If you want to understand what rule by liberal judges looks like on the state level, you need only look at New Jersey, which is teetering on bankruptcy though it remains one of America’s wealthiest states. ~ Steven Malanga, writing in City Journal
If you want to understand how, despite being one of the wealthiest states in the country, New Jersey is teetering on the brink of fiscal disaster, read Steven Malanga’s The Court That Broke New Jersey.
If you want to know why no governor or state legislature can reduce New Jersey’s oppressive property taxes, read Steven Malanga’s The Court That Broke New Jersey.
Malanga traces the roots of New Jersey’s tyranical Supreme Court all the way back to Arthur Vanderbilt, the first Chief Justice under the 1947 state constitution. In his opinion in Winberry v. Salisbury, Vanderbilt layed the foundation for judicial tyrnany by ruling that the court, not the legislature, has the power to make rules for the state judiciary.
That ruling set New Jersey’s judiciary apart from the court systems in most other states—as well as from the federal judiciary, which ultimately derives its authority from Congress. Some critics have even argued that Winberry violates the U.S. Constitution’s guarantee that every state must have a republican form of government. “Under the doctrine of Winberry v. Salisbury,” wrote New Jersey lawyer Anthony Kearns in a 1955 ABA Journal article, “we can only conclude that laws of practice and procedure are exclusively in the hands of men who are not elected.”
Malanga clearly lays out how New Jersey’s Supreme Court has taken over the state’s education policy and funding with no improvement in urban education to show for the $40 billion that has been wasted as a result of the Abbott decisions. He lays out the history of how the court usurped local zoning power with the Mt. Laurel decisions and COAH. He connects the dots in explaining how those two extra-constitutional power grabs have resulted in massive wealth redistribution, with no societal benefit, and an oppressive system of goverments.
Malanga stressed the importance of Christie’s promise to reshape the court with judges who will interpret the constitution rather than relating to it as a “living document.” However, he is not optimistic because of “…a Democrat-controlled legislature that’s often happy to dodge responsibility for heavy spending by letting the court mandate it.”
Hat tip to InTheLobby for bring this important article to our attention.
Star Ledger reporter Ginger Gibson, a member of the Statehouse press corps tell me she is Mexican:
I saw your piece about the diversity of the press corps. I just wanted to let you know, I’m Mexican. So it’s not all white guys in the press corps, there are some minorities. Just wanted to make sure you knew that.
I never would have guessed that, given Gibson’s fair skin and last name. Another lesson about assumptions.
Yet the point of my piece still stands. The press corps is far from 40% minority, and the Ledger editorial board is still FOS.
On Saturday The Star Ledger published an editorial calling on Governor Chris Christie to appoint minorities to the State Supreme Court.
The Ledger is lamenting the fact that since Christie took office both minorities who were on the court, Justice John Wallace and Justice Roberto Rivera-Sota, have left the bench. For the first time in twenty years there are no minorities on the court. “And yet more than 40 percent of the state’s population is black, Hispanic, or Asian.”
The Ledger took the diversity theme a bit further this morning with an article that sites a Star Ledger analysis which concludes Governor Christie is favoring white middle class senior citizens in selecting communities to host his Town Hall meetings.
This got me thinking about the diversity of the New Jersey Media. Is the New Jersey press corp comprised of 40% of African Americans, Hispanics and Asians? Not even close.
From my experience, without doing an extensive MMM analysis like the Ledger did of Christie’s Town Halls, journalism may be the least diverse industry in New Jersey.
The State House press corp? Overwhelmingly white.
NJ.com, The Star Ledger’s website? Only one African American columnist who writes almost exclusively about Newark.
Giving credit where it is due, Gannett’s papers have a diverse group of reporters, on the local levels. They have an African American Executive Editor, Hollis Towns, at The Asbury ParkPress. Their Statehouse Buerau? Five white guys. They would be wise to make Jane Roh part of that team.
News12 has a diverse staff.
So what is with the progressives at The Star Ledger? Should they be telling the Governor to take the speck out of his eye while they have a log in their own?
Are the folks at The Ledger hypocrites or has Gannett scooped up all the good minority writers?
I don’t know for sure, but I tend to think they’re full of poop. They’re attempting to set the agenda for Christie’s Supreme Court appointments by using the race card. As part of the vast progressive conspiracy, the Ledger likes an activist court that requires billions of dollars to be flushed into urban schools that produce morally unacceptable results in educating minority children. If they can convince the public that race should be a criteria for selecting a Supreme Court Justice, rather than scholarship, judicial temperment and a philosphical committement to interpreting law, rather than writing it from the bench, The Ledger figures they can thrwart Governor Christie from “turning Trenton upside down” anymore than he already has.
The Legislature is very likely to remain in Democratic control after the coming election, which limits severely the reforms Governor Christie can make over the rest of his term. Given the legislative map, a second Christie term will most likely also have a Democratic legislature. That he will have the responsiblity to appoint the majority of the court in his first term, to reshape the court as he promised, will result in the real legacy of the Christie administration.
The Star Ledger’s lip service for diversity is nothing more then getting ready for that coming political battle.
New Jersey’s Supreme Court ruled last week that the cash-strapped state must send another $500 million in aid to urban school districts — the latest in a long series of decisions disconnected from economic reality and wise public policy.
Over the last 40 years, Jersey’s high court has commandeered tens of billions of dollars of state tax money that has largely been wasted on schools, forced taxes higher and undermined the tax base of whole communities — in the process, driving the state to the verge of insolvency.
Basing its original decision on a vague clause in the state Constitution that says the state must ensure “a thorough and efficient system of free public schools,” the court made the state responsible for funding urban school districts — regardless of whether the money was well spent.
Courts in other states, including New York, have interpreted similar language to mean that states should provide more aid to urban districts. But Jersey’s high court essentially ruled that schools in 31 poor “Abbott districts” should be funded at a level equal to the states’ wealth iest school districts — making Jersey’s among the most expensive urban school districts in America.
Newark spends $23,000 per pupil; Camden, $22,000; Asbury Park, $27,000. Most of that money comes from the state — 82 percent of Newark’s school budget, for instance.
So residents in many suburban towns essentially pay for two school systems: their own, through local property taxes, and urban schools, through their state taxes — costing state residents a staggering $37 billion since 1998, according to estimates in The New York Times.
Even if this spending produced stellar results, it would be hard to justify this system: The steep property taxes it requires have helped make homeownership unaffordable even to many middle-class residents. But the results have been the opposite of stellar. As the education reform group E3 observes in a study of Newark, “Money For Nothing”: “Given the extraordinary expenditure on schooling, students are not receiving a meaningful education.”
Despite claims that it wanted to ensure “thorough and efficient” schools, the court has done nothing but feed dollars to a patronage-laden Jersey political culture.
For example, when the court ruled that Jersey had to spend heavily to build schools in urban districts, the state floated billions of dollars of debt through a construction authority it created to get around the requirement that voters must approve all borrowing. The court not only allowed the scheme — but when the construction authority proved so corrupt and inefficient that it only finished half the job with the money it got, the court forced the state to spend billions more.
The court has also reshaped the state’s map with decisions known as the Mount Laurel cases, by taking local zoning powers away from towns and cities and requiring municipalities to build affordable housing, often at great cost.
In one infamous case, it ordered the tiny township of Greenwich, with only 520 housing units, to add 810 homes, sending property taxes soaring. The burden fell especially hard on middle-income residents; later court rulings gave big property-tax breaks to the lower-income units.
The latest ruling has spurred Gov. Chris Christie in his pledge to remake the Supreme Court. Last year, he outraged the state’s political establishment by refusing to renominate Justice John Wallace, breaking with a tradition in which Supreme Court justices are automatically reappointed. The Democratic-controlled Senate refused to consider Christie’s nominee for the job, allowing Chief Justice Stuart Rabner to appoint a temporary replacement judge, who was the key swing vote in the decision to spend $500 million more in school aid.
That’s money the state doesn’t have — Jersey can’t even afford to contribute to its severely underfunded state pension system.
New Yorkers, beware. In 2007, the Empire State agreed to boost state education spending by an unrealistic $7 billion over four years in response to a lawsuit brought by the Campaign for Fiscal Equity. But facing a $10 billion budget hole, Gov. Cuomo has cut education aid by $1.5 billion, prompting threats of another CFE lawsuit — even though New York still leads the nation in per-pupil spending.
The courts shouldn’t become a permanent substitute for our elected officials in managing state spending. As Jersey has taught us, when judges seize that power, taxpayers wind up big losers.
Steve Malanga is a senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute; his new book is “Shakedown: The Continuing Conspiracy Against the American Taxpayer.”
Top-to-Bottom Reform Leads to Responsible Planning, Spending of Public Dollars
Trenton, NJ – Governor Chris Christie today announced a complete revamping of the Schools Development Authority construction program and the first-ever statewide prioritization of SDA school construction projects to bring accountability to the spending of hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars annually for school improvements and expansion. The new program embodies the fundamental reforms taken at the SDA since Governor Christie took office. The recommendations will be presented to the SDA Board of Directors in the coming weeks for their review and approval.
The new approach is the result of a comprehensive review conducted over a six-month period by an internal working group consisting of SDA and Department of Education officials and reflects a wholesale strategy shift from the SDA’s earlier 2008 Capital Plan. The changes reflect a commitment to the efficient and proper use of public funds, an objective prioritization of statewide educational needs and the advancement of sound design and construction principles. For the first time ever, the reforms will allow the Authority to responsibly advance each project in the most efficient, cost-conscious manner – unlike the wasteful, hands-off-the-steering-wheel approach of the prior program.
“We all know that the prior program was associated with the absolute worst kind of government waste, mismanagement and lack of supervision, where much was promised, too much was spent, but too little was returned,” Governor Christie said. “I could not responsibly or in good conscience let that history repeat itself at this agency. We will move forward smartly and deliberatively to deliver value to the school districts and to our taxpayers.”
“The completion of the Capital Plan Review marks a new day for school construction in New Jersey,” said CEO Marc Larkins. “With a statewide prioritization in place, new project delivery processes planned, and a full understanding of the SDA’s capacity, the Authority is poised to move forward with an efficient, responsible school construction program that will address the needs of our students and communities statewide.”
Highlights of the 2011 Plan include:
·A carefully considered, objectively prioritized Capital Program rather than merely a list of 52 projects
·An annual selection of projects to be undertaken – starting with 10 in 2011
·A strategic approach to standardization in school projects, allowing for design replication on multiple projects, resulting in estimated savings of nearly $4 million per project over less efficient prior project delivery methods
·Allocation of $100 million for the advancement of additional emergent projects in the SDA Districts
·A statewide Prioritization Plan to be reviewed annually, providing a framework for project advancement so that only those projects most needed and most efficient will proceed into construction
The new approach and reforms represent a shift away from design excess, costly change orders and mismanagement, and will allow the SDA to responsibly advance each project in the most efficient manner. The present review evaluated all projects using the same factors, where prior reviews showed a bias in favor of certain types of projects, including, for example, early childhood centers.
The comprehensive review resulted in the recommendation to advance the following 10 projects in 2011, representing a state investment of almost $584 million:
·Bridgeton – Cherry Street Elementary School
·Elizabeth – Academic Magnet High School
·Long Branch – Catrambone Elementary School
·Jersey City – PS 20 Elementary School
·Jersey City – Elementary School 3
·New Brunswick – A. Chester Redshaw Elementary School
·Newark – Oliver Street Elementary School
·Paterson – Marshall & Hazel Elementary School
·Paterson – PS Number 16 Elementary School
·West New York – Harry L. Bain Elementary School
The SDA review yielded a consistent and fair analysis of projects statewide with all districts and all projects rated for the same factors. For the first time, the SDA considered total project cost, cost per student and efficiency of construction. Using the same uniform process and selection criteria, the SDA will identify the next group of school construction projects for 2012.
Governor Christie directed a comprehensive review of the SDA early in his administration. In addition, the State Auditor heavily criticized the SDA’s 2008 Capital Plan in June 2010. Among the criticisms raised by the State Auditor was the requirement that every SDA District receive a project and that certain projects included in the 2008 Plan had never been properly evaluated.
Since Governor Christie vetoed a change order proposed by the SDA in January of 2010 and Larkins was named CEO in March of last year, the agency has seen sweeping reforms. The highlights of the reforms are improvements in handling change orders, with a renewed emphasis on protecting state resources, and a structural overhaul of the agency. The new change order process affords more Board oversight of agency operations, and the new organizational structure moves away from a departmental model to a “team-based” approach. The SDA has also reduced staffing by almost 20% and made other operational changes, reducing the organization’s budget by more than $4 million per year.
With the completion of the Capital Program and the organizational structure needed to support the program in place, the SDA will continue to implement strategies to execute projects more efficiently. Through the annual advancement framework, the Authority will promote design standardization leading to design replication on multiple projects. In addition, the SDA will continue to identify alternate methods of project delivery including design-build, which allows for overlapping of design and construction schedules leading to faster project delivery.
Beginning in March last year, with Larkins’ appointment as CEO, the SDA has undergone a sweeping reorganization. The new structure moves away from a departmental model for the delivery of school projects to a “team-based” approach. This structure provides for greater continuity, better communication and supervision throughout the life cycle of a project. In short, the Authority can now deliver projects more efficiently and with the strictest adherence to cost controls.
The Authority fully funds and manages new construction and modernization of school facilities projects in SDA Districts. Other SDA District projects for which the Authority is responsible are renovations and repairs deemed emergent by the DOE due to health and safety reasons.
The SDA also makes grants available to the 574 Regular Operating Districts (RODs) throughout New Jersey for projects approved by the DOE. These grants fund at least 40 percent of eligible project costs, with the remaining share coming from local communities, contingent on budget or voter approval. The SDA portfolio contains more than 1,000 active ROD grants, 388 of which have been advanced since May of 2010, and total more than $126 million.
The Asbury Park shuffle continues, and taxpayers and students are continuing to bear the brunt. As some districts struggle to hold the line on spending and improve achievement, the worst performing district in the county has again established itself as the highest spending.
This month, the Asbury Park school district outshone all the others in Monmouth County. First, it shuffled school principals. After all, Antonio Lewis, the twice-suspended former superintendent needs a job. So says the court system. And thus the middle school principal, Howard Mednick, who had, in the opinion of many, been making positive changes there, has been moved to the Thurgood Marshall Elementary School to make room for Mr. Lewis to head the middle school because it seems that settlements and pension are apparently not enough for this guy. Regardless of his suspensions and track record, Mr. Lewis has retained his tenure rights (God help me, tenure is a right? But that’s a whole other discussion) and needs to be placed somewhere. Somehow, working the system is not the lesson I would want my child to learn from her school principal. And that’s the least of it.
In most other districts, if a school board spends money, they need to raise money through property tax levies. Not in Asbury Park, where Abbott dollars flow freely. After all, Asbury Park once again spent more per student than any other district in Monmouth County, according the state’s annual school report card, released this week. Last year, Asbury Park spent an average of over $24,000 per student. The state average for a similar district was $13,833. So what did Asbury Park get for the extra $10,000? Not achievement.
For $24,000 on average per student, the Asbury Park school system managed to attain the lowest average SAT scores in Monmouth County, an average of 1101 out of a possible 2400 points. How can we allow this to go on, year after year? How many more students will fail to achieve and how many districts will go broke sending money out of their own towns to subsidize this failure?
One can’t help but recognize, after years of similar spending and achievement reviews, that throwing money at the problem has never made a dent in it. SPENDING IS NOT PROPORTIONAL TO SUCCESS.
In Red Bank, our teachers and administrators did not ask for a raise last year. They stayed under the four percent cap. They felt that pain of the taxpayer and did a good job of holding the line. This meant real sacrifice. Our middle school had to cancel athletic programs. Parents have jumped in to keep these programs going, increasing the level of community involvement and putting their time where our money used to be. Good for them. And yet these same taxpayers are sending dollars, through Abbott, to Asbury Park. And while our schools improve and parental involvement is on an upswing, Asbury Park continues to fall well below average.
Shame on all of the folks who still don’t get it – SPENDING IS NOT PROPORTIONAL TO SUCCESS. We can not buy our way out of failure and we can not afford to keep losing kids to a system that is a proven failure.
Governor Chris Christie will hold a town hall meeting in Old Bridge today, 3PM at the Richard Allen Cooper Civic Center, 1 Old Bridge Plaza. Doors will open at 2:30.
The Governor is expected to announce a series of education reforms including pay and tenue for teachers and school vouchers.
Zuckerberg to Establish $100 Million Foundation-Startup: Education – to Improve Student Success and Champion Great Teachers, Starting with Newark, New Jersey
Newark, N.J. September 24, 2010 – On today’s Oprah Winfrey Show, New Jersey Governor Chris Christie and Newark Mayor Cory A. Booker launched the Partnership for Education in Newark, an unprecedented commitment to improve public education, with the support of Facebook Founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg.
Governor Christie and Mayor Booker have committed to a bipartisan initiative to ensure every school-aged child in Newark has access to a high-quality education that prepares them for a successful future and a better quality of life. To begin this new Partnership, the Governor has authorized Mayor Booker to work with the local community to develop and implement a comprehensive education plan for the future of the Newark Public School District, based on clear standards and metrics that reward excellence in teaching, school leadership and student achievement. The plan will be carried out under the Mayor’s leadership over the next few years.
To support these efforts, Zuckerberg announced the creation of a new foundation – Startup: Education — with an initial gift of $100 million to improve educational opportunities for young people in America. The foundation’s first project will be to measurably improve academic achievement for Newark students and create a national model for rewarding excellence in education. Mayor Booker has also announced the creation of the Newark Education and Youth Development Fund, a separate non-profit organization whose goal is to secure an additional $100 million to match the challenge grant available through Zuckerberg’s foundation, as well as an additional $50 million to serve disaffected youth.
“Mayor Booker and I are thrilled to accept Mark Zuckerberg’s challenge – to work with the Newark community to dramatically elevate the potential of public education in the City of Newark, throughout New Jersey and across the nation,” said New Jersey Governor Chris Christie. “Collectively, we believe the best way to secure and improve our nation’s future is to create the highest quality public education system in the world. There is no better place to begin this journey than in Newark, a city of both great progress and potential.”
“We’re grateful that this young, innovative entrepreneur is so dedicated to helping create the next generation of successful entrepreneurs and leaders. Improving the quality of public education and increasing student achievement in Newark is a top priority of my Administration, and I am so grateful that Mark Zuckerberg shares our commitment and belief in the genius and limitless potential of Newark’s students,” said Cory A. Booker, Mayor of Newark, New Jersey. “We know that investing in educational excellence today will create the foundation for Newark’s prosperity and competitiveness in the decades ahead. With this incredible investment and the steadfast commitment of our school leaders and teachers to improve youth outcomes, it is my belief that the pathway to nationwide public education excellence starts in Newark.”
The National Opportunity for Change
The Newark Public School District, with a student population of more than 40,000, is the largest school system in New Jersey. In 2008-2009, only 40 percent of students could read and write at grade level by the end of third grade, only 54 percent of high school students graduated and just 38 percent enrolled in college.*
The size of the school district, the determination of the community and the scope of the grant create an unprecedented opportunity to drastically improve the educational environment for all the city’s students.
Shared Commitments
Governor Christie, Mayor Booker and Mark Zuckerberg will work collaboratively to support the transformation of Newark’s education system and ultimately make the city a national model for educational excellence.
Governor Christie has committed to work with Mayor Booker to ensure that every child in Newark receives a quality education. Through this Partnership, Mayor Booker will provide local strategic and operational leadership to help Newark improve its public schools, with strong accountability and clear standards and metrics designed to improve teacher excellence and student achievement.
Mayor Booker has committed to make education a top priority for his current term in office, engage with the Newark community to develop new educational principles and performance metrics, and implement a comprehensive program to reward excellence. As key milestones in the project are reached, the Startup: Education foundation intends to provide $100 million over five years to ensure every school-aged child in Newark has access to a high-quality education.
“Mayor Booker and Governor Christie refuse to accept the status quo in public education,” said Mark Zuckerberg, Founder and CEO of Facebook. “They insist on demanding more for young people now so that they will be fully prepared for success in college, careers and in life. Each of these leaders is prepared to make bold commitments that will make Newark a symbol of education reform. Their personal commitments – and their willingness to cut through the politics and red tape to collaborate – persuaded me to support them and make a commitment of my own.” Zuckerberg’s blog post announcing Startup: Education can be found at http://www.facebook.com/startupeducation <http://www.facebook.com/startupeducation> .
Praise from third parties
Today’s announcement has already generated praise from educational experts, philanthropists and others around the country:
Jon Schnur, CEO, New Leaders for New Schools “There is nothing more important in American education in the next five years than showing how entire cities and states can have the dramatic successes that to date we have only seen at the school level. Under Mayor Cory Booker’s leadership – with support from Governor Christie and Mark Zuckerberg – the children of Newark can succeed and make their city one of those “proof points” for our nation.”
Norman Atkins, CEO, Teacher U; Founder/Board Chair, Uncommon Schools; Co-Founder, North Star Academy Charter School in Newark “Both Governor Chris Christie and Mayor Cory Booker are maverick public servants long been committed to closing the achievement gap. Now, teaming up with one of our nation’s leading entrepreneurs, they are making the Newark Public Schools the central address in American education reform, setting out to ensure that all Newark students are prepared for success in college and life.”
Kathleen Nugent, New Jersey State Director, Democrats for Education Reform “This is our chance to launch a real debate in Newark focused on what’s best for kids and what we must do to provide excellent education to every student. The gift offers the opportunity to invest in what works.”
Richard Barth, CEO and President, KIPP Foundation “It has taken a decade for KIPP to grow from two to 99 schools, with four of our schools in Newark. We are looking to double the number of children we serve in the next five years, and today’s bold announcement sets up Newark as one of the cities in which we can dramatically increase the number of children we serve. This is a game changer.”
John Danner, Co-Founder and CEO, Rocketship Education “I applaud Mark Zuckerberg for building the momentum around eliminating the achievement gap across America in our lifetimes. Mayor Booker is an ideal recipient of this matching grant; he will work tirelessly to give the children of Newark a better chance. As Rocketship expands nationally, this moves Newark up our list of potential cities significantly.”
Evan Rudall, CEO, Uncommon Schools “Uncommon Schools is thrilled that Governor Christie, Mayor Booker, Mark Zuckerberg, and others are joining forces to improve Newark’s public schools. Until the achievement gap is closed and every child in Newark is prepared to graduate from college, it is essential for elected officials, entrepreneurs, and educators to work together to do what is in the best interest of children. Uncommon Schools and North Star Academy welcome this opportunity to help ensure that all Newark children have the opportunity to attend an outstanding school.”
Robert Clark, Founding Director, YouthBuild Newark “This is a real opportunity for Newark to become a model in education reform. Improving outcomes for our youth must focus on the results that each leader, teacher and school achieves for its students. With the collective energy of the City’s education, nonprofit and philanthropic community, working in partnership with kids and families, I know that Newark is destined for greatness.”
Bill Gates, Co-chair and Trustee, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation “Thank you, Mark, for this incredible gift to improve education. Your involvement in the years ahead — your thinking, your energy — will be even more important than your resources. Improving education in this country is the key to its future, making it a just place, achieving the full potential of all students. There’s a lot to learn. Technology has a role to play, more resources, backing leaders like you have here. I’m excited to be on this journey together and thank you so much.”
Geoffrey Canada, President and CEO, Harlem Children’s Zone “This is the most exciting education reform initiative in the country. It is a historic opportunity for Newark to demonstrate how educational innovation and increased accountability can save the lives of thousands of poor children.”
John Legend, Recording Artist and education advocate “Newark is doing what every school district should do – focusing on proven education reform strategies like putting students first and investing heavily in teacher and principal quality. The Partnership for Education in Newark offers an unprecedented opportunity to support Newark’s students, schools and teachers – and serves as a model for funding public education excellence. I have heard Mayor Booker say that ‘Newark will shock the world.’ My hope is that this initiative will not only shock people everywhere into more deeply supporting schools, but that Newark’s efforts will rock the world through generations of students who benefit from an outstanding public education.”
Mashea Ashton, Newark Charter School Fund “This historic donation is a real opportunity for Newark to become a national model for leveraging private dollars to improve an urban school system. While there are no silver bullets to reform education, we know what works: it takes great teachers, inspirational leaders, a dedicated community and the political will to keep students and families first. With this financial support, Newark has the resources to take bold action. We need to be innovative in our efforts to improve educational outcomes for every child in Newark. We must incorporate best practices of high-quality charter schools and great traditional schools, bringing it to scale in a way that benefits all schools in the city.”
Ted Mitchell, CEO, NewSchools Venture Fund; President, California State Board of Education “Our failure, as a country, to offer a world-class education to every child shames us all. This partnership will create a team that knows that with will, hard work, and innovative ideas, we can do better.”
Additional Information To contribute to the Partnership for Education in Newark, visit http://www.startupeducation.org or http://www.squareup.com/newark
For more information on the Partnership or Startup:Education, like the Facebook Page at http://www.facebook.com/startupeducation; join the cause at http://www.causes.com/newark or visit http://www.mynewarkeducation.com
Follow updates from Mayor Booker on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/corybooker <, or on Twitter at http://twitter.com/corybooker
Follow updates from Governor Christie on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/GovChrisChristie <http://www.facebook.com/GovChrisChristie> , on Twitter at http://twitter.com/GovChristie YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/GovChristie or his website at http://www.state.nj.us/governor/
Follow Mark Zuckerberg on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/markzuckerberg <http://www.facebook.com/markzuckerberg>
* Newark Public Schools 2009-13 Strategic Plan
http://www.nps.k12.nj.us/pdf/StrategicPlan-FINALASOF11-09.pdf
About the City of Newark, New Jersey Newark, commonly referred to as Brick City, is the third oldest city in the United States and the largest in New Jersey, with a population of more than 280,000 people. Newark sits on one of the nation’s largest transportation super-structures including an international airport, major rail connections, major highway intersections and the busiest seaport on the east coast. With a new Administration as of July 2006, Newark continues to see signs of a strong revival. In population, it is one of the fastest growing cities in the northeast. Its six major colleges and universities are further expanding their presence. The production of affordable housing has doubled, businesses are returning and crime is going down. There is still much work to be done but Newark is on its way to achieving its mission: to set a national standard for urban transformation.
