N.J. Education Association praises its members at A.C. convention

ATLANTIC CITY - Leaders of the New Jersey Education Association touted their members as the best educators in the country at their annual convention here over two days, doling out awards and celebrating accomplishments.

It was a rallying of the troops at a time when Gov. Christie is fighting one of the state's largest and most influential public unions, which he views as an obstacle to his plans to adopt merit pay and change how tenure and benefits are awarded.

His administration's latest salvo was a biting e-mail from Acting Education Commissioner Rochelle Hendricks declining an invitation to appear at the convention, accusing the union of wanting to protect the status quo by failing to accept the governor's agenda.

Notice arrived in NJEA president Barbara Keshishian's in-box just after 7:30 p.m. Monday, too late for the union to revise program schedules that blocked out 11/2 hours for a commissioner's presentation on Friday morning - or plan anything in its place.

Voorhees teacher Anthony Klock told the New Jersey Board of Education on Thursday he was "disheartened" the commissioner was a no-show.

"I find it difficult to understand that she has nothing to say to us," said Klock, who teaches fourth graders at Kresson School and had expressed concerns about Christie's merit-pay proposal.

NJEA executive director Vincent Giordano told members at an awards ceremony Friday that while the governor was disparaging the state's public schools, they are the very best in the nation.

But Keshishian, who normally doesn't shrink from criticizing Christie, ignored the controversy during her public remarks to members.

In her keynote address, she instead praised members' dedication, saying every day they open up new worlds for their students to explore.

Keshishian said in a brief interview that teachers were worried about the politics, but they came to Atlantic City because they know they can learn a lot to bring back to their schools.

Still, she said, "the fact that [Hendricks] would not show up to speak with the members of the NJEA about educational issues is almost unbelievable to me."

Christie slashed public school spending to help close a multibillion-dollar budget deficit this year, and has made the teachers' union a favorite target as he takes on New Jersey 's highest-in-the-nation property taxes.

In an Oct. 28 Moorestown town hall meeting, for example, he questioned whether the 200,000-member union does anything with its $130 million in annual dues but hire lobbyists to kill bills and pay for executive salaries.

"We're here and we're here with our checkbook, and our checkbook is big," Christie said in a sarcastic imitation of union leadership. "If you don't vote with us, you'll get a two-by-four across your heads."

He accused the union of using "It's for the kids" as a cover to hike taxes so teachers can receive raises and contribute nothing to their health benefits.

"This is the fight we have to fight," he said.

But some teachers feel the governor is fighting them, not just their union leadership.

"He's demonizing teachers and he's putting us down. It's a disgrace how he's treating teachers," said Barbara Medley, a social worker in the Camden School District.

Charles Joseph, a special education teacher in Atlantic City, said he hasn't heard anyone wish Christie ill, "but they do wish he would stop demeaning teachers."

"It does appear that for whatever reason the NJEA has been targeted, but to this day I don't understand why," said Constance Johnson, a teacher at Yorkship School in Camden.

Teachers in New Jersey are feeling pressure, she said. Educators in Camden have been laid off, while class sizes are "overwhelming," Johnson said.

Juanita White, a fourth-grade teacher in Vineland, said she thought the commissioner should have come.

"We put in a lot of time," she said, reflecting on how her district has cut after-school buses and let go of cafeteria and playground aides. "A lot of our own pay, we put back into our classrooms."

State Board of Education member Edithe Fulton told conference attendees that though Hendricks signed the e-mail, she doesn't think she wrote it.

She praised Hendricks' past cooperation with the union but noted that the commissioner serves at the pleasure of the governor and is "between a rock and a hard place."

Kevin Roberts, a spokesman for Christie, said the governor supports Hendricks' decision not to attend for the reasons she stated, declining further comment, according to the Associated Press.