Mary Jo Briscione, 69, of Oceanport, died peacefully on Wednesday, July 1, 2015. She was a long-time AFTNJ local president in Long Branch, according to staff representative Fougeres Ferrier. “She was a very strong union person and an exceptionally effective teacher,” he said. “She participated in professional development activities then trained teachers in Long Branch and in other AFT districts.”
Local members benefited from Briscione’s advocacy as teacher aides and paraprofessionals made great gains while she was president and part time workers were admitted into the pension system, Ferrier said.
According to her obituary, “She was a passionate agent of progress in New Jersey public education and served on numerous New Jersey Department of Education and New Jersey AFT committees to develop educational standards and assessments for New Jersey public schools.”