Senate President Steve Sweeney, Senator M. Teresa Ruiz and Senator Ronald Rice joined with Mayor Baraka, members of the General Assembly, local officials, stakeholders and the clergy in a roundtable forum yesterday on the school funding reform plan advanced by Senators Sweeney and Ruiz, and its impact on local schools, their home communities and educational opportunity for all of New Jersey’s public school students.
For as much as controversy, sound bites, and debate surround the Newark education system and education funding reform, there are a great deal of issues and decisions made almost a decade ago that adversely affect students in Newark and many other municipalities across New Jersey. Senate President Sweeney noted that the 2008 State legislature passed a education funding formula that, while well-intended, should have been temporary. “If we had run the formula the way we should, Newark would see a $90m increase,” he said.
Senator Rice added, “The formula that was put in place, whether it was a good formula or not, was never fully funded. First, we should take a look at what would happen if we fully funded the current formula, then take it from there.”
There are school districts that are overfunded, as much as 140%, where other districts are sorely underfunded. However, funding is not the only issue facing Newark as well as other districts in the state. Senator Rice made it plain, “If Newark has the potential to bring in $90m without local control, it doesn’t make a difference. There needs to be legislature that addresses the state takeover of districts.” Assemblywoman Eliana Pintor Marin spoke from her position as well as her personal experience, “All kids deserve great education, whether it’s a traditional public school or a charter school. I’m a mom. And I’m going to do all that I can to make sure that both of my girls receive the best. But we need to make sure that everyone who isn’t afforded the best circumstances have the best options. It’s difficult to swallow the politics of this when we see what some of our kids go home to at the end of the day.”
Rev. Ronald Slaughter made a very sobering point, particularly considering those in the room. “Our kids pledge allegiance every morning to a country ‘with liberty and justice for all’. Where is the justice in a school building that is structurally inadequate and jeopardized by lead? We must not get caught up in this political war – our children [have been and] will be the casualties.
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Mayor Baraka added, “At the base of this is income inequality. We are trying to fix inequality in the state through education. We need to be talking about improving quality of life. Research says that kids in the most serious conditions need the best teachers. But that’s not what’s happening. Teachers that perform the best go to the better neighborhoods and districts. In other school districts, parents pay out of pocket for services that are covered by the district here in Newark, like summer school and some course work.”
Future expectations to travel the state and share the need for education funding reform with other stakeholders and leader was also discussed. Much of the discussion is pitted against the attituted and education policies expressed by Governor Christie. Before closing the meeting, it was expressed around the table how important solidarity for the sake of New Jersey’s children and New Jersey’s future.
