From an email sent by George Norcross to the management at Conner Strong & Buckelew and Cooper University Hospital, obtained by Jane Roh at the Courier-Post:

By now, you may have seen the multi-million dollar smear campaign and guerilla tactics funded by the New Jersey teachers union. They’ve attacked Governor Christie, State Senator Sweeney, me and many other champions of real education reform. Since my name has appeared frequently, as has the company’s, I want to give everyone some context.

Let’s be clear: the union isn’t fighting for taxpayers, nor for quality education at a reasonable cost. The unions are hell bent on protecting their coveted status quo. They want guaranteed job security and benefits for free. You know that model won’t work.

You could say the unions have made this personal. And, as a proud public school parent, it is personal. For too long, New Jersey has had a broken system — poor performing schools, higher taxes and an unprepared workforce. As a longtime champion of Cooper Hospital, I’ve seen the harm caused by a bad system. Strong, vibrant communities can only be built on a foundation of high-quality schools.

For decades, the New Jersey teachers unions have been a bully on the playground, knocking anyone over who got in their way. Today, there are too many people to knock over – largely because good ideas have a way of surviving. There’s a long and growing list of people bringing meaningful change and best practices to public education. My name is on it, along with many respected leaders from every corner of New Jersey.