It's no secret, most of us would like to stay in our own home as we age. Yet, sometimes our loved ones just need a little extra help to remain comfortable at home. That's where Always Best Care can help....we are dedicated to exceeding expectations....always
They say that your golden years are the best years of your life. For most older Americans, that's how it should be - a time to relax, reflect, and live life in a familiar place. After all, senior citizens in the U.S. have worked tirelessly to build a better economy, serve their communities, and raise families.
However, as seniors grow older, completing daily tasks like showering and enjoying activities such as visiting the historic Historical Schueman House 1883 gets harder without someone by their side. Unfortunately, many older Americans aren't able to rely on their adult children for help. The reality in today's world is that family members do not have the skills or time to dedicate to caring for their parents. That's where Always Best Care Senior Services comes in.
Our in-home care services are for people who prefer to stay at home as they grow older but need ongoing care that family or friends cannot provide. More and more older adults prefer to live far away from long-term, institutionalized facilities and closer to the place where they feel most comfortable - their home. Home care in Toms River, NJ is a safe, effective way to give your loved ones the care they need when they need it the most.
Home Care Services
Service AreasSince 1996, Always Best Care has provided non-medical in-home care for seniors to help them maintain a healthy lifestyle as they get older. We are proud to have helped more than 25,000 seniors maintain higher levels of dignity and respect. We focus on providing seniors with the highest level of in-home care available so that they may live happily and independently.
Unlike some senior care companies, we genuinely want to be included in our clients' lives. We believe that personalized care is always the better option over a "one size fits all" approach. To make sure our senior clients receive the best care possible, we pair them with compassionate caregivers who understand their unique needs. That way, they may provide care accordingly without compromising their wellbeing.
The Always Best Care difference lies in life's little moments - where compassionate care and trustworthy experience come together to help seniors live a fruitful, healthy life. Whether you are an aging adult that can't quite keep up with life's daily tasks or the child of a senior who needs regular in-home services, Always Best Care is here to help.
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“I just started using always best care for my dad The certified aids that came from the agency were fantastic This situation is new for myself and my dad For having no complaints from my dad is a plus So ty again for such an easy transition for my dad Much appreciated Susan”
“Such an amazing company with employees who truly care about their business and those they take care of. Caretakers are top notch and customer service is great and they are available whenever you need them.”
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“I am a current client of this provider I can’t begin to tell to you how pleased I am with Always Best Care. Not only have they placed the perfect caregiver with my mother they also take care of the billing and when I need to speak to a receptionist they are always available. Thank you!!”
“I cannot thank Always Best Care enough for helping us find an ideal Assisted Living Facility for my mother. We moved to the city a month ago and had little idea about the local senior living communities. I’d like to thank the highly experienced and knowledgeable caregivers of Always Best Care for helping our family during the difficult time.”
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“I am a current client of this provider We are very happy with Always Best Care. They do 24hr care, and the caregiver is excellent. I would recommend them.”
“I am a current client of this provider We have hired Always Best Care. We have them for 5 to 6 weeks now. My mother practically does everything herself, but sometimes they might fix her her lunch, there might be a little bit of shopping, and they take her to her appointment. My mother is fine. The hours are fine. She got the hours that she requested. I know she is being billed on her credit card. They have been very helpful and very cooperative. The women always call back.”
“I am a current client of this provider We hired Always Best Care two weeks ago for my mom. The woman comes in three days a week to assist my mother with doing the wash, keeping the house picked up, and just talking to her. She’s wonderful. We interviewed several people, and there was just something about the way they were organized in their presentation and their follow up. that impressed us. They were a level above the other ones that we spoke to. They really listen to you about your needs and work very hard to match the caregiver up with what you’re looking for. We were very impressed with them.”
Home is where the heart is. While that saying can sound a tad cliche, it is especially true for many seniors living in America. When given a choice, older adults most often prefer to grow older at home. An AARP study found that three out of four adults over the age of 50 want to stay in their homes and communities as they age.
When you begin to think about why, it makes sense. Home offers a sense of security, comfort, and familiarity.
The truth is, as we age, we begin to rely on others for help. When a family is too busy or lives too far away to fulfill this role, in-home senior care is often the best solution. Home care services allow seniors to enjoy personal independence while also receiving trustworthy assistance from a trained caregiver.
At Always Best Care, we offer a comprehensive range of home care services to help seniors stay healthy while they get the help they need to remain independent. As your senior loved one gets older, giving them the gift of senior care is one of the best ways to show your love, even if you live far away.
To give our senior clients the best care possible, we offer a full spectrum of in-home care services:
If your senior loved one has specific care needs, our personal care services are a great choice to consider. Personal care includes the standard caregiving duties associated with companion care and includes help with tasks such as dressing and grooming. Personal care can also help individuals with chronic conditions like diabetes.
Common personal care services include assistance with:
Sometimes, seniors need helpful reminders to maintain a high quality of life at home. If you or your senior has trouble with everyday tasks like cooking, our home helper services will be very beneficial.
Common home helper care services include assistance with:
Using this kind of care is a fantastic way to make life easier for you or your senior loved one. At Always Best Care, our talented caregivers often fill the role of a companion for seniors. That way, older adults can enjoy their favorite local activities, such as visiting Cattus Island County Park with friends while also receiving the care they need daily or weekly.
Common companionship services include:
According to AARP, more than 53 million adults living in the U.S. provide care to someone over 50 years old. Unfortunately, these caregivers experience stress, exhaustion, and even depression. Our respite care services help family caregivers address urgent obligations, spend time with their children, and enjoy nearby activities. Perhaps more importantly, respite care gives family members time to recharge and regroup. Taking personal time to de-stress reduces the risk of caregiver burnout. So, if you've always wanted to eat at the local Villa Amalfi or visit Ocean County Historical Society, don't feel bad. Doing so is great for both you and your loved one.
At the end of the day, our goal is to become a valuable part of your senior's daily routine. That way, we may help give them the highest quality of life possible. We know that staying at home is important for your loved one, and we are here to help make sure that is possible.
If you have been on the fence about non-medical home care, there has never been a better time than now to give your senior the care, assistance, and companionship they deserve.
Always Best Care in-home services are for older adults who prefer to stay at home but need ongoing care that friends and family cannot provide. In-home care is a safe, effective way for seniors to age gracefully in a familiar place and live independent, non-institutionalized lives. The benefits of non-medical home care are numerous. Here are just a few reasons to consider senior care services from Always Best Care:
According to AARP, 9 out of 10 seniors prefer to age in place within the comfort of their own home. With in-home care, seniors have a way to stay at home, receive the care they need, and maintain a sense of independence, improving overall wellness.
If you or a member of your family have assumed the role of caregiver for your senior loved one, you know how stressful the job can be. Between caregiver burnout and constant worry, being a family caregiver is hard. In-home care relieves your burden and gives you peace of mind knowing that your older family member is in expert hands.
Unlike nursing homes, where the staff and residents rotate frequently, seniors can foster new friendships and build bonds with their caregiver. Seniors who socialize on a regular basis are often happier, which fosters positivity and leads to increased wellbeing.
No two seniors need the same kind of in-home care assistance. That is why each of our Care Plans is tailored to meet our client's individual needs. We offer plans that cover everything from light housekeeping to more involved duties like transportation to doctor's appointments. Our Care Coordinators will work closely with you to develop a personalized plan to ensure your senior's needs are exceeded.
Always Best Care offers a full array of care options for patients at all levels of health. With our trusted elderly care services, your loved one will receive the level of care necessary for them to enjoy the highest possible quality of life.
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While it's true that some seniors have complicated medical needs that prevent them from staying at home, aging in place is often the best arrangement for seniors and their families. With a trusted caregiver, seniors have the opportunity to live with a sense of dignity and do so as they see fit - something that is unavailable to many older people today.
In-home care makes it possible for millions of seniors to age in place every year. Rather than moving to a strange nursing home, seniors have the chance to stay at home where they feel the happiest and most comfortable.
How much does a senior's home truly mean to them?
A study published by the American Society on Aging found that more than half of seniors say their home's emotional value means more than how much their home is worth in monetary value. It stands to reason, then, that a senior's home is where they want to grow old.
With the help of elderly care in Toms River, NJ, seniors don't have to age in a sterilized care facility. Instead, they can age gracefully in the place they want to be most: their home. In contrast, seniors who move to a long-term care facility must adapt to new environments, new people, and new systems that the facility implements. At this stage in life, this kind of drastic change can be more harmful than helpful.
Institutional care facilities like nursing homes often put large groups of people together to live in one location. On any given day, dozens of staff members and caregivers run in and out of these facilities. Being around so many new people in a relatively small living environment can be dangerous for a seniors' health and wellbeing. When you consider that thousands of seniors passed away in nursing homes during the COVID-19 pandemic, opting for in-home care is often a safer, healthier choice for seniors.
Aging in place has been shown to improve seniors' quality of life, which helps boost physical health and also helps insulate them from viral and bacterial risks found in elderly living facilities.
For many seniors, the ability to live independently with assistance from a caregiver is a priceless option. With in-home care, seniors experience a higher level of independence and freedom - much more so than in other settings like a nursing home. When a senior has the chance to age in place, they get to live life on their own terms, inside the house that they helped make into a home. More independence means more control over their personal lives, too, which leads to increased levels of fulfillment, happiness, and personal gratification. Over time, these positive feelings can manifest into a healthier, longer life.
More independence, a healthier life, and increased comfort are only a few benefits of aging in place. You have to take into consideration the role of cost and convenience. Simply put, it's usually easier and more affordable to help seniors age in place than it is to move them into an institutional care facility. According to the US Department of Housing and Urban Development, seniors who age in the comfort of their homes can save thousands of dollars per month.
In-home care services from Always Best Care, for instance, are often less expensive than long-term solutions, which can cost upwards of six figures per year. To make matters worse, many residential care facilities are reluctant to accept long-term care insurance and other types of payment assistance.
With Always Best Care's home care services, seniors and their families have a greater level of control over their care plans. In-home care gives seniors the chance to form a bond with a trusted caregiver and also receive unmatched care that is catered to their needs. In long-term care facilities, seniors and their loved ones have much less control over their care plan and have less of a say in who provides their care.
In-home care is a valuable resource that empowers seniors to age in place on their own terms. However, a big concern for many families and their loved ones is how much in-home care costs. If you're worried that in-home care is too expensive, you may be pleasantly surprised to learn that it is one of the most affordable senior care arrangements available.
Typically, hiring an Always Best Care in-home caregiver for a few hours a week is more affordable than sending your loved one to a long-term care facility. This is true even for seniors with more complex care needs.
At Always Best Care, we will work closely with you and your family to develop a Care Plan that not only meets your care needs, but your budget requirements, too. Once we discover the level of care that you or your senior need, we develop an in-home care plan that you can afford.
In addition to our flexible care options, families should also consider the following resources to help offset potential home care costs:
When you or your senior loved one needs assistance managing daily tasks at home, finding a qualified caregiver can be challenging. It takes a special kind of person to provide reliable care for your senior loved one. However, a caregiver's role involves more than meal preparation and medication reminders. Many seniors rely on their caregivers for companionship, too.
Our companion care services give seniors the chance to socialize in a safe environment and engage in activities at home. These important efforts boost morale and provide much-needed relief from repetitive daily routines. A one-on-one, engaging conversation can sharpen seniors' minds and give them something in which to be excited.
At Always Best Care, we only hire care providers that we would trust to care for our own loved ones. Our senior caregivers in Toms River, NJ understand how important it is to listen and communicate with their seniors. A seemingly small interaction, like a short hug goodbye, can make a major difference in a senior's day. Instead of battling against feelings of isolation, seniors begin to look forward to seeing their caregiver each week.
Understanding the nuances of senior care is just one of the reasons why our care providers are so great at their job.
Unlike some senior care companies, our caregivers must undergo extensive training before they work for Always Best Care. In addition, our caregivers receive ongoing training throughout the year. This training ensures that their standard of care matches up to the high standards we've come to expect. During this training, they will brush up on their communication skills, safety awareness, and symptom spotting. That way, your loved one receives the highest level of non-medical home care from day one.
While it's true that many seniors prefer to age at home, sometimes in-home care isn't the best fit. For those seniors and their families, choosing an assisted living facility makes more sense. Unfortunately, finding the optimal care facility is easier said than done in today's day and age. That's when Always Best Care's assisted living referral services begin to make a lot of sense.
Assisted living is a form of housing intended for seniors who require varying degrees of medical and personal attention. Accommodations may include single rooms, apartments, or shared living arrangements. Assisted living communities are typically designed to resemble a home-like environment and are physically constructed to encourage the independence of residents.
At assisted living communities, seniors receive help with daily activities such as bathing, dressing, and eating. They may also benefit from coordination of services with outside healthcare providers, and monitoring of resident activities to ensure their health, safety, and well-being. Caregivers who work at assisted living communities can also provide medication administration and personal care services for older adults.
Other services offered within assisted living communities can include some or all of the following:
At Always Best Care, our representatives can match your senior's emotional, physical, and financial needs with viable assisted living communities nearby. Results are based on comparative data, so you can select the best choice for you or your loved one.
Always Best Care works closely with local senior living communities to gain valuable knowledge that we then use to help seniors and their loved ones make informed decisions. This information can include basic care and rent, resident availability, and services provided. Because Always Best Care is compensated by these communities, we provide senior living referral services at no extra cost to you.
Some of the most popular assisted living communities to consider in our area include the following:
For many seniors, moving into a senior living community revolves around how and when they want to make a transition to more involved care. Some seniors are more proactive about transitioning to independent living. Others choose to remain home until their care needs or other requirements are satisfied. Remember - our staff is here to help. Contact our office today to learn more about assisted living communities and how we can find a facility that exceeds your expectations.
The first step in getting quality in-home care starts with a personal consultation with an experienced Always Best Care Care Coordinator. This initial consultation is crucial for our team to learn more about you or your elderly loved one to discover the level of care required. Topics of this consultation typically include:
A discussion of your needs and how our trained caregivers can offer assistance in the most effective way
A draft of your care plan, which includes highly detailed notes and a framework for the care that you or your senior will receive
Discuss payment options and help coordinate billing with your insurance provider
Our caregivers are trained to spot changes that clients exhibit, like mental and physical decline. As your trusted senior care company, we will constantly assess and update your Care Plan to meet any new emotional, intellectual, physical, and emotional needs.
If you have never considered in-home care before, we understand that you and your family may have concerns about your Care Plan and its Care Coordinator. To help give you peace of mind, know that every team member and caregiver must undergo comprehensive training before being assigned to a Care Plan.
At the end of the day, we only hire the best of the best at Always Best Care. Whether you need home care in Toms River, NJ 24-hours a day or only need a respite for a couple of hours, we are here to serve you.
When you're ready, we encourage you to contact your local Always Best Care representative to set up a Care Consultation. Our Care Coordinators would be happy to meet with you in person to get to know you better, discuss your needs, and help put together a personalized Care Plan specific to your needs.
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Asbury Park Press
TOMS RIVER – An Ocean County Hall of Records? A sheriff’s headquarters? More airy and accessible election administrative offices?
Those are some of the options under consideration by the Board of Commissioners as they look toward purchasing the soon-to-be former offices of the Toms River Regional Board of Education at 1144 Hooper Avenue.
The school board voted, 7 to 1, to authorize the sale of its administration building to the county government at its meeting last Wednesday.
Schools Superintendent Mike Citta said the sale is expected to close a $12.4-million budget gap for the 2024-2025 school year, as the district's appraisal of the 92,000-square-foot building values it at $16 million. Citta has said the budget deficit is caused by years of cuts to state funding.
Citta said the board hopes to finalize the sale by May. Toms River Regional needs to secure the funds from the sale of its office complex so that the district will have enough funding to get through this school year. The district would likely run out of money by May, Citta said in response to a question asked by former board member Anna Polozzo at the March 19 meeting.
“The county has not yet authorized a contract for purchase, however we anticipate taking action at the next (regular) board meeting on April 2nd,” said County Administrator Michael J. Fiure. “Until then, the county cannot comment on negotiations.”
But that hasn’t stopped some commissioners from speculating on what repurpose county officials might have in mind for a building that once represented the growth and prosperity of one of the largest school districts in New Jersey in what was perhaps a more optimistic era in Toms River.
The district purchased 1144 Hooper Ave. in 1997 from Allstate Life Insurance Company of Chicago. The approximately $6.2 million used to buy the building was included in a $21.6-million bond referendum that was approved by voters in February of that year.
That referendum also included $800,000 to convert office space at the site into extra kindergarten class space at a time when the school district was still expanding, and such additional space was needed. The 1997 referendum also included funding to build the Joseph A. Citta Elementary School and construct additions onto other school buildings.
The district's administrative offices — and some special education classrooms — were already located in 1144 Hooper at the time the schools purchased the building.
Ocean County Commissioner Frank Sadeghi, liaison to the Department of Building and Grounds and co-liaison to the Department of Finance, said either a sheriff’s headquarters or a hall of records were the most likely options. If the latter proposal were to come to fruition, the county clerk’s office, Board of Elections and surrogate’s office would ideally be placed under that one roof.
“The sheriff has been talking about the need for a new facility for a number of years,” Sadeghi said. “The second thought was the (county) clerk, they’ve been complaining that their building is a disaster.”
The county clerk’s office is located on the ground and basement floors of the 1850s-era Ocean County Courthouse and its 1950s and 1960s-era annexes on Washington Street, while the surrogate’s office is upstairs. Neither suite of offices has undergone any kind of renovation in decades. Some records are even stored in a Cold War-era fallout shelter beneath the complex.
The Board of Elections is housed in a basement facility underneath the county Department of Engineering. That office space off Hooper Avenue in downtown Toms River is both dank and dreary, and often difficult for voters to find.
The county sheriff’s offices are located on the third floor of the Ocean County Justice Complex, one floor below a portion of the county jail. In years past, Sheriff Michael G. Mastronardy has often said his department’s facilities are inadequate to his agency’s needs, and more generally, “a dump.”
After Mastronardy took office in 2014, he was forced to contend with human waste raining down into his office suite, the result of plumbing issues and sometimes sabotage. However, the county refurbished his offices after a 2017 incident in which an inmate attempted to flush a prison-issued jumpsuit down a cell toilet, causing $100,000 in damage after several sewer pipes exploded.
Mastronardy temporarily evacuated his administrative staff to the county’s 911 operations center on Chestnut Street while major renovations were made.
In 2023, the Board of Commissioners approved a $250,000 funding ordinance for the design of a new building to be constructed at Mott Place in downtown Toms River to serve as a new headquarters for the Sheriff’s Department. But that was before a shift in political alliances on the board led to different priorities.
Sadeghi said building a new complex from scratch could take about 15 years from concept to ribbon-cutting, and 1144 Hooper Ave. would be ready for county staff to move into in a matter of months and at great savings to taxpayers, given that office real estate is a buyer’s market in the post-pandemic era.
“So this might address the immediate need for some renovation,” Sadeghi said.
The county is currently building a four-story annex to the existing Justice Complex at a cost of $92 million — which is expected to add 124,214 square feet of floor space to the existing justice complex. The new wing is being built on what was a parking lot between the jail and the campus of Toms River High School South on Hooper Avenue. However, this space is almost exclusively dedicated for the state Superior Court vicinage in the county seat.
Board of Education President Ashley Lamb and Vice President James Capone voted in favor of selling the building. Also voting in favor were board members Kathy Eagan, Kevin Kidney, Katie Coyne, Lisa Contessa and Joseph Jubert. Paola Pascarella was the only member to vote against the sale, while Maria Matarazzo was absent from the meeting.
In addition to the $12.4 million gap in this fiscal year, the school district is facing a $22.5-million budget deficit for the 2025-2026 school year, Citta said.
Contact Asbury Park Press reporters Erik Larsen at [email protected] or Jean Mikle at [email protected].
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TOMS RIVER, NJ — A Toms River store that caters to fans of President Donald Trump is shutting down, just shy of three years after it opened.The Let's Go Brandon store — named for the catchphrase directed at former President Joe Biden — announced it is holding a "lost our lease" sale as it prepares to leave the storefront on Route 37 east.The store is slated to close on Friday, the last day of February, the owners wrote in comments on ...
TOMS RIVER, NJ — A Toms River store that caters to fans of President Donald Trump is shutting down, just shy of three years after it opened.
The Let's Go Brandon store — named for the catchphrase directed at former President Joe Biden — announced it is holding a "lost our lease" sale as it prepares to leave the storefront on Route 37 east.
The store is slated to close on Friday, the last day of February, the owners wrote in comments on the store's Facebook page.
"We are closing our retail store due to loss of lease, we will continue to maintain our sales and service presence through our online sales," the owners said, thanking "our Proud Patriot supporters ... it’s been a pleasure serving you all!"
The store owned by Vinny Scuzzese and Greg Dooner of Toms River opened in March 2022, selling everything from Trump flags, buttons and stickers to life-size cutouts and dolls. There are pint beer glasses, whiskey glasses, shot glasses, Christmas ornaments and an array of T-shirts supporting Trump, from ones celebrating his 2024 victory to supporting firearms rights to multiple ones bearing his mugshot from when he was booked in Georgia on charges of election interference. The prosecutor who brought those charges, Fani Willis, has since been removed from the case.
While the physical store at 1405 Route 37 is shutting down, it will continue to operate an online store and through mobile pop-up sales locations, the owners wrote on Facebook.
The owners did not respond to questions from Patch about the closing or the circumstances surrounding their loss of lease, or about their experience in the county the last three years. The store has had a solid following in Ocean County, where Trump enjoys enormous support, receiving nearly two-thirds of the votes cast in both 2020 and 2024.
Commenters on the store's Facebook page showed their support, wishing Scuzzese and Donner well and thanking them for their support of Trump.
"Thank you for being our voice and saying what so many of us were thinking," one woman wrote.
The in-store sale, through Friday, is offering 50 to 70 percent off on all merchandise while supplies last.
Dan Rodrick says the charges seeking his dismissal are politically motivated and retribution for speaking up for special needs students.Patch Staff|Updated Wed, Feb 19, 2025 at 10:55 am ETMIDDLETOWN, NJ — The Middletown Township School District has filed tenure charges against Toms River Mayor Daniel Rodrick, seeking Rodrick's dismissal from his teaching position in the Middletown schools.The charges, signed by Superintendent Jessica Alfone, accuse Rodrick of conducting business for Toms River while in his...
Patch Staff
|Updated Wed, Feb 19, 2025 at 10:55 am ET
MIDDLETOWN, NJ — The Middletown Township School District has filed tenure charges against Toms River Mayor Daniel Rodrick, seeking Rodrick's dismissal from his teaching position in the Middletown schools.
The charges, signed by Superintendent Jessica Alfone, accuse Rodrick of conducting business for Toms River while in his classroom at Thorne Middle School during times he was supposed to be teaching, along with other issues detailed in a 127-page document obtained through an Open Public Records Act request.
The charges, filed Dec. 19, 2024, also accuse Rodrick of inappropriate conduct, failing to attend faculty meetings, failing to prepare timely lesson plans, failing to timely respond to parents' inquiries and failing to post students' grades, and call the charges "the culmination of escalating performance issues with which Rodrick has presented the district."
Rodrick called the tenure charges "a political witch hunt."
"This is a political witch hunt and retaliation for the good government policies we are pursuing in Toms River," Rodrick said in an emailed statement. "In 23½ years, I have never received a negative evaluation. For the last five years, I was rated as highly effective. Just two weeks before these charges, the district evaluated me as effective and made no mention of any shortcomings in my performance."
"This is a political vendetta by the members of the Middletown School Board, whose paid political consultant, Art Gallagher, was fired from his no-show job at Town Hall," Rodrick said. "It is also retribution for eliminating lucrative contracts for political insiders and for speaking out against policies that were depriving Middletown special needs students from a thorough and efficient education. All the details will be available to the public in a few weeks when we file our lawsuit against the district."
"I was honored to work for the people of Toms River for two years and am proud of the work that we did there," Gallagher said in response to Rodrick's statement. "It was not a no-show job. OPRA my time card if you like."
"I hope Mayor Rodrick lands on his feet and his family is in my thoughts and prayers," said Gallagher, who worked on the election campaigns of former mayor Maurice Hill. He also was a campaign consultant to two members of the Middletown school board.
The tenure charges say the district's investigation was prompted by numerous complaints from students in Rodrick's Hands-on Construction Lab, a course for sixth graders. Five students requested transfers out of the class, according to the charges.
The complaint cites a student complaint on Nov. 13, 2024, that Rodrick was using his cell phone to text while he was supposed to be teaching the Hands-on class.
"This was not the first time that Administration has heard the comment from students that Rodrick is on his cellular phone during classroom instructional time," the complaint says.
Students also told Thorne administrators that Rodrick was making calls from the school's landline in his classroom while he was supposed to be teaching.
The district's investigation of the call logs for the classroom landline determined that on Sept. 23, Rodrick had spent 11 minutes of the hourlong class he was supposed to be teaching on the phone calling numbers that had nothing to do with the school district. The complaint includes a log showing the calls; the numbers were to a U-Haul office in Toms River and to Hecht Trailers in Toms River.
"Leaving sixth grade students unattended and unsupervised for any amount of time — over eleven minutes in this case — while attending to personal business is unacceptable and endangers the safety and welfare of the students in that class, and warrants removal from one's position," the complaint says.
The complaint also notes multiple emails sent from Rodrick's Toms River Township account while he was supposed to be teaching, based on an email log the district said was provided by "individuals outside the district" through an OPRA request.
Phone activity records for Rodrick's Toms River-issued cell phone requested through an OPRA and provided to the district showed he had made calls from that cell on multiple occasions during instructional time, the complaint says.
"Thus, in addition to leaving students unattended during his scheduled instructional time for telephone calls, Rodrick has, on several occasions, performed work utilizing his Toms River email and telephone during his scheduled instructional time. This is unacceptable and warrants removal," the complaint says.
In addition to the student complaints about Rodrick being on his phone during class, parents and students complained that Rodrick was not posting grades on classroom assignments in a timely manner.
"District computer records demonstrate that Rodrick consistently input student grades well after the due date," the complaint said. "Indeed, Rodrick was aware of this when he misrepresented to administration that he timely inputs all of his grades."
The complaint says the issues were "the culmination of escalating performance issues with which Rodrick has presented the district," and says he was disciplined for inappropriate staff conduct, failing to timely prepare lesson plans, failing to attend faculty meetings, failing to timely respond to parents' inquiries and failing to input student grades."
It says Rodrick had been spoken to about attendance issues in 2012, 2018, 2019 and 2020; had received a "counseling memorandum for inappropriate staff conduct" in October 2022 after he "exposed his chest and stomach in the presence of students and staff in the school's gymnasium" and received written counseling regarding inputting student grades in February 2024.
An undated summary of complaints about the Hands-on Construction course, written by Thorne Middle School Principal Shannon Smith, says multiple students told administrators Rodrick would post "fast-paced origami videos on Google Classroom" instead of teaching, and students would have to seek help from classmates or family if they didn't understand. "Students feel unsupported and overwhelmed by the lack of direct teaching," the summary says, adding Rodrick never demonstrated the origami "nor is origami in the curriculum."
Several students told administrators that Rodrick would yell at students for making mistakes and would not help them when they asked for help, and some students had been "visibly upset, some in tears due to the difficulties in the class and lack of guidance," according to Smith's summary.
Students and their parents had asked to be moved out of Rodrick's class because of "teaching and classroom environment" but scheduling issues prevented that, the summary said.
The charges filed with the state Commissioner of Education include multiple pages of evidence containing communications from students and parents with the district and Rodrick's personnel records, "including performance and disciplinary related documents," all of which were redacted before the complaint was provided in response to Patch's OPRA request. Those redactions were made under privacy laws, the redaction log said.
Rodrick was notified of the charges on Dec. 19 and placed on indefinite leave, according to the complaint. Parents and guardians of students at Thorne Middle School were notified by letter on Dec. 19 of his indefinite leave. Read more: Toms River Mayor On Indefinite Leave From Teaching Position In Middletown
A summary of the evidence submitted says the documents include "several memoranda and email counseling, reprimanding and admonishing Rodrick for performance issues and disciplinary infractions between 2012 and 2024," emails from Rodrick, district staff and administration, and parents "concerning Rodrick's performance, teaching, grades, safety and other employment issues," and correspondence from students who asked to be removed from Rodrick's class and why.
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