JERSEY CITY, NJ — Jersey City's mayor joined concerned parents this week in asking for the school board to hold off on renewing the contract of Superintendent of Schools Norma Fernandez.
The contract is up for a hearing and vote at a meeting on Thursday night.
The proposed five-year contract runs through June 2031 and would pay the superintendent a salary of $330,000 starting this month, increasing by $10,000 per year.
"Our schools are falling short of our children academically and failing our taxpayers financially, and families deserve answers," Solomon wrote in a letter on Wednesday, "not a five-year contract extension rushed through in the middle of July."
He said, "I want to be frank about what a contract extension is. It is not a routine personnel item. It is a vote of confidence in the district’s performance, in its finances, and in the future Jersey City Board of Education will create for our children. So, the most important question the Board must answer on July 16 is this: Do the results justify that confidence?"
Solomon, who took office in January, said he has been listening to parents at various meetings, and does not believe the board should approve the contract on Thursday.
A group of parents who signed a petition agree.
"The Jersey City Board of Education should not renew, extend, amend, renegotiate, approve new terms, or allow automatic renewal of the superintendent’s contract while major accountability questions remain unresolved," the petition says. "Families across Jersey City have raised serious concerns about district leadership."
The petition was posted weeks after a parent was arrested at a school board meeting for advocating for special education services. Parents have expressed outrage since then, saying the board is not transparent or responsive. READ MORE: City Officials Asked Cops To Remove Parent: Complaint
The petition cited issues "including special education services, nonpublic school services, overcrowding, facilities, student safety, bullying, technology and spending decisions, transparency, and public accountability."
The meeting will be held at 5:30 p.m. Thursday. More information is here.
Solomon's full letter is here.
The petition is here.
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