tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9025948832913694345.post1513647323271457131..comments2024-03-15T22:56:09.636-07:00Comments on Jersey Jazzman: Mayoral Control Ain't Done Squat For NYCDukehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16535645107179796099noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9025948832913694345.post-35948052846845482772013-03-26T12:40:56.290-07:002013-03-26T12:40:56.290-07:00Mrs. King and William,
All good points. I agree wh...Mrs. King and William,<br />All good points. I agree wholeheartedly that every district should have a true say in local education decisions. The point I was trying to make is that having a vote on school board members does not necessarily equate to good outcomes, nor does it always mean you have more local control than you would have with an appointed board.<br /><br />Especially, now that most elections are taking place in November, it's possible that ballot position has far more impact on BOE election outcomes. (See: http://www.mycentraljersey.com/article/20130319/NJNEWS1002/303190016/Ballot-positionBallot-position)<br />Given the choice between the draw of a ticket in a box deciding who my school board members are vs. appointments being made by a mayor I actually get to vote on... I'm thinking atleast I can vote the mayor out.<br /><br />I want locally controlled BOE's. I'm just not certain that under the circumstances that what we are really getting more local control with an elcted vs. appointed board.<br /><br />Remember that in Union City it was the voters who decided to switch to an appointed Board. Also, in New Brunswick the vote to move to an elected Board barely squeaked by a win. Had it not been for the heavy turnout of college students during a presidential election year, it may not have passed. The city had voted numerous times to keep an appointed Board several times prior to it. Crishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13518429951679327914noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9025948832913694345.post-4240719749644301452013-03-26T11:38:53.088-07:002013-03-26T11:38:53.088-07:00I am studying Union City and will be visiting in M...I am studying Union City and will be visiting in May. I have had several e-mail conversations with Kirp as well. So far, I think it a stretch to think that mayoral control has anything to do with Union City's success or will it improve their lot in the future. Their success lies in the investments they made years ago in early childhood education, a rich curriculum and teacher training: all which preceded mayoral control. Giving my knowledge of what mayoral control did to destroy NYC and Chicago, Union City should brace itself for a tumultuous futureBill Calahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01530636730369275371noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9025948832913694345.post-9132960815446268522013-03-25T19:25:03.182-07:002013-03-25T19:25:03.182-07:00In Trenton, the appointed BOE has pillaged the cof...In Trenton, the appointed BOE has pillaged the coffers for years. Outpaced only by local politicians. But in many of the tiny districts, elected BOEs have balanced their budgets on the backs of teachers, falsified evaluations to protect salaries of extraneous admins, and bargained with union reps to keep their actions out of the public eye. While I love the idea of a local board representing the best interests of their own community, I don't think that's happening in either case. It seems like everytime the state puts money on the table, everyone at the table finds a way to co-opt for his/her own advantage.Mrs. King's music studentshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05211235832988015448noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9025948832913694345.post-60510092991949766782013-03-25T14:02:45.471-07:002013-03-25T14:02:45.471-07:00It's a complicated concept. Today, David Kirp ...It's a complicated concept. Today, David Kirp gave a talk at the Bloustein School of Public Policy, where he repeated one of the points in his new book "Improbable Scholars," which is:<br /> "In Union City mayoral control has been a blessing, at least to date, because it has secured the stability essential to an effective school system." (page 118)<br />Only recently, did Union City vote to go from an elected board to an appointed one.<br />Coincidentally, in the very city Kirp gave that talk, New Brunswick, residents (actually a heavy number of college students, turning out heavily to a presidential election)voted this November to switch from an appointed to an elected school board. It now appears that those who fought for an elected board and are now supporting a challenger slate are big E3 leaders. So, it remains to be seen where this change will take New Brunswick.<br />While I understand the importance of an elected board, it appears that the outcome in each community largely differs by local and State politics. Crishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13518429951679327914noreply@blogger.com