Pleas contact thse legislators immediately.

Thank you.

• Assemblywoman Linda Stender – thanks! (lone vote against pension bills in the committee): AswStendernjlegorg  (AswStendernjlegorg)  
• Assemblyman Nelson Albano: AsmAlbanonjlegorg  (AsmAlbanonjlegorg)  
• Assemblyman Herb Conaway: AsmConawaynjlegorg  (AsmConawaynjlegorg)  
• Assemblywoman Linda Greenstein: AswGreensteinnjlegorg  (AswGreensteinnjlegorg)  
• Assemblyman Wayne DeAngelo: AswGreensteinnjlegorg  (AswGreensteinnjlegorg)  
• Assemblywoman Bonnie Watson Coleman: AswWatsonColemannjlegorg  (AswWatsonColemannjlegorg)  
• Assemblyman Pat Diegnan: AsmDiegnannjlegorg  (AsmDiegnannjlegorg)  
• Assemblyman Joe Cryan: AsmCryannjlegorg  (AsmCryannjlegorg)  
• Assemblyman John McKeon: AsmMcKeonnjlegorg  (AsmMcKeonnjlegorg)  
• Assemblyman Al Coutinho: AsmCoutinhonjlegorg  (AsmCoutinhonjlegorg)  
• Assemblyman Anthony Chiappone: AsmChiapponenjlegorg  (AsmChiapponenjlegorg)  
• Assemblyman Vincent Prieto: AsmPrietonjlegorg  (AsmPrietonjlegorg)  
• Assemblyman Tom Giblin: AsmGiblinnjlegorg  (AsmGiblinnjlegorg)  
• Assemblywoman Elease Evans: AswEvansnjlegorg  (AswEvansnjlegorg)  
• Assemblyman Gary Schaer: AsmSchaernjlegorg  (AsmSchaernjlegorg)  
• Assemblywoman Joan Voss: AswVossnjlegorg  (AswVossnjlegorg)  
• Assemblywoman Connie Wagner: AswWagnernjlegorg  (AswWagnernjlegorg)  

Report on Bangs Elementary School, 1300 Bangs Ave., Asbury Park, NJ, 07712
Eileen Senn, Industrial Hygiene Consultant, NJ Work Environment Council
For the NJ Education Association and Asbury Park Education Association
July 22, 2008

Summary
At the request of the union, a joint union-management walkthrough was held July 17, 2008 at the Bangs ES in Asbury Park following a one-year shut down and asbestos abatement. The purpose was to observe where the asbestos abatement work was performed, where asbestos containing material (ACM) remains in the school, and ensure that the school is safe for re-occupancy by staff and students. The asbestos remediation appears to have been performed properly with many plaster walls being replaced with sheetrock and floors in classrooms 128, 229, 317, 327, and 333 being replaced with vinyl tile.

The school is in the process of being cleaned and painted in preparation for opening September 2. Because of how dirty and hot the school is at this time, special measures are needed to protect and assist the custodians. Overtime for custodians has been approved and a painting contractor hired to assist in getting the school ready to open.

There is every reason to think the school can successfully re-open if the custodial staff is given the time, equipment, and supplies they need and good communication with staff and parents is established.

Walkthrough Participants
John Napolitani, President, Asbury Park Education Association
John Kostecki, APEA E-Board Rep for custodial/maintenance staff
Sue Hayes Stasio, APEA PR&R Chair
Eileen Senn, Industrial Hygiene Consultant, New Jersey Work Environment Council
Lewis Griffin, Asbury Park School District, Environmental Safety Coordinator
Angelo Del Fizzo, Asbury Park School District, Buildings and Grounds Assistant Supervisor
John Smoyer, AHERA Consultants
Kathy Baumgardner, Principal
Felicia Smith, Secretary to Principal
Xavier Gibbs, Head Custodian
We were joined at points by a representative from the Board of Education and the Interim Superintendent of Schools, and perhaps others whose names I didn

You may have recently received a letter from our Acting Superintendent, James T. Parham, in regard to your job assignments for the 2008-2009 school year. Please be advised that we have been informed by some members that their job assignments seem incorrect. If you feel that your assignment for the 2008-2009 school is not correct, please email me or call the APEA Headquarters as soon as possible. I will schedule a meeting with the Acting Superintendent as well as the State Monitor to discuss these discrepencies.

Also, the Bangs Ave. Elementary Staff members will be receiving a letter shortly from both the Principal and myself in regard to a scheduled meeting for all staff on Thursday, August 21, 2008, tentatively set at 8:30am. This meeting will be held in the Bangs Ave. Auditorium. This is NOT mandatory, however, it is highly recommended that you attend to get the latest information in regard to the cleanliness of the building as well as the asbestos remediation that took place over the summer.

If you have any further questions or comments, please don’t hesitate to contact me via my cell phone or the office phone.

Sincerely,

John Napolitani
APEA President

We have been in contact with NJEA and have been assigned a representative from Trenton to review the reports as they are made available. If needed, legal consultants will be contacted for further advice. As we receive information, we will share it with our members.

At the present time, we feel that there is no need for alarm on this issue. It is of our opinion that the district is being very cautious with this situation and we fully agree as this can be a very serious issue.

PRESS RELEASE
NJDOE MUST ADDRESS AUDIT DEFICIENCIES
MEETING NEEDS OF ABBOTT SCHOOL CHILDREN IS PARAMOUNT
Newark, NJ — January 30, 2007

Education Law Center (ELC) today called on State education officials to take prompt action to further investigate fiscal deficiencies identified in audits of four State-operated and supervised urban school districts, and to follow up with appropriate corrective action.

Commissioner of Education Lucille Davy released the audits today, which were first proposed by the Commissioner to the NJ Supreme Court last spring, and subsequently ordered by the Court in a decision approving Governor Jon Corzine

Please read the attached list of resolutions. We will continue to stay on top of this issue. We maintain that we should be involved in all the decisions that are made within the district that effect the safety of this district.

Below you will see the APEA Building Climate Survey results from the APHS, APMS, ALC, and the AMS. The results are quite staggering and stinging to the entire district. It is our goal, as an Executive Committee to come up with solutions to the problems that are affecting each of these buildings.

We met with Central Office at the end of May to discuss these results. To date, they are still “reviewing” what has been given to them. In the interim, we have requested a meeting, via the BOE President, with a committee of the BOE to discuss our findings and stress the importance of the APEA being involved in correcting the issues that plague these individual school buildings.

It has been our goal to work collectively with the Central Office, Building Administrators, and BOE Members to correct these problems by coming up with real solutions. We have been working with staff members from NJEA in Trenton to assist us with this mammoth task.

We are also working with the BOE to settle our three year contract. We are awaiting to sign a Memorandum of Agreement. When this happens, The APEA Executive Committee will set up a date and time that we will be calling the APEA Membership back to school to discuss this contract in great length and hold a ratification vote.

In the interim, please pay attention to the website for any new details and updates.