-
NFSB Remembers and Honors Janet Bischak
“A good education can change anyone. A good teacher can change everything.”
The author of this quote is unknown. The quote itself certainly applies to Janet Bischak, who spent more than four decades as a public school teacher.
Janet was born in Lyndhurst, grew up in Carlstadt, and graduated from East Rutherford High School. She would go on to graduate from Elizabethtown College and earn Master’s degrees from Ohio State University and William Paterson University.While filling in as a secretary at the Garden State Paper Company in the summer of 1970, she met Mike Bischak at the copy machine. They were engaged the following year and married in October of 1972.
After teaching for one year at St. Cecelia School in Kearny, Janet would embark on a 42-year career at Faust Intermediate School in East Rutherford, teaching 7th and 8th grade science. She was also instrumental in bringing computers to the classroom.
Janet soon became very active with teachers’ unions at the local, county, and state levels with the East Rutherford Education Association (EREA), Bergen County Education Association (BCEA), and New Jersey Education Association (NJEA). She served as president of the EREA for several years. She also served on the NJEA Executive Committee for 10 years and represented Bergen County as a delegate at several National Education Association representative assemblies across the country.
After retiring, Janet would go on to serve in an informal advisory role to BCEA leadership and as First Vice President of the Bergen County Retired Educators Association.
Janet passed away on February 14, 2020 after a four-year battle with breast cancer. She is survived by Mike, her husband of 47 years.
Mike is a retired contractor who became our volunteer handyman at NFSB after Janet’s passing. More than a skilled craftsman, Mike is a remarkable human being who has made generous donations to NFSB in memory of Janet to upgrade our facilities and expand needed services. His kindness will be felt for years to come by the NFSB family and those who rely on our programs and services. We are incredibly grateful to Mike for his support.
We look forward to honoring the life and contributions of Janet Bischak at NFSB’s inaugural Harvesting Hope Gala.
The Harvesting Hope Gala will be held at Nanina’s in the Park in Bellville on Tuesday, November 12 from 6 pm – 10 pm. All proceeds from this event will benefit NFSB programs and services that are in such high demand in our community. Please visit the Harvesting Hope Gala page on the NFSB website to purchase tickets or make a donation.
