New Documentary Exposes Mass Corruption in New Jersey Public School System (theater, catholic schools)

[Citizen Chin]

Originally Posted by C2Cfan

LMAO! Well, in my book, you've more than exonerated yourself!!!

THIS IS OF MAJOR IMPORT in the struggle for residents to take back New Jersey--to make it once again the great state (imo) it's been before and can be again. Once word of The Cartel becomes common knowledge among Jerseyans, I bet we'll never see another school-related tax hike for decades. All the money's already there. More than they need. Who knows; maybe rebates will be in order...and, most important, kids will be properly educated.

Glad I could help

I sure hope The Cartel receives widespread attention, but I wouldn't count on it, aside from possibly going viral on the net.

[elflord1973]

This gives me hope for real change in the NJ public education system. Once corruption is brought to the screen, it's hard to ignore it. Kudos to the documentarian and all who had the courage to speak out on film.

Take a look at comments on this board and you'll pretty quickly see how little hope there is. Many people who are calling for "change" really just want a "change" in the way money is redistributed (e.g. more money to their town and less money to other towns).

Here's a radical proposal -- the more upscale towns shouldn't have public schools. The residents there could pay Catholic school tuition for less than their property tax bills.

[luckyshoes]

Originally Posted by elflord1973

Here's a radical proposal -- the more upscale towns shouldn't have public schools. The residents there could pay Catholic school tuition for less than their property tax bills.

GLADLY! Sign me up for that program. Give me back even just my property tax money that goes to the local schools and I'll be out of there.

[luckyshoes]

Here's a YouTube link to five clips from the movie

YouTube - BowdonMedia's Channel

[C2Cfan]

Originally Posted by elflord1973

Take a look at comments on this board and you'll pretty quickly see how little hope there is. Many people who are calling for "change" really just want a "change" in the way money is redistributed (e.g. more money to their town and less money to other towns).

Here's a radical proposal -- the more upscale towns shouldn't have public schools. The residents there could pay Catholic school tuition for less than their property tax bills.

How do you draw that conclusion? Have you even looked at the clips to see what it is that would make anyone who cares about rooting out corruption and waste AND providing a solid education to kids excited over this expose?

You'd have to see the film clips to know why I quoted those amounts that it costs to run each classroom. The money ISN'T going to the benefit or welfare of the kids. I urge you to please watch the clips before you comment.

And, not only have I not yet moved back to Jersey, when I do, I won't be a homeowner. I'm a freelance editor; economically speaking, I'm low, low down on the money totem pole.

This film is obviously a nonpartisan effort. If you have watched the clips and can still make the comment you've made, it would lead me to think that you don't care about educating children at all. You just care about there being no-show jobs, too many administrators, janitors earning six figures, and only $17,000 out of the $300-400,000 per classroom going to the kids.

I can't see how every honest New Jersey resident isn't thrilled by the prospect of this movie exposing the system and righting it. Your comment disheartens me.

P.S. I forgot to address your comment about my reference to change. Considering that I have to make the inference for you--though if you'd have watched the clips you'd have understood--by change I mean the opportunity to root out the corruption and waste in the public school system. By doing so, the focus turns solely to educating the children and then to compensating educators appropriately. Why should a good teacher, like those in the magnet schools featured, earn half of what a janitor does? Yes, the janitor is important, but not important enough to earn six figures. And why should homeowners, which I am not, pay excessive taxes to enrich holders of no-show jobs, and so on?
I got the impression that every poster on this board, regardless of political ideology, wants an end to graft, patronage, nepotism, etc. Even the exit polls in NJ placed corruption as third on the list of issues important to voters. I didn't realize it meant they wanted to keep it in place.

[Obrero]

Originally Posted by elflord1973

Here's a radical proposal -- the more upscale towns shouldn't have public schools. The residents there could pay Catholic school tuition for less than their property tax bills.

I'm sure the Jewish folks will love that....

[luckyshoes]

Originally Posted by Obrero

I'm sure the Jewish folks will love that....

The ones who use the Jewish schools probably wouldn't mind....

[luckyshoes]

Originally Posted by elflord1973

Take a look at comments on this board and you'll pretty quickly see how little hope there is. Many people who are calling for "change" really just want a "change" in the way money is redistributed (e.g. more money to their town and less money to other towns).

Here's a radical proposal -- the more upscale towns shouldn't have public schools. The residents there could pay Catholic school tuition for less than their property tax bills.

Question, why should only the upscale towns get a chance to opt out in your plan? There are a lot of Catholic schools in the urban areas too and I'm sure lots of families would pull their kids out of public and move them if they could get a voucher.

[Obrero]

Originally Posted by luckyshoes

The ones who use the Jewish schools probably wouldn't mind....

That was hardly the point. This whole idea is so ridiculous it's not even worth talking about.

[elflord1973]

I think you have misunderstood my post -- because your comments are not at all responsive to what I wrote. It's not that I don't agree with the sentiments expressed in this movie. It's that I don't think that the movie will transform education in the state of NJ.

I didn't see the clips but I did read almost everything on the website and I am familiar with Bowdon's thesis.

Originally Posted by C2Cfan

How do you draw that conclusion? Have you even looked at the clips to see what it is that would make anyone who cares about rooting out corruption and waste AND providing a solid education to kids excited over this expose?

You'd have to see the film clips to know why I quoted those amounts that it costs to run each classroom. The money ISN'T going to the benefit or welfare of the kids. I urge you to please watch the clips before you comment.

And, not only have I not yet moved back to Jersey, when I do, I won't be a homeowner. I'm a freelance editor; economically speaking, I'm low, low down on the money totem pole.

This film is obviously a nonpartisan effort. If you have watched the clips and can still make the comment you've made, it would lead me to think that you don't care about educating children at all. You just care about there being no-show jobs, too many administrators, janitors earning six figures, and only $17,000 out of the $300-400,000 per classroom going to the kids.

I can't see how every honest New Jersey resident isn't thrilled by the prospect of this movie exposing the system and righting it. Your comment disheartens me.

P.S. I forgot to address your comment about my reference to change. Considering that I have to make the inference for you--though if you'd have watched the clips you'd have understood--by change I mean the opportunity to root out the corruption and waste in the public school system. By doing so, the focus turns solely to educating the children and then to compensating educators appropriately. Why should a good teacher, like those in the magnet schools featured, earn half of what a janitor does? Yes, the janitor is important, but not important enough to earn six figures. And why should homeowners, which I am not, pay excessive taxes to enrich holders of no-show jobs, and so on?
I got the impression that every poster on this board, regardless of political ideology, wants an end to graft, patronage, nepotism, etc. Even the exit polls in NJ placed corruption as third on the list of issues important to voters. I didn't realize it meant they wanted to keep it in place.