Governor Chris Christie Stalling Interdistrict Public School Choice Program

Our seventh liberty principle is,

Allow parents to apply their share of state public education money to the schools they choose for the education of their children

The NJEA Teachers’ Union is arguably the most powerful special interest group in New Jersey. ? They have resisted efforts to bring vouchers, opportunity scholarships, tax credits for parents sending their children to private school, or homeschooling their children, etc…

One instance of school choice that has passed in New Jersey is the NJ Interdistrict Public School Choice. ? It has yielded good results while allowing parents more options to send their child to the school of their choosing. ? Despite Governor Chris Christie’s YouTube shout-downs of teachers and the teachers’ union, the Governor is currently having his Department of Education stall the Interdistrict Public School Choice Program.

NJ Left Behind blogs:

 

A Very Bad Week for NJ’s Interdistrict Public School Choice Program

It?s been a bad week for NJ?s?Interdistrict Public School Choice Program, a?highly-acclaimed?program that allows students to attend schools outside district boundaries. Schools with extra seats, and the support of their administrators and school boards apply to the DOE to host out-of-district students. The State kicks in $10,000 per pupil so that home districts are spared any fiscal burdens. Democrats, Republicans, NJEA, and NJ School Boards Association applaud newfound opportunities for families and students.? Currently about 6,000 students avail themselves of these opportunities in 136 choice districts.What could be bad? Ask the DOE and Assemblyman John Burzichelli.?First, the DOE. Last year choice schools were shocked to discover that the?DOE was unilaterally capping available seats?below statutory levels. This year the application for new choice districts has been, well, delayed.?Here?s the DOE regulation:

4. a. A proposed choice district shall submit an application to the commissioner no later than?April 30?in the year prior to the school year in which the choice program will be implemented?As of today, two weeks before the deadline,? the DOE has declined to provide the application.? A representative from the?Interdistrict Public School Choice Association?sent an email to Jessani Gordon, head of the DOE?s Interdistrict Choice Program Office, asking about the whereabouts of the application and whether the DOE would extend the deadline so that districts have at least 30 days to file.Here?s the response:

We will add you to the email list to receive notification when the choice district application has been posted.?No decisions have been made at this time to change the application deadline.
Regards,
Choice Program

What is going on? ? We thought that Governor Chris Christie believed in school choice.

1 thought on “Governor Chris Christie Stalling Interdistrict Public School Choice Program”

  1. Has politics changed? I home schooled 3 of my 5 children,(included joining a bowling league for fun and statistics, structured sports/physical fitness through Phila. College of Bible, Girl Scouts for community involvement, Karate for Christ, monthly get-togethers {home school community of 10 other families} for fun/educational topics & trips, while using Newspaper in Education {BCCT} program and a fantastic curriculum for more structured learning). NJ had less strict laws for teaching your own children. My children tried public school and had come home saying the children were “dumb”. (meaning even though there were wonderfully skilled and dedicated teachers, the curriculum they had to follow was “dumbing them down” from the early grades) As a sub. teacher, the policy for no homework on weekends (I didn’t know existed), lack of spelling corrections, even lack of penmanship was a concept I had a hard following, plus students sitting in groups of 4 &5–can’t always keep children from talking in these little conversation pits.
    I wouldn’t have been able to pay school taxes and pay for a private or charter school then or now. If I could do over? My children would have remained home schooled. A I found teaching easy. For anyone with a desire, there are many wonderful programs available to purchase, plus games & models & clubs, and the public library, to help you teach those little brains so ready to soak up everything you can give them to be the best they can be. Plus if you have strong religious/spiritual beliefs, you can incorporate them into the curriculum. It is win-win. However, if one feels they might not be able to make this mighty & important commitment, vouchers to school choice is a necessary thing that should be available. Which means my letter to the editor should be one of the first he receives demanding or pleading that Christie make it easier for us as parents to help our children become more than mediocre or globally equivalent to the developing countries. Instead of keeping our students down–bring the other nations up–send our financially aided students of foreign origin back to their own countries to build up their societies. I get excited when I see intelligent children in the class (sometimes 1 or 2) with that spark of interest, I know there is hope. I want us to remain a great nation. I believe Christian values/virtues has to be our foundation. Otherwise we would be hearing “I plead the fifth.” (remember this?Liars never prosper and cheaters never win). Maybe for a short time–never in the end.
    A second grade vocabulary list from the 1800’s is the same words they are learning in today’s 7th grade. Children are created, nurtured and trained to be leaders or they will be programmed to say, “do you want fries with that?” I mean no disrespect to anyone working in a fast food joint. I believe it is not meant to be a career goal but a stepping stone to managing the restaurant and then possibly owning one.
    Good luck to us all for we shall need it. –Be strong and keep your faith!!

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