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(GSCS Note: This is a complex issue, triggered by shortage of revenue support for our schools - GSCS has expressed concerns since the bill was first introduced a few years ago.)Star Ledger – Stop Fees on NJ School Activities - Editorial
The Record - Paterson recipients of school grants show mixed results as U.S. education secretary makes visit
Star Ledger – Stop Fees on NJ School Activities - Editorial
By Star-Ledger Editorial Board The Star-Ledger
on November 22, 2013 at 5:59 AM, updated November 22, 2013 at 12:55 PM
What should school districts do when they can no longer afford their menus of extracurricular programs, even after the bake sales are done?
They can scale back by killing minor sports, music and art programs, or the chess and math clubs. Or they can charge students a fee to participate.
In its most recent study, the New Jersey School Boards Association estimates that 10 percent of the districts in the state charge fees. But another 31 percent are considering it in the face of never-ending pressure to contain spending.
It’s time to worry about this. The districts that charge fees typically waive the charge for poor students who qualify for free or discounted lunches, though not in every case. But even then, what about the larger group of families who are above that threshold but are holding on to their place in the middle class by their fingertips.
With shrinking average incomes and stubborn unemployment, how much can these families be expected to spend?
A $100 fee to play a sport might not seem prohibitive. But what if the child plays three sports? And what if the family has three kids?
Again, many districts are doing what they can. A 2010 survey by the NJSBA found that Hunterdon Central Regional placed a cap of $200 per family per year. Montgomery Township’s cap was $100 per student. Haddon Township charged only at the high school level.
But other districts make no such allowances, and charge up to $150 for each sport or club. That is not tenable. It turns our schools into tiered societies, with first-class seats and coach. That’s not how public education is supposed to work.
Yes, these are extracurriculars, not basic academics. But schools organize these sports and clubs so that children get a rounded education. Needy kids need that, too. And given the competition for college admissions, these extras are critical.
Assemblyman John Burzichelli, a Democrat from South Jersey, has proposed banning all these fees by law.
“If what is being offered contributes to the growth of a well-rounded student, then it should be part of the base program,” he says. “The person who plays chess is growing in one area, and the person who plays football is growing in another. This is a bottom-line concern to me. What, are we going to have an a la carte menu at public schools?”
He says districts can find ways to cover the costs by trimming top-heavy administration staffs. No doubt that is true in some districts, but schools in New Jersey have been cutting back for years. If fees are eliminated, some of these programs will be lost.
With a few amendments, Burzichelli could soften the blow. The fees could be made voluntary, for example, so that families of means can carry more of the load. Even mandatory fees are less offensive when applied to high-cost clubs that are primarily recreational, such as ski clubs. And if mandatory fees survive, capping them at $50 per family would make it more manageable.
But Burzichelli is dead right on the core equity issue. This growing reliance on mandatory fees presents a danger and must be stopped. If the Legislature fails to act, this cancer will spread in coming years.
The Record - Paterson recipients of school grants show mixed results as U.S. education secretary makes visit
Thursday, November 21, 2013 By Leslie Brody Staff Writer
U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan came to New Jersey on Thursday to promote his $4.6 billion grant program to turn around the country’s lowest-performing schools, including two in Paterson.
He released an analysis of schools nationwide that received “School Improvement Grants,” acknowledging that progress was “incremental.” Among the first schools to get money in 2010, about two-thirds saw gains in math and reading proficiency, but one-third saw declines or stayed flat.
While some critics called that outcome disappointing, Duncan said the investment would pay off long-term and deserved more funding.
“Is this mission accomplished? Absolutely not,” Duncan said in a visit to West Caldwell Tech. “But in big picture trends, this is going in the right direction.”
Results have improved slightly in Paterson’s two elementary schools since before they got the grants. In School 4, also called Napier Academy, 31 percent of students in Grades 3-8 passed state tests in language arts last spring and 34 percent passed in math, district data shows. Results were similar in School 10. They are in their third and final year of getting $2 million grants.
The program has been one of the Obama administration’s signature efforts to close achievement gaps. More than 1,300 of the nation’s most troubled schools got money on condition that they followed specific prescriptions, such as assigning a new principal, replacing half the staff, adding 300 hours of instructional time yearly and giving intensive coaching to teachers.
During a visit to School 4 on Thursday, the hallways were quiet and orderly. Nearly all of its 529 children are poor and black or Hispanic. They stay in school until 4 p.m., at least 70 minutes longer than before the grant, and attend for three additional weeks in the summer.
Tanjim Ahmed, a top student in eighth grade whose father works in a gas station, said he appreciated the extra time to finish projects. “If someone is failing, they have extra time to ask for help,” he said.
Several teachers said they benefited from coaching by Seton Hall University mentors, and the grant’s purchases of iPads, equipment and field trips. But some said the good effects were limited because many students came from tough environments.
Some students are “very needy, very angry,” said Madelynn Walker, a fifth-grade social studies teacher. Some “come from dysfunctional homes, with a lack of love, lack of positive reinforcement and lack of structure. … You can only keep their attention for so long because of negative emotional factors.”
Indeed, District Superintendent Donnie Evans said academic gains were insufficient last year, so he replaced the principal for the second time in two years. Experts say strong, stable leadership is a key to turning around low-performing schools.
One of the first steps by the new principal, Marc Medley, was launching an anti-hitting campaign. “There are parents saying that when someone hits you, you hit back,” Medley said. “If we can get the hitting issues and the name-calling issues out of the way, the teachers can focus on ABCs.”
The superintendent said that even after grant money runs out, the teachers’ new skills would have lasting impact. He hoped to boost instructional time and professional development across the district. He said he was frustrated, however, by the lack of parent engagement. “We need to find more effective ways of getting them involved,” he said.
Duncan chose an Essex County vocational school, one of the most successful grant recipients, for his visit. The grant brought new staff, teacher training and laptops for all students. Test scores climbed, and teachers credited a new culture of high expectations.
But Andy Smarick, a former deputy education commissioner in New Jersey, said the data on the grant program nationwide was “sad.” He has long argued it’s better to close low-performing schools and reopen them under new managers, such as high-quality charter operators.
“The program has not come close to working the way we need it to,” said Smarick, now at Bellwether Education Partners, a consulting group. “Before Congress appropriates another dollar, they need to hit the pause button. … There are decades of research showing efforts to turn around low-performing schools never create the results promised.”
Anne Hyslop, a policy analyst at New America Foundation, a think tank, said it was disheartening that more than 30 percent of schools saw their passing rates decline in reading and math after joining the program. She noted that passing rates were poor measures of schools, however, and tended to reflect the demographics of students rather than the quality of teaching.
She said more information was necessary before judging the program. “Are these schools better managed than they were before they got the money?” she asked in an email. “Are the teachers more effective? Are students more engaged and attending more regularly?”
Kim Nutter, seventh-grade language arts teacher at School 4, said she was optimistic that students were benefiting. “We may not be able to get them all to proficiency,” she said, “but we can help them get closer.”
Email: brody@northjersey.com Twitter: @lesliebrody
