Shameful! Yes, Some New Jersey Students Have To Go To Schools That Look Like This

[mfcorey1]

Students at New Jersey's most resource-starved public schools walk down hallways covered in mold, take tests in asbestos-filled classrooms and trod across floors peppered with rodent droppings. And when these students visit different districts for sports matches or debate club meets, the inequalities are thrown into sharp relief as the students come face-to-face with the basic cleanliness and safety offered by a majority of the state’s educational institutions.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/10/31/new-jersey-schools-disrepair_n_4178348.html

[JustAnotherGen]

1. We have the money

And if Christie would tax millionaires here . . .we would have even more.

David Sciarra, executive director of the New Jersey Education Law Center, does not believe emergent repair funds ran out. That's a "flat-out lie," he told HuffPost, alleging that the SDA had money but that the "governor [didn’t] want to spend it.”

In 2011, amid growing criticism, the SDA accepted requests for emergent repairs in its districts. According to a press release from Healthy Schools Now, 716 emergent project requests were submitted. In 2012, the Department of Education and the SDA agreed to honor 68 of these requests. Many of these projects are still in construction.

Since 2010, the SDA has also begun rebuilding dozens of other schools, although Sciarra thinks these projects are not being completed fast enough. He says the pace of the agency's projects represents a larger attitude problem toward urban schools.

“The message is that urban ... district public schools don’t matter, they’re second class,” he said. “And that it’s okay to subject them [students in those schools] to conditions that affect their health and safety.”

Remember this - he is NOT running for Governor. His entire campaign has been his first shot in a bid for the Presidency. Remember this DU. Remember this - because outside of NJ this will be a " plus" to low information voters that vote for Republicans because they think the "others" are taking something from them and should be punished.

Oh and you all "contributed" to his campaign. The Stronger Than The Storm ads he ran this summer were paid for out of recovery funds. He could have selected an ad agency that didn't feature him and his family with those funds - but he went for the agency that charged more, had links to his 2009 campaign, and featured him.

Remember that too.

[JustAnotherGen]

2. OP Cross post this to

Politics 2013 and Education Reform Group. People need to know and the Education Reform Group tends towards activism - not words. . I would be interested in their feedback on how they think New Jerseyans can combat this tragedy. I'm not sure where to start since I'm out in Hunterdon County.

[Starry Messenger]

3. Starving public schools of resources was one of the main goals of education reform.

That and union-busting. Rinse, wash, privatize.

[CTyankee]

4. well, if chris christie runs for prez as the Repub. nominee in 2016, these photos will make a

PERFECT attack ad by the Dem candidate!

Bring. It. On.

[Laelth]

5. Powerful images. k&r n/t

-Laelth

[gollygee]

6. We never really desegregated schools

They are still separate and unequal. The state of those schools is just plain shameful. Kids and teachers should not be expected to try to learn and teach in those kinds of conditions.

Republicans intentionally destroy school districts, or allow them to become destroyed due to neglect, so that they have an excuse to privatize and pillage money.

[Scuba]

7. Yes, but, but, but ... TAXES!

Christie must be so proud.

[JustAnotherGen]

12. Property Taxes

By community make a HUGE difference here. As far as I'm concerned - he can start taxing the folks making a million bucks a year and give it directly to our weakest tax property base school districts. Will he "double dip" some of us? Yeppers. But if you live in Hunterdon county a few more grand a year to the state isn't going to make a difference.

Right now our property taxes are far more each month than an our mortgage payment - we committed to our mortgage and property taxes last month well below our ability to afford them. Seriously - if they make us pay a few grand a year in State Income (we got back just under 2K in February) it's no going to hurt our household.

I triple double dog dare Christie to be brave and tax the affluent, rich, and wealthy in NJ. Or is he too chicken and afraid people won't vot for him in South Carolina in a few years if he does that?

[Adrahil]

8. Damn that pisses me off!

This needs to be pasted all over New Jersey. WAKE UP JERSEY! Christie is a such a godammed fraud!

[Oilwellian]

9. You can't just blame Christie for this

New Jersey is very blue and voters had the choice between Christie and the extremely corrupt Corzine. Granted, Christie has been catastrophic for the state, but the neglect of inner city schools nationwide has been going on long before Christie came on the scene. The needs of the poor have always been neglected by both parties and it's been a disgrace for decades.

[Brickbat]

10. Shameful. Just shameful. And so sad.

K&R.

[Oilwellian]

11. The eye opening study every American needs to see

http://www.upworthy.com/the-eye-opening-study-every-american-needs-to-see

I think I'll post this as an OP.