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Star Ledger - Some N.J. union officials have been on paid leave for decades, investigation reveals … The State Commission of Investigation released a report that calls for eliminating or substantially curtailing paid union leave for government workers
Politickernj - State DOE to review several charter school applications
“The following charter school applications have been qualified for the approval process, the state Department of Education reported. Approval decisions will be made later, officials said…” (Click on More to read full article to see the applications list, per Politickernj, for 17 charter schools.)
Star Ledger - Some N.J. union officials have been on paid leave for decades, investigation reveals … The State Commission of Investigation released a report that calls for eliminating or substantially curtailing paid union leave for government workers
Politickernj - State DOE to review several charter school applications
“The following charter school applications have been qualified for the approval process, the state Department of Education reported.
Approval decisions will be made later, officials said…” (Click on More to read full article to see the applications list for 17 charter schools.)
Politickernj - State DOE to review several charter school applications
“The following charter school applications have been qualified for the approval process, the state Department of Education reported.
Approval decisions will be made later, officials said…” (Click on More to read full article to see the applications list for 17 charter schools.)
By Minhaj Hassan | May 9th, 2012 - 12:29pm
TRENTON - The following charter school applications have been qualified for the approval process, the state Department of Education reported.
Approval decisions will be made later, officials said.
The following applications are listed by name, grade levels, number of student they are projected to take in, and the municipalities which they will serve.
They are:
Camden's Rosedale Charter School
Grades Kindergarten to 4
Projected to serve 225 students
Camden
Clifton Arts and Science Charter School
Grades Kindergarten to 8
540 students
Clifton
DaVinci Charter School of Hoboken
Grades Kindergarten to5
264 students
Hoboken
Hayden-Bridges Preparatory Charter School
Grades PreKindergarten to 4
300 students
Jersey City
Informaton Technology Charter School
Grades 6 to 12
280 students
Franklin Township, Hillsborough Township, Bridgewater-Raritan Township, Piscataway Township
International Academy of Camden Charter School
Grades Kindergarten to grade 6
698 students
Camden
International Languages and Arts Charter School of Passaic
Grades Kindergarten to 5
300 students
Passaic
Irvington Collegiate Charter School (ICCS)
Grades Kindergarten to 8th
360 students
Irvington
Knowledge Empowers Youth (KEY) Charter School
Grades 5 to 8
400 students
Camden and Pennsauken Township
Laboratory Charter School of Camden
Grades Kindergarten to 5
600 students
Camden
Military Charter School
Grades Kindergarten to grade 6
420 students
West New York
Morning Side Prep Charter School
Grades 5 to 12
400 students
Hamilton and Trenton
Mosaic Charter School
Grades Kindergarten to 5
360 students
Jersey City
Multicultural Public Charter School
Grades Kindergarten to 4
250 students
Camden, Pennsauken
New Jersey Institute of Fashion Charter High School
Grades 9 to 12
400 students
Newark
Paterson Urban Music and Movement Charter School, grades kindergarten to 3rd
Passaic
Phillip's Academy Charter School
grades kindergarten to grade 8,
378 students
Newark, East Orange, Irvington
Quest Academy Charter School of Technology and Creative Arts
Grades 9 to 12, 320 students projected, Montclair
Regional-Pneuma Academy Charter School for Science, Health & Technology-Asbury Park and Neptune, grades kindergarten to 5, 240 students projected
S.T.E.M. Charter School
Grades kindergarten to 12, with 1,040 students projected, Newark.
STEM Leadership Charter School, grades kindergartn to 12, 320 students projected,
North Brunswick.
STEMS (Science Technology Engineering Math Sustainability) Preparatory Charter School, grades kindergarten to 5, 240 students.
Hillside, Union, Elizabeth
Swerve Charter School, grades 5 to 12
408 students,
Egg Harbor Township
Technology First Primary Charter School
Grades K to grade 5
300 students
Neptune, Asbury Park, Ocean
Tyrone Collins Charter School of sustainable Wellness
Grades 9 to 12
400 students
Paterson
Whole Earth Charter School
Grades PreK to grade 7
360 students
Trenton
Star Ledger - Some N.J. union officials have been on paid leave for decades, investigation reveals … The State Commission of Investigation released a report that calls for eliminating or substantially curtailing paid union leave for government workers
Published: Wednesday, May 09, 2012, 9:49 AM Updated: Wednesday, May 09, 2012, 12:34 PM
By Christopher Baxter/Statehouse BureauThe Star-Ledger
State of New Jersey -
TRENTON — Public labor union representatives granted paid leave or release to conduct union business cost taxpayers millions of dollars annually in salaries and benefits, according to a report issued today by the State Commission of Investigation.
During the period 2006 through 2011, the commission found that government-paid union leave for public employees cost taxpayers more than $30 million in salaries and medical benefits.
This finding was drawn from an examination of contracts and employment agreements in a sample of more than 120 urban, suburban and rural school districts, 17 municipalities, all 21 counties, and 12 departments of state government.
“Although it is not uncommon, nor is it necessarily improper, for government employers to grant some form of time-off for union work, the commission found significant and questionable variations in how such leave is authorized, who qualifies for it, who keeps track of it, how it is constituted and who ultimately pays the bill,” the report said.
The commission found that some union officials have been on paid leave for years or even decades, while at the same time holding government jobs but doing no actual work for the taxpayers. In some cases, the commission said, taxpayers also shelled out for stipends, overtime, cars, office space, computers and other union equipment.
The report also found that the paid union arrangements were often crafted to keep the public in the dark. In some instances, they were authorized by contract “sidebar” agreements not easily discoverable by the public. In others, the leave is a matter of custom with no written authorization, the commission found.
Aside from these impediments to transparency, the commission also found instances of sloppy and incomplete record-keeping, as well as lengthy and inexplicable delays in the production of documents necessary for the completion of its investigation.
The commission recommends that taxpayer-paid union leave be eliminated or substantially curtailed and that uniform rules be established for granting union leave. It also recommends governments enhance public disclosure and require all employees on full-time paid union leave to notify their government agency.
