Rialto to Screen NJ Education Documentary Tonight

A day before the polls open for Tuesday's school election, the Rialto in Westfield will become the seat of the education reform debate in New Jersey.

The Cartel, a new documentary on education reform centered primarily in New Jersey, will hold a screening Monday night at 7:30 p.m. at the East Broad Street theater. Directed by journalist Bob Bowdon, the documentary centers on a look at education spending and policy, particularly in the state's urban school districts. Following the screening, where tickets can be purchased on Bowdon's Web site, the director will host a town hall meeting on education reform.

"Everyone in the state pays billions of dollars in education money that is redistributed by Trenton," Bowdon said of part of his motivation in making the documentary.

The documentary looks at spending in local school districts, state education policy, school vouchers, charter schools and the New Jersey Education Association. Many of the issues focus on the state's Abbott districts, primarily urban districts including Newark, Jersey City, Elizabeth and Camden.

Bowdon said he explores what he terms as dysfunction in local school districts in the documentary, primarily the urban districts. During the documentary he focuses on wasteful spending practices and top heavy administration in the urban districts. While much of the documentary focuses on spending issues in the urban districts, Bowdon said that he saw many similar practices in suburban districts in the state.

"In some of the wealthier towns there are good schools where millions of dollars disappear," he said.

Bowdon said he is not familiar with the specific spending practices here and did not say if this is the case in the school district. He did not identify which suburban districts he has found this in. During recent discussions over the proposed school budget, Scotch Plains-Fanwood education officials have touted the school district's per pupil spending as being lower than the state average and lower than that of similar schools, noting it is a sign of efficiencies employed by the school district.

Much of the movie focuses on rules advocated for the NJEA, the statewide teacher's union. Bowdon interviews NJEA officials discussing such issues as school spending, teacher tenure, salaries and teacher punishment. He said that many of the issues facing the state's education system result in laws and regulations pushed by the NJEA. The education association is considered the most politically powerful union in the state.

Gov. Chris Christie is currently locked in a public feud with the NJEA leadership over the governor's proposed cuts to state education aid and desire to force through salary freezes for public school teachers statewide. The documentary was produced before Christie took office in January and focuses on interviews done during the administration of former Gov. Jon Corzine, including former state Education Commissioner Lucille Davy.

In an interview, Bowdon criticized several of the NJEA's practices including those related to teacher layoffs. He noted the union favors layoffs based on seniority and not teacher performance. He also said that cuts in local school district administration and teacher pay cuts can help lower property taxes and provide more efficiencies in statewide education.

Bowdon suggested that the pay cut option could be used today to offset Christie's decision to cut local school aid equal to five percent of the district's overall budget. In Scotch Plains, this equaled $3.8 million in school aid. The Board of Education's proposed budget includes 10 layoffs and potential program cuts, and makes up for about a $1 million in lost aid through tax increases.

"In most districts, people can take a five percent pay cut and everyone keeps their jobs, but the union won't go for that," Bowdon said.

During the documentary, the director showcases what he sees as high administrative salaries in multiple urban school districts. He notes the amount of top district executives and curriculum writers in the urban districts. In the movie he shows cars parked in the employee parking lot of the Jersey City Board of Education headquarters to note the amount of luxury cars in the lot.

Bowdon promotes school choice issues, particularly charter schools and vouchers. He said this will allow parents in failing schools to move their children to better performing schools. He said the idea of school choice will empower parents and allow them to bring their children out of failing schools. The documentary includes footage of a charter school lottery in Newark and interviews with some of the state's leading charter school advocates.

Bowdon said Westfield was chosen to host the screening, the first in the state and one of the first nationwide, because of a desire to host screenings around the state. He said the Rialto was picked because of the central location in this region of the state and proximity to Plainfield and Elizabeth, two of the state's Abbott districts.

Parents passed out fliers about "The Cartel" at the March 31 Scotch Plains-Fanwood Board of Education 2010-2011 budget hearing.

Bowdon said he hopes the documentary will empower parents to take a more active role in education reform, particularly in the urban districts. He said noted that parents will be able to locate education reform advocacy materials on the documentary's Web site and he is encouraging parents to travel to Trenton on April 29 for a statewide screening and rally in front of the Statehouse.

"Parents should be able to keep their children in a school where they are happy," he said.