My name is Kai Collins. I live in Holmdel, NJ with my husband and our (2) children.

Our schooling experience did not go as planned. Our family was underserved by our education options in our community. This reality pushed me to turn my frustration into action. My mission is to improve education outcome for every student in New Jersey. This can only happen when every community in the state takes an active part in this conversation. We all have a story. I would invite you to share yours, and make your voices heard.

Here is my story.

In 2017 we moved from Long Island City, NY to Holmdel, NJ in search of the best public-schools money could buy.

Our son was bullied by his peers in 2nd through 4th grade. He is a competitive swimmer, and a super athlete, but the team sports never worked out well for him, despite his desire to participate in all of them. He faced continuous ridicule. This followed him into his classrooms.

Our daughter was denied an IEP, despite our concerns due to her light sensitivity and anxiousness. After securing a mask exemption, she was promptly placed in the back of every classroom. We filed an HIB. Post investigation, the school returned the determination that her seat placement was merely ‘a matter of routine.’ We just paid $5000 for an independent evaluation to learn that she has visual processing disorder. She sat in ‘school’ for 3 years and learned next to nothing. Not one teacher came to us with any concerns. When we addressed our concerns with administration, we were assured that every child was suffering from ‘learning loss’ due to ‘covid.’

My family learned the hard way that our current system of public education is not accountable to student outcome. It is not always ‘free.’ It is not always ‘adequate.’ As such, it is certainly unconstitutional, by design.

When a family makes the choice to outsource education, we should have more than one option to choose from. We should be allowed to determine whether our taxpayer education dollars are accountable to our student(s) outcome.

1. Freedom of choice in education does not exist.

A financial agency is the only mechanism which will enable real choice, incentivize sustainable supply, and give families access to better opportunities and better outcomes.

2. More money has not been able to fix this inequitable, discriminatory and unconstitutional system.

This is the self-serving lie that maintains the highest in the nation taxes and serves only the single system we are confined to.

3. Accountability to outcome does not exist.

K-12 Education is our investment in the future of our Country. We must ensure a return on this investment.

4. My effort is truly grassroots and non-partisan.

It is my experience that New Jersey families are done allowing political interests to tear our communities apart and stand in the way of the progress we are committed to make.

My sincerest appreciation for your consideration in joining this effort.

Kai Collins