We have fought against Valley and garages and numerous other issues in this town. It is time to fight for our children, but so many parents feel intimidated by these teachers. They will be marching in their red outside before you go into the meeting. They have put us down. They tell us we are not educated that we don’t know the facts. The FACT is that we can not open our mouths because as soon as we do, you crush our opinion. We all see the signs around town, but maybe the teachers and the BOE should be looking at the how many houses don’t have signs…Unfortunately only two scenarios exist…the first the contract is settled which means the BOE gave into the bullying tactics of our teachers and unions. The only benefit to us is our children won’t be punished anymore…The second scenario is the contract doesn’t get signed in which case we will be living through hell. The disrespect these teachers have shown the students and parents is unacceptable. The days of teacher appreciation are over.
Who are the teachers in the picture above – named and schools please?
“But maaaaaaaaa! I don’t wanna go to school! They only pay be a hundred thousand a year for 6 hours of work a day, for 185 days!!”
It does not pay to respond to the teachers, on Facebook or at the meetings. They chatter on in their Facebook posts thinking that everyone agrees with them.
They have power over the students.
The BOE was elected to represent the interests of the residents. They lnow that even if I do not go to the meeting and speak against the proposed contract
My child will be in HS this September. I am certainly worried that quality of teaching will suffer if teacher demands are not fulfilled but I still don’t want BOE to give in. If RHS was in top 5 in NJ then maybe I would consider concession on a few issues but this school keeps hanging around 25-30 in rankings which is certainly good but nothing extraordinary. We pay more than enough taxes for a school ranked 26th. In my opinion RHS quality has been inflated by parents themselves who keep yelling “our school is great, the best”. Again it is good but certainly not great. Therefore with the already excellent benefits the current teachers have there is no reason to give in to whatever they like. They have a sweet deal, get a full yr salary for working 9 1/2 months.
This is a tough issue. Part of me thinks that the teachers should get some perqs for taking a job that, face it, isn’t going to make them wealthy. It’s not. Their salaries will top out in the low six figures, like barely six figures. They will not have industry experience with which to leverage themselves into high paying roles in the private sector. In exchange for that, they deserve some level of job security, and good benefits. However, that should come with the cost of being very good at what you do, and producing top quality graduates year after year. I’m a little put off by the decline in Ridgewood’s school system in recent years. That should not be rewarded.
What I can say, without a shadow of a doubt, is that the damage being done by the contentious relationship between the BoE and the teachers in this town is going to cost more, in the long run, than the marginal cost of the new contract. In other words, this situation needs to be resolved yesterday. For the marginal cost involved, this is not the hill I’d want Ridgewood’s academic reputation to die on.
@8:34, why are you so determined to find out their names and schools? They are doing nothing wrong in the photo. I am not really on either “side” here but they have a right to be there…move on
Teachers and schools are over rated if the rankings are to be believed.As for pay and benefits it is time for the teachers and there unions to realize that the tax payer of Ridgewood is tired of supporting you and your massive school budget.
$102,000,000 per year.
No need to say anything more.
@10:11 said ” isn’t going to make them wealthy. It’s not. Their salaries will top out in the low six figures, like barely six figures”
Salaries are a fraction of their total compensation. They pay NOTHING for platinum level healthcare benefits and the cost to taxpayers is going to skyrockets once Obamacare taxes kick in.
More importantly, their retirement packages are worth million, meaning a private sector worker would have to invest a couple of million in an annuity to get the same level of payments in retirement.
In my book, having a couple million in the bank (effectively!) counts as being VERY wealthy.
Yes, agree with John here. One of the speakers representing the REA believes it a political move that they should now pay for their healthcare, and that the “social contract” always was that teachers would be low payed but have job security and free healthcare. I think the reality of what has transpired with our healthcare system has not yet dawned on the REA. Many people can not pay for their own healthcare let alone shoulder the burdens of theirs, increased taxes, etc.
Not to mention all the over paid administrators – half of whom they don’t need
John at 11:09 sums it up perfectly: retire after 25 years with a nice pension and medical benefits for self and spouse and while working receive automatic annual increases without personal performance rubrics to meet and work only 9 months out of a year!!!! Let’s get real – that is a sweet deal. Oh, I forgot the protection of tenure for job security. How many of your neighbors have been downsized in the past 5 years?!? A six figure salary is more than many other professions earn with college degrees and certainly a decent living. So tired of the whining.
John,
Those teachers, that make the six figure salary you refer to, pay 35% of their health insurance premium. Pensions have not been funded by the state for quite a few years despite increases in employee pension contributions. Retirement health benefits are payable at the same percentage as the retirement year and will continue to rise as policy costs increase. Additionally, no one is complaining about not making a decent living…it is the obscene health benefits contributions that have been instituted over the last 4 years that have reduced take-home pay to levels seen 6 years ago. Despite any salary increases that might be negotiated, take home salaries will NEVER increase but actually continue to decrease.
Where can we get “Support the BOE” signs ?
Who are the teachers in the picture?
I support Ridgewood taxpayers and the BOE officials we elected to represent us. Our kids deserve better. And in what can only be described as thuggish Union logic, the teachers think that because they work for Ridgewood schools, they deserve more than what any other Board in Bergen offers despite the schools living off their reputation.
8:33 – most people are now taking home less money than they did six years ago. No one is getting more than a 1 – 1.5% increase a year and everyone’s health care premiums are skyrocketing. And in the private sector, a lot of those premiums are paying for high deductible policies (my family policy is costing me $5200/year and only kicks in after the $3000 out of pocket). Again, everyone is bringing home less which means we can’t afford to pay more taxes. Sad, but true.
My employer switched to a high deductible health plan this year. I still pay $1000/ mth in premiums (employee share) plus now I have a $5k deductible.
So, my son sprained his ankle and now I get a $1000 bill from Valley because I haven’t hit my deductible yet. (That’s with the insurer negotiated rates). All doctor visits other than preventive care are out of pocket until the deductible is hit.
Thank you Obama for accelerating this for happening to me because our employer is trying to avoid the Cadillac tax.
Teachers, get real with your minimal co-pays.
Thed
Ridgewood schools used to be amongst the best in the country. It’s teachers like the ones pictured above who have led to their decline. Just look at the entitled, thuggish look on the faces pictured above, and it’s easy to understand why. Just because you work for a school board with a tradition of excellence does not mean you are excellent. That takes hard work, which is apparently is something these teachers know nothing about.
The above comments show you have no idea what teachers do and have to put up with on a day to day basis. Comments like the above show such disrespect for the profession of teaching. What is more important than preparing our children for the world, and believe it or not, some teachers have more impact than parents who are more concerned with making money than being there for their children! I have been a teacher and worked in the corporate world . I made more money, had relaxed lunch hours, could use the restrooms when I needed too, and didn’t have to take work home or do work over the weekends! Respect both points of view and don’t ask who those teachers in the picture are….who cares!
Relaxed lunch hours? Toilet breaks? Taking work home and working over the weekends? Are you being serious? Do you think this is some kind of joke? Have an enjoyable summer holiday and hopefully update your view of what private sector workers face in terms of rapidly increasing health care costs, defined contribution pension plans, and “use it or lose it” sick leave. The teachers pictured above look like entitled, spoiled brats. Not sure i want these thugs having anything to do with preparing our students for the world if this is how they behave!
Gee, wonder what private sector workers have to put up on a daily basis commuting 2-3 hours from Ridgewood?
Disrespect for the profession of teaching? Don’t you mean disrespect for Ridgewood taxpayers and the volunteer BOE officials we elected to represent us? Look in the mirror.
9:55, maybe you haven’t noticed how few signs are up supporting teachers? Support our students. Support the BOE. Support Ridgewood taxpayers.
Hopefully the BOE is keeping tabs on REA Facebook page and pictures posted and keeping tabs on who needs to go…