A recently posted billboard calling out the Newark Teachers Union has not gone unnoticed by Local 481 President John M. Abeigon.
Part of a campaign by the Sunlight Policy Center of New Jersey, the grammatically incorrect billboard resides along Route 21 between Market and Lafayette streets in Newark. It makes reference to 430,000 students in grades 3-8, claiming they will be below grade level by the end of this year, and asks, “Why is the Newark Teacher’s Union locking them out of their classrooms?”
Abeigon’s answer is: We’re not.
“We’ve been open since April 12 offering four days of instruction, enhanced by afterschool tutoring and mentoring programs in math, literacy and social emotional wellness throughout the pandemic,” Abeigon says. “Which is more than I can say about the seven largest corporate charter schools in the state that have remained closed.”