New Documentary Exposes Mass Corruption in New Jersey Public School System (how much, home)

[Citizen Chin]

New Documentary Exposes Mass Corruption in New Jersey Public School System - Hit & Run : Reason Magazine

Over the weekend, I spoke at a conference in Philadelphia hosted by Students for Liberty, an impressive, rapidly growing national affiliation of libertarian-minded college students. One of the other speakers was Bob Bowdon, the occasional "reporter" for the Onion News Network (where he goes by the character name Brian Scott) and host of a forthcoming talk show on PBS.

Bowdon was speaking to promote The Cartel, a serious documentary he produced exposing some jaw-dropping corruption in the New Jersey public school system. New Jersey spends more education dollars per pupil than any other state, which Bowdon says made the state ideal for a documentary showing how much of that money goes to waste—and how little it buys in terms of actual education.

Here's a trailer:


YouTube - The Cartel - Trailer

[MovedfromFL]

The Principal at the elementary school where my husband works makes $90,000 a year, and that's here in hillbilly north Georgia.

Corruption in schools districts can be found in every state for sure. Heck, in the midst of major budget cuts, layoffs, salary cuts, and furlough days for teachers, our Superintendent just re-hired a man who recently retired. This man just couldn't make it on his pension money (after years of earning well over $90k as Principal). The super was actually quoted in the newspaper as saying "We will take care of Mr. XYZ's family because he has given so much to our schools over the years." So now he gets the pension, plus the principal salary while 135 teachers got the ax so far.

This trailer speaks of "equipment being destroyed" and the "learning" environment at many schols being like a total free for all, but we can't just blame the teachers. Our hands are tied when it comes to discipline 9 times out of 10. How are you supposed to get a 200+ pound 18 year old student to listen to you when you have no real power and he knows it? The administration does nothing to back up teachers in many cases, and parents actually blame the teacher for their child's wild animal like behavior. (I've seen it in kids as young as 1st grade!!) We weren't allowed to move a student's desk to the side by himself, or take away part of recess when I taught 1st grade. We really had no power to do anything. Parents told me "you have to yell at my child, because that's what I do at home and he still doesn't listen." And that was first grade! Imagine what happens in some high schools.

The problem is not as simple as "our schools are failing!" as this video likes to shout (because that gets people riled up). Our parents are failing, our school leaders are failing, our society is failing, our children are failing (to take personal responsibility for their actions), and yes, of course, some of our teachers are failing as well.

That said, some alternate school models like K.I.P.P. schools have shown great success in challenging school environments with at risk kids. In those schools, there is an actual discipline plan that is rock solid. Kids are not allowed to slouch in their seats, sleep on their desks, talk back to the teacher, etc. It's a total overhaul and administration is totally behind the teachers. There are many more prongs to the KIPP plan, but you get the idea.

[gradstudent77]

Wow, it's too bad it's such a limited release. I guess I'll have to wait until it comes out on DVD.

[gradstudent77]

If anyone is interested, there are a few substantial clips available on nje3.org if you click on "the reel" tab on that site. I highly recommend it; absolutely shocking stuff in there.

[CaptainNJ]

when government takes your money and gets to spend it as they please, it is spent much more frivolously and its used for corrupt people to enrich themselves and repay favors.

[C2Cfan]

Chin: Thank you for calling this film to our attention!

Gradstudent: Thanks for the link! I'm about to watch the various clips.

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.

[elflord1973]

I think this show has been around for quite a while -- there is a website for it that has been up for at least most of this year. It looks very promising.

[C2Cfan]

Wow--those clips are jaw-droppingly astounding! The situation is even worse than I thought--well over $300,000 per classroom, and over $400,000 in the (filthily corrupt) Hudson County schools.

I'm not surprised to see that The Cartel has won awards from various film festivals. I hope it gets picked up for nationwide distribution. I feel extremely hopeful. If this documentary makes it to the big screen, it will, imo, be the beginning of the end of corruption in the NJ public school system. It could change the face of NJ for the better, once and for all.

Good Lord, this is better than an audit! THANKS AGAIN, Chin, for starting this thread. You made my week!

[Citizen Chin]

No problem C2C.

Oh the irony, asking to have my thread stickied, when just earlier today I received a warning for whoring out my blog

[C2Cfan]

Originally Posted by Citizen Chin

No problem C2C.

Oh the irony, asking to have my thread stickied, when just earlier today I received a warning for whoring out my blog

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.