Leah at Salon X at the corner of Erie and 7th. Best colorist I have come across in awhile.

Shelley

I agree that people in abated properties are really paying premium and arguably much more than their properties are worth. I will disagree on how many kids are living in abated properties. You would be surprised how many of these new residents are using their local public pre-schools. So much so that the district has had a major capacity problem particularly downtown. One developer told me last year he couldn't believe how many more kids he had living in his properties.

Shelley Skinner

The PILOT payments go directly to the municipal coffers and they do not share any of this money with the local board of ed. However when the state decides how much a local school district should receive it looks at all of the tax revenue the city has earned, it doesn't account for the 25% that is abated. Either the state or the local tax payer has to pick up the difference. This is a long winded way of saying that every abatement approved depends on someone besides the city to subsidize what should be the school portion.

Shelley Skinner

Dan- I am not sure there is going to be anything that satisfy you on this issue. B4K is is disclosing donors because we have absolutely nothing to hide. I assume that you are against the long standing educational groups in the state (that take a different view on the issue) political non-profits as well.

Dan- I'll reach out. Looking forward to chatting.

Be well.


Shelley Skinner

Dan- My offer is still open to discuss. If you are skeptical I am not sure what you lose by actually talking to someone in the organization.

Shelley Skinner
201-978-1474

Dan- I would welcome the opportunity to discuss this with you as I am the Deputy Director for B4K.

I agree with the sentiment that there are many challenges in providing children with a great education in inner city school districts. School leadership is critical, a positive school climate that sets high expectations for students and of course community engagement. Good education policy is incredibly pro-teacher but these conversations regretfully devolve into simple rhetoric and less substance. And yes great teachers are important.

Many would probably be surprised to hear that I have a good relationship with the JCEA, we don't agree on everything but we agree on much more than we disagree on.

Again, I would welcome the opportunity to talk to you, or anyone else who is interested in what we are doing. 201-978-1474.


Shelley Skinner

This is a great letter from Marvin and Carol. Both of these candidates have such tremendous potential to bring professionalism to the board of ed and transforming it into a organization that puts the needs of kids first.

Shelley Skinner

How can someone who has so little regard for our children be the one who is responsible for their education? As a mother of an 8 year old daughter, this is the stuff that keeps me up night thinking that she will have to face this kind of discrimination throughout her life. I want to see our community show more outrage and concern for my daughter- all of our daughters.

To put this in even greater perspective, at last night's meeting we heard a mother from Lincoln HS talk about how her daughter was brutally beaten up and it took 27 days for the school to respond to her demands to know what happened. 27 days. This total lack of respect for children and their parents is wholly unacceptable.

Time for Dr.Epps to resign.

Shelley Skinner

Speaking to clergy group, Jersey City Schools Superintendent Charles Epps Jr. calls today's "bad" young girls the community's "worst enemy" in helping drive up district's costs of policing schools; later backtracks to say all children, male and female, are in trouble today
Thursday, April 14, 2011
By TERRENCE T. McDONALD
JOURNAL STAFF WRITER
"Young ladies" are the community's "worst enemy," Superintendent Charles T. Epps Jr. said yesterday to a group of Jersey City pastors.

Discussing the $1 million that the Jersey City school district pays to staff police officers at its facilities, Epps blasted the district's "young girls."


"Our worst enemy is the young ladies," Epps said. "The young girls are bad. I don't know what they're drinking today, but they're bad."

Epps was speaking to about a dozen members of the Interdenominational Ministerial Alliance of Jersey City & Vicinity meeting in the second floor of the group's Martin Luther King Drive office. A reporter was invited to attend the meeting.

Speaking more broadly, Epps also told the ministers he was trying to recruit "mentors" for Jersey City students as part of a collaboration with Big Brother Big Sisters of Essex, Hudson, and Union Counties that he announced on Tuesday.

Epps praised staff members of JP Morgan and Goldman Sachs who have volunteered as mentors.

"They've signed up to help even the dirty, nasty, bad kids," Epps said.

His comments didn't cause much of a stir with the ministers. Pastor Joyce Watterman, of Continuous Flow Christian Center, on Monticello Avenue, said later she was "surprised" by Epps' opinions on young girls, but doesn't necessarily disagree with him.

Global oppression of women may cause some females to swing too hard in the wrong direction, Watterman said.

"It affects our young girls, too, so that when we rise up, we sometimes overdo it," she said.

Watterman added that she doesn't encounter many girls in her community that she believes are violent. But Epps may see some in his community, she said.

When later asked to clarify his remarks Epps said he was speaking "metaphorically." All children are in trouble today, females and males, he said.

"I think all of our children, we need to support them. We need to make them understand that education is the key," he said.

Epps said violent incidents involving students "break down evenly" between male and female students.

Dan- Golden Door wasn't forced to leave their current facility. They wanted to buy the building and the City wouldn't sell. They found a more cost effective option where they essentially would have the option to buy.

METS is opening as a middle school and I believe they are only going to be on 9th street until their permanent location at the Beacon has finished construction.

Shelley Skinner

Four challenging Jersey City schools superintendent's contract extension will be heard in court in January
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
By MELISSA HAYES
JOURNAL STAFF WRITER
Four Jersey City residents who believe that a school board meeting in which Superintendent of Schools Charles T. Epps Jr. was granted a two-year extension of his contract was not properly advertised will get their day in court.

"It's a win for the parents and students who just want good schools," Ward E Councilman Steven Fulop said yesterday.


"It was said that the politicians who supported the contract put their politics in front of the school kids to try and sneak in a contract extension . to a superintendent with 30 out of 35 failing schools."

But Board of Education President William DeRosa said he feels the board is also on the right track. DeRosa said the board still has to consult with its attorney, but he stands by the process followed to extend Epps' contract.

"I feel we are on the right side of this," DeRosa said. "I do believe we followed all the due process. We followed all the rules and regulations."

Fulop and parent Elvin Dominici, former school board candidate Anthony Sharperson and education activist Shelley Skinner filed a "verified petition of appeal" with the state Department of Education in July in hopes of overturning the two-year contract extension.

New Jersey Administrative Law Judge Margaret Monaco yesterday denied the school board's request to dismiss the case through a summary decision, which would have been based on submitted written documents, rather than a full trial.

"I conclude that a genuine issue of material fact exists regarding the action taken and/or the resolution voted on by the board at its June 22, 2010 meeting," Monaco wrote in her nine-page decision. "Simply put, the evidence at this juncture is insufficient to properly dispose of the matter by way of summary decision."

Monaco ordered a hearing for Jan. 25.

At the core of the issue is the June 22 meeting, at which the board voted 6-2-1 to grant Epps an extension on his $268,200-a-year contract, which expires next year. Fulop and his co-petitioners argue that the public should have been notified 30 days in advance. The public notice ran in the Jersey Journal June 18.

The school board has responded that the 30-day notice wasn't necessary since the terms of Epps' contract extension had not been negotiated and the board held another meeting and public hearing Aug. 11.

Epps' contract is still being reviewed by the state, as is every other superintendent's contract in the state, state Department of Education spokesman Alan Guenther said yesterday.

Bedbugs at Jersey City's School 22 prompt sprayings, but not much clarity about the seriousness of the problem
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
By BRETT WILSHE
JOURNAL STAFF WRITER

Officials are addressing a bedbug problem at School 22 in Jersey City, but administrators and parents have different understandings about the scope of the problem.

"Last week, they sent the kids home with a letter saying that two of the classrooms had bedbugs," a mother of two students at School 22 said last week. "Now the kids are coming home saying the whole school is infested."

Superintendent of Schools Charles T. Epps Jr. said Friday that parents need not panic.

"We found one bug last night (Oct. 7) on a teacher at School 22," Epps said Friday. "Once we confirm what it is with the exterminator, we will be notifying the parents about when we're going to spray."

A document from the state's Environmental Protection Agency's Integrated Pest Management Program indicates that spraying took place in several rooms at School 22 on Oct. 2.

Bedbugs was listed on the form as the reason for the spraying. Board of Education member Sterling Waterman said the school board was not told about the problem.

"Whether or not there are bedbugs in the school, we should be notified of the possibility regardless," he said. "But I have it on good authority that they knew about this and they wanted it kept quiet."

In a note addressed to Ismael Aponte, principal of School 22 on Friday, Deputy Superintendent Flavio Rubano wrote: "There have been reports of bedbugs at P.S. #22. This is to inform you that there will be a pesticide application in the school on Saturday to address the problem."

Jersey City school board punts on superintendent search

Boards of education, we?re discovering, are misnomers, because often they don?t make educated decisions at all.
They have handed out ridiculously costly raises and benefits to teachers in the midst of economic peril. They have driven up the salaries of superintendents by bidding against each other. They have criticized town councils for cutting school budgets that were resoundingly rejected by voters. They looked the other way when protesting students walked out of class last spring.
And now, the Jersey City board of education appears on the verge of extending the contract of superintendent Charles Epps Jr. on Thursday night without a search to find a possibly better ? and more reasonably priced ? candidate.
Add it to the list.
Epps? supporters say the call for a search is racially motivated. (Epps is African-American.) But that rings hollow because Epps has said a search is probably wise, and because a search is likely to produce minority candidates. In fact, the board should make certain of that.
Those backing Epps say a search would be a waste of money. But they?re okay with his $268,200-a-year salary, a car and cell phone on the district?s tab, a $10,000 annual annuity and approximately 500 redeemable sicks days worth $86,000. His contract, if extended by the board for two years as expected, then would require the approval of the Hudson County superintendent of schools.
Supporters say Epps is worth all that. But he?s been superintendent for the past 10 years and progress has been slow. Twenty-six of his 37 schools failed last year to make ?adequate yearly progress,? according to federal standards. One middle school, where only 32 percent of children are proficient in English and 25 percent in math, has missed the goal nine years straight. That?s not good enough to close the door on other candidates before even looking.
?Nobody in their right mind would rehire someone who has failing performance without even a cursory look at who else is out there,? said Steven Fulop, a city councilman.
Education commissioner and former Jersey City mayor Bret Schundler encouraged the board to conduct a national search. That would give the board (and taxpayers) perspective on the talent available and leverage in getting a better deal.
Nothing in Epps? record says his reappointment should be a slam-dunk.

The board's decision to extend this contract by purposely side stepping the public is the height of irresponsibility. Only 50% of high school seniors were able to pass the HSPA (the high school exit exam) in 2009. Only 38% of low income 3rd graders were proficient in Language Arts. Whose interests does the JC Board of Ed, who voted yes, really have at heart here?

Shelley Skinner

Whitney Tilson's presentation is really powerful and informative. Anyone who is a stakeholder in school system should come out on the 22nd.

Shelley Skinner

Please Join Us on June 22nd at 6:30 pm at City Hall

A Right Denied: The Need for Genuine School Reform

Join Whitney Tilson for "A Right Denied," a powerful and unsettling presentation dubbed education's equivalent of "An Inconvenient Truth."

Tilson is co-founder of Democrats for Education Reform, a political action committee that aims to return the Democratic Party to its rightful place as a champion of children, first and foremost, in America's public education systems. He was a founding member of Teach for America, and is vice chairman of KIPP Academy Charter Schools in NYC. The KIPP network has 82 schools in cities around the country.

A panel discussion will follow with Rev. Reginald T. Jackson, executive director of The Black Ministers Council of New Jersey and Ryan Hill, founder and CEO of Newark's TEAM charter schools.

This presentation is brought to you by Shelley Skinner, founder of JC Families for Better Schools, and Councilman Steven Fulop.

The Jersey City Board of Education currently pays out almost $5 million dollars in executive salaries alone. That covers 39 people= 12 special assistants, 9 associate superintendent, 1 executive assistant and it goes on. The nearly $5million doesn't include their bonuses or stipends. All of this while enrollment has declined and the schools have shown no improvement what so ever. Its criminal.

Reminder- A free screening of The Cartel is tomorrow at 4pm in the community room of OLC- 118 Sussex Street.

This movie is powerful stuff.

The film maker does a great job laying out the unbelievable corruption in the New Jersey public school system and how it is the poor and minority students who are left to languish in failing and dangerous schools.

I am not sure whether I should laugh or cry when I read Vega's response. He won't dignify a response? Seems to me that dignity has been summarily stripped away by this scandal and the sleazy culture that Team Healy nurtured over the past several years.

Shelley Skinner

I wanted to stop on comment on this. Today's Jersey Journal has another story this morning- the Mayor freezing executive salaries (given the 11% tax hike and another one inevitably on the way, I think we need to see a bigger sacrifice out of 280 Grove St).

Its seems the adminstration has suddenly woken up and decided to respond to the building public outrage, even if it is three weeks late. The real question will they do something that goes beyond what I think falls in the "nice gesture" category and do something more meaningful in the way of reform.

Shelley Skinner

Won't keep $17G tied to Dwek, Healy says
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
By AMY SARA CLARK
JOURNAL STAFF WRITER

Responding to inquiries from The Jersey Journal, Jersey City Mayor Jerramiah T. Healy said yesterday he is shedding from his campaign coffers all the money that is alleged to have originated from Solomon Dwek, the FBI informant at the center of the sting operation that led to 44 arrests on July 23.

According to Healy, the amount totals $17,600 and includes contributions he received from Deputy Mayor Leona Beldini, City Council President Mariano Vega Jr., former Hudson County Affirmative Action Officer Ed Cheatam and the late political operative Jack Shaw.


All of the donors were arrested as part of last month's corruption sweep, with the exception of Catherine Chin, Shaw's girlfriend, who donated $5,000 to Healy's campaign and $2,500 to the Jersey City Democratic Committee.

Healy said in a statement he would "donate an equivalent amount" of the money "to make sure there is not even a hint of uncertainty and to ensure the confidence we have in ourselves is shared with our contributors and the public at large."

According to city spokeswoman Jennifer Morrill, Healy made the decision to donate the money the day after the arrests. He has not yet identified the charities he's giving the money to, Morrill said.

Asked why he is donating the money from Chin, Morrill said Healy is showing "an abundance of caution."

Healy has not been charged with any crimes, but he has acknowledged meeting with Dwek at least twice, in meetings that included Cheatam, Shaw, and Beldini, who served as his campaign treasurer.

The federal complaints allege that Shaw - who died of unknown causes July 28 - Beldini and Cheatam "arranged for others" to provide checks to the campaign of "JC Official 4" with cash provided by the Dwek. Healy has acknowledged he's "JC Official 4," but says he did nothing wrong.

On April 30, Dwek told Healy he had given $10,000 to Shaw (on March 20) and would give another $10,000 to Shaw for the campaign that day, according to the complaint. Dwek also said to Healy he would give another $10,000 after the election, the complaint says.

On May 5, according to the complaint, Cheatam asked Shaw "is it best to do it out of my personal account, or do it (out of) the business account?" to which Shaw replied "Um, do it (with) your business account."

According to Election Law Enforcement Commission filings, on May 7, Healy's campaign received $2,500 contributions from Shaw, Catherine Chin, E. Cheatam Associates and Michael Schaffer, a commissioner on the North Hudson Sewerage Authority who was also arrested in the sting.

In addition, Cheatam contributed $2,500 to "Team Jersey City," Healy's slate of City Council candidates, on May 7, and Shaw contributed $2,500 to the slate on May 11.

The complaints also suggest that Dwek money may have been funneled into the Healy campaign through other political committees.

For example, on March 24, "Beldini acknowledged the receipt of the $10,000," according to the complaint, "and explained that '(w)hat we're trying to do is put money into different funds so we can, when we need it, funnel it back into (JC Official 4's election fund). Which everybody does."

On April 6, according to ELEC reports, the Jersey City Democratic Committee received $2,500 each from Shaw, Chin, E. Cheatam Associates and Maher Khalil, an employee of the Jersey City Health and Human Services Department who was also arrested on July 23.

Asked about this money, Morrill said "lawyers are reviewing" the Jersey City Democratic Committee account, and if it perceived that some of that money originated from Dwek, Healy will urge that committee to donate the money. Oswin Hadley, treasurer of the Jersey City Democratic Committee, said his committee would "more than likely" give the money away, "but it's premature to comment on that."

Len Gicas, ELEC's director of review and investigation, said he "could not confirm or deny" if the agency is investigating Healy's campaign filings.

The Assemblyman's decision to dig in like Council President Vega is disappointing. Their self serving attitude to put themselves before their constiuents, and the well being of the city, is almost as big of an indicator of their character as the envelopes of cash.

Shelley Skinner

The fact is that the public has been deeply suspicious of how these abatements are negotiated, or renegotiated. Given that the Council President sat on this closed door committee the public's instinct to be distrustful was right.

The truth is these abatements have veryh serious financial consequences. No one from the administration has yet to provide any evidence that these new refinanced abatements are affordable. They aren't providing any evidence because there isn't any.


Shelley Skinner

It was amazing to see the Council on Monday do absolutely nothing. Except for the Councilman for Ward E (and Councilwoman from Ward F who wasn't there) it was business as usual. The same contempt for any kind of change. When it was proposed that the balance of the remaining summer meetings be moved to the evening so that public has an opportunity to participate, it was rebuffed.

One would think that a parade of city employees, elected and appointed officials being hauled off in handcuffs would have been enough to acknowlege that there is something deeply wrong with the way our city does business. Its disappointing and yes, completely enraging.

Everyone tangled in this mess still has the ability to do the right thing for city and put their self interests aside. Its the council's obligation to do what ever it takes to restore the public's trust and remove any obstacles to the city's ability to function.

Early on, we decided NOT to engage in negative campaigning, and we have kept to that decision. We have deliberately endeavored to run a positive campaign, stay focused on the issues, and address the future of Jersey City. We are proud of what Steve has done and excited about what he could
yet do for the residents of Ward E.

In the past two weeks, Team Healy?s candidate, Guy Catrillo, has run two full-page negative ads about Steve in the Hudson Reporter. We chose not to retaliate with a similarly negative attack ad because, again, we want to avoid mudslinging and, instead, focus on the issues that are important to
the Ward. This same advertisement was used as part of many of the invitations their campaign distributed during group discussions in which they participated downtown. Finally, yesterday morning, vocal and key volunteers to the Catrillo campaign started sending out emails (to addresses from community distribution email lists) and letters full of
misinformation and exaggeration.

As campaign manager, I decided that we would again not retaliate with attack ads; rather, we have posted a response to the misinformation on our Web site, presenting the facts and providing reference points for you to examine. If you wish to assess the rumors and determine the truth, please
click on the link below.

[http://www.stevenfulop.com/factcheck] www.stevenfulop.com/factcheck

We are focused on the positive for Ward E and will seek to continue that positive progress for the next four years

Sincerely,

Shelley Skinner
Campaign Manager
Fulop 2009

As the manager for Steven Fulop's campaign I would like to share with you some exciting news.

This morning we received an exciting endorsement from Hudson Diversity Action Council which is a leading voice in progressive issues within Jersey City and Hudson County. Steven's advocacy and independence shows through here as he is the only candidate supported that is not part of the Healy Slate which speaks to his accomplishments and strength advocating for the people of Ward "E"

From the HDAC Website - http://www.hudsondiversity.org/

Ward E ? Steven Fulop

Councilman Fulop has proven himself, over the past four years, to be a strong and unwavering supporter of the underrepresented voice. He has been an advocate of our city?s artists, our LGBT Community, and he has been a progressive voice representing the people of the downtown area. We believe that both his experience and his forward-thinking approach to governing make him the best choice for voters in Ward E. Steven has a steadfast commitment to Jersey City and all of its citizens and we look forward to working with him as Jersey City continues along the path of progress.
-----

This endorsement is in addition to the national support of VoteVets which is one of the the largest progressive group in support of veteran candidates who served in Iraq and Afghanistan. This group includes an advisory board that consists of among others General Wesley Clark and former U.S Senator Bob Kerrey. For VoteVets, Steven Fulop was the the first and only municipal candidate for office that they recognized in the country
http://www.votevets.org/candidates?id=0010


Sincerely,

Shelley Skinner
Campaign Manager
Fulop 2009

I wanted to take an opportunity to address the comments made by Mayoral candidate Louis Manzo in this past Monday's Political Insider Column.

Mr.Manzo suggested the money that Councilman Fulop raised was done under false pretenses. I invite Mr. Manzo to look at Councilman Fulop's ELEC report over the past four years that clearly state these funds are to support a municipal council candidate. He can also look at any of his fundraising invitations that also clearly indicate it was in support of a council run. I think it is safe to say that many of Steve's supporters were disappointed that he chose to run for re-election for his Ward E council seat instead of for Mayor, but I think we should be clear that campaign funds were never raised under the pretense that they were going towards a mayoral race. Supporters contributed money because they believe Steve has been a good for the City and would like him to continue to do so.

It?s an interesting strategy by Louis Manzo to focus so much energy on slandering a candidate who isn't running for Mayor. Even when as late as this past Saturday Mr. Manzo was soliciting Steve to run on his ticket. I can't help but feel it?s very early days in the campaign for Mr. Manzo to be on the attack and offering nothing in the way of a positive dialogue. This is Mr. Manzo?s signature style of campaigning but be sure we will answer back with facts.

Shelley Skinner
Campaign Manager
Fulop 2009

Learning Community Charter School is in the process of acquiring a new facility on Kennedy Blvd. near Lincoln Park. For many years the school has struggled with the very tight quarters in the Boys and Girls Club where it leases space. We have looked into building on to the Boys and Girls Club but found the cost to be prohibitive. The booming real estate market has made another location downtown impossible. Finally the demand for the school has increased 77% percent over the past 4 years and given the confines of the current location we are unable to expand our enrollment to meet community need.

The new location will make transportation for some families less convenient and we will work with parents to find creative solutions to getting to and from the new school. However roughly 55-60% of Learning Community families do not live downtown so it will also provide relief for the parents who haven\'t had the convenience of living close to their child\'s school.

The facility really is a very exciting thing for Learning Community giving our students and teachers many basic school amenities they have gone with out: a dynamism of our own, a cafeteria, a library, a theater and science labs. Ownership of a school building as opposed to leasing insures the long term financial health of the school given the disparity in funding for charter schools.

Shelley Skinner
Director of Development and Community Relations
Learning Community Charter School

I wanted to take the opportunity to thank everyone who came out last night to support Better JC and the referendums. We were overwhelmed by the great turnout. It was thrilling to see how many people are committed to changing the culture of city government and making our community an even better place.


Shelley Skinner