TRENTON -- A Senate committee approved legislation today creating scholarships for students to attend private schools during a raucous hearing held in front of the Statehouse Annex building. Hundreds of demonstrators, mostly students from private and charter schools, gathered to rally for the bill. Supporters said it provides students a chance to leave failing public schools, while opponents said...
Camden Catholic High School students Mary Kate McCloskey, 17, left, Talia Johnson, 17, second from right, and Kaitlyn Menefee, 18, right, wait to participate in a rally. Students, parents, and teachers arrive at the State House in Trenton for a rally demanding state lawmakers provide disadvantaged families with the opportunity to have access to school vouchers.
TRENTON -- A Senate committee approved legislation today creating scholarships for students to attend private schools during a raucous hearing held in front of the Statehouse Annex building.
Hundreds of demonstrators, mostly students from private and charter schools, gathered to rally for the bill. Supporters said it provides students a chance to leave failing public schools, while opponents said it undermines the public school system.
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The New Jersey Education Association, the powerful teacher's union, said the bill would drain more money from public schools at a time when Gov. Chris Christie is already slashing $820 million in state aid to school districts.
"Don't participate in the dismantling of our public schools," Secretary-Treasurer Marie Blistan said. "Don't be a partner in the privatization agenda of this administration."
The bill was unanimously approved by the Senate Economic Growth Committee. The hearing was scheduled to be held in a normal committee room, but senators said it was packed with NJEA members when they arrived.
Sen. Raymond Lesniak (D-Union) said he asked them to make room for some of the bill's supporters, splitting the seating evenly between the two sides.
"They said we're not moving. So we'll have it outside," he said.
Statehouse staff carried out desks and chairs for senators, and the hearing -- complete with testimony and parliamentary procedure -- was held in front of hundreds of demonstrators.
"It's a great lesson in civics," Lesniak said.
NJEA spokesman Steve Baker criticized Lesniak's actions, saying he was unfairly trying to eject opponents of the bill from the committee room.
"He was trying to get them to leave based on their political beliefs," he said "We think that's utterly unacceptable."
A similar bill has previously failed to gain traction in recent years. Now it has bipartisan backing in the Senate -- it's spearheaded by Lesniak and Sen. Tom Kean Jr. (R-Union) -- and Gov. Chris Christie's support.
But critical support from Assembly Democrats may be lacking. Assembly Speaker Sheila Oliver (D-Essex) said there are concerns the bill could harm public schools.
"There are mixed feelings," she said. "There are a lot of opponents who support ideologically the concept of public education, and they feel this is the beginning step of the erosion of public education."
African-American churches, led by Black Ministers Council Executive Director Rev. Reginald Jackson, held a press conference earlier this morning to support the legislation. He said people need to decide whether to support school institutions or the children.
"Why do we insist on supporting a failing system?" he said. "When are we going to decide our children are more important."
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