Marie Corfield, education activist and blogger in Néw Jersey, has an amazing story to tell about her state.
The big surprise: Two moms sued to desegregate their local public school and won, a decade before the Supreme Court’s Brown decision of 1954.
“The state is home to many firsts. The light bulb, phonograph and motion picture projector were all invented here. The first baseball game was played here. The first Miss America pageant was held here in Atlantic City, home to the world’s longest boardwalk and Monopoly’s street names. The first Indian Reservation was founded here. The first drive-in theatre was opened here. Modern paleontology began here.”
And there’s so much more that the Garden State can be proud of. Did you know that Néw Jersey has one of the best school systems in the nation? Massachusetts, Néw Jersey, and Connecticut are our three top states, as judged by the National Assessment of Educational Progress. Strange that all three have governors who decided they know how to reform their state school systems. They should take care not to “fix” what is not broken.
Diane Ravitch's blog 
Teachers in Arizona today are making just a bit less than what I would have made as a classroom teacher in NJ THIRTY years ago.
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An of course the most world famous living contemporary living New Jersey artist, also a “Stonewall Veteran”, is my brother, Thomas Lanigan Schmidt. His retrospective show (while he’s still alive) at the MOMA Queens Annex two years ago was a huge success, with a major narrative about life (and growing up gay) in Linden New Jersey during the 1950s and 1960s. Oooopsss… But under Governor Chris Christie, New Jersey continues to refuse to recognize that Tommy is the state’s current foremost visual artist. Homophobia? I think so. It was firmly and deeply rooted in the state long before gay marriage became legal, and apparently…
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We had a gay governor who hid in the closet and denied he was gay, and actively stood against equality for all and gay marriage. Doesn’t that say it all? Now, Christie thinks he is the King of New Jersey. I’m ashamed to call myself a New Jerseyan.
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It doesn’t help in Jersey that the last several governors choosing to take teachers’ money and not put it into their pensions is resulting in them declaring that they absolutely need teachers to take less in order to shore up the shortfall they created.
It’s reverse robin hood in Jersey, where legislators steal from the poor, give to the rich, and declare extra costs incurred need to be paid for by the poor.
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“It’s reverse robin hood in Jersey, where legislators steal from the poor, give to the rich, and declare extra costs incurred need to be paid for by the poor.”
Illinois has been stealing from pension funds for decades. Now we have a 1% governor of hedge fund fame who wants to turn pensions into 501Ks (that have an abysmal record of creating retirement income while providing hefty fees for his buddies). We don’t receive social security, so the future is looking bleak. We are hoping that the supreme court of the state will reject state arguments to allow them to diminish the state’s pension obligation.
I was born in NJ and spent my first decade+ there. Even I knew that the state was corrupt! Someday maybe I will live in a state that actually cares about the average schmuck and feels some obligation to those whose existence is struggle. I shudder to think of a Republican ticket of Christie and Rauner.
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M & 2old2teach: may I sum up, however inelegantly, what you both have said so well?
“Sucker punch.”
And like all bullies everywhere, in all time periods and eras, the bullies will blame you and me and us for bruising their knuckles when they hurt themselves pounding on our heads.
Thank you for your comments.
😎
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New Jersey is waking up and organizing against high stakes testing and other harmful policies of so-called ed reform.
As reported by Save Our Schools NJ on its facebook page, at least 40 towns’ School Boards have recently passed humane opt-out/refusal policies, including:
Bloomfield, Delran, Millburn, Montville, North Brunswick, Princeton, Robbinsville, Bernards Township, Black Horse Pike Regional, Bordentown Regional, Bueana Regional, Byram Township, Clinton Township, Delsea Regional High School District, East Hanover Township, East Windsor Regional, Elmwood Park, Evesham Township, Gloucester Township, Gloucester County Institute of Technology, Gloucester Coutny Special Services Schools, Little Egg Harbor, Livingston, Mahwah Township, Montville, Morris, Morris Hills Regional, Neptune Township, Pemeberton Township, Randolph, Somerset Hills, Southern Regional, Stafford Township, Sewdesboro, Township of Ocean, Union Township, Wall Townshhip, Washington Borough, Washington Township (Bergen), Woodbridge Township.
Montclair NJ’s BOE is slated to vote on a humane opt policy Monday night, 1/26/15.
(Parents should ask their districts about these directly, since districts may keep policies quiet so as not to inform parents as is reported here http://www.nj.com/education/2015/01/what_happens_if_nj_students_dont_take_the_parcc.html )
Since Montclair Cares About Schools organized,
a total of 14 towns have spontaneously organized their own “Cares About Schools” groups, including Highland Park, South Brunswick, RIdgewood, North Arlington, Florham Park, Nutley, East WIndsor, Verona, Manalapan-Englishtown, Dunellen, Howell, Millburn, Montville. Many of these groups are on facebook.
Showings of Standardized, the movie, and Take the PARCC events where community members can take sample PARCC tests and judge the tests for themselves,
are popping up all over NJ. Some are sponsored by Cares About Groups, some by numerous other groups with their own names and styles, like Township of Union Park Advocacy Group.
Statewide groups like Save Our Schools NJ and United Opt Out NJ have seen tremendous growth.
Additional statewide sources like Speak up NJ http://www.speakupnj.org post addresses and contacts to write legislators and important links.
Groups like PULSE and the Newark Students Union have been organizing in Newark, NJ to protest the mismanagement and lack of accountability of the state appointed superintendent Cami Anderson, and their concerns are being echoed by Mayor Ras Baraka and legislators who oversee public schools.
And organizations in Patterson and Camden are raising their voices.
I am sure there are countless groups organizing in NJ, not mentioned here.
Name them. Share information.
Find a group. Join it. Or Start one of your own.
Speak out, be brave, refuse the tests, refuse to vote for anyone who advocates for policies harmful to public education and children. Organize.
Organize. Organize.
Keep going. And never, never give up.
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Exactly… talking about what works is crucial!
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To Krazy TA, Susan Lee Swartz, and Duane Swacker:
I love to repeat you sentimental expression, KTA, as follows:
“Sucker punch.”
And like all bullies everywhere, in all time periods and eras, the bullies will blame you and me and us for bruising their knuckles when they hurt themselves pounding on our heads.
This is the truth and the whole truth of the reason that I heartily paid for three of you two-day tickets to attend a Chicago conference in upcoming April 25 and 26.
If people are mistaken the priority in life, they easily become preys to the talent-less and powerless bully(= paper tiger is what we call).
If people are truly educated (= cultivated with logical mind and kindness), regardless of race, gender and class, they will fight a good fight for a good cause to themselves first and to other unfortunates as a result without regret and without think twice of their personal loss in career, in fortune, and even in their own family happiness, BUT with a lot of preparation, and with many smart/genuine back-up plans.
Would any of you know the outcome of Dr. Ravitch in Manhattan Conference on Wednesday, January 21, 2015? I was looking forward to receiving the post-cast in this website on that day, but there was nothing. Please let all of us know about it. Thank you. May.
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May, your generosity is so inspiring. We look forward to your observations from Canada.
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I hear you May. I do. And I have thought hard and long about your generosity, and your faith in me –in us — as the voices of authentic classroom teachers which we are.
I wanted to go, and even with the expense of the air -fare and the hotel, I might have gone, if my 11 year old granddaughter’s role as Pertuchio, (in the TAMING OF THE SHREW) had not been planned for that time period. Yes, in an ironic reversal of Shakespearean tradition, she plays the male roles. Here is an interview with her as Hamleta: (on her mother’s site for the home school project ImprovEd Sheakespeare site)
Aside from that, I thought long and hard about what I could learn at the NPE, and about whom I would meet, and ALSO, who would meet with,or hear me. Diane and Randi will be speaking along with Karen Black, as I discovered here. Would I finally meet them? What might I say to them, and what would they wish to hear from me?
In fact, it was on a blog post here (not in a personal email from Diane) , that I discovered your thoughtful gift, and I was not sure where I would get the tickets, but Diane wrote, (here) that I could pick them up at the Drake hotel.
Although it has been five months since, I have begun to comment here, I have indeed, been ‘out there’ talking about the assault on public education for over a decade now, as my google presence will show.
I have been talking at OEN about the destruction of public education, for over five years, despite the fact that the very smart, publisher once wrote to me that: “schools” are not a TOPIC he is interested in. I think that says it all.
He applauded my passion and told me how he trusted my voice, and since I began to quick-link to the Ravitch posts, he seems less adverse to headlining education news; But, he shows no real journalistic ‘zeal’ for uncovering the greatest threat to democracy which is happening right under his nose — as Gates and crew, and dark money, dismantle public education… and the road to opportunity for all.
I cannot help but wonder, if I were to have spent the money to go to Chicago, what would I actually accomplish?
I guess I am tired of spitting in the wind, and have lost hope that anyone will care about anything I bring to this conversation –about what happened to end learning, and what must be done, to bring back the support for learning that was there when the professional WAS the trusted voice. This happens when my health begins to fail, as it did when my back sustained a real problem recently.
As Diane knows, it is hard to maintain passion when one is hurt, but especially difficult when you have no pulpit on which to stand, healthily or not.
I have not given up. I know Bernie Sanders personally, as an alumni, and IF he runs, I plan to camp out on his doorstep until he speaks to me, so I can tell him what is really afoot, and to offer my services. I wish to write speeches and to SPEAK ABOUT* what’s really happening in education and what needs to be done if anything is to change for the children and the teachers!
*Speech and Theater & Education, was my college background (along with English Literature the Arts) and my enormous success and the experience in my practice demonstrated that I can certainly speak as a teacher, and I can ensure that the audience pays attention to what I have to say!
I haven’t given up, but I am old (73) and tired, and choose my moments wisely.
I am deeply discouraged and disappointed by what dark money is doing!
I cannot tell you how much your interest, and conversation with YOU, means to me.
FYI: I , too was happy to see Diane get out there to the people in Manhattan, and like you, was wondering what actually occurred. Manhattan was my beat, and it holds a place in my heart, along with Brooklyn where I was born and raised, but I have no illusions about the politics or who runs the show.
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I hope everyone realizes that the states with the highest NAEP scores, like NJ, MA and CT, also happen to have the lowest rates of child poverty in the nation.
http://www.southerneducation.org/Our-Strategies/Research-and-Publications/New-Majority-Diverse-Majority-Report-Series/A-New-Majority-2015-Update-Low-Income-Students-Now?
The correlation of test scores to family income is evident in schools AND in states, so after 30 years of education “reform” based on neoliberal economic policies, since the era was first launched in 1983 by “A Nation at Risk,” there is still no evidence of a secret sauce for school success besides livable wages for the working poor –precisely what politicians and their billionaire corporate sponsors have been avoiding for decades.
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To Mary Corfield:
It is important to repeat your words, as follows
When history repeats itself, we must never forget:
In an era 1) when public education is reverting back to ‘separate and unequal’,
2) when ‘edupreneures’ seek to profit off the invention of ‘failing’ schools and ‘bad’ teachers,
3) when funding for public education is being slashed to the bone,
4) when those who dare to speak the truth about the racial disparities of education ‘reform’ are bullied and intimidated,
5) when public schools in our poor, urban cities are closed and converted to charters that weed out the most challenging to educate,
6) when those who need the most from our public schools are actually losing the most,
7) when concerned parents are characterized as nothing more than Chicken Littles, it’s stories like this one that need shouting from the mountaintops!
As Margaret Mead said,
Never doubt that A SMALL GROUP of thoughtful, COMMITTED CITIZENS can CHANGE THE WORLD; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.
[end quote]
Please accept my heartfelt thanks for your accurate description that sums all up in today situation of America Public Education of 21st century.
I would like to add one more:
8) when our government officials from president to governors and all Senators and representatives in House of Commons are just PAPER TIGERS who bully people who vote them for their platform, but it turns out that these PAPER TIGERs are only TIMID DOMESTIC CATS who obey the rich (LIONS) and give the rich the people power to:
1) ruin DEMOCRACY in society;
2) create DICTATORSHIP in talent-less leaders;
3) destroy DECENCY in coward people;
as well as to harm many upcoming young generations by transforming all future students into modern slaves who would NEVER learn how to enjoy:
1) reading about humanity and civility in literature;
2) listening to compassionate/universal love in music;
3) and sharing and caring for other fellow beings.
Moreover,
In the thread on January 22, 2015, re: Chancellor Farina’s speech about (DICTATORSHIP!) APPOINTED controlled positions from Governor, down to Mayor, Chancellor, superintendent, and principal. (Please note that Governor and Mayor are superficially in election with determined winning result from fixing, buying votes by billionaire club.= APPOINTED by the rich)
Then, in the thread on January 23, 2015, re: a post from a blogger “Ateacher” about House Bill HB 449 (put a silence on freedom of expression in education field), proposed by John L. Moore – Republican — Representative — District 60.
Will somebody and anybody educate this immigrant who risked her life twice in the ocean (since 1978) in order to come to North America for FREEDOM of EXPRESSION and to do whatever within her wit to fight a good fight to against any kind of dictatorship in school, workforce and society in order to give back the truth of DEMOCRACY to many upcoming YOUNG NORTH AMERICA GENERATIONS? Please guide me with your
wisdom HOW TO FIGHT BACK THE DICTATORSHIP, I will follow and support your guidance within my wit. Back2basic
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Dear Susan:
We are young in heart and mind regardless our frail body, but we must be happy for our invincible wisdom to help us exposing all manipulations and speculations from bad authority.
Many years ago, I have decided that enough is enough, and just wanted to meditate on my own. However, after two weeks being hospitalized for a mild stroke, I changed my mind. I am beginning on a new journey of doing whatever I can in wherever I live to set an example of promoting humanity in certain modest action that I could afford.
I keep reminding the young about 4 important guided principles from Buddha, and telling the old about the mantra that “good deed returns good deed and evil follows evil.”
Hopefully, there would be certain impact in people mind, so that we will have less con artists in near to future. I profoundly believe in humanity, and I do my best to promote kindness and mutual respect among all classes, races, and genders.
I hope that you love music, songs “Baker Street” and “Right Down the Line” from Scottish singer Gerry Rafferty who is against music industry to commercialize all of his hit songs. Here is the link for you to enjoy with me. (if you switch the word women to humanity in his song Right Down the Line, then the meaning of this song is written for my feeling.)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4wvUBf3msJ8
“Right down the line” sang by singer Gerry Rafferty
You know I need your love
You’ve got that hold on me
long as I’ve got your love
you know that I’ll never leave
When I wanted you to share my life
I had no doubt in my mind
And it’s been you, woman
Right down the line
I know how much I lean on you
Only you can see
The changes that I’ve been through
Have left their mark on me
You’ve been as constant as the northern star
the brightest light that shines
It’s been you, woman
Right down the line
I just want to say, this is my way
Of telling you everything
I could never say before
Yeah this is my way
Of telling you everyday
I’m loving you so much more
cause you believed in me
Thru my darkest night
Put something better inside of me
You brought me into the light
Threw away all those crazy dreams (these are fame and shame in vain)
I put them all behind
And it’s been you, woman
Right down the line
I just want to say this is my way
Of telling you everything
I could never say before
Yeah this is my way
Of telling you everyday
I’m loving you so much more
If I should doubt myself
If I’m losing ground
I won’t turn to someone else (empty promise without conscience)
they’d only let me down
When I wanted you to share my life
I had no doubt in my mind
And it’s been you, woman
Right down the line.
Please enjoy doing whatever you can bring happiness to your loves ones first ,then to surrounding as a result of your action. I am sure that your grand daughter needs your present much more than the crowd in Chicago. Please always do whatever you could without stressing you out. Respectfully yours, May.
Love to you. May.
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Time to dust off a column from two decades ago by Bob Herbert to illustrate another NJ “first”: Christie Todd Whitman’s decision to use pension funds to balance the budget and thereby avoid taxes…. and thereby create the “crisis” another Christie had to solve:
Whenever you read about a pension “crisis” dust this off and remind yourself that these crises are the by-product of an over-promising politician…
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