Part of my role as an educator is to prepare students for a successful future. When a student tells me that he/she is planning on attending New York Institute of Technology to study architecture, I ask that student to research the total cost of that degree and how long it will take to pay off the college loans. I ask them to research the salary of a starting architect and the potential for getting a job in the field. NYIT?s five year architect program will cost over $200,000. If they want to study architecture and are not getting financial aid or scholarships, I encourage them to go to the community college for two years and then transfer to a program like New Jersey Institute of Technology where they can get the same degree as NYIT at a fraction of the cost. When students tell me they want to get a degree in psych or history, I warn them that the job market is extremely small and they need to have a ?back-up? plan. If some fault me for encouraging them to do their research and not dig a huge financial hole, I suggest they speak with the recent college graduates who are desperate to find any work so that they can begin paying off their debt. The reason I discouraged my student from getting a history degree is the difficulty in finding employment. He graduated with honors from Rutgers (he was also taking classes in NJIT). He continues to work part time at Walmart returning carts to the store. I stand by my advice and continue to work with him to find a full time job where he can use his recent degree.

I was just shown your Website so I appologize for this last minute response. My name is Gerald Lyons and I am running for the Jersey City Board of Education. I am not backed by any political party or organization so I am listed as an Independent. I teach at County Prep High School on Montgomery Street. This is my 23rd year with the district. I have five teaching certifications (vocational, academic, online, Supervisor of Instruction and Media Specialist), a master's and an additional 100 credits. I have won Teacher of the Year for my district twice and was honored by the Jersey Journal as an Everyday Hero in Education in 2006. I am a devoted teacher who still enjoys my job. I would like to bring my years of experience and my education to the Board of Ed. I think it is important to have someone who is in the classroom present when the Board is discussing policies that affect the students of Jersey City. Please check out my Facebook group page, Gerald Lyons for the Jersey City Board of Ed, if you would like more information. I thank you for your time and join with many of the people who have posted to this site in urging you to vote tomorrow. Please consider adding a teacher to the Board. Thank you for your time. Gerald Lyons