The Eli Broad Foundation gave Néw Jersey $430,000 for Broad-style corporate reform. There was one strange string attached: the money would keep flowing only if Chris Christie remained governor.
This is how Rick Cohen of the Non-Profit Quarterly described this cozy deal:
“The Broad Foundation grant is in support of various educational reforms in the state, with performance benchmarks such as a 50 percent increase in the number of charter schools or the number of high quality charter schools, depending on which way one reads the grant language. It is not the first Broad grant to New Jersey, having been preceded by extensive support to the state’s Department of Education aimed at “’accelerat(ing)’ the pace of ‘disruptive’ and ‘transformational’” change. The Christie-contingent Broad Foundation grant raises so many troubling questions that one hardly knows where to start.
“To begin with, Broad included conditions in this current grant that are astonishing, requiring that all public announcements of the program by the state have to be cleared with the Broad Foundation. The grant contains a lengthy provision about making documents, files, and records associated with the grant the property of the Foundation. Are these materials, generated and used by the government as a result of the grant, not to be disclosed to the public? Is the foundation telling government—and the legislature and the voters—what they should accept as public versus private? A foundation spokesperson’s contention that this only applies to a sliver of files containing “personal information” doesn’t seem to fit with the fact that Sciarra [David Sciarra of the Education Law Center] and his Center only found out about the terms of this Broad grant at all, much like other Broad funding in the state, by pressing for disclosure through the state’s Open Public Records Act. Giving some definition to the Foundation’s narrow commitment to transparency, the grant agreement adds, “If the state is legally required to make any of these materials public — either through subpoenas or other legal process — it must give the foundation advance notice of such disclosure so that TBF may contest the disclosure and or/seek a protective order.”
Who knew that one could buy education policy in New Jersey for so little? What a bargain!
Diane Ravitch's blog 
I have been writing about Broad’s power for the last few years.
He ruptures 501c3 Federal law as to non-profit reporting and yet the
IRS gives him a pass repeatedly. Why? Non-profits must account for
their donations in a public annual report. Eli seems to feel that he
does not have to abide by the rules that govern the rest of us.
Birds of a feather flock together, the old saying goes…so we see
continually those of similar views who hold themselves above the laws
pairing to impose their views on the rest of us, with impunity it seems.
Ellen Lubic
At his swearing in and inaugural address, Chris Christie said: “No matter what adult we have to offend, no matter where you came from, no matter what sacred cow we must slay, no matter how much we have to change the conventional thinking, we will not stand for the achievement gap which exists between our best and least educated children…..” In other words, Christie just redeclared war on the NJEA again and for the umpteenth time. Instead of taking a conciliatory, cooperative and inclusive tone of voice, he took an angry and belligerent tone against the NJEA and those who are not part of the Broad-Gates high speed train to public school destruction. Christie is just as arrogant and bullying as ever. Christie is also big buddies with the Koch brothers. The NJEA has stated that it is ready and willing to work with the governor to discuss the issues but Christie just spit in the NJEA’s face. Christie is not a moderate, he’s a right wing paid shill ideologue.
It’s fashionable to trash public schools and public school teachers.
He’ll get a big atta boy from his donors for it. It’s “brave”.
You’ll never hear him talk tough to anyone who is wealthy or powerful, though. Look at the lousy terms he “negotiated” with Mr. Broad! He gave away the store. Broad gave him orders, and he followed them.
Is this some type of payola? How is this legal?
Just $430,000? That is not that much money if you consider it is for an entire state. Newark went through $1,000,000 just on consultants.
Chris Christie is a bully and a monster.
He is yet another governor who is anti-teacher, anti-union, and anti-government.
He has tried to entice the public with his Whitman’s sampler of assorted bon-bon policies that make it look as if the tax payer were being saved by his policies. Little does the taxpayer know that his chocolates are laden with hydrogenated palm oils and vanillin.
On the other hand, his avarice, greed, and corruption have rendered him a glutton for plutocracy, and he has not only swallowed the entire box of candies, but he’s also gorged himself on every candy factory here and abroad.
Now with an ego sweltering and distended, he faces some pretty grim reductions and portion control with regard to his power and authority.
Let’s hope a steady diet of humility, truth telling, confessions, and even jail will put Mr. Christie at rest where he can live out the rest of his days working out . . . . . .
Is Chris Christie about to be “re-christened”? LOL.
Maybe not. Some people must have known what he really is for a long time.
How does one send this to all the newspapers in NJ. Hoping someone with sense will pursue it and print the truth.
Start here:
http://www.usnpl.com/njnews.php
This was picked up by the New Jersey Star-Ledger on December 13, 2012, but it was never pursued by media at the time. Now, maybe with “Bridgegate” people will take another look.
http://blog.nj.com/njv_bob_braun/2012/12/private_education_grant_tied_t.html
another bit of information is that the struggle between the Mayor of Hoboken and Christie was the push to have approved, with the Port Authority, the development of a site for Pearson in Hoboken. Wondering if all of the controversy is really about Democrats not providing political support for his election. When Pearson (Gates) speaks, candidates for governor listen. Cuomo now want 2 billion dollars for school technology (to be used for Pearson testing?)
And if the Pearson Testing uses System 8, that’s a lot of computers to replace. Someone is making out like a bandit.
Found this on System 8 http://www.pearsonhighered.com/pearsonhigheredus/educator/product/products_detail.page?isbn=0321197844
Just as the NSA, Pearson will be able to create relational profiles based on student data and open ended test answers. Hoboken, for such a wealthy company’s headquarters may indicate a back office for technology use for this Ministry of Truth (1984)
Pearson deal in Hoboken http://www.nj.com/hudson/index.ssf/2012/02/pearson_education_announces_90.html
Jazzman has exposed the extent of Broad influence in New Jersey: super-superintendents, Regional Achievement Centers (a.k.a. the Inquisition), Focal Point, etc.; perhaps folks will take this threat more seriously now that bullying seems to be going out of style– and whistle blowers will not be laughed to scorn.
For an in depth look at The Broad Foundation see:
“Who is Eli Broad and why is he trying to destroy public education?”
http://www.defendpubliceducation.net/
Thanks philaken. That was an extremely informative link – especially the list of Broad cronies and their posts, but also the events and participants over the past few years. It’s scary that the people we count on to protect our interests have hooked up with our opponents.
Again – the workings of another great novel.
“Beware of where you turn. Even your best friend could secretly be your worst enemy. There is no one left to trust. Soon, you, too, will be overcome and then become one of them.”
Oh wait, that’s the plot of The Night of the Living Dead.
We are headed to a two tier educational system. 1. Institution of Higher Learning for affluent and suburban schools 2. Educational factories for
“Urban dwellers”.
Major issue no one has addressed—
The total dismantling of urban district by state appointed fiscal monitors who are pursuing the Christie agenda. Why are they making decision in area other than financial. What happen to data driven decision making? Why can they act “arbitrary and capriciously without recourse by the local BOE?
Hard to believe that a State Board of Education would accept such “strings” attached to a grant.
I personally don’t blame Christie or Cerf and his BROADIE minions at the NJDOE as much as the dolts on the NJ Board of Education. Incompetence of such grand proportions should not be tolerated. But.., Aponte and crew think their roles require only compliance with the Governor! Hmmmm, wonder why?
Cuomo counting on Pearson for Presidential run?
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/alan-singer/cuomo-common-core-and-pearson_b_1293465.html