ETEA Candidates' Night

You know, I'm fortunate and appreciative in being invited to these ETEA sponsored events for the last few years by Mr. Bowden, President of the ETEA. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to attend tonight's meeting. But I did tune in to the live FaceBook broadcast when I could and then watched the whole thing later on.

I think this is another way to get to know the candidates running for the Board of Ed and to be better informed before going into the voting booth. So you should all take the time to watch the broadcast.

As a general rule, I understand that these events are put on by the ETEA and the questions put forth are what the Union Leadership thinks are most important for its members to hear from the candidates - which is what they should do. No problem there. It's their meeting, they can do what they want.

Overall though, I'm a little disappointed with this one. Though the questions covered such things as a new super, basic building maintenance and overcrowding, security, bullying and shared services to name a few, I found they left out a bunch of important substantive topics reflecting the reality of today - like the politicization of the board, the lack of oversight, the ability to communicate effectively and to make cogent and persuasive argument of important board issues, the ineffective and inefficient spending of $251 million budgets, the lack of transparency on the board and the possibility of moving the elections back to April given the current state of affairs.

Further, I found some of the lead up by the moderator to the questions to be more substantive (albeit sometimes funny) than the questions themselves. Also, found it a tad bit wrong and unfair to allow current board members to question the candidates. That should of never happened. In addition, it might of been helpful if they had said that Paul Distefano withdrew from the election as they announced the candidates. Some people may not know that as yet.

As for me, I didn't get much from this Candidates' Night but it's another source for you to get to see who said what about what.



Anyhoo, no matter who you decide to vote for - please take the time to get informed in any possible way that you can and Vote.

Jerry 'Needs to Step-down' Shi - really, really, really Needs to Step-down!?!

Well, watched the latest version of Edison's dysfunction function in action, aka Edison Board of Education Action Meeting of September 24, 2018.

So, lets see - with all the important things that are long overdue to be addressed and discussed with the public, what is El Presidente Shi's biggest concern?

How to Handle Public Comments!?!

His continuous attempt to dilute any interaction and dialogue with the public when they come up to the podium to speak.

In the infamous words of Mr. Shi - let's try it and see how it works.

Really?

Even when his fellow board members were telling him NO!

So, let's see what might be more important to be discussing after 9 months or so of Mr. Shi's opaque and resoundingly ineffective leadership. Here's a thought or two in no particular order:

• Lack of open and transparent leadership
• Lack of a properly functioning board
• Lack of oversight and proper reporting over the single largest expenditure in the $251m school budget - staffing
• Lack of an open mind for differing opinions from fellow board members and the public
• Lack of any meaningful discussion in public of where we are on the overcrowding
• Lack of any meaningful discussion of why we have an acting super, and interim super and no plans yet for a permanent super
• Lack of an effective ability to communicate with board members and the public and therefore, the lack of trust in the board that goes with it
• Lack of any meaningful and open challenge to his leadership from his fellow board members 

There's more but I think you get the point. He's the wrong guy for this leadership role and until the rest of the board recognizes this and steps-up - this district will, most likely, not move forward at the speed and pace required to do what obviously needs to be done.

Here, watch for yourself:



Anyhoo, a most disconcerting reign of dysfunction going on over there on Mythomania Lane.

Let the Silly Season Begin here in the 'DemBadLands' of Downtown Edison!?!

Who better to start things off than Rob 'Mr. Temper-a-Ment' Karabinchak - you remember him, the former Edison councilman who I affectionately refer to the EDO's Greatest Failure. Along with Charlie 'I Abstain' Tomaro, the Poster Child for everything that's wrong with the EDO - the two best we could come up with to escape the EDO recycle pit.

But I digress, so let's move on.

Here's a flier I got in the mail today. Our 18th District Representatives are claiming they helped us taxpayers with some additional $4,274,601 in state school aid. First, let's be truthful here about the numbers. Included in the governor's budget was an additional $774,601 in state aid and it was Senate President Sweeney's legislation to rebalance the state aid that resulted in the extra $3,500,000 for a total of $4,274,601.

Now back to their claim that they 'helped us taxpayers' with some additional state aid.

Well, I'm a taxpayer here in Edison and I didn't get any help with my school taxes from this additional money, did you?

Oh wait, I forgot - they didn't really help the taxpayers because the Board of Mythomania kept the additional money and didn't use it for tax relief as it was meant to be used. You can read all about it in previous posts.

Geez, you'd think they would know that before they put this flier out.

So, a Big OOPS to our 18th District Representatives - maybe you'll have better luck in one of the other towns in the district with this Silliness! I'm sure East Brunswick, Highland Park, Metuchen, South Plainfield and South River appreciate all your help too.

Anyhoo, welcome to Silly Season and Keep voting for More of the same. I sure want some more Help from them that I almost Got.

Looks like the Staffing 'Shell Game' is still alive and well over there on Mythomania Lane?!?

Well, failing to disclose to you non-budgeted additions to staff over the years has caused many additions to the payroll that you never knew about. And to this day, they still refuse to start reporting their staff changes against their budgets. I know, I've been asking for a long time for them to disclose and Not Hide their staffing level changes against their budgets.

If you want to see what they're doing and how they do it - just type in 'staffing shell game' into the search box in this blog and you can read all about it and how it has impacted you and how they fail to disclose it to you in any of their Bloated 'Pots of Money' they call school budgets - now exceeding $250 million, for which staffing is the biggest line item in their budget.

Anyway, while I have no problem with the necessity of fluidity in staffing levels, kind off tired of them not disclosing the non-budgeted additions to the payroll and just ignoring the public's right to know what they're doing with their staffing levels compared to their budgets - and just one look at this Monday night's agenda shows you they're continuing to do it.

Seems they're planning on adding 8 new assistant principals to the payroll, yet there is only 1 addition in the School Budget for the 2018-19. The say 2 of the additions will replace 2 vacant supervisor positions. So what, that still leaves 5 non-budgeted additions to the the payroll - and they're not telling you that piece of important information.

Here's their resolution:

And here's the staffing schedule in the 2018-19 school budget.

Anyhoo, the staffing "shell game" that's been going on for years over there on Mythomania Lane with their full knowledge. They purposely fail to disclose and, therefore hide, all the non-budgeted staff added to the payroll in these school budgets. 

Now, you should be outraged that they're able to add all these non-budgeted heads (and where oh where does all that money come from to do it) to the payroll and You don't see it in any school budgets they approve??? 

That's just more than a Tad Bit Wrong!

Edison Board of Education Salaries - 2018-19 School Year

Well, from an OPRA Request, just got the current salary file yesterday for the School Year 2018-19. It shows name, location, department, title and total salary for each employee.

It has 1,995 employees for a total of $140,056,324.

Recognize that staffing is fluid and is just a snapshot in time and this file - as of now. Also, don't see the Interim Super in this file so I take it since he's on a per diem of $819.23, he wouldn't show up here.

Just made some summaries of the file and here are a few. Anyone who wishes to have this file is welcome to it - just drop me a note.

Salary Ranges:

By Department:

A table you can sort anyway you want:

A pivot table:

And finally, the Top 25 Salaries in the school district:

Anyhoo, welcome to the 2018-19 School Year.

Edison 'Back to School Message' from Interim Super Mr. Paul Saxton

Well, here we go. Let's hope for a better year all around. Good luck Mr. Saxton and Welcome Aboard.




Anyhoo, let's hope we get back to the top priorities over there on Mythomania Lane.

The Real Stench Hanging over Edison Lays with those Who Let it Linger

..add that to your press release.

Anyhoo, the next time you go to an Edison Council meeting - remember to bring your nose plugs.

Look what was added to the Edison Council Agenda last night

Well, they had an addition to the agenda last night. Surprise..surprise.

Here's an article in Edison Patch about last night's meeting.

Resolution R.504-092018:
Resolution requesting the Office of the Attorney General for the State of New Jersey to investigate certain election events in the Township of Edison.

Here it is:

As I understand it, they also amended this to add exposing the identity(ies).

Anyhoo, better late than never.

Here's last night's meeting. While I appreciate all the speeches in support by the council and their token effort here with this resolution - after watching it, maybe I'm wrong but sure looks like to me that's about all your gonna get from them.

Let's hope there's another way to get to the bottom of this blemish on the town without relying on them.

Geez, put out a press release a year later?!?

You know, this is a sad state of affairs for someone like me who has lived in this town (pretty much) his whole life.

So, I suggest to you that if this goes unresolved through November's election by our local elected officials, who play on this field, then I say to you that Mayor Tom 'Now 17.1%' ChoiLankey and his 'Band of 7 Processing Clerks' and Jerry 'Needs to Step-down' Shi and the Board of Mythomania are the wrong elected officials for this town - and you should open your eyes and see it.

 

So, where's the Edison Council's Resolution asking the AG to investigate Last November's Flier?!?

Well, just saw the agenda for tonight's combined meeting over there on 100 Oligarchy Blvd. Not for nothing and maybe it's me but I don't see anything on this agenda for such a resolution!?

Zilch, Nada, Nothing.

Here, see for yourself:



So, where's the 'What Say You' Crowd on this or were they just shoveling some more political hyperbole at last month's meeting. Time to step-up and make (at least) a token effort to do what's right for the People of Downtown Edison:

Anyhoo, let's hope something pops up tonight as a last minute addition to the agenda and that something is a Resolution about the Flier from last November's election. The people of this town deserve to know who put out this flier and certainly before this November's election.

Edison High School Class of 1968 - 50th Reunion!

Well, this is the Big One! Fifty years have come and gone since we walked the Halls of Edison High School.

A Big Shout-out to all those class members who haven't responded as yet to the reunion invitation or haven't received one due to losing contact. If you're a '68 graduate reading this or you're a family member of one of the graduates, please respond or reach out to your family member to let them know.

Sure to be a Great-time seeing each other again and catching up with everybody about their life's journey - and remembering those who are no longer with us.

Here's the invite:

So, if it's anyway possible, please join in what's sure to be the fun activities planned from October 12-14. Please get in touch with Judy (Russo) Jaffe (awjaffe@aol.com) for more information and get your motor running...and head on back here.

'Meet the Edison Board of Education Candidates'

Saw this piece here in Edison Patch about the seven candidates running for the three open board seats in November.

The seven candidates for the Edison Board of Education are:

1. Yunxia "Yuna' Chen
2. Elizabeth Conway
3. Anthony DeAmorin
4. Paul Distefano*
5. Ralph Errico*
6. Shivi Prasad-Madhukar*
7. Harish Verma
*Incumbents

They were all asked the following four questions:

1. Why are you running for the Board of Education
2. What is the biggest challenge facing schools in your town, and how will you address it?
3. What three words would you use to describe yourself to someone who has never met you?
4. What experience in your background has prepared you to be an effective leader?

Messrs. Verma and Distefano did not submit responses to the questions.

Anyhoo, important election coming up for the board and it's a good read to get to know the candidates and becoming informed about those wishing to serve in this most important role.

Edison Teachers' Median Salary Ranks Number 2 in the state

Saw this piece here in NJ.Com about the Median Salaries for teachers in New Jersey for last school year (2017-18).

Seems Edison Ranks Number 1 for the K-12 grouping and Number 2 for all groups in the state.

Here's some selected data showing the Top 50 Median Salaries in the K-12 Group from the NJDoE website:

Anyhoo, just a reminder of what Median means - half the salaries are above this number and half are below.

Jerry 'Needs to Step-down' Shi - is still Board President - WHY?!?

Well, watched some of the August 27, 2018 Action Meeting and, quite disconcertedly,  seems that Mr. Shi is looking to limit interaction with the public during their board meetings.

Seems the board attorney is recommending, going forward, that questions from the public will only be answered after the public portion of the meetings. Apparently, it's meant to be an efficient use of time.

Really?!? Mr. Shi should of stepped in and said No - that's not something we want to do to the people we represent. You know, the residents and taxpayers - the only stakeholder who continuously gets ignored and who are the ones who pay for some 90% of those $251 million Bloated Pots of Money they call School Budgets.

But he didn't!

Now, remember Mr. Shi was the one who took the unprecedented action as Board President before in blocking all public comment before they voted to approve the change in insurance brokers. A very dangerous precedent that he appears to have not given up on with this latest version of how and when the board will engage in dialogue with the people they represent.

Not for nothing but this is so wrong on many different levels and I shared my thoughts on this with the board. It shouldn't be the purpose of the board to avoid dialogue with the public, especially since they only have one meeting a month and there aren't that many people who rise questions or make comments at the meetings.

Seems to me that they already have a six-minute rule and the public can ask their questions or make their comments and have them responded to and a chance at rebuttal before they leave the microphone.

Why change that if it's not the board's way of avoiding a dialogue with the public?

It's a very bad way to treat the public and just Not Nice - you never want to cut-off the public from engaging in dialogue with the board or to take away the publics right to respond to comments from the board about questions they took the time to ask.

Who would want to do something like that to the people they're supposed to represent?

Sure seems like this guy does:

If you reading this, then you should be concerned about what's going on here. You should reach out to  the board and make sure something like this doesn't happen.

Here's the August 27, 2018 meeting where this came up. Kudos to Elizabeth Conway for questioning this proposed change in the rules for pubic comments:



Anyhoo, when is the rest of the board going to Step-Up and recognize that this isn't the type of leadership this board needs to move the district forward in a positive and productive way? We already have an Oligarchy going on over on the other side of town - we don't need another one.