newjerseynewsroom.com

Governor's office says it will file when ready

BY TOM HESTER SR.

NEWJERSEYNEWSROOM.COM

New Jersey public schools began opening Thursday and Democrats are taking the event as a chance to criticize the Christie administration for what they see as the failure to move quickly on seeking $268 million in federal aid to finance the jobs of 3,200 unemployed teachers and support staff.

Meanwhile, state education officials are vowing to press on with their plans for changes in the way schools operate despite the loss of $400 million in federal Race to the Top aid.

Assemblyman John Wisniewski (D-Middlesex), state Democratic chairman, tossed the first verbal rock.

"Initially the governor's office questioned whether they would apply for the money, but then after pressure said they would," Wisniewski said. "Yet while other states continue to get in line for federal education funding, this governor inexplicably has not submitted our application."

Assemblyman Patrick J. Diegnan (D-Middlesex), chairman of the lower house‘s Education Committee, said "More than 80 percent of school districts around the state have been forced to lay off staff this year. These funds can save 3,200 hundred jobs. The governor's inaction will result in larger class sizes and teachers collecting unemployment checks, rather than paychecks."

When the New Jersey Education Association complained earlier in the week that the three-page application for the aid had not been filed, Michael Drewniak, Christie's press aid said it would be submitted when ready.

Assemblywoman Connie Wagner (D-Bergen) added, "It's beyond puzzling as to why Governor Christie has not applied for this money yet. Bergen County schools have been hit the hardest by the governor's school aid cuts this year, with more districts seeing a total loss of aid than in any other county. The devastating effects these cuts will have on our classrooms are compounded by our loss of Race to the Top funds.''

Wagner said the federal aid is a lifeline for schools struggling to keep classroom sizes down and the quality of education up.

"With the deadline quickly approaching, it's absolutely essential that Governor Christie direct the appropriate personnel to act immediately to ensure that we apply correctly and within the timeframe specified.''

At its monthly meeting Wednesday, state Board of Education members and the acting education commissioner, Rochelle Hendricks, described the loss of the $400 million in Race to the Top aid as a "painful lesson.‘' She added that while the board is disappointed, low-cost changes are now their top priorities.

Hendricks said the state will seek financial partners, such as foundations, to help pay for more costly reform efforts.

"While we don't have the $400 million from Race to the Top, I think we have some other funding partners that we want to have some conversations with," Hendricks told Gannett Newspapers of New Jersey. "I think there's a real interest in the kinds of bold initiatives the governor and the department seek to institute here in New Jersey. And so I'm not giving up that easily."

"It would have been wonderful to have 400 million extra dollars to do that,'' Hendricks added. "There's no question about it. But at the end of the day, it's vision, it's commitment, it's passion, it's belief that what you do makes a difference. We'll get the job done."

Hendricks told Gannett Newspaper the state is committed to improving its data collection, but she didn't address the costs for the technology to address the massive "data cloud" that the state's reform application envisioned. She said teacher training and support systems can be improved without added funding, as can models to improve struggling schools and the establishment of academies.

"We are still racing to the top," Hendricks said.

Board President Arcelio Aponte told Gannett Newpapers the board is disappointed about not qualifying for Race to the Top grants and "extremely concerned" about the circumstances. He said the promised reforms will still be pursued.

"Not winning the funds does not weaken our resolve to that end," Aponte told Gannett Newspapers.