THE BIG SELLOUT: The extra state aid is going to charters, NOT public school children.
Newark’s state-appointed schools chief Christopher Cerf has spent a lot of time lately praising the Christie Administration for increasing Newark’s state aid–“The first time in years we haven’t had flat funding,” he told the board meeting Tuesday night. Several members of the audience yelled out, “Liar!” and they were right. The extra money is part of the big Cerf/Baraka sell-out of public schools–and it is not going to the city’s public schools. It is going to charters, the favorite educational children of Christie, Cerf, and now, sadly, Mayor Ras Baraka.
Don’t take it from me. I know I’ve received a lot of criticism for pointing out that the schools superintendent and mayor have joined together–in “unity,” they call it–when the two should be at odds about the future of public schools. That’s fine.
But, perhaps, Cerf and Baraka should read the latest statement on state school aid provided by the Education Law Center in Newark because its researchers know far more than I do about crunching the right numbers. And here’s what they have concluded about the distribution of state aid:
NEWARK CHARTERS: THE BIG WINNER
Newark charter schools are the big winners – by far – in the Governor’s school aid proposal. Almost one-quarter of the total $94 million statewide increase, or $22 million, will go to hold Newark charter schools harmless from aid reductions due to declining revenue in the State-operated Newark Public Schools’ (NPS) budget. For the last two years, the State has forced NPS to give extra “hold harmless” funds to charter schools out of the district’s budget. This year, the State is providing extra “hold harmless” aid that the district must pass through to the charters.
The $22 million to hold Newark charters harmless represents 82%, or the THE BIG SELLOUT: The extra state aid is going to charters, NOT public school children. |: