Stout-Figueroa, who wrote her Oct. 7, 2019, correspondence, stated that Kids Ink couldn't pay rent and had to close two classrooms. This means there are now fewer preschool spots in our county.Stout-Figueroa tracked her email within the Education Department after she received no reply to her letter. POLITICO reviewed her OPRA documents and found that DOE officials received the letter. They then forwarded it on to their colleagues. Stout-Figueroa stated that no one replied.Trenton providers said that teachers working in state-funded private community organizations which serve children of low income and children of color are often less paid than their district counterparts. Program directors aren't always properly credentialed and can be difficult to work with.Garcia, the executive director of the Puerto Rican Community Center in Trenton said that if it isn't being implemented as planned, we are pretending we have an excellent program. But in reality, we don't. It seems like there is a cover-up.After years of suspicion that all pre-K providers in Trenton were being treated differently by the Trenton School District, Garcia and Denise Lanchantin Dwyer, an education lawyer, filed requests for thousands upon thousands of documents, budget spreadsheets, staffing reports, and contracts from all private pre-K providers in Trenton, dating back to 2017.Garcia stated that they found evidence of large amounts of taxpayer money being misappropriated on administrator salaries, while preschool teachers and aides were underpaid. Garcia stated that this ultimately deprives the most vulnerable children in the state of the preschool education they have right to.Trenton school district officials did not return several calls or an email asking for comment.Garcia claimed that she has been raising the alarm for many years, but that state officials have not responded to her emails or calls regarding abuses and other improprieties in the system.Garcia spoke out about her experiences as a pre-K provider. I was very ignorant. This is how government works. I didn't know the Department of Education wouldn't be interested in it, nor that senators or the governor would be interested.Garcia stated that Murphy is running for reelection and will heavily rely on his track record in expanding pre-K access statewide. It's time for the state acknowledge the flaws in the system.She said that this is a crisis, and they must pay attention.Murphy's spokesperson did not respond to multiple requests for comment.POLITICO made several requests to the Department of Education for interviews with Early Childhood Division officials.Shaheed Morris, spokesperson for the department, stated in an email that it reviews all concerns, even anonymous, and that the DOE "reviews them all." Morris stated that the DOE can work with providers and districts to "address" the situation if necessary.Morris said that "for matters that arise at a level of disagreement", he referred to a clause that providers and districts sign. It states that the District and Provider will attempt to resolve any dispute under this Agreement. The Commissioner of Education may be appealed if the dispute is not resolved locally.A unique systemNew Jersey's pre-K system was developed over many years. It is unique in the United States.The so-called Abbott preschool program was created in 1998. It is the realization of the vision that the state Supreme Court has put forward in its landmark Abbott v. Burke school financing case. This requires that all children aged 3 and 4 years old from New Jersey's 31 poorest schools receive a quality, full-day, year-round preschool education at no cost.The mix delivery system is what makes New Jersey's preschool system unique. This is why members of the Biden administration met with state education advocates and experts. The system allows private providers to work in the community, but they are still funded by the state. They also receive money through contracts with local school district.They are subject to the same standards as district teachers, aides and credentialed teachers.New Jersey has many school districts that offer pre-K programs that have been funded by the state. In Trenton, and other Abbott districts as well, pre-K is provided exclusively by private providers who receive both state funding and federal Head Start programs.Murphy is a progressive Democrat and has made pre-K access a key part of his policy agenda.Murphy's June state budget includes $50 million more for pre-K. This is in addition to $26 million for new programs. This brings the total New Jersey spent for 55,413 children in 2019-2020 at $781 million. According to state treasury data, Murphy spent over $3.3 billion in preschool funding during his four years of office.According to the National Institute for Early Education Research at Rutgers University data, New Jersey was the only state to increase access to preschool in 2020-21 despite the pandemic.Private providers are neededCynthia Rice, a senior policy analyst at Advocates for Children of New Jersey, stated that it is essential to work with private providers in order to have a strong preschool system. Rice has advised and studied previous administrations on how to implement the Abbott preschool program in order to make the most of its promise.Rice stated in an interview that even the courts recognized the fact that our public schools are not known for their early childhood expertise when they handed down their orders.Private providers are here to help.Rice stated that providers can bring the trust and experience necessary to care for young children by working, living and volunteering in their communities. Districts, however, are able to focus on their own programs.Private providers offer more than education. Many child care centers also provide social support, counseling, and health care. Some YMCAs also offer preschools.Rice stated that ideal school districts would be able to recognize the contributions of providers and work with them in order to expand their preschool offerings, benefit the community, and share their knowledge.In reality, however, providers and districts have been wary of one another since the Abbott decision.It's almost like a marriage. Rice explained that while there are good and bad times, the best people work together for the benefit of the children.Garcia, as well as many other educators and districts, considers the system admirable. Garcia and others on ground claim that the system is being undermined in part by a dysfunctional Department of Education. They claim that the department is lacking the necessary staffing to prevent school districts from fighting with providers, inflating their salaries, and retaliating against anyone who speaks out.The providers are the most vulnerable when things turn sour and tensions flare among the parties.Lorraine Cooke, the Egenolf Early Childhood Center's executive director in Elizabeth, stated that providers from across the state often tell each other stories of districts taking away their classrooms, failing to settle contracts on time, and general disputes over funding.Cooke stated that when there is tension between a provider or a district, I have reached out to DOE. The response was generally that the provider needed to reach an agreement with the district. It seems like providers are on their own.This was PrincetonSome providers have had difficulties working with their localities.Joselyn Estevez Vargas, of HOPES (a non-profit that runs Headstart preK programs in Hoboken and Plainfield, Somerset) said that she has had little trouble dealing with districts.District superintendents state that even when the relationships between providers, officials, and district officials are strong, DOEs can be noticeable.Trisha Camp, Superintendent of Rahway Public Schools, stated that it is difficult to do anything with Trenton DOE staffers. Things are going well once we get settled in. They disappear suddenly.Camp stated that Rahway, which isn't an Abbott district has had success in dealing with providers. She stated that she participated in a Zoom Call with U.S. Secretary for Education Miguel Cardona to show why her program is so successful.Garcia stated that the struggle to get DOEs attention was lonely and isolated. She said that providers are afraid to speak out because they fear being retaliated against in their localities or ignored by the government.She stated that her advocacy for majority low-income children and minorities of color is a fact.Garcia asked, referring to Princeton, one of the state’s wealthier regions.How to fix itGarcia, Rice, and Cooke stated that it would not be difficult to correct the problems in New Jersey's preschool system. However, it will take acknowledging that there are some issues.They want more funding, more support from the state and accountability to ensure they have a seat at every table. They have called for representational advisory boards or councils so that they can directly complain to the state.Garcia stated that she wants to know if someone at DOE is listening.Garcia stated that as a woman of color, my whole experience in just life is one of change. Things will not change if we remain silent or conform to others.
