Bend Over

The Democrat, Charles T. Epps Jr. is running for the New Jersey State Assembly from the 31st District. He has time for a part-time job because Epps is also Jersey City's School Superintendent. A school superintendent who is negotiating a new three-year contract with the state. So far Epps' contract includes:

A $20,000 raise, bringing his base salary to $210,520 this year

Annual raises that would bring his base to $229,343 by 2007

A car and a $1,000-a-month housing allowance

A $10,000 tax-deferred annual annuity

Performance incentives – 5% of salary per year

$575,000 for 493 days of unused sick time accumulated before he was appointed superintendent in 2000. (Assumes Epps unused sick time is calculated the same as Long Branch Superintendent Joseph M. Ferraina.)

Jersey City is an Abbott School District, spends $14,420 per pupil and pays only 13% of the total cost of its schools through property taxes; consequently the sky is the limit. So if the Superintendent wants to be a state assemblyman – no problem. After all you have to cater to a guy as valuable as Charles T. Epps, Jr:

"Nobody's clamoring to get these jobs," Epps said about the price of his new contract. "It's a labor of love. I think I'm worth a lot more."

Just another public employee choosing “public service — not personal gain — as their life's work.” Epps must have quite the record of achievement considering his high opinion of himself wouldn’t you think? Consider the results of the schools he oversees:

In 2004, about half of Jersey City's public-school students taking the Grade Eight Proficiency Assessment failed the test's language arts and math sections. Nearly 60 percent of the high schoolers failed the math portion of the High School Proficiency Assessment. In three of Jersey City's six high schools, more than half of the seniors were unable to pass the HSPA. Of those seniors who failed the HSPA, most graduated under the Special Review Assessment, a process that has been criticized for its lack of academic rigor.

Yes, Epps is the best person in the entire United States for the job.