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Post by LS on Jan 23, 2007 16:52:12 GMT -5
(Sorry, this was already posted, but I thought it deserved its own thread) Freehold educators to meet with officials on school funding Posted by the Asbury Park Press on 01/23/07 BY NICK PETRUNCIO FREEHOLD BUREAU FREEHOLD -- Freehold Borough School District Board of Education President James Keelan, Superintendent Elizabeth O'Connell and representatives of two minority groups will meet with Sen. Ellen Karcher and Assemblyman Michael J. Panter Jr., both D-Monmouth, Wednesday in Karcher's office. Keelan said the group will discuss the "state of our schools.'' The meeting is not open to the public, but Keelan said information about what is discussed will be shared at the board's next meeting, set for 7 p.m. Feb. 5 in the media center of the Park Avenue Elementary School. "We need help in getting additional funds,'' Keelan said. "The way they fund education in this state is broken,'' he said, adding that the governor and lawmakers need to come up with a plan, fund it and implement it. Joining the school district representatives will be members of the Latino Leadership Alliance and the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. Immigration is a major issue in the overcrowded school district. www.app.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070123/NEWS/70123049/-1/ |
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Post by LS on Jan 23, 2007 16:54:54 GMT -5
the squeaky wheel gets the grease. While you may be mad at a secret meeting by only latino and black special interest groups, 2 school board reps will be present: President James Keelan and Superintendent Elizabeth O'Connell.
That being said, it's not as if they are going to persuade Karcher to educate only half od the students (hopefully, it is not a tactic for more diversity training when the walls are tumbling down).
Anyway, what has anyone else been able to accomplish?
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Post by fiberisgoodforyou on Jan 23, 2007 23:41:53 GMT -5
the squeaky wheel gets the grease. While you may be mad at a secret meeting by only latino and black special interest groups, 2 school board reps will be present: President James Keelan and Superintendent Elizabeth O'Connell. That being said, it's not as if they are going to persuade Karcher to educate only half od the students (hopefully, it is not a tactic for more diversity training when the walls are tumbling down). Anyway, what has anyone else been able to accomplish? What will jog the any state Sen. or Assembly person into action is knowing there is a VOTING BLOCK that will trade votes for needed legislative action! I am afraid that the only beneficiary of the meeting was the Sen. She gets a great photo op. with a few School Board members Latinos and Blacks! Was the a agenda clear with an obtainable goal for this meeting with the Sen.? Here are the simple facts, and I'd like to know what the Sen. will do?  1-The schools population is busting at the seams 2- There is NO building boom in the Boro that supports this massive growth 3- There IS a boom in rental property, from EXISTING housing inventory 4- School boards in NJ are not authorized by law, to validate lease documentation supplied by enrollees. A statement on the back of a napkin must be accepted!!! 5- The State Laws further limits a School Board from generating a student body database correlating residency/addresses …., that generation of, and use of data providing evidence (2, 3, 4, …10 Families with the same address) of property overcrowding or unsafe living conditions for minors, etc… is strictly prohibited by state law! 6- A simple flat file database will identify clear, crisp evidence that rental property is in code violation. 7- Without employing simple technology to generate undisputable data, I would like to understand, to glean a logical explanation , to explains one basic, very reasonable question….. WITHOUT A HOUSING BOOM, THE BORO SCHOOLS ARE SEEING THE HIGHEST LEVELS OF STUDENT ENROLMENT EVER, IN THE HISTORY OF THE EXSISTANCE OF THE BORO’S SCHOOLS DISTRICT, PROJECTING GROWTH BY 50%! WHERE ARE THESE PEOPLE LIVING, AND IN WHAT LIVING CONDITIONS? Sorry.….I forgot to ask this question the Board and Zander this key question last night!!!!! |
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Post by LS on Jan 24, 2007 7:53:45 GMT -5
No, those aren't the issues that will be discussed.
Let's face some reality. Karcher is not going to discuss, ever, all of those things you mentioned. The only issue to be addressed will be more funding: more funding for expansion and more funding for education.
Karcher is not going to have a close door meeting with people who want to alienate a voting block (that would be groups like PEOPLE). That is a political reality.
Good luck to the squeaky wheel voting blocks in trying to educate all of the FB children.
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Post by fiberisgoodforyou on Jan 24, 2007 8:12:57 GMT -5
"people who want to alienate a voting block (that would be groups like PEOPLE"
Interesting...please qualify this comment?
How do you see this Blog or PEOPLE as a mechanism for alienation?
BUT LS...You missed the point,
"Was the a agenda clear with an obtainable goal for this meeting with the Sen.?" You do not have meetings with ALL IMPORTANT people without a mutually agreed obtainable agenda!!!
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Post by Confused on Jan 24, 2007 9:03:53 GMT -5
How is this a secret meeting? It is in the papers and has been talked about at the last few BOE meetings. A Boro Council Rep was invited too, and last I check the BOE President looks like 1/2 the community you say are missing... Why don't you all help out too and write, call, and e-mail Karcher, Panter and Beck your issues and concerns too.  |
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Post by LS on Jan 24, 2007 9:40:59 GMT -5
Confused, the meeting is secret because the contents of the meeting will be secret. Perhaps confidential is a better word, but whatever.
I have no problem with the meeting. They are, I think, trying to accomplish something for the good of the town - as well as for their own - but the net benefit will be for every public school student.
FIGFY,
as to my comment about wanting to alienation. Okay, perhaps another bad choice of words. But certainly this group (PEOPLE) may have some latino supporters, but I would have to say that the majority of latinos (i.e. a voting block) are not on the same side of the issue as PEOPLE.
The latino alliances, etc... are the squeaky wheel. It is politically easy to meet with them. It is much harder to have a closed door discussion with PEOPLE or other such groups.
as for the agenda, how the heck am I supposed to know what it is? I think we can safely assume that it is for school funding. Why do you keep pressing the agenda issue, what do you think?
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Post by andrewd on Jan 24, 2007 11:16:02 GMT -5
came across this thread and just had to post a few thoughts.
First of all, as "Confused" said, this is by no means a "secret meeting". To be completely honest, I think using wording like that is irresponsible because it gives off the impression that the school board (which set up this meeting) is somehow trying to go behind everyone's back to screw over the rest of the town...not the case at all.
Since you seem to have so many questions about the intent of, and what exactly will be discussed at this meeting, I trust you will be down at the next board of education meeting to ask Jim Keelan and Liz O'Connell directly. The meeting is on February 5th at the Park Ave school library, starting at 7pm. At this point, that gives you two and a half weeks to make arrangements to free up your schedule, arrange for baby sitters, or do whatever else you need to do in order to get down to the meeting. Hopefully that will be enough time because I think you absolutely should be down there asking those questions.
Fiber brings up a good point about what our state legislators can do to help the school district try and control it's population, and I will be bringing this up to Assemblywoman Beck tonight at her town hall meeting in Hightstown. Basically, the state has very little it can do in regards to illegal immigration, it is still (for the most part) a federal issue. However, the state can allow us as a school board to firm up our admission policies and allow us more authority to check into residency issues for our students.
Another thing I have to mention (because I heard it at Assemblywoman Beck's first town hall meeting a couple of weeks back) is something I think we can all agree on. This state has to reduce the abbott district funding. The state budget contains $11 billion dollars for education this year, half of that will be spent on the 31 abbott districts, while the other 580+ school districts split the other half. These numbers just continue to absolutely astound me.
These are all things that need to be brought up to Assemblywoman Beck tonight, and to all of our representatives, and we need to keep bringing it up to them over and over and over again. Unfortunately it seems that nowadays, the only way to get politicians to do something is to get their names in the press and force their hand with the threat of negative publicity. Advocacy groups have been doing this for years, and they are masters at it. When is the rest of society, the majority of society, going to band together and do the same? I'll be at the town hall meeting tonight...who else will be there?
Andrew DeFonzo
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Post by Marc LeVine on Jan 24, 2007 12:02:57 GMT -5
Andrew -
I'm glad you are among us. In answer to your question...until we find a way to inspire them.
I believe that Brian, PEOPLE and a few others have a plan for this. The Borough and your schools are already engaged in all this.
When you meet with Jennifer Beck, please let her know that Freehold Borough is the regional poster child for towns that are under attack by illegal immigration. This cancer is spreading and unless it is placed in check, a ton of tax payer dollars will have to be spent to correct the damage. The state of NJ and the County of Monmouth have been silent on this topic for far too long. It's time for them to get involved and end the lunacy. They are far better positioned than the town and is schools.
This would be my message to her - Either fund Freehold Borough to properly host the entire illegal population in Western Monmouth County or get them the hell out of here, by getting our laws enforced. Enough is enough!
As for the advocate "bullys" - let them sue the entire State of New Jersey and, finally, take on a power far greater than what they perceive to be their own.
Marc
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Post by loopy one on Jan 26, 2007 15:21:48 GMT -5
(Sorry, this was already posted, but I thought it deserved its own thread) Freehold educators to meet with officials on school funding Posted by the Asbury Park Press on 01/23/07 BY NICK PETRUNCIO FREEHOLD BUREAU FREEHOLD -- Freehold Borough School District Board of Education President James Keelan, Superintendent Elizabeth O'Connell and representatives of two minority groups will meet with Sen. Ellen Karcher and Assemblyman Michael J. Panter Jr., both D-Monmouth, Wednesday in Karcher's office. Keelan said the group will discuss the "state of our schools.'' The meeting is not open to the public, but Keelan said information about what is discussed will be shared at the board's next meeting, set for 7 p.m. Feb. 5 in the media center of the Park Avenue Elementary School. "We need help in getting additional funds,'' Keelan said. "The way they fund education in this state is broken,'' he said, adding that the governor and lawmakers need to come up with a plan, fund it and implement it. Joining the school district representatives will be members of the Latino Leadership Alliance and the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. Immigration is a major issue in the overcrowded school district. www.app.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070123/NEWS/70123049/-1/seems to me that if you want to get politicians to help you (especially Democrats), you bring in some groups with heavy political standing to help support your cause. good move board of ed...if you can't beat 'em (read-the latino group) get them to help you reach your ultimate goal of getting better funding for our schools! goodness knows democratic politicians (Karcher and Panter) are more likely to succomb to pressures from minority groups...let's hope what took place in that meeting will have some influence. Mr DeFonzo...I'll be at that next meeting, because I am hoping the board will tell us exactly what transpired...and I am not looking for broad strokes, I am interested in details. See you on the 5th. |
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