Quality Public Education for All New Jersey Students

 

 
     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. Christie's State Budget Message, given Feb. 21, 2012
     2-22-12 School Aid in State Budget Message - Is There a Devil in the Details
     2-21-12 State Budget Message for Fiscal Year 2012-2013
     1-24-12 Supreme Court Justices Nominated by Governor Christie
     1-17-12 Breaking News - Governor delivers State of the State Message, Signs 'November Vote' bill, A4394
     List of PRIORITY, FOCUS and REWARDS SCHOOLS per DOE Application on ESEA (NCLB) Waiver
     Education Transformation Task Force Initial Report...45 recommendations for starters
     9-12-11 Governor's Press Notice & Fact Sheet re: Education Transformation Task Force Report
     7-14-11 State GUIDANCE re: Using Additional State Aid as Property Tax Relief in this FY'12 Budget year.PDF
     7-14-11 DOE Guidance on Local Options for using Additional State School Aid in FY'12 State Budget.PDF
     FY'12 State School Aid District-by-District Listing, per Appropriations Act, released 110711
     7-12-11 pm District by District Listing of State Aid for FY'12 - Guidelines to be released later this week (xls)
     6-1-11 Supreme Court Justice nominee, Anne Paterson, passed muster with Senate Judiciary Committee yesterday by 11-1 margin
     4-26-11 School Elections, Randi Weingarten in NJ, Special Educ Aid, Shared Services bill
     4-25-11 Charter Schools in Suburbia: More Argument than Agreement
     4-24-11 Major Education Issues in the News
     4-21-11 Supreme Court hears school funding argument
     4-14-11 Governor Releases Legislation to Address Education Reform Package
     4-13-11 Governor's Proposed Legislation on Education Reform April 2011
     4-5-11 Education Issues in the News
     4-8-11 Education Issues in the News
     4-7-11 Gov. Christie - 'Addressing New Jersey's Most Pressing Education Challenges'
     4-7-11 Early news coverage & press releases - Governor's Brooking Inst. presentation on his education reform agenda
     4-3-11Press of Atlantic City - Pending Supreme Court ruling could boost aid to New Jersey schools
     4-2-11 The Record - Charter school in Hackensack among 58 bids
     4-1-11 N.J. gets 58 charter school applications
     3-30-11 Acting Commr Cerf talks to School Administrators about Gov's Education Reform agenda
     3-26-11 New Jersey’s school-funding battle could use a dose of reality
     Link to Special Master Judge Doyne's Recommendations on School Funding law to the Supreme Court 3-22-11
     3-22-11 Special Master's Report to the Supreme Court: State did not meet its school funding obligation
     GSCS 3-7-11Testimony on State Budget as Proposed by the Governor for FY'12 before the Senate Budget Committee
     3-4-11 'Teacher Evaluation Task Force Files Its Report'
     3-6-11 Poll: Tenure reform being positively received by the public
     Link to Teacher Evaluation Task Force Report
     GSCS Take on Governor's Budget Message
     Gov's Budget Message for Fiscal Year 2010-2011 Today, 2pm
     Tenure Reform - Video patch to Commissioner Cerf's presentation on 2-16-10
     2-16-11 Commissioner Cerf to introduce education reform plans...School construction...Speaker Oliver on vouchers
     2-16-11 Commissioner Cerf talks to educators on Tenure, Merit Pay , related reforms agenda
     9-23-10 Breaking News - Star Ledger ‘Facebook CEO Zuckerberg to donate $100M to Newark schools on Oprah Winfrey Show’
     1-7-11 Opinion: The Record - Doblin: ‘Students are collateral damage in Christie’s war’
     2-7-11Grassroots at Work in the Suburbs
     1-13-11 Supreme Court Appoints Special Master for remand Hearing
     1-20-11 GSCS Testimony before Senator Buono's Education Aid Impact hearing in Edison
     12-16-10 p,m. 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. Christie's pay cap'
     12-8-10 Education & Related Issues in the News - Tenure Reform, Sup't Salary Caps Reactions, Property Valuations Inflated
     12-7-10 Education Issues continue in the news
     12-6-10 njspotlight.com 'Christie to Name New Education Commissioner by Year End'
     12-5-10 New York Times 'A Bleak Budget Outlook for Public Broadcasters'
     12-5-10 Sunday News - Education-related Issues
     GSCS Education Forum Stayed Focused on Quality Education
     11-19-10 In the News - First Hearing held on Superintendent Salary Caps at Kean University
     11-15-10 GSCS meeting with Assembly Speaker Sheila Oliver
     11-18-10 Superintendent Salary Caps to be publicly discussed tonight at Kean University
     Governor's Toolkit Summary - Updated November 2010
     10-8-10 Education Issue in the News
     9-29-10 Christie Education Reform proposals in The News
     9-15-10 'Governor Christie outlines cuts to N.J. workers' pension, benefits'
     9-1-10 Education in the News
     8-31-10 Latest development: Schunder's margin notes reveal application error
     8-27-10 later morning - breaking news: Statehouse Bureau ‘Gov. Chris Christie fires N.J. schools chief Bret Schundler’
     8-27-10 Star Ledger ‘U.S. officials refute Christie on attempt to fix Race to the Top application during presentation’
     8-25-10 Race to the Top articles - the 'day after' news analysis
     8-24-10 Race to the Top Award Recipients named
     8-23-10 S2208 (Sarlo-Allen prime sponsors) passes 36-0 (4 members 'not voting') in the Senate on 8-23-10
     8-18-10 Property Tax Cap v. Prior Negotiated Agreements a Big Problem for Schools and Communities
     8-16-10 Senate Education hears 'for discussion only' comments re expanding charter school authorization process; Commissioner Schundler relays education priorities to the Committee
     7-22-10 'Summer school falls victim to budget cuts in many suburban towns'
     7-21-10 List of bills in Governor's 'Toolkit'
     Governor's Toolkit bills listing
     7-16-10 GSCS Information & Comments - S29 Property Tax Cap Law and Proposal to Reduce Superintendent salaries ....
     7-15 & 16 -10 'Caps - PLURAL!' in the news
     7-12-10 Assembly passes S29 - the 2% cap bill - 73 to 4, with 3 not voting
     GSCS re:PropertyTax Cap bill - Exemption needed for Special Education enrollment costs
     7-8-10 Tax Caps, Education in the News
     GSCS:Tax Cap Exemption needed for Special Education Costs
     7-3-10 Governor Christie and Legislative leaders reached agreement today on a 2% property tax cap with 4 major exemptions
     7-1 and 2- 10 Governor Christie convened the Legislature to address property tax reform
     6-29-10 GSCS - The question remains: ? 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? Race to the Top application is caught in a crossfire of reports - more information and clarity is needed
     6-2-10 RACE TO THE TOP (RTTT) 'NJ STYLE' :It is what it is ...but what exactly is it? Race to the Top application is caught in a crossfire of reports - more information and clarity is needed.
     GSCS 'QUICK' THOUGHT - Will the Administration's reform legislation being introduced just this month- May - have a fair chance for productive debate and analysis
     5-11-10 njspotlight.com focuses on NJ's plans for and reactions to education reform
     ADMINISTRATION'S PLANS CITED FOR ROUND 2 - RACE TO THE TOP GRANT
     5-8 & 9-10 Education Reform Proposals Annoucned
     5-9-10 'Gov Christie to propose permanent caps on salary raises for public workers'
     5-3-10 Newsflash! Governor Christie makes NJ Supreme Court appointment
     Office on Legislative Services Analysis of Department of Educaiton - State Budget for FY'11
     4-23-10 Education issues remain headline news
     4-22-10 School Elections - in the News Today
     Hear about Governor Christie's noontime press conference tonight
     4-21-10 News on School Election Results
     4-21-10 Assoc. Press 'NJ voters reject majority of school budgets'
     4-18-10 Sunday Op-eds on school budget vote: Jim O'Neill & Gov Christie
     4-19-10 Lt. Gov. Guadagno's Red Tape Review Group initial Report released
     4-13-10 Commissioner Schundler before Senate Budget Committee - early reports....progress on budget election issue
     4-12-10 'Gov. urges voters to reject school districts' budgets without wage freezes for teachers'
     4-6-10 'Gov. Chris Chrisite extends dealdine for teacher salary concessions'
     4-2-10 'On Titanic, NJEA isn't King of the World'
     Administration's presentation on education school aid in its 'Budget in Brief' published with Governor Christie's Budget Message
     4-1-10 New Initiatives outlined to encourage wage freezes - reaction
     3-29-10 The Record and Asbury Park Press - Editorials
     3-26-10 GSCS: Effective & Well-Reasoned Communication with State Leaders is Critical
     3-23-10 GSCS Testimony presented to Senate Budget Committee on State Budget FY'11
     3-23-10 ' N.J. Gov. Chris Christie signs pension, benefits changes for state employees'
     3-21-10 Sunday News from Around the State - School Communities, School Budgets and State Budget Issues
     3-17-10 Budget News - Gov. Chris Christie proposes sacrifices
     3-16-10 Link to Budget in Brief publication
     3-15-10mid-day: 'Gov. 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. Guadagno, to hold public hearings In March
     2-22-10 Christie and unions poised to do batttle over budget cuts'
     2-22-10 Trenton Active Today
     2-19-10 'Acting NJ education commissioner hoping other savings can ward off cuts'
     Flyer for March 2 Education 'Summit@Summit'
     2-16-10 'Christie Adopts Corzine Cuts, Then Some'
     2-14-10 'FAQ's on NJ's state of fiscal emergency declaration by Gov. 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
6-3-10 RTTT controversy remains top news - articles and editorials, column
‘Christie overrules Schundler on education grant’


‘Gov. Christie says plan Schundler reached with NJEA caved to teachers union’


‘Key points agreed on by NJEA are changed in new 'Race to the Top' application’


‘Christie overrules Schundler on education grant’


Editorial - ‘In 'Race to the Top,' a false start by Education Commissioner Bret Schundler’


Editorial - ‘Asbury Park Press Editorial ‘No style points for governor’

Column - ‘Gov. Chris Christie's put-down of Schundler further erodes autonomy of education commissioner’

‘In 'Race to the Top,' a false start by Education Comissioner Bret Schundler’ By Star-Ledger Editorial Board

June 03, 2010, 5:45AM

Love him or hate him, you have to give Gov. Chris Christie this much: He is clear about what he wants.

And that makes it all the more baffling that his own education commissioner, Bret Schundler, could strike a compromise with the state teachers union that did such violence to the core principles the governor had set down on education reform.

Schundler, it turns out, was acting on his own without consulting the governor or his senior staff on the content of the compromises. He went rogue.

So it’s no surprise the governor smacked him down, in private and public, and rejected the compromise. The mystery is why

Schundler strayed so far from the governor in the first place, and how the governor allowed such a sloppy mistake to occur.

The dispute centers on the federal Race to the Top initiative, in which states compete for federal money by offering plans to reform their schools. New Jersey is eligible to win up to $400 million, a sum that would help enormously during these tough times.

To guide the states, President Obama spelled out a scoring system that gave points to those willing to embrace bold reforms. Among them are merit pay for teachers, tenure reform, linking teacher evaluation to student performance and encouraging innovative charter schools.

So far, so good. Both the governor and Schundler are big believers in these reforms.

The trouble began when Schundler agreed to dilute the reforms to win support from the union. His instincts were understandable. States win points if they can show broad support for reform.

But the New Jersey Education Association is a sclerotic old-school group that is opposed to most of these reforms. To win its support, Schundler had to give away too much. He agreed that layoffs would be determined by seniority, not by merit. And he agreed to water down the merit pay provisions to the point where they were meaningless.

This embarrassment undercuts Schundler’s credibility. But he is a talented and energetic commissioner whose integrity has never been questioned. If he can regain the governor’s trust, he can still be an effective commissioner.

As for the governor, a word of caution: If Washington is looking to reward states that have worked to form a consensus on education reform, his unceasing hostility to teachers can’t help.

He can stick to his principles on the substance of these reforms without picking fights every chance he gets. Then, perhaps, Schundler wouldn’t feel such a pressing need to mend fences.

 

 

‘Asbury Park Press Editorial ‘No style points for governor’

June 2, 2010

If Gov. Chris Christie wants to call his abrasive, king-of-the-sandbox posturing a "style," that's fine. Not everybody is a "you can catch more flies with honey than you can with vinegar" sort of person.

 

But when that "style" starts to affect the ability of the state to get things done, it may be time to re-examine its effectiveness.

Christie's public rebuke of his hand-picked commissioner of education, Brett Schundler, in front of the press Tuesday was troubling for a number of reasons, not the least of which is what appeared to be a profound lack of communication between the governor and Schundler.

Either Christie did not tell Schundler what was off the table as he sent him into the lion's den of the New Jersey Education Association to discuss the terms of the state's application for a share of the federal Race to the Top education grant, or Schundler went rogue in negotiating a compromise. Either way, it doesn't speak well of the governor's leadership.

On Thursday, Schundler and the NJEA appeared to reach an agreement under which the teacher's union would sign off on the state's application. Union buy-in isn't essential to receiving a federal grant of up to $400 million, but it helps. Christie was having none of it: "Some of the recommendations Commissioner Schundler made I have rejected," Christie said. "I told him to go back and rework it, to go back to the original plan . . . so the application is not submitted in a form the teacher's union wants, it's submitted in the form the governor wants."

Just in case anyone missed his point, he put it more bluntly: "This is my administration, I'm responsible for it, and I make the decisions."

Under the compromise agreement Schundler hammered out, the union had opposed individual merit pay, as Schundler had wanted, and instead offered a pilot program for school incentive grants. Schools that demonstrated exceptional educational growth among low-performing students would receive the reward money. Half of the funds would then be used for a schoolwide program and half of the money would be dispersed at the discretion of faculty, which could include sharing a bonus.

Merit pay, Christie declared, should go directly to teachers who performed well and not to entire school staffs. And if school districts have layoffs, they should be determined by job performance, not seniority. Schundler had agreed that seniority had a place in determining layoffs.

Christie, who has battled with the NJEA for months, made clear Tuesday he wants dramatic education reforms and is not interested in a compromise with a union that opposed his election and has publicly denounced him.

This mess should never have gotten as far as it did. It's one thing to burn bridges with the teacher's union. It's quite another to publicly upbraid a cabinet member.

The governor knows exactly what he wants. But he apparently needs to do a better job of communicating that to his cabinet. And he should reassess whether his "style" is working against his ability to achieve his goals.

 

‘Gov. Christie says plan Schundler reached with NJEA caved to teachers union’  By Star-Ledger Staff   June 02, 2010, 9:30PM


TRENTON — Gov. Chris Christie continued to publicly criticize his own education commissioner today, ignoring the teachers’ union’s claim that he is undermining the credibility of one of the state’s most important officers.

 

The governor also renewed his attacks on New Jersey Education Association, and said he doesn’t believe his rejection of an agreement worked out by Commissioner Bret Schundler and the union will endanger the state’s application for up to $400 million in federal school funding.

 

“I made the choice to be bold,” Christie said, “not only because I want it to be successful but it’s because that’s what I agree with.”

 

But Christie said the deal Schundler worked out with the teachers last Thursday was one-way in favor of the NJEA. “That’s why I rejected it.”

 

Christie made his comments a day after publicly scolding Schundler for agreeing to compromises on teacher tenure and merit pay - which were to be part of the application for $400,000 in Race to the Top funding from the Obama administration.

Previous coverage:

Proposed N.J. bill requires savings from wage freezes to be used to prevent teacher layoffs

N.J. school districts provide resources for thousands of teachers facing layoffs

Bob Braun: Gov. Chris Christie's put-down of Schundler further erodes autonomy of education commissioner

Gov. Christie says N.J. education chief made mistake with Race to the Top compromise

Key points agreed by NJEA are changed in new 'Race to the Top' application

N.J. teachers union joins Christie administration in 'Race to the Top' application

Complete coverage of the 2010 New Jersey State Budget

During an exclusive interview, Christie said Schundler was never empowered to negotiate away key provisions of the governor’s education agenda and any impression to the contrary was wrong. The governor said the deal Schundler reached with the union did nothing but cave in to the NJEA and gut his plan for improving state schools. Christie said he heard Thursday night that an accord had been reached but knew no details.

 

“I did not hear any of the specifics of what Bret suggested we agree to until Friday morning. I called him and told him that was unacceptable to me,” the governor said.

Asked whether he had any intention of firing Schundler, the governor said he did not.
“There’s nothing subtle about me, okay,” Chrstie said. “So if I wanted to ask Bret Schundler for his resignation, I would have. I didn’t. We had a very candid talk (Tuesday) about the entire situation. I think Bret and I have an understanding on how communication has to happen from here. I don’t expect we’ll have a problem again. I want him to stay.”

 

The disagreement between Christie and Schundler sets the stage for today’s action in Trenton. Schundler is scheduled to go before the Senate Education Committee and is planning to answer reporters’ questions on the application. He has declined to comment on the funding application since Tuesday.

 

NJEA spokesman Steve Wollmer said Schundler “has certainly been damaged by this. He was sent in to negotiate and he reached an agreement, and the rug was pulled out from under him.”

Wollmer said the NJEA is stunned at what has gone on the last two days. “In the first phase, we were blamed because we didn’t sign on...Now he’s saying they don’t need our support. Their tune changes faster than the weather. They can’t come back and blame us for not signing on, we did sign on. They took our names off of it.”

 

At issue is the second round of funding available through President Obama’s competitive grant program, designed to reward states for aggressive and new approaches to improving schools. New Jersey filed a first-round application in January, but failed, while Delaware received $100 million and Tennessee got $500 million. Up to 15 states are likely to win funding out 36 that applied.

 

The state hand-delivered its application Tuesday.

 

Christie has been battling the NJEA since last year’s nasty gubernatorial campaign when the union backed Gov. Jon Corzine aggressively. So when news of a deal was announced last week it was welcomed as a sign that peace had been reached between the two sides.

Jack Jennings, president of the Center on Education Policy, a Washington think tank, said the political scuffle in Trenton probably would have no effect on New Jersey’s application but losing the NJEA’s endorsement could.

 

"It’s not as if they’re going to deduct 10 points because the governor had a nasty clash with the union," Jennings said. "It’s all a matter of how many points you gain for each element of the application. By not agreeing with the teachers union, the state is losing points. Then again, its comparative. You have to know what’s in all 36 applications (from other competing states)."

By Josh Margolin /Statehouse Bureau and Jeanette Rundquist/Star-Ledger

 

‘Key points agreed on by NJEA are changed in new 'Race to the Top' application’ By Jeanette Rundquist/The Star-Ledger  June 01, 2010, 4:06PM


TRENTON — The Christie Administration today submitted its new application for up to $400 million in federal funding for education reform, under the Race to the Top program, promising a "bold reform agenda" — but changing some key points agreed to last week by the New Jersey Education Association, the state's largest teachers' union.

 The NJEA, which had refused to endorse the state's first Race to the Top application in January, signed onto the new one last week after marathon negotiations, and with compromises on merit pay, teacher seniority, evaluations and tenure.

In a press release issued by the governor's office today, that described the application as one "focused on the belief that student performance begins and ends in the classroom," some of those items are changed.

Senate Democratic leaders today said the governor made an "about-face" on the application that could jeopardize New Jersey's chances.

 Last week, the NJEA and state Department of Education agreed to continue using seniority in making decisions about teacher layoffs. In a press release describing the new application today, however, the Christie Administration said "educational effectiveness will replace seniority as the main factor in determining who to retain."

The teachers' union had also objected to a proposal for individual merit pay, which entailed a "bonus pool" of money the state would split between teachers or teacher teams, and their schools.

The NJEA and DOE agreed to a plan in which half of the money awarded by the state as teacher bonuses would be used for school wide programs, and a school's staff would decide how to award the rest.

The release issued today says New Jersey "will design, evaluate and implement merit pay programs that pay individual teachers based on student achievement."

The NJEA last week signed onto the proposal after it was agreed that student achievement would account for 50 percent of a teachers' evaluation — not 51 percent, as Education Commissioner Bret Schundler originally proposed.

The latest release says only that "teacher evaluations based on student achievement" will be used as the basis for decisions to grant tenure, promote and develop teachers.

NJEA President Barbara Keshishian said she was disappointed and outraged by the state's move.

“Gov. Christie’s decision to pull the plug on last Thursday’s agreed-upon ‘Race To The Top’ application will greatly jeopardize New Jersey’s chances of getting $400 million in federal education funding over the next four years,” Keshishian said. “This is a classic case of ‘bait and switch.’

Keshishian also said that they heard about the changes in the application after union officials spoke to Schundler.

 “In April, the governor wrote on his blog that he was hoping to submit a Race To The Top application with ‘sufficient support from New Jersey’s education stakeholders —including the NJEA,’” Keshishian said. “Now, we learn that despite all that hard work — and the long-overdue collaboration that New Jerseyans want between Gov. Christie and NJEA — the governor has once again chosen the path of conflict.”

 

‘Christie overrules Schundler
on education grant’
  By JASON METHOD • Gannett New Jersey • June 2, 2010

EWING — Gov. Chris Christie announced Tuesday he
had overruled his education commissioner and
ordered changes to the state's application for a
federal grant, breaking what had appeared to be a
rare agreement with the state's largest teachers
union.

Christie, who has battled with the New Jersey
Education Association for months, made clear he
wants dramatic education reforms and is not i
nterested in compromise with a union that opposed
his election and has publicly denounced him.

The changes to the state's Race to the Top
application, which could provide up to $400 million
in new federal money, will give New Jersey a better
chance of winning, Christie said.

Merit pay, for example, should go directly to
individual teachers who performed well and not to
entire school staffs, as suggested by the union,
Christie said.

Likewise, Christie said, if school districts lay off
employees, teachers should be laid off based on job
performance and not receive protections because of
seniority.

"In what other place does it happen where how long
you're in your job is determinative of whether you
keep your job instead of how well you're doing your
job?" Christie said. "If (the NJEA is) not going to sign
on to that, I don't want their support."

The Race to the Top process scores applications
higher if they have teacher union support, but such
an endorsement is not required.

Christie was quickly attacked by the NJEA and
Democratic lawmakers, who said the governor
would rather fight than find common ground.

"Gov. Christie is insisting on an application that
seeks to replace collaboration between teachers with
competition for inadequate bonuses; an application
that seeks to threaten teachers' jobs rather than give

 

them the confidence to take on new challenges,"
NJEA President Barbara Keshishian said in a
statement.

"The governor has once again chosen the path of
conflict," Keshishian added.

State Senate President Stephen M. Sweeney, D-
Gloucester, said Christie was caving in to
conservative critics.


"This application was crafted in good faith among
everyone involved, and now that unity's been blown
up because some talking heads disagreed," Sweeney
said.

Schundler's compromise with the NJEA was
announced by the union last Thursday and seemed
to signal a quick thawing of relations.

Just the weekend before, the NJEA was a lead
organizer for a protest rally that drew 35,000 state
and local union members to Trenton, perhaps the
largest in the state's history.

Keshishian was a key speaker, and she challenged
Christie from the stage.

In making the application changes, Christie trumped
a commissioner that some Democrats and advocates
had feared was too much of a political conservative.
Schundler had run unsuccessfully for governor in
2001 and 2005.

 


Christie talked about the grant application changes
in a news conference to promote a new business
growth program. He said he had not been informed
about the compromise until Friday and said he and
Schundler had held "a long talk."

"Some of the recommendations Commissioner
Schundler made I have rejected," Christie said. "I
told him to go back and rework it, to go back to the
original plan . . . so the application is not submitted
in a form the teachers union wants, it's submitted in
the form the governor wants."

Christie said he was willing to take
recommendations from members of his Cabinet, but
he added: "This is my administration. I'm
responsible for it, and I make the decisions."

The announcement came on the same day that a
Fairleigh Dickinson University poll was released
showing that one-third of voters have a favorable
view of the NJEA, while 44 percent rate it
unfavorably.

Reach Jason Method at jmethod@app.com

 

‘Gov. Chris Christie's put-down of Schundler further erodes autonomy of education commissioner’By Bob Braun/Star-Ledger Columnist

June 03, 2010, 5:30AM
Bret Schundler thought he was bringing his educational ideas to the Christie Administration. That might be true, but it’s now obvious he left something behind when he became the state’s education commissioner. His independence of action.

Schundler recently praised the new governor’s "courage" for hiring a non-educator with unorthodox plans to lead New Jersey schools, but the commissioner has now learned the truth about his position: He is a subordinate, not a leader. He can have all the ideas he wants, including getting along with the state’s largest teachers’ union, but—unless Chris Christie agrees—he has to keep those ideas to himself.

Previous coverage:

Gov. Christie says N.J. education chief made mistake with Race to the Top compromise

Key points agreed on by NJEA are changed in new 'Race to the Top' application

N.J. teachers union backs 'Race to the Top' application

Bob Braun: N.J. schools chief Bret Schundler asks tighter hold on publics than privates

 

The governor’s put-down Tuesday of the former Jersey City mayor and gubernatorial wannabe had all the grace of a pub brawl, but it’s the logical next step in the slow erosion of the independence of educational policy-making in New Jersey. "The administration is the administration and it’s run by the governor," said former Gov. Jim Florio. "Policy is not set by the members of the governor’s cabinet."

Florio has a special reason to know. In 1990, he signed the bill that stripped what had once been an independent education chief’s job of its autonomy. In fact, the commissioner was really answerable to no one except the state school board and only then on policy issues. The commissioner could not be fired and enjoyed a term of five years — one year longer than a governor’s term.

"I still think it’s a good idea," said Florio, a Democrat who quickly added that didn’t mean he agreed with the way Christie handled the flap with Schundler.

Shortly after signing the bill, Florio forced the resignation of the last commissioner to hold an independent five-year term, Saul Cooperman, originally appointed by Gov. Tom Kean. Kean, by the way, supported making the commissioner’s post a political appointment, what it is now.

"Clearly, a commissioner’s ideas should be compatible with that of the governor," said Cooperman, "but he also should have some independence."

Cooperman saw his job like this: He told Kean what he wanted to do as commissioner before he took the job , Kean signed on and gave his commissioner the freedom of action to get it done. They did disagree—over regionalization, for example, and bonuses based on teacher performance. Cooperman wanted to regionalize so all districts included high schools, Kean didn’t—and the governor won that one. Kean wanted bonuses, Cooperman didn’t — and the commissioner won that one.

"The answer, really, was to resign if I disagreed on a matter of principle, It never got that far," said Cooperman.

"It’s hard to realize now just how independent of state politics public education was, and not that long ago," said Anne Dillman of Perth Amboy, who served on the state school board for 30 years.

The state school board — its members appointed to six year terms by the governor-- set educational policy; the commissioner served as its secretary, executing its policies. The board also approved the commissioner’s appointments of top assistants.

In 1973, then Gov. William Cahill gave board members an expanded power—he allowed them to find a new commissioner to replace Carl Marburger whose nomination to a second term was blocked by the state Senate. The board was about to propose a selection when Cahill was defeated in the Republican primary that year and left the position open.

Cahill’s successor, Gov. Brendan Byrne, fought frequently and openly with the board, arguments that peaked when the panel tried to block Byrne’s renomination of Fred Burke to a second term as commissioner. The board failed and, since that time, has gradually lost power and influence.

"You almost never hear of the board anymore—it’s the commissioner doing what the governor tells him or her to do,’’ said Dillman. "There’s no citizen input left in the development of educational policy."