The past six months have been interesting. Among Aberdeen’s six representatives on the school board, only one has served more than a term, in contrast to all of Matawan’s representatives. A majority of the board has advance degrees (2 doctorates, 2 law degrees, and one masters in engineering). The special ed community, long a victim of school politics and power plays, has a new director plus two board members who were formerly officers of the Parents of Special People.
In town hall, discounting Councilman Tagliarini who will still be serving his first year in office by November’s election, none of the office holders are seeking re-election. If someone keeps the spotlight on the town council for another two years, the remaining three council members are unlikely to seek re-election as well.
Simply put, it’s no longer fun to serve in Aberdeen Township. The people have awakened, they are watching, and they don’t like what they see.
The big question, though, is whether all these changes mean anything. We can only hope.
For the upcoming elections, I doubt there are a hundred people in town that can name all four Republican candidates. Granted, I’m sure they can’t name all four Democratic candidates either but the Democrats have deep coffers, a town newsletter, a bully pulpit, and a well organized campaign to physically bring voters to the polls. (Notice the pay-to-play ordinance still hasn’t been passed.) Plus, the Democratic ticket is led by Councilman Tagliarini and Jimmy Lauro, two people with long and distinguished histories of town service.
I had been hoping the Republicans would launch a grass roots campaign and force both parties to define the issues and stake their positions. However, with only four months left to campaign, I’m still waiting for the Republicans to develop a platform. The Democrats don’t need a platform – they’ll keep doing what they’ve been doing for the past twelve years.
Though I will not be taking a position in the upcoming campaign, I do hope we will not elect an all-Democratic council. Having one-party rule for over a decade is bad for any governing body; there needs to be a vocal opposition to keep the majority honest.
The Greater Aberdeen Annual Garage Sale seems to have gone well. This year we had over sixty houses participate. I’m hoping to get other towns to begin participating as well. (Thanks to Karen Ventura, town clerk, for posting the event on the town website and the town calendar.)
As for Aberdeener.com, I had expected traffic to drop after my election since I would no longer be doing any investigative reporting but that’s not been the case. I guess the temptation to take out a sitting BOE member, not to mention payback, has proven too great. Last month, the blog had about 6,000 visits from 1,200 unique visitors with nearly 13,000 pageviews. That’s just a little over 10 pageviews per unique visitor. Since many people view the site from both work and home, the actual number is probably closer to 13 pageviews per unique visitor. Upon closer inspection, the numbers appear to reflect a lot of new visitors to the site who are going through the archives as well as people who keep returning to the site to post inflammatory comments. In other words, the very people who are attacking me are building the website’s audience. Perhaps I should thank them.
For example, the article on raises for the top administrators had 191 comments, a record. Yet, that same article didn’t even make the top 30. How? Because the post comments page is on Blogger.com so it doesn’t appear on my traffic report. Apparently, large numbers of visitors simply went straight from the home page to posting a comment, bypassing the article itself. Of the top 5 articles in the past six months, 4 of them dealt with the election and filling the vacant seat and one was about Jawann Brown (whom we will continue to remember).
Many of the comments are naturally from unaffiliated readers but other anonymous posters are fairly easy to identify; they’re the ones repeating talking points or just launching into personal attacks regardless of the discussion at hand. The logic is to either silence me by getting me to post fewer articles, discredit me by posting inflammatory comments, provoke me to say something inappropriate, undermine me by forcing me to censor comments, or to catch me saying something that violates my duties as a BOE member. Even if nothing happens, I’m sure they enjoy trashing me on my own blog. It’s like spectators throwing eggs at cars on the NASCAR Speedway – everybody loves a spectacular crash.
As long as my attackers keep building traffic to my blog, who am I to complain? On the contrary, now that I know more and more people involved in the school district read my blog, it’s become an even more effective communications tool to discuss and promote ideas for improving education. I look forward to competing for the hearts and minds of our teachers and parents.
As a BOE member, I have only one objective – To focus our school district on educational goals that are open, reliable, commendable, and measurable.
To those getting cheap thrills from anonymous attacks, I’m glad I can be of service. To everyone else who’s truly focused upon improving the lives of our residents, thank you for listening and I hope to hear from you as well. >>> Read more!
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
Mid-Year Review
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148 comments:
I found this post in a google search from CHET in Edison:
Explain why Gambino and Warren had to abstain from voting on the "new tv" teacher who quit the position last minute before the board was about to vote at the 4/18 mtg. Sneaky stuff going on... The new BOE is all about political payouts to those they know or owe favors it seems.... Bring back Klavon! He was awesome when he was here! Also....why hasn't the Asst Supt ever been bumped up? 20+ yrs of service and gets passed up every time... Sounds like the Asst Principal at the HS!:)
Any word on this Mr.Warren?
It couldn't possibly be that the posters actually think that the 9.3 and 6.7% raises were just plain wrong. They were all just trying to make you look bad. Your ego is showing.
Anon,
Thanks for pointing me to the site. Some of the comments were quite interesting.
As for the specific post, though I'm not a psychologist, it sounds like the person is suffering from delusional paranoia. How can a board member abstain from a vote that never happened? How can someone quit a job they were never given? What political payouts have there been? Bumping up the asst. superintendent? What board would ever award the chief administrative officer position based upon seniority?
The entire post is bizarre.
and Joey finally mowed his lawn.
Interesting statistics. It is good to see people in this town at least reading about it- they sure are not at BOE or council meetings.
I do not understand how you can tell 1200 unique people visit and how you know they are from home or work. Are people really anonymous or do you as the blogger know who people are? - for example you wrote about people in the educational community visiting your site - how do you know this?
Just asking. Keep up the dialogue. I will give you this, you are very open and candid about your opinions and do NOT SEEM to have alterior motives. For this, I thank you.
It's probably not Matawan teachers contributing to this stella site on Education because this site is blocked from the MARSD servers. I'm actually glad to hear that our teachers use sources other than Blogs for educational information. Last time I checked this site has not been accredited by any professional organization.
Apparently it is not just your posters that think the raises were too costly. Here is link to today's APP editorial.
http://www.app.com/article/20090707/OPINION01/907080329/1029/OPINION/Stunning+raises+costly+to+taxpayers
NEWS FLASH NEWS FLASH
ASBURY PARK PRESS OP/ED EDITORIAL IN NEWSPAPER TODAY.
TOPIC MAT/AB SALARY INCREASES FOR SCHOOL ADMINISTRATORS.
GUESS THE 100 OR SO PEOPLE LIKE KEN A., B. MARINELLA, NSECJ AND MANY OTHERS WERE RIGHT?
THAT MAKES OUR SCHOOL LEADERSHIP OLD AND NEW VERY WRONG.
ANYONE SURPRISED?
When I look at the statistics, my question is how many people are reading the articles. The best measure for that is "unique visitors". By tracking IP addresses, every household and place of business is considered a unique visitor. Since some people look at the site from home as well as work, the number of "households" reading the articles is lower than the number of unique visitors.
Another point to remember is that not everyone who reads the blog is from Aberdeen.
Unless you know to whom an IP address was assigned for that time of day, you can't recognize a user through his IP address. Also, the post comments page is on a different site so I have no way to track the traffic on that page.
So, in a roundabout way, the answer to your question is that Google provides a free site that tracks traffic to your site by looking at the users' IP addresses. The comments are anonymous, although the police can subpoena information from Google and the internet provider to reveal a user's identity. I know people from the educational community are reading the blog because I hear many second hand reports through the grapevine.
I just read the atricle in app. There is nothing that the B.O.E can say that can justify these raises. They did their damn jobs thats all plan and simple. They are under contract to do their jobs. Has it been that long since a admid. did their job? My husband goes to work everyday and does his job he doesn't get a 9% raise. Crazy just crazy.
Thanks for posting that link. The only people who agreed with the raises were the BOE members. I thought they were supposed to be a representation of the community, guess not. Mr.Warren has no problem voting for raises for O'Malley, Irons and Jokestein, but when the township council gets a small increase he CRUSHES them. They didn't deserve a raise of that magnitude so soon. The posters all agreed, the paper, your buddy blogger in Matawan and the people in town. How are you serving US?
Last year, the APP opposed O'Malley's appointment, calling him a part-timer and saying he shouldn't be getting a $750/month stipend until he could leave his current job.
Notice the article doesn't mention that we were the only large school district in Monmouth County to reduce spending without cutting services, that there was no tax levy increase, that our finances are finally in order, or that we introduced a dozen initiatives in the past year.
Oh, they also don't mention that, even after the raises, O'Malley and Irons are still earning over 10% less than their peers.
The APP editorial board didn't care for O'Malley last year and they don't care for him this year. I'll credit them with being consistent.
By the way, why would anyone think that a nameless editor from Asbury Park is more knowledgeable than Ken Aitken or Joe McAleer, who already commented on the subject?
Aside from the publicity, the APP Editorial adds nothing to the discussion.
The app is a one sided, anti public employee rag, not worth the paper it's printed on. That being said, I still can't see why the board voted to add to raises already established by contract.
I agree that Ken A. and Joe M. are very involved and obviously care greatly about their community. The only ones who did the wrong thing on behalf of the taxpayers was the aberdeener and those that voted for the raises. Maybe Joe M. and Ken will run for the Bd. of Ed. next time?
Now that one of your BOE memebers told a group of residents that the scores for the High School were lower then last year, are you going to ask for the raises back? I was also wondering if Irons has forcasted what the increase in taxes if any will be next year?
Who cares what their peers are making, they signed a contract! Stop with that already, if they didn't want it they shouldn't have taken the offer in the beginning, no excusses. OUTRAGEOUS increases, you did us wrong!
Mr. Warren,
The only way spending could be cut without cutting services would be if the budget was overinflated to begin with. For two years you agreed that the tax levy was way higher than it needed to be and made many comments supporting that. Why the change?
The finances were in order for years under previous business administrators for a lot less money in that office and only became a problem under the interim, who should have been replaced a lot sooner. If that was done by many current board members the finances would have been in order.
If one follows your peer pay logic then next year you would be in favor of giving O'Malley and Irons another 10% raise because they are under their peers. Are you in favor of another 10% next year to put them on par with their peers? You can't believe that is in our best interest yet you continue to defend a peer pay scale.
As far as the initiatves, many have been introduced over the years before O'Malley, with a cost and no results. O'Malleys dozen initiatives mean nothing unless he gets results and that has not been proven and probably never will.
Not only does the APP editorial board not care for O'Malley, now he has turned the taxpayers against him. That is not a good idea if you really want to be a leader and he should have been advised of that.
I am not against O'Malley, they decided to give him more money, I am against the BOE. They decided to vote in the increases, it is something they had control of and pushed through. They save some from an over inflated budget and give some back to the guy in charge. Stop defending their increases with peer salaries, DID THEY SIGN A CONTRACT FOR THAT AMOUNT? YES!
WAS HE GOING TO GET A RAISE THIS YEAR? YES!
Gladstein is a joke, has been, he has been on the same board you complained about and he get a 3.6% raise? HE is lucky to still have a job.
I'm not going to address the same arguments over and over again.
If someone knows of a superintendent who did a better job than O'Malley, give me the name and we'll do a comparison.
By the end of this month, I intend to publish my own criteria for awarding raises/bonuses next year. Regardless of the economy, there needs to be incentives for higher performance. If you can think of some non-cash incentives for a chief administrative position, let me know.
Are you in favor of giving O'Malley and Irons a 10% increase next year to put them on par with their peers?
If I could get a job where I could be rewarded before the test scores came out or if I did not have to show where the money came from I would become a school super too.
If I could get paid a finders fee for cutting budgets I would become a governmental auditor. If I could cut a budget a paltry amount like O'Malley did and get rewarded I would.
You can't make this stuff up.
They deserved NOTHING!
Good Day Aberdeener.
How do you know how good they are doing without the results (test scores)? It is an agrument you don't want to have because you are the only one who agrees with the increase. The board was weak, afraid to vote "NO" to O'Malley.
We got the NWEA test scores, which were positive. The preliminary NJ test scores are of little value until we have the state-wide comparative scores.
As for next year, my fervent hope is that O'Malley and Irons merit massive bonuses for next year. If I could give them $100,000 for a 5% district-wide performance increase, I would. Do the math.
I absolutely agree the prior board should have set established goals and complained about it over a year ago. That's why I'll be setting goals this month.
As for the ease of knocking a full point off the budget, can you name any other large district in Monmouth County that was able to do it?
According to Donaghue and your logic, if they did nothing next year they should get a 10% increase to put them on par with their peers. News flash to Donaghue: Finally after all these years the Asbury Park Press realizes he is an idiot.
To further quote the paper "Aberdeen residents should see that they're soon replaced by people who have the taxpayers' best interest at heart".
Why don't you watch the video and read Donaghue's full statement before jumping to conclusions.
As for my reasons, I've written extensively for anybody who wishes to take the time and look objectively at the facts.
So far, I'm still waiting to hear of another large district that lowered spending and held the line on taxes without financial chicanery or cutting services.
Maybe that's the proof that financial incentives work.
Aberdeener, I would like to know what is the current board policy on hiring relatives of board members for district employment?
Immediate family members may not be hired but current employees may continue to be employed.
this is so good
I think it is coming truer and truer, so I cut and pasted incase anyone missed it
Upcoming Aberdeen election analysis
IF, and that’s a BIG as the dems are full of money and the republicans have none at the time, but if all things were equal, this is how our crack team of researchers see the Aberdeen election proceeding
Mayor
Taglarini vs Aljian
Taglarini does have some negatives as evidenced by him getting considerable less votes then one of his running mates however he is a know person thru his many years of service in the little league and present and past council service
Aljian’s bio only concerns his experience in somerset county, he is involved in st joseph’s school however the enrollment is very low and 60 % of the those familes do not live in Aberdeen
Prediction Taglarini wins 2651 to 2098 mostly thru name recognition due to Little League years of service
4 year council seats
Lauro and Montone vs Garaguso and Balvaram
Jimmy Lauro has lived in town his whole life and has run the DPW department in town for 40 years. There are very few people in town that do not know Jimmy
Margaret Montone served on the board of education for over ten years, Long time resident of the town and her husband works for the school system
Garaguso’s bio says member of cert team and recently married, this is thin
Balvaram – unkown - no bio available – we googled and searched the internet but can find nothing on her.
Prediction
Lauro and Montone win big, mostly due to Jimmy Lauro’s popularity
2745 - 2020
2 year council seat
Vail vs Cannon
This one is closer
Vail is a CPA who previously ran for board of education. He campaigned hard in that election but lost
Cannon. Not personally well know but his father is a councilman in matawan and the Cannon name is well know in Aberdeen
Prediction - This will come down to who campaigns harder. Aberdeen voter have a long tradition of splitting votes
The vote will be 2425 -2475 but we are not sure who wins.
when th republicans lose it will be because
They have no money
They have no real fundraising strategy
They have alienated most of the party members that have been actively involved
They have gone after and bad mouthed a very loyal republican to county officials
They line up very weak against Taglarini, Lauro & Montone
They have no Platform / Strategy
They don’t answer simple question if they don't like the questions
They don’t have regular meetings
They did no work in the primary
And what I hear from the "Regular alienated republicans" – is they, as far as the council elections goes,will sit on thier couches this fall and watch football and drink beer and watch the aljian plane crash and burn like a beautiful fireworks show.
Don't worry folks Time goes fast and their is a control election(4 seats) in two years
I gotta tell you - it is real disheartening to see the same old dems vs republicans BS. Anonymous you need to grow a set (even if you are female) and identify your self openly. Otherwise your words are worth nothing.
DID ANYONE CATCH what Gerry D. said on the BOE pod cast or who was there?
He came out and said Dr. O asked for 185k when he first applied - he did not get it - then he brought up Larry O 's name - who did not look to pleased.
Isn't is strange that 185k was brought up last year - a contract was signed for 3000 raise increments- and Lo and Behold - this year he gets 185k which was talked about in the first place- plus cell phone, laptop, and mileage....wow....
I also find it odd that BOE members quesiton past practices and MANY OF THEM WERE THE ONES MAKING THE DECISIONS!!!!! - GD - 15 yrs LO - 7 yrs CK - 4 years JR- 7 years - yet they speak of this "previous board" - they were THAT BOARD-
And dont give me BARZA gang rule or something- they could have voted no as JR and Dr. G did with the contracts.....
I beleive that a BOE member should have their children go to the school system or had them go, because of the interaction you should have with the teachers peronally. Sending your children to a private school when you are a board member means you have no faith in the system that you are suppose to help run.
How about Mr. Matawan and Mr. Town Baseball =Fred T. who sends his kid to SJV and I heard he was on the stage at the MRHS graduation....
You can tell its an election year!
Ricky, it is an election year and everyone does it, if the Republicans were smart they would figure that out. Don't blame Tag because he is getting his name and face out there that is what a smart politican should be doing.
Election season is not about anything other then kauff mainatining his control on all things aberdeen. He has always been and will always be a low life scumbag.
Good morning normy.
I just have a small problem with a guy who sends his kid to SJV up on the stage at a MRHS graduation. If he were mayor already - maybe- oh wait, the other mayor's kid goes to SJV too.
Interesting. Is there a conflict of interest here in the future when the towns try to play with school budget?
We need representation of educated people on the board who do not have kids in the system as well as for those to have representation of those who pay taxes and never will have use of our educational system. There are many who fall into that category.
Tags is a council member, has worked with kids in the baseball league for years, sits on other boards and is well known in the community. That being said, he doesn't need to be on the stage but is a smart politician. Maybe the republican's should be coming up with some ideas. It is politics, that is the bottom line, he is making steps to do something the others are sitting on their hands.
"As for the ease of knocking a full point off the budget, can you name any other large district in Monmouth County that was able to do it?"
I can not. Why be like everyone else?
I'm only focusing on MARSD, not what everyone else is doing. This is a hard comparison to make because who is to say how much "fat" is in all the school districts budgets. A 1% reduction of a $67+Mil budget that has probably never gone through a major reduction doesn't seem like much.
I agree with Champ, stop focusing on everyone else and just worry about MARSD. I don't have everyone elses budget, slaries, etc. 1% on an already overinflated budget is nothing, I think a year ago Mr.Warren you would have said the same thing! I don't care what other school districts pay their staff, they knew what they were getting when the took the position, give us all a break!
Tagliarini is a fraud. He's a Republican, but wait -- Kauff can finance my campaign as a Democrat, Ok, I'm a Democrat. He's an empty shirt that votes as told by Sobel, Kauff, and the others. That's what he did on the Planning Board, that's what he does on Council. He even switched his lifelong political party to sign up with Kauff. Tagliarini will say anything, stand on any stage he's told to be on, and do anything the bosses tell him.
Sadly the post above is very true.
Champ,
Despite nobody else having been able cut their spending levels, and considering the other achievements of the past year, you're confident that the promise of financial rewards don't improve performance.
So that I can do the math, what's your confidence level? 100%? 99%? It has to be above 95% to warrant the risk.
Convince me that I should be more than 95% confident that I'll be able to expect the same continued performance without the raises.
Good point aberdeener.
I'm actually all for financial rewards. It's when and how they are arrived at that I'm curious about. This past increase seems too open-ended.
I'll be willing to raise the stakes to raise the bar. Give me better financial results (and whatever the goal(s) are - predetermined) and I'll give you bigger raises. Although, I'd give bigger one-time bonuses than raises.
I think the MARS adminstrators (ROM and team) should be given achievable and measurable goals at the start of the year. Against which all will be reward levels - all public.
Pick the top criteria. Let's say. Budget and Test scores are two.
1) Goal - Reduce the 2009/2010 operating budget by $x.
x% pay increase
If the reduction is less than $x, then increase is less than x%. Should be a minimum entry point.
2) Increase overall test scores from X to Y.
x% pay increase
This will also help come contract renewal.
Champ,
Looking forward, I think we're on the same page.
I'm still working on the details, but here's what I'm thinking.
1) Salary Caps - Any increase beyond a certain number will only be awarded as a bonus, not a raise
2) Budget targets - no tax increase, reduce spending with minimal service cuts (this does not include a possible second referendum for development bonding to get some promised state aid)
3) Performance targets among high school seniors
4) Developing open, reliable performance targets for the "graduating" classes of the other school buildings
5) Other pre-determined initiatives believed to have long term benefits
Also, these criteria don't only go in one direction. For example, if the budget raises taxes, that would count against O'Malley's other accomplishments.
Just a reminder - this is my personal scorecard, not the board's.
Aberdeener, you speak of promises, confidence levels and risks. None of which are exact sciences.
What happened to speaking of DATA, RESULTS and then rewards. Who are you and what have you done with Joey Warren?
You should be 100% confident of performance continuing as long as you are paying the employees. Don't give them excessive raises in an attempt to improve performance. Actually training has a bigger affect on performance than money. If you don't how, all the money in the world won't make a difference.
Re #2
One target should be to set the hierarchy model for the schools and district office. That is, one principal and principal per school, 'X' guidance counselors, 'X' admin support, etc.
Also, too much rundundancy in the district office.
Teachers salary should commensurate with their jobs. That is, if a kindergartern teacher makes $85K, he/she should should move into a different position, take a pay cut, or move out. Regardless of tenure. Otherwise, any budget actions shouldn't address teachers and kids' programs. At least in the near term.
Would you believe of all the staff moves, the ones that garnered the most community resistance were the kindergarten teachers?
I only used the kindergarten teachers as an example. I really have no idea if there is any truth to it. I would imagine popularity plays a big role.
One of the first things O'Malley did when he came here was "not recommend" the supervisor of Math and Science, Cresenda Jones, for rehire. Basically she was fired. According to today's Independent, she was just hired as Holmdel's supervisor of Math and Science. Either O'Malley isn't as smart as you think or Holmdel isn't . . . but they have the test score data to back them up. What do we have again?
holmdel is the loser on that one
He fired Honnick and Jones. The record: Honnick fired twice since then, and Jones hasn't had a job since she was fired. The facts are clear!
Damn. Champ and Aberdeener should get a room!
Back to the dems and kauff. They are the ones ruining the quality of life in Aberdeen. We need to ask ourselves one question.
How much money does cme really need to steal from the kauff controlled towns?
The answer is as much as kauff needs to run his corrupt campaigns.
F U norm.
Hey Vinnie Vincie where you been? Vincie better get out there and start kissing the babies and pressing the flesh. How much will Kauff pay you to run the Lauro and Taggies campaign? They paid you so handsomely to run your own campaign so you might want to ask for a raise this time around. I think you all face a much more informed and tired of being abused public. That is what is waiting for Kauff and his henchmen this time around. Still nothing but silence on the Kauff candidate with the false residency. Isn't that right Mr. Cannon? Just a typical low life Democrat. Mommy and Daddy should be so proud of you starting your career in politics off with a lie. Hey Kauff F.U. before I forget. Kauff needs to realize the writing is on the wall this election season. This time the writing says ABERDEEN WANTS CHANGE. NORMAN KAUFF GOES. We need you Aberdeener now more than ever. WARNING to the Aberdeener *Do not look into Kauff's eyes*. Do not make the mistake my neighbor and soon to be my X neighbor Mayor D. Sobel did. Hear Davey is moving south. Maybe to the Corren compound. Mayor Davey drank the Kauff kool-aid and look at him. He is just a shell of a man with no morals. Talk about your Freeking zombies. Mayor Sobel was the head D.O.A. ring leader for all of the living dead on the Aberdeen council. They looked like they were all alive but they were all dead inside. Just corpse like marionettes with Kauff pulling their strings. Anything on this new manager in Aberdeen yet? Stellar silence is what I hear comes from that handpicked Kauff mistake. I heard the other day he is M.I.A. most of the time. This from a conversation I overheard at Enzo's last Sunday. It seems these two employees are also having trouble with medical coverage. I feel so bad for them since I have no medical coverage for life like they have. Aberdeen will be the next Jonestown if Kauff gets in again. We will all be too glad to drink the kool-aid if the crypt keeper Kauff maintains control for four more years. Kauff gets in again and I will stand at the front of the line. F. U. Rev. Norman Kauff.
Well then here is the dilemma:
I watched the pod cast and I have read the stuff you Mr. Aberdeener wrote here.
If we are so concerned with what other districts are paying Supers and business administrators - what do we say when the teacher contract negotiations come around.
I teach up north, but I am under the understanding that this is YEAR 3 of the teacher in M.A. contract.
So what if they look around to comparable districts and come up with a number for a natural pay increase - what then?
I know the number posted in their current contract has been around the 4% mark. WHAT NOW?
If we are so happy with the progress of the super - do the teachers get any credit? If there has been improvement, they are responsible for it as well as the super. He got a 7% raise. Now that is not realistic for the teachers at all - but I have read this blog and have seen some of the attitudes towards this town's teachers perpetuated by SOME of the BOE members.
The funny thing is that this IS A SMALL TOWN - word travels. Like hens in a hen house- nothing is secret. So when the teachers are getting bad mouthed - word travels easily. I am glad I do not teach here and feel sorry for those who do come negotiation time.
SO:
What happens to their contract? A CAN OF WORMS WAS OPENED AT THE LAST BOE MEETING..........
FYI: Early childhood education is essential to the developement of a child and influences her attitude towards learning for the rest of her life. Absolutely, positively essential. So yeah, people with children are aware of this if they have eyes in their head, they can see how their little ones are eager sponges at these ages. That's why they care so much about kindergarten teachers, and why you should too, Misters Aberdeener and Champ!
Joe,
When teachers are ready to be evaluated on individual performance, I'll fight for their bonuses as well.
Joey...how can you be an objective member of the BOE when you obviously have such a hard anti-teacher stance. What did the teachers ever do to you? Did someone put you in a corner with a cone on your head?
You'll have to break the union. Look up "Thugs for Hire" in the yellowpages.
I'm not anti-teacher. I'm anti any organization that pursues an agenda contrary to the interests of the community.
Everybody knows good teachers should be rewarded, bad teachers should pursue other professions, and our children pay the price when grownups play politics with education.
Champ,
Are you suggesting that a kindergarten teacher making %85,000doesn't deserve to make that much money, but a teacher teaching high school does?
You are against an agenda contrary to the community. That is and has been the Matawan-Aberdeen Board of Education. Just look at the past ten years and that is proof positive. Their decisions, spending, in-fighting and outright arrogance and abuse of the taxpayers is what you should be against. So far the jury is out on that one. Your first vote has not shown us much.
Think about it Mr. Warren.
I know. I know. Separaton of church and state. I post this just released Papal encylical only to point out that there are "certain quarters" who do not view unions as an impediment to progress... but as an absolute necessity towards Justice! "Through the combination of social and economic change, trade union organizations experience greater difficulty in carrying out their task of representing the interests of workers, partly because Governments, for reasons of economic utility, often limit the freedom or the negotiating capacity of labor unions. Hence traditional networks of solidarity have more and more obstacles to overcome. The repeated calls issued within the Church’s social doctrine, beginning with Rerum Novarum, for the promotion of workers’ associations that can defend their rights must therefore be honored today even more than in the past, as a prompt and far-sighted response to the urgent need for new forms of cooperation at the international level, as well as the local level." "Caritas in veritate"- Encyclical Letter of His Holiness Benedict XVI
http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/benedict_xvi/encyclicals/documents/hf_ben-xvi_enc_20090629_caritas-in-veritate_en.html
Pickle,
I'm not close enough to determine that.
What I am suggesting is that positions, all positions in the MARSD not just teachers, with similar requirements, responsibilities, objectives, etc be in the same salary range. Who determines what positions these are, how they are grouped and what the $ ranges are I don't know. Probably the MARSD management team with board approval.
I don't think its fair that a person in a comparable position as another can make a lot more.
Hypothetical example to illustrate;
Take a very good teacher who may make an average salary versus an OK/fair/lousy teacher in the same grade who makes 2x's the salary only because they've been in that position 20 years longer.
o section post should be removed from this site. To say Aberdeen would become another Jonestown if the Dems are elected, is very serious. Young people voting for the first time should hear educated reasons what they should vote one way or another.
VERY SERIOUS
Aberdeener said:
"I'm not anti-teacher. I'm anti any organization that pursues an agenda contrary to the interests of the community."
But "the community" is made up of people with different interests, right? That's why we have debates, elections, etc. I don't think we want one person to decide what the interests of the community are, do we? There's no getting around the fact that we're going to have politics to balance out all those opinions, interests, etc. I just wish we had more logic and facts to work with here -- some seem to just want to rant about personalities and histories.
I'd also feel better if I knew that people were pitching in more -- readers, are you volunteering in your schools? Helping to fundraise for activities, clubs, sports? Everyone's entitled to their opinion, but I'm entitled to pay more attention to the opinions of those who pitch in, because they probably learned how the schools actually work and where the gaps are.
BTW, I admire and am grateful to Aberdeener for setting up this site, and to all who join in the lively chatter.
Weren't the raises that were just given out an agenda contrary to the interests of the community. The board of education pursued and enacted these raises when the community was dead set against them. Anti the eletist organization called the board of education.
Here's a link to the 2009-2010 Old Bridge school budget.
http://www.oldbridgeadmin.org/09-10_User_Friendly_budget.pdf
It shows their superintendent earning $188,000/yr plus allowances, health insurance, etc. Some of you suggested that we shouldn't bother looking at salaries in comparable districts in the area when we calculate what is a fair wage and what will keep quality personnel in our employ. That's the lamest, self-serving, isolationist nonsense I've ever heard.
The Asbury Park Press editorial is amazingly crass. It sounds like a letter to the editor. More than anything, it speaks to the poor quality of editorial content in our local papers. And it explains the rise in readership of local blogs.
Good for Old Bridge Pat, why don't you move there! You still think the library is overfunded, get a grip.
How can you even compare Matawan Aberdeen to Old Bridge- Old Bridge has 12 elementary schools, 2 middle schools and a high school had has 3,300 students. The high school alone has more students in it than the whole Matawan Aberdeen school district. The Superintendent of Old Bridge was a teacher in the district and worked his way up and has also been Superintendent of Old Bridge for 4 years and has a proven positive track record. Dr. O'Malley is only making $3,000 less than the Superintendent of Old Bridge??? Maybe a little more research should have been done before posting just the salaries....
Finally a person other than the six board members who tries to defend the lunacy and your example is the lamest, self-serving, isolationist nonsense anyone has ever heard. After all this time Old Bridge is the best example you can come up with to defend a lame, self-serving, isolationist position.
Just to be clear, Supt. Bosco earned 188K last year, which was 23K more than in his prior year.
That figure also doesn't include such niceties as being allowed up to $20,000 for unused vacation days or his 150K severance package. The severance package includes 30K for unused vacation days over a 3-year period from 03-06.
I don't know what's in his contract or what he's making this year. I do know he increased spending by half a million dollars.
Aberdeener...are your investigative reporting days over? Why haven't you researched why Dr. O'Malley got the same amount of money through his raise as he originally requested? Is it because there was a handshake wink-wink deal made when he came aboard?I urge all readers to watch the podcast of the BOE meeting...3rd segment. Scroll halfway through to the part where Gerry Donohue is speaking. Watch the OConnell's reaction when GD mentions OConnell's name with regards to DrO's contract negotiations. Then watch Chuck's reaction when he states that DrO originally wanted 185K.
It's all water under the bridge now, but why do you sidestep the obvious and admit that DrO's raise was promised to him when he was hired?
People should get off their high horses about the superintendent salary. O'Malley is working hard, doing a good job, and deserves a pay increase, as does Irons. Freezing their pay would be an invitation to leave and would make it difficult to hire anyone else.
The position the anti-pay raise people have is contrary to good management and a stable school system. Don't take out your personal frustrations about the economy on these hard working people.
The only exception is Glastein who should be shown the door by being given a 0% increase.
O section post should be removed FU.
More protectors of Kauff it seems have entered cyberspace. Name one man who without question controls Aberdeen and some other municipalities much to the detriment of those same communities.
We are waiting Kauffkins.
You know he is ruining Aberdeen and using our tax money to pay off C.M.E. and all of his other campaign contributing friends to fund all of his corrupt campaigns. Deny that. You can't.
O section should only deny what is not true. Kauff runs Aberdeen so who is next to deny it? The kool-aid thing is true. If Kauff wins again it will be hard to swallow like poisoned kool-aid.
We are waiting Kauffkins for your denials on all things Kauff.
NORMAN KAUFF IS THE BEST THING SINCE SLICED BREAD
Anon,
There was no wink-wink when the board negotiated O'Malley's contract. On page 7 of the contract, there's a pay for performance clause that's left to the board's discretion. O'Malley knew he was being hired by a divided board.
The problem, as I see it, is that the board never established district goals and tied them to compensation.
Aberdeener, how can you defend OB comparison vs MARSD? You shoot down every other comparison anon's make. I think this blog has seen better days, when you and Pat are the voices of reason.
I perceived an inference that O'Malley was being overpaid because he was seemingly receiving about the same salary as a supt. of a larger district. I therefore showed there was a disparity.
I'm not arguing he should be paid as much as the OB super, only that he isn't.
At least the OB superintedent proved himself with test scores that went up before the large raise went into effect. He also runs a district more than double the size of MARSD and has been in OB for over 30 years. You can't compare the two.
Obviously THE TRUTH has been the victim of ignorance once again by the beholding Kauff supporters. The Kauffkins need to realize the times they are a changing. Election day will be a shocker for Kauff Inc. without a doubt. They barely won last time and they may not have all that Jimmy Lauro, Fred and Ms. Montone seem to have the widespread effect that they have been selected for. Some think Jimmy Lauro is sorry he drank the Kauff kool aid and may seriously regret his diving on the sword for his buddy Vinnie. All things in time Norman all things in time.
Speaking of time Kauff your time is up. This election day Aberdeen taxpayers finally get Aberdeen back. Rumors abound that a grand jury is soon to hear testimony from disgruntled workers and overcharged taxpayers and developers tired of CM&E and the mystery fees and inspections that seem to just happen. Norman we know more than you think we know. Norman you may want to start seriously thinking about a plea deal. Our favorite investigator from gateway one says hello Norman by the way. Of course I made this all up just to antagonize Kauff. There is no investigator. Right Norman? Gateway one is really empty and there are no federal investigators with offices in that building. Right Norman?
Shut up and fix my toilet Dave. And when you are done, help yourself to some Kool Aid.
Dave please fix the toilet so that it sucks kauff into the septic system that is failing in our area. Then kauff can come come up thru my front yard like my used toilet paper does. Then I could cut my grass and give kauff a taxpayer haircut. He screwed us years ago and now he has montone like that is going to do something for votes over here. Not likely.
Aberdeener, how can you be so sure that there was no wink wink when O'Malley was hired. You were not on the board. I guess you just believe what your buddys tell you. You are either naive or have sold out to their "ends justify the means" delusions. I personally think O'Malley wanted the extra money for dealing with all you knuckleheads.
well everyone now knows where kauff will be ons thursday. front and center kissing up to obama and our local idiot governor. all the great events that happen there and now the corzine please get people to vote for me at any cost tour has started. who does he think he is kidding with all the poor and oppressed programs corzine wants to do this year. today he puts in the paper there is one to help the food banks. when did it become illegal to have people help themselves governor. who is going to help me and mine governor corzine when i end up paying more to help others and then i have no money left to take care of myyself. ask obama that one for me kauff.
Freneau, hats off to you that was a good one
"when did it become illegal to have people help themselves governor." Ha! The way things are going now, if the goverment doesn't step up to the plate and continue to at least fund safety net programs, people are going to be helping themselves to each other's wallet at the point of a gun on every street corner!!! The hungry and desperate eventually turn to crime. There are no jobs, and those who are holding on by their teeth have zero expendable income. The wealth of the nation is gone, gone to modern day robber barons. Pillaged by thousands of Wall Street Masters of the Universe who, like Bernie Madoff, employed accountants like architects to build their sham houses of cards. So we better come together, and start looking at our neighbors as our brothers, cause we're all in the same boat now, me, mine and yours. We've all been robbed.
After watching the podcast there is no doubt the board leadership at the time of O'Malleys hiring left the performance clause open to bring O'Malley to the $185,000 he was asking for after one year. Donoghue infered it, O'Connell justified it, and Kenny confirmed it. The point is, are they serving the best interest of the public or just protecting the choice they made at all costs like others did with Quinn. Gambino may be feeling the responsibility as the new board members should to start getting results immediately and stop protecting the choice made a year and a half ago. Its time for sustainable, positive, justifiable results, not excuses. The school district is heading in the right direction rhetoric is not proof positive, it is an opinion which bears no facts. It's not the raises as much as the reasons for giving the raises that bother most. People are tired of excuses and want results now, is that to much to ask? We will pay for results.
Your neighbors and friends cannot afford to be everyone elses keeper. Generational welfare has now been replaced by every imaginable and unimaginable social program that the hard working middle class cannot afford any longer to provde.
The anonymous poster above is correct. We have become a society of people who look towards the government and socialized programs to pull us out of a tight mess. I long for the days when parents and grandparents lived under one roof and took care of their own children/grandchildren instead of pawning them off on the schools and these so-called "summer camps." Everyone combined their incomes and ate dinner together and took care of their own so the taxpayers wouldn't have to bail everyone out. Families would be families once again, not disjointed relations.
Agan the little guy pays , Aberdeener I thought you would shake up the board but you obviously got on for the ride, I have lost my pension benefits and cannot afford health coverage and can barely pay my taxes , I hope these people choke on there raises and donate to the food bank in Matawan as I may need food to feed my children does public service even exsist
I don't know. How come it seems as if half of all Americans consider all government bodies to be extensions of "we" "the people". And understand that public servants are answerable to the people, and very easily influenced by, or, if not, very easily dismissed by the people, and the other half thinks of goverment as a giant boogey man to be afraid of. Why is this? Its a gigantic disconnect and the root cause of most of our problem solving loggerjams.
Message to the Matawan/Aberdeen school Board: We the people are out of money! Please stop giving large pay increases that become part of the budget base forever!
To All those who Dr. O'Malley recruited to vote "YES" for the school budget, Where you informed that that budget included a line item to cover his own 6.9% raise and the other administrator's 9.3 % raise. Would you have voted yes if you knew that? .... I thought so.
They are not listening. They are smarter than you and I and know what is best for us.
I see the Agenda for tonight's meeting has a recommendation for a new school board attorney. His hourly rate is $160 per hour. That is $30 per hour increase over the previous school board attorney. I see you are not making that change for financial reasons. Couldn't find anyone less expensive or is this just another peer of a sitting board member? I guess you guys like seeing your names in the paper for this kind of wasteful spending.
I see you prefer using the cheapest doctor, lawyer, plumber, and electrician you can find. Good luck with that. :)
Aberdeener,
You certainly are an arrogant man. First off, I agree with you. The MARSD SHOULD have the most expensive attorney. The BOE will need excellent representation once the people of this town wake up and start suing for their children and their unacknowledged IEPs.
Once again history repeates itself. You can be sure that Gross had a hand in insuring that his replacement would know all the loopholes and shortcuts. That is what lawyers do for each other. M. Kenney did it for gross. Right Michael? Just so you know Mr. Gross when they placate you at your last school board meeting they will doing what they have to, not what they want to. if it was up to me I would give you a sendoff you would never forget. You suck Mr. Gross plain and simple, and not just all of the tax dollars out of our school system either. You really just suck as a human being. Next life try doing good for mankind. Lawyers like you and our vampire Norman Kauff are the worst kind of parasites. Right Norm?
Aberdeener, why is it when it comes to the board of ed you have no problem spending money, whn it comes to the township you are such a cut and save person? I am becoming more disappointed with you each day. No one said they liked the cheapest doctor, plumber or lawyer. I hear a lot of Mayor Sobel with that response!
The comment was in response to a complaint about retaining an attorney who charges $160 per hour. He asks if we "couldn't find anyone less expensive".
So, yes, he did argue for a cheap lawyer and the response was appropriate.
So the answer is get the most expensive and that makes him good. Thirty dollars an hour more is a lot and a question worth answering without being a smart ass. Spending more money does not always produce the best results and a good question for the board at the meeting. For the person who asked, a better explaination should be given. My hunch is O'Malley wanted his own guy and the trend seems to be spend, spend, spend.
I have heard you crack down on the township for spending money on laywer in the past, too much money. So the BOE can do whatever now that you are on board, free passes! Money to everyone! It's Christmas time for the BOE!
You're looking at the rate, not the cost. We're cutting legal expenses.
When was the last time you saw an attorney at a board meeting, charging us by the hour?
Not at the town council meetings, you complain abouth the town concil spending money and not cutting costs and you do the same.
We are cutting expenses but I'd love to hear suggestions how we can cut them even further.
$62 million budget - tell me where we can cut.
Not our job to fiqure out where to cut. We are just the ignorant masses. You are the big smart guy who is on the board. Do YOUR job. In addition, please STOP answering questions and concerns with questions. I recognize that type of board member jibberish, and when are you getting rid of that outlandish everyday math program. Save some money on that nightmare.
Aberdeener you say you would love to hear how to cut exspense's and the suggestion was not to give out merit raise's and you still voted for it , you speak from to sides of your month . after all said and done alot said and nothing done you are a big dissapointment and should never public speak about the town counsel , clean up your own house before inspecting anyone else's
Seems to me that the way you proclaimed to know everything BEFORE you were elected to the BOE by default, you should know excatly where and when to cut expenditures.
Instead, you seem to be frustrated and upset that we DARE to question your actions on the Board thus far.
"Accountability." Isn't that why this blog was created? We are holding you to the same standard that you held the other Board members. Why is that so difficult for you to understand?
When you were critical of the BOE you had hundreds of ideas, now you ask for ours? Why, we say no increase and you ignore us, I am tired of this non-sense. NSECJOE has given some, Ken has, you had some in the past now you are clueless? DISAPPOINTED is how I feel about you since your term started.
I just love how defensive Joey gets when we question HIM - the almighty answer man.
30 dollars more for an attorney IS MORE AND THE WAY THINGS ARE NOW - there is not an APPARENT savings.
And there you go - with your smug attitude- would you hire a cheaper plumber or electrician?
I just love how this site has evolved from Joey W. telling how he can fix things - to now defending his agenda.
I applaud your efforts with this site - but your whole personna has changed you became a politician.
So, your only idea for saving money is to not reward the people who did save us money. Interesting.
As you noted, I have several ideas and I'm working on them.
Step 1 is to define goals and tie them to compensation.
Step 2 is to help the district reach those goals.
I hope to complete step 1 by the end of this month. Sadly, I also have to work for a living so I can't dedicate myself fulltime.
It is naive and parochial, small mind thinking to say that those with professional careers in the public sector like superintendents and business administrators should not get a pay increase. To the person who asked if I would have voted yes on the budget knowing they would get increases -- yes! They are both doing a great job and making improvements for our children. Glastein .. I don't get that one, he should ride off into the sunset.
This district needs some positive stability now that the last regime is gone. Hopefully Kauff's bunch will lose in November and we can all have a fresh start in Aberdeen.
For the true idiots in town, stop and think. For the first time in, I don't know, forever, the school district LOWERED TAXES! O'Malley could give himself a 690% raise and your taxes still would have been lowered. Stop the madness and start supporting change!
Check your math buddy. Was your tax bill actually lowered?
Aloha.......Kauff RULES!!!FU TRUTH!!!!!
Check your tax bill buddy, it wasn't the school taxes!Did you miss the idiot part of my message!
Mr. Hand you are right Kauff rules and we taxpayers pay the price for that corrupt Kauff control with higher taxes and worse due to the increased numbers of kids in the school system at $13,000 + each that come from his so friendly and board controlled approvals for housing and development approvals and his road program that enables him to fund his corrupt campaigns through his engineer buddies and his secret two sided deals as attorney most often on both sides of the deal and his neighbors getting a Kauff share as website masters and printing contractors and we probably paid for his and his buddies condos years ago on thirty four and we pay more by Kauff pushing out management with silent clauses and big payouts to not disclose the Kauff secrets of corruption and much more and still you have time to joke that Kauff rules. You are an idiot if you support that low life of a man and all of his henchmen. Kauff does rule and we all suffer.
mr aberdeener
you mentioned you are not putting your son in the schools here, is that just for this year or is it thru 8th grade
I applaud the super and the BA for their work.
But after it has been documented on here several times = the school budget was over inflated in the first place!!!! A 3rd grader could have found ways to cut spending - not belittling what Dr. O did.
So dont give me this crap about the INCREDIBLE MIRACLE of no tax increase. HE DID HIS JOB as did the BA - did their contractual jobs!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Would we have hired them if they said in their interview - I plan to keep things status quo or spend more?
The BOE voted to increase someone who did their job. After their contract were up and things were better INCLUDING TEST SCORES = give them more.
So lets stop with the talk of rewarding someone who did what they were hired to do. AND - I looked at the pod cast - it seems as if the cat was let out of the bag by the one BOE member who said 185k was asked for initially and NOW LOOK - THATS THE RAISE = convenient.
Mr. Aberdeener...could you please post another article? It's too obvious that you speak out of both sides of your mouth with regards to your BOE actions. No one on here agrees with you - you have lost all credibility. Maybe you could post a preview of this year's Matawan football team...I'm sure you'd see lost of responses to that.
Mr. Hand (aka: Just Another Kauffkin) you have been bettered by the anonymous response just after your idiotic diatribe. Try and respond to just one of the corrupt Kauff actions that hurt every citizen of Aberdeen. Try it just once you _ _ _ _ _ _ _ .
Feel free to fill in the blanks. Maybe you want to start with an A and end with an E. It fits you well.
Aloha, Kauffisevil
I would love to answer your questions, however, due to the fact that with the exception of the one that said he sold V.V. his first jar of hair dye,(that was confirmed by snopes.com)and the one about him actually being a vampire (source:The National Enquirer) they seem to be unproven rumors perpetrated by you and your delusional, and or jealous friends, I can not.
I know that a while back there was a charachter here named Sherlock Holmes, who was pursuing the elusive Kauff, trying to expose him and give your claims some merit. i don't know what happened to him, maybe he grew tired of his quest, or, maybe it's all true. Come to think of it, maybe Kauff did have Sherlock silenced....HMMMM...interesting, oh well anyway, KAUFF RULES!!!!!FU TRUTH, and you too Kauffisevil....ALOHA
Obviously some juvenile delinquent got a hold of his daddys computer. Too bad they can't answer the corruption questions once again.
Allegiance to kauff is not only deaf, dumb and blind it is also so ignorant it boggles the mind.
Aloha and Mr. Hand need to get a room. With kauff that would make a menage a tois. Enjoy yourselves kauffkins. Keep practicing for when you get sent to the joint then its all hands on deck or on all of you we hope.
Kauffsownvillagepeople,
which one are you? leather man? the cop? the construction guy? my guess is you are the one with the big mustache that looks alot like Mr. Slave from Southpark.
ALOHA
Once again kauffknowsvillagepeople bested the kauffkins. They have no response to the examples of corrutpion and more we present so they make us laugh at them and their leader instead. Back into your hole i say to all of you so beholding to this old crook kauff. We all should all ass-u-me that kauff and a few of his faithful will be in attendance today at the lies all lies presidential photo opportunity for our idiot corzine. Today the entire state will be able to see how this supposed financial genius of wall street has done nothing. All you have to do is watch the bobbing heads today as obama speaks. Not one person in attendance will admit corzine is a failure to the n'th degree. I myself hope kauff gets his picture taken with obama. It will be make for good front page fodder a picture for the ages for when the authorities finally come and take normy to the big house. Smile pretty norm.
I agree completely with the above. F Norman Kauff Esq.
The event at the PNC Bank Arts Center should have been billed this way. Come one come all to the greatest show on earth. Come see the political blowhards who ruin our country stand around and slap each other on the back for a job well done. Special guest speaker will be President Borack Hussein Obama who will be trying desperately to bring *out of the basement of public opinion* the so sad *for us* political career of the supposed financial genius that was purported to be John Corzine. John Corzine the much touted boy genius of Goldman Sachs. Corzine by the way who was supposedly fired while he was on vacation also says an awful lot. Corzine the same genius who paid off his union witch looking girlfriend with over $4,000,000.00 in hush money to keep a lot of things out of the public domain before and since his election. What could she know to pay such a huge amount of money number to need to protect ones political career possibilities or status? Former Governor McGreevey, who was the poster boy for *not paying people off to keep people silent on his skeletons and more in the McGreevey closet* taught Corzine what to do. At least Corzine did not make that fatal mistake. Corzine paid the hush money and we taxpayers have been paying for him ever since. If Corzine gets elected we are doomed! The average hard working American will have nothing left if he gets in again and even the democrats know it. Between the socialist manifesto just underway of President Obama on a federal level, and Corzine and his limousine liberal mentality of share and share alike, the middle class should all just go on welfare right now.
Anybody got a pen?
BAYSHORE INDEPENDENT NEWS UPDATE
7-16-09 HOLMDEL THROWS BACK DEVELOPERS PITCH
ALL WE CAN SAY IS GOOD FOR YOU HOLMDEL. SOMERSET ANCHOR IS A MYSTERIOUS COMPANY WITH VERY LITTLE PROGRESS RIGHT ACROSS FROM OUR HOME. WE HEAR THE TRUCKS GO IN AND OUT BUT LITTLE HAS COME FROM THE PLANS WE WERE SHOWN A LONG TIME AGO. SOME OF OUR NEIGHBORS HAVE SAID THAT POLITICAL CONSIDERATIONS AND DEMANDS STALLED THE HOUSING AND MOVIE THEATER SPACE THAT THE SAME DEVELOPER PROMISED OVER TWO YEARS AGO. TO DATE ALL WE GET IS TRUCKS GOING IN AND OUT.
WE SAY GOOD FOR THE HOLMDEL LEADERSHIP THAT THEY ARE STICKING TO THE PEOPLES WISHES. DON'T LET THESE DEVELOPERS TELL YOUR TOWN WHAT THEY WILL DO FOR YOU. TELL THEM WHAT YOUR TOWN WILL LET THEM DO. THEY MAY HAVE BOUGHT THAT OLD FACTORY BUT THEY DID NOT BUY OUR TOWN. SOME OF OUR COMMUNITY THINK THE ABERDEEN LEADERSHIP DID NOT GET WHAT THEY WANTED AND STILL MAY BE PUSHING FOR, WHICH MAY BE BLOCKING ANY REAL DEVELOPMENT FROM MOVING FORWARD.
WE WERE TOLD A LONG TIME AGO THAT ABERDEENS LEADERSHIP PUSHED FOR C.M.E. TO GET ALL OF THE ENGINEERING WORK ON THE ENTIRE PROJECT. THAT DID NOT HAPPEN. WE HEARD THAT QUESTIONABLE LEGAL TALENT IS ALSO WORKING BOTH SIDES OF THE DEVELOPMENT AND THAT MAY BE HOLDING BACK THE PROGRESS. WE SAY GOOD. WE DON'T WANT THE PROPERTY TO BE A GRAVY TRAIN FOR POLITICIANS AND HANGERS ON. WE TAXPAYERS DESERVE RELIEF THAT COULD COME FROM SUCH A PROJECT NOT A REWARD FOR POLITICS AND BACKROOM DEALINGS THAT LEAVE THE TAXPAYERS HOLDING THE BAG. ONCE AGAIN WE SAY GOOD FOR YOU HOLMDEL STICK TO YOUR GUNS.
F U
N K
You low life rat bastard.
I did not want a weekend to go by without Kauff knowing what people think of him. He is always in my thoughts not in a good way I can assure you.
Degrees haven't nothing to do with how good a BOE performs. BOEs are a joke. They have no idea on what goes on in the schools, so they rely on O'Malley, who doesn't know either, who relies on Ruscavage, who won't say anything is wrong because she doesn't want to get in trouble. The process is for 9 people to feel better about themselves...however, there is always 1 or 2 on a board who believes the board does something. Mr. Warren being one of them. However, soon enough he will realize that the board never votes against O'Malley. As Jan Rubino put it at last year's meeting at MAMS "We trust our Superintendent, and I will not oppose him. Why doesn't a board exist? The entire process is a joke. Response J.W.?
The BOE relies upon Dr. O'Malley and his administration for information because we have no reliably independent means to verify information. We're not allowed to wander into the schools to see what's happening for ourselves and individual students, parents, and teachers often don't know all the facts.
However, we do sometimes have independent verification, such as state exams, college acceptances, financial audits, etc.
I believe Dr. O'Malley is very ambitious. That's a good thing. The BOE should be aligning Dr. O'Malley's personal goals with the district's goals.
You want to make more money? This is what you need to achieve. You want to build your resume? Here are the district's goals. You want to distinguish yourself? Here are some worthwhile projects.
Unfortunately, the previous board didn't set any goals for Dr. O'Malley. I can't speak for the board but I will be setting goals as well as standards.
One more thing - don't think that because you haven't seen me objecting or voting in the minority at the meetings doesn't mean I don't have some sharp disagreements. I've simply been lucky so far to have my issues resolved prior to the meetings.
Board members, collectively and individually, can contribute a great deal.
ANYONE SEE THE REPUBLICAN CAMPAIGNERS OR GET ANY LITERATURE ON HOW THEY WOULD GOVERN IF ELECTED?
I DID NOT THINK SO.
THE KAUFF CORRUPT CONTROL WILL UNFORTUNATELY CONTINUE IN 2009,10,11,12.......... THAT DUE TO THE LACK OF ANY REAL EFFECTIVE OR RESPONSIBLE REPUBLICAN CAMPAIGNING TO GET THEIR WORD OUT.
AT LEAST THE FOLKS AT C.M.& E. WILL HAVE A NICE RETIREMENT NEST EGG PUT ASIDE WITH ALL OF OUR TAX MONEY THAT KAUFF FUNNELS TO THEM.
ANYONE SEE KAUFF AT THE P.N.C. SHAKING HANDS WITH OBAMA?
Another classic Aberdeener statement starting with "I Believe." Get some data buddy. Last year there was 9 minutes of O'Malley goals on powerpoint on the web and one weak district goal to raise test scores which by the way he did NOT achieve. Since when can an individual board member establish goals for the superintendent? If that works then I'm going to establish some individual goals for you personally to achieve. Goal this - stop giving outrageous (9.3%) salary increases with my tax dollars!
Hey Anon CAP LETTER MAN, it is CME not CM & E. Use lower cases and not all caps.
I was at that meeting. O'Malley developed those goals and they were focused on process, not results.
As for the school board's goals, you can read my comments here.
Like I said there were weak goals that weren't even met and you gave him a 6.7% salary increase.
Hey Anonymous that posted 7/21 at 7:28 AM re:
ANYONE SEE THE REPUBLICAN CAMPAIGNERS OR GET ANY LITERATURE ON HOW THEY WOULD GOVERN IF ELECTED?
Yes, actually I did. They were out on Sunday going door to door.
As Larry o'Connell reminded everyone at raise time the superintendent has been here for a year and a half and still no sign of this board setting goals and standards that can be monitored. That is because the board members who brought him in and promised all this money do not want him being judged for what kind of a job he is doing based on facts. Mr. Warren said he would push for that, yet now he is going to have his own goals and standards. So every board member will have his or her own set of goals and standards, no one will know what they are or if achieved(except Mr.Warren because of this site), and O'Malley is protected. By the way Mr. Kennys response to the press editorial shows trying to defend the undefendable still does not allow this board to pass the red face test of public opinion.
Mr. Warren,
I have some ideas of what is going on in MAMS and Srathmore. I got that information by asking my children. I guess you will never know what is going on
It seems the writing police are back. Get a life will ya?
As for the Republicans finally getting off of their asses I suggest the following.
A* If they do not hand out literature that includes information highlighting Kauff, the Kauff money, the Kauff developmental conflicts where Kauff is not so surprisingly on both sides of the developmental payroll by charging both sides big sums of money for his purported developmental expertise the Aberdeen taxpayers lose BIG for many years to come with more kids in the schools and his deferred taxes paid by Kauffs handpicked developers!
B* If they do not tell the Aberdeen residents about all the changes to the Cifeli apartments with all of the section 8 housing degrading the area the Cliffwood and the traffic problems and more the 34 development will bring the area residents lose.
C* If they do not highlight the Kauff control of the zoning and planning boards and all of the approvals and costly fees we all lose.
Sure I realize that Kauff is not running for election. He does not have to run for office since he runs Aberdeen from the dark recesses of his palatial palace on Injustice Lane.
The Republicans know what they have to do to win, If they don't we get four more years of Kauff and his corrupt and so expensive cronies that fleece the bank.
We all should hope that the Republicans ask some tough questions at the next council meeting tonight about the supposed emergency appropriations, sudden need to pay to change our ordinances and more Kauff trickery put in place just in time for those so important Kauff campaign contributions that are needed.
Our leadership in town is a sad joke and we all pay the price for Kauff. The cost is too high for Kauff and his corrupt friends.
Then again with Kauff's friends who really needs to worry about locking your doors and windows? Kauff just goes to the old Aberdeen taxpayer ATM and rewards his buddies.
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and your little dog too.
Oops that was Dorothy from The Wizard of Oz who was told that by the evil witch of the west. All we have is a charlatan like the snake oil salesman our own little Wizard of Aberdeen. Right Normy?
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