Quality Public Education for All New Jersey Students

 

 
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9-25-09 GSCS Email-Net, issue 2


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Garden State Coalition of Schools . . .

 a statewide grassroots advocacy network of parents, administrators, Board of Education members,
community organizers and friends . . .

                        Public Support for Public Education


GSCS Email-Net
Keeping GSCS Members & Friends Informed

In This Issue
Help Us with Email Addresses
2009-2010 Meeting Schedule
Tell Us
 Your Concerns
The GSCS message is stronger when we have your input.

Please  email us at gscs2000@gmail.com
to share your concerns regarding state policies that impact on education and financial issues.  
Coming Events
Sept. 30: 
GSCS Trustee Board Meeting,
3:30 p.m., Forsgate Coutnry Club, Special Guest - Christie Campaign representative

Oct. 28: 
GSCS General Membership Meeting, NJSBA Atlantic City Workshop;
time & location TBA

For more on GSCS and school finance issues, please visit our web site regularly.
www.gscschools.org
Issue: #  2 September 25, 2009
 
Dear GSCS Members and Friends

Welcome to the new and improved look for GSCS email communications, one that we hope will be easier and faster to read.  With our new look, you'll be able to recognize our messages quickly and get the most up-to-date news from Trenton and around New Jersey.  And we'll be able to customize our mailing lists, so that our members will receive direct messages, in addition to the geeneral messages that the public receives.  By the end of September all GSCS email will have this new consistent look.

As always, we welcome your input.  Please let us know if you find this new format easier to read, as well as your suggestions for changes, by emailing us at gscs2000@gmail.com.

Thanks!
Lynne Strickland
GSCS Executive Director
 
On the GSCS Radar Screen
Regionalization and Consolidation Concerns

GSCS will remain vigilant to see that local districts have the final say on whether their districts should be regionalized or consolidated. The law currently states that each district's vote will count.

Reports on the status of regionalization/consolidation feasibility studies are not consistent. On the one hand, we have heard that the deadline for the feasibility studies and recommendations for 10-11 selected districts has been delayed until June.  On the other hand, we understand that  feasibility studies have a priority completion date of this December for certain 'Bacon' (mostly rural, economically disadvantaged) districts . . . Stay tuned.
 
Gubernatorial Election Thoughts . . .
Something's Missing From the Conversation


GSCS recognizes there is an obvious void in the election debate arena regarding public education. The candidates need to bring K-12 secondary education-where the majority of New Jersey students are impacted -into the campaign conversation. To date, the candidates'  campaign talk has been mostly limited to areas outside of K-12 programs.  GSCS has been intereviewd by the Philadelphia Inquirer and the Star Ledger regarding the education platforms of the candidates for Governer.

Keeping an Eye on Legislation

A-1489/Burzichelli (calls for ending a district's ability to charge fees for extracurricular activities)
GSCS recently met with Assemblyman John Burzichelli, the sponsor of A-1489.  At that meeting Assemblyman Burzichelli said that A-1489 was not going to have priority in this legislative session, including the lame duck session after this November's election. GSCS appreciates the Assemblyman's willingness to work with GSCS on this and other education funding issues.

A-4140/Oliver (Prohibits an employer from entering into a subcontracting agreement that may affect the employment of any employees in a collective bargaining unit during the term of a collective bargaining agreement covering those employees)

A4142/Cryan (Provides that the terms of a collectively negotiated agreement shall supersede the terms of any individual contract between any public employer and any individual public employee whose position is within the bargaining unit covered by the collective agreement)

GSCS is opposed to these bills and will be meeting with Assembly Education Committee Chairman Joe Cryan to discuss the legislation in October. See the GSCS website homepage (www.gscschools.org, scroll down to June & July 2009)  for detailed information on these bills and 'what you can do'...

FYI, GSCS has joined in a coalition of 10 multi-interest organizations (including county, municipal, higher education and business associations, as well as school groups) that oppose both of these bills.
 
Please Help Us With Your Email Address!
 
We want to stay connected to you, but we have a lot of email subscribers on our list, and sometimes we get duplications or outdated addresses.  Much effort has gone into updating our mailing list, but we need your help to keep our list current and correct.
 
If you are receiving more than one copy of each email from us or if your address is not current or if you would like to add an address to our list, please send the correct information to us at  gscs2000@gmail.com
 
Please ask those who say they're stopped getting our emails to email us at the above address to add their names to our list once again.

Also, please check that your school and computer are not blocking our emails.

Thanks!


Trustee Board Meeting 2009-2010 Schedule  
September 30 Meeting at Forsgate Country Club

Note:  All Trustee Board meetings are open
to representatives of GSCS member districts.  Parents, administrators and Board of Education members welcome!  So we can make space available, please be sure to RSVP at gscs2000@gmail.com.


GSCS's next Trustee Board meeting will be on Sept. 30 in the Inverness Room, to the right of the lobby of the Forsgate Country Club.  (Exit 8A of the NJ Turnpike) at 3:30 p.m.  NEW:  A representative of the Christie gubanatorial campaign will join us.

The full 2009-2010 GSCS meeting schedule is:
Sept. 30, 3:30 p.m., Forsgate Country Club, Inverness Rm.
Oct. 28, NJSBA Workship, Atlantic City, Convention Center Rm. 419, immediately following NJSBA Legislative Session, approximately 4:00 p.m.
Dec. 2, 3:30 p.m., East Brunswick BOE Conference Room
Jan. 27, 3:30 p.m., East Brunswick BOE Conference Room
Feb. 24, GSCS Statewide Meeting, location & time TBA
Mar.31, 3:30 p.m., location TBA
Apr. 21, 3:30 p.m., East Brunswick BOE Conference Room
May 26 or 27, 8:30 a.m., Annual Breakfast Meeting, Highlands Ballroom, Forsgate Country Club