Thanks once again to NJEdReport for posting Sunlight’s blog on Outmigration.  Another study, another last-in-the-nation ranking for NJ.  But Gov. Murphy has studiously ignored the issue.  His mind is apparently focused elsewhere: on a possible run  for the White House.  Too bad for NJ!Read More

Thanks to NJEdReport for posting Sunlight’s blog and adding a great picture (from the Academy Award-winning movie “Cabaret”) of cherry-picking – which is Weber and Baker go-to method of “research.”  Weber and Baker predetermine their conclusion – in this case and very often the supposed need for more education spending by the state – and…Read More

Thanks to the Star-Ledger for publishing Sunlight’s op-ed on a new kind of “dark money” in NJ politics.  Traditionally, dark money has referred to secret funders of Super PACs (political action committees).   Here, we know that the NJEA funded its Super PAC, Garden State Forward, with $42 million, but because of inadequate disclosure, we…Read More

Thank to NJ Education Report for highlighting Sunlight’s response to Gov. Murphy’s inaugural address.  We think NJEdReport plucked out the right lines.  Like Politico‘s Matt Friedman (also quoted by NJEd Report), we question whether Murphy will reduce property taxes, and even if he does, he will likely raise other taxes to help him do it….Read More

As usual, NJEdReport gets at the key points and then presents them in a thoroughly digestible way.  A quick and easy way to understand how the NJEA spent $20 million – that’s $167 for each and every teacher –  of its members’ highest-in-the-nation dues exclusively on supporting Gov. Murphy and Democrats and enriching well-connected Democrat…Read More

As usual, NJEdReport added its own excellent and informed take on Sunlight’s blog congratulating Montclair voters on their landslide victory.  Montclair will now have an elected school board, and the deeply conflicted NJEA President/Montclair Mayor Spiller will no longer have control over Montclair’s school board. Montclair parents saw their children locked out of school for…Read More

Kudos to Jeff Pillets and NJSpotlight for their excellent, balanced report on the NJEA’s massive, taxpayer-funded support for Gov. Murphy’s re-election.  Pillets gets quotes from all sides of the debate, including from Sunlight and NJEA President Sean Spiller.  Sunlight particularly liked this quote from Ben Dworkin of Rowan University: “In the NJEA, the governor has…Read More

Thanks to NJEdReport for citing to Sunlight’s research on the (at least) $15.5 million the NJEA has spent for Gov. Murphy’s re-election.Read More

Thanks again to NJEdReport for amplifying the facts.  It’s particularly important that the facts get out into the public domain so they can counter the happy talk from the Murphy administration.  Unfortunately, the NJ press neglects to do so.  The fact is that Gov. Murphy prefers to accede to the wishes of his public union…Read More

In a fair and even-handed piece, the Montclair Local reported on Sunlight’s research into the record amount of money that was spent to elect NJEA President Sean Spiller as Montclair mayor.  Sunlight estimates that $310,000 was spent to elect Spiller versus $10,000 spent by his opponent Renee Baskerville, which was $80,000 more than was spent in…Read More