Schundler tells educators they have to do more with less

By The Jersey Journal
March 07, 2010, 11:34AM

Bret Schundler, the acting Commissioner of Education and former Jersey City mayor, address a group of educators who participate in NJSBA's "Town Hall" forum at Harrison High School yesterday.

Expect to do more with less, Bret Schundler, the acting commissioner of education and former Jersey City mayor, told about 150 educators in Harrison yesterday, according to a report in the Star-Ledger.

Schundler pointed out that schools in New Jersey benefited from a one-time $1 billion infusion of federal stimulus money last year. That's not going to happen again, he said.

But tough times have created some opportunities, said Schundler, who awaits a confirmation vote in the state Senate.

Those opportunities include, he said, revising tenure laws and requirements for school employees to pay into their health care.

"That is exactly the conflict we?re going to have this year," Schundler said.

While mayor of Jersey City, Schundler founded the Golden Door Charter School. He is staunch supporter of merit pay for teachers, charter schools, and school vouchers.

Last week, in one of his first official acts as education commissioner, he notified the CREATE Charter School in Jersey City that its charter was not being renewed due to high administrative turnover, poor record keeping, inaccurate reporting on school violence, and dismal test scores.