UNofficially Winslow Receives E-mail

----- Original Message -----
From: UNofficially Winslow Receives E-mail
To: unofficiallywinslow@comcast.net
Sent: Wednesday, March 17, 2010 1:01 PM

Subject: [UNofficially Winslow Schools]Well...well...well...another winslowite who thinks they know it all. For your information, isn't that what unions are for? Aren't they supposed to protect and defend the employees that are in the union? I must be missing something however when you say that custodians make between $30 and $50 an hour. Where? I would love to show you my neighbors's tax returns. Did you know that when the secretaries are off on snow days, and the teachers sit comfortably at home, those very custodians and grounds people come in to work for straight time. Ok a teacher is a 10 month position and a custodian is 12, but so are secretaries. Why the double standard?I don't disagree with the fact that some of our Winslow teachers who were probably former Lower Camden County teachers make entirely too much. But how about ADMINISTRATION. When Dr. Swirsky was our superintendent did he have an assistant? Do we really need to be so top heavy in the organization. How about we start at the top and work our way down.

UNofficially Winslow Receives E-mail

----- Original Message -----
From: UNofficially Winslow Receives E-mail
To: UNofficiallywinslow@comcast.net
Sent: Wednesday, March 17, 2010 9:59 AM
Subject: To reply to post you received on March 16

First of all I work as support staff as a custodian at one of the schools. I love how people who dont know how our school system works tells us how it works, like this last poster.

"Did you know that our custodians' contracts mirror that of teachers? They make between $30-$50/hour based on tenure?" Far from the truth. Teachers work a 6 hour work day, custodians do not. Teachers get tenure we dont, we can be fired at any time all it takes is a 30 day notice. Teachers have many little extra perks, we do not.

This last contract was a fluke where the union fought for us to have Christmas and Easter week off, for the three year contract. It will not happen again. And there is NO DOUBLE TIME on these days because the schools are closed down. So all this magic money you say were making is not falling my way.

Did you know that this Poteat guy, took all base teachers out of schools and now we have kids suffering because they are not up to speed. Did you know that this guy brought down his buddy Dr Carcamo From North Jersey to be an Asst superintendent. Did you know that they each had to have a secretary. And there is so much more. But I am getting tired of typing. I am all for making cuts but start at the top, Hammonton School Dist is doing it with a pay freeze for a year, why cant we and yes our (my) union is a BIG part of the problem. Like most unions. So like most times when its budget time all the know it alls come out of the woods. This should get good.

UNofficially Winslow Receives E-mail ( In response to March 15, 2010 email posted below)

I love it how there are so many alleged "employee experts" in this district who have never been to a BOE meeting, but somehow magically "know" everything that is going on...just because someone else told them it was so.The papers that were handed out last week were generated by the WTEA in an effort to rile up the union members to stage another "pep rally" at tomorrow's BOE meeting. The fact of the matter is that NO final decisions can or will be made until Winslow receives their final budget numbers from the state. (Psst...here's a little secret, there's this guy named Gov. Christie who has made it quite clear that he's coming after the school districts, especially the teachers' union).In fact, the WTEA was informed last week that the only thing that would be occurring short-term is that the BOE would be voting tomorrow whether or not to solict bids to privatize those positions. Did you know that our custodians' contracts mirror that of teachers? They make between $30-$50/hour based on tenure? Did you know that they work the same calendar as teachers? So, if a building needs maintenance/cleaning during winter break, the custodians must be paid double time to come in?Did you also know that last year the WTEA was approached and told that if each member agreed to pay $5 per paycheck toward the cost of their health care, they would have saved every job? Their answer, of course, was "NO". (And they STILL don't contribute ANYTHING out-of-pocket). Did you know that of the 500+ teachers in Winslow, almost 300 of them earn in the $75-$85K/yr category??? Our children go to school in a district where the high school roof is over 50 years old and leaks incessantly when it rains. Up until last year, our technology infrastruction was pathetic. We had teachers in the upper grades teaching ONE CLASS a day. Folks, it didn't get that way overnight. And it can't be fixed overnight. But to sit there and point the finger at the first guy to come along in over a decade and try to FIX things to give our kids a fighting chance is totally irresponsible. Instead of being part of the problem, why don't you get involved and start coming to meetings so that you can hear ALL sides of the story....and be part of the solution.

----- Original Message -----
From: UNofficially Winslow Receives email
To: UNofficiallyWinslow@Comcast.net
Sent: Friday, March 12, 2010 11:52 AM
Subject: Winslow Schools


Papers were handed out yesterday to all Teacher Assistants, custodians, maintenance and hall monitors that their final day of work will be June 30th. This Poteat guy is privatizing all these positions. This will hit our township hard since 95% of the employees live within the township. He is closing school 1 and RDS school. What will happen to the people who work at these schools? What will happen to the children? I'm sure he will not take a pay cut since the board members voted to renew his contract for another 3 years. If it was me I would get rid of all the waste of having to many administrates that do nothing but get a big paycheck. School 5 that school is the worst the children run the school. HS and MS why do they need an assistant principle for every grade. I wonder how many more employees will get cut. We can all say that now NJ has the highest property taxes, the highest car insurance and very stupid children. What will this do to the education of the kids? I'm an employee with over 20 years and it sickens me to see this happen. Please do something to save our township!