From Real Clear Politics

New Jersey Education Association Executive Director Vincent Giordano appeared on the “New Jersey Capitol Report” this weekend to discuss the costs of education. Giordano tells poor families who can’t afford to go to better schools “life’s not always fair.” Transcript below.

Host: The issue of fairness, I mean this is the argument that a lot of voucher supporters make. People who are well off have options. Somebody who is not well off and whose child is in a failing school, why shouldn’t those parents have the same options to get the kid out of the failing school and into one that works with the help of the state?

NJEA boss Vincent Giordano: Those parents should have exactly the same options and they do. We don’t say 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’ …

Host: They can’t afford to pay, you know that. Some of these parents can’t afford to take their child out of these schools.

Giordano: Life’s not always fair and I’m sorry about that.

There has also been some discussion concerning Giordano’s salary.  From Fox News…

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.”

Whether his salary is over $400,000 or $300,000, the bottom line is that teachers unions do not want to have to compete with other non union schools for state funding.  They are willing to deny options for poor and middle class students in order to protect these large salaries.