When Taxpayers Attack: Superintendent Edition

Well, the LBA doesn't want to take credit for sparking the current outrage over the abuse of School Superintendent salary and benefits being expressed by Governor Corzine, Legislators far and wide, and newspapers everywhere but we would like to point out that we addressed Long Branch's own version of his very topic this past Sunday when we pointed out that Long Branch Superintendent of Schools Joseph M. Ferraina not only has bellied up to the trough of publicly financed personal fortune he also has built a temple to his own arrogance on the spot.

Since we have watched the Asbury Park Press lead the charge trying to put the Keansburg Superintendent's golden parachute back into the box it came in, the LBA has hoped that the fourth estate would find their way clear to do a comprehensive investigative report into the worst kept secret in Long Branch, the salary, benefits and total compensation of Mr. Ferraina and his ethically dubious impact on both our tax bills and, more importantly, on the education of the youth of our community.

When last confronted publically about his unbelievably high compensation, Mr. Ferraina responded with the following bombastic and self-promoting diatribe:

"Had I been in private industry, I'd be a multimillionaire. I'd be making $150 million. . . I'm a visionary. . ."

That is right folks, you heard it here first folks, Mr. Visionary could make a $150 million a year in private industry. So, I guess Keansburg should be thankful they don't have to feed that ego every day. But for those of us in Long Branch who DO have to feed that ego everyday, the LBA once again asks, "What are we getting for that $150 million a year visionary?

Well, here are a few things we get:

• Schools that consistently fail to meet even the minimum state and federal educational standards for student achievement.
• ZERO schools that met the Annual Yearly Progress requirements for the Federal No Child Left Behind standards. (The Long Branch High School alone has not made this standard in more than three consecutive years.)
• Graduation rates are consistently below 90%.
• Drop out rates are consistently higher than state averages.
• A fleet of new schools that will all become obsolete at the same time.
• Teachers who are terrified to speak up on behalf of their students
• Reporters who are hired as Board of Education employees to stifle negative (but honest) reports about the schools.

Isn't it time for Long Branch to start asking the difficult questions of our Board of Education? Shouldn't we be addressing these concerns before Mr. Visionary retires and wants a similar deal? Shouldn't we know that his ego will not tolerate being anything less than the top dog in Monmouth County?

Anyone want to offer advice as to which Board of Education Members are rubber stamps and which are fighting for improvements? Leave us a comment and some proof!

Long Branch Schools, Addiction, Recovery and Narcissism

The Asbury Park Press ran an opinion piece urging a redefininition of the formula used to distribute school aid throughout New Jersey. We at the LBA couldn't agree more but probably for reasons you might not guess.

You see, we believe that the Board of Education are all addicted. Yes, the Board of Education is addicted to State school funding rules and programs that routinely give the Board of Education millions of dollars they do not know how to spend.

Don't get us wrong though, we firmly believe that Superintendent of Schools Joe Ferraina knows how to spend it but we don't believe he knows how to spend it wisely.

Case in point, Long Branch has been on a school building bent over the last several years. New High School, Middle School, Garfield School, Anastasia School, Elberon School (on the way) and who could forget Joe's own monument to his own narcissism, the Joseph M. Ferraina Early Childhood Learning Center.

One need only look at the things the Board of Education spends its millions on to know that they have more than they know what to with. Joe Ferraina's total compensation package of more than $300,000 per year was the subject of a New Jersey State Commission of Investigation report in 2006. Despite being chided for "Questionable and Hidden Compensation" the Board of Education continues to not only employ Ferraina but also continues to allow him unbridled ability to hire and promote every stripe and flavor of administrator, manager, middle manager, assistant, principal, assistant principal, division director, etc.

Machiavelli himself would have blushed at the manner in which JMF has crushed opposition, silenced detractors and caused his entire teaching staff to cower at his very approach. When Long Branch's own "The Link News" began running articles that portrayed Ferraina in a not-so-nice light, Ferraina simply created a Public Relations post for the reporter in question and next thing you know, the stories stopped entirely.

All of this money, spent on all kinds of things, and what kind of results do we get? Schools that consistently fail to meet even the minimum state and federal educational standards for student achievement. Not one Long Branch School met the Annual Yearly Progress requirements for the Federal No Child Left Behind standards. The Long Branch High School alone has not made this standard in more than three consecutive years. Graduation rates are consistently below 90%. Drop out rates are consistently higher than state averages.

So, lets give three hurrahs to the good folks at the Long Branch Board of Education and their five star self-described "visionary" superintendent for their fine work.

Time for some new blood on the Board of Ed?