A New Jersey mother is expressing her frustration, claiming that the state’s Democratic leaders are too focused on battling the Trump administration, leaving local issues unaddressed, especially educational struggles for students. “It’s just really infuriating,” said Christina Calbanico Greenberg, who has two children. They attended the Keyport School System, which has a dismal proficiency rate of just 14% in science. “Why is this happening in districts that receive millions of dollars?” she questioned.
Recently, a group of Democrats, including Newark’s Mayor Ras Baraka, staged a protest at an ICE facility in Newark, reportedly to challenge what they called unlawful practices by the Trump administration. Greenberg voiced her outrage: “As a mother, it’s incredibly infuriating to see detention centers operating like this.”
Statistics paint a troubling picture for New Jersey’s education system, with only 38% of eighth graders showing proficiency in reading and just 37% in mathematics. Back in February, Governor Phil Murphy suggested that the state would be making significant investments in public schools, dubbing it “the only and greatest investment” in educational history.
“With this funding, we’re not just investing in students’ futures; we’re also helping working parents save on property taxes,” Murphy stated at the time. However, Greenberg remains skeptical, arguing that past funding has failed to yield satisfactory improvements.
“Keyport is a working-class town, and it’s confusing. There are so many hardworking people here,” she highlighted, noting the large elderly population. “Our tax increase of 20% translates to around $1,000 to $1,500 for each household.”
Reflecting on the governor, she said, “I don’t know if he sleeps well at night knowing what our town seniors are facing, and how middle-class families will manage that extra $1,000 a year.”
