NEWS

Op-Ed: Gov. Corzine: Children only get one shot at being a child — one chance at a quality education
September 2, 2009

BY GOVERNOR JON S. CORZINE

COMMENTARY

Next to fixing the economy, nothing has been more important to me during my four years in office than educating our children. As we faced a global recession in a year of declining revenues, our funding for education increased because I believe we have an obligation to provide adequate funding for public education.

The reason is simple. Children only get one shot at being a child — one chance at a quality education.

An investment in education is an investment in the economic well-being of New Jersey. Companies come to New Jersey or remain in the state if there is a well-educated workforce that can meet the company's needs. For years, this state has had a reputation for having such a workforce. By spending wisely on education, that tradition will continue.

That is why I have refused to cut state aid to education. Across the board, communities in this state saw their state education aid go up or remain level this year — a remarkable accomplishment given the economic downturn the state faced.

Since I became Governor, state aid to education has gone up $1.8 billion including federal funds. From preschoolers to college students, we have worked to protect children and to ensure we are continuing to deliver a world class education.

Let's talk about preschool. Chris Christie has called it government sponsored "babysitting." His statements suggest he has not paid attention to the research. The evidence shows that disadvantage kids often arrive at school two or three years behind their peers because they have not been exposed to the kind of early learning experiences that enrich a child's life and prepare him or her for kindergarten. We are seeking to reverse that trend by providing preschool to all at-risk students and by expanding full day kindergarten. When school starts this September, more than 51,000 children will be enrolled in preschool statewide. No other state in the nation has invested more in preschool than we have here in New Jersey.

Five years into this effort, it is clear we are laying a foundation that will give these children a chance to excel as they continue in school. Just this year, a new study on the effects of preschool found that children who attended high-quality preschool programs outperformed their peers in first and second grades. In short, our efforts are paying off.

In the world in which we live today, we cannot wait until children are 5 years old to begin to expose them to learning. If we are going to compete in the global economy, children have to start early. So even though we faced tremendous stress on our budget, I was committed to funding preschool in communities where it has already started. In fact, we increased funding for preschool by almost $50 million, largely in the former Abbott districts. And, we are now spending nearly $600 million on preschool in New Jersey.

We are able to achieve some of this because of support from the federal government. Like Governor Sarah Palin and other Republicans, Chris Christie would have turned down billions in federal educational funds. That's just plain irresponsible.

For years, New Jersey has sent more tax dollars to Washington, D.C. than we got back. With a real partner in the White House, New Jersey is now getting back its fair share. Rejecting that money would not only be bad policy, but simply foolish. With the $1.3 billion in budget relief, we have been able to increase school aid for K-12, maintain our commitment to high quality preschool and support other government services. In addition, significant increases for Title I and IDEA will improve services and programs for students with special needs.

In the end, these federal dollars not only help children but they also help to keep the lid on property taxes. Education makes up the biggest chunk of property taxes. Any state or federal dollars for education reduce the amount that must be raised though municipal taxes. Consequently, it is not simply a benefit to children. It also benefits seniors, middle class families or anyone struggling to pay their property taxes.

In addition to preschool, we have worked hard to create a sustainable method for school funding, and not reduce aid for kindergarten through twelfth grade. The New Jersey Supreme Court then upheld the constitutionality of the school funding formula I signed into law in January

2008 which provides aid for all districts based on the needs of the children - not their zip code.

We believe, and the court agreed, that this approach passes constitutional muster. We also believe it is the fairest and most equitable way to make sure all children are receiving the best possible education. This new school funding formula did not hurt the poorest districts. All of them continued to maintain their funding, but we also made additional funds available to other districts with significant numbers of at-risk students.

Our efforts to keep public education well funded and serving as many children as possible didn't end at high school. Recognizing that even more high school graduates are relying on the state college system, we worked to cap tuition increases at three percent. That is a benefit to all students but we also went one step further to protect the neediest students by making more funds available for grants for students and by continuing to fund the NJ STARS I & II programs at the county colleges and four-year colleges. These programs allow students in the top of their high school classes to go to college for free if they maintain a 3.0 grade point average or better.

A budget document tells a lot about a Governor's priorities and there can be no question, looking at this year's budget and all the ones we've passed since I've been in office, that I have an unwavering commitment to high quality public education. But money is not all it takes.

We have worked relentlessly to make sure the dollars being sent to local school districts are not being wasted. Accountability rules and regulations have been adopted by the state Department of Education to make sure there are no abuses. We have also worked hard to make sure children graduating from New Jersey high schools are able to meet rigorous standards that will prepare them to compete at any college and ultimately in the world.

All in all, we have a lot to be proud of in New Jersey. We have the nation's best high school graduation rate. More than 82 percent of New Jersey high school students graduate in four years compared to the national average of 69 percent. Our students consistently score near the top on national standardized tests in reading, writing and mathematics. We are redesigning our high school curriculum to better prepare students to meet the challenges of a knowledge based global economy. Perhaps most importantly, we are beginning to close the achievement gap for minority and low-income students.

I believe that every child has a right to be challenged, every day, in schools that are among the best in the world. Education is on the ballot this year, and my record reflects an unwavering commitment to all of our children.