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6-14-12 Tenure, State Budget, more...Education and Related Issues in the News
GSCS Note: Currently scheduled: Today June 14 1 pm – A3060Diegnan Tenure bill before Assembly Education Committee; Monday June 18 S1455 Ruiz – TEACHNJ ACT (tenure reform, evaluation) is on the agenda to be heard by the Senate Budget Committee during its 1 pm meeting on June 18, 2012

Star Ledger - N.J. lawmakers headed for showdown over income tax cuts as budget deadline nears..."Gov. Chris Christie to Democrats: No tax cut, no deal."

NJ Spotlight - Special Report: Renewing Newark's Schools, An Overview…In this first part of a yearlong series, ‘A Promise to Renew’ goes into the classrooms at the Quitman Street school to learn more about the latest efforts at reform.

The Record-Associated Press - NJ Democratic leaders agree on state budget framework

NJ Spotlight - Speaking Out On State-Controlled School Districts…NJ Spotlights asks: What does state control mean to schools, 25 years later

Star Ledger  - N.J. lawmakers headed for showdown over income tax cuts as budget deadline nears

Published: Thursday, June 14, 2012, 6:15 AM Updated: Thursday, June 14, 2012, 6:19 AM

By Statehouse Bureau StaffThe Star-Ledger

By Jarrett Renshaw and Salvador Rizzo/Statehouse Bureau

TRENTON — Gov. Chris Christie to Democrats: No tax cut, no deal.

As word made the rounds Wednesday that Democratic leaders had come close to hashing out a proposed budget, Christie entertained a South Jersey crowd by warning what would happen if the spending plan did not include the tax cut he has been touting in appearances across the nation.

"I will not negotiate a budget with the state Legislature unless they cut your taxes," Christie told about 650 gathered in Galloway Township at the latest in a string of town hall meetings aimed at pressuring the Democrats.

After circling each other for months on the issue of an income tax cut for New Jerseyans, the two parties seem ready for a fight as the June 30 budget deadline approaches.

Assemblyman Lou Greenwald, the majority leader from Camden County and the target of recent Christie barbs, said the governor is flailing as his agenda hits the headwinds of a Democrat-controlled Legislature in an election year.

"Everything is falling down around this governor and he’s incapable of recognizing he is protecting two-tenths of 1 percent of the population,’’ Greenwald said.

Competing tax cut plans, offered first by Christie and then by Democrats, have dominated this year’s budget discussions, but an unexpected drop in revenue has cast doubt on whether the state can afford it. Christie has emphatically said yes, though Democrats — many of whom have played along — have been skeptical.

Senate Majority Leader Loretta Weinberg (D-Bergen) declined to divulge details of the budget plan that had been hashed out, but gave assurances that "the leadership of both houses has met, and I believe we have a framework for an agreement."

Democratic lawmakers have considered delaying any tax cut until the New Jersey’s economy — still wobbly from the recession — rebounds, and some want to drop it altogether. They have called it "reckless" as long as the state is struggling to pay its bills.

And just in case lawmakers and the governor cannot reach an agreement, Christie on Monday asked members of his cabinet to prepare contingency plans for a government shutdown.

Several lawmakers said Senate President Stephen Sweeney (D-Gloucester) and Assembly Speaker Shelia Oliver (D-Essex) will present their budget framework to colleagues in separate closed-door sessions today in the hope they can get a spending plan approved by June 25, almost a week before the constitutional deadline.

Estimated revenue shortfalls for the state range from about $705 million, which the Christie administration has projected, to $1.4 billion offered by the nonpartisan Office of Legislative Services through the end of the 2013 fiscal year.

Democrats are relying on Christie’s revenue projections this year instead of less-optimistic estimates offered by OLS, according to sources familiar with the plans but not authorized to speak publicly about them.

Last year, Democrats used their own figures and approved a budget that exceeded Christie’s revenue estimates, only to have him veto about a billion dollars in expenditures, largely for struggling cities and social programs.

What’s more, as the governor Christie has the authority to certify the revenue estimates, and the sources said Democrats are convinced the public will hold him responsible if the state runs short of money.

Last month, the Christie administration said it expected to bring in $32.02 billion in revenue for the next fiscal year, which includes about $500 million in reserve funds.

Although Democrats remained tight-lipped Wednesday about the details of the compromise, several sources said one area of agreement included restoring the governor’s cuts to nursing homes, an industry that leaders say is spiraling toward a round of bankruptcies.

For the most part, however, the size and scope of any possible tax cut has dominated the discussion this budget season. Christie got the ball rolling when he called for a 10 percent across-the-board income tax cut in his State of the State address in January, luring Assembly and Senate Democrats to offer their own versions.

Sweeney proposed a tax credit equal to 10 percent of a resident’s property tax bill, capped at $1,000, to be applied against residents’ income tax bills. The Assembly then called for a millionaires tax to help boost the credit to 20 percent, capping it at $2,000.

The Republican governor announced last week he was willing to sign onto Sweeney’s plan and urged a crowd of elderly residents — who are less concerned about income taxes than property taxes — to pressure Assembly members to come on board. And he continued to press his message this week.

At the town hall meeting Wednesday, Christie said Assembly Democrats could not be trusted with the extra money.

"Why would you believe the Assembly Democrats when they tell you, ‘Trust us?’" he said. "It’ll get sucked up by some special interest group."

Sweeney and Christie had appeared on the verge of a compromise that mirrored the Senate version — giving tax cuts to those earning up to $400,000 a year and stepping up efforts to increase the Earned Income Tax Credit for working families. But it stalled in part because some Democrats said they were concerned the state couldn’t afford it.

Christie and Sweeney insist the money will be there, and the governor has indicated he is willing to borrow more for transportation to make it happen.

Weinberg would not say which way lawmakers were leaning on the tax cut, saying, "I believe we will send to the governor a responsible budget."

Star-Ledger staff writer Matt Friedman contributed to this report

 

 

NJ Spotlight - Special Report: Renewing Newark's Schools, An Overview…In this first part of a yearlong series, ‘A Promise to Renew’ goes into the classrooms at the Quitman Street school to learn more about the latest efforts at reform

By John Mooney, June 14, 2012 in Education|Post a Comment

If there were points on a map of education reform in New Jersey, if not the country as a whole, one might be at the corner of Quitman and West Kinney streets in the Central Ward of Newark.

There stands the Quitman Street Community School, a brick and glass building erected in the pre-riot 1960s, a school like its city that has been beaten down and subject to so-called rebirths, renewals, and reforms a few times over the past decades.

It’s a place where principals have turned over a dozen times in the past 25 years, a school swept up in the state’s takeover of the district in 1994, a school trying to keep pace with the city’s emergence as a national haven for charter schools.

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And now a new superintendent is in place by the hand of Gov. Chris Christie and a $100 million gift -- announced on Oprah, no less -- from Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg.

At Quitman, reform is another new principal, a pledge to re-energize its teachers -- and replace a number of them -- and a new push for improvement as one of Newark’s eight “renewal schools” under Superintendent Cami Anderson.

The Hechinger Report and NJ Public Radio have joined with NJ Spotlight to share Quitman’s story over the next year, dispatching a team of reporters to cover its daily trials and triumphs and the lessons it provides for schools and communities nationwide.

Today’s dispatch, running in all three venues, is the story of principal Erskine Glover two years on the job and newly empowered by Anderson to select much of his own teaching staff.

This story is the lead-up to the decisions by the charismatic principal, not just determining the fate of the teachers but pivotal in this latest latest reform effort.

It speaks to the issues of teacher quality that permeate New Jersey’s and the nation’s debate on teacher tenure, evaluation, and test scores. It is a story of the impact of the community on a school -- the strength of its families and the struggles with poverty and crime.

And it is a story we hope our readers and listeners will connect with, joining us in a conversation about Quitman and education reform.

 

The Record-Associated Press - NJ Democratic leaders agree on state budget framework

Wednesday, June 13, 2012 Last Updated: Wednesday June 13, 2012, 5:14 Pm

By Angela Delli Santi  The Associated Press

TRENTON — Democratic leaders in the Senate and Assembly have reached agreement among themselves on a framework for next year's state budget, but they're not releasing any details until they present it to the other lawmakers in the majority party on Thursday.

Assembly Budget Committee Chairman Vincent Prieto said no final decisions have been made pending input from rank-and-file Democrats in both houses. Once Democrats agree, negotiations to hammer out a deal with the Republican administration of Gov. Chris Christie will begin in earnest.

The Democratic leaders in Senate and Assembly, Sen. Loretta Weinberg and Assemblyman Lou Greenwald, declined to discuss details before members have been briefed.

The biggest question is whether the Democrats' budget will contain a tax cut, and if so, which one. Christie and Democrats, who control the two houses, have offered separate plans, though recently Christie all but endorsed Senate President Steve Sweeney's alternative.

Christie proposed cutting income taxes 10 percent. Democrats want to focus on property-tax relief.

Sweeney proposed a credit equal to 10 percent of a resident's property tax bill, capped at $1,000 for all but the wealthiest filers. The Assembly plan reinstates a surcharge on millionaires to boost the credit to 20 percent and cap it at $2,000. The elderly and disabled would get a 25 percent credit.

Christie told senior citizens at an AARP event last week that there is commitment from both parties to deliver property-tax relief this year.

New Jersey residents pay the highest property taxes in the country, averaging $7,758 per household.

Some lawmakers have suggested delaying tax relief until the state is in a better position to afford it, but Christie on Wednesday told a town hall audience outside Atlantic City he would not negotiate any budget deal with the Legislature that does not include a tax cut.

Christie has responsibility for certifying the amount of money the state expects to take in; it's the basis on which the budget is built.

The first phase of the tax cut will cost $183 million in the budget for the next fiscal year that begins July 1, but annual the annual cost would balloon to $1.3 billion to reach the 10 percent target in the fiscal year that starts July 1, 2015.

New Jersey's economic recovery has lagged other states and revenue collections have underperformed expectations this year. The latest Christie administration estimate is that the state will take in $676 million less than originally forecast through July 2013. Legislative budget officer David Rosen put the shortfall as high as $1.4 billion over the same period.

Despite that, the 12-month budget proposed for the upcoming fiscal year anticipates revenue growth of 8.6 percent from all sources, more than double the national average. The administration also is relying on some one-time revenues to help balance the books, like diverting funds from a clean energy program and increasing borrowing for transportation projects.

A balanced budget must be adopted by June 30, or state government technically runs out of money and nonessential services would be shut down.

NJ Spotlight - Speaking Out On State-Controlled School Districts…NJ Spotlights asks: What does state control mean to schools, 25 years later

By John Mooney, June 14, 2012 in Education|

This year marks the 25th anniversary of New Jersey becoming the first state to effectively take control of a local school district -- Jersey City -- due to its failure to educate.

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That was in 1987, and before too long, the state would also seize control of its two other largest districts, Paterson and then Newark. All three remain under some level of state oversight, and there has been growing talk that Camden could join the list.

Yesterday, the State Board of Education -- the body that ultimately must sign off on instituting and ceding controls -- held an unusual meeting at Liberty Science Center in Jersey City, where it brought together the heads of the three state-run districts to give updates on their schools.

The presentations were mostly upbeat, each reporting significant gains in bringing about what they described as needed changes in their schools, be it in instruction, personnel, or financing. All acknowledged there remained work ahead.

Afterward, NJ Spotlight asked some of the participants on both the dais and in the audience to define what they believe state control does and should mean after 25 years. Here are some excerpts:

Chris Cerf, New Jersey’s acting education commissioner

I respect the democratic values inherent in local control and believe that we should all be working toward that end in state-operated districts. My first priority, however, is and always will be the educational wellbeing of the students in these districts. To the extent the legitimate interest in local control conflicts with the interests of children, I will always break the tie in favor of the latter.

Christopher Irving, president, Paterson Public Schools advisory board

It simply means no authority and autonomy. Those are the two words, and in every system of government there needs to be a check and balance. Unfortunately for a lot of urban districts, there has been a lot of check but less balance. It’s about equating them. Look at test scores or the district 20 years ago, we have not progressed as far as we should have, and that’s indicative that the state can’t do it alone, the community can’t do it alone, and the superintendent can’t do it alone. It really needs to be a partnership.

Franklin Walker, interim superintendent, Jersey City schools

State control means a number of different things, and I guess it depends on whether the glass is half full or half empty. We like to think it be more positive. We expect state control meaning more support based on our objectives. It’s not a question of disconnect but where we can work collaboratively. Sometimes, politically, the road we each take is different. We have been at this a long time, and sometimes it's just a matter of being in communication more.

Cami Anderson, superintendent, Newark Public Schools

The district's role is to provide an excellent education to every student in Newark. Good governance is essential in the successful stewardship of district resources to raise student achievement. NPS is committed to our public service working with the state and our local advisory board.

Arcelio Aponte, president, state Board of Education

We know state control did not necessarily lead to more positive outcomes of the state-operated school districts. That being said, today’s meeting showed to me that although there is more work being done, I am encouraged about the progress and the focus on student performance. And I think that the leadership they have today is because of state control.

Irene Sterling, president of Paterson Education Fund

Commissioner Cerf’s encouragement for bringing in the kind of expertise that has come into the district in this last year has been really positive, the quality has really gone up in the kind of help we’re getting. And the expectation that we need to produce something for it is really important. As many differences as I have with what’s gone on, the district is in better position to become locally controlled at this point. I have hopes. I think the board is ready, I think the community is ready.

Edythe Fulton, state Board of Education member

I was there in the beginning and think the intention was constructive, but they never had a plan how to get out. At what level do you say have they succeeded or do we try another way. I am really tired about all the negativity of our urban schools. It’s negative, negative, negative, and I think it is unfair. I think they are working closely toward it, and I think we need to be more positive in what they are trying to do and what they have accomplished.

Stan Karp, program director, Education Law Center

The whole purpose of state takeover was supposed to develop a plan and the capacity to return the schools to local review. I think you see in response to their plans in Newark and Paterson, that it is a real issue. It has been at times very dramatic and disruptive interventions, but they can’t have local support without local control. That’s a problem.

Claire Chamberlain, State Board of Education member

Having Cami Anderson as superintendent of Newark is a really good thing for the kids of Newark. I’ve heard her speak a few times, and I found her presentation and articulation of what needs to happen and what has happened extremely compelling. And state control put her there. I know that she wouldn’t be there if she wasn’t reporting to the commissioner and the governor.