Posted on October 18, 2017
ACNJ President Cecilia Zalkind joined The Fund for New Jersey in the release of their sixth report, “Providing High-Quality Public Education to All New Jersey Children,” in the Crossroads NJ series aimed at informing public debate in this pivotal election year. The report calls for recommitting to the expansion of the preschool program. “The kids have waited a long time. Children who could have had preschool are now approaching middle school,” Zalkind said.
Other Crossroads NJ reports cover climate and environment, criminal justice, housing and land use, jobs and the economy, and transportation.
The Education report notes that to meet the challenges of preserving a public education system that works well for many students and extending its benefits to those who still lag behind, New Jersey needs to step up efforts on funding, reducing segregation, and making college degrees more attainable. The report calls for leadership to address these challenges and encourages New Jersey to:
- Fully fund the school finance formula codified in the School Funding Reform Act of 2008 (SFRA)
- Carefully evaluate the SFRA formula and, if necessary, adjust its provisions
- Expand the successful state-funded preschool program
- Make higher education in New Jersey more affordable and increase the number of college graduates
- Build and implement programs designed to integrate our schools
News Clips:
101.5 New Jersey: Group urges NJ to find $1B and fully fund school-aid formula — now!
WHYY: Sharper focus on education, more equitable funding sought in N.J.
