Dear
Legislator:
On behalf of the National Taxpayers
Union’s more than 10,000 members in New Jersey, I urge you to support reforms
that would reduce the cost and improve the quality of K-12 and higher education
throughout the state.
There is no question that New Jersey
faces serious challenges right now. Enormous budget deficits, underfunded
pension liabilities, and a slow economy are threatening the state’s ability to
provide core services, including education. Other factors, such as reckless
overspending and ineffective program management, have chronically afflicted
many of those services as well. When the education system fails to
function properly, New Jersey’s children lack the knowledge and skills
necessary to contribute to the well-being of their communities and compete in
the global economy. As
a result, we see higher costs imposed on society and ultimately the taxpayers
who foot the bill for many remedial efforts.
Although
education is of central importance to civic life, it is also a very costly
enterprise for the state and its performance has been mixed. According to the
U.S. Census Bureau, New Jersey spent $16,491 per pupil at the K-12 levels in
2008, the second-highest amount in the nation. Yet, student test scores
continue to languish. On recent achievement exams, students scored below last
year’s language arts results. Although there were some improvements in math,
scores for 7th and 8th graders declined. Furthermore,
graduation exam results remained flat for the ninth straight year. On top of
that, New Jersey ranks last among the states in the number of public
baccalaureate seats it provides per high school graduate, which means the state
educates fewer students in four-year public colleges and universities than
similar-sized states do. More spending and government control
have not led to vast improvements for public education in New Jersey; it is imperative
that elected officials try something different. Fortunately, there is reason
for hope because several reform proposals for K-12 and higher education have
been introduced in the Legislature.
S. 1872, the Opportunity
Scholarship Act, would create a corporate tax credit to fund a pilot scholarship
program in 13 repetitively failing school districts. Similar to successful
initiatives underway in Pennsylvania and Florida, S. 1872 would enable a child
in a low-income family to attend a private school or a non-district public
school. If enacted, S. 1872 will empower parents to become more conscious of
their investment and create powerful incentives for schools to provide the best
possible value for students. The Senate’s Economic Growth Committee has already
favorably reported S. 1872.
Several bills in the Governor’s “tool
kit” would also help address some of the exorbitant costs of higher education
that make it unaffordable for students. S.
2026 would exempt state college and university employees from the state’s Civil
Service. By doing so, college and university administrators would have greater flexibility
over the size of their workforces and employee salaries, which would help slow
the nearly relentless rise in tuition. Similar to the recently approved cap on
arbitration awards, S. 2027 would bring fact-finder awards by the Public
Employment Relations Commission under control, thereby contributing to cost
containment as well. Additionally, S. 2172 would modernize tenure rules in
higher education institutions by better rewarding instructors for merit and
performance. These bills await action by the Senate.
New Jersey simply
cannot afford to spend more money on an education system that fails to deliver
results. A new
approach is necessary: we must work to build a more solid foundation for
education that stresses increased accountability, fiscal discipline, greater
choice, and more parental guidance. Our members
therefore encourage you to enact these reform bills quickly.
Sincerely,
John
Stephenson
State Government Affairs Manager
Letter
