Teachers Union calls for board members to resign

TRENTON >> Janice Williams, waiving a beat-up shovel back and forth like she was tossing out “manure,” repeatedly shouted “Get out of here” from the steps outside the Board of Education building.

The Trenton Education Association grievance chair called for the resignation of BOE members who paved the way for Superintendent Fred McDowell to receive nearly $25,000 in contested merit pay.

Critics believe he doesn’t deserve the extra compensation for what they described as his so-far “failed tenure” as schools chief. TEA previously voted no confidence in McDowell.

“I’m here today with this shovel because Gene Bouie, president of the Trenton Board of Education, and his colleagues that sit on the board continue to spit out manure,” Williams said, her voice rising with fury. “It is our responsibility to shovel up that manure and haul it out of the Trenton public school district. This is a failed board that Eric Jackson is responsible for. He was a failed mayor. And he appointed a failed Board of Education.”

Board President Gene Bouie has defended the board’s decision to approve McDowell’s merit pay after a “rigorous” review that determined the superintendent achieved his five performance-based goals.

The final say on McDowell’s merit pay now rests in the hands of the interim county executive superintendent Yasmin Hernandez-Manno.

Williams was joined at a Friday news conference by members of the City Council, other leaders from TEA, the Trenton Special Parent Advocacy Group and the local branch of the NAACP.

Williams called on Mayor Reed Gusciora to demand the resignation of board president Bouie and the entire board.

“This shovel — Gene Bouie, get out of here,” the grievance chair shouted to herself as no residents showed up to the impromptu presser called by at-large city councilman Jerell Blakeley.

“This shovel, Addie Daniels-Lane, get out of here,” Williams continued, thrusting her eviction instrument toward the gray skies. “This shovel, Lucy Vandenberg, get out of here. This shovel, Gerald Truehart, get out

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ISAAC AVILUCEA - THE TRENTONIAN Janice Williams, middle, wields a shovel at a news conference Friday. Trenton Education Association leaders have demanded the resignation of Trenton school board members for approving merit pay for Superintendent Fred McDowell.