Ever hear the one about throwing stones in a glass house?
It goes like this: HoLa ("stakeholder") files an ethics complaint against 3 sitting Hoboken BoE Trustees. That opens up scrutiny of HoLa's administration and Board.
Uh-oh!
After all, it's only fair to question HoLa's moral authority to file "ethics" charges against the BoE, right?
It's also fair to scrutinize claims the charter "operates on half... the Hoboken district operates on" at the same time they hide their taxpayer-funded budgets, costs and expenditures.
"All around, we have a very successful public school—that operates on half of the per-pupil taxpayer funding that the Hoboken district operates on."The more we peek behind the curtain, the curiouser it gets- see above letter response to a District "stakeholder's" OPRA.
-HoLa Board President, Barbara Martinez-
Who's insured and who's not?
An OPRA request from HoLa for a breakdown of costs for health insurance returned these "estimated" yearly premiums:
- Medical: $89,008.32
- Dental: $27, 600
That totals $116,608.32 in "estimated" health insurance premiums for at least 15 classroom teachers, 10 administrators, 5 specials teachers (Art, Music, Gym, Health & Fitness, STEM) and unknown additional support staff.
That seems awfully low doesn't it?
A former NJ public school teacher told me that average health premiums cost a district anywhere from $25K to $40K per person.
If 30 HoLa employees are getting health benefits, that would amount to $4K per person. That's incredibly cheap, by any measure. Impossibly cheap?
So then, who is insured, and who is not?
The school denied the OPRA request for that information "on advice of our legal counsel we cannot provide the names of employees who participate in health plans due to privacy laws."
Um, baloney. Public sector employees who collect taxpayer-funded health benefits is not privileged information.
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| source: 2015 Taxpayer's Guide to Education Spending- HoLa Dual Language Charter School |
So, what exactly is going on?
Why deny access to public information? The OPRA already provided requested administrators' salaries and benefits, yet full disclosure of insured violates "privacy laws?"
It doesn't make sense. Or does it?
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| Anthony Petrosino deposition in Petrosino v Board of Education- he LOST, the BoE WON its counterclaim |
Wait.... teachers are quitting cause they aren't paid enough but Hola's hiring a media consultant????
ReplyDeleteThey're protecting the privacy of people who shouldn't get bennies!
ReplyDeleteI'm sure the Hola folks are thrilled at the attention Petro's ugly lying posting has brought down on the school.
ReplyDeleteNow they can try to explain to Hola parents why good teachers don't stay but they still need a media consultant.
I'm sure that's another kosher hire. Whose brother-in-law is it?
If it is true those teachers aren't getting health benefits, they'd be better off working a register full time at any retailer. At least there they would be getting health benefits.
ReplyDeleteLet's see an audit of Hola like the boe gets. Teachers quitting left and right is a red flag. How are they spending millions of Hoboken taxpayer $$$? If Hola Trustee Raia did the expansion, where are the bid contracts?
ReplyDeleteI'll bet Hola is including the teachers as being part of their Free & Reduced Lunch count.
ReplyDeleteFascinating. Often I've heard Hola parents say that having dual language will help their kids' future careers. Too bad they don't provide that opportunity to their teachers.
ReplyDeleteAny truth to the rumor the lottery weighted to increase Hispanics and low income students was a FAIL.
ReplyDeleteIt was window dressing. Mathematically it was negligible. Maybe one or two kids. They have NO interest in low income students.
DeleteSo why are these dicks filing an ethics complaint against the BOE? They look even worse than they did to begin with. Now their own parents will become suspicious.
ReplyDeleteCuriouser and curiouser
ReplyDeleteHola actually has less low income students after the weighted lottery (2 less), which is likely why you havent heard anything about the weighted lottery.
ReplyDelete6:04 Normal statistical variance given the probability parameters of the state approved weighted lottery. Go ask one of the district administrators making 6 figures and 30K in benefits for confirmation, i'm sure they could explain better.
Delete6:04 a.k.a. "Dr." Petrosino, when you say "ask one of the administrators making 6 figures and 30k in benefits" aren't you talking about YOURSELF, former HoboKen district leech?
DeleteFrom 2007-2009 were paid $144.5k per year plus bennies, while you taught a class at University of Texas at Austin, which makes you a double-dipping DOUBLE-DIPPER.
"Normal statistical variance, probability parameters..." boy, you are one giant gasbag. In other words, the weighted lottery is a big flop... the school LOST 2 low income kids.
10:01 In more simple terms: A weighted lottery still involves chance.
Delete6:04 as i understand, the lottery impacts mostly incoming kindergarten families. It will take a few cycles before percentages change.
DeleteThe percentages won't change the way you are pretending you want them to change if they keep going in the wrong direction. But hey, not like you really want any of those poorer kids there anyway so not like you care.
DeleteOh, look Professor Lying POS, aka, 7:37 is back.
DeleteHere's something CURIOUS. With all your Trump hand-wringing on FB, not one complaint about the complete idiot who just literally bought the Secy of Education job. And you call yourself an "educator" but don't care in this case.
Could you be more of a hypocritical lying POS? Doubtful.
6:31- why should a weighted lottery "take a few cycles" at the kindergarten level? That is where one should see impact of the weighted lottery first. A few cycles = a few years. Really?
Delete8:24 so cynical
Delete8:28 you really don't understand, do you? Let 8:24 explain to you, its clear they understand the statistics of the weighted lottery.
Delete