Comments on Aberdeener: A Different Perspective

To Anonymous 2 Post Above,
Sounds like you're t...

2008-08-20T13:51:00.000-04:00

To Anonymous 2 Post Above,
Sounds like you're the agitated one. Agitated that we're starting to demand a better education for ALL of our children, not just the select few. Agitated that we're insisting on ACCOUNTABILITY!

Signed One of the Dozen

My apologies but how does the provided link relate...

2008-08-19T22:08:00.000-04:00

My apologies but how does the provided link relate to the discussion of online degrees? The programs cited in the prior article have regional accreditation but lack (or lost) professional accreditation.

The concern was that regional accreditation wasn't a sufficient standard and that teachers would be drawn to the cheapest and easiest masters programs.

"These on-line degree programs are so demanding!"<...

2008-08-19T21:48:00.000-04:00

"These on-line degree programs are so demanding!"

Another moronic, ignorant, and stereotypical post from one of the Aberdeener's agitated dozen. Heads are surely gonna role now. Here is a link where you can learn the truth (like it or not) about postsecondary institutional accreditation: http://www.ope.ed.gov/accreditation/

Oh, and I'm looking forward to the next council meeting. With all the factual information that is being presented, I am sure the goon squad will be swooping in like paratroopers to restore justice to the community. Maybe this time four people will show up to witness it.

No Kimsmom is right. The old queen did get a new c...

2008-08-19T18:26:00.000-04:00

No Kimsmom is right. The old queen did get a new car this year. Corruption pays really good in Aberdeen. Can you just imagine the graft in places like NYC, Newark under James and other holes all over Jersey.

At least we only have Kauff can you imagine if we still had Koren? We would barely able to stay up above the water line. My house now with the reval will be though the roof. What will Normans be?

The Aberdeener needs to check what all of our leadership pays in comparison to their neighbors. especially Vinny Vinci cause you know Norm will have to take care of those bills. Vinny is on a fixed income, emphasis on fixed. Vinny sure is fixed to do anything Norm says. Right Vinny? Time to stand up before you meet your maker.

Too late some say as you have been dead for years.

I think you are very smart and know one thing for certain. You know who butters your bread. Right Norm.

Norm we are not going away. We do have something planned and you will not like it.

You see Norm hates publicity. Right Norm?

Cancelled council meeting perhaps Norman did not h...

2008-08-19T18:13:00.000-04:00

Cancelled council meeting perhaps Norman did not have the votes for his BS.

Perhaps Gallo and Perry may have dared to ask questions. Bad Gallo, Bad Perry. You know the rest of the geniuses and followers do not like questions. It takes away from their Norman time and Norman instructions. Right Dave?

Norm I miss you! Like the plague.

Did you hear the joke about the old lawyer who went to jail late in life and was somones girlfriend from day one. Wait that was not a joke it was a Kauff reality. Soon I hope.

So back to the council meeting thing. What was on the agenda more money for Samuels and the other scum? Maybe another sweet land deal for Vinci?

Anyone hear anything about the pool club yet? Who is the lawyer? Any engineering fees or money for the Lickstein boys? I know it is Leckstein. Like father like son in that whole genetic bundle. The law has nothing to do with it, just the billing. Right boys, You two suck to.

So Kauff apparently was supposed to be at town hall recently. KimsMom said she thought he got into a silver sedan. I thought Norm had a green Toyota? Maybe he was a good boy and got a new car from some as yet unknown developer or maybe Vic played Santa early. That would be a possibility with all of the CME money floating around now that the council except Gallo and Perry I understand who voted NO.

I bet Gallo got a stern talking to when she got home? That is not what Norman expects from people he controls. Is it a possibility that Gallo has a ... Did she go over to the right side with Perry? That will not sit well with Kauff.

Middlesex Jim

To the blogger above-now we just hear the racial ...

2008-08-19T17:06:00.000-04:00

To the blogger above-now we just hear the racial comments in music ane I think there is still many violent acts covered by the news. But I do miss smelling the pot!

Yes I agree, I'm concerned that many of our studen...

2008-08-19T16:39:00.000-04:00

Yes I agree, I'm concerned that many of our students go to Brookdale because they don't have the grades to get into better colleges, the SAT scores prove it.

And there are many other choices between Brookdale and Ivy League schools. So it is not only a choice between $3,000 vs $60,000 in tuition per year, and this "ELITIST" bs talk those in controll like to throw around. There are in state colleges and out of state colleges costing much less than ivy league universities, so why aren't our kids going there??? I guess we're back to low SAT scores again!

Does anyone think 2 years at any community college in enough to make up for 12 years of low standards taught at MARSD???

We don't need to compare our school to those private schools of the "good old 70's", we need to compare it to many, many, many public school districts of today, which offer a much more challenging and competitive curriculum to the students. We need to raise the bar. Our students will be competing globally. We need to prepare them!

And I remember the 70's. You couldn't walk a block without smelling pot, hearing racial insults, or violence on the news... Who remembers it as being such an idealistic time? Not me.

Tonight's town council meeting was cancelled.
<...

2008-08-19T10:55:00.000-04:00

Tonight's town council meeting was cancelled.

I do agree that Brookdale is a good community college and if the reason our kids attend Brookdale is to save money, stay at home and help out, college is too expensive, etc. it is a good choice. My concern is that so many Matawan/Aberdeen kids go there because they do not have the grades to get into "better" colleges or universities.

Brian in Aberdeen

My father used to say that he had to walk three mi...

2008-08-19T10:43:00.000-04:00

My father used to say that he had to walk three miles through the snow and hail to get to his public school in Brooklyn and then had to share his lunch with those less fortunate with him. In today's world, unlike the Leave it to Beaver days that Aberdeen grew up in, parents didn't worry about pedophiles, suburban traffic, and other hazards that confront our children today.

Until recently in history College wasn't the necessity it is today - and even today it is elitist to suggest it is for everyone. Some people seem to have a problem rectifying their "perfect" childhood with the changes that have taken place in society over the last two generations.

I went to a public high school in Brooklyn for gifted students. Many of my classmates went to college and/or ended up running successful businesses. The same high school today is subject to lockdowns and has metal detectors at the doors. It is still for the "gifted", but that is now defined as actually wanting to be there.

I agree that our children today confront many challenges that we did not have to face. However, to compare our schools in 2008 to your private school in the 1970s? is naive and demonstrates a lack of connection with todays reality.

We must strive to do better, demand more from our students, teachers, and School Board -- but we are not going to get anywhere by making elitist generalizations about community colleges or even whether college is for everyone.

I remember the opening song that Archie Bunker sang in All in the Family

"Those Were The Days"

by Lee Adams and Charles Strouse

Boy, the way Glenn Miller played. Songs that made the Hit Parade.

Guys like us, we had it made. Those were the days.

Didn't need no welfare state. Everybody pulled his weight.

Gee, our old LaSalle ran great. Those were the days.

And you know who you were then. Girls were girls and men were men.

Mister, we could use a man like Herbert Hoover again.

People seemed to be content. Fifty dollars paid the rent.

Freaks were in a circus tent. Those were the days.

Take a little Sunday spin, go to watch the Dodgers win.

Have yourself a dandy day that cost you under a fin.

Hair was short and skirts were long. Kate Smith really sold a song.

I don't know just what went wrong. Those Were The Days.

Let's leave yesterday behind and make a better tomorrow.

You raise good points. My concern is as follows:
2008-08-19T09:36:00.000-04:00
You raise good points. My concern is as follows:

The kids know Brookdale has an open enrollment policy. They know that their scores in high school don't matter so long as they graduate. They know their SAT scores don't matter. They know there's no reason to take any challenging courses. They know they don't need to engage in any activities to improve their resume.

And they're right. With the exception of SAT scores, I don't think anything in their high school record would be considered or given much weight when they look to transfer from Brookdale to a 4-year university.

I imagine that if a kid was trying to get into Harvard he'd be working a lot harder than if he planned to attend Brookdale.

If you instill in your child the ideals that they ...

2008-08-19T09:01:00.000-04:00

If you instill in your child the ideals that they should do their best, all the time, it doesn't matter if they know if they are going to Brookdale or to Harvard.

I think Brookdale gets looked down on too much here. It is a very good community college. It's reasonably priced. It's credits will transfer to other colleges.

What's wrong with doing your first two years at Brookdale? Getting an associates degree so that you can go on to a bigger college with a couple of years of maturity and experience under your belt?

What's wrong with taking the basics at a smaller college and getting them out of the way while you figure out exactly what you want to do with your life?

What's wrong with going to college close enough so that you can live a bit longer at home, deferring some of the costs so you/your parents don't have quite as big of a bill to pay for next 4-10 years as your/they are paying off all the bills for college?

In this day and age, with costs out of control, it just makes good sense to consider a community college.

Just thinking out loud -
If the students know ...

2008-08-19T08:22:00.000-04:00

Just thinking out loud -
If the students know they'll be attending Brookdale Community College (BCC) after high school, what incentive do they have to do well in school? If they don't do well in school, will they have the skills and foundation to pursue a 4-year degree at a well regarded university after completing an associates degree at BCC? If not, it makes sense that so many would then choose to enter the workforce rather than continue their education.

Perhaps we need to put more resources into helping parents send their children to 4-year colleges.

U C Brother is on the mark. But we allknow the oth...

2008-08-19T07:43:00.000-04:00

U C Brother is on the mark. But we allknow the other problem with Quinn was his spending habits. Sure there are fixed costs and more buy...get real he and others mishandled the entire construction mess then put in a football field with all the bells and whistles when much more should have dealt with long before the Martucci wish list or demands we often hear about. Unfortunately more goes on or does not go on depending on who lies to you first.

Test scores mean everything and anything the administration, teachers union, parents and students must do is the only priority.

All of the other trash with Barza and their dividing ideologies are trash.

Just so everyone knows the comment about BARZA an...

2008-08-18T21:15:00.000-04:00

Just so everyone knows the comment about BARZA and Quinn is true. Just remember the mistakes Quinn made was to allow Zavorskas into the schools at her convenience. He paid the price for that.

He is gone.

Quinn did not listen to many who told him to be wary of BARZA but that did not matter and that cost Quinn and the taxpayers plenty.

If O'Malley was smart he will ensure that BARZA and all of the rest stay out of every school. Zavorskas will try everything to control and interfere it is all too telling when the hair stands up on peoples necks when she enters the offices.

O'Malley learn from Quinns mistakes. PLease.

I agree with the above 100%

Socio economic...

2008-08-18T20:00:00.000-04:00

I agree with the above 100%

Socio economics play a HUGE role, but no one wants to admit to that from time to time.

Some call it an excuse, others a REALITY

Brookdale is not an Ivy League school. A more holi...

2008-08-18T09:48:00.000-04:00

Brookdale is not an Ivy League school. A more holistic view of where our students continue their education would take into account the economic climate we now endure. $103/credit vs $30,000+ a semester is a HUGE incentive to look to the local community colleges.

All of this back and forth about the quality of th...

2008-08-17T17:22:00.000-04:00

All of this back and forth about the quality of the MARSD education must be making Quinn and Barza quite happy. After all, they have always thrived on division and finger pointing.

Here is a reality check for all to consider...the NJ State tests only test our students on 40% of what they supposedly learn in a school year..not a 100%, not 80% not even 70%....40%!!!!! AND in order to test proficient one only has to get 50% of that original 40% correct. Yes, that is right our students only have to remember 20% of what they were taught in a given school year to be considered proficient. And yet....we in MARSD seem to struggle to achieve 100% proficiency. So, perhaps the Aberdeener has more valid arguments than some of you may think.

I have read a few archived newspaper articles on Dr. O'Malley from the last school district he worked at..he really turned them around in very short time. Perhaps there is hope yet.

BTW--this is Tilly, just too lazy this Sunday to log on to my account.

Front page of today's Asbury Park Prees is abo...

2008-08-17T09:04:00.000-04:00

Front page of today's Asbury Park Prees is about diploma mills.

http://www.app.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080817/NEWS/808170437&referrer=FRONTPAGECAROUSEL

I love the part where he had to do a paper to gets his on line degree. He stated it was 2 - 3 pages, WOW! These on-line degree programs are so demanding!

I feel for you having to go to a second job just t...

2008-08-17T06:28:00.000-04:00

I feel for you having to go to a second job just to keep up with our situation in Aberdeen. The fact that they do not go out to bid is something this expensive is something that we cannot get a true hold on.

The bills get created and nobody checks. That is how companies go out. Except that in private industry if you raise the price and the consumer does not buy what you are selling you go out of business.

I do not buy what Aberdeen is selling and our failies are the ones going out of business.

Aberdeen is a little different as all they have to do is raise the taxes and use any number of excuses to cover their tracks. No different anywhere else in America.

That is why America is doomed. Those as in private industry whose missteps ruin companies leave with golden parachutes. It happens all of the time. Enron and more are examples.

In Aberdeen their are no golden parachutes just a nice check every so often from CME or maybe a land deal that was shameless.

Time to get ready to church. My family I will pray for all of us and for Aberdeen.

Kencb is right what is this kauff guy doing for us...

2008-08-17T05:59:00.000-04:00

Kencb is right what is this kauff guy doing for us without our approval. This is like letting the wolf wacth the hen house. I never remember anu kauff knocking on my door.

Now many of us face taxes without any true fiscal control. It seems very simple for these people to vote on increasing our taxes. To do so without any real review of bills or any chance to see what other companies would charge for the same service is to be looked at.

I bust my ass to pay my taxes and for these people to just give my money away because kauff said so or as it seems somehow they are beholding to him is insane.

This must stop. Time w to go to my second job just to keep up with the bills. Just is not fair for too many like me and my family.

By the way I was hoping to go to the council meeti...

2008-08-16T19:27:00.000-04:00

By the way I was hoping to go to the council meeting Tuesday night. It is supposedly on with short notice from all appearances as the posting in town hall was not up on Thursday when I was in there.

Wait a minute what is Kauff trying to put through with a last minute meeting? Some last minute development deal or maybe something mundane like giving CME more money for work they did not do. Or better yet no bid work like Ken has pointed out.

Ken or Brian if you go to the meeting hit a home run for me and ask if Kauff or Corren have been paid anything in the last two years as consultants, handling developmental meetings or anything else and who authorized it. KimsMom said she thought she saw Kauff sometime this week at town hall. Were the taxpayers being billed for his services as a legal adviser, party boss or? Let them tell us why he might have been there. Just ask the question if he has been around and why. Minutes from any meetings or negotiations. Ask the council if they have authorized him to conduct any negotiations. Flat out just ask the council if any of them have attended any meeting with Kauff present in the past two years where Aberdeen work or negotiations of any type was being conducted.

See what they say. I'm catching the red-eye and will be back on Wednesday morning. I will check in as soon as I get home.

Thanks much.

Eloquent yet biting. Responsive yet sympathetic. A...

2008-08-16T19:14:00.000-04:00

Eloquent yet biting. Responsive yet sympathetic. Aggressive yet sympathetic. All this an more.

And best of all she doesn't like Norman Kauff.

That is a class act in my book also.

That is our KimsMom.

One must admit,Kims mom sounds like a class act.

2008-08-16T16:40:00.000-04:00

One must admit,Kims mom sounds like a class act.

I must agree with KimsMom that the oath of office ...

2008-08-16T15:01:00.000-04:00

I must agree with KimsMom that the oath of office was all to sad and true. No matter what words they may have used they pretty much said the same thing that was posted here only with different words. They have done exactly what the oath says whether the words cam out of their mouths or not. I am laughing hard and crying at the same time since it is the exact truth of where our leadership is responsible to NORMAN KAUFF.

They have done every one of those things listed in the posted oath. That oath is genius.

The part about I swear to God was a little blasphemous. True but very close.

Once again the high school principal and athletic ...

2008-08-16T14:41:00.000-04:00

Once again the high school principal and athletic director continue to set the bar low and the blame game goes on. The only thing O'Malley continues to do is spend money. If his administration doesn't work to set higher standards nothing is going to change. The leadership must come from him. He needs to demand more from them. I don't see it.

Comments on Aberdeener: A Different Perspective

To Anonymous 2 Post Above,Sounds like you're t...

My apologies but how does the provided link relate...

"These on-line degree programs are so demanding!"<...

No Kimsmom is right. The old queen did get a new c...

Cancelled council meeting perhaps Norman did not h...

To the blogger above-now we just hear the racial ...

Yes I agree, I'm concerned that many of our studen...

Tonight's town council meeting was cancelled.<...

My father used to say that he had to walk three mi...

If you instill in your child the ideals that they ...

Just thinking out loud - If the students know ...

U C Brother is on the mark. But we allknow the oth...

Just so everyone knows the comment about BARZA an...

I agree with the above 100% Socio economic...

Brookdale is not an Ivy League school. A more holi...

All of this back and forth about the quality of th...

Front page of today's Asbury Park Prees is abo...

I feel for you having to go to a second job just t...

Kencb is right what is this kauff guy doing for us...

By the way I was hoping to go to the council meeti...

Eloquent yet biting. Responsive yet sympathetic. A...

One must admit,Kims mom sounds like a class act.

I must agree with KimsMom that the oath of office ...

Once again the high school principal and athletic ...

To Anonymous 2 Post Above,
Sounds like you're t...

Tonight's town council meeting was cancelled.
<...

Just thinking out loud -
If the students know ...

I agree with the above 100%

Socio economic...