Without any pressing issues, turnout is usually humdrum and non-representative. Not this year. The election of Governor Chris Christie combined with his out-of-the-gate proposals to restrain school district spending and his attempt to introduce accountability into the educational system drew statewide attention. This resulted not only in some of the largest turnouts ever seen, but in an enormously high rate of rejected school budgets.What impressed me the most is that for the first time that I am aware of, union contracts became the stuff of significant public input in which parents and other voters finally educated themselves about the content of association contracts which their boards of education had negotiated. It was informed voter pressure which led to the union givebacks that we have all been reading about.
In the Bridgewater-Raritan School District for example, it was the direct, overwhelming voice of parent groups which were responsible for BREA givebacks of $1.6 million. It was their coming to the mike individually, meeting after meeting with other citizens to insist that the BREA respond with concessions.
I found that to be a breath of fresh air compared to the usual closed-door negotiation sessions which school boards and unions employ to keep the public in the dark. At budget time, the standard answer to why costs are so high is that wages are “the biggest chunk of the budget,” that wage increases are “in the contract” and, therefore, “there is nothing we can do about it.”
Let’s hope that the reforms being proposed in Trenton put an end once and for all to that irresponsible Catch-22 situation. Thanks for reading. Stay informed, and enjoy your weekend.
Photo: A Bridgewater parent addresses the school board concerning the AI program at the April 27th 2010, reorganization meeting. (by Dick Bergeron)
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