Quality Public Education for All New Jersey Students

 

2-14-19 Education in the News

Star Ledger--N.J. needs to cough up the cash to fix its schools so our kids won’t get sick, education advocates say

When you think of the word “school” what comes to mind? Overcrowding? Leaking roofs, mold and mercury exposure? Extreme temperatures, windows that don’t open? Inadequate air quality from poor ventilation? How about asbestos, lead in drinking water, or rodent infestations? Unfortunately, for many students and staff in New Jersey, these issues are a daily reality. As a result, there is increased absenteeism, illness, and poor morale.

https://www.nj.com/opinion/2019/02/nj-needs-to-cough-up-the-cash-to-fix-its-schools-so-our-kids-wont-get-sick-education-advocates-say.html

Heather Sorge and Rosie Grant| Star-Ledger Guest Columnist| Updated Feb 13, 4:09 PM; Posted Feb 13, 6:38 PM

 

 

Press of Atlantic City--New Jersey to dramatically limit contact in high school football practices

ROBBINSVILLE — The hard-hitting, rub-some-dirt-on-it culture of football is changing.

New Jersey high schools are leading the way with new rules governing full contact that would be the most restrictive at any level of football.

The executive committee of the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association approved on first reading drastic changes to the rules governing full contact during the preseason and regular season. The NJSIAA, which governs much high school sports in the state, defines full contact as tackling to the ground.

https://www.pressofatlanticcity.com/sports/local/highschool/football/new-jersey-to-dramatically-limit-contact-in-high-school-football/article_8d41bf03-b568-5891-8385-01aed3f77314.html

MICHAEL McGARRY, Staff Writer| February 13, 2019

 

 

Chalkbeat--When Newark charter students apply to district high schools, data does not always follow

As students race to apply to some of Newark’s top high schools before Friday’s deadline, one group of applicants may be at a disadvantage — charter school students.

In past years, the district’s selective “magnet” high schools have occasionally had trouble obtaining transcripts and test scores for students in certain charter schools, according to current and former district and charter employees. In one instance, a family had so much difficulty getting the necessary records from their charter school that they appealed to the Newark Board of Education for help, leading a board member to personally intervene.

A former Newark Public Schools official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said most charter schools eventually provide any information that families leave off their applications, such as grades or test scores. However, one large charter school network — KIPP New Jersey — was “very slow to respond” to requests for information and seemed to be “dragging their feet,” the official said.

https://chalkbeat.org/posts/newark/2019/02/13/when-newark-charter-students-apply-to-district-high-schools-data-does-not-always-follow/

Patrick Wall| February 13, 2019

 

Education Week--One Year After Parkland, What’s Changed?

On February 14, 2018, a former student entered a Parkland, Fla., high school with an AR-15 rifle, killing 17 people and wounding 17 others. A year later, students and teachers at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School continue to search for a sense of normal. Young activists from Parkland have launched a national movement, and policymakers around the country continue to scrutinize the details of the attack, searching for ways to make schools safer. Education Week asked those involved in conversations about safety, guns, and youth engagement how Parkland has changed the debate. And we asked those directly affected by the shooting how it continues to shape their lives.

https://www.edweek.org/ew/section/multimedia/one-year-after-parkland-whats-changed-reflections.html

Interviews: Evie Blad and Benjamin Herold | Portraits: Josh Ritchie for Education Week
Audio Editor: Kavitha Cardoza | Design & Visualization: Stacey Decker and Gina Tomko | Photo Editor: Kaitlyn Dolan| February 14, 2019

 

The Atlantic--The Next Parkland Could Happen Anywhere

Schools are trying to bolster security, but they can only do so much to prevent another mass shooting.

In the wake of a tragedy, there’s a race to understand exactly why it happened and what could have been done to prevent it. Maybe local law enforcement could have done more, maybe armed teachers would have helped, maybe the federal government should have been investigating the shooter as a terrorist. The shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, last Valentine's Day, where 17 people were killed and more than a dozen more were injured, was no different.

https://www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2019/02/next-school-shooting-terrorism/582724/

Adam Harris| February 14, 2019