EAST ORANGE EDUCATION ASSOCIATION

MR. KEITH HINTON II, CHAIRPERSON

June, 2018

The HSSC met on June 7, 2018. Prior to the meeting the team did a follow up walkthrough of Mildred B Garvin Elementary School. Work has been either completed or in progress. 

Summer repair lists by the maintenance department will continue to be part of the school dude sweep. These sweeps are proving to be beneficial because jobs are being completed over several days.

Please continue to inform your Head Custodian about issues so they can put in a request to handle the issue. 

The HSSC met and discussed future school visits and tentative dates for the 2018- 2019 school year. I will share the lists for the visits in the September newsletter.  

Some new items discussed were:

Long Range Plans for Abandoned Buildings – Ms. Greadington asked what the plans were for the abandoned buildings.  Dr. West explained that a long-term plan is to renovate and utilize them.  He will meet with the Mayor in a few days about this.   

We are trying to recapture the students that we lost to charter schools.  It was discussed that these buildings could be used to temporarily house schools while their buildings are being rebuilt.  They also could be used for adult education.  

Edmonson - Dr. West wants to sell this building and put these students in some of the abandoned buildings.  It costs as much to renovate as to build a new building.  Environmental costs are high.  The HVVC system and the plumbing must be updated.  It could cost upwards of $10 million.

STEM - The doors in the back can be opened, if you pull them hard enough.  The lock is not latching properly.  These doors cannot be chained. There are no electronic maglocks on these doors.  Mr. Lambkin is going to be ordering twelve U-Hooks to hold the doors closed.

I hope all of you have a safe, fun, restful summer.   I can’t wait to work with you next year!!!

May, 2018

The HSSC will meet on May 10, 2018.  After the meeting the team will do a walkthrough of Mildred B Garvin Elementary School. 

The district’s new system that allows maintenance to come in to a school and fix as many problems as possible in a several day time frame is working very well at present time. 

Some issues and new business that has been brought to the attention of the HSSC are as follows:

Carver

The school is suffering from excessive leaks.  It continues to get worse and worse.  Dr. West has ordered that it must be looked at ASAP.  When Carver leaves for their new building, it is the hope that this building will be used as a vocational school. 

STEM

The parking lot has been paved and the lighting in the Gymnasium is almost totally complete. a grievance has been filed concerning STEM and a healthy environment, specifically temperature issues.  It is still horrifically hot. The heat has been so bad that some teachers have had nose bleeds and must leave their classrooms to get fresh air in another classroom.  Many windows in these rooms do not open. Custodians should turn the heat off when it gets too hot.  Dr. West reported that a long-term plan for STEM is for Mr. Lambkin to move it to a building management system. This would give them better control over the temperature around the building.

Potholes

There are many other potholes at other schools (Hart Complex, EOCHS, Jackson, Parks, Wahlstrom, Warwick) that will be addressed as soon as the weather is consistently nice.  A contractor will be called in and some parking lots will need to be closed off for repairs.

*** Members please direct building concerns to your Rep and they will channel it to the head custodian, then me. Thanks for your anticipated cooperation.

Top School Health and Safety Websites

• ·         Healthy Schools Now Coalition (HSN) The page has links to the School Hazard Facts for Families Factsheet Series.
• ·         New Jersey Work Environment Council (WEC), Healthy School Environments This page contains highlights of WEC’s school work and links to WEC publications on healthy schools.
• ·         Save Our Schools New Jersey (SOSNJ)  Statewide network of individuals working to protect New Jersey’s public schools.
• ·         Education Law Center (ELC) (Some resources in Spanish)

ELC promotes educational equity through coalition building, litigation support, policy development, communications, and action-focused research.



April, 2018

The HSSC met on April 12, 2018.  Before the meeting we did a follow up walkthrough of Langston Hughes Elementary School. Dr. West and Mr. Bender were also present to see how well issues were being handled.

The district has put in place a system that will allow maintenance to come in to a school and fix as many problems as possible in a several day time frame. At present thirteen schools have been visited by this new system.

Some issues and new business that have been brought to the attention of the HSSC are as follows:

Whitney Houston-  Over the spring break vacation, room 13 was cleaned and air test was conducted.  The room is clean and all asbestos has been removed from that area. The results of the air test came back negative.

School Temperature Bill-There is a bill in the Assembly that is “on the fast track” to becoming a law.  This law would state that the temperature in schools should be kept steady at an acceptable temperature.

School Parking Lots- the survey taken at the last meeting was e mailed to Mr. Mitchell and the maintenance department. They are going to assess and report back with when job will be started to fix these potholes.

     School Safety

• ·         it was recommended that teachers take time  after a drill to discuss the drill to better prepare children for emergencies.
• ·         Lanyards have been ordered for substitutes to wear as identification.
• ·         PLEASE remember to lock your classroom door if you are not in the room!

EOCHS- the maintenance department completed numerous SchoolDude work orders over a seven day time frame.

STEM- The maintenance department completed the lighting issue in the gymnasium and have handled several other SchoolDude work orders in the school. More work is going to be done.

*** Members please direct building concerns to your Rep and they will channel it to the head custodian, then to me. Thanks for your anticipated cooperation.

ACTION ALERT

Contact your legislators in the Assembly and urge them to support A-665. Tell him/her that temperature extremes negatively impact our students and staff.



March, 2018

The HSSC did not meet for an inspection with Langston Hughes Elementary on March 8^th due to school being closed. We will, however, visit Hughes today, March 13^th. Some building issues based on your e-mails were brought to the attention of the maintenance department.

Truth

The office in Truth with the leaks has been fixed and there is no issue at this time. Some new issues that have been brought to the attention of the HSSC are as follows:

Houston Academy

There was a steam leak a few weeks ago.  That leak was fixed and then this week a leak in another area caused the removal of the wall in the Band room.  The issue now is with concerns about air quality after they saw what was in the wall where the pipe is now exposed.  It was indicated that there had been some type of brown sludge oozing from the wall as well.

Parking Lots

There are potholes in several parking lots around the school district (especially STEM). We are waiting for the response and expected time for this to be resolved

School Safety

PLEASE treat each and every drill SERIOUSLY! Recent events in our country show that school violence can happen anywhere. We must be prepared, or we will fail. Keep a watchful eye for visitors. Building Reps will meet with administrators about ALL visitors having a pass (if it is not already in place) Several topics will be discussed at our next meeting about making our drills successful. 

The next meeting of the HSSC will be held on April 12, 2018. A follow up walkthrough of Langston Hughes will be conducted a 10AM. The meeting will be held at 1:00 P.M. at the Board of Ed.

Continue to keep me informed with issues in your buildings. Tell the Rep, they will inform the administrator, then the Rep will inform me. Thanks for your anticipated cooperation.

Urge your legislators to support safer schools, communities

In the wake of yet another horrific mass shooting, at a Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, the New Jersey Senate and Assembly are preparing to consider a package of gun-safety bills designed to make our schools and communities safer. The bills address a number of common-sense safety proposals, including requiring background checks for private gun sales, limiting the size of ammunition magazines, prohibiting the possession of armor-piercing bullets, strengthening the handgun permit process and establishing gun-free and weapon-free zones around certain schools and public spaces. NJEA urges New Jersey’s lawmakers to protect the safety and wellbeing of children and all New Jersey residents by passing these bills. NJEA also urges all members to contact their legislators in support of this long-overdue legislation.



February, 2018

The HSSC did not meet for an inspection with Campus High School. We will, however, visit the high school as our first stop in the new school year.

Some building issues based on your e-mails were brought to the attention of the maintenance department and are either fixed or a work order was put in School Dudes.

Some new issues that have been brought to the attention of the HSSC are as follows:

STEM-

The gymnasium lights are very dim and little to no evening activities can happen. Mr. Lambkin informed me that the lift machine was ordered for rental and the lights will be fixed soon.

Truth-

There is an office that has been leaking for some time. An e-mail was sent on February 9, 2018 to the maintenance department. The tiles were replaced but the problem seems to be not resolved. At the time of this newsletter, no response has been forwarded. I will keep you updated in next month’s article.

The next meeting of the HSSC will be held on March 8, 2018 at 9:00 AM at the EOEA Office, followed by a walk-through of Langston Hughes Elementary School.

Continue to keep me informed with issues in your buildings.

Thanks for your anticipated cooperation.



January, 2018

The HSSC met on December 7, 2017 at 1 P.M. at the Board of Education. Before the meeting the team completed a follow up of Tyson Middle/ High School. The building issues were either fixed or a work order was put in School Dudes. Some issues and new business that have been brought to the attention of the HSSC are as follows:

STEM

• The parking lot is still without lights.  The work order for this is in.
• There is garbage under and on the bleachers in the gym.  Mr. Santos previously spoke to the head custodian concerning this.  The bleachers were pushed in with the debris beneath them.  It was found when the bleachers were pulled out.  A daily check is being done and Dr. West stated he will be there and will also do a check.

Hart Complex

• The vacant lot on the Clinton St. side of the complex is overgrown and is causing vermin to enter the buildings.  This is not school district property, so the board cannot trim the land.  Mr. Lambkin will contact East Orange City Hall, asking them to send correspondence to the owners of the property. They may need to cut the landscaping or spray something to keep the vermin away.

Exterminators

• Exterminators (Integrated Pest Management) visit schools monthly.  There is a schedule and they come on Wednesdays and Thursdays.  Inspections are done during these visits.  They may put down bait boxes or glue traps inside the building, or boxes outside the building to stop the mice from entering.  If there is a need for more aggressive procedures, the company must give parents and staff 72 hours’ notice.  All information about pest management is kept in a notebook in the main office of every building.
•  

EOCHS

• Some areas of the building are dead spots relative to Wi-Fi.  Some rooms do not receive the Internet.
• There are landlines but they cannot use those with certain devices. 
• Each classroom does not have its own computers.  They are brought in with the cart.
• An investigation of this is in process.

The next meeting of the HSSC will be held on January 11, at 9:00 AM at the EOEA Office, followed by a walk-through of EOCHS, (A/B wing).

Continue to keep me informed about issues in your buildings.

Thanks for your anticipated cooperation.

Have a Happy New Year!!!



December, 2017

I recently had a meeting at the NJEA about Health and Safety issues throughout the state. If you feel there are issues that you want to know more about the NJEA has a section on their website to better inform you, as members, of certain issues.

It’s easy to visit the website!

Go to NJEA.org, click NJEA Health & Safety, click issues, then Health and Safety. You will find Articles, Publications, Resources and Partnerships.

The next meeting of the HSSC will be a on January 11, 2018- 9:00 A.M. meeting at EOEA office followed by walk-through of EO Campus (A/B wing)

Continue to inform your Reps of issues so they can tell me your concerns.  I can continue to bring them forward to our team.        

Have a great winter break and recharge your battery for the New Year!!!



November, 2017

During our October meeting, there were several updates discussed. Some key updates were Xfinity still offers Internet service for low-income families for $9.95 a month.  It is called “Internet Essentials”. There is also a program for computer purchase. East Orange is a partner with Xfinity. We believe that having our parents aware of this opportunity would have our students better prepared for 21^st century learning.

Another update was about the hot and cold rooms in some schools. Some rooms might be very cold, but the room next door is too hot.  Mr. Lambkin described how the air volume box mixes the outside air temperature with the air being generated by the unit.  (The state standard is that classrooms should be between 68 and 72 degrees.)  Sometimes the maintenance people come back for the same room to move the temperature up and down. This has proven to be a problem because some schools take time for the temperature to reset. It was suggested that schools should try to find common ground to lessen the number of calls.

A variety of schools have reported that the desktops are not working.  Mr. Bailey explained the ticketing system.  The lead tech teacher puts in a ticket to report the problem.  The ticket has a description of the problem.  Some problems can be resolved remotely.  If a desktop is past a certain age, it will not be reimaged, so it may need to be removed.

Last, several TAs at the Hart Complex had their cars vandalized in the parking lot on Clinton St. (inside the stadium).  These cars were keyed, and some tires were slashed. There are no cameras in the parking area. Dr. West is interested in putting cameras in this area. Please, if your vehicle is vandalized or if something happens to you, get a report of the issue so it can be filed and saved.

Continue to inform your Reps of issues so they can tell me your concerns.  I can continue to bring them forward to our team. The next meeting of the HSSC will be a walk-through of Tyson Middle/High 1^st floor on December 7, 2017- followed by a 1:00 PM meeting at the EOBOE Office 199 4^th Ave.



October, 2017

Another update presented by the committee establishes a process to report problems to HSSC. The reps at the schools get the issue or concern, and they will be reported to the building administrator. If nothing is resolved, then the rep will report that to the HSSC. Keep in mind that each school should have a School Safety Team that meets once a month, addresses building issues and then reports to the HSSC once results are complete.

Staff injuries should be filled out and submitted. No one can stop a member from filling out this form. Even if you think you are fine right after an accident, you should still fill out the form just in case you don’t feel as good on a subsequent day.

Our next meeting is at the Board of Education on October 12, 2017 at 1 P.M. As always, thank you for sending me the information so I can get the proper results for you! Please e mail me your concerns so I can bring them forward to our team.

September, 2017

HAPPY NEW SCHOOL YEAR!  

I want to personally welcome everyone back to another exciting school year. Last year was an amazing year with full involvement of both the EOEA and the EOBOE. We were able to achieve and handle some issues that were usually put on hold. Kudos to the team!

During our last meeting in June, we discussed several updates and future plans. One issue was that critical areas at schools will need to be addressed beyond those listed on the principal’s list. The Maintenance Department did an assessment and created a “Health and Safety List” and will address those issues as well.  Dr. West also stated he has drafted and sent to the EOBOE a list called “Super Goals” along with his long-term goals.  One of these goals is to phase in a/c in every classroom in the district.  These units would have high BTUs.

The following is the schedule for the upcoming 2017- 2018 school visits.

2017-18 Meetings and School Visits

• September 21, 2017- 9:00 AM-EOEA Office-followed by a visit to Tyson Middle/High-2^nd floor
• October 12, 2017-1:00 PM-EOBOE Office-following a visit to recheck Tyson Middle/High-2^nd floor
• November 2, 2017-9:00 AM-EOEA Office-followed by a visit to Tyson Middle/High-1^st floor
• December 7, 2017-1:00 PM-EOBOE Office-following a visit to recheck Tyson Middle/High-1^st floor
• January 11. 2018-9:00 AM-EOEA Office-followed by a visit to EOCHS-A and B Wings
• February 8, 2017-1:00 PM-EOBOE Office-following a visit to recheck EOCHS-A and B Wings
• March 8, 2018-9:00 AM-EOEA Office-followed by a visit to Langston Hughes
• April 12, 2018-1:00 PM-EOBOE Office-following a visit to recheck Langston Hughes
• May 10, 2018-9:00 AM-EOEA Office-followed by a visit to Mildred Barry Garvin
• June 7, 2018-1:00 PM-EOBOE Office-following a visit to recheck Mildred Barry Garvin

 Everyone have a safe and effective school year! Please email me your concerns so I can bring them forward to our team.



June, 2017

The HSSC met on June 7, 2017. Prior to the meeting, the team did a follow up walkthrough of East Orange Campus High School (C wing). Work has been either completed or in progress. Summer repair lists by the maintenance department will be available at the EOEA for review. This year each school will have a priority issue to be fixed along with the usual summer lists. The HSSC met and discussed future school visits and tentative dates for the 2017- 2018 school year.  The schools are as follows:  

 September 21, 2017- Tyson Middle/High (2nd Floor)

 October 12, 2017- Tyson Follow up visit

 November 2, 2017- Tyson Middle/ High (1st Floor)

 December 7, 2017- Tyson Follow up visit

 January 11, 2018- EO Campus (A/B wing)

 February 8, 2018- EO Campus Follow up visit

 March 8, 2018- Langston Hughes

 April 12, 2018- Langston Hughes Follow up visit

 May 10, 2018- Mildred B. Garvin

 June 7, 2018- Mildred B. Garvin Follow up visit

I am pleased with the improvements made. With the help of you and the Board of Ed., we will try and continue to get the district where it needs to be!

I hope all of you have a Safe, Fun, and Restful summer. I can’t wait to work with you next year!

During our September meeting, we discussed several updates. One key update was that Whitney Houston has eighteen air conditioners in the classrooms and it has provided some comfort to the students and staff.

 The purpose shall be to advise the Superintendent on matters concerning the maintenance of proper standards of
health, safety, and security. The committee shall consist of four individuals appointed by the Association President and four individuals appointed by the Superintendent. The committee shall convene no fewer than five times during the year and will meet during working hours. “These people have the authority to create change,” said Greadington. “Association and district representatives partner-up and walk room by room through designated buildings with a checklist, identifying any health, safety or security issues.” It is then incumbent upon the district to address the issues discovered, she noted. At a subsequent meeting, timelines are established to address the issues discovered. Another walkthrough is scheduled to ensure that remedial work has been completed.