Funding Alert

Since 2003, the Statewide Education Organizing Committee has provided a venue for parents, grandparents, and grassroots leaders in several Abbott districts to take a seat at the decision-making table. Groups in Newark, Jersey City, Plainfield, Asbury Park and Camden have formed district-wide organizations separate from school systems so that their independent voices can be heard.

As part of the Abbott reforms, the Supreme Court specifically ordered that the Department of Education and Abbott school districts facilitate parent engagement in school governance and decision making. The progress in this area has not been adequate and SEOC evolved to help parents assert their rights to participate. SEOC helps groups develop by recruiting parent leaders already active in PTOs and school leadership teams to form district wide SEOC chapters. These SEOC groups are then well positioned to raise tough questions when school systems fail to carry through on the promises of Abbott reforms.

Despite their recent arrival to the organized discussion of school reform in New Jersey, SEOC chapters have already had several significant victories:

SEOC parents and allies in Newark successfully blocked the loss of certain parcels of land needed for new school construction, speeded up urgently needed repairs in older schools, and began to act together to increase school and neighborhood safety.

SEOC leaders in Jersey City campaigned successfully to get the school board to expand cable TV coverage of regular board meetings, so more Jersey City citizens can watch board meetings and parents’ concerns can be heard by a much larger audience.

SEOC parents in Camden worked with an independent architect to significantly influence the design of a new community school.

SEOC is active at the state level as well; SEOC leaders have worked with the last several Commissioners of Education on issues related to lack of adequate parent involvement as ordered by the court. SEOC leaders have also pressed School Construction Corporation officials to follow through on promises to consult with parents in school location and design.

SEOC leaders and members gather annually for an Education Issues Organizing Conference and Annual Meeting. This year’s Conference is set for Saturday, November 11, 2006 in New Brunswick.

Throughout its organizing and advocacy, SEOC works in close collaboration with the NJ Education Law Center, Paterson Education Fund, and the Center for Community Change. Support for SEOC’s organizing has come from the Catholic Campaign for Human Development and the Schumann Fund for New Jersey. Crucial in-kind support has come from the Housing & Community Development Network of NJ, La Casa de Don Pedro, Newark, the Ironbound Community Corporation, Newark and Women Rising in Jersey City.

SEOC has joined in with others in the Build Our Children’s Future coalition to re-start school construction throughout New Jersey. SEOC also recently joined other organizations as cosponsor of the Education Law Center’s recently issued "Accountability Agenda."

SEOC-Newark is known as One Newark Education Coalition or ONEC. SEOC-Jersey City calls itself Jersey City Parents in Action or PIA, and in Asbury Park SEOC’s member organization is the Education Committee of the Asbury Park Civic Participation Project. Start-up committees of SEOC parents are active also in Trenton and Bridgeton.

Parents from other Abbott districts are encouraged to contact SEOC for assistance in local organizing for educational equity.

For more information on SEOC, contact SEOC’s organizer, Elizabeth Weisholtz, at 201-333-5700, ext. 546 (eweisholtz@gmail.com) or write SEOC President Tina Cintron at SEOC’s office, 270 Fairmount Ave., Jersey City, NJ 07306.