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Posted by Pepe Bonmot
on April 03, 2002 at 17:55:20:
Rev. Allen calls for attendance of DeGise Urban Times News By Gloria Dulan-Wilson The Jersey City Board of Education met to discuss issues surrounding the upcoming school board elections, and the proposed budget cuts that would drastically curtail the ability to meet students needs. At stake are after school porgrams, art programs, special curricula designed for students with special needs. Also on the table were the issues of progress, or lack there of, since the State take over, nearly twelve years ago. Per Rev. Allen, who was aggravated by recent test scores, "our children have been the brunt of experimental this, experimental that. When are they simply going to be taught to read. If they can't read, they can't get jobs, they can't fit in society; they will always be outsiders, considered misfits. I would rather see strong reading programs than any more experimental or so called innovative programs that really do nothing for them. The services they should be receiving are not forth coming. We've had more neglect than we've had services over these last twelve years, and our children are coming up short. It's time we stood up and demanded the quality and services we've hired these people to provide, or know the reason why they're even still with us!" Interestingly enough, there was one parent also concerned about the services pr lack there of, that students were receiving in the Jersey City schools. But more centering around an individual, Tom DeGise, former City Council President, who lost his bid to become mayor of Jersey City to Glenn Cunningham. DeGise has been serving as counselor and placement officer at Snyder High School. During the recent mayoral campaign, according to the parent, he took off nearly six months to run for office. "I'm concerned about Tom DeGise's attendance," he stated. "He has a high rate of absenteeism because he's running for public office every six months. Now he's running for County Executive. What kind of services are we receiving for our tax dollars? Particularly since we currently face budget cuts throughout the school system. We can't afford to support those who have ambitions outside the service of our children. We're dealing with their substandard test scores and are concerned about their progress and their future. We are paying these eudcators to work with our children. Why should we be indulging those who don't really have their interests at heart?" Superintendent Charles Epps, who ahd been listening intently to the question, interrupted him, pointing out that it was against protocol to discuss personnel in public. "If you want to talk about teachers, attendance records, or concerns about the children -- that's appropriate. But we do not discuss individual personnel in public..." Not to be put off, the parent apologized, and returned to the subject, stating: "then I'm concerned about the attendance of and instructor, or instructors, who have spent a large amount of their time in the political realm. It's really about the kids, the students here in Jersey City, who have been cheated because of lack of instructional and counseling time as a result of outside ambitions. The administration should take a look at the attendance who are using their time for political gain. When Rev. Allen chimed in support of the speaker, it became apparent this issue was one the clearly was not going away. Harking back to previous administrations, Rev. Allen expressed his displeasure over the reference to individual personnel issues: "I would say to the legal department we have to be careful not to hide behind cliches. When we say we can't talk about personnel, remember that two thirds of the $600 million is allocated to personnel. So we're always talking about personnel. Additionally, Mr. Supertendent, your predecessor used to hide all of his friends contracts in the personnel division of the budget, and say that we can't talk about that. It's personnel." Aside from the political issues swirling around this, the seriousness of the matter cannot and should not be played down. In fact, according to Allen: "this is a very serious issue. It behooves us to ask how people who are elected to office can perform some of those feats in light of their jobs. If you work for the Board of Education and hold public office, I think it is reasonable for the district to make sure that people do not confuse that relationship. Leaving their assigned tasks and going to do whatever -- whether it's cutting ribbons or trying to be the next county executive." The key concern was whether or not, over the years, there had been built into the fabric of the Board of Ed, a system of turning a blind eye to a bending of the rules, and allowing people to recieve pay for one position while actually working in another. "We have to ask ourselves if we have created opportunities for people to show up for their jobs, but just don't show a sufficient amount of activity for their pay. To that end I would like to ask the administration to provide for the Board all of the people who hold placement positions in the district. How many courses do they teach? What are their specific duties. How many students have they placed? I think it's reasonable to ask that of the entire district." He stressed all of the high schools should be responding to such a personnel inventories. "How do they use our phones? How do they use the equipment in their possession? Are people using our equipment to do other than Board of Ed things? Almost a year ago, allegations were made about the abuse of computers. These things have never been cleared up. There ere campaign meetings in the basement this building. The people who will suffer will be the children, regardless of whether they are at Snyder, Lincoln, or Ferris. People in these positions don't place the students in jobs, provide adequate kinds of instructions or in some way infringe on their ability to learn. We should look at those positions and get what we're anticipating."
Suzanne Mack, President of the Board of Education, mentioned the SOP's, which indicate what time a person can or can't take office, or attend to their civic duties. I think it would be a good idea to look at it and determine when does it become an abuse to take a half a year, or a year off so that you can campaign, and then turn around and run again for another office, while still working in the school. If there isn't an SOP that covers the use of time for outside activities, we need to develop one."
This year's budget has a zero growth allocation for personnel. A budget that has no allocation for personnel can ill afford to have any of the staff not performing to the fullest extent. Though, as Rev. Allen stated, it's commendable that individuals are interested in fulfilling their "civic duties" it's important that they don't impinge on their responsibilites to the students. Jersey City Board of Education is struggling to develop a program that returns the school system back to local control. In the interim, it cannot be assumed that because they are not monitoring the abuses that have been allowed to proliferate over the past decade.
Whether you say tomato or tomah-to, DeGise or a placement teacher, the problems are the same, and the results are just as far reaching. Straddling the line between two careers while our kids suffer, using one to be the lever for launching a political career, is not the kind of individual we need on either side of the line -whether placement or county executive. How effective can this or any other individual be when the loyalties and attentions are so split. While doing one, the risk is the other will be neglected.
We agree with the stalwart parent, who stated: "Assign a committee to look at the attendance of individuals who will use their time for political gain, when it should be used in the classroom. If our students are absent more than three times during a marking period, they would be subject to being left back, or held back. It should also go for individuals who are not sick, or have pressing family issues. If they are not using the time on the job productively, but are trying to further their own ambitions at the expense of our children, they have to be treated the same way. I find it appalling that this has not been addressed and think it needs to be dealt with immediately."
Of course, we at UTN need to point out that the Board of Education meeting was sparsely attended. A deplorable situation when so much is at stake for our children. Bettering the schools for our youth can hardly be taken seriously when parents don't take the time to participate. It may be the reason that so many of these problems have been allowed to proliferate for so long. It's a matter of who's minding the store, across the board. The Board of education works diligently for the parents. It behooves them to take the time, invest in their children, and be there when issues of importance are being discussed and decided upon. Next meeting scheduled for April 18. School 11, 6:00 PM
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