| ||||||||||||||||||||||
NJ Spotlight--Putting the Force of Law Behind Students Trying to Pay for College
Four bills looking to ease “predatory” practices employed by some New Jersey loan providers are waiting for the governor’s signature
New Jersey lawmakers have sent Gov. Chris Christie four more bills aimed at helping students pay for college, either through loans or state grants. They fell short of passing all the measures introduced 18 months ago in an effort to rein in the state’s student loan agency, however.
Legislators had put together a package of bills as a result of hearings regarding the practices employed by the state Higher Education Student Assistance Authority in writing and collecting student loans. Some lawmakers called these practices “predatory” and “loan sharking.” While some bills floundered, legislators hoped that, in total, the bills Christie has already signed, and the new measures they sent him last Friday and yesterday, will provide substantial relief to struggling students and their families.
Colleen O'Dea | January 9, 2018
The Record--Cooper: How could new high school sports law affect North Jersey?
Superintendents and Boards of Education in North Jersey have been bestowed the ability to combine athletic programs from the same district.
But will they use the power?
The Senate passed Bill S3447 Monday afternoon by a vote of 24-10, while the Assembly passed the bill by a vote of 52-14 a few hours later.
In addition to letting schools merge athletic programs in what is more commonly called a “co-op” the bill alters the rules on eligibility for students at non-public schools, charter schools and home-schooled students.
Darren Cooper, Local Sports Columnist, @VarsityAces Published 7:39 p.m. ET Jan. 8, 2018 | Updated 8:00 p.m. ET Jan. 8, 2018
NY Times--Apple Investors Warn iPhones and Other Technology May Be Hurting Children
A pair of investors who say they hold about $2 billion in Apple stock are pushing the company to do more to protect its youngest users from the effects of digital technology.
In an open letter to Apple, the investors, the activist hedge fund Jana Partners and the California State Teachers’ Retirement System, voiced concerns that such technology might be hurting children and said Apple could help ease the damage even as it generates business.
“We believe that addressing this issue now will enhance long-term value for all shareholders, by creating more choices and options for your customers today and helping to protect the next generation of leaders, innovators, and customers tomorrow,” they wrote in the letter, dated Saturday.
NIRAJ CHOKSHIJAN. 8, 2018
Education Week--Few States Want to Offer Districts Chance to Give ACT, SAT Instead of State Test
The Every Student Succeeds Act may have kept annual testing as a federal requirement. But it also aims to help states cut down on the number of assessments their students must take by giving districts the chance to use a nationally-recognized college entrance exam, instead of the regular state test, for accountability purposes.
When the law passed back in 2015, some superintendents hailed the change, saying it would mean one less test for many 11th graders, who would already be preparing for the SAT or ACT. Assessment experts, on the other hand, worried the change would make student progress a lot harder to track.
Now, more than two years after the law passed, it appears that only two states—North Dakota and Oklahoma—have immediate plans to offer their districts a choice of tests. Policymakers in at least two other states—Georgia and Florida—are thinking through the issue. Arizona and Oregon could also be in the mix.
http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/campaign-k-12/2018/01/act_sat_test_district_essa_local_college.html
Alyson Klein on January 7, 2018 4:53 PM
