A coalition of school reform organizations called upon Governor Corzine and legislative leaders at a press conference on June 14, 2006 to carry out their legal and moral obligations to Abbott school district children and parents in an Abbott Accountability Agenda . Since as early as 1998, the New Jersey Supreme Court has repeatedly ordered the State to take any and all action necessary to ensure that funds are spent "effectively and efficiently" and that Court mandated programs are aggressively implemented.

Many of the items in the coalition’s Accountability Agenda have been specifically ordered by the Court: evaluations of Abbott reforms, progress benchmarks, fiscal and program audits and more stable regulations. Governor Corzine admitted in May that the Department of Education has not fulfilled its obligations in this regard.

"Enough is enough," said ELC Director David Sciarra. "We can and we must take Abbott to the next level. We have to finally harness Abbott as the ‘engine for reform’ it was intended to be."

The Statewide Parent Advocacy Network endorsed the Abbott Accountability Agenda, saying it is time for the state to keep the promises made to Abbott students and their families. In particular, SPAN demanded implementation of the high degree of parent engagement and participation in school improvement that was ordered by the Court.

"Informed involvement of families makes good policy sense," said Diana Autin, Executive Co-Director of SPAN. "Study after study has shown that parent engagement is critical to student success."

Jerome Harris, of the New Jersey Black Issues Convention, noted that a statewide conversation about school funding had begun to take place and that issues of accountability must be part of the discussion. "Abbott districts are often painted as having their hands out, but Abbott communities want these accountability measures in place," said Mr. Harris.

Also endorsing the Accountability Agenda are the Abbott Leadership Institute, Association for Children of New Jersey, Black Ministers’ Council of New Jersey, NJ-NAACP, Paterson Education Fund, and Statewide Education Organizing Committee.

The specific items in the Accountability Agenda are:

• New Abbott Leadership and Management
• Abbott Evaluation
• Abbott Progress Benchmarks
• Abbott Community Report Cards
• Student Level Database
• Abbott Complaint Investigations
• Abbott Regulations
• Abbott Parents as Partners
• Fiscal Audits
• Anti Patronage and Nepotism

If you or your organization is interested in endorsing the agenda, and joining the coalition to make sure our elected officials follow through, please contact Elizabeth Athos at Education Law Center, 973-624-1815, ext. 20 or eathos@edlawcenter.org.

Prepared: June 15, 2006

Copyright © 2006 Education Law Center. All Rights Reserved.