Educating kids in cities - finally some sense

From this article in Newsday.com:

As New Jersey struggles to improve its poor, urban schools, the liberal-leaning state is considering a measure generally favored by conservatives _ government-backed scholarships to help pay for children to attend private schools.

Seven states and Washington, D.C. offer publicly funded school voucher programs, and New Jersey lawmakers are considering a variation for students attending some of its poorest schools, mostly in bigger cities.

"We cannot continue to look at things the way we have in the past or else this state will not be able to keep its place as one of the best," said state Sen. Raymond Lesniak, D-Union.

In a state where we have fake education initiatives like the Abbot directive from the judiciary which has only served to funnel money into corrupt politicians pockets, we finally have some concern for a real program that can work. When you have many private schools in inner cities closing due to lack of enrollment, and those same schools can educate children more effectively for 25% of the costs, why not err on the side of helping kids. But alas, everyone doesn't see it that way.

But the plan faces fierce opposition from groups who contend the state should be focusing efforts on improving poorly performing urban schools.

"Bad policy, pure and simple," said Joyce Powell, president of the state's largest teachers union.

Ah, the teacher's union. New Jersey's largest political donor to it various state assembly and senate members. Apparently, the teacher's union is more about protecting the teacher's union than teaching kids. I would love to know why the teacher's union has so much money to spread around purchasing political influence in our state.

But parents and advocates from the state's poorest cities are pressing New Jersey lawmakers to approve the measure.

Carmen Alvarado raised five children in one of the nation's poorest cities and saw enough to know she prefers a private school education over public schools.

"Schools where you worry more about your children's safety and whether they will come home at night," Alvarado said.

The Rev. Reginald Jackson, director of the New Jersey Black Ministers Council, said doing nothing would "foolishly continue down the same path."

"This legislation is not anti-public school," Jackson said. "It is pro-quality education."

Interesting to see what the parents of these kids have to say. It's really simple New Jersey. Do you want to continue to have judges throw money to corrupt organizations like the NJ Schools Construction Corp or would you rather utilize an established network or private schools in many cases right in the neighborhoods where the poor children need the most help?

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