Mother Crusader shares reactions from Paterson’s Board of Ed members to the news that Christie’s Education Commissioner, Chris Cerf, approved two more charter schools for Paterson without the Board’s consent or knowledge, or knowledge of other city residents. The State is legally required to solicit community feedback regarding new charter applications but as Mother Crusader points out, “from what I heard at that meeting, nothing about this administration’s charter agenda in Paterson was shared with the good people of that community.”
Board Member Dr. Jonathan Hodges’ suggestion that the BOE investigate why approval was pushed through in secrecy, was greeted with approbation. The moral of this story is that sometimes, all change needs to get started is a single voice putting out a call to action that becomes a fixed point others can rally around. Thanks for being that voice, Dr. Hodges.
Mother Crusader comments on Facebook
“Paterson BOE will act on charter approvals citing lack of transparency & nepotism … The people of Paterson deserve the right to decide what schools are right for their community. The state SHOULD NOT be able to place two charters in Paterson with NO local input.”
Take Action!
If public education in New Jersey matters to you, here are some simple actions you can take to protect it. Remember, effective advocacy means understanding the issues and speaking out for what you believe.
- Attend the People’s Town Hall Meeting on Public Education & Issues on Sat Feb 23 11am-1pm in Englewood, NJ. See event on Facebook.
- Read more Mother Crusader posts on how charter schools are positioned to destroy public education in urban communities throughout New Jersey.
- Follow Citizens for Public Education blog or join Facebook group
- Follow Mother Crusader blog or on Facebook
- Follow Education Law Center website or Facebook or Twitter
- Follow Save Our Schools NJ or Facebook
- In all political elections, make sure you vote for candidates like Barbara Buono and Sheila Oliver who support the rights of children and families to enjoy free, public education
- Attend Board of Education and Municipal Council Meetings and share your views during public comment sessions
- Share this post!
- Leave a comment to let others know what YOU’RE DOING to protect public education
We are all very busy people. But if no one pays attention then the state will do what it wants, not necessarily what our children need. Business run schools may benefit the bottom line of the business. But they won’t necessarily benefit the children. A business’ primary job is to MAKE MONEY! Public schools’ primary job is to educate children. So we need to pay attention to who is being put in charge of educating our children.
You are so right Bluson9!