(From Westfield Patch, June 3, 2010)
By JOHN CELOCK
Education reform advocates from around New Jersey gathered in Westfield Wednesday night to honor the director of a new documentary on education reform.
Jaffe Communications, a North Avenue based firm, sponsored a reception at Ferraro’s honoring Bob Bowdon, the director of The Cartel, which would be having a second screening at the Rialto following the affair. Bruno Tedeschi, a principal in the firm, said the reception was designed to bring together various education reform groups that the firm works with to network and discuss issues.
“We found him to be a great guy and someone we wanted to associate with,” Tedeschi said of Bowdon. “When we heard he was coming back to Westfield we wanted to do something to honor him for the movie he’s made. Many guests are at the forefront of education reform and gave them a chance to meet Bob.”
The guests included a variety of Jaffe clients, including the Robert Treat Academy charter school in Newark and the New Jersey Charter School Association. The guests also included the state head of Democrats for Education Reform, a public school principal in Newark, a Newark Board of Education member and others prominent in the education reform debate. In addition, several Leadership New Jersey fellows were present. Jonathan Jaffe, the firm’s founder, is a current Leadership New Jersey fellow.
Tedeschi said the idea behind the reception was to host something when Bowdon was making his second apperence in Westfield. One of Bowdon’s first screenings, in April was in town, and he held two Wednesday night to build on the sold out crowds from the April event. The documentary focuses on education reform, school spending, charter schools and urban education in New Jersey.
While the reception occurred minutes after the New Jersey Education Association locals from Westfield, Springfield and Cranford picketed local legislative offices on North Avenue, Tedeschi said the timing was a coincidence. He did note though that the guests at the reception were pushing the opposite of what the NJEA is looking to do.
“These are the people who are the counterweight to the NJEA,” Tedeschi said. “These are the people who are fighting the fight for education reform.”