Dear Editor:
Former Jersey City Mayor Bret Schundler has been named by Gov. Christie to lead the NJ Dept. of Education as Commissioner; when he is known as the greatest opponent of the New Jersey public school system in modern times.
He does not deny his long support of public tax voucher payment for attendance at private and parochial schools; in fact he is proud of it. Yet he knows the nation just cannot support two competing school systems, even in the best of times. This is the fox guarding the chicken house, in spades.
And this also invites greater scrutiny of the Bush/Cheney team’s “No Child Left Behind” Act, which mandates much stringent “testing” in the public schools, causing many to appear to be “failing”; thus encouraging tax vouchers for private and parochial schools, that may be “failing” even worse.
Other legal questions as to school tax vouchers aside; to prevent destruction of the public school system that made America truly great, such school tax vouchers for private and parochial schools should not even be considered, until they adopt the same basic curricula as that taught in the public schools; and then apply the same stringent “No Child Left Behind” testing for two years, to see if they can really teach our children adequately.
Meanwhile, this truly momentous private and parochial school tax voucher question should be put on a state-wide election referendum; as over the last 30 plus years such tax voucher referenda have been voted down in 25 states, coast to coast, by 2-1 margins, so it is definitely not “mainstream” as he claims. Let the people be heard first.
Very truly yours,
John Tomasin