Springfield Teachers Among Dozens of Educators Protesting Kean, Munoz

Over 100 area teachers took to North Avenue in Westfield Wednesday afternoon to picket two local state legislators over Gov. Chris Christie's education and property tax reform proposals.

The group, organized by the Union County chapter of the New Jersey Education Association, picketed the local office of Senate Minority Leader Tom Kean Jr. (R-Westfield) and Assemblywoman Nancy Munoz (R-Summit), both Christie supporters. The pickets were part of a countywide initiative to picket the offices of Union County based state legislators.

"Their goal today is to urge the legislature and the legislators to stand up for on public education," NJEA spokeswoman Christy Kanaby said. "They want the legislators to take a stand."

Kanaby said the group, which included teachers from Westfield, Cranford, Springfield, Roselle Park and the Union County Education Services Commission's Westlake School in Westfield, wanted to show Kean and Munoz the work of the teachers and educate them on why Christie's proposals are bad for the teaching profession. Local union leaders present said the group was there to educate the legislators about the impact of Christie's proposals on education.

"We are here for the children," Cranford Education Association President Beth Lambe said. "They will feel the biggest effect of the cuts."

The group carried a variety of signs calling for a millionaire's tax, calling Christie a bully and signaling out Kean for his support of the governor. During the picket, the group received honks of support from passing motorists.

The teachers centered their issues among several recent Christie proposals, including his deep cuts to state aid to public schools from March. The cuts resulted in multi-million dollar cuts to school districts statewide; all of Springfield's state aid was cut.

Other proposals brought up by teachers include Christie's proposed 2.5-percent property tax cap, changes to pension rules, extended time periods for teacher tenure and merit pay. Following the two-hour picket in front of the office, leaders from the local unions had a private meeting scheduled with Kean and Munoz to discuss these concerns.

Westfield Education Association President Kim Schumacher said she and other leaders intended to discuss the pension, retirement and property tax cap with Kean and Munoz, along with Christie's decision on Tuesday to overturn state Education Commissioner Bret Schundler's deal with the NJEA on the state's Race to the Top application. The Schundler/NJEA deal included specific language on merit pay, linking assessments to teacher evaluations and tenure that was acceptable to the union but not the governor. Following Christie's shelving of the Schundler plan and filing his own application with the Obama Administration, the NJEA and local unions pulled their support of the plan, potentially imperiling the plan.

In an interview with Patch before his meeting with the teachers Wednesday, Kean defended Christie's decision to pull the Schundler application. He noted that Schundler overstepped the limits set by Christie for negotiating on education policy and the governor was the ultimate head of the state's executive branch.

"In any organization the leader needs to be kept informed of the decisions made on their behalf," Kean said. "In this case, Commissioner Schundler was making decisions and commitments that he was not authorized to make. It is the governor's prerogative."

Kean noted that he does not see Christie's decision to change the application and the Neal's lack of support hurting the state's chances to receive the $400 million in aid. Schumacher has said that she and other union leaders see the change as hurting the state's chances.

Both Kean and Munoz welcomed the chance to talk with the teachers who picketed the office. Prior to joining Kean for the Westfield meeting, Munoz met with a group of Berkeley Heights teachers picketing her Summit office. Both noted they want to talk with the union leaders about their support for the governor's proposals.

"The right to picket is a real American enterprise," Munoz said. "I am on several of the bills. I am in support of the legislature to control costs. A lot of the governor's legislation will control costs."

Munoz and Kean both noted the need to control costs in the state and lower property taxes. Munoz, in an interview with Patch, noted her objection to the current system, which allows teachers to bank sick days and cash them in at retirement. She said this drives up property tax costs in districts.

Both Kean and Munoz talked one on one with teachers when they arrived at their district office. Kean engaged one teacher in a lengthy conversation regarding the teacher's concerns. The teacher at the time was wearing a "No to Senator Kean" sign.

The legislators tried to be hospitable to the teachers by offering bottled water to those walking around in the almost 90 degree heat. Teachers, who had access to WEA provided water, rebuffed the offer.

"What I don't have is a promise for health care," a Cranford teacher said to Kean.

Teacher leaders said the picket was a success due to the ability to get their message to the legislators and to the public who drove by.

"We need to fight for what we've wanted all these years," Springfield Education Association President Candice Schiano said.