Categorized | Letters to the Editor

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Setting the Record Straight

LetterFor many decades the AFT has done absolutely nothing in Perth Amboy except collect dues and finance private parties for very select friends of the president, and administrators.  How many times were members told by the AFT that they would not file a grievance for their members?  How many times were members told by the AFT attorney, “There’s nothing I can do for you”?  Frankly, the AFT has done nothing for its members and now wants to highlight their perceived benefits, but in reality, it has always and continues to be less than adequate representation.

NJEA and its affiliates believe in nurturing successful students, maintaining a quality work force and ensuring quality schools.  NJEA and its affiliates strive for enhancing public education, organizing, and member advocacy.  NJEA and its affiliates are a ground-up organization.  Members vote for their building reps and leaders within their local bargaining unit.  The one member, one vote principle permeates virtually every facet of NJEA and its affiliates.  NJEA Policy is made by a 125 member delegate assembly.  NJEA Policy is then executed by the NJEA executive committee which is also member elected.

The corner stone of NJEA is the UniServ program.  NJEA has 22 UniServ Offices throughout the state staffed by UniServ Field Representatives.  Field Representatives are highly trained individuals with specialties that include organizing, negotiating contracts, representing members in grievance proceedings, representing members in grievance arbitrations, and representing members at the Public Employment Relations Commission.  Field Representatives are in constant communication with local affiliates, leaders, and members.  NJEA UniServ Field Representatives also train local affiliates, their leaders and members in areas of representation, school law, grievance processing and member representation.

To compliment and support field operations, NJEA has a government relations division, a communications division, a research division and a professional development division.

Every year, in November, NJEA holds the largest educators convention in the world.  Two days of jam packed professional development opportunities for all members.  Admission for NJEA members is free.  In addition, NJEA members can attend the Exceptional Child Conference, the Tech Stock Conference, and the Summer Professional Learning Institute.

Annually, NJEA Affiliate leaders can attend advocacy workshops at either Winter Leadership Training or Summer Leadership Training.

With the legislatures recent enactment of TEACHNJ, NJEA members and their affiliates enjoy training on every facet of the new evaluations regs from SGO’s, SGP’s, to their district’s evaluation tool.  Training is specialized for each affiliate and each district’s evaluation program.  That is, any NJEA Local Association can get custom tailored PD training that fits the needs of their district and local.

NJEA provides legal services to all members.  If you are investigated by IAIU (formerly called DYFS), NJEA provides you an attorney at no cost.  If you are charged criminally in relation to your job, NJEA provides you and attorney at no cost.  If the district files tenure charges against you, NJEA provides you an attorney at no cost.

NJEA network attorneys are also available for legal consultation regarding work place issues.

The NJEA dues structure is different than that of the AFT.  NJEA offers more services to members and affiliates.  NJEA and NJEA affiliates surpass the AFT in the representation of their locals affiliate and their members.  The difference in cost between NJEA and the AFT is the amount of money that AFT members would pay to attend the NJEA conference. NJEA dues work out to be about nine dollars less in your take home pay, per check.

Due to NJEA’s size and representation of all but a handful of districts throughout the state, NJEA has a stronger voice at the State Level. On the NJ Teacher Leader Panel, NJEA has four seats and the AFT has one seat.

For the AFT to now transmit notices via mailboxes and visit members at their homes is too little too late.  In fact, it is almost laughable that anyone would see their actions as true, honest or sincere.  The staff in Perth Amboy Public Schools has been beaten down and left to flounder for too long.  Perth Amboy members have made a choice and the choice is to put an end to the AFT and work for a better tomorrow, a tomorrow that doesn’t include the AFT.

PAASE – Perth Amboy Association of School Employees

Opposition Does Not Make You a Racist

It’s hard to believe that Stanley Bryant’s “featured letter” made it as far as it did.  I have been reading Barbara Skokan’s letters for years and cannot believe that because she opposes Obama she would be declared a racist!

Obama is the most divisive president we have had in modern times.  We saw it in Ferguson, MO., Baltimore, MD., and Boston, MA, among other places.

It is known that Al Sharpton was a regular visitor to the White House. He was there 91 times!  He is a well-known race baiter.  He incites and inflames racial hatred wherever he goes.  If any other president were influenced by such a man as Sharpton, the media would dismiss and then condemn them.

Barbara Skokan is entitled to form her own opinions of any political leader. To be branded a racist is an extreme reaction and is a classic left wing response.

Obama himself has driven a wedge between the races.  For those who fought for it, freedom has a taste the protected will never know.  I am a twice wounded decorated Marine Corps combat veteran. I know what freedom means to me.

It is so obvious to so many that Obama is shirking his duty to protect the American public in the face of constant terrorist attacks around the world.

There is nothing wrong in criticizing an elected official who is supposed to answer to the constituents.  Obama surrounds himself with people who mindlessly agree with him, which reminds me of the story of the emperor’s new clothes.  It is a known and public fact that Obama has fallen out of favor with the majority of the American people.

If someone doesn’t agree with you, it does not make them a racist.  Calling someone a racist is the last vestage of a scoundrel.

Walter Kaczmarek

Vietnam Veteran

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