Happy Resurrection Sunday

Celebrate the resurrection on this Holy week as you go about your daily involvements.  I know that many of us are also checking papers, adding grades, creating study guides, and writing down new projects that will keep our students focused and engaged.  It's what we do!  You love it, you know you do.  Have a happy!

notice of an opportunity for teen student athletes

 pass it on.

Delta Teens:  Scholarship for Student Athletes in Essex County - Due May 1st

Delta Teens:  Scholarship for Student Athletes in Essex County - Deadline:  May 1st
 
The application is available on the website.  Open to student athletes who attend school in Essex County .
 
  www.LarrySchumacherScholarship.org

from W. Holder

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outsourcing

I just heard that Montclair is another district to outsource teacher aides.  Please pray for the faithful workers of Montclair.  If any of you have heard of outsourcing or know of job openings, blog it right here.  Let's support one another.

Sweeney's benefit bill

I know this is public knowledge, but in case you didn't have time to research it, I'm sending the info on Sweeney's bill to you.

    It is a 7 year phase in and the larger your salary is, the more you will pay for benefits.  People making 29,999 and less will pay 6% of their premium and it will go up to 12% at the fourth year and every year thereafter up to the 7th year.  

30,000-$49,999 will start at 10% and go to 16% at the fourth year up to the 7th year.

50,000-$74,999 will start at 13% and go up to 19%
by the fourth year and remain so up to the 7th

$75,000-$99,999 will pay 18% year one and go to 27% at the fourth year.

Salaries $100,000 and up will start at 21% year one and go up to 30% by year four and remain so until year 7.

This bill will take 7 years and will leave the state budget short by $110,000.  Why should the state budget be balanced on our backs?

Coalition for NPS

 The meeting has ended, but the coalition still exists.  Get involved!

Coalition Members 
Secondary Parent Council * Teachers as Leaders in Newark   (TaLiN) * Abbott Leadership 
Institute (ALI) * Youth Media Symposium (YMS) * NAACP – Newark Chapter * Parents Unified 
for Local School Education (PULSE) * One Newark Education Coalition (ONEC) * Newark Teachers 
Association (NTA) * Education Law Center * Africana Institute, Essex County College * Parent 
Advocacy and Service Academy (P.A.S.A.)* People’s Organization for Progress 
 
To become a Member or Supporter of the Coalition for Effective Newark 
Public Schools, please call 973.353.3560 or email Coalition4ENPS@gmail.com 
BLUEPRINT FOR A 
 
WHAT ARE WE UP AGAINST IN NEWARK? 
 
School Closings and Co-locations 
The Layoff of 422 More Teachers 
Overcrowded Classes, Less Support Staff  
No Real Plan to make ALL Schools Better 
 
WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DO ABOUT IT? 
Parents, Educators, Students and Community  
We Need a Permanent Organization to Beat Back the Attack! 
Citywide Unity Event 
March 26, 2011 / 10am-1pm 
Rutgers-Newark, Conklin Hall, 
University Avenue, Room 100 

legislation

go to www.njleg.gov and check out the legislation as it rolls off the presses.  Keep up with the Sweeney bill, and the bills that the gov. supports so strongly for health care payments.  Has Teresa Ruiz put out her tenure bill yet?  Don't the politicians understand that without tenure, abuse of teachers and teacher rights will begin - again?  Any politician or administrator who has a relative who needs a job, will use their influence to take your job and give it to their friends and family despite your proven professionalism.  Tenure protects us from abuse and needless firings.  Who is to say that those who take your place will be better?  Do the legislators even care who is teaching the children?  Your legislators are voting against you.  Why are you voting for them?  Here's what I believe...A vote for me as a teacher, is a vote for you -legislators.

"In the end, it won't be the words of our enemies that we remember, but the silence of our friends" Dr. Martin Luther King

Newark Schools

I just want to give a shout- out to all the organizations that are fighting to make Newark schools work better by keeping them open.  The closing of so many schools, and a second round of firings or layoffs will result in less service for the children.  

Kudo's to Liz Owens, Mrs. Holder, OCOS, Junius Williams and the ALI sessions, and everyone else who is working to keep our eyes open.

 

I have heard that some of the social workers in the NPS were already laid off last year.  Children in urban areas need the support.  Don't stay quiet, let your voices be heard.

new school year

In September 2011 we will all be facing a new school year.  What kind of school year will it be?  Will our classes be crowded?  Will we be minus a few of our friends?  Will our pay checks have shrunk?  No one has paid into our pension for about 16 years.  People keep talking to me about how much our pension is costing the tax payers, yet since Governor Whitman, no one has paid into our pension but us.  We are taking care of our pension fund despite failed promises to help fund it.

     Next school year we may have to take a $6-8,000 pay cut if we have to pay 30% of our healthcare premium and the pension is increased.  Can you afford a pay cut that is that deep?  Of course our critics will say that it isn't a pay cut because our gross income won't change.  Anyone who can do math can tell that an increase in payments from our salary is a decrease in income.  

Dont forget

Don't forget to be your own best advocate.  It's important that we communicate with the people in our neighborhoods, PTA's, community centers, places of worship, and even at dinners and play dates for our kids.  Remind people that we are their neighbors and we are the same people whose company they enjoy day to day.  Remind your friends that we help make things possible.  Remind them that a vote for their local school budget is a vote for the kids, their communities, and the future!  WE NEED TO VOTE!!

time for negotiations

Well, it's time for negotiations for a lot of our teachers and districts.  We are the backbone of our society, so let's all remember that.  We do great jobs in New Jersey, and we deserve all the best.  Our graduation rate, and college rate are tops.  Congratulations to all you teachers and staff who work in our public schools and make this country great!

what I hear

I hear that teacher aides, cafeteria workers, janitors, and secretaries are being outsourced. They are some very important people in our schools. They are dedicated to their school, the children, and the teachers and staff. Without them, the school wouldn't function well. They are our friends and we all need to support them.

Teachers and jobs

Teachers are facing difficult times just like everyone else, but in New Jersey we are being demonized by our governor. It seems that teachers finally got to the place where we earn a living wage in some districts, and now that wage will be greatly decreased. There are so many teachers who need to have two jobs in order to support their families. Now will we need 3 jobs?