Simmering just below the surface

I've already started buying school supplies
I have taken a hiatus this August from blogging about BRRSD matters, but today I want to at least mention the possible influx of money to districts from the federal government. Apparently Christie WILL request funds for New Jersey, after he initially indicated that he might not (according to a news report, see below).

Watch NJN's news from Tuesday. NJN is our local PBS station. First it discusses the new aid to help reduce teacher lay-offs (see above).  After that, it has a report on new concessions that Edison teacher's union has agreed to. They are taking a new cut in pay in order to save jobs. The highest in the state.

I realize that this is not happening in Bridgewater. I already saw the new faces (and no, not former BRRSD employees rehired) cleaning in two schools this week. Maybe some classroom teachers will be restored to my kids' schools, especially my son's Intermediate school where I thought class sizes were already high. To my knowledge they didn't redistrict, as someone requested the BOE to do last spring, and so I think the Intermediate School to the East will continue to have smaller classes than the Intermediate School serving the bubble year of west-side kids.

Part of me has really enjoyed the head-in-the-sand summer I've enjoyed. I haven't even missed worrying about what is going on in the district. It seemed to run fine without me interfering. But I know like anything else, you can't keep things on autopilot and sooner or later I'll be back at that ugly Wade Building trying to coerce the BOE to see something my way... largely in vain.

There will be plenty to talk about. I just spoke to two different people, one online, the other in person, who want to abolish the current school system. The first suggested that everyone should home school (and while she meant well, I think she doesn't understand that home schooling is a luxury only available to the middle class and wealthy - internet resources are fine, and often free, but most people have to work full time (both Mom and Dad, if both are around) in order to feed their families and pay their rent, others don't have the educational levels needed to home school). The other person would like to privatize schools in such a way that the funding follows the student and families get to choose where to send their kid. This happens to a certain extent already in areas where there is "school choice". Although there is some form of school choice in Somerset County, you certainly don't hear about it much in Bridgewater.

The list goes on of things to be discussed in the fall. Until then, I plan to embrace my ostrich-like mannerisms, if only for a few weeks more. I need a deck chair an a section of the Times and I'm good to go!

Enjoy the last few weeks before summer break is over. Enough blogging before coffee!!!! Have a great day!

UPDATE: This was in the Courier when I just checked. BRRSD's Cheryl Dyer more or less says it's too late... not for me, it isn't!

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