Meeting, public hearing, Thursday, 07/16/2026. We thank all of you for being here. We appreciate that you've all taken of your very, I'm sure, busy, hectic, beautiful summer to sit with us this evening, and we do respect that you are here, each and every one of you, because you find our issue today to be of the utmost importance. So thank you very much for being here. Let's please stand and pledge allegiance to the flag.
I pledge allegiance to the flag of The United States Of America and to the Republic for Who will be doing roll call this evening? Please. Thank you. Good evening. This meeting is being held in conformity I'm sorry. Mister McBride is the assistant b acting VA. Thank you. Thank you. Good evening. This meeting is being held in conformity with the Open Public Meetings Act, NJSA 10 colon four dash six at Sec. Proper public notice of this meeting was caused to be sent to El Diario, La Prensa, and the Star Ledger newspapers and posted on the district's official website.
I will now take the roll call. Trustee Doctor. Blanc? Present. Trustee Iofe? Present. Trustee Mohammed? Present. Trustee Patel? Present. Trustee Reza Bala? Present. Trustee Richardson? Present. Vice President Morris? Present. President Velasquez? Here. We have quorum. Thank you very much. Our council is going to, communicate how we're going to open this meeting today, because we have a couple of items, a couple of voting items, and we're going to start, okay, with the candidates. Good evening. So the board president has asked me to,
read the names of the individuals who submitted resumes to fill the board vacancy, individuals are here, we're gonna ask that you, identify yourself, and you'll have an opportunity to speak to the board for three minutes. Once I conclude, listing the names, and then the board will, convene into executive session, and there'll be a discussion regarding executive session items, and then come back out and address the remaining items on the agenda, which have to do with the superintendent's contract as well as,
potentially filling and addressing the vacancy that's on the board. Okay. So would you just, read if anybody is here that have submitted we have seven resumes. They were submitted, by yesterday. If you're here and you submit it, you'll have an opportunity, as the council said, to speak on three minutes. So please call the name. And if they're not here, that's okay as well. We're going to, move with the business at hand nonetheless. Through the chair. After allow it, please, the speakers, and then we will communicate with the board.
Through the chair. The speakers, I just asked have the resumes in front of us. I We are going to address the resumes in closed session. Right now. I didn't see any resume. I'm putting it on the record before the names come out. Put anything you want on record. We're not gonna start this meeting with your drama. Let's go ahead. Please. Who's the first First person. Transparent process if I didn't see the resumes ahead of time. I've suggested the No. That's more on. No. None of us have seen Mic. Mic. Microphone check. One or two.
For everyone that's been here, in order to speak at the meeting while you're sitting as a board member, you have to be recognized by the board president. So I'd ask that you adhere to our bylaws and our rules for running the meeting. So just wait to be recognized. And if you're not recognizing, then you're not able to speak as a sitting board member. And I'll just remind members of the public, that our that haven't been here is that we do ask that you try to be as quiet as possible while we're convening the meeting and that you also, please refrain from speaking out or being disruptive because it's hard for us to hear,
each other and maintain order of the meeting. So the first name is Vanessa Rodriguez. If you are here, please raise your hand. There's Vanessa. Please step up. You wanna start? Let her yes. Please, Vanessa. You guys got the timer going? It should be on. No? Good evening, members of the board. My name is Vanessa Rodriguez, and I am here to request to be considered for appointments for the vacant trustee position. I believe I offer a unique combination of professional experience, a lifelong commitment to your new city, and a firsthand experience as a parent navigating our public school system. Professionally,
I put my career in public service, overseeing budgets, personnel, operations, and regulatory compliance. Every day, I make decisions that require transparency, accountability, collaboration, and responsible use of public resources. Those are the same principles I would bring to this board. Board. My children are the fourth generation of our family to attend Joaquin City Public Schools. This district helped shape me, and now it is shaping my children. That legacy gives me a deep appreciation for where we've been and a strong commitment to where we're going. I also bring a perspective that is deeply personal. As a parent, as a child with special needs,
I have experienced our school system through a different lens. I understand the importance of individualized support, inclusive classrooms, collaboration between educators and families, and ensuring every child, regardless of their abilities, has the opportunity to succeed. Those experiences have taught me patience, perseverance, and the value of listening before making understand the importance of balancing educational excellence and fiscal responsibility because both are essential to providing students with the opportunities they deserve. If selected, I will ask the hard questions, make data driven decisions, and always keep students at the center of every vote.
My goal is simply not to serve on the board, but to help strengthen trust, improve outcomes, and ensure our district remains strong for future generations. I am not seeking this position for politics or recognition. I am seeking it because I believe in giving back to the community that helps shoots me. Serving on this board would be both an honor and a responsibility that would be taken very serious. Thank you for your time. This microphone Hello, everyone. I'm sorry, sir. Can you speak again, sir? Yeah. It's on? Yeah. Thank you. Thank you, everybody. To say something brief, my name is Brendan Doohan. I grew up in Jersey City, live up in The Heights.
My son is a student at PS twenty eight. We're doctor Fernandez got to start. I'm running I put my hat my name in the ring to fill match Schneider's shoes. One, because the children's education is very important to me. I think now more than ever, we need good independent leadership to help make some tough decisions so that our kids can have great outcomes. I'm not doing this for political gain or for, any kind of other advantage. More just doing it because really from the bottom of my heart, I really feel for these children, and they they deserve a fair, and great education that I know this,
administration can give them. So I know you might have some ideas about who I am, but just I'm from Jersey City. I'm trying to do the best I can. And if I was granted the position, I would fill the big shoes of Matt Schneider and be as objective and as hardworking as I could be. Thank you. Next up, Patrick Sprinkle. Again, Patrick Sprinkle. No. Seeing none, moving on. Next up, Melanie m Cruz Burgos. Melanie, nope. Okay. Well, no. This is I did this one. Scott Mittman. Scott Mittman. Christina Maman Maman Maman Patsy.
Evans. Okay. If you can hear me. Please pronounce it for us, and we apologize for messing it up. Can you hear me? Okay. Please don't apologize. My students called me Miss M for a reason. And my husband said, You could have had it so easy, but you chose not to. I have I'm clearly a newcomer compared to others who are asking to fill this slot. I've been in Jersey City for fifteen years, and I want to raise my kids here long term. I, like others before me, have slightly different experience. I am an educator.
I taught for six years at Livingston High School. I'm an English teacher. I adjuncted for a year at Essex County College in between having my two kids. I have a two year almost two year old at home, and I have a five year old. We just moved from, PS three, where she attended pre k four. And we moved, we all know what it's like in the rental market, to Cordero's district. She'll be going to kindergarten in the fall. I might not be the most experienced one here, but as an English teacher, my goal has always been to teach my students how to think critically,
how to read critically, how to listen critically, how to write critically. And that's missing so much that's missing from so much of our discourse today, not only in the classroom, but in spaces like this, to say nothing of needing to bridge the divide. It's quite apparent that there's a divide. And if I've learned anything from being a teacher, from being a parent of little children, it's about patience. It's about picking your battles. And it's about compromise and finding common ground.
Because at the end of the day, we are all here for the same reason. We are here for the children of Jersey City, who all deserve a quality education, every single one of them. So I ask 110% to my own detriment, and I would love to be able to serve my community in this way. Thank you for your consideration. Thank you very much. Next. Sondra Robinson Green. She's here? Good evening, everyone. My name is Saundra Robinson Green. I am a lifelong resident of, Jersey City, born and raised in Booker T, Washington Apartments. I am currently the founder and CEO of the Connected Mind Mentoring Support Organization and
also I'm the advocate for educational advocate for the Juvenile Justice Commission and parent advocate for truancy court. So to the president and trustees, I am asking that you make a I'm sorry. I'm asking that you please, if you would, postpone the decision for the superintendent's contract. Should why would I'm sorry. Why we should, your recommendation for being on the board, not Okay.
A recommendation of the board is basically to bring forth transparency. When you earn the public's trust, you definitely will have the opportunity to, speak with them and allow informed decisions, transparency, and also allowing them to ask the right questions. The board of trustee is to earn trust and belief in the fact that knowing that we're doing the right thing when it comes to parents, when it comes to teachers, when it comes to the budget, when it comes to funding across the board,
not allowing any uninformed decisions to be made and not allowing mismanagement and misappropriation of funding. And as we can see, the students and the youth that I see in the community, there's a large population that is being left out. I actually grasp the kids that are graduating from high school and or in detention, and they come out and they're a lot of not allowed back in school. So just trying to transition them back into the public school system has been trying.
I've even requested transcripts from detention centers to find out if what type of, scaling they use in order to grade the child so that when they do come out, that would give me an idea of where they are ninth grade, tenth grade, eleventh grade, or twelfth grade. We cannot gauge that because what I did find out is that the transcripts are nonexistent. So part of that is trying to, implement some type of system that where all children are inclusive and no child is
left behind. I am the youngest and only living child of Betty Ernestine Robinson. And, of course Thank you. Okay. Thank you very much, miss Robinson. I think this concludes our list, and we will take a few minutes to go in closed session, go over the resumes, and come out, and, choose a candidate. And we want to be very clear that, the invitation was sent to everyone. But, again, this is summer. People are on vacation. People are out with their children. People have other things they have not planned,
they have not planned for this. Therefore, everyone, be here or not, will have the same opportunity and the same chance to be chosen. Thank you all. And can we have motion to go into closed session, please? Second. All in well, you have to call the vote. I mean, not the vote. I'm sorry. Pursuant to the open public meetings act NJSA 10 colon four dash 12, Jersey Board of Education will now be going into closed session for the purpose of this Please call the roll,
mister McBride. Trustee Doctor. Blount? Present. Trustee Ioffe? Present. Trustee Mohammed? Present. Trustee Patel? Trustee Reza Bala? Present. Trustee Richardson? Present. Vice president Morris? Here. We have quorum. Thank you. Okay. Once again, thank you, for waiting. We did discuss in length our two issues of the evening, one being the superintendent's contract, and the other being the new appointed, member to our board. We're going to before public speaking,
we're going to move 5.01 up to number two so that we can vote on the appointed member, and then we'll have public speaking prior to voting on the superintendent's contract. Mhmm. We don't have all our board members. Mister vice president, we're waiting for you. It's okay. There's still daylight. We have we need a vote to change that. To change that's right. Okay. So, do you have to go over the issue with regards to the new board member
and then okay. The new board member? No. The superintendent will be after the speakers. This is the new board member, and then we will vote on a new board member, and we'll move on. Okay. So on the agenda at five point zero is the appointment of a board trustee that's been moved up. There are requirements in our bylaws that require that there be a motion and a second to advance a candidate. If that candidate does receive a second, there can be brief discussion. But once the members vote, if that member receives five affirmative vote that new person receives five affirmative votes,
they are then fill appointed to fill the vacancy, and that concludes the the process of filling the vacancy. Vacancy. So I will I will take nomination for a candidate yes, miss Ioffe. Through the chair? Yes. I would like to nominate Melanie Cruz Burgos for the vacancy. Second. Now we call the vote. Discussion. Discussion. Any discussion? Further yes. Go ahead. Yes. Yeah. Miss Rosabella. I ran in 2024 against Melanie, and it was a pleasure to do so. She is phenomenal. She is extremely smart. She comes with a very great legal background,
and she can hold her own. But I am not going to lean in that direction because while Melanie is a phenomenal and brilliant person, I just was a little bit more gravitated to Brendan Doohan, who is a parent at PS twenty eight. He is part. He's the president of the Riverview Neighborhood Association. He is very active in our city. He's been here for fifteen plus years. He recently raised, a large sum of money for a student in our district that lost their life. And so I, that's where I was,
but I wanted to say this because I don't wanna take away from the person that Melanie is, which is a phenomenal person. Thank you. Anyone else? Any other discussion? Yes. Mister Richardson. Yes. Thank you. To the chair, I I also agree that, I will be voting against the candidate. I feel that, although I'm a little biased because Brendan ran with me, and we didn't know each other, but we got to know each other as we campaigned. And, the two things that stuck out for me, you know, in considering him was, one, he's a parent in the Jersey City public schools,
so he's invested, completely invested. And number two, he also ran in the most recent election. Thank you. Anyone else? Through the chair. Yes. Yeah. And I just wanna piggyback on what my colleague said, and I thank you very much for your comments and for your counters as well. It is important, and I hope everyone understands that we did discuss genuinely every single candidate that was presented. So full disclosure, I ran with Melanie Cruz Burgos in the twenty twenty four election for the school board for the office of the school board. She was the next runner-up, in that particular school board election. She received 18,000
votes. And that's not the only reason why I am qualifying her in this case or nominating her in this case. And we will have an opportunity to also add, reasons as we provide our votes. But I I think it's important to acknowledge our relationships and the the way that we value our running mates and the people who establish themselves during these races and the way they dedicate themselves for this particular role. Thank you. Thank you. Anyone else? Okay. Mister McBride, please call the vote. Trustee Resembala. No. Trustee Iofe.
I vote yes because I believe that, Melanie Cruz Burgos is extremely qualified. She's a corporate attorney. We've all had a chance to review her resume. She handles things like corporate mergers. She has very strong operational knowledge. To not just my knowledge, but to public knowledge. She is a public school student from Port Thiemboy. She is a kind of a story that we like to tell about our students here in Jersey City, and I know that, she will put her heart and soul into serving this district as best as she can for the time that we give her. Thank you. Next.
Trustee Richardson? No. Trustee Mohammed? Yes. I believe you're being unbiased perspective to the board. Trustee Patel? Yes. And I think we need a person on outsider looking into our district, so, I vote for Melanie. Trustee Doctor. Blunt? I vote yes. She has a very serious legal background. She attended Duke University as well as Rutgers University. And I think on this board, we need as much legal help as we can get, And so I will vote yes. Vice President Morris? I vote, yes because,
obviously, I just think she's a better, candidate than, what we've seen. And not only that, but the public thinks so as well because she came in number fourth in the last election, that she ran in. So, based on the totality of the vote from the community and based on the resume that we reviewed, I think that she would be, the best suitable, person for this position. So I vote aye. President Velasquez? Thank you. First of all, let me thank everyone that took the time to submit, an application, a resume, and your desire to actually continue to serve your community.
Thank you again for that. Every resume was outstanding in its own value. However, I lean towards Melanie as well. My vote is yes for Melanie. Because of her professional background, I think that she would be an asset to this board. I also think that, her life experience is something that many of our children are also experiencing. And coming from the background that she comes from and the district that she was raised in.
And to have such a prestigious, position today in life is really a testament of what public schools do for children, and our children need to see that kind of success. So, it's an eye for Melanie. Motion passed. Yes. Congratulations. Congratulations, Melanie, wherever you're at. We thank you all. We oh my goodness. Oh, you know what it is? When y'all clap, my phone does it finds itself. I'm sorry. That's how I find it at home, my clap ring.
I'm sorry. Anyway, anyway, we will not obviously be, swearing in Melanie this evening, but, make sure that you're at the next meeting in August. That'll be the first thing we do then. Thank you all. And, again, I also wanna thank the board members because the discussion that we had was very professional. We looked at every single, resume, without bias, with a lot of respect, and I think we were pretty much fall on the same page as far as how we want this board to what is the kind of person that we need on
this board and how we want this board to proceed. So thank you again to all of the board members. Yes. Okay. Mhmm. We're gonna have now public hearing. And after the public hearing, we will hear, presentation by the superintendent. Does she have her presentation first? No. You would rather? Yeah. There's Oh, you don't have a presentation? I thought. Okay. I'm sorry. Why do I suck? Okay. After then we will vote on on the superintendent's contract. So please read the preamble.
So this is, the required public hearing relative to, the law regarding the contract for the superintendent as well as general public comment, for any item as a subordinate. I'm gonna read the public comment statement. Speakers will be called to the microphone in the order that their request is received. All statements or comments shall be directed to the chair. It is the expectation of the board that comments will remain positive and focused around the best interest of students and the district as a whole. The board will not condone comments that can be perceived as harassing, insulting, threatening,
or lacking in respect or civility. The chair reserves the right to, a, interrupt, warn, and or terminate a participant's statement or comment when it is too lengthy, b, interrupt or and or warn a participant when their statement is or comment is abusive, obscene, or may be defamatory, c, request any person to leave the meeting when that person does not observe reasonable decorum or presents himself as a danger to others in the building. D, request the assistance of law enforcement officers in the removal of a disorderly person when that person prevents or disrupts a meeting with an act that obstructs or interferes with a meeting,
including threats by words, actions, or objects. E, call a recess or an adjournment to another time when the lack of public decorum interferes with an orderly conduct of the meeting. And f, waive these rules when necessary for the protection of privacy or to maintain an orderly operation of the board meeting. Thank you. First speaker is Darren Morton. Angelique Prakash. Good evening. Okay. Before I address the contract vote, which is why we're all here, I'd like to address the meeting itself. Tonight, parents are being turned away because the room is too small to accommodate everyone who wants to attend. Members of public who took the time to physically show up are being denied the
opportunity to participate in public meeting about one of the most important decisions the board will make, and a lot of them signed up to speak. So I don't know how we're gonna deal with that. I have to ask, is this what transparency looks like? If routine board meetings can be held in bigger space, surely a meeting involving a five year superintendent contract and extraordinary public interest merits the same level of public access and not closing the meeting at 05:29 that was supposed to begin at 05:30. Georgia City has schools,
auditoriums, facilities that could much larger space. Yet many members of the public are left outside looking in, and the shades are still down. So I don't know if you recall in twenty eighteen, twenty nineteen, before COVID, we used to hold meetings in MS 4, Dickinson, Snyder, PS 22, a Harry Moore building. Trustee Lorenzo, you were on the board at that time. Surely, you can validate that piece of history. We would move equipment. We would livestream. We would take virtual comment. Transparency is not just about complying with the law.
It's about ensuring meaningful access to the public. And with that, I'll talk about tonight's vote. Over the last several months, parents have repeatedly come before this board to raise concerns about all kinds of things, special education, financial oversight, communication, leadership. We've watched audit findings, emerge. We've learned more than 2,000,000 in state aid intended for non public school students was returned. We have seen findings serious enough to be referred to law enforcement. At the same time, at the time of speaking, 1,890 parents and community members have signed a petition asking this board to not renew extend,
the contract until there is greater clarity and accountability. Tonight is not about whether doctor Fernandez remains superintendent tomorrow morning. It is about whether this board should grant a five year vote of confidence today. The responsible course is not to rush ahead. The responsible course is to pause, allow the facts to come fully into view, and earn back public trust. Thank you. Diljane, CAT IFC. Diligent CAT IFC. Debbie? Why my time start? I haven't started yet. Would you reset? Senior minutes,
sir, please. Hold on. Reset the time. Whether doctor Fernandez deserves a call. It is whether this board will exercise independent judgment before replacing a contract with one year remaining with a maximum five year agreement through 2031, starting at 3,041 thousand and rising by 10,000 each year. Before you vote, answer one question. What exactly are you rewarding? Serious issues remain unresolved. Special education and non public services,
student outcomes, overcrowding, facilities, safety, spending, transparency, and months of parent requested without clear owners, dates, or answers. This is not one small group. More than 1,800 people signed the petition by now, spanning all six wards and 38 Jersey City public school and early childhood communities. This is citywide public concern. I support Jersey City teachers. They deserve respect, safe working conditions, competitive pay, and a fair contract. But a fair contract cannot depend on granting one superintendent five more years.
If it does, something is deeply wrong with this district's governance. Is it argument really that Jersey City cannot negotiate fairly with its educators unless doctor Fernandez remains superintendent? Is the district's labor relationship depend on one individual rather than lawful, competent institutes? This question is to everyone here. Six current trustees were elected with JCEA slate support. Tonight, the public will see whether they exercise independent judgment or carry out Jersey Jersey City EA wishes.
This preserves the entire district, not one bargaining agreement. So answer plainly, are you trustees for JCEA or trustees for Jersey City's children, families, staff, and taxpayers? If the votes were counted before the public entered this room, this is not a hearing. It is a theater. Prove it is not. Listen. Question the proposal. Demand the performance evidence. Vote independently. You're also filling a vacant seat without a citywide election. That calls for restraint, not a five year commitment the public cannot reverse.
The dignity of this office, the independence of this board, and the public's ability to trust you are tied to what you do tonight. If you want yes, own it. You need the questions or unresolved. You heard more than 1,700 petition signers, and you choose five more years anyway. Teachers deserve fairness. Children deserve competence. Families deserve answers. Tax teachers deserve accountability. Neha Sabris. Excuse me. Sorry. Excuse me. Excuse me. Time is up, and we gave you extra time. Next speaker is Nia Sabris.
Good evening. My name is Neha Sabness, and I'm a Jersey City parent and resident. Like so many parents and members of this community, I am confused and honestly baffled by what seems to be a self imposed urgency to discuss the renewal or extension of Superintendent Norma Fernandez' contract at this time. At a time, as you all were aware, when there are serious concerns about special education services, non public school services, overcrowding, technology, spending decisions and most concerning of all, an ongoing investigation. At the last board meeting, most of you expressed shock at both the contents of the report and the timing
of its release. These concerns deserve meaningful answers before the board considers committing to another five year extension or a three year extension. Even if your bylaws allow you to hold this meeting and make a decision, just because you can doesn't mean you should. This is your prerogative, not an imperative. So the question is why and why now? Why not wait until the investigation is complete, until the public has answers, until we know what corrective actions are being taken? Why does this decision need to be made today? Please exercise your responsibility. Please put students' interests first.
Please help rebuild rebuild trust with this community by doing the right thing. More than 1,700 community members have already signed a petition asking you to pause any action on the contract. Please respect these voices. A contract superintendent's contract is more than just an employment agreement. It is a vote of confidence in the leadership of our school district. And right now, the confidence has been deeply shaken. So please, I urge you to pause any action on this contract until the investigation is complete. The findings are fully understood,
and the public has confidence that meaningful accountability has occurred. Thank you. Next speaker is Jessica Taub. Okay. Good evening. My name is Jessica Taub, and I'm the parent of two children in Jersey City Public Schools. I wanna begin by addressing a narrative that has become increasingly divisive. I am not a downtown parent. I live in Ward B. I organize with parents from every ward in our city. Some parents attend these meetings more than others for various reasons. But those of us who come here are for all children, not just our own, and we carry the stories of others with us. I have spent years working or volunteering in schools across Wards A,
B, and F, and I have seen inequities throughout our district. I've also seen the very real challenges facing downtown schools, including severe overcrowding and facility issues. I provided training for staff from every single school in this district. All the issues are connected, and they require connected strategies to address. I watched parents from every part of Jersey City come before this board or post on social media to advocate for their children. And many educators and other staff share similar concerns with me privately because they fear retaliation. That should concern every one of us. Attempts to pit parents against teachers and other school staff is also distracting and unhelpful
to our students. I am proudly pro union, and I fully support fair contracts for our education workforce across all areas of service. I love our school staff, and many people in this room and people not in this room have supported me through incredibly challenging times with my child. They've held me when I cried when my child was in crisis. This should not be parents against educators. However, supporting our workforce does not require us to ignore inequity, corruption, retaliation, deteriorating facilities, failures in special education, or lack of positive school climate in some of our schools.
We can and we must do both. As this board considers extending the superintendent's contract, I ask that you just slow down and allow the public to see the full picture. Doctor Fernandez, with whom I have a positive relationship, has served the soup as superintendent since 2022 and was deputy superintendent for years before that. The recently released special education procedures report examined 2022 through 2024 during the current administration's leadership. In a punitive environment, accountability sometimes feels like punishment or a personal attack, but it is not. Asking the board to delay extending this contract is not a personal attack on superintendent
Fernandez. It is simply a call for accountability. The public deserves answers. Have all individuals involved in fraud or misconduct been identified and removed? What happened with the Casper audit when another director was walked out? Will that report be presented publicly? Has there been an audit of title one? Because we've seen some disturbing things about the way the money is being used. And where is the most recent evaluation of the superintendent? And what evidence demonstrates that extending the contract now is in the district's best interest? Finally, if the board does choose to move forward with an extension, which they may do if they vote on it, I am not in favor of a salary increase.
I am always in favor of paying people fairly, but we have teachers on the ground who are not making enough. We have vacant positions that are not gonna be filled this year, and we have directors who are already making 6 figures who were given increases at the last meeting with absolutely no opportunity for public comment. Those things were put on the agenda at the last minute. Thank you. Next speaker is Gina Vertibello. Good evening, President, members of the Board and members of the community. My name is Gina Verdabella, and I'm a former member of this Board of Education. I'm a former parent.
My daughter just my second daughter just graduated from McNair. Oh, thank you. And, but I'm also a taxpayer. And, I'm here tonight, and I want to also say that this is not a personal attack on anybody. I have really good relationships with a lot of everybody in this room, but it's more of a concern of of what I've been seeing. And I know I haven't been here in a while, but I have been following what's been going on going on. And then to be honest, it's not good. And this is an example of what I always fought for was facilities. And the fact that your elevator is broken,
there's no air conditioning in here is already telling me lots of things. Anyway, my first I'm here to express my opposition to renewing this contract Only because my question is why now? The current contract doesn't expire until next year. If there is no urgency, why is the board rushing to approve a new five year contract tonight? The public deserves a clear explanation for why this decision cannot wait. The proposal also sends the wrong message to taxpayers. The board recently voted to raise taxes, explaining that the district needed additional resources to serve our students.
Yet now we are discussing student The real question is not whether the superintendent is entitled to the contract. The question is whether the district's performance justifies it. Enrollment continues to decline. Student achievement remains below where it should be. Graduation rates below the state average. These are not statistics that represent the opportunities available to our students. Before extending contract years in advance, the board should be able to point significant measurable progress. When I served on this board, we made difficult decisions, including raising taxes. We did so because our community supported it in our schools and because the district
fully needed those resources. But with that investment came expectation of accountability and responsible stewardship. Today, taxpayers deserve the same accountability. In the nonprofit sector where I work, we do more with less every day. Leaders understand that compensation increases are earned through demonstrated results. Imagine the message it would send to the superintendent voluntarily declined the salary increase until the district demonstrated stronger academic outcomes and financial stability. That would reflect the shared sacrifice and leadership. Instead of proving a five year contract now creates the appearance that decisions are predetermined
rather than carefully evaluated. The board's responsibility is not to simply approve recommendations, it's responsibility to exercise independent oversight on behalf of students, families, and taxpayers. This community deserves transparency, accountability, and leadership that earns public trust, and I urge this board to postpone the vote. Thank you. Thank you. Next speaker is Renee Perna, Joelle Carwas, Diane McKay, Good evening, members of the board. My name is Joel Carwas. I stand before you tonight not just as an executive board member of our union but as a proud product of the Jersey City public school system.
I grew up in The Heights and graduated, from PS twenty eight and McNair academic. I have had the privilege of serving this community as a teacher for the past twenty two years. I know this district inside and out. This is why I am here tonight to strongly urge you to renew doctor Fernandez's contract. Doctor Fernandez oh wait, her phone mics are chirping. Doctor Fernandez is one of us and by us, I mean those that have deep roots here in Jersey City. She has dedicated her entire career to the children of Jersey City.
She didn't just parachute into her current position. She walked the path from the classroom to now leading our entire school system. She understands the unique heartbeat of our city, the challenges our families face, and the immense potential of our students because she has lived it alongside us. We are here today because of the outside noise calling for a national search. Let me be clear. We do not need a national search when the exact leader we need is already doing the work.
And we should all do ourselves a favor and recall what a national national search brought because we have been down this road before. So what happens when outside interest driven by desire to tap into our district's public funding rather than a commitment to our kids try to plant their own person at the top? We remember a specific previous superintendent who didn't even bother to visit our 40 plus schools to meet the stakeholders. That fundamental disrespect and disconnect as long as as well as with other reasons,
forced us onto the picket lines. We had to strike to protect our students from an administration that didn't know us and quite frankly didn't care to. We cannot afford to go backward. Right now, what our district needs most is stability. Under our current superintendent, the morale of our staff and our students is strong. There is a trust in our buildings because our educators know they are being led by someone who has stood in their shoes. Outsiders, they see a budget to be managed or exploited. We,
the collective here, we see our hometown, our children's futures. I urge you to reject the outside. Thank you. Next speaker is Diane McKay. Good evening, board members, Doctor. Fernandez. Imagine dedicating forty four years of your life and a career in the same city, moving up the ranks, teacher, supervisor, VP, principal, assistant superintendent, superintendent. It's rare to see which makes it so impressive. A Latina woman, the head of the second largest school district in the state. Now I know I've heard of the petition, 1,600,
1,800 signatures. Cute, but not impressive. In a district with 29,000 students that doesn't even reach 10%. But I'm for it. I'm all for petitions. You're taxpayers. You have a right to question where your money goes. I encourage it. As you sit here outraged, are you outraged with the $200,000,000 that went to charter schools? Where is their accountability? One of the questions put forward is doctor Fernandez's salary, $1,500,000 over five years, which will end forty nine years of service.
That's for considering sitting at City Hall just hired five new positions added to $1,500,000. First year jobs. Solomon appointed a deputy mayor at $200,000. And we're talking track record. She just bolted from a West Orange School District where there were 77 ESPs laid off and a complete cancellation of all middle school sports. How many layoffs this year under doctor Fernandez? Zero. And she didn't and she didn't beg Trenton for a bailout.
Look, I could go through how her pros outweigh her cons, but I'll let you Google it. Better yet, speak to some of the educators and the power of professionals here. Is she perfect? No. And I'd be the first to criticize the superintendent. I just know I picked someone familiar with the city, the staff, most important, the students, over a nationwide search. We've been down that road before. Now I hear you say the JCEA gives retaliations to teachers who speak out. I want you to know that is not true. You have an option to be a member of a union.
You don't have to be. The crumbling schools, that's not nearly what it was because more facility repairs in the past three and four years than ever before of the doctor Fernandez. Renew. Next speaker is Kevin Reed. Next speaker is Terry Fox. Good evening. I wanna ask one simple question. Why the rush? Why are we rushing to renew the superintendent's contract and improve a significant salary increase at this time? This decision deserves careful review, transparency, and meet Full public input,
not an accelerated timeline. With three board seats up for election in November, I believe it would be more appropriate to allow the next board or at the very least a broader cross section of the community when families return for to the fall to participate in a decision of this magnitude. Delaying this vote would give more parents, teachers, and staff the opportunity to be heard and would allow the public to review a comprehensive performance evaluation before any long term commitment is made. Many families have experienced ongoing issues within the district that they feel have gone unresolved.
We continue to hear concerns about accountability, communication, and the overall direction district continues to face serious questions following the recent special education education audit, which reportedly identified significant issues requiring further review with law enforcement. At a time when public confidence needs to be rebuilt, rushing a contract renewal sends a wrong message. This is not about one contract. It is about trust, transparency, and putting students, educators, and taxpayers first. I respectfully urge the board to postpone this decision at least until fall,
when more families can participate, when we could get a bigger room, y'all. It is hot in here. The superintendent's performance can be fully evaluated in public at that time, and that this community can have confidence that the decision being made in the best interest of Jersey City's children. Thank you. Hold. Have one minute left. Right? Can I say one thing? I have my own No. You didn't have a minute left. I just wanna let you know and let everybody know that we did evaluate the superintendent as it's our duty to do on a yearly basis,
and she did really well. Thank you. Next speaker is Ron Greco. The the attorney can speak with regards to the evaluation. It is not public. So through the chair and we normally don't go out of order like this, but I think the board president's want to address an item that's come up. The superintendent's evaluation has to be done by June 30 of every year, and it was done. It is a personnel document. It's a confidential document that is not released to the public like many other personnel records. So, but it it that's the law that requires that and protects us as well as
protects our rights. Thank you. Ronnie? Alright. Good evening. Excuse me. Good evening, president Velasquez and the members of the board. I see the cabinet here, members of the community, and folks that have come out, educators and parents. It was said earlier, but thank you for coming out on a hot smoky night because the democratic process is important. It's important to have civil discourse, and it's important to hear everyone's side and how they feel. Everybody wants to be heard in society. In the world of social media and tweeting and Instagram,
you could put your thoughts out in a minute, including whoever occupies the White House, whether you agree with them or not. But that is the world we live in. So everyone's opinion should be respected. Everyone's opinion should be valued. And again, the people that came out on this unhealthy evening, I give you your, you know, kudos for doing that and speaking your your part no matter what position you have. I will say in terms of the funding and the taxes here, I'm also a taxpayer here in Jersey City. And I have some elderly relatives, not many left,
but who are suffering under the burden of taxes. The city's bankrupt. We need a bailout from Trenton. From 1600, Pennsylvania Avenue in DC to West State Street in Trenton to 280 Grove Street. No matter who the politician is, no matter who the party is, no matter who the affiliation is, they're after public tax dollars and education. It's a pot of money that everyone wants to grab. From investment companies to pension profiteers to consultants to the medical group to charter charter
school chains. I can say here what we've done this year and I had the ability I had the opportunity to sit with human resources and the superintendent and a lot of other staff to come to zero layoffs is a miracle with the budget cuts that we have faced. We've I was here in 1998. I was here in 2009. I was here in 2012 and 2019. When thousands of parents, and many of you could attest to that, marched in the streets with educators for reform and to oust superintendents from the outside.
Now as my time is running short, whether you agree with me or not, this is my piece what I have to say. Norma, doctor Fernandez started here in 1982. She has longevity here. Sometimes people you say when the hell are they gonna retire? It's not her time yet. She walks the walk. She talks the walk. She's in the school buildings. She's in many of the communities and the churches. Yes. There are people that are not going to like her. There are some days that I don't like her. But we agree to disagree. My opinion is, and most of the educate the educators here and across the district right now,
doctor Fernandez is the woman to lead us. This is her time and this is her place. Thank you. Next speaker is Renee Perna. Renee Perna? Next speaker is Sandra Robinson Green. She's in the hallway. Yeah. Seven. She was in the hallway. Oh. Mister okay. What we'll do, mister McBride, after miss Renee speaks, if anyone is not here when you call their names, let's, just go through the whole list. And then at the end, we'll call again for those that may have just returned. Okay? Thank you. Next speaker, Sandra Robinson Green.
Good evening once again. I came before, the board earlier, in regards to the, repositioning or appointment of the of Matt Schneider. Now I come before you speaking on behalf of the contract. I stand before you today respectfully as this board asking this board to postpone the vote on the superintendent's contract until further notice. This request is not about any one individual. It is about honoring the process,
demonstrating good governance, and maintaining the public's trust. The Jersey City Board of Education is entrusted with making decisions that shape the future of our students, educators, and taxpayers. A superintendent's contract is one of the most significant decisions this board will make. It deserves careful consideration, adequate public review, and thoughtful discussion, not an accelerated time line. When major decisions are made before the established or expected time frame,
it can create the perception that outcomes was predetermined or that the public's voice is an afterthought. Even if that is not the case, perception matters. Public confidence is built when boards follow transparency, procedures, and allow significant time for questions, feedback, and informed decision. Postponing this vote does not prevent the board from fulfilling its responsibility. It demonstrates a commitment to accountability, fairness, and transparency. It sends a message that the board values due diligence over expectancy and welcomes meaningful
public engagement. Our students deserve leadership that begins with integrity. Our educators deserve confidence that decisions are made thoughtfully, and our community deserves to know that its elected representatives respect both the process and the people they serve. I respectfully urge the board to postpone the superintendent's contract vote until further notice so that the important decision is made with transparency,
deliberation, and public conflict it deserves. Thank you so much for your time and your consideration. And as stated before, I honor the landmark case of Robinson versus C. Next speaker is Sarah Goral. Next speaker is Eunice Parkuch. Next speaker is Lenny Shulgin. Good evening, board. My name is Lenny Shulgin. I live in Ward F. I'm here to discuss superintendent, Fernandez's five year extension. I personally have not seen her performance evaluation. So you know what? I'll do my own evaluation.
And since doctor Fernandez is a former teacher, it only makes sense to give her a report card. So you've been the CEO of the school district for four and a half years. So we hold you responsible completely directly accountable for the following subjects. Reading. 45% of students in the Jersey City public schools can read a grade level compared to 53% statewide. That is a d. Math, 31% compared to 41% statewide. That's another d. Graduation rates, 78% compared to 92 statewide.
Third d in a row. Okay. Economics. The budget is over $1,100,000,000 per year. Spending per student is up 68 percent in the last six years, all coming from taxpayer pockets. That's not a d. That's an f. A law, it took you five years to start a special education audit. Three more years to finish it, and the results are so bad that it's going straight to law enforcement. That's an f. Communication. I have repeatedly seen you discourage public comment and failed to engage with constructive feedback.
Clear f. Respect. Arresting and charging a single mom for advocating for her special needs child and her community is all that needs to be mentioned. F. Overall, you get a d minus, and that's being generous. To quote a previous speaker, that's not impressive. Now would you graduate a student with a report card that looks like this? Why are we even considering retaining, let alone extending and giving a raise to a superintendent like this? Thank you. Next speaker is Casey Hower.
Casey Hower. Next speaker is Melissa Keery. Next speaker is Sabrina Harold. Good evening, trustees and members of the public. Tonight, you're being asked to take formal action extending superintendent Fernandez's contract for five years through 06/30/2031. Before you vote, I want to raise two things, one procedural and one substantive. First, the procedural problem. Under state law, a board must give at least thirty days public notice before acting to extend, amend,
or alter a super intendent's contract. The legal notice for tonight's hearing was published on June 17. Thirty days before tonight is June 16. That notice was published one day late. Superintendents, Fernandez's current contract doesn't expire until 06/30/2027. She was only two years into a three year term. This isn't a routine renewal of an expiring agreement. It's an early extension on defective notice, and it deserves to be done right, not rushed. Second,
the substance of what you're being asked to reward. Forty one days ago, a superior court judge permanently affirmed the jury's finding that this district's leadership engaged in intentional, especially egregious, retaliation against a whistleblower, executed with actual malice. That finding wasn't limited to one employee. It described conduct unauthorized at the highest levels of this organization. In the weeks since that ruling, this district has not paused to reflect on it. A 3,780,000 payment went out the door in 2024 without proper documentation or board approval under superintendent Fernandez's over a year before this over a year before this board ever saw it.
And three weeks ago, this board promoted the HR director at the center of that malice finding to assistant superintendent on the superintendent's own recommendation through an agenda item that told the public nothing until after the vote was already taken. I'm not asking you to make a decision about superintendent Fernandez's character tonight. I'm asking you to do something much simpler. Follow your own notice requirements and take the time to actually weigh what's happened in this district over the last year before locking in five more years on a rushed
timeline. Delay this vote. Cure the notice defect. Give the public and yourselves the the the time this decision actually deserves. That's not too much to ask before committing millions of taxpayers' dollars for the next five years. Thank you very much. Have a great evening. Next speaker is Danielle Bider. Next speaker is Mike Greco. Good evening. I am here to express my strong support for extending the contract of doctor Norma Fernandez as superintendent of the Jersey City public schools. I do so not only as an educator with more than twenty two years of
experience who is fortunate enough to educate in the community where I grew up, but also as a proud Jersey City Public School father. I have witnessed doctor Fernandez' leadership from both perspectives, and I firmly believe she is leading our district in the right direction. Doctor Fernandez inherited a district facing significant challenges. She took the helm following years of instability while our schools were still grappling with the academic learning loss and mental health struggles brought on by the COVID nineteen pandemic. At the same time, the district has continued to face the devastating effects of New Jersey's unfair state school
funding formula, forcing difficult decisions. Despite these obstacles, doctor Fernandez had sled with professionalism, integrity, and compassion. She has restored confidence and significantly improved staff morale throughout the district. Her leadership has empowered educators to do what they do best. Teach with empathy, build meaningful relationships with students, and focus on educating the whole child. Unlike previous administrations that often placed an overwhelming emphasis on standardized test scores, doctor Fernandez recognizes that our students are more than just data points.
She understands that true educational success comes from supporting students academically, socially, and emotionally. By fostering a culture that values the whole child, she has helped create learning environments where students and educators can thrive. The progress our district has made under her leadership has been achieved despite circumstances that would have challenged any superintendent. Her steady leadership, vision, and compassion are the reason why you have a room full of educators here in July saying that we want Norma Fernandez as the captain of our ship.
For these reasons, I respectfully urge the board of education to extend doctor Norma Fernandez's contract as superintendent, continue her her leadership, and to finish the work which we as a team started and which we will gladly finish with her as our leader. For those of you saying, why the rush? I think that's clear. City hall has made its intention clear. When you not appoint because when you appoint, you vote. You anoint someone from a community far away who can't even find PS 15 on a map. This is why we're rushing the search.
We will not go through that again. Thank you. Next speaker is Cheryl Mays. Next speaker is Kevin Zahn. Oh, she's right there. Yes. She's right there. Tonight, I just wanna talk about out of title assignments and how it affects the budget. Tonight, I want to address what I believe is a long standing issue involving out of title assignments and the improper use of custodial employees. As custodians, we already have a tremendous workload during the summer. Yet despite this workload, custodians are routinely expected to paint stairwells and other areas of our buildings.
Even though painting is not a part of the civil service job specification for a custodian, The district employs painters whose title specifically includes painting duties and whose compensations reflect those specialized skills. The district also maintains an overtime budget for painters to perform this work. If painters if painters overtime funds exist but are not being utilized, it is difficult to understand why custodians are expected to perform painter duties at custodian wages. This is not merely a staffing decision.
It is a compensation issue and a fairness issue. Recently, I raised a concern with my union and was advised that painting is not a part of the custodial specification, and these assignments, raised legitimate out of concern out of titles. I'm sorry. Out of title concerns. At the same time, the school we are currently work, PS fifteen, remains grossly understaffed by five custodial positions at night. Custodians are always step custodians have always stepped up and done what was needed to get the schools ready for students, for the new year. But there comes a point where helping out becomes sub substituting for another title altogether.
On a personal level, I believe custodians have been exploited in disregard for many years. Respecting job titles protects employees, taxpayers, and protects the integrity of the system itself. If the district needs painters, then the painters should paint. If additional work exists, then the painters overtime budget should be utilized. And if it's not, where's that money going? And if employees are expected to perform duties outside of their title, then they should have their compensation provided for under the under title provisions because there is something in our title. I mean, it's something in our book that says that.
And I also wanna say something about this broken system. It's not broken because if it's fixed, all this all these bad practices couldn't continue. So trust, it's not broken. It's working exactly the way y'all want it to work. Peace. Next speaker is Kevin Zahn. Next speaker is Elena Little. Hi. Good evening. My name is Elena Little. I am a ward e council person for the city of Jersey City, but I'm speaking tonight in my personal capacity. I am here to propose the rush to oppose the rush five year contract renewal for the superintendent. I want to first thank everyone here who is here tonight to participate in the
democratic process whether we disagree or agree on this issue. This is what community engagement looks like. And I want to be clear. I fully support the teachers who are here tonight. They deserve a fair contract, but that is a separate question from the question at hand. A vote to extend the superintendent's contract for five years, more than the previous renewal of three years, is a commitment to the same direction for the Jersey City public schools from now until 2031. It is a vote of confidence. And while I thank her for her decades of service, in my opinion,
the significant ongoing issues in the district do not warrant a rushed five year commitment. They deserve careful and thoughtful consideration. Less than a third of our students are proficient in math. Only forty one percent are proficient in English language arts, and our high school graduation rate is only seventy eight percent. And the latest part of the special education audit that was delayed for seven years was so bad, it was sent straight to the Hudson County prosecutor's office. Further, the Jersey City Board of Education has increased their tax levy by over $200,000,000 in just the last two years. Our superintendent is currently the second highest paid in the state,
and I believe this five year contract will make her the highest paid in the state earning nearly $400,000 a year. No? So well, that was based on what I looked up earlier today. So so in any case, I urge the board not to rush, to take your time, and to make sure that the decision that is being made is the best decision for the very real issues our district faces. Thank you. Next speaker. I'm sorry, mister BA. Could you just hold for a second? I I just have to make this perfect I find it I find it absurd that you will come in here,
madam councilwoman, and criticize our governmental process on renewing our superintendent's contract when you voted in favor of the $200,000 contract is for the deputy of education who does absolutely nothing compared to education. In addition in addition to that, you talk about seven years of of of of failure that we had. Well, how about you're supporting an initiative, for a mayor that's trying to do a 20% increase and now 15% to the
council, and then you have the audacity to come up here and try and tell us what we're supposed to be doing when you were when you admitted on the record that you would vote for 20%, so you have the audacity to do that, I think you need to tend to the business of the city and let us tend to the business of the board of education. Excuse me, sir. You're out of line. You can't do that. You gotta go. You gotta leave. You gotta leave. You gotta leave. You gotta leave. You gotta leave. You gotta leave. Goodbye. You gotta leave. Goodbye. Goodbye. You can't do that. You can't do that. Miss Little. Miss Little, councilwoman, give me a second,
please. And we usually do not We usually When the order what's before you continue, what's happening over there? And are is he being arrested again? The police are over there. They can handle it. The police are over there. They can handle it. Okay. That's what I'm I just wanna communicate order. Ridiculous. I just wanna communicate, miss Little, that it's not the norm that we break into your conversation and to discuss or to or or to rebuttal. But because you guys did not even stay here,
had the decency to listen to us. The last time that we had a meeting, you guys spoke. We allowed it. We smiled. And when it was our time to speak to you, you all left. So I'm allowing this board to take it upon themselves and communicate with you before you decide to run away again. Thank you. Let's move on. Next person Next speaker is Sam Saleh. Thank you. Alright. Alright. What a drama. Right? So everything is scripted. Perfect pictures. We have producers. We have directors,
actors. Everything is scripted. Before this meeting begin, right, they know what's gonna happen. They have to select one person to appoint her as a board trustee. Everybody show up here to and they teach them why they need to be selected. They selected one person who didn't show up here and she's not even a mother. She don't have kids in a public school. This is what happened here. Because you know what? It was all scripted. Swear to God, put a hand in your heart, tell me that you didn't receive any instruction from the union bosses whom you're going
to select. We all know that. We also know that end of no matter what we say here, you're still gonna extend the contract, which is absolutely not necessary. But I will still ask you some questions. And now my question is, this contract is $2,000,000 altogether approximately, and she gonna come in the control for more than a $6,000,000,000 for next five years for our taxpayer money. So the question is and and we know that why you're doing it because in January, everything going to change. This color is going to change. There are four seats up for the election, which is 45%.
It's going to change and that's why you are doing it. So my question is, trustee Patel, what's going to happen after January if we decide to put emotion, no confidence on a superintendent? What are you gonna do with the $2,000,000? Is she gonna walk away with the $2,000,000? Did you had this question? Did you had a thought? No. Right? I don't think so you think about it. I wanna ask you a lot of things about the trustee IOP. She came yesterday, city hall meeting and telling that, oh, we are so transferred and honest. We let people to speak. Speaking is not important. Thank you for giving us a three minute listening.
Listen to us. Listen to your heart, what we are trying to tell you. You give us a reason one and a half year ago to raise a superintendent's salary because she is not in top five making superintendent salary. Beyond superintendent is making more money than her. That was her reason. That's super human intelligent reason that we can understand. That only she understand that. She tried to explain the budget line she was reading. Nobody's explaining. My son can read all the budget line, the numbers. Telling council person, Lavarro and councilwoman Elena Little, they understand.
No, they don't understand that. They are just listening it. Please don't use that. She has a reason just telling us, you know, we cannot put the air conditioning because, you know, our electricity is sold. So now fifteen seconds laugh. I want to tell you, God bless all of you and make God forgive you what you are doing today. Thank you very much. The the last speaker, Frances Lukeman, submitted an email in your folder that ex that exhausts the speaker's list. We don't read the email. We accept it. We thank you for, providing the email. We don't read the emails,
but we'll accept it. Thank you. And, please call on those that were not here when you first called them. If they're here, we'll hear them, now, and then we'll move on to our vote. Darren Martin, Renee Perna, Kevin Reed, Sarah Gural, Eunice Markuch, Casey Hauer, Melissa Keery, Danielle Beider, Kevin Zahn. That concludes the speaker's list. Thank you. Okay. Yes. Now we're open to board comments, please. Madam president. Yes? I just wanna say, you know, we've we've heard several,
members from the community talk about the vote of confidence for our superintendent. After we, did her, the superintendent's evaluation, and and I know I'm gonna just say this. I know it's personnel. But, her her, evaluation was close to almost amazing, because the board, with the exception of a couple of impediments, agreed that our superintendent is not perfect. But she is dealing with the she's dealing with what she has, and she's making the best of it. We talk about this special education investigation and all of the corruption that was revealed
through the, the review and the audit, but you fell to realize that the superintendent, under, my presidency, she initiated, this audit because she, came in contact with some, information that said, hey. Something's not right here. And she took the initiative to start that investigation. It wasn't easy because, obviously, we knew who was involved. So let's be very clear about the superintendent's leadership and what she's done so far. I hear people talk about this petition with all of these signatures that was online. Those signatures are not verified that they are actually Jersey City residents that signed that
petition. And further, a petition does not even exist if it's not presented to the people who were actually making the decision on what's gonna happen with the superintendent. So it's great that you have a petition. Congratulations. But, unfortunately, you didn't give it to the people that are actually supposed to have it. Personnel matters don't need public review. So in regards to the assistant, assistant superintendents, that is a decision of the board, which is why we did it in closed session. And then I heard someone talk about an inheritance. The superintendent did inherit a mess.
You think the special education just started two days or two years ago? No. It was inherited, but she handled it with tenacity, and she made the decision for it to go to the prosecutor's office. Maybe she didn't let the board know, but at the end of the day, I would have preferred that she did that and tell us later than to allow people who have committed corruption to continue to exist. So you talk about leadership and what she's done. Let's pay attention to what she's done. The only thing that I hear at our board meetings that has been sparred with nothing but negativity is all of the negativity about special education.
But none of you came out prior to even knowing about the investigation and and and and also some information being leaked from insiders. So let's be very clear. And most of you that get up here and talk about the special education, I don't recall any of your scholars losing any funding, any funding to support their initiatives. And you know how I know that? Because when I was president, I signed over 400 out of district, permission for them to go and get the required information or education that they needed.
So let's be very clear. We're doing this today because we know that the superintendent is not only qualified. And to echo my Greco, she's homegrown. She came from preschool teacher all the way up to the superintendent, and I would rather have that than to have somebody from out of town to mess up our school district again. Any, yes. Miss Patel, did you wanna say something? I just wanna say, you know, I find it insulting that we had one person saying that just because someone isn't a parent or have children that they're exempt from running for the board.
Nowhere nationally, anyone exempt from that. Anyone can run for the board. That is our right nationally. So it's insulting when someone says that. Second, when I ran for the board and everything, I'm a outsider looking in. There's nothing wrong with that. I went to private schools from Christian schools and everything. And many of the, Heights residents as well as other wards supported that because you need someone from outside looking in because there are sometimes tunnel vision and everything. And when I met doctor Fernandez, I heard a lot of good things that,
about doctor Fernandez. Remember, I never went to public school. The only time I went to public school was when I had to vote. 20 numbers school number 27. I knew nothing about that facility, so I had to learn from scratch about this. And how do I learn about it? From everyone in the community at every ward, parents, teachers, instructors, principals, superintendent, board, trustees, and anyone else. And, also, I I participate in conferences within the state of New Jersey and outside because I'm because I want to improve our school district.
So it's insulting once people criticize outsiders. That is not right. Everyone has the right to run for the board nationally. Women are not exempt. People of color are not exempt. People from different colleges or schools, they're not exempt. We, the people, have the right. So it's insulting. And you know what? I voted for Natalie Cruz because she is an outsider. She is an outsider. We need people that are gonna look at the district. So this is my this is all I have to say. But I support our Jersey City Public School as an outsider who went to Christian
schools from kindergarten all the way to college. So that says something right there. So I wanna say that I support our public schools nationally. 100%. This girl is on fire. Madam president. Yes, sir. I've had the pleasure of working and I call her the pleasure of working with doctor Fernandez. What I like is she answers every phone call. She's I visit every school. She is a homegrown, as you would say, coming from teaching, to administrating, to assistant superintendents, deputy superintendents,
and then she finally becomes superintendent of schools. She is just what we need. She has been a serious servant. We respect her, and so does this community respect her. And so my vote for her is going to be because of the way in which she works, the way in which other people see her. And one person made a comment that we've been down that road of going outside trying to get someone else. We need to stay at home and and and support doctor Fernandez. Thank you. Afaa? To the chair. Is that guy,
the last speaker, the one that took our flyer and put his face on it when we were running for the board? Yeah. That's that's That's that same guy? So we're fraudulent, but he's not. Alright. Scripted, I think not. Right. We think for ourselves here, pretty much. And, doctor Fernandez, it takes time to see the results of either destruction or building when it comes in education. We've watched in this city. I'm from Jersey City, born and raised here, been through Jersey City public schools, through grammar school, through high school. Maybe with a little bit of exception going to parochial school for a year or,
Saint Bridges for my last two years of grammar school. That special education audit and all these things that they're talking about where where reading and math has failed, the students are failing in these topics. This is long before you even got to your position. And the things that you put in place, phonics, reading help for dyslexic students, and also, many other things, the mental health services. We never had that growing up. We had to go through school bullied and going through life traumatized by everything.
Nobody just fought us when we got back to the school. And not only that, you probably even get more t's because you went through something. And I appreciate your work. I I admire it. There's people that'll have been coming up with a problem coming up with problems and making a and also nominate a solution. When they both show up together, there's a problem. I just wanna say that dogs don't bark at parked cars. So I'm with you. Thank you, Afar. Natalia? Thank you. I wasn't sure if we're gonna go in a circle. So we're having discussion now,
basically. We're having our discussion. Yeah. And as well as response to public comment, might as well. So, I was at the city council meeting as it happens, and I know one of our speakers said today, you know, they had to be in a hallway. We're at capacity. So I showed up at city council yesterday at 06:10. I stood in the hallway for almost two hours because they were at capacity. They had a hot meeting too yesterday, as you know. And I was signed up to speak. I was number 54. And, thank you for the how you say, very selective quote, mister Celia, but I spoke about a lot more than just transparency. I made a point of,
you know, congratulating the council of finally receiving their budget from the administration. You know, we received our budget from the administration or at least preliminaries conversations between February, March, and then at least three public hearings on the budget. But the fun fact that I shared with the council, and I think it merits also sharing today with our educators. So the city count the the mayor announced their budget at $886,000,000 total. Well, everybody knows that our budget is $1,096,000,000. However, if you take away the charter school payout of $210,000,000,
we end up with the same $886,000,000. So currently, the board of ed and city council matches in their budgets. And I also, you know, mentioned yesterday that our $886,000,000 goes to pay for almost over 5,000 employees, six bargaining units, 30,000 students, 50 plus buildings, more than half of which are over a 100 years old, and then some. Not to mention operations, facility maintenance, and everything, transportation, special education, and on and on and on and on and on. So having said that,
I want to remind everyone who perhaps have forgotten. I've seen things the level of misinformation that has been circling around prior to this meeting has just been astounding. Starting from the hype headlines of a million and $0.5 salary, you know, which is obviously over five years, but still you put that in a headline, it kind of sends a message. So a few days ago, someone Oprah ed the city salaries, as some of you may have noticed. And they created a neat little spreadsheet, you know, listing all the salaries. And I'm not necessarily knocking those salaries.
That's not my purpose here. But first of all, the fact that someone had to Oprah them is indicative because all of our laundry is out there, which is what allows the public to constantly criticize us. And that is a good thing. That is part of the democratic process, whether there's a raise or a contract. Everything is out there for all the world to see and to examine and to dissect. And that's a good thing. So thankfully, the folks who opened the city salaries, I noticed that if you add up the entire municipal council budget, which encompasses the city council members and their staff,
it's approximately $1,400,000. Again, I'm not knocking that number in itself. They're people. They have staff. But I also wanna put it on record because I'm not sure how many people take it for granted from the public is that this governing body does not have a salary or staff or offices or cars or anything. We get a tray of sandwiches and a takeout for our monthly meetings, which is fantastic. We also get compensated for for training and sodas That's all I for training conferences, which is what keeps us knowledgeable knowledgeable about our job.
We're mandated to be trained. And so having said that, you know, one could also argue that by not getting paid, this governing body saves the taxpayers $1,400,000 a year. So if we're saving the taxpayers $1,400,000 a year, surely we can afford a million and 0.5 over five years for our one employee. Literally, we have one employee. That's it. That's the only person that we can direct, communicate with, and ask things off. So a lot of people made a point why is she so highly paid. She spent forty four years as an educator.
And that makes her pretty much if you, you know, Google what have you, doctor Fernandez happens to be one of the longest serving educational administrators in the state of New Jersey. Hence, the salary. Do you know what I mean? It's not some arbitrary number that this board just draws on the whiteboard and decides, you know what? We're just gonna bestow this bag of money on this person. It's the years that come with the salary. That is this the public sector system in the in not just in the state, but in the nation, if you will. We don't make this up. We work with it. And we work with it, and we multiply it on the merits and the evaluations.
And I do wanna speak to the evaluations. And thank you for the explanation of how evaluations are not published. They've never been published. Why suddenly, after all these years of board meetings, people are demanding to see the evaluations? Which other superintendent has been asked the same demand? But nevertheless, people ask a fair question. What are the criteria? How do we evaluate this individual? You all you know, people talk about being careful, being thoughtful. Why are you rushing into this? Do you really think that this governing body is arbitrarily, you know, bestowing awards on an individual without going through a rigorous process?
We are governed by a body too, which is the NJSBA, and I urge you. It is a publicly available document, njsba.org. There is a link describing in detail the criteria to evaluate every single superintendent in the state, and that is the criteria that we follow. Now whether or not we agree, each of us, to which extent this superintendent meets their criteria, that's a separate story. But clearly, as the vice president pointed out, the majority of us agree sufficiently to move this individual to the next level.
Now I want to speak to a very important operational point in history with regard to Doctor Fernandez that no one remembers. And that's another astounding fact because again, everything's about money and taxes and everything hurts. So doctor Fernandez became permanent superintendent in 2022. She after that, she presented two consequent budgets to the board. Both of those budgets, the twenty twenty three, twenty four, twenty four budget, and the 2425 budget had absolutely no tax increase.
And if you don't believe me, because last time I said this in our budget town fall, profanities were hurled at me. I urge you to look up Jersey City Times article from 04/26/2024 that says, BOE passes budget with no tax increase for second year. So don't take my word for it. Take our own press. It's also reflected in our budget presentations, which is another thing I mentioned to the council. We are transparent enough. You may not like us, and that's okay. You may not like our process, and that's okay. Please run for the board,
sit with us, take our seats. We are expendable temporary people. That much is true. You know, please come take our place. See for yourselves what this is like. You know, enjoy the sandwiches and the warm No. And the warm sodas. But the bottom line is is that we know what we've been working on for the last four four years. And so people ask why the latest increases for the last two years. Right? Let's ignore the prior two years, the first two years of her tenure. Let's focus on the worst, the ugliest possible thing,
the increase, the tax hikes. Well, why? I'll tell you why. For those who have been paying attention and for those who have been following our meetings, prior year, the state cut equalization aid of $98,000,000 almost immediately after they added $50,000,000 additional tab on an existing charter school payout. That's something that comes if you think of how much money the state gives the school district, which is a $125,000,000 and then makes us pay 210,000,000 out of that a 125,
consider where your tax levy really goes. Consider where your payroll tax goes, where the bank cap is even the bank cap is not even gonna cover our charter school bill at this point on top of the state aid. Okay. So that is the bottom line. I'm I wanna talk about the money because this is what people have come to hear. I'm almost done. That's literally the last point I'm trying to make. Okay. The source source. The last thing is that continuity. Our teachers talked about that. We have comparable school districts in the state. Right? I know people like to talk about graduation rates and where do we fall. Not only is Jersey City public schools,
a district, an exemplary district, and I mean that in, you know, quotation marks. We have been the subject of the largest state aid cuts in the state of New Jersey over the last ten years. Yes. Period. Okay? Why and how? That's a separate political conversation. But also because of the wealth of our city or perceived wealth of our city. So consider being a superintendent with the largest cuts in in the state who inherits a mess of a business department, has to clean it up, has to order multiple audits, see them through,
introduce nevertheless, nonetheless, introduce two budgets in a row with no tax increases, and during that time, settled six bargaining units successfully. That's skill. And that's what we've been observing. And so if you choose to focus on the most recent and the most ugliest, the things that stand out to you, I understand why you're doing it because it's politics. But you cannot take away from what we have seen and experienced on this board. That's it. Thank you. Okay. Let's have a speaker. Yes. Did you wanna speak also,
George? No. I'm good. Okay. Please let's allow the other two trustees that have not said anything, and then I will come back to you. I'm sorry? You're okay? Thank you. Trustee Richardson? So I'm I'm gonna be very brief. So, I do agree that due to the fear of some board members may not come back and the majority vote may or may not be there, that is that why this that is why this is being done now. I completely agree with that.
The other thing I'm gonna say is, you know and and it's it's sad because, you know, I've consistently been here within this district, you know, whether on this side or on the outside for for, what, over three decades. And, you know, I I have to say, I I no longer have confidence. I no longer have confidence in the superintendent. Are you done? That's it. Thank you. Yes, team. Trustee Visabella, please. Okay. First of all, I wanna acknowledge everybody that came out here today whether or not we're on the same side of something, on a different side of something. It has been,
a very respectful room. So I appreciate that. I appreciate that. No problem. I appreciate that, even a few of the people that even if we are not on the same side of this have, reached out and and, been very respectful in how, they came to their decision and what resonates to them. So I I'm grateful for every last person that has emailed and given a reason why because it's important for us to see all aspects of this conversation. I've heard a lot about outsiders. This person's an outsider. This person's an insider.
You know, I'm I'm not gonna story tell. I I I feel the same way sometimes. I'm born life resident of Jersey City. My mom graduated from 40. My grandmother started at Snyder in 1956 and ended at Dickerson. I my great grandfather came here with a second grade education. He worked as a janitor back when black people were not being hired to be teachers and grateful that by when the time came, my uncle was able to take a position here as a teacher in the sixties,
being a teacher at Lincoln and a track coach from the relationships that my great grandfather built. So, yeah, my family's been here a hundred years, and I can get a little territorial too, when I think that someone's not doing right by this city. At the same time, I realized that I had to be judicial in my thought process. So I just wanna work through what I thought. So first, the academic performance, I've been a teacher in the district. I will not, the numbers are not gonna diminish the work of the teachers and the staff. We know what's happening in the classroom.
We have had, classrooms with 40 students. 10 students do not speak, English. They're multi language learners. We have five students with severe learning language disabilities. The classrooms are tough, and I'm not gonna diminish the work that goes into teaching because it wouldn't be it would be disingenuous to say that the academic scores are just on teachers. It is not. But as someone that did teach in this district, I want to ensure at all times that the people that are above us,
whether or not it's our administrators or the cabinet, are the strongest people to guide. Because as soon as the curriculum changes, as soon as we ask for something and we don't have it in the classroom, that academic performance falls on us. And at some point, there has to be someone that has to take responsibility. I don't believe that doctor Fernandez Let her go, please. Oh. Okay. I don't believe that doctor Fernandez as the CEO of this district, has the power to do that, but I hope that she puts in a great executive leadership that takes those concerns
serious. And for as many people that I have in front of me that are championing, I have also teachers that have reached out and text and said they don't feel supported. So to say that I'm in the middle when it comes to that, I am. But I definitely agree that everybody here, teachers, parents are all stakeholders, lifelong residents, outsiders without children. Everyone is a stakeholder in the decisions that we make, and I don't get to make it just because and let me get this. I think doctor Fernandez is a lovely person.
I would never say a cool word about her personality, but, unfortunately, I'm not here to talk about personality wise. I'm just here here to discuss what I've seen. So the financial stewardship, the district invested approximately $935,000 in software implementation. We were supposed to see link solve those payroll issues. We were supposed to have people not come here and discuss that their overtime was not paid out correctly, which is concerning when that money is supposed to stay in an interest bearing account and paid out within a certain time frame.
We found out that that was not possible. We asked that the money be recouped. That was never answered. We asked what would take place in order to support the people that do work that overtime that were not getting paid in the correct time period. The same way that I will advocate for any teacher, I have to advocate for the people that open the doors for our kids. The security that stands there, the maintenance that make sure that the bathrooms are clean so these students can walk in and not feel scared that there's something lying there. I want to be able to advocate for everyone,
and there has not been one month where one person has not come and said they have not gotten paid their, their overtime. It's concerning. And when I thought we put a system in place, I voted yes on that civil service audit. I voted yes to the introduction of links, and then it just went away. And the public found out before we did because somebody in central office told the the press. It that's disconcerting. Financial stewardship is not limiting to balancing one budget. I've seen enrollment decline. I look at the numbers. We've gone from 27,000
to 25,000. We said, this year, we're looking at a $160,000,000 that we paid out in charter, and that's being bumped up to 210,000,000. This is because families are making educational choices. For whatever reason, they're making it. And I'm not going to knock a parent for doing what's best for their child because we all want the best education, whether or not it's in the Jersey City Public School District where mine are or whether someone else's is at a charter school. But my responsibility is to recognize that the that enrollment affects revenue,
which affects staffing and long term planning. And I think that by ignoring the trends, we're not fulfilling our fiduciary responsibility. The next thing is the executive leadership. Your responsibility is to build that leadership. And we don't conduct executive searches. We don't ask for national searches for roles. But we do evaluate your recommendations. And I have to say, when I continuously see someone that's already here go from acting, and then we say we're gonna open up a requisition later.
And then, eventually, some months down the line, the person just becomes permanent. It makes me question if we are truly ensuring that we have the best people possible for the roles. I have no problem if they are the best person, but I think we should be making sure that the recruiting cycle is a equal opportunity for everyone. And, again, this comes from people that work already in the district saying they didn't have an opportunity. I think that's oversight that requires information, and that information,
it's part of our governance. I think that the internal controls. We authorized an agreed upon report how many years ago. Now we're saying it's not an audit. It's agreed upon report. It has nothing to do with a whole financial evaluation. What we heard was concerning. We still don't know exactly what happened. I don't know if it actually went to law enforcement. That's all I heard at the meeting. I I I Where do you think it went? I I don't know what I'm you said the same thing. You were No. No. No. No. I never said that. What I said was,
I can't believe it went without letting us know. Said I'm I'm asking you where Did I You just made a comment about you don't know where it went. So where do you think it went? This is a joke. Where'd it go? This is a joke. Right? Yeah. It is a joke because I've listened respectfully to everybody here without without interrupting them. So why am I any different? Why am I any less? Why don't I get the right? Is is there a reason why should should I not respect everyone else that got up here to speak? Is it that you're right? No. I don't know. We don't know what law enforcement it was referred to.
Point blank. Another thing, placeholder for the contracts. We didn't even I didn't even know what we were voting on until we saw them. This this is a lack of communication. It's a to me, I just think the way that our processes are handled, it could be done much better. Another thing. You tabled two food pantries coming to 41 and 15, to schools we know that the students are food insecure. We went around. We discussed it. It passed. You tabled it. For me, food insecurity happens now.
Whether or not the food was bad, that was something that we could have checked the day of, but they were also giving out toiletries. To me, that goes to community access. I there has been significant things that I think we need more time to discuss and evaluate. And at this time, I just don't feel comfortable going forward with a special education audit that we do not have all of the information yet for. And for people sitting in acting positions, I mean, one of my one of my recommendations was having a CPA as an assistant PA
because our district is so large and so complex, and that was left at. I I think that we better communication, better long term financial planning is needed. Because as we see in Chicago, as they lay off 700 students and 158 aids, I over a 100 people in central office, their financial planning, their long term financial planning was not where it needed to be. And I am scared that next year, we will face the same pickup. I am asking that we wait
and that we have better evaluation. And, again, this is not a knock on a personality or believing that the job can't be done. It is more of I see a lot of things occurring in real time that just have not been addressed. Thank you. Through the chair. Through the chair. Can I have one comment? Quick one. Go ahead. I'm a former Chicago resident. I'll tell you something. If doctor Fernandez was in Chicago, she would turn out turn around that school district better. And I've also talked to multiple people, the National School Board Association,
multiple, board trustees, and they have said that they have failure superintendents. They have low confidence. When I saw and I would explain about our superintendent. They wish they had her. Doctor Fernandez would have even got a job in town of Sea Caucus because town of Sea Caucus had multiple turnovers for superintendent. And, nationally, she could easily get a job as a superintendent. So I support superintendent Fernandez. I know she's doing an incredible job because I do talk to other people from other states, and I ask them about how their superintendent is doing.
And people are very truthful. They'll tell you that that superintendent doesn't know what they're doing. The teachers have, the teachers have lack of confidence on principals and everything. So I support our superintendent. Thank you. Thank you. Now I'd like to Through the chair. I'm sorry. Bring I'd like to I'd like to speak. Okay. Go right ahead. Go right ahead. I'm sorry. Just two two other statistical points that I forgot, and I'm sorry. I know. I know I bore you. I know. It's alright. Nevertheless, we have comparable districts as I mentioned Yes.
Such as Newark or Elizabeth. And so it's important to know because we often hear about academic progress and how we're not fast enough or we're not, you know, as good as or, you know, lowest in the nation, lowest in the state, whatever. One of the lowest in both Newark and Elizabeth who are or Patterson or even Union City for some reason, that's one of our comparable districts. Their superintendents for the most part have been in their roles for eight years or more. Our superintendent have been in a permanent role for only four years. Also, she's coming in after one of the largest turnovers that this district has seen in
the last ten years. And that is kind of the answer as to why, why rush, why now. So that this individual can have an opportunity for some kind of stability and not just her, but the staff and the students involved. So that those are my statistical points. And the last thing is about the money. I mentioned it at our last board meeting. You may have noticed that the position of deputy superintendent have been eliminated as part of the cuts and the shortfall. Well, that position in itself, the amount of salary that it involves,
that covers the entire raise of the superintendent's new contract as well as the raises that have just transpired with regard to the non affiliates as well as the new associate superintendents. People are making assumptions online that these are new hires. These are not new hires. You know why? Because benefits are extremely expensive nowadays, especially in the state of New Jersey or nationwide or whatever. And so this district is saving this board is saving money on benefits by adding responsibilities to existing people, including the superintendent and giving them less staff to work with and having them do
more, but also compensating them a little more. And that's it. Thank you. Through the chat Thank you. Through the I I would like to speak before you all melt. But go ahead. No. No. No. You go. Go ahead. You said you wanted to speak. I want I wanna give a closure. Tia, I wanna give a closure. Go ahead and speak, and then I'll give a closure, please. Oh, okay. No problem. I wanna be careful when we compare districts. Patterson's at 39000. We're at 25. Mhmm. What do you call it? They are they also have a huge multilanguage learning community larger than ours. Another thing is it's never been Lisa.
About Go ahead. I Please see a It's never been about the salary because it's always, I believe in fair and a competitive pay, especially for women when we get paid 80% less. So with that said, I also believe that salary goes with what you are seeing in the district. Now I am someone that reads definitive proxies. I read the d f 14 a's. There are evaluation methods for how we look at a CEO. I'm a person that creates decks for ultra high net worth individuals.
It is not okay to come with, maybe this is resolved, maybe that's not resolved. It doesn't work that way. We have seen GE. We have seen Disney all take pay cuts when share prices do not allot to shareholder wealth. It has nothing to do with the pay. It has everything to do with the systems in place that have taken place, that have remained unresolved. To say that we only care about one demographic and shirk what other people are
saying is is Okay. And then, Tia, I don't think I think this is why we're discussing it. You have an opportunity. We each have an opportunity to say how we feel. And I know that you feel that there has to be a rebuttal, but we don't really have to have a rebuttal. This is for us to explain why we're going to vote the way we're going to vote, and then we're going to move on. But thank you for that. Now, before we all melt, I'd like to see if anyone remembers doctor Ross,
doctor Pissett, mister Franklin Walker. I mean, Will Williams, Elena Scambio, Victor Deming, Frank Sinatra, not the singer, Richard Di Patri, Charles e s, t s, Marshall Isles, Franklin Walker, and then came doctor Fernandez. Well, let me tell you. Let me tell you. I was here for all of them. All of them. And I can tell you, not one of them, even as much as we may love mister Walker,
appreciate doctor f's. Not one of these people had had the credentials that doctor Fernandez has. Not one. Say it. However, today and I have to speak to our mayor with his beautiful yet disgusting letter, which we've never had from any other mayor. We have had disagreements with mayors. We have had mayors who want to come and make the district to their image, but we've never had a mayor put such a disgusting letter publicly against the board
of education, a district that is educating their kids. Never. And I think that was lower than low. Can't go any further. But nonetheless, in as much as Michelle says when they go low, we go high, I'm going to hell. Because I am sick of this whole thing of let's evaluate her. We have. She's not doing this. Yes. She is. Where have you been? Where have any of you been when we really had problems? Where were you when the state took over?
By the way, you know what? When the state took over, I was there. Thank god they did. You know why? Because today, had it not been for the state, we would not be able to sit at this table. No. They didn't look like us at all. Very few women and none of color. Okay? And here we are. But when we have to sit at this table, be it at any position, we have to prove ourselves twice as much. As a bilingual person, you have to take more tests than anybody else. And not just take them, you have to pass them in a couple of languages,
and some of us in four languages. However, nobody says anything about those credentials. A person that comes with these credentials that our superintendent has actually is valued for two people if you really knew what being a bilingual educator is. And that's where doctor Fernandez started. But before we're bilingual educators, let me tell you that we have to be monolingual educators. We have to learn every method and everything in the second language
and then prepare ourselves strongly in the first language so that we can give the students the opportunities that they deserve in this country, which is what we have been doing, what doctor Fernandez has been doing all of her life. And then she goes on, not just in the classroom, she goes on to prepare herself again another credential so that she can become an administrator, and another credential, and another exam so that she can become the superintendent. Therefore, if you look at her credentials and put them together,
mister mayor, with the person that you wanna put in her place, no matter how many papers the other resume has, it does not compete at all. And let me tell you stop. And let me tell you another thing. We continue, and I will continue as long as I can breathe. Although I've gotten some emails lately that tell me to stop breathing, but it ain't gonna happen. As long as I can breathe, I will continue to promote our own. Why do we encourage our children to do their best to be their best to
grow to be successful? And when they grow to be successful, you say, uh-uh. You can't do it. You don't make it. You don't cut it. How dare how dare everyone coming in here from Timbato or wherever to tell us that we are not enough. Where have you been? Where have you been when we were going through all of our issues here in Jersey City? Where have you been when the teachers had to strike with the patry and with
Marshall Lyles? Where were y'all? Yeah. Sure. Anyways, this is not a debate with you. I'm talking now. Bye. Bye. Anyways, I am supporting strongly this contract. I am rejecting rejecting everything that is in that disgusting letter sent to all the city, the entire city by a mayor who should be fixing the city hall and stop hiring people that aren't even from here, don't know us, know nothing about actual pedagogy,
can only open charter schools. Yes. They're public schools, but they take away from the public district. Take away from those same teachers that they went to. Vote for me. Or maybe in Spanish. No. No. We ain't going nowhere. Anyway, I strongly stand by doctor Fernandez because I respect her as a human being. I respect her as a professional. I know that she's doing her best. I was here when we were not this far ahead.
We're not perfect as other people have said. We're not there yet. And you know what? We may never get to the peak. Very few people do, but we are going up that mountain steady, and that's what's important. Look at the things that we have that the superintendent has accomplished in this district. Try to be our partners instead of our adversary. We have enough adversaries. We need advocates. We need partners. And we need people that are really willing to work with the students for the
students and with this district. And teachers, principals, all of you, you have all come from the ranks. I am so proud to say that. I was a supervisor for many of you and even a teacher for some of you. Kindergarten teacher as a matter of fact. But I am very proud to say this city is worth working with to continue to improve. No doubt we have room for improvement, but criticism without solution does not give improvement.
God bless you all. Through the chair. Through the chair. Going to call the vote. Oh, I'm sorry. Doctor Fernandez, did you have to are we calling the voters? Through the chair. Wait a minute. Yes. You you want to? After the after the vote? After the vote. Okay. We're gonna call the vote. Through the chair. I'm speaking. Okay. And you're not recognized. We're gonna call the vote. Good. That's the way she speaks to me. Yes. Yes. That's the way what? No. I'm not I'm not teaching you anything. Motion. Remember, you taught in our district and you were fired.
Motion. What? Motion. Go ahead. What fired? Second by Blunt. Fired. It was second by Blunt. Call the vote. Trustee Richardson? No. Trustee Patel? Yes. Trustee Mohammed? Yes. Trustee Ioffe? Yes. Trustee Reza Bala? No. Trustee Doctor Blunt? Yes. Vice President Moore? Absolutely. Yes. A loud yes here. Motion passed. If I may. Yes. I have to say I am deeply deeply humbled by the Board of Education's decision to renew my contract as superintendent of the Jersey City Public School.
To my dedicated board trustees, our phenomenal educators, and our school leaders, thank you for your continued partnership, oversight, and your shared belief in the future of our children. Leadership is never a solitary endeavor. I do this with a phenomenal staff. The progress we have charted and the significant work lies ahead belongs to all of us. Trustees, thank you for your governance, your thorough evaluation of the path forward,
and your confidence in my leadership. I respect the gravity of oversight and look forward to partnering with you to meet our fiscal goals, enhance transparency, and deliver growth to all of our students. For all of our students regardless of poverty and family challenges. Educators, administrators, you are the heart of this district. Thank you for your tireless dedication to our classrooms every single day.
Your daily commitment is what transforms policy and works into real world outcomes for our students. This contract is not just a validation of past efforts. It's a profound mandate for the future. I hear the voices of our community. As we look forward to the horizon, I continue to be committed to working with all different groups to achieve outcomes. Our focus will remain on razor sharp on accelerating academic growth.
So administrators in August will be talking about that. Our focus will remain on boosting, academic achievement in all content areas, increasing proficiency, and in strengthening the support system for special education students and many other vulnerable pop student populations that we welcome into our district. Thank you for believing in me. I truly appreciate it. Thank you. Thank you, madam superintendent. At this time, we need a motion to adjourn.
Motion. Motion by, doctor Blunt, second by Natalia, mister assisted VA. Could you call the roll, please? All in agreement? Aye.