Associated Press
JERSEY CITY— Education activists and parents rallied in Jersey City on Wednesday against a bill that would allow the use of taxpayer-funded vouchers for religious and private schools, calling it “a back door way to privatization” of the state’s public schools.
Several parents said the program would drain resources from poorer districts and undercut existing initiatives aimed at improving public schools.
Parent Luz Mayi, who said her seven children, ages 14 to 35, attended both parochial and public schools in Jersey City, said supporters of the voucher program were disingenuous in trying to sell it as an attempt to give parents school choice. Mayi said the proposal wouldn’t allow children with less-than-stellar grades, special needs, language barriers or other obstacles to be accepted at any school.
“It would hurt children in public schools,” Mayi said. “To me, that’s a crime, and you’re abusing people who can’t defend themselves: children.”
At issue is a pilot program called The Opportunity Scholarship Act, supported by Republican Gov. Chris Christie, which would permit about 40,000 students in 13 low-income districts to apply for scholarship vouchers to attend private or parochial schools.
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