Wall of Fame & Shame

 

MTEA's "Anti-Bullying" Campaign

Are you fed-up with our jaded Governor's constant attacks on our profession and on public employees in general?  Are you sick of his bullying tactics and divisive rhetoric?  Are you tired of watching naive members of the general public being sucked into his vortex of lies?  Then this is the place for you!  Pass this on to people who want the truth about our Governor.

"Talking Points" from the NJEA

NJEA has heard from many members that you could really use a set of talking points around all the key educational and economic issues that are part of the ongoing debate in New Jersey. Many members, for example, have told us: "I want to know what to tell [neighbors/friends/relatives] when they say something inaccurate about school funding, our pensions and benefits, or all these 'reforms' that are being discussed."

So, here it is: It's called "Myth vs. Reality" an 8-page, easy-to-navigate collection of 30 common misconceptions about public education, and the facts that set the record straight.

Millionaires for Chris Christie

Governor Christie cut funding to our schools, women's health care, and our public safety to give a tax break to millionaires. Learn whose side Christie is really on.
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The Governor's Promise to Public School Children & Employees

"The Truth About Teachers" video

Kindergarten teaches the real state of the state

Check out the article by Paul Munshine about how Chris Christie is raising taxes through his spending cuts. ~ 1/11/11

There's more to grading teachers than test scores

Read the editorial by Barbara Keshishian that was published online in the Star Ledger on 11/24/10

Using the Shock Doctrine to push education "reforms"

Take a look at Facebook's
 New Jersey Teachers United Against Governor Chris Christie's Pay Freeze
This song was made to express feelings about Pennsylvania's standardized tests, but you can easily substitute in any one of NJ's lovely assessments.  I thought it was funny, considering the Governor's quest to tie teacher pay to student test scores.
Chris Christie let his political aspirations and desire to protect his "public image" get in the way of $400 million that would have helped NJ's school children.  How selfish and callous can one person be?  Watch the video below.
 
Ed Schultz from MSNBC's "The Ed Show" points out some of the major flaws in some of the misguided ideas behind the Governor's "tool kit for reform".

Pictures from the NJEA rally in Trenton on 5/22/10 - courtesy of Tony Varuolo

An Open Letter to Teachers from Chris Christie

HAS HE KEPT HIS PROMISES?  The question is rhetorical, but just in case you're not sure, read his letter to teachers from 10/6/09.  Christie wrote it in response to then-Govenor Jon Corzine's constant focus on Christie's lack of support for public education.

See the actual screenshot from Chris Christie's gubinatorial website, before his aides took it down!  Or, read the letter word-for-word below.

Tuesday, October 6, 2009

I am the proud product of our state’s public education system. In fact, my late mother was a dues-paying member of the NJEA. I know firsthand that one of the main reasons many of our schools rank among the best in America is because of our dedicated teachers and educational professionals who work hard every day to give our children the learning experience they deserve. Like you, I am fully committed to supporting New Jersey’s kids, teachers and parents to make sure our children receive a first-class education so they can pursue limitless opportunities once they graduate. Our state’s teachers are charged with one of the greatest responsibilities one can have, and they deliver each and every day for our kids.

But lately, there has been some misinformation circulated falsely, by supporters of Governor Corzine, suggesting I would attempt to diminish or take away teachers’ pensions and benefits. Let me be clear – nothing could be further from the truth. The claim that any harm would come to your pension should I be elected Governor is absolutely untrue. It is a 100% lie. Your pension will be protected when I am elected Governor.

Right now, the Trenton-based leaders of the teachers’ union are literally spending millions of dollars of your union dues to falsely attack me on television and through slick mailers. This is nothing but an attempt to poison me in your eyes so that you will vote for four more years of Jon Corzine and his failed policies. Just so I am clear, what they are saying about my intentions to hurt pensions or lay off teachers is absolutely, 100% untrue.

Here are the facts:

  • I will be a strong ally for teachers in the classroom. When elected, I will make education funding a top priority and I believe we must ensure those dollars reach our children and the classroom. In these tough economic times, we must ensure that the proper resources get to you, the teachers in the classroom. Despite what is said by my opponents, I would accept federal education stimulus dollars to help fund our children’s educations. Education is a priority and this money is critical to ensuring we are able to continue giving our children the education they deserve. We must also make sure that education dollars are always a priority and come from stable sources. Too often these grants or stimulus dollars are accepted for programs with no plan on how to pay for them after the money runs dry. It is time for a new era of responsibility in Trenton, and I will work to secure a steady source of funding for all education programs.
  • I will protect your pensions. Nothing about your pension is going to change when I am governor. In fact, in order to ensure your retirement savings are safe, I believe we must prioritize the protection of pension fund dollars and investigate the cause of Jon Corzine’s large investment losses to our pension system. Currently, there is a $34 billion deficit in the State’s pension fund, which threatens the retirement and lifeline of so many teachers. We must do better for our teachers, future teachers and retirees. As governor, I will work to close unfunded liabilities and make sure our state lives up to its promises, unlike Jon Corzine. I will not raid your pension fund to cover budgetary shortfalls like previous governors of both parties have done. One of the changes I will bring to Trenton is responsible management, investment, and oversight of state pension dollars.
  • I will not end collective bargaining and will safeguard protections for ALL public employees, including teachers. Collective bargaining is an important safeguard for public employees and is a part of a long American tradition of self-government. We must make sure that the voice of every worker is represented in contract negotiations. I will demand open, honest and fair deliberations.
It’s true that times are tough. But the truth is that Jon Corzine has handed the NJEA and every student a ticking time bomb in this year’s budget. He has funded the new school aid formula with $1 billion in one-shot revenue that will disappear next year. Every school budget and academic, athletic and extra-curricular program for our kids is at risk because of the Governor’s reckless, short-sighted policy. Governor Corzine has refused to make the tough decisions required to make sure we make education funding a priority and to avoid the ticking time bomb. We may disagree on some issues, but I know we agree on what’s most important – delivering the best education we can for our kids. Giving New Jersey’s children a quality education is critical to their future and I know we wouldn’t be able to do that without the dedication and tireless commitment of teachers like you. I appreciate you allowing me to clear up some of the misinformation being circulated about my plans to support our state’s teachers.

Thank you for your service, and best wishes on a great school year.
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