NJ Charter Schools Files Formal Ethics Complaint Against Charter School Foe Julia Sass Rubin

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According to a just-issued press release, the N.J. Charter School Association has filed a formal complaint with the NJ State Ethics Commission against Rubin. NJSCA charges that Rubin is using her position as an associate professor at Rutgers to add credibility to her anti-charter school lobbying activities. Rubin, Chair of Save Our Schools-NJ, along with fellow traveller Mark Weber, recently published the first of three anti-charter screeds and NJSCA wants to halt the publication of the next two, at least under the auspices of Rutgers.

Here’s the full release:

Hamilton, New Jersey  —  “The New Jersey Charter Schools Association (NJCSA) today filed a formal complaint with, and requests an investigation by, the New Jersey State Ethics Commission against Associate Professor Julia Sass Rubin, Rutgers University, Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy.  The complaint alleges that as founder and current Chair of Save our Schools New Jersey (SOSNJ), Dr. Sass Rubin has knowingly and consistently used her position, title and university resources to wage a personally driven lobbying and public relations campaign against New Jersey’s public charter schools, as well as New Jersey’s laws that regulate same, in support of SOSNJ’s advocacy goals. 

To date, the NJCSA has chosen to engage Dr. Sass Rubin on the merits of the arguments.  But with her recent publication of a research paper funded by SOSNJ but released under the auspices of Rutgers University as academic research, it is clear that she knowingly and willingly is attempting to add credibility to her positions, and that of SOSNJ, by trading on the credibility of Rutgers University—in clear violation of the State’s Conflict of Interest Law and Uniform Ethics Code, as well as the University’s Code and Policies for faculty employees. 

As an association of educators, the NJCSA embraces the right of all educators to speak on matters of public debate.  But the NJCSA and its members will not stand by as Dr. Sass Rubin devalues the reputation of our State University, a reputation that has been earned over years of excellence in research and academic achievement, to endorse her personal opinions and advance her personal advocacy interests.  Because Dr. Sass Rubin has promised two further ‘studies,’ the NJCSA has filed this complaint today to ensure appropriate corrective action is taken before Dr. Sass Rubin releases her personal views as Rutgers research and creates further embarrassment for Rutgers University.”

Note: I wrote about this publication in November and stated on my blog that the “study” was paid for by SOS-NJ. Ms. Rubin replied that, in fact, the study was paid for by Rutgers. A little more checking, and I found that the study was paid for by a small endowment at Rutgers called the Daniel Tanner Foundation which describes itself as “advancing American public education, specifically with regard to the democratizing function and design of the curriculum of nonselective elementary schools and nonselective secondary schools of the comprehensive type. (Charter schools, voucher schools and specialized academic schools are not eligible for grants.).” Grants, by the way, are invitation-only.

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5 Comments

  • kallikak, January 6, 2015 @ 5:14 pm Reply

    Come on, Laura. What about the pro-“reform” playback of bought-and-paid-for think tank “studies” and commentary in support of charter schools, the CCSS (Bill Gates' $200M) and PARCC testing?

    Aren't you a tad hyperbolic with words like “fellow traveler” and “screed”?

    P.S. This suit will only enhance Ms. Rubin's brand among those interested in the “reform” take-under of public schools.

  • NJ Left Behind, January 6, 2015 @ 7:00 pm Reply

    Maybe screed was too strong. Fellow traveler is appropriate.

  • Duke, January 7, 2015 @ 3:19 am Reply

    I'm reserving comment on NJCSA's release, but I will say this:

    The Tanner Foundation is not “small endowment at Rutgers,” and you need to correct that immediately.

    While Dr. Tanner is a Rutgers professor emeritus, the foundation has nothing to do with Rutgers itself.

    Mark Weber

  • Julia, January 8, 2015 @ 12:04 am Reply

    Laura,

    As usual, your blog is a study in fiction.

    There is one bit of inaccurate information that I do want to correct, however. I NEVER told you that Rutgers was funding this study.

    You actually posted that it was funded by Rutgers and Mark corrected you:

    “This report was not “paid for by a Rutgers grant.” As the cover quite clearly states, funding is from the Daniel Tanner Foundation. Dr. Tanner is emeritus faculty at Rutgers; Julia is current faculty; I am a PhD student. While we all have Rutgers connections, no funding came from the university.”

    Source: http://njleftbehind.blogspot.com/2014/10/a-newark-mother-of-five-speaks-truth-to.html

  • When Politics Undermines Scholarship: A New "Analysis" from Julia Sass Rubin and Mark Weber - NJ Left Behind, March 16, 2018 @ 5:44 pm Reply

    […] herself. That would be smart: three years ago the New Jersey Charter School Association filed a formal complaint (later dismissed) that alleged “as founder and current Chair of Save our Schools New Jersey […]

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