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Voices heard at podium during Ridgewood BOE meeting

BOE theridgewoodblog.net

FEBRUARY 12, 2016    LAST UPDATED: FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2016, 12:31 AM
BY MATTHEW SCHNEIDER
STAFF WRITER |
THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS

RIDGEWOOD – A large number of teachers once again took the stand during Monday’s Board of Education (BOE) meeting, enumerating the various reasons why they feel a fair contract must be reached between the BOE and Ridgewood Education Association (REA).

Despite protracted negotiations, an agreement still has yet to be hammered out, causing much concern on both sides.

Although the BOE has continuously said that it values its educators and recognizes the necessity of their work, many teachers remain unconvinced.

Some, like Kim Casey, of Travell Elementary School, said they still feel like they are only figures on a spreadsheet.

“To you, I am merely a number,” she stated. “To you I am merely … the numbers of years I have before retirement, when you can fill my position with a younger teacher who won’t cost the taxpayers as much money.”

Others, like teacher Andrea Petron, of Ridge Elementary School, said they feel like teachers are an indispensible part of Ridgewood schools, and that the BOE has not treated them fairly.

“After pouring our hearts and souls into the district, it is important to know that we are appreciated and respected for the work we do,” she said. “Education is not a business, and it should not be treated as such.

“Teachers literally create every profession in the world,” she continued. “Teaching is the fundamental basis of every facet of society. It is time for you to start treating us like the rest of the world could not go on without us, including Ridgewood.”

https://www.northjersey.com/news/education/voices-heard-at-podium-during-boe-meeting-1.1510977

16 thoughts on “Voices heard at podium during Ridgewood BOE meeting

  1. We value our teachers and pay them well with best in class benefits.read what is happening all across america..we are all numbers on someone’s spreadsheets.theres a limit to the ridgewood taxpayers purse,100 million is that limit, Please join the rest of us with contributing to our employers rising out of control healthcare costs,Obama Care not a pretty option for anyone being moved off a Cadillac publicly payed Uber Benefit and great pension

  2. Time for teachers to get over there self importance. Most are paid well with good benefits, but as a taxpayer that has to contribute $200 per week for my healthcare i do not see why teachers cannot do the same or go to a plan that does not cost as much.Welcome to reality.

  3. RE: ” A large number of teachers once again took the stand during Monday’s Board of Education (BOE) meeting, enumerating the various reasons why they feel a fair contract must be reached between the BOE and Ridgewood Education Association (REA).”
    .
    I agree… unfortunately, the teachers and the REA DO NOT want a FAIR contract… they want a “One Percenter” contract… a golden contract that serves the teachers.
    .

  4. Show us the way 10:47 AM, come to a BOE meeting and prove to us that you have personally given up your employer sponsored health plan for Obama care.

  5. 12:07 do you read newspapers or not?

  6. What does teaching have to do with paying lower health plan premiums? That’s not fair to the rest of us paying for our own health plans. Hopefully these educators aren’t teaching our kids anything from their playbook on conflict resolution. Holding the Village hostage over health benefits is despicable behavior and the vile personal threats they are making against our elected BOE members must stop. This has nothing to do with educating our childran, it is all about the greed of the REA/NJEA.

  7. Dear 12 07: time to pay a little more for a great benefit .Hospitalization cost through the roof. ..since the unions are out of touch with the reality they claim to teach,..its 2016.. not 1974. We won’t and can’t pay more on your behalf..this is the reality in the marketplace ..why not ok for the teachers too,..avoiding the 100 M large quite conveniently,..Gig is up..

  8. 1:13 can you explain your comment ” Holding the Village hostage over health benefits is despicable behavior and the vile personal threats they are making against our elected BOE members must stop.”

    I have followed all of the BOE mtgs. and the teachers have made soul-bearing, emotional pleas to settle the contract, telling the elected BOE officials how they are personally feeling regarding the situation. There have not been attacks, direct or implied.
    As for holding the Village hostage, I understand the teachers are working to their contracted hours and providing all of the services for which they are compensated.

  9. 11:49 Teachers do contribute similar amounts to their medical premiums. Case in point; family coverage contribution is $491.78 per paycheck – 983.56 per month and this continues to increase. I’d like to know what your rate of salary is compared to that of the teachers. I’m sure it is higher.

  10. If the teachers want to reduce the amount they pay for premiums, then reduce the total cost.
    Current deductibles and co-pays are 15 years behind the times.
    Until then, stop your crying.

  11. We can always hire new teachers if the current bunch are disatisfied with their deal under a $101mn BOE budget for a Village of 25,000

  12. 4:44 check with one of your math teacher friends.
    Is that $983.56 per month for 10 months. $9,835.60
    If the represents 30% of the total premium then the taxpayers are paying the other $22,949.73
    I pay 100% of my premium or $1,484.86 per month x 12 = $17,818.32 (husband & wife plan)
    That’s for an Obamacare plan with very high co-pays, deductibles, and Rx costs.
    Then I also pay real estate taxes that fund the other 70% of your Cadillac plan.

  13. Won’t the new teacher contract be in effect through 2020? So who pays the 40% ACA excise tax if teachers get Platinum plans as defined by the ACA? Any reasonable taxpayer subsidizing the premiums of these plans would want to know that – it’s a fair question if we are really negotiating a fair contract. Are Village taxpayers going to get hit with an extra 40% tax on the health benefit plans of teachers? Will that be an additional cost to taxpayers of $10,000 per employee per year for health coverage? Is that within the 2% cap?

  14. 3:52, characterizing our elected BOE officials as “uncaring and indifferent” is just the public commentary. One can only imagine the storm they are withering privately

  15. 9:01, not that I condone and I haven’t heard any such comments personally but that unfortunately is the price of public office. What I have heard is teachers commenting on how they feel and their perspective of the boards position to the situation.
    I still don’t understand how the REA is hoding the village hostage.

  16. Refusing to sign a contract over excessive demands on health benefit contribution reductions isn’t holding the Volkage hostage? Your health benefits are exhorbitant compared to what the average Ridgewood resident has

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