In his unrelenting determination to advance the privatization of public schools in Néw Jersey, Governor Chris Christie has shifted $37.5 million from public schools to charter schools in the state budget. Last year,he shifted $70 million from public schools to charters.
The district that is hardest hit by this ploy is Newark. Public schools there will lose $2,000 per student as a result of this budget trick. The state has controlled Newark for 25 years, and the best that Christie can do is to privatize the schools.
The goal is to fatten the charters and starve the publics. Why does the Legislature go along with it?
What a disgrace!
Teachers are going to have to get tougher and unite to fight this nonsense. The unions are worthless, and covertly in collusion with anti public school mobsters. Here we go again Diane. You can marshal the teachers using your relationship with associations and blogsters who feel as we do on these matters. It’s time for teachers to take risks, and threaten walk outs if our demands aren’t met. However, there must be 100% inclusion on their part. Let’s take back the public schools and rid ourselves of these destructive elements. Unmask the charter schools for what they are, a ruse created to placate a racist white middle class, and allow them to make an end run around the law to desegregate the public school system. We have the power to fix this nonsense. do we have the will?
“…to placate a racist white MIDDLE class…” I think that the middle class part is off base.
How do you plead poverty on one hand and support a move like this on the other? The least he could do was not further impoverish districts but he not only denies his own laws but then goes on to take from the schools as well.
Apparently he is of the opinion that if he starves pensions and public schools enough the resulting crisis will force unions to his version of what it means to fund schools (hint: Teachers should develop a taste for cat food soon)
Yoiks…Christie “the best of the Republicans”? Try Jon Huntsman, and then drown all the rest.
This is my reply to Twinkie stated below…yes, TWINKIE….
Although I always regarded Christie as the best of the Republicans and certainly t he most interesting, he is now truly showing his colors as one of THEM.
Don’t you Northerners even THINK ABOUT voting for newly announced Jindal. Early word to the wise! Only poor kids get stuck with charters because they don’t matter to him.
One of the BEST? You need to read more of the blogs from New Jersey. Bob Braun and Jersey Jazzman are a good place to start. I’m thousands of miles away, and even I know that Christie is a creep.
Ditto, T.O.W. Even w/all that goes on in ILL-Annoy, we’re well aware that Christie is a teacher-hater/basher & a bully of the first order (think Cerf & Anderson)–just take a look at the video in which he’s verbally–actually in her face–abusing a teacher who had the audacity to approach him/ask him a ? at a public event (is she not a constituent & he a public servant?). Sure someone reading this can supply it, or that it’s widely available on-line. I’m surprised at you, twinkie1cat–you’re generally extremely knowledgeable (& I say this w/admiration)!
And–BTW–I think he declared himself in the running for the Republican nomination today. Sigh–yet one more ego-driven buffoon who will spend (waste) million$ on what will surely be a failed campaign.
TOW,
Nice to know that Bob Braun’s Ledger and Jersey Jazzman resonate across our continent. We cope w traffic, pollution, and more in NJ but we have Bob and Mark. And Dr Bruce Baker of Rutgers GSEd, at School Finance 101.
The teacher that rbmtk refers to is Melissa Tomlinson, who asked Gov Christie about funding for students. That’s the video w CC shaking finger and wife Mary Pat w her spouse smile. Btw Mary Pat’s former company earned a respectable fee related to NJ Pension Funds it no longer administered.
Here’s another story that EVERYONE should be aware of….it’s no wonder that our schools and other public services don’t have the needed funding! Remember that it was the pharmaceutical companies that were the largest contributors by far to the Bush campaign….where all this nonsense, beginning with Every Child Left Behind, began.
http://www.msn.com/en-us/money/companies/company-that-fled-us-over-taxes-now-wants-feds%E2%80%99-help/ar-AAc43Kk?ocid
Big Pharma is one of the key promoters of the TPP that is going to be inflicted on us.
Isn’t it amazing?
The largest trade deal in a generation and there is virtually no information or debate on it. None. I love the media pieces backing it. They have no idea what is in it, but they back it!
It’s the craziest thing I have ever seen. The absolute blind faith and deference that is extended to powerful people in this country is freaking appalling. They will literally sign onto a contract without reading it, depending on who is promoting it.
John Deasy did just that at LAUSD, with his open ended contract with Pearson for curriculum that was not even designed, muchless published..
Yes, Chiara…it all insane behavior…a tale by idiots, signifying nothing but greed.
You really wonder how the people who are still denying this is about getting rid of public schools maintain that position in the face of daily evidence to the contrary.
They gotta have near-total faith in these politicians and billionaires to keep that in place.
I hope that I don’t see the day where they (and we) are all standing around, scratching our heads, and wondering where all the public schools have gone when the last one is shuttered and handed over to a for-profit charter read estate front company for rent extraction.
Perhaps teachers will find their will and their resolve to stand up and fight this year. I remain optimistic.
It’s just so blatantly pro-charter. Ohio proposed a budget that cut funding to 50% of districts and increased funding to every single charter and the Ohio charter sector is nationally known as inferior. Chris Christie based his political career on attacking public schools. That’s why he’s famous.
It’s not like they’re hiding this. We got words and we got actions. I’m not clear on what it might take.
The voters of New Jersey put this con man bully into power. Unless they wake up, he will destroy one of the best systems in the nation.
Hey! In Utah, our illustrious, non-educator (he’s a lawyer) state superintendent says that we don’t need money for schools (we’re the lowest per pupil at $6444), we just need FAITH!
http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865630666/Faith-can-move-education-forward.html
Well, sure he does. “Faith” takes education off his plate. He doesn’t have to do anything.
I believe this is called “relinquishing” in ed reform.
It’s called “not doing your job” outside of ed reform.
To you, T.O.W., & to Chiara below–all of what you both mention reminds me of the outstanding Edward Gorey cartoon, w/ the giant word “NOTHING” in stone, & people bowing down, worshipping it, w/the caption, “Is NOTHING sacred?”
Charter schools and parochial schools don’t need money, they need faith. Let’s cut their funds and start praying
From California: Yesterday when I went to Wholefoods I was approached by a petition person (outside the store) with a clipboard asking for signatures to support a Bond to improve (update and repair buildings, etc.) the public schools in California. I took the clipboard and started to read the summary at the top. When I got to the line where $1 billion of the bond would go to corporate Charter schools, I handed the clip board back to her and said I would never sign anything that supported funding corporate Charter schools because many of those schools were scams run by frauds and crooks. She didn’t blink an eye and walked away to find another signature. These people are usually paid by the signature by someone behind the petition who will benefit if it gathers enough names to get on the next ballot.
Take it to the next level Lloyd. What I do with those folks, if I have the time, but I usually make the time anyway, is to follow them peppering them with questions and addressing the folks they are trying to get signatures from letting them know what the real story on the petition is. It only takes a few minutes and many times the signature gatherer gets discouraged and leaves.
Good idea.
Duane…I do the same, particularly with the Lyndon La Rouche whackos who stand outside of Trader Joe’s. Lloyd, you are being overcharged at WholeFoods…see the news yesterday. Now I know to watch for the Charter School crooks as well. A great teachable moment for students, about reading and questioning ALL petitions.
I read the same thing about Whole Foods, but I don’t shop there exclusively. I shop at local farmer’s markets, Trader Joe’s, Costco and Whole Foods last for a few items I can’t find easily elsewhere.
As for petitions, I always read them and ask questions. Only when I’m satisfied that it probably isn’t being pushed by a crook will I sign.
Señor Swacker – Bet you make ’em sorry!
You are right this is a complete disgrace!
More destructive and deceptive behavior from this governor who wants to be the president! He also continues his mission to break unions, choke public pensions, and destroy the Newark and Camden school systems. This governor is horrific.
Power corrupts, and this very nasty and mendacious Governor shows the world that his power corrupts absolutely. Combine this NJ action with that of the Texas Governor’s new appointment to head his Dept. of Education, a woman who was a Republican flack and believes only in home schooling, and we see how fast a loose these people play with public funding allocated for the public good.
Where is the DoJ? Where is the rule of law? How can those who feed at the public trough get away with stealing from the public, with total immunity by the Feds?
Let us do some simple math.
Assume that all the $37.5 million was taken away from Newark School district. This school district has 35054 students in the public schools. This will result in a reduction of $1070 per student but not the $2000 claimed above.
The assumption above that it was taken away from just the Newerk School district alone is not justifiable. Let us fix that. The budget was at the state level and was taken away from all the school districts in New Jersey, which has at last count 1.37 million public school children. The new calculation shows that it will result in a reduction of $27.37 per student in the state of New Jersey.
One more final look, this money goes to the charter schools, which reduces the number of students that are educated by the public schools. This means that per student reduction at the state level may even be near zero.
Now Dianne, can you explain the budget trick of losing $2000 per student once again with these facts?
Did you read the piece?
“In 2016 districts will be forced to overpay charters $37.5 million — and this is on top of $70.1 million districts overpaid in the 2014-15 school year.
OLS demonstrated that nine districts account for the lion’s share of the $37.5 million for next year, with Newark alone on the hook for just under $25 million. As the Education Law Center pointed out, that $25 million is a large portion of the district’s $40 million budget shortfall.”
No, it’s a funding formula:
“Under the Charter School Program Act of 1995 charters are to receive “90 percent of the program budget per pupil for the specific grade level in the district or 90 percent of the maximum T&E (Thorough and Efficient) amount.”
“My own district, Highland Park, is projected to pay an additional $31,771 to charter schools during the 2015-16 school year, and, unbeknownst to us, we paid an additional $54,932 out of our 2014-15 budget. While these numbers pale in comparison to those in Newark and other large districts, those much-needed funds should be used to benefit the almost 1,600 students in our four neighborhood schools, not to provide a windfall for the two dozen Highland Park students who attend charters in other towns.”
Chiara,
Do one more simple calculation. Your numbers above result in ~$20 reduction per student in your district during the 2015-2016 school year. It is nowhere near the number Daine Ravitch stated at there start of this blog ($2000 per student). My calculation above showed the number to be $27.37 per student in New Jersey for the new school year.
Another way state it, $37.5 million at $2000 reduction per student means that there are only 18750 students in the state of New Jersey. But Newark school district alone has twice as many students.
If you want to keep supporting the false accusation by Diane Ravitch, please continue, but numbers do not lie. I do not agree that she is infallible.
It is one thing to have genuine disagreement with current politics/politicians and state your opinions here, but it is entirely a different matter to concoct wrong/distorted information to support your beliefs.
Oh, did she mean average student in Newark school district?
Isn’t that what you thought she believes, eh?
$37.5 million accounts for 9 school districts in the entire body of Newark, and most seriously affected are those in four neighboring schools–which is 1,600. They are in the districts that are in dire need of resources.
That’s approximately, $2,343,75> $2000 per student in underfunded district(s) of Newark. The number represents those in the poverty-stricken area
>It is one thing to have genuine disagreement with current politics/politicians and state your opinions here, but it is entirely a different matter to concoct wrong/distorted information to support your beliefs.
That’s exactly what your math demonstration shows. You are the one who brings new stats assuming that public funds would be equally distributed to each district in entire district body of Newark.
Not to mention, Raj, that when the charter dumps the child, the public schools have to educate the child for free for the remainder of the school year.
Ken Watanabe: amazing what numbers & stats will “tell” us when they are subjected to rheephorm-minded EIT [EnhancedInterrogrationTechniques].
But the rheeality is not new, as Andrew Lang reminds us:
“He uses statistics as a drunken man uses lamp posts – for support rather than for illumination.”
And as the 19th century Scottish poet also points out:
“He missed an invaluable opportunity to hold his tongue.”
But where’s the $tudent $ucce$$ in that?
😎
Raj,
The $107.6 million was not taken or redistributed uniformly across the state. Newark local public school students lost $63.2 million, which was redistributed to Newark’s charter schools. That comes to more than $2,000 taken from each local public school student in Newark.