Are N.J. charter schools an extension of a dictatorship or a democracy? | Commentary | NewJerseyNewsroom.com -- Your State. Your News.

Are N.J. charter schools an extension of a dictatorship or a democracy? | Commentary | NewJerseyNewsroom.com -- Your State. Your News.

Are N.J. charter schools an extension of a dictatorship or a democracy?

TUESDAY, 10 MAY 2011 13:21

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BY SALVATORE PIZZURO

COMMENTARY

New Jersey’s Acting Education Commissioner Christopher Cerf, while testifying before the State Senate Budget Committee on Monday, May 9, 2011, told Senator Barbara Buono that the New Jersey electorate should not have the opportunity to vote for Charter Schools or the monetary appropriations that support them. Senator Buono remarked that, given that charter schools are funded with public dollars, the decision to provide such funding should be made by taxpayers.

Interestingly, charter schools are exempt from the traditional funding sequence in which the voters approve or reject school appropriations. Perhaps more interesting, one of the reasons why Cerf suggested that charter school funding not be subject to voter approval is that voters would reject such proposals because of the costs.

The shocking issue that emanates from this scenario is that Governor Christie’s platform