Hey Jude

I have a question for you. As far as I know you are the only member of SOMEA who regularly posts on MOL. I also seem to remember you being active in the Democratic Party in Town

Were you aware of SOMEA's endorsement of Lembrich for TC? Do you have any thoughts?

Not a member of SOMEA, just NJEA as required by contract. Unaware of SOMEA endorsement. Not sure it means all that much one way or the other -- not that many teachers live in town and Township Committee has little to say about schools. Tax increases for schools currently capped by the state at 2% with some exemptions. So.... not sure what the direct role of TC on schools other than keeping the town overall attractive to old and new residents, keeping property values high. There used to be the Board of School Estimate which ratified the budget and its property tax impact. I don't think that still exists -- but wiser folks would know.

I was a Democratic Party district guy about 20 years ago or so. Zoning Board for 13 years. Once teaching my involvement in town stuff tailed off; doing work with Achieve Foundation, CHS Cougar Boosters Club and CHS Scholarship Fund, robotics, drones etc.

Jude , Do most of the teachers belong to SOMEA? Not sure how that works.

My informal assessment is most belong but a number do not. It is not required by contract with the District to be in SOMEA but one must be a member fo NJEA otherwise one cannot work (and that is true I think for all NJEA districts).

Thanks,Jude

Jude said:
-- not that many teachers live in town

Their endorsement letter states that about 1/3 of the staff lives in 'town'. That seems to be far more than I have ever heard---and, doesn't include those that live in South Orange. Where are those emoticons so I can express surprise?

I have heard the one-third number in the past.

One-third in the MapSO district, or one-third in Maplewood?

deborahg said:
One-third in the MapSO district, or one-third in Maplewood?

In the district, I think. (I didn't really differentiate. Do you think the numbers are significantly different between the two towns?)

Jude said:
My informal assessment is most belong but a number do not. It is not required by contract with the District to be in SOMEA but one must be a member fo NJEA otherwise one cannot work (and that is true I think for all NJEA districts).

I am surprised. I thought SOMEA is just the NJEA local. Who represents the Teachers in Contract negotiations?

SOMEA = South Orange Maplewood Education Association, a unit of the New Jersey Education Association (NJEA). It is the collective bargaining union for this district. Salaries, fringe and all work rules and disciplinary actions process are negotiated and in the contract. Some things lie outside the contract such as curriculum, nature of courses, room assignments and a number of other issues. Some things are constrained by state and federal law.

Jude,

Then why do you have to belong to the NJEA but not belong to SOMEA? Or maybe the question is if you teach in this District and join NJEA why doesn't that automatically a member of the local chapter?

I do not think any other Union operates that way.

good research.

Wowza. If underhanded tactics like these-- clearly meant to deceive the public by intentionally omitting the underlying personal connection/history between the author of the endorsement, Lembrich, and their role in his campaign, and presumably acceptable to if not fully approved by Lembrich-- are even remotely illustrative of the way he can be expected to conduct himself as a member of the TC, that's a HUGE issue of integrity.

ice,

I do not know how you found out this information.

Did SOMEA actually hold an endorsement vote? Did its Executive Committee or whatever its governing body is called take a vote? Was it on a published agenda? Did rank and file members have input?

Apparently you have to follow all 16 post office and election threads to understand what he is talking about.

All the more fishy when you take into account SOMEA didn't endorse a fellow educator and preferred, instead, the corporate lawyer.

I especially liked the part about having just learned of his having a daughter entering the schools when the author has stated elsewhere she's known him since their children were weeks old. And yet SOMEA lets it sit, and Lembrich does as well. Gutter politics and totally shameful. Anything to win, I guess