Dear Editor:
I am writing to thank you four Jersey City Board of Education Members who decided to do the right thing and vote against the proposed superintendent’s contract on August 15, 2012. After 4 tense hours, you stood steadfast and voted in the interests of our children and their right to a quality education that is thorough and efficient as well as transparent and fiscally responsible. It takes a lot to resist special interests and political interference. Especially in Jersey City/Hudson County. Angel Valentin, Marilyn Roman, Vidya Gangadin and Sterling Waterman, you need to remain strong.
Do not accept ridiculous perks and bonuses in a contract with no benchmarks and evaluators for general performance, no benchmarks and evaluators for merit pay, or evaluators for goals. Make student achievement the basis of the contract and be specific in your expectations and outcomes. Most of all, insist on a termination clause for low or poor performance.
Best regards,
Lorenzo Richardson
Education Advocate and former Education Chairperson, NAACP Jersey City Branch (Life Member)