BRICK, NJ – Mayor Lisa Crate, a veteran educator, publicly criticized New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy’s policy that restricts parents from discussing specific educational matters concerning their children in the public school system.
Mayor Crate, who also serves as the head of the Jackson Education Association, voiced her opposition at a press conference. She said, “The best way to ensure that educators can provide a healthy and productive environment for all of our students is to have open communication between parents and teachers.” Crate believes that under Governor Murphy’s current policy, this open line of communication is severed, inhibiting educational professionals from discussing vital information with parents.
Crate stated her opposition against what she termed as Governor Murphy’s “reckless assault on parental rights.”
She argues that parents have a right to be informed about their child’s mental, physical, and sexual health and that the current policy effectively bars educators from facilitating that communication.
The policy in question centers around gender identity and transgender rights in educational settings.
According to Crate, it compromises the long-standing practice of open dialogue between parents and teachers, which she says is fundamental for the success of students.
“Educators have worked for decades to open these doors of communication for the betterment of all of their students and this policy makes it impossible for them to continue to do so,” Crate concluded.