Governor Christie on Education: Reinvigorate, Reward, Reform

Governor Chris Christie says that he’s going to make 2011 the Year of Education Reform.

Today he released a video entitled Education: Reinvigorate, Reward, Reform and issued his Education Reform agenda:

The Christie Reform Agenda: Making 2011 the Year of Education Reform

Addressing New Jersey’s Most Pressing Education Challenges

New Jersey’s Costly Education System Is In Need Of Reform & Accountability…

• Including Federal Aid, New Jersey State And Local Governments Spent Approx. $25 Billion On Education For 2009-2010. (NJDOE)

Ø  Total State Aid to Education was $10.3 Billion for 2009-2010, including Social Security taxes, retiree health care, and other school district expenses borne by the State.

• Statewide Per Pupil Spending Is The Highest In The Nation At $17,620.

Ø  According to the National Center for Education Statistics, New Jersey spent an average of $17,620 per pupil for 2008-2009, the latest available data.

• New Jersey Paid The 4^th Highest Teacher Salaries In The Nation For ’08-’09, 17% Higher Than The National Average.

Ø  The average full-time teacher salary in New Jersey was $63,051 for 2008-2009.

Ø  The National Estimated Average Teachers Salary was $53,910 for 2008-2009.

• The Average Teacher Salary Increased 5.9% In Just Two Years From ’07-’08 To ’09-’10.

Ø  The average full-time teacher salary in New Jersey for 2007-2008 was $61,478.

Ø  The average full-time teacher salary in New Jersey for 2009-2010 was $65,123.

(Sources: NJDOE, NCED)

• Education Spending Has Increased 343% From 1985 To 2012, With Spending In Abbott Districts Nearly DOUBLING As A Percentage Of The Total State Budget During That Same Period.

Ø  State aid to school districts increased from $1.73 Billion in 1985 to 7.68 Billion in 2012 (proposed).

Ø  During the same period, spending in the 31 Abbott Districts went from 8.9% to 15.5% of total state budget expenditures in all departments.

• Today, Nearly 6 Of Every 10 State Dollars Spent On All PreK-12 Education Costs Goes To Just 31 Abbott Districts.

Ø  Spending in Abbott Districts skyrocketed from $685 Million in FY 1985 to $4.5 Billion in FY 2012 – representing a 61% increase in the proportion of all PreK-12 spending devoted to Abbott Districts.

Ø  Meanwhile, the percentage of New Jersey’s population residing in the Abbott Districts actually dropped 3% over the same period.

But Despite Consistently High Education Spending Focused In The 31 Abbott Districts, New Jersey’s Achievement Gap Persists…

• Education Spending In New Jersey Has Skyrocketed As A Proportion Of Total State Budget Expenditures, Increasing 564% In The Abbott Districts Since 1985. Yet, Those Billions Of Dollars In Resources Haven’t Translated To Higher Student Achievement For Our Neediest Children.

• The Gap In New Jersey 4th Grade Math Between At-Risk Students And Those Not At Risk Did Not Change Significantly In 13 Years.

Ø  In 2009, students eligible for free/reduced-price lunch (indicator of poverty) had an average score 26 points lower than students not eligible for free/reduced-price lunch. The performance gap was not significantly different from that in 1996 (32 points). (National Assessment of Educational Progress, 2009)

• The Gap In New Jersey 8th Grade Math Between Black Or Hispanic And White Students Did Not Change Significantly In 19 Years (More Than A Generation Of Students Or Nearly The Lifetime Of Abbott).

Ø  In 2009, the average score of black students was 34 points lower than that of white students. The gap was not significantly different from 1990 (38 points).

Ø  In 2009, the average score of Hispanic students was 30 points lower than that of white students. The gap was not significantly different from 1990 (37 points).

Ø  The gap in New Jersey eighth grade math between at-risk students and those not at risk did not change significantly in six years.

Ø  In 2009, students eligible for free/reduced-price lunch (indicator of poverty) had an average score 30 points lower than students not eligible for free/reduced-price lunch. The performance gap was not significantly different from that in 2003 (34 points).

• The Gap In New Jersey 4th Grade Reading Between At-Risk Students And Those Not At Risk Did Not Change Significantly In Six Years.

Ø  In 2009, students eligible for free/reduced-price lunch (indicator of poverty) had an average score 26 points lower than students not eligible for free/reduced-price lunch. The performance gap was not significantly different from that in 2003 (30 points).

• The Gap In New Jersey 8th Grade Reading Between Black Or Hispanic And White Students Did Not Change Significantly In Six Years. The Gap Between At-Risk Students And Those Not At Risk Also Did Not Change Significantly Over The Same Time Period.

Ø  In 2009, the average score of black students was 31 points lower than that of white students. The gap was not significantly different from 2003 (29 points).

Ø  In 2009, the average score of Hispanic students was 25 points lower than that of white students. The gap was not significantly different from 2003 (28 points).

Ø  In 2009, students eligible for free/reduced-price lunch (indicator of poverty) had an average score 27 points lower than students not eligible for free/reduced-price lunch. The performance gap was not significantly different from that in 2003 (30 points).

(Source: National Assessment of Educational Progress)