dr. Ramos and members of the BOE, the SOMS community rejects the hire of a teacher with a documented history of ineffective teaching. It is simply unacceptable.  

We have reached out to the district for comment, but none has been received. Henchey was unreachable for comment and his phone has been switched to an unlisted number.

While Maplewoodian.com primarily covers Maplewood, SOMS is among our areas of interest because many Maplewood students attend the middle school.