Tag: nepotism

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Reader says , “NJ school districts DO practice nepotism in hiring “

BOE

file photo by Boyd Loving

I know from personal experience that NJ school districts DO practice nepotism in hiring. I graduated with a Masters degree, GPA 4.0, received Outstanding Student Teacher Award and went on numerous interviews where the interviewer DID NOT EVEN MAKE EYE CONTACT. When I was later told I did not get the job, I always asked for feedback on the interview; what was lacking, what could I have done better? Nine times out of ten they said my credentials and interview answers were excellent but they already had someone in mind for the job. One time a lazy C student I knew from school got the job for which I interviewed. She had a mother, aunt and cousin already working in the district. I was shocked and disillusioned by the whole experience. They couldn’t care less about getting the best for the students.

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State Bill to Require School Districts to Adopt Nepotism Policies Clears Committee

RHS

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Trenton NJ, Legislation sponsored by Senator Joseph Lagana which would require school districts and charter schools to adopt nepotism policies cleared the Senate Education Committee today.

“We must ensure that our school districts are hiring the most qualified people for the job, without allowing personal relations to taint their judgment,” said Senator Lagana (D-Bergen/Passaic). “All hirings should involve a competitive application process and end with the hiring of the best possible candidate.”

The bill, S-2637, would direct boards of education of school districts and county vocational school districts to adopt and implement a nepotism policy. The adoption of such a policy would be required to receive state aid. At minimum, the policy would have to include the provisions outlined in the bill.

The bill would also direct the board of trustees of a charter school to adopt and implement a nepotism policy, incorporating the provisions outlined in the bill.

The policy would apply to relatives of school board members, chief school administrators, school business administrators, school board attorneys and directors of personnel.

A school district or county vocational district could exclude per diem substitutes and student employees from its nepotism policy.

The bill was released from committee by a vote of 3-0, and next heads to the full Senate for further consideration.

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Former Village Manager should be the last person writing a letter in the Ridgewood News about nepotism

Village_Manager_Roberta_Sonenfeld_theridgewoodblog

March 24,2018

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, Wow Roberta shouldn’t be writing a letter in the Ridgewood News about nepotism. After all when Roberta was Village Manager she was one of the reasons tax payers are stuck with a below market value rent lease at the gatehouse. Roberta’s BFF Stacey Antine from which she knows from a Bergen school they graduated from got a fabulous lease on the gatehouse and a sweet contract for her business. Talk about helping a non tax payer succeed in Ridgewood and personally making sure her business is a success. Not only did Roberta help Stacey, Tim also provided services Healthbarn needed during his time with Parks and Rec.

Since Tim’s departure Nancy Bigos has continued in his place assuring Healthbarn weeps benefits other businesses don’t have access too. Such as classes that run thru Parks and Rec that are run at Healthbarn. Village claims it’s a partnership but Village doesn’t share in her profits. After all Healthbarn is still having its own classes during the Parks and Rec classes so who is helping who succeed?

It’s always baffled me how she got such a sweet deal but then I realized who backed her, the past council excluding Michael & Susan who voted against it. Roberta and Tim helped her along the way giving her perhaps inside information when she presented at VC meeting, because what she presented and what actually goes on isn’t the same. Replacing Tim with Nancy doesn’t change anything since she was one of the pack who brought this business to a neighborhood. It’s time to reflect on how much this business costs the tax payers and think about who has the tax payers back?

With Healthbarn violating her lease on several occasions and from what the neighbors can tell not getting fined only shows that they support the business not the residents.
Enough stop supporting Healthbarn and start supporting the taxpayers needs and concerns!!!!

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N.J. targets nepotism, high salaries at schools for the disabled

Glen_bridgeovertroubledwaters_theridgewoodblog

Updated on June 7, 2017 at 8:31 PMPosted on June 7, 2017 at 5:46 PM

BY ADAM CLARK

NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

TRENTON — New Jersey is clamping down on private schools that serve disabled students four years after a Star-Ledger investigation revealed numerous cases of nepotism and questionable spending paid for by taxpayers.

The state Board of Education on Wednesday approved new restrictions that freeze maximum salaries, lower the maximum spending cap on administrative costs and require schools to disclose business transactions with relatives, among other changes.

The move comes despite heavy opposition from the schools, which charge steep tuition from public schools to teach severely disabled students traditional schools can’t serve. Dozens of parents from the more than 150 affected schools packed earlier state board meetings out of fear that any changes at the schools could have negative consequences for students.

https://www.nj.com/education/2017/06/nj_targets_nepotism_high_salaries_at_schools_for_t.html

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Reader says Ridgewood provides the perfect recipe of demographics for all the excessive spending

Ridgewood_-Village_Hall_theridgewoodblog

Ridgewood provides the perfect recipe of demographics for all the excessive spending, nepotism, well-intentioned (but unsustainable) projects, and varying degrees of opportunistic action.  These perfect conditions are:
1. A relatively wealthy community.
2. A community that rotates (many move here just to put their kids through school and then move on).
3. A largely Democrat population.  This isn’t meant as a liberal bash, but just that liberals are far more likely to naively support program after program. The political thieves know this.
4. Ridgewood’s population is mostly un-focused on local matters due to careers and social lives.

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Readers debate Nepotism or Following in the Family Footsteps ?

Nick Farfalla

(Nick Farfalla, 3 generations of PA cops)

Why does it seem that Ridgewood only hires friends and family? The same names always come up in the police, fire ,and BOE lists.

Why is it that you care  If they are tested by the state and meet the other qualification of employment they should been give the same chance as anyone else.

First of all this is not true. They don’t ALWAYS hire family members. Second, it is a proud tradition that firefighters and police officers are often the sons and daughters of them. Just like doctors often have kids who go into medicine and people who own their own businesses often have their children join them. I was a teacher and my daughter is a teacher. She grew up observing my career and she aspired to do the same. There is nothing wrong with this and your comments are inflammatory.

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The 800lb gorilla in the room is nepotism. Let me explain

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file photo by Boyd Loving

The 800lb gorilla in the room is nepotism. Let me explain.

Government, and particularly local government, bears no resemblance to the private sector in many ways. We could go on about these differences but let’s just focus on how jobs are filled. Sure, there’s an element of nepotism in the private sector, but local government is almost all about political favors and basically who-you-know. Ever sent your resume in for a government job without any insider connections? You didn’t get so much as an interview, right?

Now the big problem with this kind of hiring practice is what do you do when that person screws up, or worse still, gets caught with their snout in the trough. In a lot of cases, things tend to get smoothed over and nothing gets done. In extreme cases (particularly when the issue becomes public knowledge), it becomes necessary to fire (and possibly prosecute) that person. This becomes really awkward being that the person is still well connected.

I’m not suggesting that this coin-theft guy was was one of these connected guys, but just pointing out the inherent problem of hiring people based upon the friends and family plan.