Teachers' Union Chief: Life is Not Fair

Union chief with $300G-plus salary on school voucher debate: 'Life's not always fair'

A New Jersey teachers union chief whose salary tops $300,000 is under fire for saying in a recent interview that "life's not always fair" while arguing against vouchers to send poor students to private schools. 

New Jersey Education Association Executive Director Vincent Giordano made the comment on the local "New Jersey Capitol Report" program over the weekend. During the interview, he was challenged by the host on why low-income families should not have the same options as other families when their child is in a failing school. 

"Those parents should have exactly the same options and they do. We don't say that you can't take your kid out of the public school. We would argue not and we would say 'let's work more closely and more harmoniously,'" Giordano said. 

 When told some families cannot afford to finance the shift to private school without government help, Giordano said: "Well, you know, life's not always fair and I'm sorry about that." 

The interview clip swiftly spread on the web, along with reminders about Giordano's healthy salary. 

The Newark Star-Ledger reported in 2010 that his salary was nearly $422,000, and total compensation roughly $550,000 when deferred compensation and other benefits are counted. 

NJEA spokesman Steve Baker, though, said those reports are not accurate. He said the director's salary is "in the three-hundred thousands, and the low three-hundred thousands." 

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2012/02/08/union-chief-with-over-300g-salary-on-voucher-debate-lifes-not-always-fair/#ixzz1loIzuz7L