Tag: NJEA

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Murphy Healthcare Veto Cost County Colleges and their Employees Millions

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the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Trenton NJ,  Senate President Steve Sweeney (D-Gloucester/Salem/Cumberland) issued the following statement in response to Governor Phil Murphy’s veto of legislation (S2455 – Sweeney, Oroho/Murphy, McKnight, Mosquera) which would produce substantial cost savings in health care expenses by transferring county college employees and retirees from membership in the School Employees Health Benefits Plan to membership in the State Health Benefits Plan:

“The Governor’s veto will cost the county colleges and their employees millions of dollars in future healthcare savings. Once again, the Governor has chosen to stand with the New Jersey Education Association’s union leaders and against the interests of the taxpayers of New Jersey, the county colleges, their hardworking professors and staff, and the students who will be forced to pay higher tuition. It is a terrible irony when we have a Governor calling for free county college tuition at the same time that he refuses to reduce health care costs and produce savings that could be used in support of the colleges and their students.”


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NBC4 I-Team Report Focuses On North Bergen Coerced Teachers’ Contributions

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North Bergen NJ, ‘Several current and former educators and political insiders in Hudson County claim teachers are pressured to make political donations to a campaign fund linked to North Bergen Mayor Nicholas Sacco. Some said their jobs and promotions can be affected by whether and how much they give’, according to NBC4’s I-Team, led by investigative journalists Jonathan Dienst and David Paredes.  The current dispatch from the I-Team follows a previous report from November focusing on Sacco’s family employment in North Bergen.

The report also includes an audio clip sent to them in which Mayor Sacco allegedly speaks about the I-Team investigation, saying of NBC “they are liars. They are incompetent.  ‘You’re either totally incompetent or totally corrupt.’  One or the other. OK, that’s both response to them.  They are not your friends. They will twist what you say.”  Sacco allegedly also says that the NBC4 team is ‘behaving like criminals’.

According to the report, Sacco’s team contends that the I-Team is colluding with Sacco nemesis Larry Wainstein, a claim they deny.

Read the I-Team report here.

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

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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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Reader Congratulats residents of HoHoKus for taking the lead and continuing to understand impact the runaway spending has on the quality of life

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Congratulations to the residents of Hohokus for taking the lead and continuing to understand impact the runaway spending has on the quality of life within their town. School budgets and unending increases for the same are wreaking havoc on what has been a wonderful section of Bergen County to live in. Ironically the very things that towns used to tap out as being a reason to buy a home in the town has become the very reason to no longer want to stay in the town or buy a house in the town. We all support our teachers but it’s about time our teachers Now supported us and understood the damage full extent of the damage their Union and salaries are doing to the very Villages that pay them

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NJEA and REA Endorse Ethically Challenged Bob Menendez for U.S. Senate

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file photo by Boyd Loving

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, back in August the New Jersey Teachers Union (NJEA) along with Ridgewood’s REA endorsed  the ethically challenged Bob Menendez ,

According to a Senate Ethics Committee report, Senator Bob Menendez broke federal law and completely abused his position as senator when he should have been serving the people,” U.S. Senator Bob Menendez received a strongly-worded bipartisan admonition from his Capitol Hill colleagues on the ethics committee.

Even more ironic is that the NJEA along with Ridgewood’s REA endorsed Senator Menendez after allegations that the Senator flew to Dominican Republic. to have sex with under age prostitutes .

Continue reading NJEA and REA Endorse Ethically Challenged Bob Menendez for U.S. Senate

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Ridgewood Education Association : Board of Education no longer in agreement with the contract settlement

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the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, according to the Ridgewood Education Association , “Last week we were notified by the Board of Education that they are no longer in agreement with the contract settlement negotiated with the assistance of a state appointed mediator on Oct. 9. The issue pertains to the new salary guides that by agreement must be agreed upon by both parties. We submitted guide proposals to the Board on Oct. 10 and they waited almost three weeks to tell us they found them unacceptable and that they have a misunderstanding as to what the settlement actually means. Upon first learning this on Oct. 30 we informed the Board how we interpret the settlement and met again with the Board’s negotiating team on Friday to reiterate that point. Tonight the Board has indicated they need even more time to approve the settlement. We find this unacceptable and as such we find ourselves back at an impasse and potentially back at the negotiating table. Ridgewood’s teachers and secretaries have now been working for 128 days under an expired contract. Email Board President Vince Loncto at viloncto@ridgewood.k12.nj.us and tell him to honor the agreement and settle now! “

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Reader says , ” There are still some dedicated teachers in the system but more often than not, tenure destroys motivation”

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There are still some dedicated teachers in the system but more often than not, tenure destroys motivation. Ridgewood teachers are very, very lucky. They receive top teaching salaries and for the most part their students do receive support from homes where education is prized. The NJEA and its demands will continue to bankrupt the state. Nurses do not earn as much as teachers nor do they enjoy the same benefits packages. That is not to say that effective, caring teaching is not an extremely demanding job but all the complaints about their salaries/benefits are hard to entertain. Personally, I think those who teach in less desirable districts should be the high earners. That is where you find the dedication and what used to motivate those entering the profession – hoping to make a difference and inspire learning.

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Lodi Teacher Arrested For Sexual Relations With Student

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the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Lodi NJ, Acting Bergen County Prosecutor Dennis Calo announced the arrest of STEPHANIE A. CARAFA (DOB: 03/12/1986; single; employed as a school teacher) of Lodi, New Jersey on charges of Aggravated Criminal Sexual Contact and Endangering The Welfare Of A Child. The arrest is the result of an investigation conducted by the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office under the direction of Chief Robert Anzilotti and the Lodi Police Department under the direction of Chief Donald Scorzetti.

Continue reading Lodi Teacher Arrested For Sexual Relations With Student

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Another Questionable Hire by Phil Murphy

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the staff of the Ridgewod blog

Trenton NJ, Another Murphy hire bites the dust . It seems the more past transgressions have been brought to light , according to Politico, Maryellen Cervenak, who was hired by the State Department of Education as the acting department director of the Professional Learning Network was fired after it was brought to their attention that she had been suspended when she was a teacher for, among other things, making fun of special education students.

Continue reading Another Questionable Hire by Phil Murphy

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New Jersey Teacher Charged With Health Care Fraud

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the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Nutley NJ,  A federal grand jury has indicted a New Jersey public school teacher for conspiring to defraud the N.J. School Employees’ Health Benefits Program (SEHBP) with phony claims for medically unnecessary prescriptions, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced today.

Jason Nardachone, 45, of Nutley, New Jersey, is charged with one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud. He made his initial appearance Oct. 11, 2018, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael Hammer in Newark federal court.

Continue reading New Jersey Teacher Charged With Health Care Fraud

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School Budget Vote Gets Heated

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the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ,  the Ridgewood Board of Education once again appears to be pretending to be open to public input while their mind have already been made up on an issue .  The Board for years has stonewalled residents and has demonstrated that they are far more interested in placating their NJEA masters.  Lets face it a budget vote would remind residents every year that the school budget is 2/3 of their tax dollars and that at $110,000,000 it is an enormous . The Board appeared to be tone deaf and was also accused of violating the open public meeting act or at lest actively trying to circumvent it.  .

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Assembly advances Schepisi bill expanding prosecution for sexual assault crimes against minors

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the staff of the Ridgewood blog

River Vale NJ,  The Assembly voted today to allow the prosecution of chaperones who sexually assault minors in their care when the crimes are committed outside of New Jersey. The legislation is sponsored by Assemblywoman Holly Schepisi.

Continue reading Assembly advances Schepisi bill expanding prosecution for sexual assault crimes against minors

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Murphy’s benefits deal with NJEA and Other Public Unions – A snow job in September

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by Organization For Economic Growth

Trenton NJ, Gov. Phil Murphy would have us believe he struck a tremendous blow for taxpayers with this new “deal” he negotiated behind closed doors with the NJEA and other public sector union heads
The deal is no bargain for taxpayers. Although there is more evaluation that needs to be done, it is clear from what we know that the alleged savings of $500 million over two years represents a tiny drop in the bucket of the $3.4 billion that state taxpayers spend for employee health care in a year.

The reported savings by the administration and the NJEA by moving retirees from traditional Medicare supplements to Medicare advantage, is supposed to save school districts $162 million next year and $110 million in 2020. That’s virtually nothing.

Continue reading Murphy’s benefits deal with NJEA and Other Public Unions – A snow job in September

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Ridgewood Teachers 8th Highest Paid in Bergen County and 31st Highest Paid in the Garden State

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photo courtesy of the NEA

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, The state Department of Education recently released its annual Taxpayer’s Guide to Education Spending for 2018, which shows the median salary in every New Jersey school district and charter school.

Continue reading Ridgewood Teachers 8th Highest Paid in Bergen County and 31st Highest Paid in the Garden State