State of New Jersey secondary Archives: on Education


Bob Hugin: Supports expanded charter schools

Q: Help parents send children to private schools with public money?

Robert Hugin (R): No stand found, but supports expanded charter schools.

Robert Menendez (D): No. They drain money from public schools.

Source: 2018 CampusElect.org Issue Guide on New Jersey Senate race Oct 9, 2018

Bonnie Watson Coleman: Strong public school system is critical

Bonnie Watson Coleman is committed to providing every child with the opportunity to receive a quality education. Our children should love learning. To create a safe and engaging environment that encourages critical thinking, schools and families need support. Coleman is a strong advocate for our public school system. She believes in the guarantee of equal education to all children and the diversity that is promoted by public schools. Coleman believes that a strong public school system is critical to the U.S. maintaining its high standard of education. Coleman recognizes that while charter schools may serve specific niches and limited purposes, they should not be a replacement for the public school system.

Through her tenure as the Assembly Majority Leader, Coleman ensured that New Jersey not only invested in our public schools, but that appropriations were thoroughly matched with higher education grants for financial assistance with public colleges, universities, and vocational schools.

Source: 2014 New Jersey House campaign website BonnieForCongress.com Oct 10, 2014

Bonnie Watson Coleman: Supports voluntary prayer in public schools

Source: New Jersey 2005-2006 Gubernatorial Political Courage Test Nov 1, 2005

Chris Christie: Tenure reform for failing teachers; merit pay for good ones

We have also done much in the past five years to reform our education system. For the first time in 100 years, we came together to reform tenure, so that failing teachers can be removed from the classroom.

For the first time, we brought the concept of performance-based pay to schools in our largest city, Newark--so that we can pay the best teachers more.

We have expanded charter schools. And together we have enacted urban hope legislation to create renaissance schools in our highest risk districts.

Source: State of the State address to 2015 New Jersey Legislature Jan 13, 2015

Chris Christie: Choice of schools to meet child's needs

For four years in a row, we've provided a record amount in aid to our public schools--over $11.9 billion in the current fiscal year. But more school reform is needed. And a great first step would be to pass the opportunity scholarship act, to give parents a choice of a school that meets their child's needs.

Let's give families an alternative to chronically failing neighborhood schools. Let's keep driving for better outcomes. Let's give parents and students more choice.

Source: State of the State address to 2015 New Jersey Legislature Jan 13, 2015

Chris Christie: Program for at-risk youths to get them into college

In partnership with our community colleges, we launched the College Readiness Now Program to help at-risk students graduate from high school and to get prepared to attend college. 19 community colleges partnered with more than 60 high schools across the state, serving 900 high school students from disadvantaged backgrounds. 97% of the students completing the program in Atlantic and Cape May Counties enrolled in Atlantic Cape Community College as freshmen.
Source: 2016 State of the State speech to New Jersey legislature Jan 12, 2016

Chris Christie: Further de-regulate charter schools

Charter schools have succeeded in spite of our regulatory environment--not because of it. Instead of giving charter schools the autonomy they need to deliver great education outcomes, we're regulating them using the same regulations that apply to traditional public schools. It's not good for innovation or for attracting more innovative charter school operators to our state. Today, I'm announcing that my administration will aggressively prioritize regulatory relief for these schools.
Source: 2016 State of the State speech to New Jersey legislature Jan 12, 2016

Cory Booker: Ensure that college tuition is not a long-term burden

The very fact that Congress has been paralyzed in the face of student loan rates that are set to double is only the latest piece of evidence that we are not putting education first. The situation is absolutely unacceptable: Tuition rates are climbing and student loan debt has topped over a trillion dollars nationally. More than 100,000 low-income students are denied the ability to go to college every year, and a typical low-income family dedicates the equivalent of more than 70 percent of its annual income to send a child to college for a year. Here in New Jersey, as in many states, there has been a massive spike in college enrollment paired with steep cuts in state support, putting tremendous pressure on tuition.

As your Senator, I will support access to the education our kids need to succeed by doing all I can to ensure paying for that education is not a barrier or long-term burden.

Source: 2013-2014 New Jersey Senate campaign web CoryBooker.com Nov 3, 2013

Cory Booker: Pre-school for 3-year-olds; more teacher empowerment

We have a lot to be proud of in Newark, including:
Source: 2013-2014 New Jersey Senate campaign web CoryBooker.com Nov 3, 2013

Cory Booker: Fundamental right to high quality public education

I believe that access to a high quality public education is a fundamental American right and that fully realizing the genius of our children is vital to the health of our economy and a strong and secure future for our country. Knowing this, I pulled together stakeholders from across our city and nation to develop strategies and take action for our kids. I then went out and raised over $200 million to launch initiatives that would help our public schools meet their enormous obligations.
Source: 2013-2014 New Jersey Senate campaign web CoryBooker.com Nov 3, 2013

Cory Booker: Newark Workshops got $1.3M in Pell Grants

We must do more to make college more affordable for anyone who is seeking to advance their education. Ensuring more ready access to college is not only about providing all Americans with an opportunity to succeed, but is also an investment in our economy

As Mayor, I established a program at Newark's Financial Empowerment Center that reached more than 1,000 college-bound Newarkers through financial aid workshops. It has helped Newark students receive approximately $1.3 million in Pell Grant awards.

Source: 2013-2014 New Jersey Senate campaign web CoryBooker.com Nov 3, 2013

Hirsh Singh: Introduce meaningful school choice reform

Source: Ballotpedia.org Connection: 2020 New Jersey Senate race Nov 1, 2017

Hirsh Singh: Promote school choice polices at state & local levels

By fighting for strong schools and ending excessive government interference, we can give every child an equal chance at achieving the American Dream. That means decentralizing educational regulation, with the goal of eliminating federal influence entirely. We must promote school-choice policies at the state and local levels.
Source: 2020 New Jersey Senate website HirshSingh.com Feb 5, 2020

Hirsh Singh: Empower public, private, home school environments

I am committed to creating a culture of education in New Jersey where every student is celebrated; a culture where every teacher is given the freedom to help their students achieve greatness. This means working to empower every parent, student and teacher with the necessary resources to achieve this greatness, regardless of whether they are in a public, private or home school environment. What's important isn't government bureaucracy; it's the educational success of the child.
Source: 2020 New Jersey Senate campaign website HirshSingh.com Jun 11, 2020

Hirsh Singh: School violence due to political indoctrination, propaganda

Every child deserves an educational environment that's free of political indoctrination. Instead, they're bombarded with propaganda that causes emotional distress. The historic rise in youth violence is a direct result of the Democrat Party teaching society that our babies have no value; that women aren't to be respected; that parents are not to be honored; that authority is to be rebelled against. We are reaping today what Democrats have sown for decades. Shouldn't we hold them accountable?
Source: 2020 New Jersey Senate campaign website HirshSingh.com Jun 11, 2020

Jack Ciattarelli: Limit aid to overfunded school districts

Source: 2017 New Jersey Gubernatorial campaign website Jack4Gov.com Jan 17, 2017

Jack Ciattarelli: Re-balance over-funded vs/ under-funded school districts

The assemblyman from Somerset County vows to rebalance statewide school funding. The current cutting of the money pie is "blatantly unfair, terribly flawed,'' he says. Ciattarelli says he'll push to reduce excess aid in the most overfunded school districts by 20 percent per year over 5 years, with the savings re-directed to the most severely underfunded school districts.
Source: Bergen Record on 2021 New Jersey Gubernatorial race Mar 20, 2017

Jack Ciattarelli: Don't mandate college vaccination until others vaccinated

[On COVID vaccinations]: "Governor Murphy should discourage our public and private colleges and universities from mandating vaccinations for all students," he continued. "At the very least, he should do so until such time as the state can guarantee that every single New Jerseyan in higher-risk categories has immediate access to a vaccine should they choose to get one."
Source: Middletown Patch on 2021 New Jersey Gubernatorial race Feb 1, 2021

Jack Ciattarelli: We're going to roll back the LGBTQ curriculum; goes too far

Ciattarelli is vowing to roll back school curricula that centers LGTBQ inclusivity, falsely claiming that "sexual orientation" is being taught to kindergarteners and sixth graders are learning "sodomy."

"You won't have to deal with it when I'm governor, but we're not teaching gender ID and sexual orientation to kindergarteners. We're not teaching sodomy in sixth grade. And we're going to roll back the LGBTQ curriculum. It goes too far."

Source: Gothamist.com on 2021 New Jersey Gubernatorial race

Jack Ciattarelli: Reconfigure state school funding to where it's needed today

Wants to make changes to the state's school funding formula. He calls for "reweighing cost-per-student spending targets ... so the distribution aligns with need today, not the 1980s." He also wants to reduce excess aid to overfunded schools districts and redistribute the money to underfunded schools.
Source: Newark Star Ledger on 2021 New Jersey Gubernatorial race May 15, 2019

Jeff Bell: End federal involvement in education

Question topic: The federal government should establish nationwide standards (such as Common Core) for high-school graduation.

Bell: Strongly Disagree.

Question topic: Briefly list political or legislative issues of most concern to you.

Bell: Ending the federal government's involvement in education, starting with Common Core

Source: Faith2Action iVoterGuide on 2014 New Jersey Senate race Sep 30, 2014

Jim McGreevey: Supports back-to-basics and tougher standards

Source: Workprint for New Jersey Jun 25, 2001

Joe Rullo: Stop saddling parents and students with Common Core

Since the start of No Child Left Behind and continued under Race to the Top, NJ parents and students have been saddled with the Common Core Standards. Parents feel like they can't help their children with their homework because it is something they have never learned before and the children are left floundering in schools with too many children and not enough teachers to explain things to them. The State then decided to force the PARCC (Partnership for Readiness for College and Careers) test on our children. This has resulted in schools and teachers focusing their teaching efforts, not on learning, but on test results. This is wrong and only hurts our children who deserve a comprehensive learning program not a regimen of tests.

As Governor I will end PARCC testing completely and direct the Department of Education to draw up new, independent education standards that will return NJ to the top of the best educated Students in the Country.

Source: 2017 New Jersey Gubernatorial campaign website Rullo2017.com Jan 17, 2017

Joe Rullo: Merge roles of school superintendents and administrators

Superintendents and business administrators need to be reduced drastically. Instead of having one superintendent and business administrator per school district, we need to cut the number to one per county. By consolidating superintendents & business administrators, we can save $50 million per year by eliminating superintendents alone.
Source: 2017 New Jersey Gubernatorial campaign website Rullo2017.com Jan 17, 2017

Josh Gottheimer: Emphasize STEM skills to bridge huge skills gap

At Microsoft, I saw first-hand how few engineers our country produces; we simply aren't graduating enough of them. And, given our immigration policies, many of the engineers who graduate from our colleges can't stay here. The result is a huge skills gap.

I support integrating education technology in the classroom and programs that greatly emphasize Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM), skills that are increasingly necessary for children who will enter the workforce in the coming decades.

Providing our children with a STEM education will make the district an attractive location for companies from the technology industry, and position our children to compete for the high paying jobs of the future. Studies have shown that over time each high-tech job creates about five jobs outside of tech (two professional and three nonprofessional). It is critical that we have a representative in Washington who understands the needs of an increasingly important industry.

Source: 2016 New Jersey House campaign website josh4congress.com Nov 8, 2016

Josh Gottheimer: Take steps to make college more affordable

Beyond K-12, we must take steps to make college more affordable. The costs of college tuition has skyrocketed 80 percent in the last decade. Seven in ten college graduates have an average debt of more than $35,000, and only 59 percent of students seeking a bachelor's degree actually finish. We need to incentivize college completion, for both students and colleges, better match college training with employer needs, and address the runaway costs.
Source: 2016 New Jersey House campaign website josh4congress.com Nov 8, 2016

Kim Guadagno: Merit pay for teachers; school choice for parents

Improving New Jersey's public school system is critical for student success and a brighter economic outlook for future generations. New Jersey is blessed with incredible parents, educators and institutions of learning, but too many students are graduating high school without the necessary skills to succeed. And despite an improving state economy, too many college graduates are struggling to find jobs after earning a degree, choosing instead to move back in with their parents. We must not rest on our laurels and instead put all available tools and resources together to improve our education system so our students can graduate with the needed skills to get a job, buy a home and raise a family in New Jersey. This includes:
Source: 2017 New Jersey gubernatorial campaign website Feb 3, 2017

Murray Sabrin: Oppose nationwide Common Core standards

Question topic: The federal government should establish nationwide standards (such as Common Core) for high-school graduation.

Sabrin: Strongly Disagree

Source: Faith2Action iVoterGuide on 2014 New Jersey Senate race Jul 2, 2014

Phil Murphy: Tackle our higher education student debt problem head on

One of New Jersey's great assets is its higher education system. Unfortunately, Governor Christie has chronically underinvested in our colleges and universities. As a result, families of students at our public colleges now bear some of the highest costs in the country--which has produced extraordinarily high levels of student debt. 68 percent of NJ college graduates in 2014 had student debt, and NJ residents carry student debt totaling more than $30 billion. We must tackle our higher education problem head on, by:
Source: 2017 New Jersey Gubernatorial website, Murphy4NJ.com Sep 19, 2016

Phil Murphy: Focus on STEM to make Silicon Valley in New Jersey

Bring back the 'STEM' sector:

Murphy said "reigniting" the state's science, technology, engineering and mathematics sector was his main economic focus. He specifically cited Monmouth County as a "potential hotbed," for such activity.

While the county's suburbs were once home to the biggest names--such as the Bell Labs and Lucent Technologies building in Holmdel--he said the resurgence could come in cities like Asbury Park, "communities where millennials want to live."

"We were Silicon Valley before Silicon Valley was Silicon Valley. There's no reason we can't get that back," he said.

Source: Asbury Park Press on 2017 New Jersey Gubernatorial race Aug 31, 2016

Phil Murphy: Reignite NJ science hotbed by focusing on STEM sector

Bring back the 'STEM' sector: Murphy said "reigniting" the state's science, technology, engineering and mathematics sector was his main economic focus. He specifically cited Monmouth County as a "potential hotbed," for such activity.

While the county's suburbs were once home to the biggest names he said the resurgence could come in "communities where millennials want to live. We were Silicon Valley before Silicon Valley was Silicon Valley. There's no reason we can't get that back," he said.

Source: Asbury Park Press on 2017 New Jersey gubernatorial race Aug 31, 2016

Phil Murphy: Invest in pre-K & free community college

We invested hundreds of millions of dollars in our schools and pre-K. Now, 4,000 more three- and four-year-olds are attending a high-quality pre-K program. And, starting this semester, 13,000 worthy students are attending community college tuition-free. We were able to make these investments by asking those with incomes over $5 million to pay a little more, and by ensuring a more equitable distribution of school aid.
Source: 2019 State of the State address to New Jersey legislature Jan 15, 2019

Phil Murphy: Tuition-free community college for eligible students

We're putting a college education back within reach. We've opened the doors to a tuition-free community college education to thousands of eligible students, and put in place safeguards to combat college debt. And, for those who want the opportunity, we've reinvested in workforce development and apprenticeships like never before.
Source: 2020 New Jersey State of the State address Jan 14, 2020

Rik Mehta: Backs school choice for those locked in failing schools

Rik backs school choice for parents and children locked in failing schools, and will free local districts to make curriculum decisions, not federal bureaucrats. A student should never have their future determined by their zip code and the failing schools that serve it. High dropout rates, low test scores, and rampant absenteeism are sadly typical of many failing schools. All too often, those schools are in minority neighborhoods. This is unfair and immoral.
Source: 2020 New Jersey Senate campaign website RikForNJ.com Mar 18, 2020

Robert Menendez: Vouchers drain money from public schools

Q: Help parents send children to private schools with public money?

Robert Hugin (R): No stand found, but supports expanded charter schools.

Robert Menendez (D): No. They drain money from public schools.

Source: 2018 CampusElect.org Issue Guide on New Jersey Senate race Oct 9, 2018

Robert Menendez: Supports making 2 years of community college free

Q: Refinance student loans at lower rates by raising high-earner taxes (Elizabeth Warren bill)? Increase federal student financial aid, like Pell grants?

Robert Hugin (R): No stand found.

Robert Menendez (D): Yes. Supports Warren proposal. Backed America's College Promise Act making 2 years of community college free.

Source: 2018 CampusElect.org Issue Guide on New Jersey Senate race Oct 9, 2018

Seth Kaper-Dale: Reform districting, moratorium on charter schools

Some of our regions function as "separate but equal" districts. Redistricting, with the use of creative models of magnet schools, would spread school funding in more appropriate ways, and would allow students to move freely within a larger district for focused educational opportunities. We would put a moratorium on the building of new Charter Schools that are not run by democratically elected school boards or held to the same standards as public schools.
Source: 2018 New Jersey Governor website KaperDaleForGovernor.com Aug 8, 2017

Seth Kaper-Dale: Cut college tuition, lower interest rates on loans

We would increase state support for programs like the Education Opportunities Fund, that helps students with high economic need. Also, the proposed state-run public bank would be set up to make very-low-interest loans to students. Lastly, NJ Medicare for All would save universities millions of dollars from their budget. It would be the goal of a Kaper-Dale administration to see the savings on health care go directly into the reduction of tuition across the board.
Source: 2018 New Jersey Governor website KaperDaleForGovernor.com Aug 8, 2017

Doug Steinhardt: Leave politics out of the schoolhouse

The left's radical political agenda is seeping into our schools and families with medical mandates, CRT, and woke gender curriculums. Doug will fight to give parents choices in how they raise their children, and a voice in what their children are taught, how, and by whom. Count on him to advocate for getting back to the basics of reading, writing, and arithmetic, STEM programs that prepare our kids for the future. Doug wants to leave politics for the statehouse and out of the schoolhouse.
Source: 2021 New Jersey State Senate website Steinhardt4Senate.com Oct 4, 2022

  • The above quotations are from State of New Jersey Politicians: secondary Archives.
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  • Click here for other issues (main summary page).
2016 Presidential contenders on Education:
  Republicans:
Gov.Jeb Bush(FL)
Dr.Ben Carson(MD)
Gov.Chris Christie(NJ)
Sen.Ted Cruz(TX)
Carly Fiorina(CA)
Gov.Jim Gilmore(VA)
Sen.Lindsey Graham(SC)
Gov.Mike Huckabee(AR)
Gov.Bobby Jindal(LA)
Gov.John Kasich(OH)
Gov.Sarah Palin(AK)
Gov.George Pataki(NY)
Sen.Rand Paul(KY)
Gov.Rick Perry(TX)
Sen.Rob Portman(OH)
Sen.Marco Rubio(FL)
Sen.Rick Santorum(PA)
Donald Trump(NY)
Gov.Scott Walker(WI)
Democrats:
Gov.Lincoln Chafee(RI)
Secy.Hillary Clinton(NY)
V.P.Joe Biden(DE)
Gov.Martin O`Malley(MD)
Sen.Bernie Sanders(VT)
Sen.Elizabeth Warren(MA)
Sen.Jim Webb(VA)

2016 Third Party Candidates:
Gov.Gary Johnson(L-NM)
Roseanne Barr(PF-HI)
Robert Steele(L-NY)
Dr.Jill Stein(G,MA)
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Page last updated: Feb 18, 2023