Co-founder of Parents for Free Choice in Education, Israel Teitelbaum, issued the following statement:

A tiny window of opportunity has opened for those of us who believe in equal educational opportunity for all. School Choice is now within our reach, in the form of proposed legislation which, “…Establishes a pilot program in Department of Treasury to provide tax credits for contributions to entities which provide tuition scholarships to children residing in Camden, Newark, Orange and Trenton or fund innovative public school programs.”

This legislation, S-2785 and A-4376, will in its first year rescue 4,000 innocent youngsters from public schools which are failing them, 8,000 in its second year, 12,000 in the third, 16,000 in the fourth and 20,000 in the fifth. The benefits to these youngsters and their families are immeasurable, and society will undoubtedly reap countless benefits from a better-educated public.

Yet, the opposition to this sensible legislation is enormous. The educational beurocracy headed by the New Jersey Educational Association, controls a budget exceeding $17 billion, and they have contributed enormous sums of money and manpower to most political campaigns.

By opposing this school choice legislation, the NJEA is proving that they are more concerned in preserving their monopoly on the educational budget than the needs of poor children who are trapped in horrendous conditions and suffering irreparable harm.

NJEA spokesman Steve Baker argues, “Given the state’s current budget situation, to offer tax credits out of the budget is especially inappropriate.” He has obviously not taken into account the future financial costs to New Jersey taxpayers that 4,000 to 20,000 under-educated children will bring by way of remedial education, welfare, social blight, crime, police, courts, jails etc.

When Hurricane Katrina exposed the suffering of the poor of New Orleans, the entire nation raised their voices in righteous indignation. Yet, tens of thousands of New Jersey children are suffering in schools ruled by intimidating fellow students, and few even care enough to speak out on their behalf

This is clearly the civil rights issue of our day, and the passing of this legislation will undoubtedly begin to resolve many societal ills due to inequality of educational opportunity.

We respectfully urge our legislators to do the right thing and pass this essential legislation. Constituents are urged to contact their legislators and solicit their support.