UPDATE: Judge Rejects Lawsuit Brought by Camden Mothers

Just a few days after three Camden mothers filed a lawsuit claiming the state is not adequately educating their children, a New Jersey judge rejected the claim that their children be removed from Camden’s public schools and transferred to higher-performing public schools or private schools.

Despite the dismal reality that 23 of 26 Camden public schools are failing, Administrative Law Judge Edward J. Delanoy Jr. said the mothers had not proven their case and had not provided specific evidence that their children suffered irreparable harm.

Attorneys representing these Camden moms will take the case to the Education commissioner who has 45 days to adopt, modify, or reject the case.

Here's a statement from lawyers Patricia Bombelyn and Julio Gomez:

We are disappointed with the order because it requires (the children) to remain in schools that everyone knows are not fulfilling their mission of educating school children.

This disappointing result is just further proof that true educational choice is needed in New Jersey. It's why the legislature needs to pass the Opportunity Scholarship Act to give families like the three Camden mothers a true choice in their child's education.

- American Federation for Children | Alliance for School Choice, MSG

Families in Camden, New Jersey Lead the Fight for Educational Options

Three mothers of Camden students in New Jersey are suing the state for not providing children with a quality education as required by the state constitution.  And if precedence means anything in the New Jersey Courts, these mothers have a good shot.  Thirty-two years ago, Raymond Abbott, a Camden student and the lead plaintiff in a lawsuit alleging inadequate funding for schools in impoverished cities, led the charge in what resulted in an overhaul of how the state funds public schools.

So these moms have some good history behind them—and, unfortunately, some sobering statistics about Camden Public Schools:

• 23 of 26 public schools in Camden are failing
• Camden schools make up one-third of the poorest-performing public schools 5 percent of schools in New Jersey
• Less than 1 percent of students who take the SATs score high enough to meet college standards

 While New Jersey has charter schools and public school choice, these mothers are asking the state education commissioner to find better-performing schools for their children—and the 15,000 students in Camden—immediately.

Several groups supporting the suit—Excellent Education for Everyone (E3), the Black Ministers’ Council of New Jersey, and the Latino Leadership Alliance of New Jersey—have the answer:  a scholarship tax credit program.  These organizations are also strong supporters of the Opportunity Scholarship Act.

The OSA has strong bipartisan support and the backing of Governor Chris Christie.  Despite this strong support, the bill is not yet law because of politics as usual: Assembly Speaker Sheila Oliver will not let the bill come to a vote.

It’s time the New Jersey Education Commissioner, Speaker Oliver, and other opponents of immediate educational options know this: Parents Know Best.  So let’s listen to these Camden mothers.

- American Federation for Children | Alliance for School Choice, MSG

Governor Christie Should Talk Education at the GOP Convention

Governor Chris Christie, who is giving the keynote address tonight at the Republican National Convention, has a great opportunity to address an issue that both Republicans and Democrats need to hear: creating more educational options for children all across the nation.  When the governor takes the stage tonight, he should use that time to talk about school choice.

While pundits and talking heads argue that America is more polarized than ever before, Christie should point out that school choice—in both vouchers and scholarship tax credit programs—are supported by both Democrats and Republicans.  Rather, it’s partisan politics as usual that is preventing school choice from becoming a real option for so many American families.

In New Jersey, for example, Governor Christie championed the Opportunity Scholarship Act (OSA), a scholarship tax credit program for children from low-income families.  And he had strong Democratic support in the legislature.  Newark Mayor Cory Booker, Assemblyman Angel Fuentes, Assemblyman Troy Singleton, and Senator Raymond Lesniak are only some of the prominent Democrats who supported the initiative.  In fact, the legislation had enough votes in both chambers to pass.  Why isn’t the OSA law in New Jersey?  The Speaker of the Assembly never let the bill come to a vote.

But a setback in New Jersey isn’t the only story.  In 2011, seven new private school choice programs were created and 11 programs were expanded.  And in 2012, five new programs were created and six programs expanded.  This work was often done in a bipartisan manner.

Echoes of Support for School Choice, Disappointment in Setbacks

You'll recall that, last month, we decried another setback of the Opportunity Scholarship Act in New Jersey, and it turns out that we're far from the only ones who were upset about the inability of the legislature to pass school choice legislation. 


In a letter to the editor appearing in the Courier Post, a Voohees, N.J., resident echoed the same frustration shared by advocates around the state:  political games are blocking a bipartisan bill that could help thousands of Garden State children.

Published yesterday in the Courier Post, one school choice supporter wrote:

The parents of children in Camden and several other cities in New Jersey can thank Assembly Speaker Sheila Y. Oliver, D-Essex, for keeping their children trapped in failing schools for yet another year.

The Opportunity Scholarship Act would have created a corporate scholarship tax credit program for students from low-income families in failing school districts to attend public or private schools of their parents’ choice.

The bill had strong bipartisan support and more than enough votes to pass in both the Assembly and the Senate, which is why Oliver obstinately refused to post the bill for a vote.

Another legislative session ends. Another opportunity for urban kids to succeed dies.

What constituency are you protecting, Mrs. Oliver? The teachers’ unions? The entrenched educational bureaucracy? It certainly isn’t poor, minority children of this state desperately in need of access to a quality education.

Governor Chris Christie, Mayor Cory Booker Put New Jersey Children Ahead of Partisan Politics

Newark Mayor Cory Booker and New Jersey Governor Chris Christie in 2010.

It's usually tough to find common ground in today's often bitterly partisan political landscape.  But two of New Jersey's most prominent chief executives are doing their best to change that. 

Instead of focusing on issues on which they don't agree, Republican Governor Chris Christie and Democratic Mayor Cory Booker -- both of whom will be giving keynote addresses at next month's AFC National Policy Summit -- may not agree on much, they do agree on providing children from low-income families the opportunity to access a quality education.  And that is something to celebrate!

While they have among the brightest futures in their respective parties, they're concerned less with running for the next office and more with working to reform New Jersey's education system for the betterment of the state's kids.

Christie has championed the Opportunity Scholarship Act (OSA), which would create a corporate scholarship tax credit program for children in the state's lowest-performing school districts, since he took office in January 2010.  He's made the OSA a top priority entering the legislative session, and it's expected to be considered by the legislature later this spring.  Booker, who became Newark's mayor in 2007, last year testified passionately in favor of the OSA and has been an outspoken supporter of Christie's education reform agenda.

Technology and Thumbs Together Advocating for the Opportunity Scholarship Act

There are many ways to show your support for school choice in New Jersey.  You can write your legislator, call your legislator, and rally with thousands of other advocates.  And now, Garden State residents can use technology and their thumbs to text their support of the Opportunity Scholarship Act.

Thanks to E3 (Excellent Education for Everyone), all supporters have to do is text the word OSANOW to 99000 and key in the number that best describes the city of residence.  And you’ve just shown your support for the OSA!

So why should we be texting for school choice?

Well, the OSA would create a tax credit scholarship program for low-income students trapped in the state's worst-performing school districts, finally giving their parents the opportunity to send them to high-quality schools.  New Jersey has a bipartisan coalition supporting this program—including Governor Chris Christie and Democratic Mayor Cory Booker.

Text your support for the OSA Today!

- American Federation for Children | Alliance for School Choice, MSG

Legislator Responds to 'The Record' About the Record on NJ School Choice

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

Governor Christie Brews up talk on school vouchers on MSNBC’s Morning Joe

The folks over at MSNBC's Morning Joe traveled to Fort Lee High School in New Jersey to brew up conversation on education reform in the Garden State. Among the guests was New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, who was characteristically passionate in his discussion of school choice and education reform. He even gave a shout out to the Opportunity Scholarship Act (OSA), which he—along with many Democrats—support.  In fact, he even predicted that the scholarship tax credit program would become law this year!

Christie has made education reform a centerpiece of his agenda during his first two years in office. The OSA would offer students from low-income families in the state's worst-performing school districts the chance to attend a great school via scholarships given out thanks to generous donors who would, in turn, receive a tax credit for their donation. 

But even with strong bipartisan support in both the Assembly and the Senate, the bill has yet to receive a vote. That's because the opposition to private school choice is strong and carries a great deal of influence, as the governor pointed out this morning:

[Unions] have made it very clear to me and to the legislature that [vouchers are] an unacceptable alternative and they will fight in every way they can. All vouchers of any kind: limited program, a pilot program of any kind. No chance.  That’s what they’ve said.

But don't just take Governor Christie's words for it. Read about what the head of the state's largest teachers union said himself last month.

The Fight for School Choice In New Jersey: Déjà Vu All Over Again

School choice supporters are fighting for passage of the Opportunity Scholarship Act (OSA)—a school choice program that has bipartisan support from a bipartisan band of leaders including Senators Raymond Lesniak and Teresa Ruiz, Assemblymen Angel Fuentes and Lou Greenwald, Newark Mayor Cory Booker, and Governor Chris Christie. 

The OSA would allow thousands of children from low-income New Jersey families in the state’s most disadvantaged school districts to attend the schools of their parents’ choice.  And it would be the state’s first school choice program. Well, sort of.

According to a column by Bryan LaPlaca, on this day in 1997, New Jersey was on the forefront of the education reform news in a little town called Lincoln Park.

In February 1997, the Board of Education in Lincoln Park created a program that would allow parents to send their children to the high school of their choice—including private schools.  With a vote of 7-2, the Board overwhelmingly created and supported a voucher program in the Garden State.

Lincoln Park Public Schools serve students in grades K-8.  High school students living in Lincoln Park attend Boonton Public Schools as part of a two-district agreement.  The voucher program was seen as an alternative for students to attend the school of their parent’s choice.

"This is a choice," Trustee Bonnie Sudol said at the time. "It is a choice for parents who are not happy with Boonton."

Singleton Signals Strong Support for OSA in New Jersey

NJ Assemblyman Troy Singleton (D-7).

New Jersey Assemblyman Troy Singleton has only been in the legislature for a couple of months, and already, he's standing up for educational options in the Garden State.  In an editorial published in today’s Times of Trenton, the newly-minted lawmaker—who took over after the resignation of former Rep. Jack Conners in September—spoke out strongly in favor of the Opportunity Scholarship Act:

The OSA, as well as other strategic programs that are intended to enhance the educational opportunities of our children, is the answer. In approving the OSA, we must step outside of our preconceived notions and work toward our common goal of providing the best education for our children who are falling through the cracks year after year.

So, just who is Representative Troy Singleton?

Well, he’s a Democrat representing District 7, which includes Beverly, Burlington, Edgewater Park, and Riverside, New Jersey. Originally born in Philadelphia, Singleton was born in Willingboro and now resides in Palmyra with his wife and three children.

After winning his seat in the special election earlier this year, he's joined the growing list of Democratic OSA supporters.

In the Backyard of the New Jersey Legislature, Thousands Rally to Demand School Choice

Rev. Reginald T. Jackson speaks before a crowd of thousands at a rally for 
the Opportunity Scholarship Act in Trenton, NJ, on Dec. 1.

"We vote you in!"

"We'll vote you out!"

The chant was at first a bit difficult to hear, but after a few refrains—and a steady increase in volume—the message to the men and women working in the building in front of the crowd couldn't be denied.

That was the scene today at the New Jersey State Capitol in Trenton, where over 2,000 students, parents, education advocates, and legislators joined together to express their unwavering desire for school choice in the Garden State.

The rally was in favor of the Opportunity Scholarship Act (OSA), the legislation currently being considered in the state legislature, which convenes at the very place where Thursday's rally was held. The OSA would create a tax credit scholarship program for low-income students trapped in the state's worst-performing school districts, finally giving their parents the opportunity to send them to high-quality schools.

We were on hand in Trenton today, and the atmosphere was electric. We did our best to give live updates of the action through the cold Jersey winds, and you can check out our Twitter feed for many of the updates here.

Rallying Together to Bring New Jersey Kids Hope

If you were in Jersey City, NJ, today, you might have heard the noise of the status quo, as various special interests gathered to oppose giving hope to children via New Jersey's proposed Opportunity Scholarship Act.

But if we have anything to say it, our voices will be much, much louder.

That's because tomorrow, we're joining with allies from all across the state to rally in favor of the legislation, which would grant scholarships to Garden State students trapped in failing schools. We'll be taking our cause right to Trenton, too, with the hope that the state's legislators will be listening in the building behind us. Many of the legislators who have pledged support for the bill, as well as national education reform leaders from all across the country, will be there too.

Interested in joining us? Our great friends at We Can Do Better New Jersey have all the details, and can answer your questions and have ways for you to get involved.

Of course, we'll give you the full recap of the rally tomorrow afternoon. But you locals shouldn't have to worry about that, because we should see you there!

- American Federation for Children | Alliance for School Choice, MAG