DearLegislator:
On behalf of the National TaxpayersUnion’s more than 10,000 members in New Jersey, I urge you to support reformsthat would reduce the cost and improve the quality of K-12 and higher educationthroughout the state.
There is no question that New Jerseyfaces serious challenges right now. Enormous budget deficits, underfundedpension liabilities, and a slow economy are threatening the state’s ability toprovide core services, including education. Other factors, such as recklessoverspending and ineffective program management, have chronically afflictedmany of those services as well. When the education system fails tofunction properly, New Jersey’s children lack the knowledge and skillsnecessary to contribute to the well-being of their communities and compete inthe global economy. Asa result, we see higher costs imposed on society and ultimately the taxpayerswho foot the bill for many remedial efforts.
Althougheducation is of central importance to civic life, it is also a very costlyenterprise for the state and its performance has been mixed. According to theU.S. Census Bureau, New Jersey spent $16,491 per pupil at the K-12 levels in2008, the second-highest amount in the nation. Yet, student test scorescontinue to languish. On recent achievement exams, students scored below lastyear’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 ofthat, New Jersey ranks last among the states in the number of publicbaccalaureate seats it provides per high school graduate, which means the stateeducates fewer students in four-year public colleges and universities thansimilar-sized states do. More spending and government controlhave not led to vast improvements for public education in New Jersey; it is imperativethat elected officials try something different. Fortunately, there is reasonfor hope because several reform proposals for K-12 and higher education havebeen introduced in the Legislature.
S. 1872, the OpportunityScholarship Act, would create a corporate tax credit to fund a pilot scholarshipprogram in 13 repetitively failing school districts. Similar to successfulinitiatives underway in Pennsylvania and Florida, S. 1872 would enable a childin a low-income family to attend a private school or a non-district publicschool. If enacted, S. 1872 will empower parents to become more conscious oftheir investment and create powerful incentives for schools to provide the bestpossible value for students. The Senate’s Economic Growth Committee has alreadyfavorably reported S. 1872.
Several bills in the Governor’s “toolkit” would also help address some of the exorbitant costs of higher educationthat make it unaffordable for students. S.2026 would exempt state college and university employees from the state’s CivilService. By doing so, college and university administrators would have greater flexibilityover the size of their workforces and employee salaries, which would help slowthe nearly relentless rise in tuition. Similar to the recently approved cap onarbitration awards, S. 2027 would bring fact-finder awards by the PublicEmployment Relations Commission under control, thereby contributing to costcontainment as well. Additionally, S. 2172 would modernize tenure rules inhigher education institutions by better rewarding instructors for merit andperformance. These bills await action by the Senate.
New Jersey simplycannot afford to spend more money on an education system that fails to deliverresults. A newapproach is necessary: we must work to build a more solid foundation foreducation that stresses increased accountability, fiscal discipline, greaterchoice, and more parental guidance. Our memberstherefore encourage you to enact these reform bills quickly.
Sincerely,
JohnStephenson
State Government Affairs Manager