BOE meeting with Jennifer Beck

[andrewd]

Since there were only a few people at the BOE meeting Monday night (and I know that several of our "regulars" were at the important Council meeting) I wanted to let everyone know that, as it was announced at the meeting, before the actual meeting, Jim Keelan, Liz O'Connell, Roni Wolff and myself were fortunate enough to meet with Assemblywoman Jennifer Beck and her chief of staff to discuss the current state of our schools.

First of all, the information we presented to her was the same that we presented to Asseblyman Panter and Senator Karcher when Jim, Liz, Roni, Stella Mayes and Ron Reich met with them a couple of weeks ago. The presentation we gave is available on the district's ever expanding website.

Assemblywoman Beck (having come out of Red Bank originally) has a very good understanding of the problems we are facing as a district, but she was still somewhat shocked to see some of the effects the lack of adequate funding has had on our test scores and overall quality of the education we are able to provide.

I'll be honest...to say that she was sympathetic to our issues sounds like the typical political answer that we have gotten from legislators time and time again. This time, however, there was some real interest on her part in helping us with our funding problems, and as a result, she has committed to some real actions that she is going to help us with.

Specifically, Assemblywoman Beck, with the help of her staff, is attempting to set up meetings for our district with Lucille Davy the state Commissioner of Education, ranking members of the State Legislature's Budget Committee, and the Governor's aide on Education and Finance.

She has proposed specific steps we should take in our approach to these meetings and has offered to come down to a future BOE meeting (along with Karcher and Panter) to discuss the district's issues with the board and the public (which we will be working on for an upcoming meeting).

The Governor is supposed to release his statement on the state budget on February 27th, so we are hoping to get these meetings in before that time...in other words, we are - hopefully - on the "fast track" to getting our case in front of some very influential people that may not have been very accessible to us otherwise.

Also, Assemblywoman Beck recently sent a formal letter to the Governor regarding the hardships that school districts are facing, specifically mentioning Freehold Boro and Red Bank. A copy of this letter is available on the district website. The follow up to that letter is continued meetings with the Governor, other legislators and districts like ours to find ways to combat the huge problem of education funding in this state.

I wanted to get this information out there so that you would all know about just one of the things the BOE is doing to try and get our schools in a better position financially, which will lead to more positive educational opportunities for our students.

Our next BOE meeting is scheduled for Monday, February 26th at 7pm in the Park Ave School Library, I hope to see you there.

Andrew DeFonzo

[andrewd]

As a private citizen, and resident of Freehold Boro, let me get something out there about Jennifer Beck that, quite frankly, convinced me that she is truly concerned about our schools and not just her political future.

As mentioned in the last note, Assemblywoman Beck is working to arrange all of these meetings for our District with some, what I would consider, rather "heavy hitters" in the state. What really shocked me, though, was when she suggested that we bring in Senator Karcher alone to these meetings to sit with us, leaving her (Beck) out. Her reasoning was that the Democrats who are in power right now are very focused on the senate race in the 12th District, as it may well help shift the "balance of power" in Trenton if Karcher loses.

When there is a possibility like this, the party in power (because I am sure the Republicans would do the same) is more likely to give special consideration to proposals that would help someone like Senator Karcher get re-elected...for example, a line item in the state budget getting extra funding to a school district who is in dire need of it.

This type of nonsense is what makes the political world go around.

What really got to me, though, was the fact that Assemblywoman Beck was telling us to do this because it was our best chance to get the funding we need, despite the fact that she is running against Senator Karcher in this upcoming election!!

I have thought about this since last night, trying to find the angle that explains how this would somehow help Beck gain something on Karcher...but I just can't seem to find it. As shocking as it may sound, I think we have truly come across a politician, in New Jersey no less, who is looking to do something truly selfless, knowing that their actions could very well cost them their chances of getting elected, solely because they know it's the right thing to do.

It is for this reason that I have already decided who will be getting my vote in November for the Senate seat from District 12...I hope others will see this act in the same way that I have, and follow suit. We need people with fire in their belly to get things done in Trenton, and I have seen that in my dealings so far with Jennifer Beck. We need people who can bring in a fresh perspective, not the same folks who stood idly by while this state was driven into the ground.

Alright...I'll get off my soapbox now...but I encourage everyone to follow this race closely, and keep an eye out for who is really doing things to benefit us here in Freehold.

Andrew DeFonzo

[admin]

Andrew,

Thank you for your above posts. I wish some more of us could have been at the BOE meeting. You know that I am with you and the BOE in sharing the goal of getting more people to the BOE meeting and finding solutions to the schools problems.

I also wish you could have been in council the other night, it was a good one.

[fiberisgoodforyou]

Andrew...If you remember my comments last Oct, when I mentioned that I attended her town hall meeting in Marlboro, and that NO other member of our community, Council or Board was in attendance.

I remember the reaction I received form a few board members, effectively saying …"waist of time our state representative do not care to hear from us”.

She is a Pistol, and from her experience on the Red Bank Council, she knows what we're up against!

Lets all keep an eye on her, and ASK HER TO HAVE A TOWN HALL MEETING HERE IN THE BORO, THE COUNTY SEAT!!!!

Her email [e-mail]

Her website is www.jenbeck.com

Email her, ….her office his VERY responsive, let her know what your individual as well as community issues are, and test her willingness, to help.

It is ashamed her town hall meetings are not available as a pod cast…, from what I had heard...on fiscally matters she says what we have been thinking (ABBOTTS Squander money, the Edu formulations is not equitable and needs an overhaul, State spending is unmanaged, there is an issue with accountability and ethics, and she has a plan).

Trenton has gotten so generous with our money, at this point if the is an "R" or "D" next to your name is not relevant, looking at bills and how you have voted on bills is all that matters...starting with your local schools board, Boro Council, Especially State and Federal government!

Let’s do to Trenton, like we did in DC last election year...throw the bums out in A BIG WAY!!!