The media need to set up a new antenna array if they want to detect incoming barrages from Trenton's executive. With no warning, Gorvernor Christie has let lapse the appointments of one-third of the state's county executive school superintendents, including our own Carole Morris of Monmouth County, according to
APP. The Governor's spokesman says Thursday's emails not to come to work in 2011 should have been no surprise because the county executive superintendents are all Gov Corzine appointees and their three-year terms are up. Patrick Diegnan, Jr, chairman of the NJ Assembly education committee, said the actions came "out of the blue." Richard O'Malley joined other local school superintendents in Monmouth County in submitting a letter to the Governor protesting Morris' replacement. (The NJSBA is only concerned that the vacancies are filled quickly to avoid any disruptions. Ho hum.)
The Newark Star-Ledger says Christie had this brainstorm while vacationing in Florida. Maybe he came up with the idea on the Dumbo ride at Disney World? Isn't it wonderful for Ms Morris and company to be notified on New Year's eve that they're losing their jobs immediately? Isn't it great that the local school districts now must rely on county executive superintendents from neighboring counties to assist them with the pending budget process? Christie's contempt for education shows no bounds.
While his approach may be a little rough, I applaud him for actually doing something about the excessive spending in the NJ school system. 8 people x 120k/year = a bit of money saved. And really, I think that the work 8 people did can be spread amongst those who remain.
ReplyDeleteActually, Christie plans to replace them, based on the governor's spokesman's comments, so there apparently will be no savings to the budget as a result of this. All the Governor has really accomplished here is give the bum's rush to one group of senior education officials serving an important liaison function between the state and its counties until another group of similarly-tasked officials can be vetted and hired. The "out with the old, in with the new" argument for letting the appointees' terms expire would be totally understandable if the appointees hadn't been informed by email on New Year's Eve, their last work day, and if there were any indications that this action wasn't utterly capricious and mean-spirited. No doubt there were discussions in Trenton about how this story would play in the media so a lid was kept on it until the last minute. I guess it's just politics as usual, Jersey style.
ReplyDeleteThe Union County superintendent was advised that 1/6 was HER last day. She was not one of the original 7.
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