Poll

Who will you vote for on April 20, 2004?

Walter H. Carroll, Francis W. Albolino (incumbents) and Jorge E. Meneses
5 (35.7%)
Junemarie Ramp, Jenny Marin, and Rhonda Williams-Bembry (challengers)
6 (42.9%)
Undecided
3 (21.4%)
Don't vote in School Board Elections
0 (0%)

Total Members Voted: 13

Author Topic: 2004 School Board Election (Topic closed).  (Read 43975 times)

Offline lab94

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Re:School Board Election Poll (Participate!)
« Reply #30 on: April 19, 2004, 01:23:24 PM »
I have a child in second grade at Hillers school and I'm pleased with their curriculum.  Everyone is quick to pass the blame on test scores and everything else. Look, it's time some of the parents take some of the blame. I  am on the PTA and on back to school night I had parents saying that their child is in third grade and they didnt know what teacher they had.  I was upset that after three weeks of school they didnt know that. Or I like when the parents say they send the kids to school to learn so why should they do stuff at home with them. We have great teachers but , they can't do it alone. We as parents should be helping. The kids go to school  six hrs a day and only 180 days a year. We are responsable for the rest of the time. Maybe instead of buying the kids $100 sneakers or $80 name brand jeans the money could of bought some flash cards. The parents need to be more involved with thier children(myself included).It's easy to blame it on race or the income. I don't think it has anything to do with it.  Dr. Montesano was at our school on 4/7 to go over the budget for us and answer any questions. The school notified all 500 + students, and I was able to count on two hands how many parents showed up.The BOE is doing a good job, I think to vote for the challengers would be wrong.

tony

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Re:School Board Election Poll (Participate!)
« Reply #31 on: April 19, 2004, 07:25:26 PM »
Hey Marie

I don’t think the teachers should teach only what’s necessary to pass the state tests.  The kids should have a well rounded education that encourages both learning and personal growth.

Maybe you’re missing something here.  The state tests are only basic skills.  BASIC SKILLS!!!  During the course of the day, these kids should have learned enough to pass a basic skills test.  If not, there’s a serious problem that has to be addressed.  

You say, “The challengers are the wrong three people running for a seat on the BOE.”   How can you say this if they’ve never had the chance?  The incumbents presently in office haven’t been getting the job done.  It’s time for a change.

You seem to have a lot of answers Marie.  Streamlining the administration in the 5/6 school isn’t going to make the kids smarter.  What will Marie?  Also, why would I want to send my kids to a 5/6 school that you say is a “disaster” or a high school that is only “good?”  How can you say the grammar schools are excellent?  Do you have kids in each one of them?

Make all the excuses you want Marie.  If the kids can’t pass these tests now, how do you think they’ll do on the SATs when they apply to college?   It’s a very competitive world out there and if these kids aren’t given the best opportunities to learn now, they’re going to fail in life.

marie

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Re:School Board Election Poll (Participate!)
« Reply #32 on: April 19, 2004, 08:23:05 PM »
I have a child in second grade at Hillers school and I'm pleased with their curriculum.  Everyone is quick to pass the blame on test scores and everything else. Look, it's time some of the parents take some of the blame. I  am on the PTA and on back to school night I had parents saying that their child is in third grade and they didnt know what teacher they had.  I was upset that after three weeks of school they didnt know that. Or I like when the parents say they send the kids to school to learn so why should they do stuff at home with them. We have great teachers but , they can't do it alone. We as parents should be helping. The kids go to school  six hrs a day and only 180 days a year. We are responsable for the rest of the time. Maybe instead of buying the kids $100 sneakers or $80 name brand jeans the money could of bought some flash cards. The parents need to be more involved with thier children(myself included).It's easy to blame it on race or the income. I don't think it has anything to do with it.  Dr. Montesano was at our school on 4/7 to go over the budget for us and answer any questions. The school notified all 500 + students, and I was able to count on two hands how many parents showed up.The BOE is doing a good job, I think to vote for the challengers would be wrong.

So very true now someone who understands and I could agree with!!!!

marie

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Re:School Board Election Poll (Participate!)
« Reply #33 on: April 19, 2004, 08:36:35 PM »
Hey Tony

Yes I have kids in the Hackensack School system,
One is in the 4th grade the other is in the 5th and I must say How the school is a disaster. and then I have one in Pre-k.
I went thru the Hackensack School System and I turned out good.

The Administration we have is on the right track.

Plus I heard the best news yet about the BOE Dr Riley is finally leaving. Wish her the best of luck but glad to see her leaving.

Tony you misunderstood me. I do not think any teacher should teach the kids just to pass the State testing. But that is what the challengers believe should happen.

They should be well round classes so the students learn academics and life situtations.

I am for a BOE who will provide my child and all the other Hackensack Children with the best Education possible. I honestly and truely do not believe that those running will be able to hold the members on the boards dirty underwear..........Plan and simply

Eric Martindale

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More on the Socioeconomic Beauty Contest
« Reply #34 on: April 20, 2004, 08:05:55 AM »
Response to Tony.  The socioeconomic factors are only averages. Even in the wealthiest towns there are 2-parent families, both college educated, that don't push their kids to learn. And even in the poorest towns, there are families that instill in their children the greatest desire to learn. Some of those parents barely even speak English, and their kids wind up in the best colleges. However, it's the averages that count. If 65 out of 100 inner city families really want their kids to learn, and 90 out of 100 wealthy suburban families really want their kids to learn, that difference is going to reflected in the AVERAGE testing score of the schools. I'm literally pulling those numbers out of the hat just to make the point.

A town like Elmwood Park or Lodi will NEVER have test scores to match the "top" schools in Northern Bergen County, simply for socioeconomic reasons. And Paterson and Passaic will NEVER match Lodi. Even a small number of stragglers will always reduce the average. Northern Bergen County is what sociologists refer to as "Seccession of the Wealthy", in which all people of the highest econonomic means leave behind the average or below-average areas that they or their parents were originally from, and move to towns where there is virtually no poverty. (And then they sneer back at the cities and blame the cities for not "carrying their own weight"). It's utterly ridiculouus to expect any urban community to match the test scores of exclusively upscale communities. Do we have kids in Hackensack that drag down the test scores - absolutely. In no way is that an indictment of any ethnic group.

I resent you're suggestion that my discription of the SOCIOECONOMIC BEAUTY CONTEST is in some way an insult against Spanish-speaking people. If there was some way to analyze the test scores for JUST the students of Hispanic or Latino background, there's no doubt in my mind that (1) kids of two-parent families would, ON AVERAGE, outscore the kids of one-parent families (2) kids of parents who speak English (which is most of them) would outscore kids of parents who don't speak English, and (3) kids of parents in owner-occupied homes would outscore kids of parents living in apartments on public assistance. Again, that's a description of the variation of test scores WITHIN the Latino population. You can say the same for white, black, and asian. Tony, if you don't understand that, I think YOU are the one who is insulting the Hispanic and Latino population of Hackensack.

marie

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Re:School Board Election Poll (Participate!)
« Reply #35 on: April 20, 2004, 08:09:27 AM »
Off to the polls this morning to place my vote for the 3 best people on the ballet.

I am voting for  Albolino, Carroll, and Meneses

Those of you votes who care about your children and the children of Hackensack vote for teh 3 above they have your child best interest.......

Offline wetochwink

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Re:School Board Election Poll (Participate!)
« Reply #36 on: April 20, 2004, 08:34:11 AM »
Marie, you have a long wait. Polls don't open till 2pm.

marie

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Re:School Board Election Poll (Participate!)
« Reply #37 on: April 20, 2004, 11:13:51 AM »
I found that out I thought the polls opened at 9am. I will be there this afternoon.

tony

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Re:School Board Election Poll (Participate!)
« Reply #38 on: April 20, 2004, 01:47:58 PM »
Eric, what you said in the post I responded to was, “Compared to northern Bergen County, Hackensack has a higher percent of students who (1) have limited use of the English language, (2) come from stressed single-parent households, or (3) come from economically disadvantaged families. This is what's holding back test scores, not the actual quality of the system itself.”

You didn’t mention anything about averages; you specifically said the students who have limited use of the English language is what’s holding back test scores.  I feel that it’s insulting to the kids to blame them or their families or their socioeconomic situation in life.  Not just the Spanish speaking kids, but all of the kids.  The blame lies with the BOE and the leaders that run the entire school system.  These are the people with the masters degrees and doctorates hanging on their office walls.

With all of the education and knowledge this board and the leaders of the school system has, can’t they do better educating these kids?  Where’s the innovation?  Where’s the dedication?  The kids won’t be robots, as Marie says, if they’re learning enough skills in the classroom to pass basic tests for the state.

I understand the different scenarios you’ve presented but the challenge to the BOE and the entire administration should be to overcome these obstacles no matter what.  I realize that the test scores will never be perfect, but don’t make excuses for why they probably won’t get much better.  


Offline Editor

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Re:School Board Election Poll (Participate!)
« Reply #39 on: April 20, 2004, 09:28:28 PM »
For the record:

I removed an earlier post because I received an email, purportedly from the individual who posted it, saying he (or she) had second thoughts.  

It was not an editorial decision.  

Offline Editor

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Re:School Board Election Poll (Participate!)
« Reply #40 on: April 20, 2004, 09:51:25 PM »
Who won?

News 12 NJ hasn't posted the results as of 9:50 pm, but you can check results HERE.

marie

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Re:School Board Election Poll (Participate!)
« Reply #41 on: April 21, 2004, 01:07:05 AM »
Ok I can finally go to bed and sleep with a safe and secure peace of mind knowing that my kids have the right people in charge of the BOE in Hackensack.

No need to call names but now we can take out the trash and know its not coming back to haunt us.

HACKENSACK PEOPLE WHO VOTED THANKS FOR MAKING THE RIGHT CJOICE!!!

I am not apart the the people elected just believe in them

marie

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Winners are our Children in Hackensack
« Reply #42 on: April 21, 2004, 01:14:33 AM »
The winners of the Hackensack Board of Education...

Albolino,Carroll (the most vote getter)and Meneses

The people of Hackensack know and will see that they chosed the right group of people to guide the Education in Hackensack and provide our Children with the best Education.>>>>>>>>

One person I was praying did not get elected was William/Bembry and Ramp was not far behind.

Ok I can finally go to bed and sleep with a safe and secure peace of mind knowing that my kids have the right people in charge of the BOE in Hackensack.

No need to call names but now we can take out the trash and know its not coming back to haunt us.

HACKENSACK PEOPLE WHO VOTED THANKS FOR MAKING THE RIGHT CJOICE!!!

I am not apart the the people elected just believe in them
« Last Edit: April 21, 2004, 12:49:57 PM by Editor »

Offline wetochwink

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Re:School Board Election Poll (Participate!)
« Reply #43 on: April 21, 2004, 07:45:44 AM »
According to today's Record:

HACKENSACK
Board of Education - three seats
Walter H. Carroll * 1156
Junemarie Ramp 646
Rhonda Williams-Bembry 787
Jorge E. Meneses 927
Francis W. Albolino * 993
Jenny Marin 652

"Tax levy - $50,649,382"
Yes 856
No 541

There should be not one resident that should question why their taxes are going up next quarter!  Buckle up - the county tax increase will be next...

I HOPE BOTH TEAMS WILL NOW GO AROUND TOWN AND REMOVE THEIR RESPECTIVE POSTERS (now deemed Political Litter).
« Last Edit: April 21, 2004, 07:50:24 AM by wetochwink »

marie

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Re:School Board Election Poll (Participate!)
« Reply #44 on: April 21, 2004, 08:37:14 AM »
The article in todays Bergen Record

HACKENSACK

Incumbents Walter H. Carroll and Francis W. Albolino and newcomer Jorge E. Meneses fended off a strong challenge to win election to the Board of Education.

They defeated newcomers Junemarie Ramp, Jenny Marin, and Rhonda Williams-Bembry to take the three three-year terms.

Voters also approved, by an 856-541 vote, the district's $62.6 million budget for 2004-05. It represents a nearly 4.4 percent increase over the current plan.

Under the budget, the school tax rate will increase 8 cents per $100 of assessed property value, a 3.9 percent increase. The school tax bill for a house assessed at $157,000, the city's average, will increase $130.

Carroll, Albolino, and Meneses received 1,176, 1,006, and 946 votes, respectively, and Williams-Bembry, Marin, and Ramp received 811, 677, and 667 votes, respectively.

Of the city's 16,707 registered voters, 1,396, or 8.3 percent, voted Tuesday.

Before the election, the candidates debated how to address the district's poor performance on state standardized tests. Albolino and Carroll said the district has established programs - including balanced literacy - that have reversed the trend. Ramp, however, said the students' test scores would improve if the district established higher standards for its personnel staff.

Albolino and Carroll were also proud that city voters had passed nine consecutive budgets.

Ramp noted that some administrators receive a lot of money for their work, and she called for an audit of the district's budget records.

By Tom Davis
_________________________

Ok enough said over this issue. Time for me to get to work. When reading the last statement by Ramp you see why I did not vote for her. Take defeat and live with it, try next time. Hopefully not in Hackensack stay in N.A. where you teach.

I heard that a house next to me on Prospect ave. will now be up for sale(after the results from the election). Now we will have peace and quite. You knwo who you are time to get out while you can....
« Last Edit: April 21, 2004, 12:49:33 PM by Editor »