April 20, 2010 school board/budget votes
 

Without getting political, please go vote during the election/budget vote today. But, PLEASE make sure to do some research before deciding which way to vote in regards to the budget.

Whats funny is I JUST got my little ballot letter in the mail today!

Done!!! I went on my way home from work, and I'm hoping the budget passes in the town I work in so I still have a job in Sept.

Edit - just so you all know, this isn't a political statement, it's a personal fact.

i'm not registered and don't know how go about that

While it won't help for today, go to your county's board of elections website and download the voter registration form.

alright! always wondered why i wasn't registered.

Shame on you!
http://www.rockthevote.com/rtv_regis...-topnavigation

headin out to vote in a bit, what time do the polls close?

9pm.

its a sign....

no politics...

Was Vernon's defeated?

Vernon's passed.

There was a 46% pass rate, 54% rejection rate.

I think things are going to start changing in NJ when it comes to that. It's a Catch 22 though, some teachers starting out make **** wages and truly care about their job.

It's the tenured and junk teachers that can't be fired that ruin it for everyone. It's the teachers already making big bucks in wealthy school districts that DEMAND more that ruin it for others...it's the NJEA that ruin it for others.

I feel for those that are going to or might lose their jobs.

Not to mention the 100's of overpaid administrators & principals.

All this does is get rid of teachers, not reduce the pay of admins and board members.
Im embarrassed to be a member of this state.

So move? :idea:

All what does? Voting down the budget (which is generally a moot point anyway)? All admin & staff costs are up to the BOE. A no vote does not mean only teacher cuts. Also most BOE members in NJ are not paid. Just cities.

I hope the teachers that chose to reopen their contracts and take wage freezes & shoulder a little of their med ins costs all keep their jobs. Like the rest of the nation has. I have a bit less sympathy for the locals that are unwilling to talk.

Wait until you see sports become pay to play.

Says who?

What do you think the boards are gunna do: reduce their pay, or fire a bunch of expendable teachers?
I think that teachers need to take a more private sector approach to benifits, no doubt. And BOE members and superintendents need to have their pay levels reworked.
But this does none of that. This gets rid of teachers, and not reduce pay levels. Sure, you will get some to budge.
Tell me if you are in their shoes, would you cut your pay in a tough economic times? Or would you just get rid of a few new teachers. Whats the real difference between 30 kids to a class or 40 kids to a class? Is music that important? Do we need to offer Italian or French or even Spanish in schools?

Yes. I did. So did everyone else in my company. And we let go of 20% of our workforce to stay alive a little while ago. Nobody here is remotely overpaid. I know what most make. And I got to fire my friends. And I'm not alone- I know of at least 3 other guys in different companies who had to do a similar deal.

Life has been **** in the private sector for a while. Ask a plumber, electrician, or other contract based employee how thier life has been. Or almost anybody else who's not a public employee.

This is just the poor economy hitting jobs that have been otherwise protected. Teachers, toll collectors, road crews, etc. Doesn't matter.

Most people in the private sector have been boned for a while. Now seems to be the time when the public employees take a hit. A lot of public services have been wasteful for a while. Sucks that it effects the lives of our children but they can't be used as a sheild against cutting the fat of a fatty system.

The shame of it is that all of the hard working teachers and other public employees will be **** on because of the actions of the lazy ones. But again, I'm all for merit based raises and security- not due to working just hard enough to not get fired over a period of time.

I agree but the BOE is not going to make the cuts you did they will fire the teachers with a few thousand dollars in college loans. This IMO was the wrong way of cutting the fat. IMO the cut the meat as well.

Hate to say it this way Al, but when that happens it's going to point the gun at BOE's stupid decisions, the NJEA, etc. Which is where it should be. But there will be punishment of people who don't deserve it.

i posted this yesterday but bonzo deleted it....now its on the same topic. cut the teachers budget and put that money somewhere else in the state.

Unfortuantely, your right, voting down the buget is probably going to cost some teachers their jobs. However, we as the residents of NJ dont have any other way of forcing change. I dont think anybody wants teachers to loose their jobs. The entire system is screwed up and needs an overhaul. How could we possilbly create a system where the only people that have the power to fix the problem are the problem? Approving the budget would only allow those people to continue doing what they have been doing. We had to send the message that we are tired of the taxes and waste.

If you have another way to force the changes that have to be made, I would love to hear it.