EYE ON TRENTON
News from the Special Legislative Session
Health Benefits
(PL 2007, C103) establishes the School Employees Health Benefit Plan (SEHBP).
This plan replaces the current State Health Benefits Plan (SHBP) for all retired members, and for active members whose district
participates in the state plans. The new plan goes into effect on April 1, 2008. In addition to changes in the health coverage,
the new law guarantees eligible public school employees premium free post-retirement medical benefits for life.
School budget appeals and second questions: A new process put in place by P.L. 2007,
c.62 requires a super majority of 60 percent approval for waivers not approved by the commissioner of education and for separate questions
that go directly to the voters. The new procedures, which go into effect for school budget elections this year, also eliminate an appeal
to the commissioner under certain circumstances.
NJEA / BCEA supports legislation to restore the appeals process to school boards
when school budgets are defeated and to eliminate the super majority requirement for second questions.
Elementary and Secondary Education Act/No Child left behind
Since January 2002, and the
passage of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act/No Child Left Behind (ESEA/NCLB), NJEA has continued to respond to the law’s complex
problems.
As reauthorization for the Act approached, Congress attempted to fast forward the process by redrafting the ESEA/NCLB with
many negative initiatives.
NEA, NJEA and BCEA have consistently told our congressional delegation that the law has serious problems
because it was initially passed without any real time for review or proper input from those who work in public schools. Therefore,
education advocates were outraged when the House leadership rolled out over 1,000 pages of amendatory language in early September 2007 and
asked for immediate comments.
Critical to our concerns was Education and Labor Chairperson Miller’s (D-CA) draft language calling for
“pay for performance” tied to student test scores and contravening any collective bargaining rights for local affiliates.
Working
closely with the NJEA Leadership Team, NEA Directors and the Congressional Contact Committee, NJEA members targeted our three Congressional
members who serve on the House Education and Labor Committee: Rob Andrews (CD 1), Donald Payne (CD 10) and Rush Holt (CD 12). We asked
them to slow down consideration of the bill and stop any action on “pay for performance/merit pay” initiatives.
Our effort was
successful. NJEA, BCEA and NEA will remain vigilant on these issues when Congress takes up reauthorization of ESEA later this year.
NEW JERSEY LEGISLATURE
ROSTER OF MEMBERS
2008
GOVERNOR
Jon Corzine
FEDERAL SENATORS
Frank Lautenberg (D)
Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
Robert Menendez (D)
Senate Office Building
Washington , DC 20510
| DISTRICT 32 Vincent Prieto (D) Assemblywoman Joan Quigley (D) DISTRICT 36
Assemblyman Gary S. Schaer (D)
Assemblyman Frederick Scalera (D) DISTRICT 38
Assemblywoman Joan Voss (D)
Assemblywoman Concetta Wagner (D) DISTRICT 39
Assemblyman John Rooney (R)
Assemblywoman Charlotte Vandervalk (R)
|
DISTRICT 35
Assemblywoman Elease Evans (D) Assemblywoman
Nettie Pou (D) DISTRICT 37
Assemblywoman Valerie Huttle(D)
Assemblyman Gordon Johnson (D) DISTRICT 40
Assemblyman David C. Russo (R)
Assemblyman Scott Rumana (R) BERGEN COUNTY EXECUTIVE FREEHOLDERS BERGEN COUNTY SHERIFF COUNTY CLERK COUNTY SURROGATE
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