| ||||||||||||||||||
Star Ledger--These 10 N.J. districts will battle the state on school funding
Gov.-elect Phil Murphy has promised to fully fund public schools, but a group of New Jersey school districts won't wait to find out if he sticks to his word.
Declaring themselves overtaxed and underfunded, 10 districts announced legal action Friday, saying they will petition the state education commissioner to fix inequalities in state school aid in a potential precursor to a lawsuit against the state.
"We have been waiting a long time for answers," said G. Kennedy Greene, superintendent of Newton Public Schools in Sussex County. "There are lots of things that have been promised. We want to make sure that school aid stays at the top of that list."
Adam Clark| Updated Jan 12; Posted Jan 12
Star Ledger--Murphy turns to Asbury Park for N.J.'s next education commissioner
Gov.-elect Phil Murphy announced Friday he's nominating the superintendent of Asbury Park schools to be New Jersey's next education commissioner -- and tasked him with helping "revolutionize learning" in the state.
Murphy said Lamont Repollet -- who has run the Monmouth County city's school system since 2014 -- will help him with some of his biggest goals for education: eliminating controversial PARCC testing and improving the state's relationship with teachers after eight years of Republican Gov. Chris Christie.
Brent Johnson| Updated Jan 13; Posted Jan 12
The Atlantic--Is School-Discipline Reform Moving Too Fast?
In some districts, efforts to curb suspensions result in rushed solutions and even a loss of teachers.
One of the more radical transformations in public education today begins with a simple greeting each morning among second-graders.
“Good morning, Mahlet,” says one student to another at McMicken Heights Elementary School in SeaTac, Washington. “Good morning, Liliana,” the second student responds.
The exercise continues briskly until all 23 students seated in a circle have been recognized; then the children stand and greet three classmates each with handshakes and solid eye contact.
Wayne D'Orio| Jan 11, 2018
