Comments on Aberdeener: Bill My Neighbor

To anonymous the question is that are the renters ...

2010-03-12T23:43:33.016-05:00

To anonymous the question is that are the renters paying there fair share of taxes I personelly know of 5 families that live in ken gardens that rent a one bedroom apartment and send two children to our schools , the tax that the owner of the rental property pays taxes but are they paying there fair share I think not because I looked at the tax that they pay on each unit

To anon 2:02 pm. I doubt rentors are not paying t...

2010-03-08T11:18:06.462-05:00

To anon 2:02 pm.

I doubt rentors are not paying tax. That would mean the landlords are paying it on their behalf.

Watch out. O'Malley wants more. He wants to re...

2010-03-06T14:27:56.165-05:00

Watch out. O'Malley wants more. He wants to re-do his contract again. What a great country.

Mr Warren you statement teachers union can save jo...

2010-03-06T14:13:08.596-05:00

Mr Warren you statement teachers union can save jobs by staying at current levels that may be true , but maybe the ceramics class could have stayed if O mallay and Irons would have stayed at there current level the leadership needs to lead by example. You ask for people not take a cost of living raise and then give bonus to people on the board for doing a good job ,less than a year later we are in a hole for 6 mill. Greed Greed Greed

First of all I am not happy with my taxes here in ...

2010-03-06T14:02:48.225-05:00

First of all I am not happy with my taxes here in town but I understand that the way we fund our schools is by property tax , that is the problem people like you Joey that rent are not paying there fair share people that rent in the garden apartments have 4 kids living in a two bed room apartment and putting the tax on the home owner . so if everyone paid there fair share renters and illegals in town we would not be fighting over budget cuts , Trenton needs to address this as well as the town by compiling the students address and matching it with there residents occupancy limits paying 1200 rent and sending 4 kids to school is a bargan, the problem is the way we fund the school not the teachers or custodian or the ceramic class

Neither side gets to determine who can or can'...

2010-03-04T18:15:07.362-05:00

Neither side gets to determine who can or can't represent the other side.

I hope the union membership is reading this so I'll say it again.

If the union were to stick with the current salary guide, we could save every custodial position.

aberdeener said "The union could save every c...

2010-03-04T17:57:18.017-05:00

aberdeener said
"The union could save every custodial position if it agreed to stick with the current salary guide for one more year. The union leadership only cares about the union leadership."

Although, I might agree with this statement, Mr. Warren is on the negotiations committee. This is not negotiating in "good faith." Wonder what the union attorneys have to say about this? I hope they are reading this bc it is probably enough to get Warren off of the nego committee.

Aberdeener, I saw in the paper that Pat Demarest ...

2010-03-04T10:11:03.300-05:00

Aberdeener,

I saw in the paper that Pat Demarest is running for the board again. I hope she can save the custodians, the teachers union loves her. Why did she take a year off? Why is she running with Rev. Gattis from Cliffwood, when I read in your blog that she lied to her about getting appointed to the unexpired board seat last year? What is Demarest promising her now?

In response to anon 11:09. You'd still need 1...

2010-03-04T09:42:57.942-05:00

In response to anon 11:09.

You'd still need 130 credits to graduate, but you'd have to choose from less electives. I don't know how many free electives there are (outside of ceramics and DE), but rather than choose from 8 a student must now choose from 4 -for example (again, only an example to illustrate my point).

Yes, colleges want well rounded students, however that is considered after SAT test scores and grades and probably only for candidates "on the bubble". Also, there are more ways for a student to be more well-rounded. Community involvement, boy/girl scouts, volunteer organizations, recreational sports, interests/hobbies, part-time jobs, etc. I also think prospective employers would consider these more than they would a free elective class in high or college for that matter.

I have a copy of the poster and the union marching...

2010-03-04T08:19:33.340-05:00

I have a copy of the poster and the union marching orders and I'll be writing about it next week.

The union could save every custodial position if it agreed to stick with the current salary guide for one more year.

The union leadership only cares about the union leadership.

Typical of scared and allegiant union people while...

2010-03-04T08:18:29.106-05:00

Typical of scared and allegiant union people while also too obvious a desperate ploy by the unions to blame everyone but themselves. Where is the true notice to hand out to teachers that says some of my coworkers are lazy and should not be teachers any longer? Or better yet the one about the salaries of administrators merely kept in place sine they know all the improper things done for years. Thatis the handout I would like to see at the Middle School parents nite.

My friend is a teacher here in district. Called up...

2010-03-04T07:45:24.860-05:00

My friend is a teacher here in district. Called upset yesterday because Union is having teachers had a scary flyer to parents at conferences today. She says it is about the custodians and says that it will make parents think only criminal pediphiles will be cleaning schools. I said "If you don't like it, don't hand it out!". She said the pressure is too much and others will know if she does not do it. What is this the Mob? Disgusting when a teacher can't do what she feels is right because of "union big brother"!

This is not a time when you cannot wrap a really c...

2010-03-04T07:11:19.499-05:00

This is not a time when you cannot wrap a really cheap present with wrapping paper and a bow and think the present is still not cheap. The expensive and possiby unnecessary programs, extra remedial help and of course teachers and overpriced administrators to do all that work is also needed. What may have been needed for many students today was a good swift kick in the pants? There is a lack of drive and attention to detail for too many.

Also needed is a willingness to be involved as a parent or guardian. A large segment of our society who are overworked, unprepared or uneducated is a main cause of an uncaring attitude by students who merely sit taking up space or as a serious distraction to those students who want to learn. That is a cause not measured in dollars.

These few examples are the societal reality of our schools today. Counselors and administrators who coddle disruptive kids just because some lawyer may sue the district.

Many problems exist in every district. Our district is no less a mess then an Asbury Park or Trenton. And the money is the thing in all. It has been thrown around and misused for years and the costs are crushing and too often not enabling many households to afford college at a reasonable and unpressuring level.

It must be said that there is without a doubt a continuing breakdown in parental control, student responsibility and more. Long gone are the days when children were only viewed as being moldable and impressionable. Every generation seems to be lazier then the one before over the last fifty years or so. Like they say "Whats The Matter With KIds Today"?

The list for the most part would be long. No physical activity or maybe technology lazy would be the politically correct name. Just ask a student when they read a book not related to school or rode a bike, went fishing or hiking.

There are many reasons for educational and societal problems and this blog won't solve them.

Look at healthcare for instance. Leadership knows of the abuses and full well that the entire system is broken. What is the answer more money, more money and yes more money. Education is no different.

This is true. Teachers can try to throw as much i...

2010-03-04T01:06:51.402-05:00

This is true. Teachers can try to throw as much information at students about reading, writing, and math as humanly possible in 4 years, but if the student doesn't choose to try or isn't motivated, it doesn't matter if they are assigned 40 essays a week or once a year, scores will still be bad.

Play Ball, I'm glad my message got through, and with all due respect I'm not undermining the importance of the 3 Rs. If you can't proficiently utilize at least the basics of them, then I really do not understand how one can function in society. (Then again, I also have a hard time believing how so many of my former classmates could not pass the HSPA.) And for those who have difficulty grasping the concepts, then yes, they do need to get more help with that in favor of a course like ceramics. Luckily, last I checked, the high school has remedial courses specifically for those who fail, where they are required to use an elective space to take HSPA math or writing for half the year in hopes of passing next time around if they work hard enough.

However, it has gotten to the point where more is necessary to succeed as well. Even fifty years ago, not everyone went to college. Over the years it has gotten more and more competitive to get in as more and more people are applying to colleges. I remember being told as early as the 5th grade that it was possible to be a straight A student, but if I didn't back my grades up with other interests, it would be extremely hard to get into a good school or get a scholarship.

Play Ball- 3 R's?? We've always had the 3...

2010-03-03T23:09:39.025-05:00

Play Ball-
3 R's?? We've always had the 3 R's with every learning level from basic to advanced. If the scores aren't good it's because you can't throw a good pot with bad clay. But you would have known that if you took ceramics.

Even if you cut out all the electives and just put in the 3 R's the students still need 130 plus credits to graduate. That means you need the same amount of teachers to fulfill the same amount of classes to fulfill the same amount of credits for the same amount of students. AND the "getting into college" rate would drop significantly because Christine is right-colleges want well rounded students. Ours would not be "well rounded". Matawan/Aberdeen would become a very undesirable place to live making the value of your home worth even less than it is now.

Thanks Christine. Please understand many people ha...

2010-03-03T19:41:58.780-05:00

Thanks Christine. Please understand many people have grandiose ideas on what they want and why they want it and don't care of the cause, affect or cost. The three R's has been neglected for too long for every imaginable reason with deveistating costs across the board. The change does need to start at the federal and state level. The only problem is they are never accountable and never own up to their mistakes either. That is called leadership NJ style.

I'm not throwing Christie under the bus for an...

2010-03-03T19:17:00.729-05:00

I'm not throwing Christie under the bus for anything. I was simply replying to Play Ball that state requirements are state requirements. If he believes in only funding the 3 Rs, that is something to be brought up at the state level, not starting with town. If you read the posts above mine, that should have been made clear, but I apologize if it was not.

What is the union leader thinking? Less teachers m...

2010-03-03T18:35:09.820-05:00

What is the union leader thinking? Less teachers mean larger class sizes and they may have to work harder. Besides, more teachers, more union dues, more money to buy political clout. Back then he just wanted what everyone else was getting. That has never been the case. Notwithstanding the excellent pay and benefits teachers want salaries in line with the private sector and maybe they should be. However they and their union want none of the drawbacks of the private sector.

http://www.nytimes.com/ 2010/03/03/education/03rav...

2010-03-03T17:54:59.409-05:00

http://www.nytimes.com/
2010/03/03/education/03ravitch.
html?ref=todayspaper

"Diane Ravitch,the education historian who built her intellectual reputation battling progressive educators and served in the first Bush administration’s Education Department, is in the final stages of an astonishing, slow-motion about-face on almost every stand she once took on American schooling.

Once outspoken about the power of standardized testing, charter schools and free markets to improve schools, Dr. Ravitch is now caustically critical...

... But Dr. Ravitch is finding many supporters. She told school superintendents at a convention in Phoenix last month that the United States’ educational policies were ill-conceived, compared with those in nations with the best-performing schools.

“Nations like Finland and Japan seek out the best college graduates for teaching positions, prepare them well, pay them well and treat them with respect,” she said. “They make sure that all their students study the arts, history, literature, geography, civics, foreign languages, the sciences and other subjects. They do this because this is the way to ensure good education. We’re on the wrong track.”

The superintendents gave Dr. Ravitch a standing ovation."

Wednesday, July 28, 2004 The Independent - July 28...

2010-03-03T16:28:40.121-05:00

Wednesday, July 28, 2004
The Independent - July 28th 2004

Mr. Warren,

I thought you enjoy this "blast from the past" article-- perhaps it will help you illustrate for some of the younger bloggers, who were actually probably in elementary or beginning middle school at this time-- why our budget situation has become as bad as it is-- aside from the fiscal state of NJ-- I can't remember a contract that did not play out just like this article illustrates( even if "what's your point?" wrote the article!).

Question- Perhaps you can educate your readers on exactly where MARSD ranks in salary rate in Monmouth County in 2010? I bet we are in top 3.

Tuesday, July 27, 2004
Mediator appointed in Matawan school dispute

Published in the Asbury Park Press 7/27/04
By RODNEY POINT-DU-JOUR
KEYPORT BUREAU
MATAWAN -- Although a mediator has been appointed to help break the impasse in contract talks between the Matawan-Aberdeen Regional Board of Education and Matawan Regional Teachers Association, some doubt has been cast on the likelihood of a smooth start of school in September.
The state Public Employee Relations Commission has appointed Thomas Hartigan as the mediator, said Laura Venter, the school district business administrator.

Venter said both sides have a mediation session scheduled for Sept. 9, the day school is to reopen.

Venter said she remains optimistic but is unsure if the talks will be completed by the beginning of the new school year.

"He (Hartigan) is an experienced mediator, and we expect the negotiations to go swiftly and for us to reach an amicable agreement," Venter said.

Officials on both sides have said they hope an agreement is reached by September to ensure classes resume without a hitch.

In 2001, union representatives and district officials agreed to give the union members a three-year contract that came with a 12 percent pay increase staggered over three years. The union members were also given an increase in co-payments for medical insurance, $2,000 in dental coverage and $150 in optical coverage. That contract expired on June 30.

In June, after nearly eight months of negotiations, the regional school board and the teachers union reached an impasse. Despite both sides calling the sessions peaceful, union and board negotiators decided they needed a mediator to help them reach an agreement.

Carl Kosmyna, the president of the teachers association, said the union members want to maintain their benefits and are looking to raise their wages comparable to what teachers are making in other districts throughout the county.

"We're hopeful the mediator will come in, help us with the negotiations and get us a settlement," Kosmyna said. "What we're looking for isn't outrageous. We just want what everyone else is getting."

Among the seven K-12 districts in Monmouth County, teachers in Matawan-Aberdeen had the second highest median salary, $58,400 in 2003-04 school year, according to the state Department of Education's Comparative Spending Guide.

Ocean Township teachers had the highest median salary among the seven with $65,405 for the same school year, the guide indicated. The other five districts are Holmdel, Long Branch, Middletown, Neptune and Wall.

Statewide, the median salary for a teacher at K-12 district is just under $50,000, according to the guide.

The Matawan Regional Teachers Association has approximately 400 members, including teachers, custodians and bus drivers.

This story includes information from previous Asbury Park Press articles.

She can't help it. She has been taught by the ...

2010-03-03T16:02:38.209-05:00

She can't help it. She has been taught by the same people who spent millions of dollars to not get him elected. It is no wonder the liberal viewpoint of tax and spend are rampant amongst these youth who are posting. I wonder how many will have the same viewpoint 20 years from now if we continue to let our generation spend us into oblivion and make them pay for it.

Christine in case you have not noticed Gov. Christ...

2010-03-03T14:14:51.547-05:00

Christine in case you have not noticed Gov. Christie has been in Trenton for about five weeks. Much like the rest of society you throw him out there while ignoring all the rest still sitting and feeding at the trough of failed leadership and lackluster education that they caused. Don't blame the guy who just sat down behind the desk for five weeks, that is shortsighted and too obvious of your true intent.

Can't wait to see what that costs us. Motivati...

2010-03-03T14:11:56.182-05:00

Can't wait to see what that costs us. Motivation and all that mumbo jumbo is BS.

The system has worked since time and memoriam and the costs of the system is out of control. Not just here but elsewhere. Asbury park for example spends $25 thousand per student. Look at the rate of graduation there. Trenton and Camden even worse on both fronts.

It is broken and needs to be fixed.

There was a piece in the Times a few weeks ago abo...

2010-03-03T13:39:09.185-05:00

There was a piece in the Times a few weeks ago about a new avenue to a high school diploma that is being adopted in a few states, our's included! At selected high schools, (I don't know the qualifications for selection) after two years, the students may take a series of board examinations , which, when passed, allow the student to graduate. The idea is that the more motivated kids will hit the books big time, pass the boards, and get out and move on to college, thus saving the school and themselves time and money. We should look into that.

Well, we could argue about the necessity of fluff ...

2010-03-03T13:20:29.446-05:00

Well, we could argue about the necessity of fluff courses that are merely "graduation requirements" but that would be pointless because, as far as I know, Christie hasn't changed the state requirements to only include the three Rs.

As for preparation for the real world, that is where I believe electives come in. Calculus did not prepare me for the real world. Neither did studying the symbolism of Fitzgerald's "The Great Gatsby".
My activities and elective(s) prepared me to manage my time and think outside the box.

And in all honesty, the writing section of the SAT isn't much to look at. One's writing ability should not be judged solely on how one answered the question "Is fame really worth everything?" in 25 minutes. But yes, I do agree that there are many issues with the education system, encompassing everything from administration at all levels to the attitudes of students.