Education/Charter Schools/Testing

[Editor]

Hackensack has concerns about upcoming education cuts
Friday, March 5, 2010
BY MARK J. BONAMO
Hackensack Chronicle
MANAGING EDITOR

When Governor Christie addressed both houses of the state Legislature in a major budget speech on Feb. 11, he had just signed an executive order that froze $1.6 billion in state aid as part of a plan to close a $2.2 billion budget gap. The freeze included withholding $475 million in state aid to local school districts with budget surpluses. The move will compel these districts to spend their surpluses and reserve funds to make up the shortfall. It will affect 500 districts for the remainder of the fiscal year.

Proclaiming New Jersey to be on "the edge of bankruptcy," Christie explained his rationale for the cuts to the joint legislative session with a mix of pragmatism and defiance.

"We have not reduced school aid with an axe, we have done it with a scalpel and with great care," said Christie. "Now is the time when we all must resist the traditional, selfish call to protect your own turf at the cost of our state."

"We chose to confront the problem head on by reforming our spending habits and laying the groundwork for reform," added Christie. "We have set out in a new direction, a direction dictated by the votes of the people of New Jersey, and I do not intend to turn back."

If anything, Christie forged further ahead with his budget cutting campaign on Feb. 17 when he announced that he has asked school districts to prepare for a 15 percent reduction in state aid for the budget year that begins in July, a plan meant to help address a potential $11 billion deficit in the next fiscal year. With the total formula of aid to schools currently standing at approximately $7.5 billion according to the state Department of Education, a 15 percent cut would equal nearly $1.1 billion.

Whether Christie’s radical cost-cutting moves constitute needed surgery, or will leave the state’s schools dead on the table, can be debated. Either way, Hackensack’s schools won’t be spared the knife.

The effect of education cuts for Hackensack

The effect of the funding freeze for the rest of the fiscal year on Hackensack is considerable. According to the Governor’s Office, the total state aid expected by Hackensack was $13,157,589. As a result of the freeze, the total state aid to be withheld adds up to $3,572,199.

Hackensack Schools Superintendent Dr. Edward Kliszus stated that his district won’t be able to get a full grip on next year’s state aid numbers until Gov. Christie addresses the fiscal 2011 budget gap on March 16, but had a rough idea of what Christie’s proposed state aid cuts might mean.

"Any cut in state aid is consequential, because schools are about kids and teachers," Kliszus said, pointing out that Hackensack had a $61.2 million district budget last year, with state aid making up $14 million, or approximately 23 percent of the total. The proposed 15 percent reduction in aid for the next fiscal year would amount to $2.1 million.

While the proposed cuts have some educators worried about issues such as teacher layoffs, Kliszus looked at some more short-term effects.

"Whenever the state decides to cut funding, ultimately the programs that are not mandated become targeted if there have to be cuts," Kliszus said. "A lot of things are not mandated. Athletics are not mandated. Class sizes are not mandated. Music and art are not mandated. You don’t have to have summer school or after-school programs. None of those are mandated. Those are the ones that take the hits. In these situations, I show the board a list of all the non-mandated programs, and we’ll have to go from there."

Battle between teachers union and Christie expected

Conflict between the Republican Christie and the Democratic-leaning New Jersey Educational Association, the long-powerful teachers union, is anticipated in the wake of the current and proposed cuts in aid to schools. While the size of teacher contracts and their pensions will continue to generate controversy, Kliszus questioned the recent framework of the debate about educational issues in the state.

"The reason that the governor is able to do as much as he’s doing so quickly is because he’s using executive orders," said Kliszus, a reference to the fact that Christie has issued 15 executive orders since taking office on Jan. 19. "I think that there is a point where he’s going to have to work with the legislature, including those who are sensitive to the needs of unions around the state, and work with the legislative process."

"Right now, there is no democracy until we have legislative action," added Kliszus. "When that happens, I think that there will be more measured actions rather than the emergency actions that we have right now."

E-mail: bonamo@northjersey.com

[just watching]

Looks like the percent of the school budget subsidized  by the State is now up to 23%.  It never used to be that high.  This reflects negatively on Hackensack.  The best districts have almost no state aid, and the inner cities are often 75% - 90% subsidized.

[Editor]

Hackensack Board of Education rehires administrative staff
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
BY MONSY ALVARADO
The Record
STAFF WRITER

Related story: http://www.northjersey.com/news/101425329_Schools_chief_is_under_fire.html

HACKENSACK — The Board of Education, in a revote, has appointed an assistant superintendent, a high school principal and assistant principal.

Trustees also voted Monday night to inform Superintendent of Schools Edward Kliszus that his employment will be discussed at the next board meeting.

Board member Clarissa Gilliam Gardner cited the revote and Kliszus' hiring practices as some of the reasons she asked for the motion on his status.

She also said she doesn't like the way Kliszus handled a personnel matter involving a high school teacher.

"I did it because I truly believe that the leadership is terribly ineffective and it needs to change," Gardner said.

Kliszus said Tuesday that Gardner began talking about his employment Monday night without notifying him, which is illegal. He said Gardner has taken exception to most of his recommendations for administrative hires.

"We have a very comprehensive process … for school leaders and principals, and those are the standards that are used," Kliszus said.

Kliszus said they also disagreed on who would be laid off when the district had to make staff cuts because of reductions in state aid. He said he considered seniority but that Gardner wanted him to take staff diversity into account.

"I will not hire based on ethnicity," he said. "I will always present the best candidates to the board."

On Monday, the board also reappointed Raymond Gonzalez as an assistant superintendent. James Montesano was named high school principal, and Patricia Aquino was appointed as an assistant principal at the high school.

Trustees Rhonda Williams Bembry and Gardner opposed the appointments of Montesano and Aquino. Bembry also opposed the hiring of Gonzalez.

Bembry said that among the reasons she voted against the appointment is that the candidates didn't answer questions well in an interview.

"Their answers lacked depth and substance," Bembry said.

A revote on Gonzalez, Montesano and Aquino was recommended by board attorney Richard Salkin after some trustees questioned whether the five votes they received at previous meetings were enough for the appointments to be valid.

The Hackensack Board of Education bylaws state that a majority vote of the full membership is required for the appointment of a superintendent, school business administrator and administrative principals.

The board has nine members, but since the Maywood representative gets to vote on the positions, the number of votes needed for the appointments to pass is six. Each received more than six votes on the revote.

Gonzalez, who has worked in Paterson as the assistant superintendent of curriculum and instruction, will be paid $160,000 annually in Hackensack.

Montesano, who is the son of retired Superintendent of Schools Joseph Montesano, will receive $156,518 as principal.

Aquino, who has worked in the district since 2002, will receive $142,884.

The school board also hired Gordon Whiting, a former dean at the high school, as assistant principal for the in-school suspension and the alternative high school programs, and for student activities.

The post is a new position at the high school this year, bringing the number of assistant principals at the school to five. Whiting will receive $142,884 in the position.

Bembry opposed creating the new position, saying it will add to the district's already high administrator costs.

She said that instead, the district could have moved an assistant principal from another school, or redistribute the responsibilities of the assistant principals at the high school. She did, however, vote in favor of Whiting getting the job.

Mercedes Abreu-Haines will become the assistant principal at Jackson Avenue School, replacing Celso King, who was appointed last month as an assistant principal at the high school. Abreu-Haines, a bilingual teacher, will get paid $126,042.

E-mail: alvarado@northjersey.com

[just watching]

Kliszus needs to be given the right to present the best candidates to the board, not the best candidates that reflect each racial group of teachers.  Politics cannot enter into this. Too much politics has traditionally been the downfall of urban school systems.

The best candidate could be a black teacher, a white teacher, a Latino teacher, and maybe even an Asian teacher.  The "best" candidate has to be someone who has personal knowledge and teaching skills, a kind heart, and should believe that diversity is an asset, not something to be tolerated.  And above all, he or she must believe that all students of all backgrounds can and should learn, and not to expect better performance from some students.  Expect the best from everyone, and you'll get the best.

The racial mix of teachers would be expected to reflect the racial mix of teachers coming out of the Montclair teaching school and other major colleges with teaching programs.  Not the racial mix that is politically demanded by school board members.