NJ Takes Next Step For Big Federal Education Grant
An ongoing conflict between New
Jersey's Gov. Chris Christie and the teachers union has not cost
the state a shot at $400 million in federal education funding.
New Jersey is one of 18 states, plus the District of Columbia,
named Tuesday by the federal Education Department as finalists for
"Race to the Top" grants.
The grants are the Obama administration's main tool to push for
changes to the nation's school systems, rewarding states willing to
try new methods. It's one of few areas where the president's agenda
and that of Christie, a first-year Republican governor, are firmly
in line.
Usually, the status of a grant application is not major news.
But in New Jersey, this one is. That's largely because Christie has
been in a war of words with the New Jersey Education Association
since he took office in January. Nearly immediately, Christie told
teachers they should agree to voluntary wage freezes, something few
have done.
Just before submitting the grant application last month, state
Education Department officials agreed to make changes to win
support from the NJEA. But Christie undid them, leading the NJEA to
withdraw its support.
The governor issued a statement Tuesday saying that making the
cut validates his approach.
"This announcement affirms our decision to stick with real
reform and not capitulate to the watered-down, failed status quo
approach advocated by the NJEA," he said.
Steve Wollmer, a spokesman for the NJEA, said he objects to the
fresh criticism from the governor, noting that the NJEA tried to
work with his administration on crafting reforms. Wollmer said the
union's ideas -- such as rewarding entire schools rather than
individual teachers for improved test scores -- would work better
than the proposals in the grant application.
It's the provision that would pay individual teachers more when
their students' performance improves that most troubles NJEA
officials. They fear the program could lead to competition between
educators rather than collaboration. They also think a heavy
reliance on test scores to determine extra pay might not be the
best way to show where students are really learning.
"We remain focused on education reforms that are research-based
and that will improve student performance in the long haul,"
Wollmer said. "The governor traffics in bumper stickers, but
bumper stickers aren't educational policy."
The state's application also calls for changes that would make
it harder for teachers to get lifetime tenure, give top teachers
bonuses for moving to struggling schools, upgrade the computer
systems used to collect data on schools and put more emphasis on
coaching teachers to be more effective.
New Jersey Education Commissioner Bret Schundler has said the
state should make those changes even if it doesn't get federal
money to do so.
Wollmer said that if the state receives the grant, he hopes some
of the money would go to restore, in part, state aid cuts to school
districts.
New Jersey students are generally among the best in the country
on standardized tests and graduation rates. But there are huge
disparities in outcomes between the state's urban and suburban
schools.
It's no sure thing that the state will get a grant when second
round winners are announced in September.
Only two states were awarded grants earlier this year in the
first round of Race to the Top. Delaware and Tennessee are sharing
more than $600 million.
Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.
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