Jersey City should hunker down and get ready for a misinformation campaign to support the referendum to take away our ability to elect a representative school board. We will be inundated with more of the smoke and mirror game we’ve come to know from this administration. Please look past the glossy mailers and daily emails and do your own research. There is too much riding on this to leave it to chance.

The mayor and council claim droves of parents came to them to “fix the schools” and switch the school board to appointed. I was in attendance at most of those meetings. The parents, community, teachers and students were demanding the city FUND our schools. Not RUN our schools. The city has created a problem through underfunding and now they want to be the saviors? Sounds like some form of Fiscal Munchausen Syndrome to me.

Mayor Fulop keeps insinuating that 5 school members have resigned in disgrace over the past 2 years (he has since changed it to 3 years). 2 BOE moved out of JC and by law can not serve on the BOE. Another BOE member (Angel Valentin) attempted to battle through health issues to complete his term, but unfortunately, his illness prevented him from doing so. Another BOE member resigned to focus on strengthening the Democrat Party in Hudson County and the final one cited family obligations. Hardly anything scandalous here.

The mayor brings up a BOE member with ethics charges. That BOE member was fighting to force the entire BOE to vote whether or not to renew Lyles contract as opposed to not holding Lyles accountable and auto renewing it. Fulop brought Lyles here, of course he didn’t want her held accountable for her awful performance. The mayor’s friend on the BOE is the one to bring the “charges”. Frivolous and unnecessary.

The mayor is complaining that Mussab Ali is participating in a program in China- he’ll be back in a few weeks. Ali is a product of the JCPS and will bring that experience back to enrich the students of our district. Is he really discouraging this opportunity and the positive impact it can have for our schools? Welcome to the 21st Century where Mussab has not missed a meeting or a vote thanks to the wonders of technology.

In the coming weeks and months, please question everything- have conversations with your child’s teacher, go to a council meeting and ask council members about the plan they created regarding this prior to their vote last week, seek clarification from Board of Education members, talk to our new Superintendent of Schools Franklin Walker and then decide if you are willing to give up your voice and your ability to elect your own representatives.

Kristen Zadroga-Hart