BORDENTOWN TOWNSHIP: Christie pushes education plans at BRHS

By Birgitta Wolfe, Managing Editor
   BORDETOWN TOWNSHIP — Twenty-eight students at Bordentown Regional High School got a chance for a 15-minute informal chat about finances with Gov. Chris Christie on Monday.
   The students are members of the school’s Financial Literacy class and discussed college funding and asked questions about the governor’s own children, said Superintendent Constance Bauer.
   After the session with the students, the governor, accompanied by Acting Education Commissioner Chris Cerf, held a conference in the gym to discuss public education and to urge the Legislature to pass the remaining education reforms the governor says are needed to turn around failing schools.
   Among those attending were the Bordentown mayors, James Lynch of the city and Karl Feltes of the township; City Commissioner Zigmont Targonski, Township Councilman Michael Dauber, former Assemblyman Joseph Malone, Ms. Bauer, the high school administrators and about 35 students.
   The governor said “it’s not good enough to have Bordentown to do well — and we revel in the fact Bordentown does as well as it does — “ but urban districts such as Trenton, Jersey City, Camden and Paterson also have to do well.
   Last month, New Jersey was one of the first states in the country to receive flexibility from No Child Left Behind (NCLB) in an effort to reduce the achievement gap between urban and suburban school districts, he noted.
   ”That puts us in step with the president and his administration. Imagine, miracles happen every day. Me and Barack Obama on the same page on something, it’s great to see,” the governor said.
   The state has developed a new school accountability system to focus resources on turning around the lowest performing schools in the state, he said.
   New Jersey’s NCLB application, submitted in November, is part of a broader effort to reform the state’s overlapping and contradictory accountability systems and a comprehensive education reform agenda to increase academic standards, the effectiveness and talent of educators, and accountability for results in the classroom.
   The governor’s 2013 budget proposal provides $7.8 billion in K-12 formula aid, an increase of $135 million and part of $213 million in overall increased financial support over 2012.
   Superintendent Bauer said Bordentown received additional state aid this year that it can target for new initiatives.
   ”The students here at Bordentown Regional High are a real testament to the great work being done in schools and classrooms all around our state today,” said Gov. Christie. “Every child in our state deserves the opportunity of a quality education, which is why I have made real education reform a top priority of my administration. Our commitment to education means providing resources and spending them in the right way – increased funding must go hand-in-hand with accountability and reform.
   ”I have put forward a fiscal year 2013 budget that will bring state support for education to the highest level in our state’s history and a comprehensive reform agenda that provide the tools to fix our chronically failing schools and make our good schools great. It’s time to make these reforms a reality and put an end to failure.
   ”This administration has made a commitment to provide unprecedented levels of state education aid and now it is time for the Legislature to advance the second piece of our comprehensive education reform agenda. It’s time for them to act and pass education reform. New Jersey’s children can’t afford anything less than to see us reform the rules for teacher evaluation, tenure and compensation.”
   Gov. Christie outlined changes to the School Funding Reform Act (SFRA) aimed at ensuring that funding is used in a way that will close the achievement gap.
   Under the governor’s proposed 2013 budget, Bordentown Regional School District would receive an additional $536,229 in K-12 state aid, or an increase of 7.3 percent over 2012. This is the second consecutive year in which the district received a funding increase. In addition, Bordentown is one of 372 school districts and charter schools that have signed on to New Jersey’s reform agenda to participate in the state’s $38 million Race to the Top award. As a result, the district will receive an additional $17,762 to implement initiatives that:
   • Develop model curriculum and assessments for all core content subject areas to support the adoption of the Common Core State Standards;
   • Develop and rollout of an online Instructional Improvement System (IIS) that will serve as a platform for teachers to access the model curriculum and other supports like formative assessments and instructional tools; and
   • Implement the state’s new teacher evaluation system and the creation of a principal evaluation pilot program.
   In addition, the governor is advocating for legislation needed to achieve the education reform goals and that are consistent with the NCLB waiver application approved by the Obama administration. This package of bills calls for:
   • School Children First Act (S-807/A-981): The bill would create a statewide educator evaluation system consistent with the goals of the Obama administration, ties tenure to effectiveness, ends forced placements and Last-In-First-Out (LIFO) personnel policies by using both seniority and educator effectiveness in staffing decisions, and reforms compensation systems. These changes will allow New Jersey to identify and reward the most effective teachers in a meaningful and fair way, while also better supporting those comparatively few teachers who are not effective.
   • Charter Reform Bill (A-980): The bill provides updates to strengthen and improve New Jersey’s charter law. The bill increases the number of charter school authorizers, permits public schools to be converted to charter schools by local boards of education as well as the Department of Education Commissioner, and increases charter autonomy while making them more accountable.
   • Opportunity Scholarship Act (S-1779): The bill would provide tax credits to entities contributing to scholarships for low-income students, broadening choice and educational options for children in some of the worst performing schools.
   Superintendent Bauer said the governor’s advance team was at the school March 8 to request the sessions. She praised the district’s security and custodial staffs for making the event run smoothly.