Sure, it's fine to be annoyed. But if my Christmas decorations were stolen, I wouldn't rant about my rights to worship being violated. It was a theft, most likely by kids, not some conspiracy of "voices opposing the bond are being silenced by those for the bond." The letter writer is making herself sound like a crazy cook and drama queen!

Where was the time for discussion before the BOE approved the bond referendum? Why is replacing the school roofs contingent upon putting plastic over an existing grass field? The word for that is coercion not democracy. Why is 100% of the maintenance and 1/3 of the acquisition cost of the artificial turf fields in Chatham paid for by private donations and contributions? Why is it the BOE's intention to create illegal light glare or trespass on its neighbors? Why is the BOE electioneering for the bond while not presenting a balanced description of the favorable and unfavorable impacts of the measure? Why do we want two artificial turf fields within four blocks of each other? With a $95.3 million budget, why can't the BOE properly fund their capital reserve account? Why can other towns replace roofs without issuing bonds? Why is a $125 student activity fee required to participate in sports? Why are the Rahway sidewalks over grown and no bike lanes exist? Why does the BOE ignore the safety of surrounding residents?

Agreed, Barbara. It is a shame. Someone told me to see the
AsburyParkPress.com website; I clicked on Data Universe tab, then NJ teachers tab
Filled in Union County, Westfield, selected All.
Saw that the BOE's contracts give a generous $57,289 to new (2012 grads?) teachers. You won't believe the other salaries listed.

Maybe if they get a better negotiating system for the next contract, we'd have the money to fix things that really need fixing without a bond that taxes us for more money?

Frank. that starting teacher salary has actually prevailed for many years. (It was not increased in the 2010 contract.)

What I find sad is that the Board of Education behaves as if they think that this is appropriate. Counting the health benefits, a defined-benefit pension generally unavailable in the private sector, and 3 months vacation, the total package value for a beginning teacher is easily double what a comparable college degree can get in the private sector. How can it be appropriate for someone with a comparable education, also just starting out and unproven, to be paying taxes for a similar public servant getting twice as much? Who is the "servant" here?

(But, I have no problem paying long service, excellent teachers what they get, except that we also pay long service, poor teachers just as much.)

The debate on the bond does not really have to do with what it takes to hire teachers now. It is a much bigger issue, everything from what it takes to hire a good vs. average teacher and the lack of both a merit system and a market-based system that would pay each type of teacher what it would take to get one hired. Until that entire structure is changed, you'll get these higher teacher salaries for all teachers in better districts in northern NJ, if not at the beginning of the salary scale, then at the end.

Re: "...everything from what it takes to hire a good vs. average teacher ...."

Gary, I agree with most of what you said, but disagree with this. I challenge anyone to show how the college record of an education degree graduate enables you to have much of an idea whether they will be a good teacher, an average teacher or a bad teacher - especially at the lower grade levels where demonstrated mastery of a subject is less of a factor. Ability to communicate, interpersonal skills, patience, caring, ability to work on your own, take abuse from all sides, stress tolerance, etc are not factors that a college record will make readily evident.

In fact, I would argue that teaching is a profession that should start at moderate salaries that advance rapidly as teachers that don't make the grade get quickly weeded out. In this area, we seem to have the opposite, a stunningly high starting compensation package and unjustifiable job security.

Jeff B, per your comment,
" would argue that teaching is a profession that should start at moderate salaries that advance rapidly as teachers that don't make the grade get quickly weeded out"

I would agree that would be a good methodology, but in both the current union-based environment and in competition not only with other NJ districts, but at least regionally, it would not work until all such districts could hire on a level playing field (and I'm not talking about turf!).

Jeff, thankfully you are NOT on the BOE. I have read your writings on this topic and although I strongly disagree with your points of view, you have really gone off the deep end on this one. The BOE should do what you have requested because some signs were taken? Come on. Maybe you took them. I hardly believe that anyone who is remotely close to the BOE took them and even if they did, it was more likely that they did so just to read them. Who designed those awful signs anyway!