..... Um .... Even McDonalds does a background check on the kid who makes the fries.
No one ever checked this guy's credentials? Fail'd

Yup, we really need to turf those fields...that's the resolution...

Was Bertola also a teacher at the high school?

Don't know. The website does not list him as a teacher of any subject, including physical education. It is possible the page was updated, however, the main page of the site hasn't been updated since June, so...

Guy was an aide...and don't blame anyone but the Superintendent and the interim Director of Personel. They are paid tons of money to make sure that stuff like this doesn't happen. I guess they were waiting for their next paycheck and missed the impriorities of the resume'.

Was he hired by the same clowns that hired the Superintendent ?

Bertola was part of the staff at Parsippany High School.
He is a amazing and enthusiastic coach and all the students really liked him. He not only helped the athletes improve in sports but academics as well.
Everybody makes mistakes, it is part of life. I wish him the best for the future.

Nick, you're a class act! Proud of you, son.

Everyone makes mistakes? It sounds like he lied to me to get the position he wanted. And shame on the district, they put lunch aides through tougher hiring processes. Didn't know it would be easier to get an actual teaching/coaching job. As usuall PTHSD you never cease to amaze us.

Truly frightening...who else works with kids in Pars that isn't certified or worse?!

Very scary...who else is working with kids without certification or worse? Superintendent is ultimately responsible and should quit or be fired.

Yes the district is at fault but only falling second to the "guy" who LIED.

"...A month ago, Bertola noticed that Parsippany was in search of a new head coach, considering that Mike Adams had resigned after two seasons to take a position in Massachusetts.

"I just had a funny feeling that I would get a call about that job," Bertola said.

There was good reason. Tom Rizk, a vice-principal in the Parsippany school district, is a friend of Bertola, a former football coach who attended coaching camps with Bertola. Parsippany athletic director Rich Fonti used to coach with Rizk and is also familiar with Bertola.

"I just had a feeling that they would contact me," Bertola said.

Sure enough, the Parsippany administration reached out to Bertola to see if he would be interested in becoming a head coach once again...."

Above is an extract from a report By Jim Hague | For the Daily Record

It's good to have friends...

Jerry Sandusky’s Lawyer Says Sandusky Was Too Busy Being A Swell Guy To Molest Any Children

When you're being such a swell guy, who has the time to molest children?

The only thing you know is that I praised Nick for his kindness. something the world has too little of and a huge issue to me.

We love to praise the bad guys.

Wondering when the forcefield will be dropped around this Township?
It isnt what you know to get things done its who you know.

"I am not from New Jersey, so the angry-in your face, confrontational thing is just not me." as stated by Natalie Davis, Editor of Parsippany Patch
Ms. Davis I am offended at your swipe at New Jersey. Maybe you should consider going to work in a state that you have more affection for. I am sure there are many unemployed folk here in New Jersey that would love your job. I am surprised PATCH would employ someone who would make a statement like that. Have you ever heard the phrase, "honesty with kindness."

I would take the piss out of your content, but I know how these Patch conversations always go. This is my real name, believe it or not! Listen, on a serious note, I'm sure that if everyone on this thread sat down to kill a 24 we'd all be best friends at the end of the day. No point in gettin' up in arms. Have the best
Monday possible (they all suck) and happy holidays.

Lets make that a 30 rack...no two. And a barrel of Jameson. You two seem upset.

@Sickoftrolls, The silence in this town is what has lead to the diversity I believe.The Patch has aloud peoples voices to be heard who might disagree with the status quo.
Fyi it is the same forum that allows you to have your opinions different as they are.

* division sorry

In this town you are labeled a troublemaker if you stand against "The Power" or even if your opinions are different.I will let you call the kettle black.
I respect that you have your own opinions,even if I disagree

After reading all these comments, I have to say I am totally disgusted that anyone would be hired in our school system without their credentials being checked FIRST! I happened to like Coach Bertola's enthusiasm, he really put some spirit back into our team, but that being said, background and credential checks must be done before hiring!!!! No excuses! I would fire whoever hired him, these are our children we are talking about. Ok, so he lied about having a certification, nothing that will hurt our kids in the long run, but don't we do background checks, fingerprints and all that? We do at our religious school!

Here in Parsheepany people are scared to use there name. Change the slogan to "Reprisal in Parsippany"

The BOE and the Superintendent ultmately are responsible. First of all the super is the head coach. He is responsible for all the hiring and firing in the distict. The Athletic Director(Fonti) and the assistant principa(Risk)l are culpable too because they are friends of the former head coach.. A previous article makes that clear. A terrible job by all and the kids suffer once again.

ARGH! EVERY ARGUMENT MUST BE POLARIZED!!! THERE IS BLACK AND WHITE AND NO GRAY! GUILTY GUILTY GUILTY!!!!

Okay for starters I'm not using a fake name. My name is Steve revette and I graduated from PHHS in 2008 look it up if you don't believe me. I think we're not looking at the real problem. Okay yes maybe Mr. Bertola doesn't have the credentials to teach but what does that have to do with sports. I mean why does the football coach have to work for the school district. Like for example if I have great potential as a football coach have never had a bad wrap not even a speeding ticket or something like that why can't I be hired just as the football coach? The football coach gets paid money on top of their basic salary.

@Mike agreed what's being lost here is the fact that the town officials character is again blemished by not following the rules to help out a buddy trust me it happens way to often !

I think it needs to be clarified whether the coach falsely stated he had teaching certification as mentioned in the tag line, or whether this is a case of unfamiliarity by the admin with the advertising rule requiring a teaching certificate, as mentioned in the body of the article. That is a rather strange rule. Perhaps both? It would be good to get some clarification before we make decisions about them. And calm down people, no one was harmed here, there are plenty of good football coaches who aren't teachers. Not excusing lying, if that's what happened, but let's not go to Sandusky hyperboles.

If this guy produced a team that was 9 and 2 instead of 2 and 9, the teaching certification issue would never have seen the light of day.

I feel the parents and the kids should haye a being ask if we what him as are coach

I'm unsure of the agenda of Natalie Davis or where she obtained her information from but I do know she should have fact checked better. Coach Bertola was not teaching in the school and didn't need a teachers cert to coach football. He didn't lie about being a teacher or having a teachers cert, he was not there to be a teacher, he was there to turn around a football program that has been failing for years. Accusing him of lying is doing a disservice to all of these kids and the ones before them. He not only teaches them football, he teaches them how to be better students and better men, honorable men. Coach Bertola has a sub cert which is good enough to coach a football team. You can go right now to the Parsippany High School website where the job has already been posted and read for yourselves in the requirements section where it states you need EITHER a teachers cert OR a sub cert. Im daring you all to google Coach Bertola! You would be hard pressed to find anything other than this article that speaks negatively about him. He's been coaching for years and has the proper credentials to do so. Most of you are judging him based on an article of untruths. He is a stand up guy that would probably be more than happy to provide all of the paperwork that he handed to Parsippanys Board of Education if he was contacted. He never lied, he has what he needs to coach football.

That's not Fair Natalie has no personal Agenda. If Coach Bertola wanted to give his side of the story Natalie would be more then happy to hear it. I'll even go a step farther then that Par Football mom. Why even need a sub's certificate. If he is the best for the job and is qualified why does he need any type of certificate if he passes the backround check and everything. Obviously somebody doesn't like the guy because they did alot of digging.

Here is the relevant section of the Administrative Code:

6A:9-5.19 Athletics personnel
(a) Any teaching staff member in the employ of a district board of education shall be permitted to organize public school pupils for purposes of coaching or for conducting games, events or contests in physical education or athletics.
(b) School districts shall be permitted to employ any holder of a New Jersey teaching certificate to work in the interscholastic athletic program provided that the position has been advertised.
(c) In the event there is no qualified and certified applicant, the holder of a substitute credential pursuant to N.J.A.C. 6A:9-6.5 is authorized to serve as an athletic coach in the district in which he or she is employed for a designated sports season, provided that:
1. The district chief school administrator demonstrates to the executive county superintendent that:
i. The vacant coaching position had been advertised; and
ii. There was no qualified applicant based on the written standards of the district board of education;
2. The district chief school administrator provides a letter to the executive county superintendent attesting to the prospective employee’s knowledge and experience in the sport in which he or she will coach; and
3. The district board of education obtains the executive county superintendent’s approval prior to such employment. The 20-day limitation noted in N.J.A.C. 6A:9-6.5(b) shall not apply to such coaching situations.

The Code authorizes a coach to have a substitute teaching certification only in the event there is no qualified and certified applicant and then the Board jumps through certain administrative hoops. I do not know what was done in the process. I do know that Natalie has accurately recited the law. I won't comment on the alleged falsification of teaching credentials since I have no information about it. My guess is the BOE will not be able to address it since personnel issues are confidential.

Im sorry, what was he asked to provide that he didn't? Are you creating a new issue now? You are obviously not aware of the facts parsippany resident..first off I'm not going to call you a liar because its possible your son gave you misinformation..coach Bertola did not tell those boys that he lied on his app because that isn't why he resigned. He told them the truth that there was an error on his résumé..read the article for more on that..secondly he has a sub cert and it was provided to the board of ed, by the county, they put the request in for it and then it's sent to them..you are now creating another untruth, him not having a sub cert was never in question, this article accused him of lying about having a teacher cert which he never claimed to have and wasn't even why he resigned. The article was updated with the truth and it's time to move on and wish the red hawks luck this upcoming season.

Someone is lying. I don't know who. There are plenty of good coaches out there but they don't want to come to a district that doesn't care about athletices. This district has teams-not programs. Keep it in perspective-they beat two teams that the PAL may have beaten. I quess when the program for such a long time a win- is- a- win.

School is about academics not sports. Sports are extra activities that kids can join. I hear there are two quality coaches at the high. One is with the program and the other is with another high school but since he teaches in the school maybe he will put his name in the hat.

@Mike,Please keep in mind the hat may be filled already unless our trusty new nepotism law is considered? Just sayin

There are no strong candidates at the H.S. They may get the job but not going to create a top notch program. No disrespect but they would be a warm body. Good coaches are not coming to parsippany.

They had a good coach and because of some bullshit on his resume that had nothing to do with him getting this job he was forced to resign and it sounds like from scott dean that someone who is related to someone in a power position might be up for the job...is that why they forced Bertola out? Wow! We knew from the beginning the admin was going to do something to screw this up, its a shame he and his resume helped it along!

Phone calls from parents make these guys squirm. Parents: get involved. Get to the bottom of his now.

It is a shame what has been done there. I know that in both situations of Coach Adams and Coach Bertola that the schools and BOE attempt to keep a quality mentor in the program is not a priority. Both coaches went into a situation where they knew it was a tough situation and many odds against them. I felt both did a tremendous job with what they were battling against, mostly higher positions, which they could not control. They both made strides in making that program stronger, more competitive, and producing quality young men who were able to experience them and their staffs there. I just hope whoever is next in line does the same thing and allows them time, unlike the last two (Adams and Bertola) to get their feet wet and allow those student athletes to learn the systems and expectations before they throw another coach out the door who is helping these kids. I do not know exactly what happened with coach Bertola or how he recieved the position, but I know that he was more than qualified for the position and had the spirit to at least attempt change the program. Also as the reference in the article of them being winless in 2010 and 2011, 2010 they were also 2-8 after three years on winless seasons at all levels.

Is there a need for people to know that every time Joe Jannerone's name is in an article that he is the Son's of Italy chapter president.