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And yet, few, if any, in NJ are willing to give up the 'home rule' that has created all of these mini-fiefdoms (see attached link) all with their own governments, school systems (including superintendents), etc.
The town that I lived in NJ was 3/4 of a square mile, had all of ~7000 residents and yet, we still had our own police dept., school district (elementary, JHS and HS), crazy high property taxes because the town has no ratables, and still no one would discuss merging any of these services with another (larger) town. My son's graduating HS class had all of 52 kids.
The NJEA is an easy target because no one wants to do the real 'dirty' work and consolidate because people want to keep being able to say that their town has a 16/1 student-teacher ratio (as it is in my old town).
Oh well, when the varsity football programs are cut, I expect people may feel a little differently.
Unions need to hold their teachers accountable. If someone doesn't do their job, they lose protection. Unions should be there when kids and parents make unfounded accusations (which they do) or the district tries to mess with teachers (which they do)
People need to pay teachers what they're worth, and in the world of latchkey kids, and increasing standards, teachers have to do more, with more kids and are getting less resources in the classroom.
Both sides are flawed and need to make compromises. Plain and simple.
Unions need to hold their teachers accountable. If someone doesn't do their job, they lose protection. Unions should be there when kids and parents make unfounded accusations (which they do) or the district tries to mess with teachers (which they do)
People need to pay teachers what they're worth, and in the world of latchkey kids, and increasing standards, teachers have to do more, with more kids and are getting less resources in the classroom.
Both sides are flawed and need to make compromises. Plain and simple.
I do not understand a district "messing with teachers".
What would that encompass?
Most of the time its the teachers messing with the districts for higher pay and more perks; including Tenure which is a complete joke.
Sparta teachers took a pay freeze and are paying toward health care as Christie wanted and their town still didn't pass the budget. For all those who believed that if only teachers would take a pay freeze we wouldn't have to lay off teachers. I'm betting those teachers in Sparta are sorry they took a pay freeze.
80% of all budgets that took wage freezes were PASSED. The people there were most likely happy that the teachers are willing to 'take one for the team' as it were. The sad part is that it's not the teachers that are the issue - it's the bloat in the school administration that's the real problem, with several dozen or more administrators making more money than the governor of the state!
While taking a wage freeze wouldn't stop *all* teachers from losing their jobs it may have stopped *some* teachers from losing their jobs in that district. Isn't losing less jobs better then losing more of them? Seems the Union is really letting those teachers down - why are they even paying dues? I am saddened that any teacher will lose their job but taking a pay freeze/paying into their benefits may have stopped the number of those losing their jobs from being as high as it is.
I do not understand a district "messing with teachers".
What would that encompass?
Most of the time its the teachers messing with the districts for higher pay and more perks; including Tenure which is a complete joke.
Well, in AZ I don't even know if there is tenure, if there is its weak. You have to sign a contract for each upcoming year. But I have seen teachers get reassigned to cover things they aren't certified for, nor would they have stayed in their job had they known, after they signed their contract (breach of contract involved a fine of a thousand dollars).
Also lets add in there, that if we want teachers to be held more accountable, then we should do the same to parents. If kids don't do the work, they aren't reinforcing the learning and most don't have a prayer of passing the test.
Accountability needs to be raised on all sides.
Last edited by odinloki1; 04-22-2010 at 12:49 PM..
You can have a fialign pubic school system and fight every change to change it will out consequences in the end. teachers seem obvious as to what they really have supported. Time to take the systeback form them and treat them like employees they are.
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