Why does Mayor Fulop refuse to lead on Jersey City schools?

Candidate Steve Fulop worked hard to get his candidates on the Jersey City Board of Education and School Board. In the past his ticket won an almost clean sweep of the positions up for voters. Fulop spent a lot of political capital on getting these seats filled with his supporters.

So why now does he refuse to lead? Jersey City schools have been under state control LONGER than Newark Public Schools. Fulop has a lot of the folks he wanted running things in place so why oh why do the Jersey City schools still look like they do? A giant brawl yesterday (though it certainly wasn't the first and won't be the last) downtown leading to fifteen student arrests, schools falling apart around students and teachers and what does Fulop do? He gets miffed the Board of Education didn't want his idea to get builders more of a tax break by putting in tiny "pre-K" spaces in their new buildings (and a side note here, the mayor and city councilors have been told by the citizens around town they'd rather not give abatements and screw these "pre-K" centers Fulop seems to be hot on -- he's just hot on giving away resident tax money to developers we think) he fought so hard against until he became mayor. See a pattern here Jersey City? Fulop fought against things in sound bites as a city councilman but once he became mayor he turned into Mayor Steve Healop.

Now we hear Fulop is having nothing to do with the BOE this election season. Wonderful. Way to divest yourself completely from a vital city issue. Being a pissy pants does NOTHING to help Jersey City children succeed Mr. Mayor. Throwing up your hands because the BOE didn't want your abatement schemes doesn't help one Jersey City child get into college.

Is the Mayor moving away from our failing school system because he fears it will be an albatross when he runs for Governor? The very idea someone who claims to love Jersey City as much as our mayor (and we have zero reason to doubt that love) yet would even consider leaving JC and running for Governor while kids are locked in a failed school system is abhorrent. You wanted the Jersey City gig Mr. Fulop. The voters gave that to you. Now, get in there and lead lead lead until you're blue in the mouth. You took an oath to work for all residents, not just the well heeled developers with names like Trump and Goldman. Time you started acting like it. Try working as hard so Jersey City kids can get an education to prepare them for this world as you do to get tax abatements for the rich.

Jersey City Board of Education is moving to cut back public discussion at their meetings

Say Mayor Fulop, aren't these YOUR people now running things? Weren't most of these people YOUR candidates? You might want to remind them about the openness and community input you said you want this city to emulate through your examples. That isn't happening when BOE President Sangeeta Ranade smugly dismisses those objecting to the BOE move as saying hey we're just enforcing old rules because meetings can get contentious. In fact, it sounds like Ranade is more worried about the length of the meetings:

The current format of the board meetings discourages anyone who “wants to do anything other than sit in a board meeting all night,” she said.

Jesus, you signed up for the Board of Education thing didn't you Sangeeta? You knew going in meetings went long and your commitment was going to be large? Sounds us like you just want to get the meetings over ASAFP. Sure there are people who take advantage of meetings. Limit them to X amount of times speaking, not time limits on topics when you put out hundreds of pages to go over before a meeting and give people a day to pour over it. The way the BOE is already set up limits in-depth discussion and now you want to limit it more? Maybe a lesser role on the BOE might suit you Ms. Ranade until you realize YOU work FOR the citizens who'd like to speak about things as important as their children's education. A little meeting runover or  citizen criticism isn't going to kill you.

The Fulop train keeps rolling through Jersey City

A columnist for the local paper recently asked just how much staying power Jersey City Ward E councilman Steve Fulop had when it came to Board of Education endorsements. Well, a lot actually.

Fulop's endorsed candidates are all claiming victory (again) after going up against candidates endorsed not only by JC Mayor Healy but by the teacher's union. This is the third straight Board of Education election Fulop's candidates have made a clean sweep.

Vidya Gangadin, Sangeeta Ranade and Marilyn Roma are all claiming victory this morning over their opponents.

The Jersey Journal has this background on the winners:

Gangadin, 41, is a financial analyst who ran and lost for a spot on the Board of Education last year. Ranade, 37, works with the New York City school district on energy-efficiency issues.

And Roman, 76, is a retired teacher and former interim mayor of Jersey City, taking over in 1991 when former mayor Gerry McCann was convicted in a savings-and-loan scam.

Can Councilman Fulop have this same kind of citywide support next year? Well now, that's the real question here isn't it?

Something as simple as a bedbug sighting shows Jersey City School District at it's most confused

It's not a good time to be on the Jersey City Board of Education nor an administrator at school 23 in our fair city. A few days ago an outbreak of bedbugs was first noticed then acted upon by school 23 admins and the Board of Education. Now we're told by Board member Paula Christen they're simply not sure they have bedbugs at the school at all. Except when they said they did.

"We don't even know that it's bedbugs" said Christen.

VP of the Jersey City Education Association Bob Cecchine says they DO have a bedbug issue:

"The teachers said there is still a problem and they are concerned because they have to report to these schools every day and don't want to bring the bedbugs home..."

People, you are a SCHOOL district. You're about education. For heaven's sake, figure out using scientific methods if you have bedbugs or not and act accordingly. This "we have them, wait there could be liability or the administration might not want to admit it" act doesn't instill the most confidence in Jersey City schools.