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The better question is really "how do we compare a good teacher in Newark to a bad teacher in Millburn?", since one is working hard in a tough environment, while the other skates along in a cushy spot for equal or better pay.
That said, I'd think the $$ would have to be doled out to each school district to distribute amongst its teachers, rather than having a state-wide pool that everyone is compensated from together. The latter conccept would lead to the NJEA just lavishing the funds on their cronies.
There was a story in the AJC this morning about merit-pay down here too, but I haven't had a chance to dig into it yet. This seems to be something needed country-wide.
yeah, how do you compare?
i have no problem with your bolded paragraph and think it would be an improvement. it's not without its' own set of problems though.
my *problem* (not a problem really, not even a concern, i don't know what to call it), is this just a feel good fluff thing that really doesn't come close to the heart of our problems. denying good teachers (the little guy, really) due compensation will get the pitchfork and torches crowd calmed down, but won't even scratch the surface of the real issue in our state, which is property taxes.
i wonder how my teacher friends who voted for him are feeling today? lol
GOP are for cutting income tax. Unfortunately, they more often than not lack the courage to match those tax cuts with spending cuts, preferring instead to defer the burden of funding government to future generations.
Also, your analysis is a little simplistic. There are some uses of tax dollars that clearly would benefit at least some working people.
I agree it was simplistic, but quite on purpose! I was responding to Mr McCollough's simplistic analysis with my own. These half-baked platitudes such as "working man" are throwback homilies that Eugene Debs used 100 years ago, and people sympathetic to 'labor' still use them today, without any reflection as to what the hell they are really saying. The old axiom of 'working man' is a dated one. To me, anyone who uses his or her own capital, be it intellectual, physical, or a combination of both, constitutes a 'working man', irrespective of how much they earn.
i have no problem with your bolded paragraph and think it would be an improvement. it's not without its' own set of problems though.
my *problem* (not a problem really, not even a concern, i don't know what to call it), is this just a feel good fluff thing that really doesn't come close to the heart of our problems. denying good teachers (the little guy, really) due compensation will get the pitchfork and torches crowd calmed down, but won't even scratch the surface of the real issue in our state, which is property taxes.
i wonder how my teacher friends who voted for him are feeling today? lol
It's not likely to do a damn thing about property taxes- that's going to have to get addressed via consolidation and a huge reduction in spending. In other words, don't hold your breath waiting for that lower tax bill to show up.....
It's not likely to do a damn thing about property taxes- that's going to have to get addressed via consolidation and a huge reduction in spending. In other words, don't hold your breath waiting for that lower tax bill to show up.....
I am not so sure when consolidation is ever going to occur. As I've said previously, that's when the rubber really hits the road in this state. When asked that simple question of more services or less taxes, the suburban New Jerseyan in his 5 square mile fiefdom is going to opt for the former. Until that citizen is willing to part with the 'home rule' philosophy, don't look for any changes any time soon. And I think we are all going to agree on that.
2 years to have done something... 3 years to have seen a positive impact... in time for the next election to start... either he'll have merits (i.e. successes) to stand on, or his new opponent will rip him to bits.
I am not so sure when consolidation is ever going to occur. As I've said previously, that's when the rubber really hits the road in this state. When asked that simple question of more services or less taxes, the suburban New Jerseyan in his 5 square mile fiefdom is going to opt for the former. Until that citizen is willing to part with the 'home rule' philosophy, don't look for any changes any time soon. And I think we are all going to agree on that.
Who says you can't have both? While cutting services would obviously reduce costs, you can keep the same menu of services and still reduce costs just by increasing efficiencies through consolidation. Why does each little fiefdom need its own garbage collection department, with the government benefits and bureaucracy that goes with it? 5 towns can all use a common collection company (privately owned to save the most $$), and simply pay for the services out of the tax coffers. The end result (your trash being picked up at the curb on a regular schedule) is the same, yet the cost is probably 1/2 of what it would be otherwise.
Who says you can't have both? While cutting services would obviously reduce costs, you can keep the same menu of services and still reduce costs just by increasing efficiencies through consolidation. Why does each little fiefdom need its own garbage collection department, with the government benefits and bureaucracy that goes with it? 5 towns can all use a common collection company (privately owned to save the most $$), and simply pay for the services out of the tax coffers. The end result (your trash being picked up at the curb on a regular schedule) is the same, yet the cost is probably 1/2 of what it would be otherwise.
People are afraid that if there are mergers, then their precious angels are going to be re-districted with a group of youngsters that collectively scored 200 points lower on their PSATs than what their former district comprised. I think that's a big, big factor. And I go back and forth on that as a parent myself. Parents in NJ, in general, in suburban areas especially, put a HUGE premium on academic excellence. And if there is a threat that their children are going to be exposed to a classroom environment that will otherwise retard their child's academic progress, it is cause for major concern.
People are afraid that if there are mergers, then their precious angels are going to be re-districted with a group of youngsters that collectively scored 200 points lower on their PSATs than what their former district comprised. I think that's a big, big factor. And I go back and forth on that as a parent myself. Parents in NJ, in general, in suburban areas especially, put a HUGE premium on academic excellence. And if there is a threat that their children are going to be exposed to a classroom environment that will otherwise retard their child's academic progress, it is cause for major concern.
Think about that for a minute though, Mike. We're talking about consolidating districts- not consolidating schools. What if you left all the school zoning maps the same, so little Johnny still went to "Muffington Elementary", instead of being moved to that scary "Broville Elementary"? The zones stay, the teachers stay, even the principals stay- we just consolidate the adminstrative staffs from the various sundry districts. Think that'd make people comfortable? Think it'd save any $$?
Heck- let's get really crazy- leave the schools alone, and just consolidate the libraries, health departments, sanitation departments, public works, roads, etc. That'd be a great start, wouldn't it???
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It comes back to schools and redistricting
