Yeah, sure, happy to help. Health insurance sucks for Jersey teachers. Your district pays for a large percentage of the monthly premiums, and you pay for the remainder. The percentage you pay is actually governed by the amount of money you make, so not only do you pay more because you're calculating a percentage of a higher salary, but the percentage you are responsible for also increases as you make more. Former governor Chris Christie fucked us over with the law that implemented that policy. To give you a ballpark figure, my monthly premium is $500 for 2 adults. It would be about $300 for just one person.

It’s not just about shopping. People use them for garbage bags around the house, dog waste, etc.

Why would they be buying single use bags? A reusable bag pays for itself in a few trips and lasts a long time.

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I appreciate the info and the advice. I’m a paranoid person, so sometimes it difficult for me to know if something really is off or if I’m just overthinking it.

Btw, I 100 percent did NOT understand how New Jersey’s teacher health benefits worked. I opened a benefits document last night that said it was like 1400 a month for coverage for a single person. I was freaking out. Then I learned that you don’t actually pay the whole thing. They calculate a percentage based on your income. Or I think that’s how it works?

How is it a joke? Plastic bags are an easy thing to eliminate and it has been successful so far.

It's a positive step forward and hopefully more will single use plastics will be eliminated in the future. It's just 1 example, but not long ago Costco stopped selling apples in a plastic clamshell and now use a cardboard box.

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Cars stop for pedestrians in Princeton almost all the time. Princeton is a great walking town. Never had a close call there.

I was almost run off the road today by no less than three people head-down on their phones on the drive home, and watched a fourth almost mow down some folks walking across a red light. You couldn't pay me to walk around on the streets here

Oy. Hopefully it was just a mistake and everything's cool, but remember that there are going to be a ton of openings in the next month or two and that ESL is super in-demand in Middlesex County in particular. Trust your gut and don't talk yourself into something that feels off.

Volunteer

Depending on budget and how often you have to do it (especially if this is just a one or two time deal), maybe just bite the bullet and get an Uber or Lyft? The train would have you get you all the way to Secaucus before putting you in the right direction.

Disgusting but not surprising

Thank you! I emailed them back and asked why it was prorated. That was about 36 hours ago. No response yet. I’ll likely call tomorrow during my planning period. I don’t want to seem nit picky or bothersome to them, but it’s a contract. It’s important I fully understand it before signing. They have to understand that.

I agree with your frustration here, was walking my dog a few nights ago and gave a car a few seconds to get through the crosswalk since they were super close. After I slowed down to not be in it so they could keep going the fun happened.

As I was walking across more than halfway through a line of ambulances (not running code) were approaching and failed to stop for me, I saw the headlights out of the corner of my eye and bolted the rest of the way across with my dog. Didn't even stop to check on me, but the ambulance behind them did and I damn sure got their info. The problem was no one at the HQ was having any of my complaints and kept bouncing me around. I know these folks are underpaid and overworked, but damn it would've been funny as hell to be hit by an ambulance then taken to the hospital in the one behind it.

We're not building more low/mid-ranged houses, and people who bought or refinanced in 2020-21 with a 2% interest rate mortgage would have to be crazy or desperate to sell, so the market is constrained.

Typically late spring and early summer will see more houses on the market with parents looking to move between school years, so you may also have slightly better luck then.

Oh, I misread that, sorry. I thought it was September 2022-June 2023. No, that's definitely weird and I'd firmly request an explanation about that before I signed anything. There's zero reason why they should be prorating anything if you're starting in September.

Talk about a superintendent. Dr. Labby from sayreville is like the Teflon Don, I have never seen so many things go wrong under one person's control. The Boys football incident, teacher's being inappropriate with students, and being arrested, and this superintendent still is employed by the township of sayreville. I have seen school superintendents get fired for less, and this guy still has his job. SMH 😲

They had a seal watch a few weeks back. If you sign up for the emails, you get notices for them.

Thank god someone said it, we need to get back to NJ's famously low housing prices of 2020. /s

So is me starting in September considered starting mid year? They told me that’s when their school year starts. Or do you mean calendar year?

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Strong women (and men) don’t respond to a story like that with “you’re obviously bringing up your horrible pain just to lie about me”. She appears to have the emotional strength of a warm mozzarella stick.

Read dog food ingredients and buy high quality dog food. I swear it's kept my dogs healthy and extended their lives.

Don't do grain-free, it can cause cardiac issues.

I hear you. There are a lot of times when the board just can’t say anything for legal reasons. Clapping was a little weird.