Jackson Schools Board of Education December 2009 meeting recap

Jackson, NJ – At the November 2009 Jackson Schools Board of Education meeting it was announced that the district will unveil their new school bus stop safety guidelines at tonight’s meeting, however at tonight’s meeting it was announced that another month will pass our children by. The guidelines created many years ago remains in place, leaving many district children at risk on the township’s dangerous roads.

Some of the conditions that warrant a second look in the name of safety involve students crossing 50 mph highways or being made to wait on those highways when much safer alternatives exist within the child’s development, a gesture the school district has so far balked at.

In the story photo here, you can see a student crossing a notorious road in Jackson after a dangerous bend which has already claimed the life of one inattentive driver several years ago. It’s on a road known by residents for excessive speeding, yet the district makes this student and many others cross these roads with nothing more than a small protruding stop sign protecting them from a speeding vehicle being driven by a driver on his or her cellphone.

It is common practice for middle school and high school students to cross these roads, but in most cases it is deemed unsafe for elementary school students.    Facts have shown that a vehicle travelling at 50mph can kill a 15 year old just as easily as a 7 year old.

No date has been given on the plan, only that it is a work in progress.

Aside from school safety issues, there was the pandering of the $29,000,000.00 referendum, but that dead horse has been beaten to death by me and it doesn’t stand much of a chance to pass anyway.   The timing of the referendum however is suspect as it takes advantage of many of the town’s seniors will be out of town at their winter homes in Florida.    Score one for district in back-dooring the seniors and hope they don’t take their revenge on next year’s budget.  I’m sure, like the widening of East Veteran’s Highway, I’ll get blamed when this referendum fails too.   But face reality.  It’s a terrible plan at the worst possible time and could serve to do more damage to our children’s educational future in April when the school budget is on the ballot.

Finally, of interesting, yet odd note of sorts was one board member’s accusation that I had called her out on an ethics violation when all I said was that our BOE is a very special education friendly bunch after they announced sweeping new plans to boost special education amidst cuts in many other programs for the general student population.  When I asked for accountability when it came to the equal and fair treatment for all students, not just a special interest group.  Odd how that turned into an ethics violation accusation, but I give the performance a 10.

So many times in the past year in which I have been attending board of education meetings, I’ve seen children and parents alike cry and been driven into a rage as they were turned down on something they felt passionate about by a stearn and seemingly uncaring board of education and superintedent.  If a school board of education member cries once in a while, it seems all is fair in this game of high stakes business and politics when the ball is on the other side of the table.     The display this board member exhibited was pretty much the same display my wife showed when I had to break the bad news to her that our school district wants her 5 year old child to stand on a corner on a road that has claimed so many lives over the years from out of control and inattentive drivers.   The same display she shows each time somebody dies near this intersection or somebody loses control near this intersection and the hopelessness she feels and the anger she feels towards our elected board members.    The display meant nothing to me and was rather insulting after how I have been treated by our Board of Education and the Superintendent.  

Don’t like the rules? Don’t play the game is the only advice I can offer. 

To that board member, you now know what my wife goes through each and every day you make her child wait on East Veterans Highway and what it feels like to have people attack something very important to you.  To know what it feels like to be told your cause is not important.  To be mocked at for believing in something dear to your heart, especially when it involves your child.

While I have nothing to be shameful or sorry about for this display tonight, nor do I feel the slightest bit responsible, I will admit that I was misinformed when I was told 4 members had special needs children, the truth is (from what I learned tonight)  only two do and a third based most of her election campaign on championing special needs children.     As for accusing anyone of any wrong doing.  I never did that.   On the other hand for any elected board member to say that they are on the board 100% out of the kindness of their heart and was never driven by their own personal agendas is very disengious.  Everyone at one time or another had a reason that was the ignition switch to get them to where they are now.  Everyone has an agenda that helped them get to where they are now.

I would have saved the tears for election season in March.