|
New Jersey Assemblyman Gary S. Schaer (D) |
"I support
public schools and have been a staunch advocate for increased funding so they
can better accomplish their vital goals. But public schools don’t work for
everyone, and consistently failing schools work for no one."
New Jersey
Assemblyman Gary S. Schaer (D) wrote an editorial in the New Jersey paper The
Record on what the state's proposed Opportunity Scholarship Act will really mean for New
Jersey. In response to a March
5 editorial, which called the voucher program “flawed,” Assemblyman Schaer set the record straight on the OSA:
A coordinated
and holistic approach to education in our state that includes OSA and charter
schools recognizes that diverse educational models can best meet the challenge
of our diverse educational needs.
State
officials, as well as local decision makers and parents, should be more
concerned that taxpayer dollars are being used to provide our children with an
excellent education, whether they attend a public, private or parochial school.
In his response, Schaer—a primary sponsor of the bill and a member of the New Jersey
General Assembly since 2006—broke down every argument The Record set for against vouchers. As Assemblyman Schaer says, the OSA—which would create a corporate scholarship tax credit program for kids in failing school districts—it’s all
about preparing New Jersey’s children for a great future.
While The Record is concerned that tax dollars
will be spent at private schools, Assemblyman Schaer points out that public
money has been used across the nation to create success stories:
Tax dollars are already being used to pay for private education in New
Jersey and nationally. Federal Pell Grants, the GI Bill and subsidized student
loans have all been used to pay for tuition at private universities – and have
all helped spur millions of success stories in America.
Schaer continues, debunking The Record’s
claim that the OSA will hurt public schools:
In New
Jersey, the state aid funding formula is based on a concept of “money following
the student.” The amount of money districts would keep for every student who
accepts a scholarship would drastically increase per-pupil spending in these districts
while decreasing class sizes in the most troubled schools.
With this in mind, the assertion that OSA will
hurt schools – and, thus, children – is unjustified.
In the end, Schaer focuses on what is best for our children:
But for
children who suffer in these failing schools today – some of whom are being
primed for a life of failure – the OSA offers a fighting chance for a future.
If we can save just one child, then we’re doing the right thing.
[…]
A
coordinated and holistic approach to education in our state that includes OSA
and charter schools recognizes that diverse educational models can best meet
the challenge of our diverse educational needs.
State
officials, as well as local decision makers and parents, should be more concerned
that taxpayer dollars are being used to provide our children with an excellent
education, whether they attend a public, private or parochial school.
Together,
our job is to ensure all New Jersey’s children are prepared for the future.
We applaud
Assemblyman Schaer for defending the OSA and for standing up for
children and fighting for real educational options!
- American Federation for Children | Alliance for School Choice, MSG