| AFT, AFT New Jersey, Newark Teachers Union File to Intervene in Legal Challenge of State Education Statue Protecting Experienced Teachers |
NEWARK, N.J.—Today, the Newark Teachers Union, AFT New Jersey and the American Federation of Teachers filed a motion seeking to intervene in a complaint filed by the Partnership for Educational Justice challenging New Jersey’s law that aims to protect experienced teachers.
As the filing makes clear, the state education commissioner, the attorney general and the superintendent of Newark Public Schools have made public appeals supporting the plaintiffs in this case. It is imperative, therefore, that teachers’ and students’ interests have real representation in the defense of the existing statute.
“Newark educators know the difference experience makes when it comes to providing a high-quality public education for all students,” said John M. Abeigon, president of the Newark Teachers Union. “Our schools are already stretched thin by years of underfunding and political games from Trenton. Adding instability by removing experienced teachers will only hurt our students.”
“The plaintiffs’ case is about ideology, not evidence,” said AFTNJ President Donna M. Chiera. “Anti-union partisans—whose evidence-free lawsuits have been dismissed in Minnesota—are colluding with the Christie administration to attack the experienced teachers who have the most to offer students. Parents, teachers and districts are working together to develop strategies to keep experienced teachers in schools rather than finding new ways to undermine and fire them.”
“The evidence is clear: Attracting and retaining teachers, and teacher experience, matter for student outcomes,” said AFT President Randi Weingarten. “That’s why one wonders why these wealthy special interest groups have yet again resorted to attacking experienced teachers and stability for schools by pushing a scheme that’s already been rejected by courts in California and Minnesota. Indeed, in Newark, even after announcing the last contract with great fanfare, Superintendent Chris Cerf and the Christie administration refused to implement teacher development policies they negotiated, and as state defendants, they agree with the litigants in pressing to destabilize the workforce and public education. That’s why we seek to intervene on behalf of students and educators, especially those in our most vulnerable schools. It’s time to end these silly, ideological battles and get back to working on proven strategies for public schools.”
AFT and the NJEA are standing in solidarity as interveners in this case. You can read the AFT filing online.
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Wednesday, November 23, 2016
AFT, AFT New Jersey, Newark Teachers Union File to Intervene in Legal Challenge of State Education Statue Protecting Experienced Teachers
Tuesday, November 22, 2016
Pension payments
http://m.njea.org/news/2016-11-21/legislature-passes-quarterly-pension-bill-heads-to-christie-for-signature
Friday, November 18, 2016
Medical concerns
NJEA: Assembly to vote on A-4328, a bill to control prescription costs & save NJ $200 million w/o reducing benefits. Urge them to vote YES! http://njea.io/4328
Friday, November 11, 2016
What should I tell my students?
I teach at a county college in New Jersey. Many of the professors have noticed that in some cases 1/3 of our students are missing from class since Nov. 8. Many of our Muslim students are no longer proudly wearing their covering. Several have come up to me to tell me that their parents have called them from their home country to tell them to come home. (This is a very international area). It's breaking my heart. I feel like crying. My friends and my family members are in suspended disbelief. I get phone calls with my friends and family members just sobbing. We understand that our 2 party system means that sometimes we have one political party or the other in office. That's life in America. That's not why the great feeling of dismay. The fact that a person has lied, used abusive language, bullied and slandered their way into the office of the president is shocking and devastating. Is this the decline of our society? how did this happen? So many of my little college students are so afraid. On Wednesday I walked into class with what was, I admit, a somber feeling, but the room was heavy and quiet. No one in my highly communicative classroom talked. Some of their eyes were filled with tears. One person commented, why do people tell us that certain behavior is unacceptable? He does it and now he's president.
I don't know what to tell them except to stay in faith. God is real and He sees. Throughout history there has been a struggle between right and wrong, love and hate, good and evil. Knowing God doesn't mean we won't have trouble, but knowing God does mean that help is on the way. In the meantime, my suggestion for my students is to listen to their family members and listen to God.
I don't want to be like the 911 operators who were telling people to remain in the twin towers and wait for help on that terrible day. The adherence to those words aided in the increase of the death toll.
Saturday, November 5, 2016
Don't put off the vote on teacher pension
https://votenjpension.org/njea-statement-pension-amendment/
School Employees Health Benefits Commission
http://m.njea.org/news/2016-08-30/tell-the-governor-to-fill-the-seat-on-sehbc
NJEA wins SEHBC ruling
http://m.njea.org/news/2016-09-12/njea-wins-big-legal-victory-in-sehbc-dispute
Governor Christie lies to members again
http://m.njea.org/news/2016-09-23/letter-to-njea-members-on-christie-s-sehbp-lie
Phil Murphy is our guy for governor
http://m.njea.org/news/2016-10-08/njea-endorses-phil-murphy-in-the-democratic-gubernatorial-primary
Senate tries to limit health care choices
http://m.njea.org/news/2016-10-20/breaking-sweeney-pulls-bad-health-insurance-bill
Student test scores removed from teacher evaluations
http://m.njea.org/news/2016-09-29/promising-bill-passes-in-assembly
Health care
http://m.njea.org/news/2016-10-18/bill-that-would-limit-collective-bargaining-posted-in-senate
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