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10-30-13 Education Issues in the News
Star Ledger - Gov. Chris Christie requests briefing on N.J. private schools for disabled students…Gov. Chris Christie (left) has requested a briefing from N.J. Education Commissioner Christopher Cerf on how the state's about 180 private schools for disabled students are spending taxpayer money.

NJ Spotlight - NJ Takes New Route in Latest ‘Race to the Top’ Funding Application…Four state departments join in bid for $44M to finance improvement, expansion of preschool and early childhood programs

State Street Wire - Lame-duck hot points: Tuition equality, Sandy recovery, marriage equality

Star Ledger - Gov. Chris Christie requests briefing on N.J. private schools for disabled students…Gov. Chris Christie (left) has requested a briefing from N.J. Education Commissioner Christopher Cerf on how the state's about 180 private schools for disabled students are spending taxpayer money.

By Christopher Baxter/The Star-Ledger The Star-Ledger Email the author | Follow on Twitter on Ocr 30, 2013

TRENTON — Gov. Chris Christie has asked Education Commissioner Christopher Cerf to look into how taxpayer dollars are spent at New Jersey’s private schools for disabled students, responding to a recent Star-Ledger investigation.

The newspaper’s review showed the schools — together a more than $600 million industry — are paid for by the public but can spend in ways public schools cannot, sometimes fueling nepotism, high salaries, fancy cars, generous pensions and questionable business deals.

"It was all news to me when I read it so I called over to Chris Cerf and said to him, ‘Put together a briefing for me and tell me what you think is going on,’ and he said he would," Christie told The Star-Ledger in an interview last week.

The governor said he expected the briefing after Tuesday’s election and wanted to wait before saying if he thought reforms were necessary.

"With all due respect to any story, I want to hear it from my administration, what they think," Christie said, "and if we have to do stuff, we’ll do it, but he’s gotta prepare that for me and come see me and talk about it."

Christie’s reaction came as a growing number of Democratic state lawmakers pledged to change the rules and laws governing the approximately 180 schools.

Assembly Speaker Sheila Oliver (D-Essex) said "this issue is a deep concern" and called it "outrageous" for the Christie administration to cap public school superintendent salaries "while doing nothing apparently to combat this wasteful spending of taxpayer money at private schools."

Under the public school salary cap, which took effect in 2011, a superintendent overseeing 6,501 to 9,999 students can earn a maximum of $175,000. Records for fiscal year 2012 showed 52 employees at the private schools, some with average daily enrollments as low as 27, earned more.

Of those, 19 directors made the maximum allowed salary of $225,734 — which is set by the state and was recently increased to $233,556 — and another three made $34 less than that.

The Education Department has said capping superintendent salaries resulted in the greatest immediate savings.

Oliver also seized on the investigation’s findings that 22 cars — including two BMWs, a Land Rover, three Lexus and two Mercedes — were charged in part to taxpayers even though many were kept at officials’ homes and used for their personal transportation.

"The fact that some of our poorest schools cannot afford to buy books under this governor but private school officials get to drive around in fancy cars is appalling — and hypocritical on the part of this administration," Oliver said.

A day after the investigation Assembly Education Committee Chairman Patrick Diegnan (D-Middlesex) and state Sen. Shirley Turner (D-Mercer), the vice chairwoman of the upper house’s panel, said more oversight and accountability should be a top priority.

Oliver said she expected hearings by Diegnan’s panel this fall.

Through a spokesman, Cerf declined to comment on the newspaper’s findings, citing the need for objectivity during his review.

"The Department of Education intends to take a close look at the issue," the spokesman, Michael Yaple, said. "However, it would be premature to speculate beyond that until the review is complete."

During the newspaper’s investigation, the department confirmed it was considering a proposal largely put forward by the schools that would eliminate many existing spending rules but also would cap tuition. The department said it believed the change would save taxpayers money.

The proposal was endorsed by Christie’s Education Transformation Task Force and would require the approval of the state Board of Education.

Yaple has previously said that because the schools are private entities, current law and various court decisions limit the state’s oversight authority and "unfortunately, those are impediments that have extended different treatment to these schools." He said addressing many of the issues would require action by the state Legislature.

Star-Ledger staff writer MaryAnn Spoto contributed to this report

NJ Spotlight - NJ Takes New Route in Latest ‘Race to the Top’ Funding Application…Four state departments join in bid for $44M to finance improvement, expansion of preschool and early childhood programs

John Mooney | October 30, 2013

 

The federal Race to the Top competition brings to mind the contest that helped fuel new standards, testing and teacher evaluations in schools across New Jersey and elsewhere.

But a lesser-known aspect of the process aims to improve preschools and early childhood education as well.

The Christie administration is making its second try for the early childhood money through the Race to the Top program, this month filing an application for $44 million over four years that would fund and expand new standards and training for preschools and child-care centers serving low-income students.

The application – filed jointly by the state Education, Human Services, Health, and Children and Families departments – builds on the 2011 application rejected by the federal Department of Education, proposing to set up a new rating system for programs to help spur the improvements.

Working with Advocates for Children of New Jersey, the state nonetheless started a small pilot in three cities involving 56 programs. It now seeks the grant money to expand that initiative to include nearly 1,800 programs statewide.

The 1,790 centers that would operate under the new program would represent more than a quarter of preschools and child-care centers serving low-income and other high-needs children.

“With some direction and support -- and yes, it takes funding -- the program can really improve the quality of the services available for children,” said Cecilia Zalkind, executive director of ACNJ.

“I think it is on the right track, but with the help of the federal funding, it would really move it in the right direction,” she said in an interview yesterday.

The new application has a few significant changes from the first application, in how it is being presented and in the children it would reach.

The new application proposes a program it calls New Jersey Early Learning Plan. The collaboration between agencies is a central piece, as the various departments listed on the application would each play key roles in monitoring and assisting the centers.

The new application also proposes a different structure for the training of early childhood educators, providing in-state resources and support for professional development through new regional Training Academies.

The new application also appears to place more emphasis on the centers serving the youngest children, from birth to 3 years old, before they move into preschool, said Zalkind.

“I think this application is more comprehensive,” she said. “Not only the departments are working together, but it also starts at the youngest ages. I think that was one piece where we lost last time.”

In the end, Zalkind hopes it will be enough of a difference to win the funding this time.

“I sure hope so,” she said. “The goal is to improve the quality of child care in the state.”

State Street Wire - Lame-duck hot points: Tuition equality, Sandy recovery, marriage equality

TRENTON – On Tuesday New Jerseyans will pass judgment on the future employment prospects of 120 public servants. On Wednesday attention will turn to what those 120 folks will be doing until the end of the year.

It’s called lame duck, and despite what the label may imply, it could be quite active.

The Senate already has a voting session penciled in for Monday of Thanksgiving week, when the high-profile event is expected to be the full body giving the nod for state Supreme Court nominee Faustino Fernandez-Vina.

Expect a strong showing of support for the Camden Superior Court judge who sailed through the Judiciary Committee unanimously last month, who then will be sworn in to the top court, supplanting Justice Helen Hoens.

In terms of legislation, the bill that has moved to the head of the class is the so-called Dream Act, the proposal to offer the lower, in-state college tuition rates to children of undocumented immigrants.

“One of the greatest concerns is the Dream Act, which I understand will be before the Senate,’’ Assemblyman Gary Schaer said today. “It has passed the Assembly and from what we understand the governor is favorable to the bill.”

And Speaker Sheila Oliver said Tuesday that among other things, the Assembly “will look to complete our work on tuition equality, which I’m especially hopeful can be accomplished now that Gov. Christie has announced support for it.”

Gov. Chris Christie said to the Latino Leadership Alliance of New Jersey last month that he supported the concept as an “obligation’’ to save children from failed educations.

The signal of backing was important, because earlier in the year, the bill encountered strong GOP skepticism during some committee hearings.

The supporters champion it as a matter of educational fairness and economic opportunity.  Opponents claim it is a matter of unfairness to N.J. resident students who already have to fight to gain entry to four-year schools that have limited capacity.

Sue Henderson, president of Jersey City University, said in support during the summer that 88,000 N.J. students who are not citizens will be affected. The in-state rate is $7,500 while the out-of-state tuition rate is $15,000, she said, and she added that passing this bill will benefit the state by reducing incarceration rates, enhancing work forces and improving earnings potential for students.

The bill, A4225, cleared out of the Assembly Budget Committee in June along party lines, 8-4.  A full Assembly vote awaits, and the Senate must take it up.

Called the Tuition Equality Act, this will allow the affected students to pay the lower rate at public colleges if, among other things, they have attended a N.J. high school for at least three years and graduated from a N.J. high school.

There is a related proposal called the Higher Education Citizenship Equality Act, whose purpose is to help students who were born in this country but whose parents do not have legal status here.

The bills would help such students have eligibility for tuition assistance programs.

The lower-chamber bill, A3162, already has passed through Assembly Higher Education and Budget panels.

The Senate version, S1760, has gone through the Higher Education Committee, is before the Budget Committee, and depending on how the bills are amended, there will need to be a reconciling before both chambers vote on them.

But there is another equality issue out there: marriage.

Oh, so you thought that was settled once the Christie administration dropped its legal challenge, leaving the Keystone State as the only Northeast outpost without gay marriage.

Think again.  The thorny problem of religious exceptions has been left dangling in the wind.

That is why Senate Democrats want to push to hold a veto override vote.  The governor vetoed same-sex marriage last year, calling for a voter referendum, which Democratic leadership opposed.

The case began winding its way through state appellate courts once the U.S. Supreme Court invalidated the Defense of Marriage Act, and then once the state high court said it wouldn’t allow a stay of gay marriage pending oral arguments next year, the Attorney General was instructed to run up the white flag.

But as opposed to a few weeks ago, when there was a sense of urgency about the issue, now leading Democrats are talking about a more deliberate approach.

“We will take the days and weeks ahead to evaluate all aspects and potential ramifications of the marriage equality law to determine what follow through is needed. We’re making history, we want to be certain we make it right,” Senate Majority Leader Loretta Weinberg said a week ago.

And Oliver said on Tuesday, “We have to examine what needs to be done with marriage equality following the court rulings.”

Translation: People are actually exchanging vows now, so there won’t be a veto override vote scheduled just to hold one, not unless the Democrats are sure they have the votes.

But Oliver, who is facing a change in leadership with a majority of Democratic Assembly members backing Vincent Prieto for the top role, still has other irons in the fire post-election.

“We also have to take a hard look at wasteful spending that’s apparently been going on at some of the private schools that are taking care of our severely disabled students.

“Earned sick leave is another matter to consider.”

And Sen. Bob Smith and Assemblywoman Grace Spencer, the environmental committees’ chairs, have planned to introduce several bills to address post-Superstorm Sandy recovery problems, mostly dealing with poorly trained public officials and unresponsive insurers and state agencies.