To the Editor:
I am very happy to hear that the Bayonne BOED will be an elected body in the coming years, but in no way shape or form does that get the teachers a contract. If you buy the story that an elected board of education will bring the teachers a contract, then I have a Bayonne Bridge to sell you. Even if that were the case, it would take until 2017 for all the unexpired terms to clear out of the BOED. Teachers can’t wait ‘til 2017. Next week underpaid and unappreciated teachers of Bayonne will once again pay out of their own pockets for supplies and ready their classrooms for our children. Once again, they will be doing it without a raise. The solution is very simple. The mayor can allocate money to the BOED to settle the contract. The city can hand the money over for a teachers’ contract tomorrow if they wanted to; why haven’t they? The city has gone to great lengths to try to make this a BOED problem. Most all of the BOED funding comes from city hall. Why don’t you tell them you’ll stop their next payment if they don’t settle? Or why don’t you send over enough money to settle the contract? Mr. Davis, all eyes are on you to settle this contract by September like you promised numerous times during your campaign. I didn’t vote for you; make me regret it.
JAMES “CHIP” WILSON
Secaucus BOED, Bayonne Resident