Quality Public Education for All New Jersey Students

 

3-7-18 Education in the News

NJ Spotlight--Sweeney Wants to Find Funds for Education by Bumping up Corporate Tax Rate

Senate president proposes raising CBT on companies that earn more than $1M to 12 percent, up from 9 percent. Governor wants to see more details before commenting

Senate President Steve Sweeney has yet to share Gov. Phil Murphy’s enthusiasm this year for increasing taxes on New Jersey’s millionaires, but yesterday he put forward a proposal that would have the state’s highest-earning corporations staring at a tax hike.

Sweeney (D-Gloucester) said businesses are now getting a huge tax break from the federal government, thanks to a series of policy changes enacted late last year by President Donald Trump. Under the Senate president’s plan, New Jersey could capture a slice of that windfall to boost state spending on K-12 education.

http://www.njspotlight.com/stories/18/03/06/sweeney-wants-to-find-funds-for-education-by-bumping-up-corporate-tax-rate/

John Reitmeyer | March 7, 2018

 

NJ Spotlight--Murphy Administration Makes First Move to Part Ways with PARCC

Education commissioner issues state of PARCC memo, announces advisory group and listening tour

Gov. Phil Murphy’s new education commissioner yesterday put out the first official word on what’s next with student testing in New Jersey: an advisory group and a listening tour.

Following through on Murphy’s pledge to end high-stakes PARCC testing, acting Education Commissioner Lamont Repollet informed districts that he would be forming an advisory group to study ideas for the next generation of testing, as well as a tour of every county to hear from students and teachers.

He indicated a review of graduation requirements tied to the testing would also be included in that review.

http://www.njspotlight.com/stories/18/03/07/murphy-administration-makes-first-move-to-part-ways-with-parcc/

 John Mooney | March 7, 2018

 

Star Ledger--Top Democrat reveals how he'd spend money from his plan to raise business tax

A week before Gov. Phil Murphy introduces his first state budget, the state's top lawmaker on Tuesday grabbed attention by offering up his own proposal to hike corporate taxes and pump hundreds of millions of dollars into New Jersey public schools.

State Senate President Stephen Sweeney called for a one-third increase in New Jersey's corporate tax rate -- from 9 percent to a nation-high 12 percent -- on businesses with more than $1 million in net income to bring another $657 million in revenue to cash-strapped state coffers.

The tax hike, the south Jersey Democrat said, is part of a $758 million school funding overhaul that puts new money into special education, shifts funding from overfunded to underfunded school districts and expands full-day pre-k.

http://www.nj.com/politics/index.ssf/2018/03/top_dem_says_higher_business_taxes_are_the_answer.html#incart_river_index

Samantha Marcus| NJ Advance Media for NJ.com| Updated 7:14 AM; Posted 7:14 AM

 

Star Ledger--See how every N.J. public high school scored on the SATs

Even if your high school didn't make the list of N.J.'s 50 best SAT scores, there's a chance its results were still pretty good. 

The state's Class of 2107 posted an impressive average score of 1,103 out of 1,600. That's with an average score of 551 in reading and writing and a 552 in math.

Scores at individual schools followed a predictable pattern as magnet schools or academies with selective enrollment achieved the state's best results. 

http://www.nj.com/education/2018/03/heres_how_every_nj_high_school_fared_on_the_sat.html#incart_river_index

Adam Clark and Carla Astudillo| NJ Advance Media for NJ.com| Updated Mar 6, 4:10 PM; Posted Mar 6, 7:30 AM

 

 

 Education Week— 2018 Leaders To Learn From: Joseph Meloche

Recognized for Leadership in Elevating Student Voice

Superintendent Turns to Students for Advice

  • Expertise: Elevating Student Voice
  • Position: Superintendent
  • District: Cherry Hill Public Schools, Cherry Hill, N.J.

Cherry Hill, N.J.

Joseph Meloche, the superintendent of schools in this New Jersey township, was mulling a massive purchasing decision: laptops or tablets for thousands of students. What kind of technology would keep students focused? Can young children keep track of and take care of pricey hardware?

So Meloche turned to a familiar sounding board: the students themselves.

“Are middle school kids responsible enough” to handle these devices? he asked during a recent town hall at Henry C. Beck Middle School.

https://leaders.edweek.org/profile/joseph-meloche-superintendent-elevating-student-voice/

Alyson Klein| December 6, 2017

 

Education Week--Can the Parkland Survivors Inspire a New Focus on Civics Education?

Powerful examples are being set by shooting survivors

The Marjory Stoneman Douglas students-turned-activists are fast becoming a powerful model of civic engagement for educators across the country.

Survivors of the deadly school shooting in Parkland, Fla., have taken to social media and TV, arguing eloquently for gun-control policies—and citing skills garnered from their Advanced Placement U.S. Government courses. They have successfully pressured major companies to drop their affiliations with the National Rifle Association and spurred thousands of students nationwide to draft petitions, plan walkouts, and start grassroots groups of their own.

https://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2018/03/07/can-the-parkland-survivors-inspire-a-new.html

Stephen Sawchuk| March 2, 2018 | Corrected: March 6, 2018