NewsBreakingOnline

Yes, because people who have learned to manipulate and game the economic system to make billions of dollars and have no experience with educating children (one of them who keeps a pair of brass testicles on his desk and rubs them during the trading day for good luck) are absolutely best suited to educate yours: A new group backed by two hedge-fund founders is taking aim at New Jersey’s largest teachers union. Better Education for Kids wants to end the use of seniority in teacher-hiring decisions, implement an effective teacher-evaluation system and weaken tenure. Much of this conflicts with the policies of the New Jersey Education Association, or NJEA, which represents about 200,000 teachers, retirees and education professionals. Better Education for Kids was started by New Jersey residents David Tepper and Alan Fournier, who founded the Appaloosa Management hedge fund and the Pennant Capital Management hedge fund, respectively. It’s the first major foray from the hedge-fund community into New Jersey’s education-reform scene. Hedge-fund managers and employees have been active in New York education circles for years, as support for charter schools came into vogue. Better Education for Kids last week launched a $1 million ad campaign. In September, the group will evaluate its next steps, with an eye toward not only this year’s November elections but also the 2013 legislative elections. In an unusual cycle, all 120 lawmakers are up for election in two straight cycles. The group has hired two high-profile political consultants: Mike DuHaime, a Republican and top adviser to Gov. Chris Christie, and Fox & Shuffler, a lobbying firm whose founders were in top positions with former Democratic governors.