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NJ Spotlight--Dems, GOP Take Credit for Putting Lid on NJ Property Taxes, but Can Lid Stay On?
School aid, police and firefighter salaries, and public-worker healthcare contributions all could influence what homeowners pay
Gov. Phil Murphy was quick to take credit after news broke earlier this month that New Jersey’s hated property-tax bills grew at their slowest rate in decades last year, asserting his administration’s effort to boost funding for local school districts was a major factor.
But Republicans say “not so fast.” They point instead to the lasting impact of so-called “tool-kit” reforms that were adopted during the tenure of former GOP Gov. Chris Christie, including a 2 percent cap on annual levy increases that remains in effect.
John Reitmeyer | January 28, 2019
Star Ledger--South Jersey is getting a high school for students overcoming addiction and mental health issues
South Jersey is getting its first school for specializing in helping students overcome addiction and mental health issues.
According to a report from The Press of Atlantic City, Gov. Phil Murphy’s office notified the Middle Township School District last week that it would receive a $500,000 grant to help launch the Coastal Prep High School in Wildwood. It will be the third recovery school in New Jersey.
Jeremy Schneider | NJ Advance Media For NJ.com| Updated Jan 27, 12:47 PM; Posted Jan 27, 12:47 PM
Education Week--Betsy DeVos Releases Proposed Guidance on School Spending
U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos has released proposed guidance to schools about a provision of the Every Student Succeeds Act that prohibits schools from cutting state and local money from education and simply filling the hole with federal funding.
DeVos released the proposed nonregulatory guidance on Friday. Among other things, it clearly states that districts do not need to ensure that there is equal per-pupil spending between Title I schools (those with relatively high shares of low-income students) and non-Title I schools.
http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/campaign-k-12/2019/01/devos-school-spending-ESSA-guidance.html
Andrew Ujifusa on January 25, 2019 3:44 PM
The Atlantic--L.A.’s Teachers Got What They Wanted—For Their Students
The strike showcased unions' strategy of advocating not just for their members but also for better resources for schools.
Teachers across Los Angeles fought hard and, after just over a week of striking, got more or less what they had hoped for: more librarians and nurses for their schools, smaller class sizes, and nicer campuses. Not on that list? Higher pay—the teachers had already successfully negotiated a 6 percent raise before the strike.
Alia Wong| Jan 25, 2019
The Hechinger Report--Giving students a say
Some schools give students control over their learning, but where should they draw the line?
ROCHESTER, N. Y. — Before Michael Mota goes to sleep each school night, the 17-year-old lies in bed thinking through his plan for the next day.
Michael is a senior at Vertus High School, an all-boys charter school in the Rochester City School District whose hallmark is a program that blends online classes with more traditional classroom teaching. Students spend about half their time in computer labs doing online coursework, and it’s this part of the day that Michael plans in advance.
Tara García Mathewson| January 24, 2019
