Yes keep throwing money at public schools, hasn't worked for the past 50 years but I'm sure it is bound to work one of these days.

These funds should go back to the tax payers.... This is absurd to spend when you were ready to live without........

Only in Teaneck...... you can just spend spend spend......

If it goes back to classroom programs (which I believe it should) then it is going to taxpayers!! Shimon Baum and Zizi: you just complain over everything. Maybe provide some constructive comments for once?

New textbooks seem very basic and students should have the materials they need. We are not talking about major "luxury" items here. Seems very fair to me!

JamesTS: it was ok to use the existing books...... now... the new books are essential?...... that does not look logical to me.....

We give constructive comments... just that your constructive is not what we consider constructive.... how is that asking for a tax refund is not constructive?

Will these new text books cover the proper usage of ellipses? I would be willing to throw an extra five in to save others in the future.

The funds should go back to where they were pulled from initially with any overages set aside to cushion the upcoming budget.

I am just left wondering how anyone who was planning to open a school to educate children didn't have all his ducks in a row prior to requesting funding and being granted a charter. there's a reason it was denied.

Since moving back to Teaneck eight years ago, it has been discouraging to hear the constant drumbeat of negativity about Teaneck Public Schools. Most of the statements I've heard are absolutely counter to what I have experienced visiting the schools, spending time with students, meeting with students to work on projects, getting to know some of the teachers and generally feeling proud of my alma mater. At my Class of 1959's 50th reunion three years ago, the high school arranged a tour and visit for 150 of my classmates. (A class member's brother who has a pizza shop provided the lunch). My 1959 classmates were wowed by the facilities -- labs, art rooms, etc., the arts, writing and athletic awards displays, the cleanliness of the building (including bathrooms), and most importantly, our guides, the extraordinary Teaneck High School students who led small group tours with the knowledge, maturity and charm of professional tour guides. It is interesting to note that all of the '59ers were white -- our 2 African-American classmates (!) were unable to be there -- and all our guides were of color, a fact discussed in some of the tour groups. Some of my classmates (who had heard negative comments about the Teaneck Public Schools), wondered, aloud, if many of the comments were related to the demographics of the students not their performance. I couldn't say. In 1959, a smaller percentage of students attended 4-year colleges than now. And Teaneck was the 2nd best school system in USA!

It's tough when the majority of Teaneck residents don't have kids going to the public schools. So budgets don't pass and things will never change but that's what the majority wants. They might get it.

What does any of this have to do with giving Teaneck kids proper textbooks and facilities? SOME of you are talking salaries etc..but the school district already cut admin staff (which I think was needed to be done). ALSO: The article does not mention using money for admin salaries or anything. It is very simple if you just focus on what is in the article.. They had the money, then lost for Shalom and now they have it again. Why is there a big debate? Do you want kids to use old textbooks and have outdated courses?

much of the textbook purchase is accomplished using state money which is distributed to the various schools who educate students from a particular district. textbooks need not be paid for out of pocket unless the school needs to make major paradigm shifts in text use and makes a number of them at once.

The important thing is for money for public schools to be considered an investment. In an economy like the one we presently are experiencing, it is the best investment we can make. Critics: visit THS, BF, TJ, the elementary schools. See what you are investing in. And be proud!

Fact is the state has cut funding in Teaneck since the Christie administration entered. We have been allocating over 1 million dollars for a charter school that has not been properly organized for two years ago nor has it open and we cannot use these funds in the current school year after cutting programs and staffing. These funds have come from funds that taxpayers have already paid into the system regardless of budget cuts or not. Our children are entitled to a proper education. The elementary schools lost their World Language programs which decrease our ability to compete and perform against other schools in the country and international. Bring back these programs and update the textbooks.

We need new energy in the schools not separations and more Charter schools. If you do not like the school system even after trying it there are a number of private schools in the area you can pay for that NY parents come across the bridge to use. Charter schools are still public schools they are still using your tax dollars to fund their programs just with different agendas and Ideas and with less regulations. Regardless if you do not have any children in the current system these children are the futures of our country and will represent this town in the world. Take some pride and support them.

When you have one of the top 5 per student spending rates in the state year in and year out (even if a couple of budgets were not approved) and cannot find money for proper textbooks, the district is not underfunded it is just not managed responsibly. Many districts in Bergen County and throughout the state provide the same educational opportunities to their students (if not more) at a significantly lower cost. I think that under the leadership of Ardie Walser, the Board is beginning to tackle some of the worst spending practices - but there is a long way to go.

Also, over the last couple of years to minimize tax increases the Board has run down its reserves for things like legal costs. Set aside this new "found" money aside for a rainy day. When the next rainy day comes - and it will - wouldn't it be great if we could use the reserves rather than reduce programming further to pay for it.

For accuracy purposes, the article could have been titled, “Shalom Academy Money Could Go Back to Teaneck Classrooms” since the money for the Academy charter school had come from Teaneck's public school budget. If you'll remember, the Governor had already taken money from the school, so budgeting the Shalom Academy charter school with Teaneck public school's already depleted budget meant firing staff, cutting classes and not being able to buy basics like books where necessary.
Why not return the money back to the public school budget to try to reclaim some of the educational supplies to support the school system and help their students and teachers where it’s really needed? I applaud Dr. Walser’s efforts to go to Cerf and reclaim his schools’ money!

We need to thank Dr Walser for dealing with Trenton period! It can't be easy.

People ask about what the Board of Ed is spending their money on. To get an Idea of teacher salaries I suggest you check out the Asbury Park Press Data Universe, which shows salaries for 2011 for all Public school teachers statewide. Here are a few useful ones for Teaneck:

4 Teachers on "In-School Suspension" status - totaling $425,000:
http://php.app.com/edstaff/results2.php?county=BERGEN&district=TEANECK&school=%25&lname=&fname=&job1=In-School+Suspension&Submit=Submit

6 Phys Ed teachers - of whom 4 earn $104,000 or more:
http://php.app.com/edstaff/results2.php?county=BERGEN&district=TEANECK&school=%25&lname=&fname=&job1=Physical+Education&Submit=Submit

All teacher salaries in Teaneck:
http://php.app.com/edstaff/results2.php?county=BERGEN&district=TEANECK&school=%25&lname=&fname=&job1=%25&Submit=Submit

Note - these are the Base salaries for what is essentially a 10-month a year job. Add on the generous health plan and pension plan benefits and that will give a significantly higher dollar amount per employee.

Teaneck seems to have an extremely large number of teachers with Masters degrees. Is that because the positions require them to have a Masters degree in order to teach, or is that because of the automatic salary increases they get as a teacher with a Master's degree employed by Teaneck?
Do the students at Lowell and Bryant school really need Phys Ed. teachers with Masters degrees?

The 4 teachers that are "In school suspension", I think that's a job title. they are in guidance area.

Josh: can you do some more reasearch and compare the salaries of Teaneck teachers with our neighboring towns? Also... the test scores.....
I just want to point out that there is no connection between teacher salaries and test scores... Teaneck spends a lot more than its peers and gets a lot less payback........
It is time to bring that balance back to Teaneck... spend less on salries/benefits and more on OUR kids and get results that matters.... every kid is ours and it is up to us to see that each one gets a fair shot at Amercian dream and all that is done keeping the interests of tax payers in mind.

To provide further information/clarity about an earlier website posting, the individuals listed as in school suspension are teacher-deans at Teaneck High School I can't say why they are listed as in school suspension on the Asbury Park website.

Also, for the sake of accuracy, if you look at the Minutes of the Board's meeting on August 24, 2011, you will see that there were 7 gym teachers making more than $104,000 a year. At a certain point, you have to decide what is more important - highly paid gym teachers or high quality textbooks. BTW, 7 represents a decline from a high of 11 or 12 a couple of years ago. I assume this reflects retirements, so now the taxpayers continue to pay for these teachers in the form of higher pension payments.

Dr. Toffler - there was a partial spend down of the reserves a couple of years ago as a result of legislation in Trenton. However, in the current budget (see the 2012-2013 User Friendly Budget) capital reserves were dropped from 1M and 500,000 and Legal reserves were dropped from 1.9M to zero(!) Unless Teaneck's aging buildings are getting cheaper to maintain or Teaneck believes that no one will sue it in the future, it is hard to establish a rationale for these drops. Any savings from the Charter school should go to replenishing these reserves.

Finally, the fact that after $10M in cuts (ok, 4M in cuts and 6M in rejected increase) Teaneck continues to be in the top 2-3% of spending and cannot find a way to pay for quality textbooks just begs the question - what are they spending it on.

It is time for Teaneck to discontinue pensions for its employees. Why can't they save for their own retirements like all other residents.....

Here are some useful comparisons - Tenafly's Phys Ed. Teachers:
http://php.app.com/edstaff/results2.php?county=BERGEN&district=TENAFLY&school=%25&lname=&fname=&job1=Physical+Education&Submit=Submit

Tenafly has 12 Phys Ed. teachers - not a single one earns 100,000 or more.
In fact, only 4 of the 12 earn more than $90,000.

Bergenfield - 8 Phys ed teachers - Only 2 of them are above $80,000, the rest earn less.
http://php.app.com/edstaff/results2.php?county=BERGEN&district=BERGENFIELD&school=%25&lname=&fname=&job1=Physical+Education&Submit=Submit

Hackensack - 5 phys ed teachers - only 1 earns more than $100,00

http://php.app.com/edstaff/results2.php?county=BERGEN&district=HACKENSACK&school=%25&lname=&fname=&job1=Physical+Education&Submit=Submit

Want to do your own comparisons?
Go here to the Asbury Park Data Universe for public school teachers:
http://hp.app.com/edstaff/search.php

For any State/municipal employee:
http://www.app.com/section/DATA

I used Phys Ed. as an example here, not to question the amount of effort that a phys ed teacher puts into teaching, but only as an example that should make apples to apples comparisons easy. People say that if you spend less on the teachers you are shortchanging the students. Perhaps yes, perhaps not. But look at the amounts the neighboring towns are spending on Phys ed and look at the amounts that Teaneck spends. Does that extra money really that Teaneck spends show up in a better school experience for the students? Or is it just a sign of a broken pay system in the Teaneck Public schools that gives such high salaries without reference to whether the money is being wisely spent.

You could have easily used English or math or history. You used phys. ed because of the perceived public image of phys ed teachers. You are being disingenuous and it isn't becoming to this forum.

Teaneck can in fact stop contributing from this contract on... previous obligations will still haunt the tax payers for generations....

Tom & company: Why don't you answer Josh.......

It only means we need to change the law.......