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NJ Spotlight--Sweeney Says It’s Time to Get Serious About Consolidating Schools in New Jersey
It’s not just about saving money, Senate President maintains, but delivering better education at a lower cost
The debate over consolidating public schools in New Jersey is almost as old as the public schools themselves, with skirmishes over the issue dating back to the 1890s. In a state of nearly 600 districts and more than 2,400 individual schools, the mantra has always been there must be a better — and more efficient — way to run them.
John Mooney | August 17, 2018
NJ Spotlight--Explainer: Platinum Versus Gold Health-Insurance Plans for NJ Public Workers
Bipartisan panel suggests going to less expensive health insurance could save taxpayers $1.4 billion within a few years
Proposals to trim healthcare benefits for New Jersey’s massive public workforce are again a topic for debate, thanks to recommendations from a bipartisan panel assembled by Senate President Steve Sweeney to tackle some of the state’s largest fiscal woes.
Lilo H. Stainton | August 17, 2018
Star Ledger--These 21 N.J. teachers are competing for Teacher of the Year
Twenty-one teachers from across New Jersey have been selected to compete for one of the state's top honors in education.
The state Department of Education on Thursday announced the Teacher of the Year in each county. The 21 winners are now finalists for the state Teacher of the Year award.
Posted August 16, 2018 at 02:00 PM | Updated August 16, 2018 at 02:00 PM
Press of Atlantic City—Editorial: Our view: Parents still lack enough guidance on youth football brain injuries
Another youth football season is here and parents of players still don’t have the information they need to make fully informed decisions about the brain-injury risks of the sport.
The much-publicized finding of chronic traumatic encephalopathy, or CTE, in deceased professional football players led to a number of reforms.
In 2010, New Jersey required school districts to set policies on how they would handle possible concussions in student athletes. Within a couple of years, the state’s high school physicians, coaches and trainers were all receiving concussion training, improving the awareness and response to head injuries.
Posted Aug. 17, 2018
NY Times—Book Review: What Role Do Teachers Play in Education?
AFTER THE EDUCATION WARS
How Smart Schools Upend the Business of Reform
By Andrea Gabor
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/08/17/books/review/andrea-gabor-after-the-education-wars.html
Cathy N. Davidson| Aug. 17, 2018
Education Week--Schools Are Required to Teach Mental-Health Lessons This Fall in Two States. And That's a First.
Students returning to Virginia and New York's classrooms this fall will be required to participate in mental-health education as part of their health and physical education courses.
Virginia Governor Ralph Northam signed a bill into law in March that requires a mental health curriculum for 9th and 10th graders. In consultation with mental health experts, the Virginia Board of Education will review and update its Health Standards of Learning to reflect the new legislation.
A similar bill was signed by New York Governor Andrew Cuomo in September 2016, and became effective on July 1 of this year. The first-of-its-kind law requires schools to address mental health in health education programs for students in grades K-12, but, unlike Virginia, does not tie that to a specific set of mental health standards.
Sasha Jones on August 16, 2018 9:40 AM
