School hallway - File Photo by Dreamstime

MIDDLETOWN, NJ— Imagine having a job where you can work two and a half hours every day. You would have to be the president of a powerful public union, but for one Middletown teacher, it’s a dream job, and he doesn’t have to imagine.

Middletown school teacher Michael Mason leaves school every day at around 10:30 a.m. Some parents within the district who have asked Shore News Network to investigate said they are told it is part of his deal with the school district and the NJEA.

We couldn’t confirm that. In fact, the district would not even respond to our multiple inquiries on the topic.

Mason earns $89,805 annually as a school teacher and only works a few hours a day inside a classroom, educating students. The rest of his day is spent on ‘union time,’ which taxpayers pay for. Mason, on his LinkedIn account, also works for the Middletown Education Association (MTEA), the local branch of the New Jersey Education Association (NJEA).

But that’s where it ends. After multiple requests from school officials and Mason, the district has refused to comment on the matter.

We have sent multiple requests for comment to Middletown School Board President Frank Capone, Superintendent Jessica Alfone, and others in the administration, but all have refused to comment on why the MTEA president is being paid to be at home for most of each school work day.

Additionally, one parent, who wished to remain anonymous, said she was provided screenshots of NJEA President Sean Spiller on video display advertisements all over Atlantic City during the annual League of Municipalities meeting. Spiller is running for New Jersey Governor.

“If the NJEA can pay millions of dollars for their president to run for governor and stay at a fancy hotel room in Atlantic City, the NJEA can pay for the time Mr. Mason spends at home each day, not teaching our children,” she said.

We attempted to reach Mason by phone today, and again, he refused to comment on the matter. At this point, the district has not provided any explanation of the teacher’s repeated daily early morning dismissal. We also invite the district to respond to our multiple email and text/phone requests on this matter.

Do you have a complaint not being heard at your local school board or district? Let us know, email news@shorenewsnetwork.com.

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Phil Stilton is the Editor and Publisher of Shore News Network, an independent digital newsroom providing original reporting on New Jersey, national news, government, public policy, public safety, courts, and community affairs.

As founder of the publication, Stilton leads editorial strategy, investigative reporting, and daily newsroom operations while overseeing coverage that reaches millions of readers annually.

With extensive experience covering municipal government, county government, state legislatures, elections, law enforcement, emergency management, and public records, Stilton specializes in translating complex government actions into clear, factual reporting. His work frequently relies on primary source documents, including court filings, legislation, public meeting records, election finance disclosures, government databases, police reports, and Freedom of Information and Open Public Records Act (OPRA) requests. He has reported extensively on local government accountability, taxpayer spending, campaign finance, public corruption investigations, infrastructure, public safety, and the policies affecting New Jersey residents.

Under Stilton's editorial leadership, Shore News Network has grown into one of New Jersey's largest independent digital news organizations, publishing thousands of original news articles each year while providing breaking news coverage, investigative reporting, and analysis across state and local government. The publication's reporting is routinely sourced from official government agencies, public officials, court records, and firsthand documentation, with a commitment to transparency, attribution, corrections when warranted, and clearly distinguishing factual reporting from opinion.

Stilton's journalism follows established newsroom standards emphasizing accuracy, verification, fairness, and accountability. Every effort is made to verify information through official records and multiple reliable sources before publication. His reporting is intended to provide readers with timely, well-documented information that helps them understand the issues affecting their communities, while maintaining editorial independence from political parties, government agencies, advocacy organizations, and commercial interests.

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