Why Is Education Commissioner Cerf Standing In Way Of School Choice?

Why Is Education Commissioner Cerf Standing In Way Of School Choice?
September 4,2013

Ridgewood NJ, Today marks the beginning of another school year for most New Jersey students. Unlike Ridgewood, far too many New Jersey school kids will find themselves trapped for another year in some of our worst schools with no way out—no way to attend a better school that affords them the kind of opportunity for the future they deserve. This is unacceptable. Today, New Jersey should be embracing school choice and allowing parents the option to enroll their kids in schools that are not failing them.

Trenton, Newark, Camden , Atlantic City …..

Three months ago, however, Education Commissioner Christopher Cerf denied 850 New Jersey children the chance to attend the school of their choice. For years, the New Jersey Department of Education had been negotiating with two online charter schools to open up in the Garden State. The two schools jumped through all of the bureaucratic hoops, received government approval last spring, and even started hiring teachers and enrolling students.

But, at the very last minute, Commissioner Cerf stepped in and revoked the schools’ applications, claiming that there’s insufficient evidence that online learning improves student performance. Any New Jersey schoolchild could tell Commissioner Cerf that the evidence will continue to be insufficient if he doesn’t give virtual schools a chance in New Jersey. It’s elementary logic.

Think of the future ,thousands of New Jersey children are stuck in a failing public school with little opportunity to escape. Even our state’s brick-and-mortar charter schools are often inaccessible since they are subject to enrollment caps, rendering many children’s future subject to the luck of a lottery. Online learning, on the other hand, would expand school choice to any New Jersey schoolchild with an Internet connection. This new frontier of education is something that the Garden State should embrace, not shun for an outdated one-size-fits-all model that is failing too many of our kids.

Sadly, it’s too late for the 850 students to access online school choice this year since the two virtual schools’ application have already been denied. However, it’s not over yet. Americans for Prosperity – New Jersey will continue to push forward for a virtual school to open up next year. New Jersey schoolchildren have been waiting much too long for the guarantee of a quality education they deserve.

Meanwhile, call Commissioner Cerf at 609-292-4450! Urge him to stop impeding school choice and preventing New Jersey kids from being able to access the education they deserve!