NJ - Education Crisis

[JerseyJanice]

Haven't read the thread, but I know a lot about this topic from the inside.

Bottomline--Christie is a union buster and the first union he's doing battle with is the NJEA. He asked them for a 1.5% contribution to medical benefits, and they said no. It isn't the 1.5% so much as it is the union hanging tough. NJEA figures if it gives in on the 1.5%, he'll keep asking for more concessions. But now that he's not getting the 1.5% he asked for, he's cutting state aid to districts. That's really what this whole thing is about.

Personally, I don't know how to feel about it. I would pay the 1.5% and would prefer to do so over seeing colleagues get laid off and programs cut, but I do understand why the union is taking a tough stance.

Another thing is that many districts do have fat they can cut. In the current economic climate, taxpayers are not going to approve big property tax increases to make up for state aid being cut. Something has to give, and while painful, I think districts really need to examine where their dollars buy the most students the most benefits.

For example, do you have any idea what the tuition rates are for some private schools for the disabled? In many cases, it's $90,000+ a year per student. The districts pay that and then another $25,000 a year to transport students to these schools. This is one example that I see firsthand. The more a district does to integrate special ed students into general ed schools, the more money it saves.

I also think Admin Code needs to change so that kids go to school strictly for education. Example--character education--that one really gets my goat; I send my child to school to become literate, not to be taught morals. Code needs to make education the primary emphasis in schools. That sounds like a no-brainer, but...

 

[Brit17]

Haven't read the thread, but I know a lot about this topic from the inside.

Bottomline--Christie is a union buster and the first union he's doing battle with is the NJEA. He asked them for a 1.5% contribution to medical benefits, and they said no. It isn't the 1.5% so much as it is the union hanging tough. NJEA figures if it gives in on the 1.5%, he'll keep asking for more concessions. But now that he's not getting the 1.5% he asked for, he's cutting state aid to districts. That's really what this whole thing is about.

Personally, I don't know how to feel about it. I would pay the 1.5% and would prefer to do so over seeing colleagues get laid off and programs cut, but I do understand why the union is taking a tough stance.

Another thing is that many districts do have fat they can cut. In the current economic climate, taxpayers are not going to approve big property tax increases to make up for state aid being cut. Something has to give, and while painful, I think districts really need to examine where their dollars buy the most students the most benefits.

A little off topic but, that's why, in general, I've been wondering how Christie ended up winning the election ... I think Christie made it pretty clear that he was a union buster prior to the election ... with that being said, I was surprised that all the unions (NJEA, police, state, etc.) didn't have enough votes to keep him out of office knowing that he would be going after them, KWIM? ...

It'll be interesting to see how Christie vs. the Unions all plays out ... I just hope that their (everybody included) pride, egos, stubborness or whatever, doesn't end up shooting everyone in the foot ... something or someone has to give, otherwise everybody is going to end up paying for it one way or another ...

 

[JerseyJanice]

What I find most ironic about the situation is that the transportation and healthcare workers unions were the ones most worried about dealing with Christie, but now it's the NJEA that's fighting hardest with him.

 

[Brit17]

What I find most ironic about the situation is that the transportation and healthcare workers unions were the ones most worried about dealing with Christie, but now it's the NJEA that's fighting hardest with him.

IMO, I think that's because the NJEA is one of the strongest unions and they know how to fight ...

 

[SusanWasHere]

This is why the NJEA is standing against Christie. I'm a teacher and he has no idea what we go through to get a contract. He needs to focus on supervisors, administrators, and supers. THEY are the ones that waste tons of money on stuff we don't need and take away stuff we do need and then replace it with more expensive stuff. The TOP is the problem - not those of us in the classroom. Here is a letter he wrote to our union and this is why I hope no one backs down to him. I believed him and now totally regret it:

An Open Letter to the Teachers of NJ


I am the proud product of our state’s public education system. In fact, my late mother was a dues-paying member of the NJEA. I know firsthand that one of the main reasons many of our schools rank among the best in America is because of our dedicated teachers and educational professionals who work hard every day to give our children the learning experience they deserve.

Like you, I am fully committed to supporting New Jersey’s kids, teachers and parents to make sure our children receive a first-class education so they can pursue limitless opportunities once they graduate. Our state’s teachers are charged with one of the greatest responsibilities one can have, and they deliver each and every day for our kids.

But lately, there has been some misinformation circulated falsely, by supporters of Governor Corzine, suggesting I would attempt to diminish or take away teachers’ pensions and benefits. Let me be clear - nothing could be further from the truth. The claim that any harm would come to your pension should I be elected Governor is absolutely untrue. It is a 100% lie. Your pension will be protected when I am elected Governor.

Right now, the Trenton-based leaders of the teachers' union are literally spending millions of dollars of your union dues to falsely attack me on television and through slick mailers. This is nothing but an attempt to poison me in your eyes so that you will vote for four more years of Jon Corzine and his failed policies. Just so I am clear, what they are saying about my intentions to hurt pensions or lay off teachers is absolutely, 100% untrue.

Here are the facts:
I will be a strong ally for teachers in the classroom. When elected, I will make education funding a top priority and I believe we must ensure those dollars reach our children and the classroom, not the educational bureaucracy. In these tough economic times, we must ensure that the proper resources get to you, the teachers in the classroom. Despite what is said by my opponents, I would accept federal education stimulus dollars to help fund our children's educations. Education is a priority and this money is critical to ensuring we are able to continue giving our children the education they deserve. We must also make sure that education dollars are always a priority and come from stable sources. Too often these grants or stimulus dollars are accepted for programs with no plan on how to pay for them after the money runs dry. It is time for a new era of responsibility in Trenton, and I will work to secure a steady source of funding for all education programs.
I will protect your pensions. Nothing about your pension is going to change when I am governor. In fact, in order to ensure your retirement savings are safe, I believe we must prioritize the protection of pension fund dollars and investigate the cause of Jon Corzine's large investment losses to our pension system. Currently there is a $34 billion deficit in the State's pension fund, which threatens the retirement and lifeline of so many teachers. We must do better for our teachers, future teachers and retirees. As Governor, I will work to close unfunded liabilities and make sure our state lives up to its promises, unlike Jon Corzine. I will not raid your pension fund to cover budgetary shortfalls like previous governors of both parties have done. One of the changes I will bring to Trenton is responsible management, investment, and oversight of state pension dollars.
I will not end collective bargaining and will safeguard protections for ALL public employees, including teachers. Collective bargaining is an important safeguard for public employees and is a part of a long American tradition of self government. We must make sure that the voice of every worker is represented in contract negotiations. I will demand open, honest, and fair deliberations.
It’s true that times are tough. But the truth is that Jon Corzine has handed the NJEA and every student a ticking time bomb in this year's budget. He has funded the new school aid formula with $1 billion in one-shot revenue that will disappear next year. Every school budget and academic, athletic, and extra-curricular program for our kids is at risk because of the Governor’s reckless, short-sighted policy. Governor Corzine has refused to make the tough decisions required to make sure we make education funding a priority for recurring revenue and to avoid the ticking time bomb.

We may disagree on some issues, but I know we agree on what’s most important – delivering the best education we can for our kids. Giving New Jersey's children a quality education is critical to their future and I know we wouldn't be able to do that without the dedication and tireless commitment of teachers like you. I appreciate you allowing me to clear up some of the misinformation being circulated about my plans to support our state's teachers.

Thank you for your service, and best wishes on a great school year.

 

[JerseyJanice]

Unfortunately, Susan, we weren't allowed to talk politics on the Dis, so I can't give my opinion on that letter except to say that I wouldn't have believed it if I had read it before the election.

Sadly, NJ voters blamed the state's woes on the person who was in power when those woes began and not the true cause of our problems. We are stuck with who was elected and I hope the voters are happy with their choice--because I'm certainly not.

 

[Brit17]

This is why the NJEA is standing against Christie. I'm a teacher and he has no idea what we go through to get a contract. He needs to focus on supervisors, administrators, and supers. THEY are the ones that waste tons of money on stuff we don't need and take away stuff we do need and then replace it with more expensive stuff. The TOP is the problem - not those of us in the classroom. Here is a letter he wrote to our union and this is why I hope no one backs down to him. I believed him and now totally regret it:

An Open Letter to the Teachers of NJ

I had read this letter prior to the election, but I had my suspicions that maybe he wasn't being totally forthright ...

 

[CapeMayMommy]

They've talking about consolidation for years, but towns want to hang onto their little centers of power. I'd like to think that this will force school boards into making that decision, but I think it will take quite some time before that happens. Superintendents are not going to suggest consolidation when they know it means their job is the one that will be eliminated.

I agree that the governor and legislature should get together and mandate the smaller districts to merge.

These "little centers of power" promote nepotism too. You can hire your cousin Sally and your friend Sue, etc.

We don't get the best in New Jersey. We get the best connected.

 

[Brit17]

These "little centers of power" promote nepotism too. You can hire your cousin Sally and your friend Sue, etc.

We don't get the best in New Jersey. We get the best connected.

exactly