McGreevey Signs Order to Help Schools

Ending two decades of litigation and ineffective quick fixes, Governor James E. McGreevey today signed an Executive Order creating the Abbott Implementation and Compliance Coordinating Council, a cooperative board accountable for ensuring compliance with the New Jersey Supreme Court's Abbott decision. This historic initiative will ensure children in New Jersey's urban school districts receive the education they deserve to prepare for a successful future.

"New Jersey has a moral and legal obligation to ensure that every child can achieve the fullness of his or her promise," said McGreevey. "For the past several years-either through benign neglect or worse, malfeasance-the education of children in certain urban districts has been, at best, second-class.

"We have already informed the State Supreme Court that the State will comply with the Abbott decision," continued McGreevey. "The Council creates a mechanism to provide for accountability, collaboration and cooperation among all the stakeholders. The Council will be a critical engine that provides New Jersey's children with an educational system that is accountable and prepares them for productive citizenry. Clearly, our goal must be to move measurable reform from the courtroom debate to classroom performance."

The Abbott v. Burke decision, delivered in seven separate rulings since 1981, ordered the State of New Jersey to enact dramatic changes in order to provide urban school districts with educational opportunities equal to those of suburban schools. Under Abbott, urban students have the right to: an education based on New Jersey's Core Curriculum Content Standards; school funding at the level of successful suburban school districts; intensive preschool and other supplemental programs to address disadvantages; and educationally adequate school facilities. There are 30 designated Abbott districts in the state, including Newark, Camden and Trenton, where the Governor signed the Executive Order.

The Abbott Implementation and Compliance Coordinating Council will consist of seven members including the Commissioner of Education, Dr. William Librera, the newly appointed Assistant Commissioner of Education for Abbott Implementation, Gordon MacInnes, and the Executive Director of the Education Law Center, David Sciarra. The Council will examine all Abbott programs such as early childhood education, standards-based reform, and school construction and rehabilitation. They will be responsible for ensuring the implementation of the court-mandated programs, reviewing the progress of these programs, and resolving disputes and issues.

"Governor McGreevey today demonstrated leadership and commitment to the children of New Jersey's urban school districts that has been absent since we began this fight two decades ago," said David Sciarra, Executive Director of the Education Law Center, the organization which represents the students in New Jersey's urban schools, and a member of the Council. "We have worked long and hard with the unwavering vision of bringing educational excellence to our urban schools. This is a historic day for our children and through the work of this Council and the support of our Governor, we look forward to many more."

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Author: Juliet Johnson