Quality Public Education for All New Jersey Students

 

8-10-17 Education in the News

NJ Spotlight--New Jersey One of Few States to Win Approval of Fed Education Plan

Garden State’s accountability and monitoring plans center on supporting specific student groups, moving beyond testing to gauge school performance

New Jersey this week became one of the first states to win federal approval of its latest accountability and monitoring plans — with districts next required to submit their own extensive plans for following the law by the start of the school year.

U.S. Education Secretary Betsy DeVos yesterday announced New Jersey’s approval under the new Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), one of just four states that have so far won approval from the Trump administration. Also announced yesterday were approvals for Nevada and New Mexico. Delaware had previously won approval.

New Jersey’s plan centers on more targeted state strategies focusing on support for specific student groups, and the use of measures beyond test scores in gauging school and district performance.

http://www.njspotlight.com/stories/17/08/09/new-jersey-one-of-few-states-to-win-approval-of-fed-education-plan/

John Mooney | August 10, 2017

 

Star Ledger--8 questions as Newark school takeover end nears, 8 answers from Mayor Baraka

NEWARK -- The state could vote as early as next month to finally return control of Newark public schools to the locally-elected school board. 

"It's a long time coming," Mayor Ras Baraka told NJ Advance Media. "At the end of the day, this was supposed to be for five years and turned out to be 20 years."

The state took over in 1995 citing a culture of corruption, crumbling facilities and low-performing students. Baraka, who worked as a Newark public school teacher and high school principal reflected on what this shift means for the city -- and the challenges that will come with it. His interview with NJ Advance Media has been edited for brevity. 

http://www.nj.com/essex/index.ssf/2017/08/baraka_on_local_control_of_schools_we_cant_afford.html#incart_river_index

Karen Yi | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com| Posted August 09, 2017 at 07:30 AM | Updated August 09, 2017 at 10:06 AM

 

Associated Press (via Philadelphia Inquirer)--AP Interview: DeVos says she didn't decry racism enough

WASHINGTON (AP) - Education Secretary Betsy DeVos on Wednesday distanced herself from her comment earlier this year about the nation's historically black colleges and universities being pioneers of school choice, saying that in the past "there were no choices" for African-Americans in higher education.

"When I talked about it being a pioneer in choice it was because I acknowledge that racism was rampant and there were no choices," DeVos said in an interview with The Associated Press in her office at the Education Department. "These HBCUs provided choices for black students that they didn't have."

DeVos, who marks six months in office this week, alienated many African-Americans in February when she described historically black colleges as "real pioneers when it comes to school choice." In May, she was booed while attending the commencement ceremony at a historically black college in Florida.

http://www.philly.com/philly/wires/ap/news/nation/washington/20170810_ap_39c8e8f6c8fe4f029f0fa0ac7c081273.html

MARIA DANILOVA & CAROLE FELDMAN, The Associated Press| Updated: August 10, 2017 — 3:01 AM EDT