Seth Godin wrote something for me?

My husband sent me a link to Seth Godin's blog post for today and I thought he was making it up...Wait, marketing guru Seth Godin actually blogged about losing a school election? Wow. I'm posting the text of Seth's post below. Be warned: if you're not a regular reader of Mr. Godin, you should know that he's a pretty frank writer, doesn't pull punches and features an abundance of common sense that's not always what you might call "politically correct." Here's the post with it's lesson I'm taking to heart this week:

What's the point of popular?

You'd think that it's the most important thing in the world. Homecoming queen, student body president, the most Facebook friends, Oscar winner, how many people are waiting in line at the book signing...

Popular is almost never a measure of impact, or genius, or art. Popular rarely correlates with guts, hard work or a willingness to lead (and be willing to be wrong along the way).

I'll grant you that being popular (at least on one day in November) is a great way to get elected President. But in general, the search for popular is wildly overrated, because it corrupts our work, eats away at our art and makes it likely we'll compromise to please the anonymous masses.

Worth considering is the value of losing school elections and other popularity contests. Losing reminds you that the opinion of unaffiliated strangers is worthless. They don't know you, they're not interested in what you have to offer and you can discover that their rejection actually means nothing. It will empower you to even bigger things in the future...

When you focus on delighting an audience you care about, you strip the masses of their power.

Ridgewood election results.

Unofficial results for today's Ridgewood school election (official results will include yet-to-be-counted absentee ballots):

BUDGET
YES 1788
NO 1406

BOARD
Clark 496
Krauss 1697
Goodman 1472
Brogan 1607

Thank you, Ridgewood, for allowing me to work for our children and schools for these past three years. It has been my pleasure every single day.

Thank you for passing the 2011-12 budget and for supporting our schools.

I'm sort of speechless (sort of haha) and a little heartbroken at this moment. I loved this job more than anything I've ever done. But I'm a glass-half-full person, so I'm looking forward to having some time for my family. I'll still be blogging about schools and education....I doubt I'll sit quietly on the sidelines for long. We shall see what happens next...

Ridgewood mentioned in NY Times story about school budgets.

The Times yesterday featured a story about school budgets and the election in New Jersey this year, as compared to last year.

An excerpt from the story...

Little drama. Limited tax increases. Fewer draconian cuts.

Despite the imposition of a cap this year that limits the increase in property tax collections to 2 percent, school districts in New Jersey are heading into budget elections on Wednesday largely free of the anger and turmoil of last year’s budget season.

and...

Even a well-to-do district like Ridgewood is sticking to a modest 2 percent increase in tax revenue, which will maintain existing programs but not pay for additional teachers to meet growing enrollment.

Statewide, nearly 87 percent of the 538 districts with budgets on the ballot will propose raising their taxes by no more than 2 percent, adhering to the annual limit set by the tax cap pushed through by Governor Christie. About 71 districts will go over 2 percent to cover large increases for health insurance, pensions and higher enrollment — spending that is allowed under the cap.

Eleven districts are also seeking voter approval on separate ballot questions to raise additional tax revenue for specific proposals, which include restoring sports programs and having full-day kindergarten.

Click here to read the full story.

Rainy day pre-election thoughts.

Election day is coming -- Wednesday April 27 -- and the rhetoric and all the stuff I hate about the process is in full swing. Signs on lawns. PR pieces in the newspaper. Blog posts with their anonymous comments and unique "spin" on facts. I've always been up front about my lack of political savvy. I don't play the games and I just try to call it like it is. There's really not a lot I can do to change some people's minds, once they've got certain ideas stuck there.

It's frustrating (and sort of funny, if it weren't so serious) to see myself portrayed as "the establishment." I have spent the past three years feeling like the outsider on the BOE. Many of the things that frustrated me before I was elected still cause me to bang my head on my desk -- even more -- today. The answers or solutions were not as easy as they looked from the outside. And they're not always easy to explain to others.

I am still the first to agree that the Board needs more openness and transparency. I've been working on it for three years. Not everyone on the BOE or in the administration agrees with me. We have improved, but not enough. It is like turning an aircraft carrier, the culture is so ingrained and the bureaucracy is so entrenched, that one board member can only impact so much. I will keep working on it -- I know it can get better. In the meantime, I've tried to fill some of the gaps with my own personal communication via this blog, even though it's a bit of a minefield to navigate the boundaries of free speech, confidentiality and "appropriate" Board member behavior.

As for the budget (tax levy) you're being asked to approve on Wednesday -- we have kept spending flat in all areas except health care, and that is contractual so there is nothing we can do about it with this budget. (In fact, if it weren't for the health premium increase, the budget would be going down $75,000.) We are working on the next contract now and the entire Board is well aware that salaries/benefits -- especially health insurance -- cannot remain as is. We simply cannot afford it. The system cannot support it.

I'm still hoping my serious commitment to these issues -- and others, as I've described before -- will convince enough voters to return me for three more years on the Board. I'm still the "new" member. I'm still the one on the Board who has not been part of the establishment for years and years. There is a lot more I can do and I'm willing to keep working.

I chose not to raise a bunch of money and pay for expensive signs (the ones you see now are all those that I saved from three years ago), postcard mailings, etc., because I felt I couldn't ask people to spend money on that stuff in this economy. I'm still silly enough to believe that elections should not be about who has more signs, who had more coffees or whose name is in what ballot position. I know what I've done, I know what can be done, and I know I can make a positive difference...if you'll re-elect me on Wednesday.

The myth of the “budget vote.”

Yes, it’s an intentionally provocative title, but I wanted to share a perspective that I’ve commented on before, especially when I hear Ridgewood residents arguing about the upcoming election and whether they plan to vote for or against "the budget."

In addition to electing members of the Board of Education*, on April 27 the ballot question will read:

Resolved, that there should be raised for the General Fund $81,323,178 for the ensuing school year (2011-2012).

Voters (whether they are taxpayers or not, by the way) are asked to approve the total amount of taxes, for the schools, to be levied via property taxes. That’s it. We are not voting for or against the budget – not voting on how that tax levy is spent, and not voting on how much is allocated to the various lines and cost centers.

Based on that understanding of the fact of the vote process, and with New Jersey’s government-mandated 2% cap on how much the tax levy is allowed to grow, I can understand the occasional argument from Trenton that the annual “budget vote” is unnecessary if a district’s budget is under the legal cap. Sure, the vote is a rare democratic access point between residents and the delivery of their money to the “public good,” and people do like to feel like they have a say in what happens with their hard-earned taxes. (Imagine if we could vote on the Federal budget…or the state budget…the mind reels at the prospect of TV ads bought by PACs and political parties.) But how much of a say is that vote in April?

If you think the school district should spend more money on this program or that program, your vote really doesn’t affect that. If you want the school district to hire this teacher or fire that administrator, your vote doesn’t affect that. If you think your vote will send a message to the teacher’s union, I’m not so sure how your vote would affect that. The only thing our vote does is decide how much money will be collected from all the taxpayers in Ridgewood and delivered to the school district. How the money is divvied up is proposed by the administrators and approved by the BOE…whom you elect to do so.

I understand how some can feel powerless…that the vote is sort of futile, because it’s already a done deal by the time it’s on the ballot. I happen to think that we can do a better job of ascertaining what residents think about the budget – before the annual school election. I’ve talked about creating opportunities for more citizen involvement, earlier in the process. Practically speaking, I’m not entirely sure how. Fact is, the budget is big and complicated and not really something that can be reduced to “sound bites” – despite the public’s penchant for framing issues that way. Typical political polarization doesn’t really work on something this complex, with direct results on 5800+ individual students with individual needs, individual preferences and individual issues.

So, I just wanted to add a little education as to what you’re truly voting for or against on April 27. It's not "the budget." It's the proposed tax levy as indicated above. This tax levy reflects the lowest tax increase since the mid-1980s. It represents 0% total growth in the total budget, except health insurance, which we are estimating to rise 12%. (In fact, if it weren’t for the increase in health benefits, the budget would be going down $75,000.) And it keeps the education our children are currently receiving intact. A “yes” vote sets the tax rate. A “no” vote charges the Village Council with setting the tax rate. They don’t get to recommend cuts. They don’t order changes in spending on this vs. that. They just set the tax rate, presumably lower than what the Board asked for on the ballot.

However you feel about the tax levy, I hope you will get out and vote.

*Should probably mention again that I hope you will re-elect me to the Board. Our schools are facing the toughest time in their history. Rising costs, dwindling resources and increased regulations from the state have contributed to an environment where providing the quality education Ridgewood expects and deserves is more difficult than ever. I have worked hard for the past three years, and I believe I have so much more to give to our schools and our community.

How a school budget is built.

Here's a video of the Bernards Township Superintendent of Schools (from the VoteApril27.com website) explaining what goes into their school budget -- which is remarkably similar to Ridgewood's. It's all stuff that our Dr. Fishbein or BOE members have stated at various times, but it's interesting to hear it from another perspective. I did notice her emphasis on a couple of points that I don't know if our community is always aware of. For example, when looking at Special Education costs, it's important to remember that the state law requires that our District (all districts) must provide special education to all youth from age 3 through 21. That's five years longer (or almost 40% longer) than we provide services to our regular education students, and it helps explain the size of the Special Education share of our budget. I wonder how many Ridgewood residents are aware of that.

Helpful website all about April 27 school election.

The New Jersey School Boards Association has created a website focused on the April 27 statewide school election, at www.VoteApril27.com. According to the site, its mission is:

We want as many New Jersey citizens as possible to participate in the April 27, 2011 school election.

Some text from the intro on the homepage:

As a citizen of the State of New Jersey, voting in your local school election is a civic duty. Statewide, on April 27, voters like you will act on a combined total of more than $13 billion in proposed locally funded school expenditures. They will also select more than 1,500 local school board positions. But as impressive as these statewide numbers are, the true significance of the Annual School Election takes place at the local level—in your community. You will be able to vote on your school district’s individual budget proposal, an opportunity available to citizens in only a handful of states. You will also choose the men and women who will represent you on your school district’s board of education.

When you were young, you went to school in your hometown. Your parents likely chose that town because they believed that it offered the best possible education for you. Your education played an important role in making you the person you are today. It may have enabled you to attend the college of your choice, to get the job you want and much more.

Your participation on April 27 goes beyond personal impact, however. Your school property taxes can be viewed two ways: first, as a levy that funds a government service and, second, as an investment that has a far-reaching impact on the children and the residents of your community. A community’s property values, its quality of life and its social fabric are all related to the strength of its schools.

It's an interesting site, and includes things like a video explaining how school budgets are developed (disclaimer: I haven't watched it yet), and special sections for parents, senior citizens, students and voters. Click here to check it out.

Resident Gerry Clark has withdrawn from BOE race.

It has been reported by Patch.com that Gerry Clark, one of the challenges in the Board of Education election to be held on April 27, has withdrawn from the race. Click here for the full story.

In the meantime, the remaining candidates will be at the RHS Home & School meeting tonight to introduce ourselves and answer questions. Dr. Fishbein will also be there to present the 2011-12 budget which is up for vote.

The meeting starts at 7:30 p.m. and takes place in the RHS Library (Media Center) on the 2nd floor.

What have I done?

Someone asked me today to "bullet point" some of what I've been up to during my time on the Board of Education Here's a quick snapshot:

I have been a member of the Communications and Facilities Committees all three years, as well as the BOE liaison to the Fields Committee. I am also a member of the Board’s Negotiating Committee in our current negotiations with the REA.

In terms of communications, I’ve worked on implementing the District’s new website and Skyward systems, helped with communications on the budget and referendum, where we instituted more public meetings and public input than ever before…I also worked with the committee on the parent survey which we started last year and will repeat this spring…I’m proud of that survey experience, as that was one of the goals I talked about during my campaign three years ago.

I have worked hard on my personal communications as a Board member, writing this blog for three years, and incorporating social media like Facebook and Twitter to dialogue with residents.

On Facilities, I -– and the committee -- worked hard on first prioritizing facilities needs and designing the referendum projects, then explaining the needs and the referendum to the community and now reviewing and monitoring the projects on a regular basis.

On the Fields Committee, I have represented the BOE (and our constituents, including students, parents, staff or neighbors) to the committee in discussions and work, and I’ve reported in detail back to the full Board to ensure all BOE members are educated and informed regarding fields issues.

As a member of the Board’s Negotiation Team, currently in negotiations with the REA, I’m excited by the potential and opportunity that contract negotiations represent – for both “sides.” Obviously I can’t speak to any specifics regarding negotiations (they are confidential), but I can say that my (and the Board’s) goal is a productive negotiation process that results in an agreement that is mutually satisfactory to the BOE, the membership of the REA, and the community, and that meets the needs of our students. I will work tirelessly to fulfill my responsibility to our students and taxpayers.

Other than those committee highlights, I have not missed a Board meeting and I've only missed committee meetings when there was a rare conflict with my "real" job. I thoroughly prepare for every meeting, I receive and respond to questions from the community, I attend several HSA meetings and the Federated HSA meeting each month, and I love more than anything attending school events throughout the District, such as International Day at Hawes, Celebration of Learning at Orchard, the Ridge Restaurant, the BF Turkey Trot and more. My very favorite thing is watching our students and teachers at work...it still gives me chills any time I can spend some time in a classroom. That is what it's all about.

Why am I running again?

I'm supposed to speak with the reporter from the Ridgewood News tomorrow, to talk about my candidacy for re-election to the Board of Education. I was working on some notes tonight...I figure one of the inevitable questions will be, "Why are you running for re-election?" So, thought I'd share my reasons here:

Why am I running again?

I still feel that the BOE is one of the most important ways anyone can serve the community. It’s THE elected office with the most potential to do good.

Every community needs committed, thoughtful, passionate, curious citizens to serve on the Board of Education. I believe I still have all those qualities. It’s been a steep learning curve, and I'm still learning. But I believe in public education and I am fascinated by all aspects:
-- teaching & learning
-- administration
-- finances
-- And what I call the “parallel universe” of the school-world culture. It looks like the regular world, but it doesn’t quite operate the same way. It’s often a puzzle and I still wake up every morning determined to understand this bureaucracy a little bit more and to have a positive impact on its evolution.

What have I learned as a member of the BOE?

Last August I wrote a blog post titled “28 lessons in 28 months,” which listed the things I’ve learned. A couple of my favorites were:
#16. There’s more than one way to teach pretty much everything.
#17. Education “experts” don’t agree on almost anything.
#13. For every parent/staff/taxpayer with an opinion, there is another parent/staff/taxpayer with the exact opposite opinion
#2 There are not enough hours in the day

I’ve also learned – or confirmed – that I’m not a politician. I don’t strategize my speaking. I say what I think…not necessarily what others want to hear. I sometimes say things that get me into trouble. You don’t hear me speak a lot at our meetings because I don’t speak unless I have something useful to say. I communicate plenty with our administrators and other board members…I’m the queen of emails and I never run out of questions or suggestions.

But this leads to one of the biggest challenges I’ve had and I still have on the Board – I’m a natural worker. I’m a problem solver. I have ideas for how to do things. And the truth is, that’s not really my role on the BOE. By law, it is NOT the Board of Ed's job to run the schools. It’s the administration’s job to DO, to DECIDE, to SOLVE. It’s my job to make sure the administration has the policy framework and the mission/vision that allows them to work and do and solve. I have to step back and let them do it. THEN, it’s my job, or the Board’s job, to evaluate the performance of ONE person – the superintendent.

It’s been a difficult adjustment…to be less active and more passive…to let the decisions be made and then give feedback. I’m still working through it. Getting better. But still making suggestions, which is not the same as micro-managing, by the way!

BOE Candidates' Night on April 7

The League of Women Voters will hold a Candidates' Night for Board of Education candidates on April 7 at 7:30 p.m., on the 3rd floor of the Ed Center. This event is commonly called the "debate," but it's really more like four people making statements on pre-arranged themes/questions. Last time it was held was in 2008, and that time, I believe there was time for a few questions from the audience at the end. I don't know exactly what the format will be this time.

I also am not sure if the event is broadcast on Cablevision Channel 77. I'll post more details when I get them.

Candidates are set for BOE election April 27.

So, now we know that there will be four candidates for the two open seats on the Ridgewood Board of Education. Sheila Brogan and myself are incumbents running for re-election. The challengers are Gerald Clark and Christine Krauss. Click here to read the story on Ridgewood Patch.

Looks like we'll have a "campaign season" after all...HSA meetings, coffees, debate, emails, phone calls, letters. It should be interesting. I don't really understand the phenomenon that results in uncontested elections some years and contested elections other years...just another "Ridgewood Tradition," I guess.

I'll start posting the dates for various events. If you're interested, you can "like" my page on Facebook to receive additional updates. Or just come back here. I'll start posting more on the issues -- although anybody who wants to know how I feel can just read the past posts on this blog. Any questions? Post them here, on my Facebook page, email me, call me, Tweet me (@lauriegood1)...there are so many ways to get info from and about candidates these days.

What am I doing?

Today I submitted my paperwork to be on the ballot for re-election to the Ridgewood Board of Education. I didn't wait this long because I was actually conflicted about deciding to run. I always knew I wanted to continue. But I did not want to spend three or more months campaigning and talking about running. There is plenty of work to do on the Board without adding that into the mix. As of now, there are no challengers for my position. The deadline to submit paperwork to be on the ballot is Tuesday Match 8 at 4:00 p.m., so I'll know for sure at that time.

In the meantime, know that I want to continue working to ensure that our schools and our community work together to provide an excellent education for every single child, and fiscal health for our District. I am honored that you have trusted me with this responsibility, and I hope to continue working to fulfill that trust.

Over the past three years, I have worked hard every day for our schools and our students. The learning curve was (and still is) steep. While the experience has been challenging, fascinating, rewarding, interesting and complicated, I continue to start each day with enthusiasm to perform my duties to the absolute best of my abilities.

There is still so much to do. The times ahead will be challenging in ways never before seen in Ridgewood schools. I believe I have skills, energy and experience to continue serving the students of Ridgewood.

The election is April 27. Be sure to vote.

And, of course, keep in touch:

Email: lauriegood@mac.com

Call: 201-493-9193

Follow me on Twitter: @lauriegood1

“Like” my page on Facebook: www.facebook.com/goodman4boe

School board candidates' kits are available now.

The Ridgewood BOE will have two vacancies in the April 27 Annual School Election. A full term on the school board runs for three years. Candidate kits are currently available in the Board Secretary's office at the Education Center, 49 Cottage Place, or online from the New Jersey School Boards Association. The deadline for filing candidate petitions is Tuesday, March 8, at 4 p.m.

Some helpful information from the New Jersey School Boards Association:

How to Become a School Board Member

Important 2011 School Board Candidacy & Election Dates

Requirements of the New Jersey School Ethics Act

Nominating Petition for Annual School Election

School Board Candidate Briefing Dates

Campaign Reporting Requirements

"Other than the lights, are there no other pressing issues in the village?"

Funny thing happened last night at Village Hall. I went to a Village Council Candidates Night, and a Board of Ed debate broke out. (That's supposed to sound like the old joke about going to a fight and a hockey game broke out...sound familiar? Anybody?)

Well, not really a BOE debate, more like a repetitive airing of grievances and misinformation.

I thought it was odd how so much of the conversation focused on the new lights at RHS Stadium and Stevens fields, as well as the Council's handling of the defeated school budget last spring. And by "conversation," I obviously mean mis-statements and vague promises.

Contrary to one of the candidates' statements, at no time did the school district approach the Village for funding of the lights, and the current funding arrangement was not developed following any "heated discussions" of any kind.

It was odd to hear such criticism of the users of the lighted fields, consistently referred to as "them," as those "others" who are somehow benefitting. Hello? They are the thousands of children of our town, children of our taxpayers. They are us, and we are all going to benefit from better, more efficient use of our limited field space.

To those candidates who lamented the short timeframe the Council had in which to cut (or not cut) the school budget (with the implication being, if they only had more time, they could have cut the budget more): Board of Ed members and Dr. Fishbein were all over town prior to the budget vote, offering to review the budget in detail and answer any questions. Long before the vote, the Board invited the Councilmembers to a meeting to review the budget and answer any questions -- in as much detail as desired. And as for the "new" idea that a Village councilperson could serve as a liaison to the BOE -- there has been one for a long time. Anne Zusy was the liaison to the BOE...prior to that Jacques Harlow was the liaison. My point is, there are many opportunities for communication and (no pun intended) education between the BOE and the Council. I don't believe communication or lack of time is what determined the Council's decision on the budget. As I've said before, the leading factor was undoubtedly the fact that we had already cut $6.9 million from the budget. There really was not room to cut more without damaging the district.

Anyway, back to the Candidates' Night: it was surprising to me how few questions there were from the audience. Not sure what that means...more voter apathy, I suppose.

I heard the Stop Valley people will be naming "their" candidate soon (possibly tonight). It should be an interesting couple of weeks till the election.

Why don't more people run for the BOE?

A commenter on a previous post said:

The fact that no one would run for the seat Charles Reilly now holds speaks volumes about what the citizens think of our BOE. But I suppose you don't see it that way, now do you?

Setting aside the commenter's sarcasm, it's a legitimate question, and I do think about it from time to time.

I suspect there are many reasons people don’t run for the Board of Ed, and I suppose “what the citizens think of our BOE” could be one for some people. For others it could be the hours. Or the sheer size of the challenges. For some it’s too much responsibility. For some it may not be enough responsibility and they’re not comfortable working as part of a group. Some may not want to be criticized in the newspaper or on blogs or whatever. Some might be afraid of making a mistake. Some don’t like confrontation. Some choose other ways to make a difference in their world. Some feel they can’t possibly make a difference in a system they think is broken. Some have small children, so they don’t have time. Some have grown children, so they’re tired and want to enjoy their empty nest. Maybe a few have heard it described as a “thankless job.” Maybe others like to watch TV on Monday nights. Some people are happy to let others of their choosing handle it. Some are happy to let anyone (but them) handle it. And some just, plain and simple, do not care.

I’ve heard all those things and more, both before and after I was involved with the Board. Heck, I’ve probably said most of them myself, at one point or another. As a resident, it bothers me when no one shows up to run. It’s not the way things are “supposed” to work in a democracy. But it is what it is. Getting involved with an elected position is a personal choice that everyone makes for their own reasons.

How can I "ignore" the voters?

I’ve been listening to and reading comments about the Village’s handling of the school district budget. (The Council will vote tonight.) I understand that those who voted “no” on the budget will be frustrated if the Village Council leaves the budget as-is or if they cut only a "token" amount. I've heard comments like “listen to the voters,” “respect the vote,” or, charmingly, “you lost, get over it.” They can’t seem to understand why the Board of Ed or administration are fighting to prevent more budget cuts. I’d like to explain my thinking (and only mine, FYI – as always I’m not speaking for anyone but myself).

I’m sorry that it’s so hard for some to understand. But here it is: I have been sworn to keep what is best for the schools — and for the children in those schools — as my primary focus. In fact, by legislation, I have sworn an oath that says, “I will make decisions in terms of the educational welfare of children and will seek to develop and maintain public schools that meet the individual needs of all children..."

Nowhere in the Code of Ethics for School Board Members or the Oath of Office does it state that I should place complaints about taxes above the educational welfare of the children of Ridgewood. I am obligated to do everything I can – as a member of the Board – to ensure that our schools deliver the best education possible. As I’ve said before, I truly do understand the frustration of taxpayers. Of course I do...I’m a taxpayer! I’m someone who was out of work. My husband was out of work. We are not cavalier about our family budget. But putting aside my personal financial situation, I believe the $6.3 million we’ve cut from the 2010-11 budget is enough. I believe that further cuts at this time will destabilize the District even more and will negatively impact our schools. And therefore I am content to follow what the law dictates is supposed to be happening right now. That is, the Village Council is supposed to decide what is best for the schools. And I'm supposed to advocate for what I think is best for the schools. Of course, the Village Council members have not sworn an oath to the schools, so their position is a little more complicated. Their references to the “sanctity” of the vote, while contradictory to what they are in fact charged with doing, are understandable.

Please don’t get me wrong: I don’t operate with a knee jerk reaction that says all budget cuts are bad. I am not out to "inflate" the school budget. I only want to maintain or improve the quality of our schools, in spite of necessary budget cuts. Every single cut we made for 2010-11 was discussed, analyzed and debated. I personally supported many of the cuts. Once the Board came to consensus, I support all of them.

I know our staff will rise to the occasion and do their best to adjust to the changes we’ve made, and then we’ll probably have to make more changes next spring. It doesn’t take a crystal ball to predict that our budget will face more pressures next year. No matter what, though, all I can do is continue to work with the rest of the Board to do what is best for Ridgewood’s children, and balance that with what is best for individual tax bills.

What does it mean?

You know I try to stick to local issues rather than county, state or national politics and "message sending," but I think this excerpt about New Jersey fits for Ridgewood.

Patrick Murray, Director of the Monmouth University Polling Institute, said the following based on Tuesday's votes statewide (comments in parentheses are my translations):

He said, "So, here's what we know about the New Jersey public:

1. They think the size of the cuts in state aid to local schools is unfair. (Translation: the state should give more $$ to school districts)

2. They think the teachers' unions should be willing to come to the table and agree to a wage freeze and benefit contributions. (Translation: They are angry at what is perceived as the teachers' lack of shared sacrifice.)

3. They don't want educational programs cut. (Ummm...no translation necessary)

4. They don't want their property taxes raised. (No translation necessary)

That about sums it up in Ridgewood, don't you think?

How you reconcile those things -- especially when some of them are out of our local hands -- is the challenge. We couldn't do anything about the state aid...we tried to do something with the teachers but they said no (some said yes but not enough) and the contract is legally binding...we cut $6 million in ways that we felt maintained our educational programs as much as possible districtwide, for the most students...and we kept the property tax increase at 4% instead of going higher like some people urged.

And what did that get us? A visit with the Village Council. If these four points were the key, then it would follow that we needed to cut more, period. Of course, you all watched as we made the cuts. You saw what else is on the list...do you see how #3 and #4 cancel each other out, when #1 and #2 are in force?

We'll meet with the Council soon, and take it from there. We'll get there.

Random thoughts the day after the vote…

I have been sitting in a meeting on the 46th floor of a building today, far away (figuratively) from Ridgewood, trying to switch out of BOE mode and into work mode. Every time someone posts a comment on my blog, however, I get an email to my phone…so obviously I’m not doing so well with putting the vote out of my mind for a few hours. (Sorry to my client for another day when you only get my partial attention!)

First, I thought it was clear but let me clarify my comment last night about the guy running down the stairs (who really did exist, by the way). My description of him being “uninformed” was in response only to his comment “I admit I don’t know anything about the issues.” (Well, that and the fact that he thought we were replacing guidance counselors with flat screen TVs.) I thought it was a funny thing to say…don’t you think that’s a tad remarkable…that he admittedly didn’t know the facts, but just wanted to vote? I did…

This budget process, and the election process, was difficult (to say the least). I don’t think a similar perfect storm has existed before. It was hard to communicate the facts of the operating budget in the face of anger about property taxes, the economy in general, state mandates, budget caps, union refusals…I mean, the fact that the total budget is going DOWN next year, and yet our taxes are going UP…that’s a mind-bender that’s hard to explain. (And yet it can be explained, as I did last week – click here.) The vote wasn’t a “landslide” or a “mandate.” It was pretty close. That almost makes it harder.

The day after an election like this, the natural thing is to figure out whom to blame. There are plenty of nuances and perspectives and we can slice the blame up many ways. Some of the biggest “servings” would have to go to the REA (clearly their action – inaction? -- upset voters enough to say no), Governor Christie (telling people to vote no to send a message, mis-speaking when he said if teachers took a freeze then no programs would be cut -- not true), the Bond Referendum in December (two school tax increases in 4-1/2 months), the BOE (maybe we should have cut more after all? $6 million wasn’t enough? In spite of our vast improvement in communications, we must still do better).

Beyond that, I’m going to resist too much quick Monday-morning quarterbacking. This takes some thoughtful, careful consideration and analysis, and we will be undertaking that as a Board very soon. We will be asking for your thoughts and listening to your input.

For now, we’ve got to work with the Village to get the tax levy set, so we can get to work moving the district forward. I’ll post when I know more about the timing, steps, etc.

School budget is defeated 2601-2508

updated 4/21/10 @ 8:10 AM

The unofficial budget results show a defeat in a close vote. The absentee ballots still need to be counted, which will happen tonight, so updated numbers should be available in the newspapers in the morning.

Updated results 4/21: Yes = 2537; No = 2639

We'll have plenty of opportunity to deconstruct what happened. For now we need to act quickly to get the Village Council the information they need so they can set the new tax rate. Will keep you posted on the process, timeline, etc.

But first, a quick humorous (sort of) story:

Tonight at 5 minutes before 9:00 I left the Planning Board meeting at Village Hall in order to head to the Ed Center for the election results. As I was going down the stairs, a man ran past me, saying, "I need to hurry up and go vote the budget down!" I sort of gasped, and he said, "They're firing guidance counselors and buying flat screen TVs for the classrooms!" I told him, in the interest of full disclosure, that I'm on the School Board. He said, "I don't care. I admit, I don't know anything about the issues...I just know the union is killing us and the crazy taxes have got to stop!" I tried to say something, but he didn't want to listen and ran off.

So there you have what is may be a classic "no" voter: semi-informed, angry about high taxes and not interested in having a conversation because he's in a hurry to send a message. Sorry if I sound bitter -- can you indulge me for one evening? Tomorrow I'll get back to proactively engaging with the public (I hope I meet that guy again someday, so I can better explain the issues -- and the facts) and working to move our schools and school finances forward. Good night.