This is a bunch of bull. The Gov is against unions and anybody else that stands in his way. Its funny to see how many people kiss up to him just to improve their image. I'm tired of all the BS, when is somebody going to say what they really think of the Gov or even the Fort Lee School System.

I am just going to say one thing here. We have a wonderful Principal at the high school who is all for change, for the better. She has always made a difference in my child's life. Concerning some of your comments about the Governor, Mike, I can not disagree.
The End.

To focus on the positive, this was a fabulous opportunity to showcase Fort Lee and its school system on a national scale, and does much to offset some of the negative attitudes/impressions that have come with past leadership turnovers, high-profile scandals at the high school and battles over the superintendent selection process. There was much said that people could disagree with, and certainly Christie was the main attraction for a good chunk of the show, but the topic of education reform was covered comprehensively in high-level discussions that went beyond just teacher performance and union. There were two other governors and many other education professionals there. There was discussion of income inequality, low wages and inadequate resources for teachers, how best to address the needs of poorly serviced and performing communities, etc. Although Christie and Engravalle got quite a bit of attention, I think that kids were generally at the center of the discussions. The clips of much of the show are on the Morning Joe website.

“I never wanted to be a superintendent of schools,” he said. “I wanted to be a teacher, and I wanted to be a coach. I stayed late. I came in early. I worked hard for kids.”

How does a guy who "wanted to be a teacher" quit teaching for an administrative position after less than four years in the classroom. Did he wake up one day and discover he had an MA in Ed. Administration? What a pile of crap. He "worked hard for the kids" but couldn't wait to get out of the classroom. To what extent was the school day disrupted to accomodate a "town hall" where the overwhelming message was to trash teachers (yeah, I know, everyone loves the teachers but hates their union. As if a democratically organized union is somehow separate from its membership.)? Would it have been possible for Morning Joe to actually have one working, union, teacher present to defend the profession from endless ad hominem attacks. Fort Lee taxpayers, ask your new Superintendent if he has further plans to use your children and schools as props for the Governor's agenda driven, political theater.

I watched the segments on MSNBC, and Fort Lee schools did not come across in a positive light at all. Engrevalle, who has been acting superintendent all of a few months arrogantly takes credit for a turning around what is portrayed as a terrible district while completely throwing the teachers under the bus. It was clear he was sucking up to Christie and try to portray himself as the next Michelle Rhee and playing up the ridiculous "superman" baloney. Seems like a lot of the problems with the schools came under his watch as Asst. Supt.

It was substantially disruptive to the students for the school to be used as a prop, and for a "town hall" event it was strange that it was not open to the public at all or announced ahead of time at the BOE meeting.

The Fort Lee schools should not come across in a positive light. We are not in a good place. We are only OK. Mr. Engravalle was the ONLY admistrator who was honest with me about not having an elementary curriculum last year before my run for BOE last year, (when I had been looking and asking for two years). He was the ONLY person who stated that the elementary schools all teach differently with different content....Engravalle is the only one who has been honest with this town....
He is also the person who states very clearly that the ONLY reason we are as good as we are is because of the great teachers and our children!
For too many years this district has been broken, broken at the top. We have been slighted and lied to at every turn, even when we ask direct questions--- So we have a chance to fix this SD from the top down, give our teachers the support and supplies they need! Get rid of the nonsense that general citizens know how to manage an educational system get a straight shooter at the top........let the experts bring us up to date, ready the district for the future and give our children what they deserve!

After watching the recordings Morning Joe which I try to catch everyday before I go across the bridge to a NYC school that may include some of the 5% that is not tolerated by some. I was disappointed that Mrs Church was not included in the discussion about education as she is a master educator and principal. What about some terrific Fort Lee teachers or students that have shown progress but may not be honor students and may indeed be challenged. The buzz word in education is "inclusion." Poverty, diversity, English Language learners and special needs students are expected to meet benchmarks and pass standardized tests in a curriculum that doesn't meet their needs, yet. We have a terrific director of Special Education , Ann Marie Bruder, who has demonstrated courage and capability to bring our challenged students home to FL. There's a story. I was disappointed that for three hours there was nothing inspirational; informative, but nothing new. The program certainly did not highlight Fort Lee High School. I think this was a missed opportunity. The students were great! I did feel a great deal of pride and that Fort Lee was the chosen as backdrop for my "Morning Joe" fix. The graphics were gorgeous but the substance could have been enhanced by a segment w/ esteemed Fort Lee High School Professionals. As a teacher in a city (NJ/NY) where fear is escalating as teachers are discredited and blamed, the joy of teaching dies. Teachers need encouragement & respect.
FLHS

Hi Carol! I wish too that we could hear from our own but I think that was up to the producers and directors.It is a national show and it was alot of 'nationally' recognized people (AL Sharpten, Michelle Rhee etc). Even the superman socks were requested by the director!

A thing like this is will draw national attention again!!! (the bullying Dr. Drew show too). And we will see opportunities come to our children that otherwise might not....I cannot wait to see what they will be! What a GREAT opportunity this was for the TV production class! how else would they have gotten such an opportunity??

Hi Tracy! There is no downside to having national exposure here in Fort Lee. 'Morning Joe" was exciting, educational, and always entertaining.
The unscripted Q&A (scripted?) in which Gov. Christie and Rev. Al meander around with Joe and Mika was priceless. All this, happening at the Fort Lee High School.
There is no downside for the national public exposure given to Fort Lee and the learning opportunity afforded to students by having several Governors, activists, and media celebrities "in the house," Even my own son, Aaron, was charged up by the event. It was good.

Engravale is an arrogant self-promoter (trying to emulate his hero Christie) who had NOTHING to do with the "turnaround" of the school. He wasn't even Superintendent when the "non-tenured teachers were let go, and supervisors were laid off". And those firings had nothing to do with performance--they were people fired by the infamous Ray Bandlow because of Christie's slash-and-burn budget cuts. If anything, firing them delayed progress.

Engravale's so-called "vision" had nothing to do with the improvement--he was an second-banana assistant superintendent at the time, had no authority, and seldom even left his office. If you asked a teacher in any school what Engravale's "vision" was, and how it helped them improve scores, they would probably answer: "What vision? Until I saw him on TV, I didn't even know what the guy looked like."

Tracy, I praise you for being an advocate for Fort Lee Schools. I appreciate your voice in these matters.
Numerous people chosen to discuss education on the show like Rev. Al, M. Rhee, Randy W., Howard Dean have platforms and are/have been heard on the airwaves. The segment with other Governors was insightful. Beyond the politics that Fort Lee Schools encounter with finding/trusting a leader ironically, Steve Engravalle, front and center deserves credit for his PR abilities. Pockets of hope, reside within the school walls and the value of educators warrant national attention in this arena.The media spins a story and neglects the "how to" raise the bar measures that succeeded within the school. Deeds rather than banter may be more powerful and significant to the Town Hall public forum. However, I am not the producer/director of "morning Joe" but I am looking for role models and solutions that are relevant to the educational process. Ironically, FLHS staff was usurped by some national figures
that dominate the stage. Great TV! I still think that a few minutes of air time with Mrs. Church and teachers would have enhanced the national stage for education that needs practical solutions and ideas.

There was certainly lots to disagree with on the program (including the lack of teacher participation--there was only one token teacher panelist), who exactly was responsible for improvementa at the school, etc. But it has definitely energized the debate, which is good. Also, Fort Lee High School was clearly meant to be the backdrop or launching pad for the show, not its central subject. The topic and the guests were directed at a national audience, and, no doubt, to showcase Gov Christie, who's a frequent guest of Morning Joe and has a relationship with all of them--and who seems to have packed the town hall with many of his own guests/supporters. Also, there was certainly exaggeration in the FLHS turnaround narrative, we all know that. Nonetheless, I still think overall it was positive for the school and the town.

Funny how the HSPA scores for the Special Education population improved and two of the non-tenured special education English teachers were let go. They both had great observations and they both coached multiple sports. So, I guess Superman was responsible for the improved test scores and the district being removed from the "watch list"?

Test scores in general improved. Out of One Hundred Best High Schools in New Jersey, we went from #98 to #77. All student scores have to be included under the No Child Left Behind Act. Can not comment on individual teachers being let go, do not have enough background information on that. I believe though it was Romano's choice to leave.

Whatever a union does with its members' dues is the business of the union and its members. The NJEA is a democratically structured entity, if the membership doesn't like what the leadership is doing they will certainly let them know. How much does an hour-long network television puff piece cost Engrevalle and Christie? Not a cent! Is the NJEA supposed to respond to Christie's endless attacks and MSNBC's cheerleading by laying down and quitting? That is an absurd notion. The NJEA wasn't spending money on billboards when they weren't being vilified by a Governor whose every utterance is considered worthy of national broadcast. How would you respond to endless ad hominem attacks on your profession? If Engrevalle "views himself as a teacher" that doesn't make him one. If I view myself as president, that doesn't mean I'm flying Airforce One.

Alan, do you even live in Ft Lee? I am glad tat the piece didn't cost a cent, and the teachers should be asking the union to represent them, not fall into the muck of political posturing. Our teachers are awesome in Ft Lee....stop magnifying the union stuff and let them do what they do best.....teach.
As far as, Engravalle not being a teacher, have you EVER sat down with him? you will learn more about education, and reform and child development that you can imagine.

Tracy,
Responding to a nationwide campaign of attacks on public education, public school teachers, teacher's unions and the professional knowledge of experienced educators is exactly what the NJEA and other unions should be doing. What do you think your union dues should be used for? Don't forget that the "muck of political posturing" starts with a Superintendent who allows his district to serve as a staging point for Chris Christie's "reform". Perhaps if a single representative of the teacher's union were allowed to sit in and respond to these phony "town hall" attacks spending money on billboards wouldn't be necessary. A town hall by definition is an inclusive, democratic event. The Michelle Rhee, Chris Christie, Engrevalle love-fest was nothing of the sort.

You must be a union rep. Look, Alan, your thinking is largely emotional and lacks the fact based connections it needs to logical. I am not going to fault Engravalle for bringing a show like that here, it gave us great exposure. He is pro-child and pro-teacher, but the system is broken and needs to be fixed.
It was not a town meeting, it was a Morning with Joe, a huge TV show and that only resembles a style called the town meeting.
I want the teacher's and adminstrator's unions to scream "we need a good, live curriculum, we need support with new technology and new methodologies" not the constant back and forth with politics. What if we spent our time getting teachers what they need to so they can teach better or long or deeper and wider instead of all this muck!!
Good test score are a by-product of good teaching---- a great curriculum makes teaching great and learning greater.....

Tracey, I never said the two teachers were solely responsible for the improved test scores. It is clearly a collaborative effort among the faculty, which is a great group or teachers. My point was that without tenure, good teachers are let go without good reason.

Hi Jerry-- Thank you for clarifying that, the importance of your thought was not made clear in the last post. And it is a very important observation!

And I wholly agree that we lose some of the best teachers who are not tenured, not supported and the last to come, so the first to go.....and its a shame!!!! Its wrong and should be changed! That is a union negotiation tactic and need to end!!

The results of standardized tests are not conclusive for all If you are talking about the children, some are not good test takers. Others may not have slept well the night before or had a good breakfast which plays into test performance. As an educator myself, for both teachers and students, the results of standardized tests should be balanced with other formative and summative assessments throughout the school year. Also, there is something such as teacher observation, both planned and unplanned in advance by the Principal! How many letters does the teacher have in her file showing appreciation for teachers efforts or not?

I don't know why teachers are getting such a bad rap. We teach your children, worry about their well being, deal with emotional issues, family problems, teaching new and creative lessons, trying to use technology in the classroom (even though rarely works), and many other things but yet we don't deserve our benefits. Tenure doesn't mean you cannot get fired, it just means that the administrators have to prove that the teacher is ineffective. If you want to know who is an effective teacher and who isn't ask your kids, if they say a teacher doesn't teach then call your best friend Engravalle and have him observe the teacher. While the unions are crazy at times, their heart is in the right place. They support the teachers and staff, if their is proof that a teacher is ineffective then get rid of them, its not impossible. Go ahead, get rid of tenure, it won't affect the good teachers. The problem is when an administrator has a friend or relative that needs a job it is going to be your good teacher that goes. I'm sure Engravelle is great but he has yet to show it. He has been here for 2 years and is taking credit for everything. If he wanted to be a teacher he would still be in the classroom. Someone that is a teacher for 3 years does not consider themselves a teacher. First yr teachers need practice in order to grow, not by being an admin. People who go into admin usually want out of the classroom and more pay. They dont deal with the students like the teachers do.

I also don't understand how he can evaluate schools, students, and teachers without stepping foot in the classrooms or schools. How can he know how to make our schools better if he doesn't know what they are like to begin with? If he was present and then making these statements than it would be a different story. I am not saying administrators don't care for the kids because they do, but you cannot tell someone how to teach until you know the full story. You don't always have a classroom that is full of kids eager to learn but you try to peak their interest and keep them entertained for the entire day. It is an extremely hard job and people treat us like glorified babysitters that do nothing but whine. We are overpaid, lazy, heroes. Make up your minds!

Ava, Rick- your judgments are based on a snapshot of the FL school system, snapshot of education and the expanded assumptions are tenuous and emotional. There is not one aspect of the show that explains the whole 'picture'. The superintendent is not a teacher's direct report, the administrators are. The Superintendent relies on them to do their jobs. Just as any other industry relies on the chain of command.
I think you are disrespecting yourself as a teacher by trying to negate someone's belief that they remain a teacher. I will also challenge the fact that only teachers who want out of the classroom (that is just silly) and want more money go into administration. They want more, yes, but they want more so they have more influence over a greater number of children. And if they want out- then there a many other industries available, just like any other job.
There is one difference I have never been able to wrap my head around, education is the ONLY profession that will dare to publicly insult, and challenge their bosses, without fear of consequence and a sense of entitlement that is misplaced and misused. Good teachers teach, they teach well in the worst circumstances and teach for the love of teaching.....its rewards are greater than its challenges.
The focus should be education and getting the best out of our kids.....get the schools back on track....

Tracy,
What is your opinion about an administrator calling a former education supervisor a "Bozo" on national TV? Is that disrespectful? Does Fort Lee deserve better?

Billy Mays,
Would you prefer a surgeon two years out of med school or a surgeon with ten years experience and 100 similar surgeries under her belt?

Tracy: Amen to your first comment of today!

Rick: If you'd like a parent's point of view, the improvement at Fort Lee High School, both test scores and other increases in knowledge, are more a reflection of Mrs. Church's influence than anyone else's.

Alan: That's a really low blow to Tracy. Have you worked at a job without benefits? I can tell you from personal experience its a horror, and the employees help to pay for those benefits as well.

Alan: It is a low blow because if Tracy is a teacher she helps to pay in for those health benefits. This is the same as an employer paying a percentage and the employee the rest. Those of us without insurance have suffered tremendously. How would you like paying off three emergency rooms as my husband and I are doing? It's not a pretty picture.

Alan- you have created the attacks....have you read your own words? ugh! Go back to your own town, we will take care of our Ft Lee teachers, they don't need the likes of you representing them!
Out for now, can't take the banter any longer!

Alan. alan: you are using this column as some kind of platform to espouse your views. However, do you have health insurance on your job? it should be a right to all, and yes, i was in favor of a single payer option. employers do not have to give it, but its ironic in a lazy economy that bosses get all the profits and employees have to be happy just to have a job. They are preyed upon. The End.