The Star Ledger has an editorial this morning calling on NJ school officials to quit complaining and start cutting spending.
Fat chance of that happening.
Have you noticed the NJEA ads on TV? They're advertising online too. There's a link that reads New Jersey Public Schools on my aol email this morning that points to the NJEA website.
Why would the NJEA need to advertise? They are a public teachers union. They have no meaningful competition. It doesn't make sense to me that they would have to spend their members' dues money to advertise the success of NJ students. Students and their parents should be the best advertisement...word of mouth.
I called the NJEA to ask them about this. After being transferred three times I was told the person in charge of advertising was hurriedly called into a meeting. I'll report back if she returns my call.
I wonder how much the NJEA is spending on this advertising campaign. Six figures? Seven figures? It seems a waste.
If NJ education officials heed the Star Ledger's call to stop complaining and cut spending, like the rest of us are, they might want to look closely and these union contracts. The teachers themselves might want to reconsider how much of their paychecks they are giving up in dues to the union and their expensive advertising campaign.
However, if the NJEA would like to advertise on this blog, I'll gladly take their money.
The Wisdom of NATO entry for Poland and Ukraine
21 hours ago
Posts
2 comments:
Right on Art, as usual. I'll go one better - why are municipal unions (like the NJEA) allowed to contribute to the political campaigns of people who will ultimately be negotiating contracts paid for with tax dollars? If that isn't a conflict, I don't know what is.
yeah, I used to think that local schools where a cesspool of overspending and mismanagement. That is untill I sat on a local school board and learned that most of the spending is not discretionary. I can not speak for other districts but I know Tinton Falls runs a lean operation.
Except of course for the areas where the State ties our hands. Yes the same State Legislators that love to blame us for high taxes. Let's see, 20% 0f the budget goes to special education which School Boards have very little control over. If the professionals say that some Kid needs some service he gets it regardless of the cost. Now in many cases they really do need it (although I have seen a few dubious ones) Thats fine but the state should pay for it. Then there is the way the system is rigged for the NJEA when it comes to negotiations You want to cut salary increases? Forget about going lower then the "county average". Oh and the legislature took away the ability to impose a last best offer a few years back.
What else drives up school taxes? How about the overdevelopment that has been caused by COAH. For every dollar collected on residential properties a 1.50 in services is provided. Thats right the program for affordable housing drives up taxes so that nobody can afford to live here. You have to love the irony.
But hey the solution must be to tell schools they can not spend a few hundred dollars on training, reducing those meal reimbursements and telling school districts they can not use color ink. That will solve the problem.
Well not really but at least the politicians will still have somebody else to blame.
Post a Comment