Our Children/Our Schools
A newsletter about New Jersey school funding and reform
  September 2008 - Issue 16
In This Issue
Resources

The Garden State has been a national leader in school funding equity. But the School Funding Reform Act of 2008 may change that. The new aid formula underfunds many New Jersey schools and programs and removes the historic Abbott "special needs" designation for poor, urban schools. In addition, the new formula does little to change New Jersey's over-reliance on local property taxes to fund education.

Our Children/Our Schools seeks to inform the public debate on these important issues.

Join Students, Families and Education, Child and Civil Rights Advocates in Trenton on Monday, September 22
OC/OS spearheaded mobilization against the School Funding Reform Act of 2008 (SFRA). Now, OC/OS is bringing the fight to the NJ Supreme Court. On Monday, September 22, at 9 a.m. - one hour before Court proceedings in the latest round of the Abbott v. Burke case - public education supporters will rally in front of the Richard J. Hughes Justice Complex on Market Street in Trenton.
The NJDOE will present its proposals for High School Redesign, including plans for six new high-stakes exit exams, to the State Board of Education at its September 17 meeting. The controversial proposals have drawn criticism from many statewide groups. Representatives of some of these groups will testify at the State Board's public session on September 17.
 
In late June, the NJ Legislature approved $3.9 billion in bonding to continue the school construction program This was a victory for public school advocates, given what appeared to be bleak prospects for winning new money at the 11th hour. Several dozen e-activists linked by the Paterson Education Fund's Capwiz E-activism Program were among those who devoted time and effort to passage of the necessary legislation.
A 100-page manual for parents, children, advocates, and attorneys, The Right to Special Education in New Jersey is a comprehensive resource tool written by the Education Law Center (ELC) and printed by the New Jersey State Bar Foundation. Ten thousand copies of the newly updated manual are now in print and electronic versions are also available.
 
For the third straight year, the Statewide Education Organizing Committee (SEOC) made good use of a summer weekend, holding their annual "Organizing Retreat" on August 1 and 2. Forty members representing SEOC chapters in Asbury Park, Jersey City, Newark and Paterson discussed strategy and tactics and planned for the upcoming year.
Exit Scramble
School Funding Legislation Eliminates Abbott Districts
Special-Needs Districts to Get Aid
Tuition to Spike at N.J. Colleges and Universities
Pennsylvanians Force Delay in Grad Test Proposal
State Board of Education Open Topic Session, Wednesday, September 17. Opportunity to provide public testimony about the NJ Department of Education's High School Redesign plan before it comes before the State Board. Register at http://www.state.nj.us/education/sboe/meetings/pubtest.shtml.
Our Children/Our Schools General Meeting, Thursday, September 18, 10 a.m. to Noon at Education Law Center in Newark. For more info, contact skrengel@edlawcenter.org.
Graduating Every Paterson Child, fifth annual conference. Saturday, September 20, 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., at Passaic County Community College. For more information, contact Anna Villalongo at the Paterson Education Fund at 973-881-8914 or at annav@paterson-education.org.
Rally and Press Conference at the NJ Supreme Court, Monday, September 22, 9 a.m., outside the Richard J. Hughes Justice Complex, Market St., Trenton. For more information, see "RALLY!" in this newsletter or contact info@ourchildrenourschools.org.
96th Annual Conference of the NJ State Conference of NAACP, Friday-Sunday, September 26-28, Hyatt Morristown at Headquarters Plaza, Morristown. For more information, visit www.njnaacp.org.
Abbott Leadership Institute Classes: Series 14 "What Parents Need to Know," six Saturdays, September 27 through December 20, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., Ackerson Hall, Dean's Lounge, Rutgers University Newark. For more information, call 973-353-3560 or visit www.abbottleadership.org.
NJ Black Issues Convention 26th Annual Leadership Convention: Meeting the Challenge(s) of Change, Thursday-Saturday, October 9-11, Hilton Hotel, Parsippany. For more information, visit www.njbic.org.
Send announcements of upcoming events for the Our Children/Our Schools calendar to: info@ourchildrenourschools.org.

"At its core, a constitutionally adequate education is one that will prepare public school children for a meaningful role in society, enable them to compete effectively in the economy and contribute and participate as citizens and members of their communities."

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Email: info@ourchildrenourschools.org

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