Hi Sterling:

Thanks for your willingness to answer questions and to be involved. Here's a question that I believe each candidate for the school board should consider responding to:

Background to the Question:
The Jersey City Board of Education budget far eclipses the size of the City of Jersey City budget, weighing in at over $600,000,000 -- with much waste and inefficiency reflected in those numbers. Given the crisis in state funding, and potentially significant cuts in state funding over the next few years, taxpayers are potentially facing increases in school taxes similar to what's now occurring with the City's own budget. In short, the next School Board will be faced with an increasingly complex balancing act.

Q: As a school board member, how would you propose we balance the school budget without radically increasing school taxes, and still deliver measurable improvements in student performance? Simply put, is it possible to deliver improvements in the quality of education our children deserve, and simultaneously address the budgetary challenges?

All the best.

Geoff

rollergirl,
I apologize as I meant to discuss more.

The first part of the meeting which I mentioned was "Board business" is televised.

The second part which gives the community a chance to speak on their schools or whatever they'd like, is not televised.

As I am at 99% of these meetings, unfortunately, not enough people attend.

Another change I'd push for is to have the entire meeting televised, including the "community speak" part so everyone can hear what is happening in the district.

Thanks again,
Sterling

Hi rollergirl,
Thank you for your excitement

The BOE mtgs are every 3rd Thursday of each month.

The first part of the meeting is Board business, ie, accepting various agenda items from each individual committee meeting into record. Unfortunately, the public gets bits and pieces but not enough to fully understand, object or accept what is being done. Even if we did understand, we couldn't do anything about is as it is only our place to listen, not to be part of the decision making.

rollergirl, you ask what changes I would make if elected. The first thing I'd do is make any and all decision making for each committee TRANSPARENT. I'd get the public involved before anything is committed to record.

I have much more to share as there are many holes to fill/fix.

Please stay tuned as I will be posting future "meet & greets" as well as attending many candidate forums.

Sterling

Hi Sterling,
I'm very excited to see you running for the Board of Education. I've met many candidates that have never been to a Board of Education meeting or stepped foot in a Jersey City Public School yet they seem to get the votes because they are part of the machine. Can you tell us how the current meetings are run and what changes you might make if elected?

Hello thrifyT,
Thanks for inquiring.

The Concerned Parents Association is PS 16's version of a PTA. Aside from myself, there is a VP, Treasurer and Secretary.

The School Leadership Committee is a group that discusses issues within or affecting the school. It is made of the principal, 2 parents and 6 teachers.

The Coalition of Parent Council Presidents is a group I founded that includes various PTA, PTO and other forms of Parent Council Presidents of Jersey City Schools. Currently we have 9 Presidents in the group.

As for the question of so many organizations, i believe with so many issues with our current school system, it's impossible for one organization to take on all tasks. My passion and desire for change incorporates all grade levels hence the involvement in so many groups.

I am running, essentially, because I want my 2nd grade son and the multitude of children i interact with daily, to have better opportunities to succeed in Public School now and in the future.

The specifics of how I plan to do that once on the Board could fill a book; so very soon I'll be posting an invitation for an event that all can attend and we can flesh out the ideas together.

Welcome to JClist, Mr. Waterman.

Quetions for you:

What is the Concerned Parents Association? How many members? Who are the members?
What is the School Leadership Committee? How many members? Who are the members?
What is the Coalition of Parent Council Presidents? How many members? Who are the members?

Why so many organizations?

Why are you running for the Jersey City Board of Education?
Obviously you think you can do a better job, but specifically what objectives will you achieve?

Hey JCListers --

My name is Sterling Waterman and I am running for the Jersey City Board of Education. The election is April 20.

I have a son in the 2nd grade at PS#16; there, I?m the president of the Concerned Parents Association and a member of the School Leadership Committee. I?m also the Founding Head of the Coalition of Parent Council Presidents along with many other qualifications. Bottom line: I work hard everyday to better my school and I will work just as hard for the betterment of all schools. I?m not part of the machine. I?m not out for financial or any other kind of gain, other than that for my son and all of the hardworking students and teachers of JC.

This is my first time on JCList but you don?t have to take it easy on me. Please ask any questions or voice any concerns you have and I?ll do my best to answer as many as possible.

Looking forward to the conversation.


-- Sterling