To the editor:
I am concerned about the future of public education in New Jersey. I see a teacher shortage headed our way thanks to the harm state legislators have caused.
As a teacher, a single mother, and Bergen County homeowner I cannot afford to see my paycheck decrease year after year, but that did not matter to legislators who created havoc in my life when they followed Chris Christie’s marching orders and passed the law known as Chapter 78.
Overnight, my paycheck decreased significantly to cover increases in both medical premiums and pension contributions that the state had promised to pay. Overnight, the deal that my union had negotiated with the state in good faith was undone—not through negotiation but rather by government fiat.
No legislator warned me this would happen or asked me if I could continue to pay my mortgage, feed and clothe my children, or pay for their college education. No legislator representing me cared when my pay check continued to dwindle every year there after, forcing me to take a second job.
However, Gerald Falotico and John Birkner Jr., who are running for State Assembly in District 39, do care. These two men understand the burden Chapter 78 has placed on teachers (as well as police officers and other public servants).
They have gone on the record to support legislation to revise Chapter 78 and provide much-needed financial relief to educators across the state. They both understand that without this action, education in New Jersey is threatened.
What young person will enter this profession if it is not respected and compensated
fairly? How long can the veteran teachers we rely on to mentor new teachers continue in a profession that cuts their pay year after year?
Please help elect these two dedicated public school parents and longtime residents of Bergen County as District 39’s State Assemblymembers. A vote for Gerald Falotico and John Birkner Jr. on Nov. 5 will help preserve education in New Jersey.
Elizabeth Pita
Dumont
The writer is a legislative aide for Bergen County Education Association, the largest such association in the state.