What does the last point actually mean? "•Lastly, the amount for tuition reimbursement will be raised from $123,000 to $126,000".

Unbelievable, way to tighten the belt BOE. How many people went the last 4-5 years with no increase? How many lost their jobs? Ever consider holding the line and no increases? How about the health benefit contribution? All this and another 126k to further your education on the taxpers of SPF dime and summers off. Sweet gig if you can get it.

Tired, all state employees, including SPF teachers, contribute to their health benefits on a sliding scale based upon salary. And Derek, you can look at it as only working 180 days a year, but please remember that teachers are unemployed for 2 months of every year, yet cannot collect state unemployment aid.

Good question Derek, is the tuition reimbursement per teacher? Is tuition fully reimbursed 100% until the maximum of $126k is reached? Or does each teacher pay a percentage of their tuition too?

Derek and everyone else complaining about what teachers have: Don't be bitter because you chose a different profession. Teachers weren't complaining back in the "big" 80's when private sector salaries were going through the roof.

Tuition reimbursement is the entire amount allowed per year for all teachers in the district. Teachers apply for reimbursement. Once that dollar amount runs out, no other tuition can be reimbursed for the year. It comes out to less than $300 per teacher per year though, of course, only a small percentage of the 400+ teachers apply for reimbursement in a given year.

Two percent is probably the lowest settlement in the history of the district. You have to give something in order to settle a public contract. There is no incentive for a union to settle for zero increase.

I don't begrudge anyone anything but to continue to not only expect but negotiate an increase in this economy is a disgrace. Where the hell is it written because you're government employee your entitled to a raise every year no matter what shape the people that are paying you are in? The sense of entitlement is disgusting but not unexpected when Teachers Union members sit on the BOE and their spouses. OPEN your eye citizens of SPF ! We're all being played for fools.

any member of the BOE who has a spouse working as a teacher recuses him or her self from the committee that negotiates with the spfea so there is no conflict. i for one am glad this is done and not dragging on past the end of the current contract. if you had a problem with it, you should have attended a meeting and spoken up. this is a good and fair arrangement which will not distract for the next two years, when negotiations start up again. Now, the BOE can focus on giving the students an education. i also think our society has it ass backward ... a man who can run and jump and catch and throw gets millions; a man or woman who can contribute to the enrichment of our citizen children to create thinking inventive contributing members of society should be the people who we lavish our riches on!

Does one who is an actual member of the Union recuse him or herself? I didn't see you comment on that "homeoewner/parent/taxpayer" maybe you should have added "educator or spouse of such" to your name. While all this recusing is going on why not have actual people that can negotiate and not have to leave it up to 2/3's of the board to negotiate? How about some rules and guidelines implemented that deny candidates from being on the BOE if you or anyone in your family are receiving income from taxpayer funded Education?
Focus on a good education? If we don't have that down already we're in real trouble. Silly me I thought the focus has been on air conditioning units and construction projects.

I am not an educator, nor am i related to one! Have you been inside a school lately? It is oppressively hot in sept and June
Would you spend 6+ hours a day in that setting? Facilities need to b maintained, most projects get pushed until they r emergent and wind up costing more $. Serving on the BOE is a commitment over and above a person's everyday responsibilities of work and home. I am grateful we have residents willing to serve. These people are intelligent, caring and committed and I applaud them!

Nothing obvious here. And when you assume........
Where are you getting "my sense of entitlement"???
Your first comment came thru .... It is gone now, very smart!
If you don't like the fact that BOE members can have spouses who r educators, take it up with your congressman

And no, the pres may not b the person on the board with the best negotiating skills

At Tired- if you know so many people ready willing and able to serve - where are they?? Once again, there were NO NEW CANDIDATES running this year! It's terrible, and I wish it was the 1st time, but not even close! Do you not think that some of these people would like to retire from this non-paying ridiculously time consuming job? But they won't, b/c there is no one to fill there shoes. Your arguments on all counts are groundless. I happen to know SP h/t/p, and s/he is so far from the things you describe I laughed out loud. And as for guidelines for BOE members - all serve on several committees, none serve on all, so having some w/education connections not only does not recuse them from all actions (only negotiations), but it is an asset when it comes to contributing to real issues that exist in the schools. Will you be running next year to fix all these "problems"?

SP mom, Lots of Halloween sales going on this weekend I think you need to go buy a cape since you are the 'DEFENDER of the BOE', regardless of the situation. The community does appreciate all of its volunteers, but some of these points do seem like conflicts of interest. Anyone else reading see the attached link

http://scotchplains.patch.com/articles/board-of-education-candidates-answer-questions-provided-pta-and-public-at-forum

Yes. So. Transparency and honesty. What is your point?

Well SP mom, teacher, boe member.....please let's have those BOE members that want to leave stand up so we can see how many seats we need to fill.

Publicized? Where would you like it-- As a commercial During a football game? In this regard you need to b pro active. Being part of the community means attending meetings where this information is disseminated. As the BOE manages to stay within the state mandated cap of property increase allowance, the budget is no longer put to a vote, eliminating a costly, unnecessary election with low voter turn out in April. The board member slate will b part of the general election in November without political party affiliation.

Yes, I am a longtime teacher, though not in Scotch Plains-Fanwood, and not a BOE member - though I serve on other boards. AND?? I have a very solid understanding of the workings of the school system, as well as the fair funding formula (see article referred to above by my fan, Jenni. Your issues? I still don't see you or anyone else lining up to get their name on the ballot.

thanks for taking me off the "approval need list" for posting comments MOM and H/T/P BOE member, glad to see you acted quickly

Maybe our children/students would not have to sacrifice so much if our BOE supported the Fair School Funding plan.
If not, pretty soon a lot of us are gonna need to move to the Abbott districts since its becoming difficult to continue to live here. If the state keeps throwing money at a program and no improvements have been seen -why do we allow the state to keep repeating the same mistake with our money?

Maybe if you pay attention you will find that the 2 you are complaining about voted no on the last teacher contract, ensuring its defeat.
http://scotchplains.patch.com/articles/board-of-education-votes-down-teachers-contract-memorandum
As far as the filing being a big secret, here's another couple articles on filing and the budget.
Tired- the second link below has you as the last comment complaining about the presentations being a sham. I went to the presentation at my child's school and the boe presenters also discussed the filing date then. This was on top of the times they mentioned it at the meetings in April and May. If you watch TV34 you must be watching thee council meetings, not the boe meetings.
http://scotchplains.patch.com/articles/want-to-run-for-board-of-education-file-now-c77928b3
http://scotchplains.patch.com/articles/boe-passes-school-budget-higher-taxes-for-spf-residents

Thank you for paying attention but you know one vote does not a career make. You validated what I stated earlier concerning the unknown deadline. The Patch article is dated June 1 which happened to be a Friday so considering the County office is closed on Sat and Sun, that gave a candidate 3 days to get on the ballot.
If it was announced at BOE meetings I never heard it. Even if it was, I should attend every meeting to hear when to run? You think that's blanketing the community with the pertinent information?

Just a couple of things here:

1) I am in the camp that says that this is a realistic settlement. 2) There actually WAS a brief discussion at this meeting concerning the parameters under which BOE members sit on negotiating committees and vote (it should also be recalled that ANOTHER reason why the defeated MOU did not pass was that Mr. McFall abstained - the actual vote was 4-4-1...the three BOE negotiating members were obliged to vote in favor). 3) The actual discussion regarding the change in voting took place in February - see the link in the letter - :

http://scotchplains.patch.com/articles/letter-to-the-editor-fanwood-resident-urges-boe-to-keep-school-board-elections-in-april

The details had to be sorted out because, with the move, filing petitions had to be routed through the County Clerk, but I can vouch for the fact that most of the information was out there by April; I cannot vouch for when the www.spfk12.org website was updated but had been promised that it would be in sufficient time to have allowed people to file in a timely manner - definitely up there now:

http://www.spfk12.org/2324108171334523/blank/browse.asp?A=383&BMDRN=2000&BCOB=0&C=56382

Finally - and I say this a lot - if you have a grievance, come to the meetings or run - it keeps everyone honest and it is what makes our system of governance work.

Anyone seeking more info on the fair funding issue

http://fairschoolfunding.com/