5-1-12 Department of Education Release explains policy rationals for new rate methodology, federal requirements for revision of gradnuation rates      4-11,12-12 p.m - Governor's Press Release re Priority, Focus and Rewards Schools Final list...PolitickerNJ and NJ Spotlight articles      3-30-13 Education in the News - Dept of Education-State Budget, Autism Rates in NJ      3-20-12 Education Issues in the News      GSCS State Budget FY 2012-2013 Testimony      2-29-12 NJTV on NJ School Funding...and, Reporters' Roundtable back on the aire      2-26-12 State budget, School Elections, and Federal Grant funds for local reform initiatives      2-24-12 Headlines from around NJ - from Google (hit on nj education-nj budget)      2-23-12 Education in the News - Education reform noted in state budget message; Facebook grant to Newark teachers      STATE AID DISTRICT LIST - PROPOSED for FY 2012-2013      Education Funding Report on School Funding Reform Act (SFRA) issued 2-23-12      Text of Gov. 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BREAKINGS NEWS: Christopher Cerf to be named NJ Education Commissioner      GSCS Board of Trustees endorsed ACTION LETTER to Trenton asking for caution on Charter School expansion      12-12-10 'Rash of upcoming superintendent retirements raises questions on Gov. 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Whither property Tax Reform      GSCS On the Scene in Trenton: State Budget poised to pass late Monday...Cap Proposals, Opportunity Scholarship Act in Limbo      GSCS On the Scene in Trenton: Cap Proposals, Opportunity Scholarship Act in Limbo      6-11-10 In the News: State Budget moving ahead on schedule      6-10-10 Op-Ed in Trenton Times Sunday June 6 2010      Recently proposed legislation S2043 brings back Last Best Offer (LBO) for school boards in negotiations      6-8-10 Education issues in the news today - including 'hold' on pension reform, round two      6-8-10 (posted) Education & Related Issues in the News      6-4-10 Education News      6-3-10 RTTT controversy remains top news - articles and editorials, column      6-2-10 RACE TO THE TOP (RTTT) 'NJ STYLE': It is what it is ...but what exactly is it? 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Christie plans to cut NJ school aid by $800M'      3-14-10 'Christie will propose constitutional amendment to cap tax hikes in N.J. budget'      3-15-10 'N.J. taxpayers owe pension fund $45.8 billion' The Record      3-11-10 'GOP vows tools to cut expenses, tighter caps'      3-9-10 'NJ leaders face tough choices on budget'      3-5-10 HomeTowne Video taping + interviews of GSCS Summit@Summit      3-5-10 GSCS Summit@Summit with Bret Schundler to be lead topic on Hall Institute's weekly 2:30 pm podcast today      3-4-10 'School aid cuts unavoidable during NJ budget crisis'      3-3-10 'Public Education in N.J.: Acting NJ Comm of Educ Bret Schundler says 'Opportunity'      Flyer: March 2 Education Summit Keynote Speaker - Education Commissioner Bret Schundler - Confirmed      2-25-10 Gov. Christie's Red Tape Review Comm., chaired by Lt. Gov. 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Christie'      2-12-10 Assembly Budget hearing posted for this Wednesday, Feb. 17      FY2010 Budget Solutions - PRESS PACKET      State Aid Memo (2-11-10) 2 pgs      2-12-10 News Coverage: Governor Christie's message on actions to address current fiscal year state budget deficits      2-11-10 Gov Christie address to Joint Session of the Legislature on state budget and current year aid reduction remains scheduled for today      2-10-10 'Schools are likely targets for NJ budget cuts'      2-9-10 News article posted this morning notes potential for large loss of current year school aid      2-8-10 Northjersey.com editorial 'Tightenting our Belts'      2-8-10'Gov Christie, lawmakers proporse sweeping pension, health care changes for public employees'      2-2-10 GSCS BOARD TO MEET WITH COMMISSIONER BRET SCHUNDLER TODAY      1-28-10 School Surplus plan to supplant State Aid in this year gaining probability      Governor Christie's Education Team Transition Report      Governor Christie Education Transition Team Report , released 1-22-10      1-21-10'N.J.'s Christie won't rule out layoffs, furloughs to close unexpected $1.2B deficit'      1-20-10 Editorials, Commentary on New Governor in Trenton      1-19-10 Chris Christie - Inauguration Day      1-18-10 Advance news on 'Christie as new Governor'      1-14-10 'N.J. Gov.-elect Christie targets teachers' union with Schundler appointment'      1-14-10 'To lead schools, Christie picks voucher advocate'      1-13-10 More articles, plus Wikipedia information re New Education Commissioner, Bret Schundler      1-13-10 Christie Press Conference reports      1-13-10 Christie's New Commissioner of Education to be announced today - 12:30 Statehouse Press Conference      1-13-10 New Commissioner of Education to be announced today - 12:30 Statehouse Press Conference      1-12-10 Moving on...'Budget plan a wrinkle for districts'      1-11-10 Transition News      1-7-10 'N.J. Gov-elect Christie blast Democrats for lame-duck actions'      12-27-09 'New Jersey competes for education reform stimulus money' (aka 'Race to the Top' funds)      12-23-09 GSCS: Governor Corzine targets excess school surplus to replace state aid payments starting in Feb '10 - lame duck legislation anticipated      12-15-09 GSCS is working with the Christie Transition Team      12-12 & 13-09 Education Issues in the News      12-11-09 'Gov.-elect Chris Christie's team got its signals crossed on education funding application'      12-9-09 Governor-elect Christie talks more about his thougths for education      12-5-09 'Once powerful teachers union faces tough times with Christie'      12-3 Governor-Elect Chris Christie Announces Key Appointments      12-3-09 'Gov.-elect Christie visits North Brunswick to talk with educators on district challenges'      (12-8-09) GSCS Board of Trustees representatives to meet with Christie 'Red Tape' Group      11-23-09 Governor-elect Christie names Transition Team Subcommittee members      11-13-09 Chrisite's Budget Transition Team Annouced      11-13-09 Education Week on: Gov-elect Christie's Education Agenda; Race to the Top Funds Rules      11-12-09 Governor-elect Christie names his 10 member transition team

1-14-10 'N.J. Gov.-elect Christie targets teachers' union with Schundler appointment'
Star Ledger- TRENTON -- "Sitting in his transition office a few block from the state capitol in Trenton, Chris Christie was in full battle mode today, like a boxer who couldn’t wait to climb into the ring and start pounding away. In fact, he wasn’t waiting. His target: The 200,000-member strong New Jersey Education Association, the most muscular special interest group in town..."

N.J. Gov.-elect Christie targets teachers' union with Schundler appointment

By Tom Moran/ The Star-Ledger

January 13, 2010, 10:00PM

TRENTON -- Sitting in his transition office a few block from the state capitol in Trenton, Chris Christie was in full battle mode today, like a boxer who couldn’t wait to climb into the ring and start pounding away. In fact, he wasn’t waiting.

His target: The 200,000-member strong New Jersey Education Association, the most muscular special interest group in town.

AMANDA BROWN/THE STAR-LEDGERBret Schundler, left, has been nominated to run of Department of Education by Governor-elect Chris Christie. Schundler joined Christie and Lt. Governor-elect Kim Guadagno during a press conference in Trenton to announce his appointments.

“They spent $3 million in public dues money trying to beat me, and they didn’t,” he said of the union. “Forget the 20th century, these folks are back in the 19th century in terms of their thinking.”

The union had just announced its opposition to a $400 million federal grant application it feared would open the door to merit pay. And with the state on the edge of bankruptcy, that was clearly driving the next governor nuts.

“Of course they don’t like that,” he said. “Because it would demand some accountability from their members.”

Christie threw the first jab earlier in the day by appointing as education commissioner former Jersey City Mayor Bret Schundler, a national leader in the movement for school vouchers and a long-time nemesis of the NJEA.

Brace yourself. The days of timid leadership in New Jersey are over.

“They (voters) didn’t pick me because they were looking for a subtle approach,” he says. “So, here it comes.”

When you listen to Christie spell out his agenda, you see a million political brawls breaking out over the next few years.

Cops and firefighters must agree to lower salaries and benefits, he says, or towns should impose layoffs. Some lower-income families will have to be kicked out of state health programs because we can’t afford to carry them. And cities like Newark that have grown accustomed to state bailouts need to make other plans, he says.

There are a lot of sacred cows in there.

But for the teachers union, Christie is sharpening his spear to an even finer point.

Christie wants merit pay for teachers. He wants many more charter schools. He wants to use tax dollars for private school scholarships, a voucher plan with a fig leaf disguise. And he wants teachers, like cops and firefighters, to agree to lower salaries and skimpier benefits or face layoffs.

“I’m on the side of kids and parents in this state who want better education, especially in our urban areas,” Christie says. “I’m tired of people who are protecting only their parochial interests. This is a fight I will not shy away from.”

For the teachers union, the 200,000-strong New Jersey Education Association, Christie’s agenda reads like a nightmare. They have fought each of these reforms for years in Trenton, winning every round. They were the big dog in the capitol, and both parties learned to obey.

But things are changing. Many Democrats, including President Obama, favor merit pay and expansion of charter schools. And because urban schools are still struggling, a growing number of black Democrats in New Jersey favor school vouchers, including Newark Mayor Cory Booker and the Rev. Reginald Jackson, head of the Black Minister’s Council.

The NJEA’s grip over education policy, in other words, is slipping. They are standing still, trying to block these reforms, while the world around them changes.

“I am reminded that Rip Van Winkle slept through a revolution,” Jackson said today as he endorsed the Schundler appointment. “I think the NJEA will be left behind.”

That would be good news for education reform. The NJEA’s opposition to the $400 million federal grant will probably sink our chances of getting that money. It’s a competitive grant, and union support is one of the criteria for success.

The union argues that accepting this grant would moves the state toward a system of merit pay by tying teacher evaluations, in part, to student performance on tests.

That’s what inspired Christie’s comment about 19th century thinking.

The NJEA is not hitting any of these hostile notes, so far. In an interview today Barbara Keshishian, the union president, sounded shell-shocked, as if unable to quite comprehend this new world.

“We’re hopeful we can establish a working relationship,” she said. “I’m really not sure what his education agenda is.”

Really? You have to wonder then about that $3 million they spent in the election and those thousands of volunteers. If the NJEA doesn’t know what Christie’s agenda is, what exactly were they fighting so hard against?

The NJEA still has plenty of power. Roughly 90 percent of the legislators they endorsed in November’s election won. They have money and manpower, and they are a presence in every district. Some of the items on Christie’s agenda, like cutting back benefits, are controlled mostly at the local level where the NJEA’s power is almost unchallenged.

Still, the political map has changed. And besides Jon Corzine, no one emerged from November’s election a bigger loser than the NJEA.

Christie knows that. And he’s an aggressive fellow who is certain to press that advantage hard.