125-member committee takes decisive early vote
NJEA’s PAC Operating Committee tonight voted to endorse NJEA President Sean M. Spiller, a high school science teacher from Wayne, NJ, in the Democratic gubernatorial primary for 2025. Tonight’s action followed a formal screening on Saturday in accordance with NJEA’s PAC guidelines. All currently declared candidates in that primary were invited to screen, and Spiller was the only candidate who accepted the invitation.
Spiller graciously accepted the endorsement. “I’m incredibly proud and deeply humbled to receive the endorsement of my fellow public-school educators,” said Spiller. “Too often, our voices are marginalized, and our expertise is ignored. I believe that the same talented professionals who have made our schools the very best in the nation for New Jersey students deserve a loud voice in making our state the very best place in the nation to live for our students, their families, and all New Jersey residents. Public education is the foundation of a strong economy and a thriving democracy, and I am running to make sure New Jersey continues to lead in both of those areas. I look forward to working with my follow NJEA members and all public education advocates across New Jersey to build a people powered, grassroots campaign that gives voters a voice in choosing the direction of our great state. This is our chance.”
Spiller’s fellow NJEA officers, Vice President Steve Beatty and Secretary-Treasurer Petal Robertson, praised the endorsement as well.
“I’ve worked with Sean for the last seven years,” said Beatty. “I know his commitment to our students and public schools, and his vision for a broader, more inclusive politics that brings working families together to fight for the future we all deserve. I’m thrilled to have a New Jersey educator, who knows what it’s like to stand in front of a classroom and inspire a class of students, stepping up to inspire voters across New Jersey with a vision of what our democracy can be if we only are willing to work for it. I look forward to standing shoulder-to-shoulder with my fellow educators to elect Sean Spiller as the next Governor of New Jersey.”
“New Jersey is fortunate to have a candidate as smart, focused and dedicated to justice as Sean Spiller,” said Robertson. “Not many people are willing to step up and lead when it is easier to stay back and complain. But Sean is a father who wants a better future for his family, an educator who wants greater opportunities for his students and champion of democracy who believes that ‘liberty and justice for all’ really does include everyone. He is going to bring optimism, vision and a fierce commitment to social justice to this campaign, and I am so excited to work with my fellow educators to make that vision a reality for everyone in New Jersey. Educators are stepping up here, and we know that our values align with the nurses, shop owners, truck drivers and other middle-class workers. This is a campaign for all of us.”
NJEA has a history of early endorsements in gubernatorial primaries, having endorsed then-candidate Phil Murphy in October of 2016 and again in October of 2020. The Committee has not yet set a date for a possible screening in the upcoming Republican gubernatorial primary.
Electing Spiller governor will be handing the keys of the state treasury to the njea. Chicago just elected a teachers union leader as mayor. The city which was a disaster before is worse. The teacher’s union now runs Chicago. Worse will happen if Spiller becomes governor. Steve Sweeney is enemy number one to the njea. The njea joined republicans to defeat him for reelection. Now can be time for revenge. Elect Steve Sweeney governor, he’ll watch out for the people not the njea.
This endorsement came three days after the NJEA PAC screening committee interviewed a candidate. This article claims no other candidate accepted the opportunity to be interviewed by the panel. Yet, an article in the NJ Globe stated, Newark Mayor Ras Baraka complained about the endorsement process. “To not even be allowed an interview is troubling, at best. At worst, it’s extremely questionable since the person they endorsed is actually the president of the organization.” Mr Baraka was an educator for over 20 years. Spiller stated that teachers’ voices are frequently marginalized. He just marginalized one of his own past teachers, if this is true. Not a good start.
The middle-class suffered the most from New Jersey, unnecessarily the longest in the nation, school closures due to the pandemic. The lower and middle-class suffer the most when locked in failing schools due to a zip code. A school that is not BIA, Best in the Nation . The middle class suffer the most when their property taxes are increased as a fix to a failing school funding formula. A 15 year long mess, that many legislature do no even understand. The middle class teacher suffer with lack of support and safety in the classroom, politics in the classroom, buying their own supplies for the classroom……..
I guess the NJEA has never heard of the town of Montclair? Sean should be prosecuted for accepting health benefits he wasn’t entitled to…not made governor.
https://www.nj.com/opinion/2024/05/montclairs-costly-dysfunction-under-sean-spiller-editorial.html
I supported Sean when he ran for Council and Mayor in Montclair. As Mayor he has been a huge disappointment, A term filled with acrimony and poor decisions, he is best retired from politics..
The NJEA is more about politics and less about educating its 1.4 million public school students. With the union dues of its 200,000 members available and most going to political action groups that are more than 90 percent democrat, be ready to hear a string of canned statements, phrases, and words. Starting with, “Protecting democracy” ( the name of Mr. Spiller’s non- profit, funding his campaign ), leaving
a legacy, cheap fake ,mal-information , social justice , the middle class champion and so on. They try to say education is a purple issue but are not as generous with all that money collected from union dues to advocate much of anything for a Republican or Independent cause or candidate. So they are able to out spend all opponents. Much like the school funding formula that is a complex mess so isn’t the teachers pension fund, which surely will be the carrot on the stick , Mr. Spiller will use to sway all his NJEA members to vote for him.
Hopefully, all the candidates will have an equal opportunity to address NJEA members in a fair and open conversation. Protecting democracy allows for all voices to be heard.