By Nat T. Bender, American Federation of Teachers New Jersey
Event was part of nationwide campaign held in more than 200 cities
PERTH AMBOY – The city would lose $94 million in annual state funding, which is more than $9,200 per pupil, if Gov. Chris Christie’s formula is enacted, Sharon Krengel of the Education Law Center said on Thursday.
Krengel joined parents, teachers and local officials at a “Walk-In” at Wilentz Elementary School as a part of a national campaign coordinated by the Alliance to Reclaim Our Schools, with events emphasizing the need to support public education in more than 200 cities across the country.
“The loss of funding, which is part of the governor’s plan, would likely eliminate full day preschool while all the credible research says this is one of the most important programs we offer to support our students,” said American Federation of Teachers New Jersey President Donna M. Chiera. “We are fighting to keep schools open and expand the curriculum for students so teachers are not just ‘teaching to the test.”
“Every school should have a library with books and computers and a librarian,” said Chiera, a retired Perth Amboy teacher. “Every student should have a guidance counselor, physical education, music and art, but the governor’s plan would deny that to the most needy.”
Mayor Wilda Diaz told the gathering that Christie’s formula was a misnomer.
“He calls it a ‘fairness formula,’ but it is not fair to our city and our students,” she said. “It is detrimental and would hurt communities like Perth Amboy.”
Parents, educators and community leaders met at Wilentz Elementary School on Thursday to call for full funding for New Jersey schools in accordance with the current funding formula for education and launch a petition against Gov. Chris Christie’s proposed cuts at www.paf-aft.org.
The mayor called the start of construction of the new high school critically important to accommodate growth in the student body, but asked, “With a budget cut of that size, who is going to be there to teach and who would be providing extracurricular activities to the students?” She urged parents to call on their legislators to reject the governor’s plan.
Perth Amboy Federation Union President Patricia Paradiso teaches at Wilentz School and warned that the governor’s cuts would “devastate” the school district.
“Class sizes would increase, there would be a loss of librarians, guidance counselors, security guards and before- and after-school programs — all the things our children need to excel,” she said.
Instruction and academics would suffer as a result of cuts because Perth Amboy students lack advantages afforded their peers in more affluent districts, according to Paradiso.
“Programs like individual and small group support for English language learners to develop reading and speaking skills would be eliminated,” she said. “We need these special programs to help our students just like we need computers in the schools because many of our students do not have computer or Internet connectivity at home.”
The union placed a petition on its website, www.paf-aft.org, opposing the governor’s funding formula, Paradiso said.
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