To: Eveny Pagan, Superintendent, Dr. Julia Presley, BOE President, John Calavano, Assistant Superintendent for Business., The New Jersey State House, The New Jersey State Senate, and Governor Phil Murphy

Rescind the Reduced Substitute Teacher rate of Franklin Twp , NJ

We work as substitute teachers for the Franklin school district. Our salary of $110 per diem has been reduced to 85 dollars while teacher salaries have increased each year. We demand that the administration rescind the rate reduction and restore to a flat rate of $110 with planned raises as teacher salaries increase.

Why is this important?

We work as substitute teachers for the Franklin school district. Our salary of $110 per diem during the school year has been reduced to 85 dollars. This decision was finalized in the budget without the input of substitutes, the public, teachers ,parents and most administration. Our children's education should be our top priority; these cuts will result in a loss of valuable, educated personnel and the ability of school offices to fill teacher absences. We are a loyal hard working group who live in your town, have 60 credits or more, years of business experience, often parents with past and present PTO memberships. Some of us are even certified teachers who are out of work. We live in this community, teach your children, and deserve a sustainable wage that ensures parents that we will be there day in and day out, familiar and safe faces.
The Board of Education believes
"the quality of the professional staff in large part determines the quality of education offered district students." Often we are called upon to fill long-term assignments where we are covering one teacher from anywhere from 2 days to 21 days. In that time we are responsible for lesson plans, quizzes, tests, homework and grading. If we are paid so poorly, our children may not get the education promised. We are here year after year and know the curriculum and the students. We learn up to date teaching skills by modeling the professional staff. Retention of skilled substitute staff saves money and increases student education.
We hear the cries of “ there is no money " yet there is still plenty of money to give to the top salaries,professional development, stipends, new schools etc.. America has fallen into a dangerous habit of chipping away at the bottom to give to the top. We teach our students the reason we learn history is so we do not repeat the mistakes of our past yet our own Board of Education approved a decrease in income to the lowest paid personnel submitted by the school management who are the highest paid personnel!! Our six figure paid management has decided to chip away at a segment of their own population who cannot afford the sacrifice. Sounds familiar? The Rich get richer and the poor get poorer. Eliminate the rise to middle class.
This is a practice of employers of the past before unions organized the work force.
Robert Reich, Secretary of Labor under Clinton, has said all low wage earners have a right to unionize without fear of losing their jobs. So if the intent of the Board of Education and school management of Franklin is to repeat the past by refusing to rescind our reduction in wage therefore maintaining it at an unlivable level, or perhaps blacklisting all substitutes who have signed this petition, we are ready with our attorneys and will be left with no option but to organize just as teachers did so many decades ago. The "culture of respect" should be for all of us. Please offer your support by signing this petition.