It's been quite a week in idyllic Montclair. How do recent events relate to New Jersey education? It's simple: Montclair Mayor Sean Spiller happens to be president of the NJEA, the state teachers union, and is reportedly considering a run for governor. Thus was born “Protect Our Democracy,” a new dark money super PAC funded by NJEA teacher dues and promoting Sean Spiller.
Running a city is different from running a state. But we can get some idea of Spiller's leadership style, courtesy of the tireless reporters at Montclair Local. Just this week, the site reported three new hires in the township office. yawn. Wait a minute: The first is the new Community Services Department, which will make $184,798 per year. Her background is that she had just been fired from her job at Palisades Park. Although 15 other people applied for the position, she was clearly Spiller's favorite.
The council also hired a new administrative director. The job posting says the job requires a bachelor's degree in business administration from an accredited college or a related field, three years of experience working within a municipality, and “at least five years in a senior management role.” Top contender? I have a bachelor's degree in professional photography from a media arts center (i.e. not a related field), no local government experience, and no senior management experience.
From the Montclair area:
“Local received and reviewed all applicant resumes through OPRA requests. Four had township work experience, six had master's degrees, and one had a doctoral degree. Additionally, five of the applicants had an educational background in administration or a closely related field.”
New hires will earn $113,250. year. The third hire, a “communication specialist,” will earn $85,000 per year.
Also this week, there was an update on a whistleblower complaint filed by Padmaja Rao, Montclair Town Council's chief financial officer. Rao added another name to his complaint – the new village manager, which replaced the previous name. He continues to maintain a “hostile and vindictive work environment,” she says. Mayor Spiller is also included in her lawsuit, which she holds for creating a toxic environment.
Do you know what employees do when management sucks? They form labor unions. Get advice from someone who knew Albert Shanker's mother, who helped unionize female garment workers. Her son was enduring harsh conditions as a teacher in a New York City school, and she berated her son. “Even in sweatshops there is a lunch break. “You teachers are supposed to be very smart, but you’re stupid because you don’t have a union.” So in 1960, Shanker started the UFT, the New York City Teachers' Union. Teachers can now earn up to $128,657 per year with great benefits.
Don't be like Sean, be like Albert. According to reports from Montclair, Spiller appears to be running a city government that disenfranchises employees, ignores job qualifications when deciding candidates for positions, and makes essential employees so miserable that they're being sued. Now is the time to really protect democracy! Workers of Montclair, unite!
Photo courtesy of Workers' World.