I applaud Gov. Christie

[Jerrydevil]

Not that that really matters as when the budgets fail then the town councils vote on them and they pass anyway with minimal cuts.

I know. It's a sham.

[DaneykoIsGod]

Just stumbled across this Bob Ingle column. It's about a week old, but still relevant.

http://www.app.com/article/20100324/OPINION05/3240319/1093/NEWS03&template=column

Previously, most of the public ire was aimed at the bloated administrations New Jersey's 604 school districts have, but the NJEA's antics are starting to tarnish the image of the teachers themselves. Bringing their union politics into the classroom, where kids are supposed to pass on to their parents often misleading information, doesn't help either.

It's a different time. Gannett's Data Universe (www.datauniverse.com) has brought new light to what's being done with your tax money. Reform starts with an informed public.

We can also learn from what they do other places. A man named Robert wrote to say he was raised in Luzerne County, Pa., and when he graduated in '59 there were 72 school districts in the 900 square mile county. "Today there are 11, average of 80 square miles per district."

He said the change was due to the foresight of the Pennsylvania Legislature in the early 1960s, which passed minimum requirements for school districts. "The result by the 1970s (and continuing today) was better education, better curriculum, better school buildings, lower costs, etc."

After he moved to New Jersey he served on a school board and a borough council. He said he thinks the only chance to make a meaningful impact on property tax is to have 21 school districts, one per county, and remove local administration above the principal level.

Consolidating school districts would take years, but Assemblyman Dave Rible, R-Monmouth, has an idea that could help contain costs and would be much faster. He wants to limit compensation of school district employees to $5,000 less than the commissioner of the state Department of Education, who earns $141,000 currently.

Rible said more than 725 school administrators are making more than $141,000 annually and 60 school superintendents have annual salaries of $200,000 or more. "Such exorbitant salaries are, in part, to blame for the high cost of property taxes associated with education in New Jersey and the state's chronic budget deficits."

[Devils Pride 26]

great article dig. thats what i've been trying to say

[mac760]

I agree nice article.

1 BOE per county might be tough but a reduction would be nice. I think home rule will keep it from happening for awhile. But i hope it does.

[Jerrydevil]

In my town, Woodland Park, the administrator made a bunch of recommendations for cuts, and the board of education rejected most of them (including one where he proposed to be administrator and principal of one of the schools).

http://www.northjersey.com/news/89577982_Even_with_cuts__Woodland_Park_school_tax_set_to_rise_5_8_.html

The reason for the rejection was not stated in the story, but I'm guessing that the BOE doesn't want to make too many cuts because the town council is almost assured to get their shot to take an ax to the budget. Woodland Park hasn't passed a school budget since 1994.

[Devilish34]

Love him or not this is funny

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/05/14/chris-christie-pissed-video-nj-governor_n_576279.html

Edited May 16, 2010 by Devilish34

[Devils731]

I thought this had some relevant points on why the state may have decided to cut some school funding

http://thehill.com/opinion/columnists/ab-stoddard/97603-nj-gov-sets-tone-for-us?page=3#comments

Christie is tackling the nation’s worst state deficit — $10.7 billion of a $29.3 billion budget.

Upon taking office Christie declared a state of emergency, signing an executive order that froze spending, and then, in eight weeks, cutting $13 billion in spending. In March he presented to the Legislature his first budget, which cuts 9 percent of spending, including more than $800 million in education funding; seeks to privatize numerous government functions; projects 1,300 layoffs; and caps tax increases.

New Jersey, which has the highest unemployment in the region and highest taxes in the country, lost 121,000 jobs in the private sector in 2009 while adding 11,300 new education jobs.

During the last eight years, K-12 enrollment rose just 3 percent while education jobs increased more than 16 percent.

According to the Newark Star-Ledger, during the recession that has cost many residents their homes and jobs and scaled back hours and pay for the employed, teachers’ salaries rose by nearly 5 percent, double the rate of inflation.

Edited May 15, 2010 by Devils731

[Jerrydevil]

Love him or not this is funny

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/05/14/chris-christie-pissed-video-nj-governor_n_576279.html

That was TERRIFIC. Great post, Devilish.

I just wish our local politicians had the same attitude. They don't have the stomach to make hard cuts.

[Devilish34]

That was TERRIFIC. Great post, Devilish.

I just wish our local politicians had the same attitude. They don't have the stomach to make hard cuts.

I've watched that video more than once just bc it makes me smile.

[Jerrydevil]

More good stuff from Chris Christie ... at a town hall meeting in Rutherford, he got into it with a teacher who says she makes less than a baby-sitter.

http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2010/05/gov_christie_argues_with_nj_re.html

She was followed at the microphone by Rita Wilson, an English teacher who lives in Kearny. Wilson told the governor she was one of the educators he criticized as having a "me, first" attitude, but she’s making a smaller salary than she would as a baby-sitter.

"I’m not a rabble-rouser. I’m a simple English teacher," whose students perform well, Wilson said. "I work really hard."

Wilson said she used the babysitter example to make a point, as Christie has pressured teachers to take a one-year wage freeze and contribute at least 1.5 percent of their salary toward health benefits to help the state through its fiscal crisis. She and Christie then testily talked over each other for several questions and answers.

"You know what, you don’t have to do it," Christie said.

Edited May 26, 2010 by Jerrydevil

[Devilish34]

More good stuff from Chris Christie ... at a town hall meeting in Rutherford, he got into it with a teacher who says she makes less than a baby-sitter.

http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2010/05/gov_christie_argues_with_nj_re.html

She was followed at the microphone by Rita Wilson, an English teacher who lives in Kearny. Wilson told the governor she was one of the educators he criticized as having a "me, first" attitude, but she’s making a smaller salary than she would as a baby-sitter.

"I’m not a rabble-rouser. I’m a simple English teacher," whose students perform well, Wilson said. "I work really hard."

Wilson said she used the babysitter example to make a point, as Christie has pressured teachers to take a one-year wage freeze and contribute at least 1.5 percent of their salary toward health benefits to help the state through its fiscal crisis. She and Christie then testily talked over each other for several questions and answers.

"You know what, you don’t have to do it," Christie said.

I would like someone with his attitude in DC. I say let all the public servants that sit in the house and senate feel the tax payers pain.