I moved in 30 years ago, years before I had kids. I’m still here after my kids have left RPS. My taxes have quadrupled but I’m still paying. I worked full time when my kids were young. and I paid good money for kindergarten enrichment. My kids are successful despite not having full day kindergarten . . . why did people think free kindergarten baby sitting was the way to go. There’s no reason to have full day K in our socioeconomic cohort. Just because I want to dump my brats and go to yoga and lunch is not a good reason for full day kindergarten (and no, I don’t hink our real estate value was in jeopardy because we didnt have full day K. No self respecting Mommy around here works). Lots of waste. at the BoE and I just want some form of reasonable increases directed at quality education (BTW . . . RPS has gone down the toilet since I move in and yet, I pay more and more each year) . I can well afford to live here but really don’t want to continue to allow the BoE to spend foolishly. Very little of the proposed increase are going toward classroom and education goals; have you looked at the budget or is your smarmy ass head stuck in the sand?
This post is not appropriate for a public forum. We can disagree without name calling and snarky remarks about our neighbors. The level of anger and nastiness in all debates in Ridgewood is over the top. Our current council election is a disgrace. I feel terrible for Mayor Knudsen and will definitely not be voting for her opponents given the sleazy and dishonest statements that they are circulating about her.
As for the school board – newcomers to the school budget woes need to take a step back and educate themselves about how we got here. It is not the fault of the the 5 volunteers who have run unopposed for the last few elections because no one wants that thankless job. You should be thanking them – not abusing them.
If you really want to know how we got here go back 2 years to the last teacher contract negotiation. This board held the line against unreasonable teacher demands as long as they could. Over a year, and in the face of destructive job actions that impacted kids in the schools every day. In the end the dispute went to a state mediator who pretty much gave the teachers what they wanted.
So if you really want to stop this from happening again, stop wasting your time beating up on these people and educate yourself on the state contract resolution process. Take your concerns to your state legislators. Because the teachers’ current contract is almost up. I would expect job actions to begin sometime next year in anticipation of a new round of negotiations.
Studies show that full day kindergarten students do better than half day kindergarten students. Signed…a self-respecting WORKING Ridgewood mother.
Yes that’s true about kindergarten but the school system in the town is overrated.
12:36 – perhaps you need to go to the original post that this poster is repsonding to . . . . that poster suggested that we should all move out if we can’t afford to be here and don’t love the ever expanding school budget. I think it was “if you can’t afford to live here , then you should leave.” No that is a rude nasty comment and one that deserves a rude nasty rebuttal. I think the response was tame all things considered.
And, no, 12:45, simply not true in our socioeconomic class. True for lower socioeconomic class, but not upper.
“Studies show…”
Ha
Good one.
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The ONLY thing that “studies” SHOW is that:
Studies support the agenda of whomever is referencing that particular study.
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Nothing like not letting the facts get in the way 12:36.
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At least you see the wisdom of voting for Knudsen, so I guess you aren’t wrong all of the time (although, next time you may want to give Knudsen some positive support rather than your questionable backhand compliments)
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Yes, the Ridgewood local of the NJEA is probably already girding for battle. Three year cycle, rinse, wash, repeat.
Dear Ridgewood mom, congrats that you are working. Coming from a 2-salary home here in Ridgewood, we had to pay for our kids own enrichment programs and did not go to other self-respecting working parents to foot our bill. With Ridgewood rankings on a steady decline, the tenure-laden teaching staff can blame our woes on full-day K.
I love the photo. Flooded over and over again.
The original poster said . . . . “It’s expensive to live in Ridgewood. If that’s a problem for you then maybe you should have thought about that before you bought a house. Your lack of planning doesn’t mean the rest of us have to gut the school system teaching our kids.”.
$110 Million budget and ONLY 53.6% college prepared is disgraceful!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Like we said the school is overrated
That field still needs to be cleaned..,the storm was 8 days ago.
The last time they cleaned the turf it cost $4000. It’s more of course when the carpet tears…