Editor's Notebook: Lessons on Working Together, Compromise

Who needs The Jersey Shore or the Real Housewives of New Jersey? The real New Jersey soap opera is Gov. Chris Christie versus the state's teacher union. At least it felt that way watching the news roll out on Tuesday and Wednesday about New Jersey's ill-fated Race to the Top application.

We reported on Tuesday how New Jersey didn't receive $400 million in federal education funding, which was of no surprise to Schools Supt. James Crisfield. Mattering who you spoke to among the Millburn school leadership, the district could have received $100,000 as part of the funding. It's not a lot of money in the grand scheme of the Millburn school budget, but any funding not on the shoulders of the taxpayers is helpful.

New Jersey's application came three points short of what was needed to receive the funding, according to the documents available on the U.S. Department of Education website. Then Wednesday we learned from the Star Ledger how the New Jersey application lost points for a mistake on the application about budget information. And the finger pointing began.

As reported by the Ledger, Christie pointed the finger at the Obama administration for not following up on the mistake, and the state teachers union pointed the finger at Christie.

Last spring the New Jersey Education Association came to a compromise on the Race to the Top application with Education Commissioner Bret Schundler. But Christie rejected the compromise and filed his own version without the union. The Ledger reported on Wednesday the compromise application did not have the fatal error.

There are lessons to be learned from the ill-fated Race to the Top application. If you are a frequent reader of this column, you know a continued themes is how people need to work together to make things better. It's especially true in hard budget times for all school districts. Changes will need to be made, some that may be hard, and it's good to have everyone involved working together on the same page to preserve quality education or even improve an education system. It doesn't mean there won't be disagreements, but being open-minded and willing to compromise is essential.

The soap opera we've seen unfold over Race to the Top, and between Christie and the teachers union in general, doesn't seem to scream "working together to improve education."

The next year is going to be difficult for public education in New Jersey, including here in Millburn. There's a new 2.5 percent cap on tax increases, and the Millburn district doesn't have the surplus funds its had in the past. Millburn, and other school districts, are going to be taking a hard look at their budgets.

It would be good if there could be some cooperation at the highest levels to the lowest in the state's education system in order to make the necessary changes. Like I said, there's a lesson on cooperation in the failed Race to the Top application. I'm hoping people are learning the lesson, especially if another round of Race to the Top funding becomes a reality.