Responses of Moshe Rozenblit This response is for Eric Goldsmith, Moshe Rozenblit and Tom Wilen We appreciate the opportunity to answer the questions related to our candidacy for the BOE. 1. What has motivated you to run for Jersey City school board? We are all too familiar with the abysmal state of JC's public schools - most of JC's schools rank in the bottom 30% of the state, based on standardized scores; the rate of "partial" scores (i.e., Failure) ranges from 24.2% for 3rd grade mathematics to a mind-boggling 58% for 7th grade mathematics! The failure rate for high school math is 70! All this in spite of lavish funding. To add insult to injury, the JC school superintendent seems quite satisfied with those results. Indeed, rather than spending every waking minute on improving our schools he found enough leisure time to serve in the New Jersey General Assembly from 2006-2008, adding $49k to his $210k/y salary. He did, however, demonstrate commendable passion for improving his skills - in 2006 he trekked all the way to the United Kingdom, staying at tax payer's expense in a $500/night hotel. Quite puzzling though - for mere $3.00 he could have taken the Path to Manhattan to learn how Joel Klein managed most impressive achievements with NYC's public schools. To add further insult to injury (I'm running out of metaphors) the Board of Education (BOE) voted unanimously to extend the superintendent's contract for 3 more years. Ignoring pleas by, e.g., Shelley Skinner, to award the contract for only 1 year, with subsequent extensions contingent on achievements. Some apologists for the BOE argue that JC has tough demographics - the kids are no good, the parents are no good. Yet several cities with similar demographics: New York, Washington DC, Chicago, Denver have achieved remarkable results under the guidance of reforming education leaders. The JC BOE did not even bother searching for such talent. Needless to say, besides depriving tens of thousands of JC children of the quality education every child deserves, the current situation demoralizes the many dedicated teachers in JC, depresses the values of our homes and tarnishes the image of our city. 2. What are your top goals for your three year term? Establish ASAP a search committee to find a top notch superintendent Hire a recruiter to find one (e.g., the same that found Joel Klein for NYC) Agree on measurable benchmarks and a time table with the chosen candidate Provide all possible support to the new superintendent Keep a sharp eye on the schools' performance, and act accordingly While standardized test scores are major concern, make sure that a well rounded curriculum also emphasizes arts and humanities Monitor the district's budget and follow up on any irregularities uncovered by auditors. 3. Are you running on a slate with other candidates? If so, who are they and what do you think you can achieve as a complete slate? Eric Goldsmith (from the Inside A condo), Moshe Rozenblit (from the Portofino), and Tom Wilen (from Avalon Cove), are running on a unified platform. We hope to convince at least two current members of the BOE to join us in our endeavor of replacing the district's management. If none decides to budge we will support three more reformist candidates next year. Our true slate also includes you: only with your active support do we have a chance of making a difference. Please talk to your friends and neighbors, make sure they all vote for Jersey City Excellence in Education Now! Eric Goldsmith, Moshe Rozenblit, Tom Wilen You can contact me at moshe_rozenblit@yahoo.com ERIC GOLDSMITH Eric lives in Jersey City with his wife and serves as Chairperson of the Community Life Committee of the Inside A Condo. Eric is a Financial Planner for MBL Financial Group and a MetDESK Specialist focusing on assisting the families of special needs children. Eric is a graduate of the University of Maryland. He spent his first 3 years out of college teaching Mathematics at Washington Irving High School in NYC. MOSHE ROZENBLIT Moshe Rozenblit has been living with his wife in Jersey City for nearly six years. Their 5 year old son goes to pre-K in a JC public school. Moshe has a Ph D in Physics from Stevens Institute of Technology, an MS in Computer Science from Rutgers University and an MA in Physics from the University of Brussels in Belgium. He has done research, teaching, and engineering at Tel Aviv University in Israel, University of Aachen in Germany, Bell Laboratories, Telcordia Technologies and L-3 Communications. TOM WILEN Tom Wilen has lived in Jersey City for five years with his wife and his three children who all go to JC Public Schools. Tom has managed several companies with more than 2000 employees, and turned around failing enterprises. He has also been teaching pro-bono at Pace, NYU, Sacred Heart, and Fordham Universities. He graduated from the Business School of the University of Helsinki in Finland, complemented with executive education at Harvard, Stanford, Northwestern and the Center for Creative Leadership in Colorado Springs.