The New Jersey Student Advocate
A publication of A Parents’ Initiative
for Every Child’s Education (APIECE)
Fall 2005, “The First Issue” Volume 1, Issue Number 1
“Standing up for the rights
of all students including those facing adversity due to disability, racial
disparity and economic inequity”
Visit today: http://StudentAdvocate-NJ.org
http://APIECENJ.org / 908-881-5275 /
908-874-5094 Advocate@StudentAdvocate-NJ.org / APIECE, PO Box 1214, Belle Mead,
NJ 08502
Paid for by members and supporters of and donators to A Parents’ Initiative for
Every Child’s Education
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Promote
SCC Debacle: Build the Schools! Account for the Money!
A Parents’ Initiative for Every Child’s
Education supports the
court action of Education Law Center calling for NJ Supreme Court
action to force NJ to shore up the expended $6 billion fund that had been
managed by the School Construction Corporation. We also call for an accounting
of how the fund was so badly mismanaged and how so many millions of the funds
were wasted.
We also recognize the vicious cycle of trying to find a solution to racial and
economic disparities in public education across the state of NJ. We see court
order after court order and plan after plan - and we see the many ways that
plans go awry and students in districts with inadequate schools continue to
suffer the lifelong affects.
While it is important for legal advocates to continue to focus resources toward
a solution to these problems, it just might be that we will never see the
problems completely resolved until the affected communities become thoroughly
organized and engaged in a struggle to assert unified pressure on NJ Department
of Education, the Governor’s office and the state legislature.
It might not be enough for local districts and mayors to endorse the ELC action.
Perhaps only when it is clear to Trenton that the affected communities just will
not tolerate another failure in this regard will the issue of inadequate
provision of public education be addressed once and for all.
Currently, legislators of both parties and the Acting Governor’s office are
calling for more delays. Legislators call for delays until there is an
accounting of what happened to the money and the Acting Governor calls for a
pause until after a new administration takes power.
Yet any more delays punish the students. The mismanagement affects the students
and their families most directly. More delays on the badly needed school
building projects will also affect the students most directly.
Yes there must be an accounting for what happened with all of the money, why it
ran out faster than expected and why so many projects proceeded into the current
limbo status without a clear understanding that there were insufficient funds to
complete them and why anyone at all was surprised when the funds ran out.
However, it is wrong for the schools that are needed and the community planning
that was carried out to prepare for the new construction to be placed into limbo
status until some unknown future political event occurs. Making the completion
of the projects conditional might even place the projects into a state of
indefinite delay.
We believe the best response is to organize communities across the state of NJ
to make the call: Build the schools! Account for the funds! It is only when we
get organized, when we converge our forces around our mutual concerns, will NJ
ever take heed and fully address the needs of our communities.
Ask the Advocate
NJ Complaint Form (MS Word)
(PDF)
On Line Public Hearing on IDEIA 2004
Survey on NJ OSEP Complaint
Process
Past Activities
IEP Wkshp
Rec. Programs for
those w/ Disabilities
An Evening of Educational Advocacy
September 8, 2005 Edison, NJ
What The Student Advocate Has Done for Our Children
Lately . . .
NJ IDEIA 2004 Organizing Committee
Minutes of IDEIA 2004 meeting on Thu., May
26
Student Rights Radio
Discussion, October 31
Effort to
Reach Gubernatorial Hopefuls and Acting Governor / Candidates
IDEA: An Update
Dec. 5, 2005
Middletown
January 18,
2006: Hold a Candle Light for Our Children's Rights
50 Strong For Our
Children
No. Jersey Radio Interview Aired, 1/22
Petitioning for Rights Children: Legal in Princeton
Interview on NJ IDEIA Rights
- Racial Disparities in Sp-Ed
Call
is Heard in Montgomery Twp: Inclusive Recreation
NJSAU Minutes 2/18/2006
Playing and Singing for
Our Rights, 4/1/6
Better IDEA Laws for Special Education
Students?
Better IEPs? Anything is Possible!
April
1 Report: Student Advocacy Union - Fundraising Concert
Mobilization for Rights
of Our Children, May 17, 2006, Trenton
Nationwide Internet Radio Rally for Sp-Ed Parent Rights
9pm EST, Sat. May 20
Parents’ Rally @ Statehouse in Trenton Thursday, June 8, 2006
Piscataway Parents Mtg, June 19, 2006