Underneath the rhetoric flying around is this simple truth: Governor Tubby is squashing Hoboken's school district with a funding formula that pits us- public and charters- against each other.
Public schools simply cannot bear the weight of the Gov's bottom (line).
People of good will- public and charter parents- deserve better from the State.
Tomorrow night is the Hoboken School District's preliminary budget hearing; Superintendent Toback will present his budget proposal to the BoE for their consideration. GA expects Draconian cuts will be on the table. The 'final' district budget hearing will take place on May 6.
Let's see.
For anyone who is interested, the Hoboken School District's 2013-2014 User-Friendly Budget is HERE.
Keep in mind all of that sunshine was brought by Reform: Kids First, who took back Hoboken's School Board from the steak-eaters....
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| OINK OINK... page 157 from the 2005-2006 BoE Audit |
...the cell phone buyers (schools do not provide cell phones)...
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| 2005-2006 BoE audit- page 133 |
1,050 employees on the Hoboken district payroll!!!! 1,050 (all) did not have a primary job title nor location description! 139 did not have first and last names, and address or a Social Security number! 215 had no hire date!
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| 2005-2006 BoE audit- page 40 |
95% of Purchase Orders had no evidence of approval for the "excessive amount"...
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| 2005-2006 BoE audit- page 50 |
...and who could forget fun-time in Atlantic City?
So folks, just remember where we came from. And how far we've come.
GA can attest to great things happening in our public schools, thanks to Reform, Kids First, our wonderful teachers, Superintendent Toback and all the others working hard for our kids' education.
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| 2005-2006 BoE's Petty Cash Piggy-Bank |
Thanks for reminding everyone of how far we've come GA. The first thing Kids First did once they had a majority was clean house. As you show, Hoboken's public schools were rife with corruption. KF has dealt with lawsuits from people with bogus contracts whose employment ended suddenly, funding cuts from the state, a state funding formula that punishes public schools when charter schools grow, and otherwise reform-minded parents battling it out as a result. Our city representatives should be taking this to the state (instead of taking sides), but who expects our new Assemblyman, ex-BoE trustee and current HoLa parent (whose wife is, coincidentally, employed by Hola) Carmelo Garcia to take up this issue on behalf of the children of Hoboken.
ReplyDeleteThese things are forgotten in the heat of anger; the piggies see an opportunity to exploit such a moment. Ain't happening.
ReplyDeleteAwesome article! Great journalistic investigating! Our kids deserve better.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Anon. I could've used you at my Shield Law hearing!
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