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Special Education

Morris County Teacher, Mom Cheryl Granito Dies After Breast Cancer Battle Morris County Teacher, Mom Cheryl Granito Dies After Breast Cancer Battle
Morris County Teacher, Mom Cheryl Granito Dies After Breast Cancer Battle Cheryl Granito, a teacher in Morris County, died on Sunday, March 10, after battling metastatic breast cancer, according to her obituary. Born in Toronto, Granito moved to Chatham and grew up in Madison, graduating from Madison High School, her obituary reads.  Graduating from the University of Rhode Island in 1998, she met her husband Mark in 2002, and the two married in 2008 before settling in Denville, according to her obituary. This is unbelievably heartbreaking 😢 💔 Cheryl was a teacher at the boys’ elementary school. She was also a Denville... Posted by Charlene Scott on&nbs…
Don't Miss NJ Teacher, Artist Competing For $1 Million On 'Survivor 46' Don't Miss NJ Teacher, Artist Competing For $1 Million On 'Survivor 46'
Don't Miss NJ Teacher, Artist Competing For $1 Million On 'Survivor 46' The Garden State is going to be well represented on the next season of "Survivor," which premieres Thursday, Feb. 28. Two contestants in the upcoming 46th season of the venerable reality show call New Jersey home- Soda Thompson, a Lake Hopatcong resident and Tiffany Nicole Ervin, a native of Franklin Township who lives in Elizabeth. Soda Thompson, 27 is a special education teacher who enjoys singing, talking walks and doing random crafts, according to a cast biography. She said she plans to play a game mirroring the 42nd season. View this post on Instagram …
Fate Of $49.2 Bond — With $29M Option — For Becton Regional High School Determined By Taxpayers Fate Of $49.2 Bond — With $29M Option — For Becton Regional High School Determined By Taxpayers
Fate Of $49.2 Bond — With $29M Option — For Becton Regional High School Determined By Taxpayers One growing Bergen County high school is proposing a $49.2 million bond that would fund new construction and renovations, two years after a $55 million proposal was shot down by voters. Becton Regional High School serves students from East Rutherford, Carlstadt, and Maywood. Residents of East Rutherford and Carlstadt will vote on the proposed bond on March 12. Maywood, who in 2020 for the first time sent 340 of its students to BRHS, will not be voting but will contribute financially through its tuition contract if the bond is approved. The new BRHS proposal is comprised of three parts, and…
Christine Grogan, Wyckoff Resident, Dies After Three-Year ALS Battle Christine Grogan, Wyckoff Resident, Dies After Three-Year ALS Battle
Christine Grogan, Wyckoff Resident, Dies After Three-Year ALS Battle Christine Grogan, a 60-year-old Wyckoff resident, died on Sunday, Dec. 31, three years after being diagnosed with ALS. A special education teacher, Grogan worked as director of the Epic School in Paramus and for the Learners' Compass in Tenafly, according to her obituary. Grogan was devoted to helping people diagnosed with autism. Grogan was married to Christopher Grogan, a Glen Ridge police officer. The Glen Ridge Police Benevolent Association has established a fundraiser to assist with funeral costs. As of Friday, Jan. 5, more than $10,000 has been raised. On Sunday, December 31, 202…
North Jersey Rallies Around Teacher Facing Hardest Challenge North Jersey Rallies Around Teacher Facing Hardest Challenge
North Jersey Rallies Around Teacher Facing Hardest Challenge Sharon Governale has been battling health issues her entire life. But now she faces her toughest battle. In May, Governale underwent emergency spinal surgery after an infection traveled to her spinal cord. While the surgery was successful, her spinal column suffered severe damage, rendering her a quadriplegic. She currently uses a motorized wheelchair.  Governale has rheumatoid arthritis, has had two hip replacements and battled thyroid cancer. Her health challenges haven't stopped her from working as a preschool special education teacher for the last 18 years and having a three-year-o…
Longtime Jersey City Educator, Teaching Advocate Bob Cecchini Dies Longtime Jersey City Educator, Teaching Advocate Bob Cecchini Dies
Longtime Jersey City Educator, Teaching Advocate Bob Cecchini Dies Bob Cecchini, a passionate advocate for teaching and for his fellow educators, died Monday, May 29. He was 72 years old. A Jersey City native, Cecchini taught special education for 35 years, his obituary reads. His work for the teachers' union was just one area where Cecchini made his mark.  He served as union representative, grievance chairman and vice president and chief negotiator for the Jersey City Education Association, helping to negotiate teacher contracts and advocating for his co-workers, according to his obituary. Remembering Bob Cecchini, a Powerful Voice for Teachers in …
Classroom Crying Spells, Discrimination Law Violations Named In NJ Kindergarten Teacher's Suit Classroom Crying Spells, Discrimination Law Violations Named In NJ Kindergarten Teacher's Suit
Classroom Crying Spells, Discrimination Law Violations Named In NJ Kindergarten Teacher's Suit The South Orange-Maplewood School District is facing a lawsuit from a former 34-year-old Kindergarten teacher alleging officials failed to accommodate her disability amid "crying spells" in the classroom, forcing her to resign. Sarah Barlow says the trouble began during the 2019-2020 year when she got into disagreements with South Mountain Elementary School principal, who later believed she had filed a report saying he was having a sexual relationship with a first-grade teacher, according to a lawsuit filed in Essex County Superior Court. Barlow was transferred out of South Mounta…
Remembering Temara King: Teacher, Mom Believed Killed By Husband In Jersey City Remembering Temara King: Teacher, Mom Believed Killed By Husband In Jersey City
Remembering Temara King: Teacher, Mom Believed Killed By Husband In Jersey City Tributes are pouring in for Temara Sarafina King, the Jersey City schoolteacher and beloved mother police say was fatally shot by her husband earlier this week. King, 35, was pronounced dead at the hospital after officers found her with several gunshot wounds at a home on the 300 block of Bergen Avenue the morning of Tuesday, Jan. 24, DailyVoice reported. Meanwhile, her husband, Lucas Cooper, 39, was being held in Bethlehem, PA, on charges of murder, weapon possession, and child endangerment. King, a special education teacher for PS No. 5 school in Jersey City, is remembered as being endl…
Victim Of Fiery Crash On Cross Bronx Expressway Was Special Ed. Teacher From NJ Victim Of Fiery Crash On Cross Bronx Expressway Was Special Ed. Teacher From NJ
Victim Of Fiery Crash On Cross Bronx Expressway Was Special Ed. Teacher From NJ A 49-year-old special education teacher from New Jersey has been identified in a fiery crash on the Cross Bronx Expressway early Tuesday, Nov. 29, police said. Shelly Vilsaint's Range Rover collided with a tractor trailer contracted by the U.S. Postal Service in the westbound lanes around 12:35 a.m. near the Major Deegan Expressway, according to police and the New York Post. Vilsaint was sitting in her car behind the trailer when another tractor trailer slammed into her vehicle, igniting a fire that spread to the first tractor trailer. The woman was pronounced dead at the scene. Neither t…
Beloved Sparta School Teacher Dies Suddenly After Having Severe Brain Hemorrhage While Driving Beloved Sparta School Teacher Dies Suddenly After Having Severe Brain Hemorrhage While Driving
Beloved Sparta School Teacher Dies Suddenly After Having Severe Brain Hemorrhage While Driving Beloved Sparta elementary school teacher Elaine “Louise” Shepherd died unexpectedly at Westchester Medical Center in Valhalla, New York after having a severe brain hemorrhage and going into cardiac arrest while driving home from Boston on Monday, Sept. 26. She was 57. Born in Stakeford, Northumberland, England, Louise went to Bedlington High School before graduating from Northumberland College in Ashington, her obituary says. Louise then went to the US for what was initially supposed to be a six-month job as a nanny in 1985 — but after meeting her husband, Scott, the pair decided to settle …
NJ District Pays $50,000 To Settle Special Ed Teacher's Sex Harassment Suit NJ District Pays $50,000 To Settle Special Ed Teacher's Sex Harassment Suit
NJ District Pays $50,000 To Settle Special Ed Teacher's Sex Harassment Suit The Teaneck school district confidentially paid $50,000 to settle a lawsuit filed by a former special education teacher who said she was fired after refusing the then-principal’s sexual advances, records show. Whittier Elementary School Principal Pedro H. Valdes III – now the principal of Teaneck High School -- engaged in “overly flirtatious” behavior that was “disturbing and intimidating at best," Grace Kenny charged in a sexual discrimination lawsuit. Rather than go to trial, district officials settled the case and agreed, along with Kenny, to keep the terms of the deal confidential. Set…
North Jersey Mom, Beloved Special Education Worker Lauren Marek Dies, 35 North Jersey Mom, Beloved Special Education Worker Lauren Marek Dies, 35
North Jersey Mom, Beloved Special Education Worker Lauren Marek Dies, 35 A North Jersey family is mourning the loss of the "center of their universe." Lauren Marek of West Caldwell died on Dec. 19 at Mountainside Medical Center in Glen Ridge, her obituary says. She was 35 years old. Marek was married to John Marek and was the mother of Audrey, 7, and John, 4. A GoFundMe page launched for Marek's family had raised $35,000 as of Tuesday evening. "Lauren was a kind and compassionate person who was always first in line to help anyone in need," the page reads. "She was always volunteering, asking what else she could do and never asked for anything in return." …
Support Surges For Beloved Hackettstown Dad, Special Ed Teacher & Coach Diagnosed With Cancer Support Surges For Beloved Hackettstown Dad, Special Ed Teacher & Coach Diagnosed With Cancer
Support Surges For Beloved Hackettstown Dad, Special Ed Teacher & Coach Diagnosed With Cancer Support is on the rise for a beloved Hackettstown father, longtime special education teacher and coach who was recently diagnosed with cancer. Ed Wehmeyer, a lifelong Hackettstown resident, was diagnosed with stage III cancer in September, according to a GoFundMe launched by his daughter, Jordyn. “We are kindly and humbly asking for your help,” writes Jordyn. Wehmeyer was well-known for his athletic talent in high school, Jordyn says. He was inducted into the Hackettstown High School Athletic Hall of Fame in 2018. “My father still enjoys going to all the Hackettstown athletic events to su…
North Jersey HS Grad Leaves Touching Message In Journal Shared After Death From Cancer At 20 North Jersey HS Grad Leaves Touching Message In Journal Shared After Death From Cancer At 20
North Jersey HS Grad Leaves Touching Message In Journal Shared After Death From Cancer At 20 North Hunterdon High School graduate, college student and beloved friend Kathryn Rose Berger left a heartbreakingly touching message in her journal that was shared after her death from brain cancer on June 1 at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia at the age of 20. Born in New Brunswick, Kathryn grew up in Bethlehem Township and participated in theater and choir groups at school, her obituary says. Kathryn was known for her “impeccable” comedic wit and timing — particularly when she portrayed the principal in her school’s production of Grease. Kathryn was passionate about helping indivi…
Morris County Mom, Special Ed Teacher Jennie Byram Dies After 5-Year Breast Cancer Battle, 34 Morris County Mom, Special Ed Teacher Jennie Byram Dies After 5-Year Breast Cancer Battle, 34
Morris County Mom, Special Ed Teacher Jennie Byram Dies After 5-Year Breast Cancer Battle, 34 Morris County mom and special education teacher Jennie Elizabeth Byram died Jan. 22 following a five-year battle with metastatic breast cancer. She was 34. Byram was born in the Bronx and grew up in Butler, her obituary says. She “made her childhood dream come true” by pursuing special education and teaching students in a one-on-one setting for seven years, her obituary says. Byram, who lived in Morristown at the time of her death, worked as a co-teacher at Mary Kay McMillin Early Education Center in Berkeley Heights during the last two years of her teaching career, her memorial says. Byra…
PA High Schools Go Remote After Students Launch Petition PA High Schools Go Remote After Students Launch Petition
PA High Schools Go Remote After Students Launch Petition High schools in Montgomery County will be going all remote following a petition launched by students asking for just that. A Change.org petition was launched earlier this week by high school students after the district announced on Dec. 7 that in-person instruction in the hybrid model would continue through Dec. 22. Days later, an announcement posted to the Lower Merion High School website said students at both Harriton and Lower Merion high schools would be virtual from Dec. 14 through Jan. 8. Special education students who have been identified by their IEP teams may stay in the scho…
COVID-19: Sussex County School District Goes Fully Remote Until Mid-January COVID-19: Sussex County School District Goes Fully Remote Until Mid-January
Covid-19: Sussex County School District Goes Fully Remote Until Mid-January Students and staff at a Sussex County school district will transition back to fully remote learning starting Monday until at least mid-January, officials said. The switch, effective until Jan. 15, was made for students at Sparta Township Public Schools after the Northwest region was classified under the orange level, indicating a high-risk status, Acting Superintendent Patrick McQueeney said in a letter Thursday. Meanwhile, students at Mohawk Avenue School will remain fully remote through Dec. 2. “We are taking this preventative and proactive measure to continue to maintain the health and …
LAWSUIT: Asbury Park, State Clash Over COVID-19 Indoor Dining Ban LAWSUIT: Asbury Park, State Clash Over COVID-19 Indoor Dining Ban
Lawsuit: Asbury Park, State Clash Over Covid-19 Indoor Dining Ban New Jersey is suing Asbury Park over its local decision defying Gov. Phil Murphy's orders and allowing restaurants to reopen indoor dining areas, state officials said. "We have put the health and safety protocols in place so that you can have confidence," Gov. Phil Murphy said at a Friday afternoon news briefing. State officials have tried to amicably resolve its dispute with Asbury Park government officials and "unfortunately they have not done so," Murphy said. "We believe indoor restaurants can run in a safe manner provided they are subject to all the requirements outlined in Executive …
Cliffside Park Baseball Coach Ben Luderer, 30, Dies Of Coronavirus Cliffside Park Baseball Coach Ben Luderer, 30, Dies Of Coronavirus
Cliffside Park Baseball Coach Ben Luderer, 30, Dies Of Coronavirus A 30-year-old Cliffside Park baseball coach and special education teacher died from complications related to coronavirus. Ben Luderer, of River Vale, was starting catcher for Don Bosco Prep's team in 2008 -- which won the national championship with a 33-0 finish -- and later played for Marist College. Cliffside Park Superintendent Michael Romagnino announced Luderer's passing Monday. Luderer went to the hospital but was sent home because his symptoms presented as minor, his former Bosco coach Greg Butler told NorthJersey.com. Luderer's former Bosco teammate Michael Apreda rememb…