NJ Spotlight--Interactive Map: Stats Show Lack of Diversity in Front of NJ Classrooms
Numerous studies have shown the benefits of a diverse teaching force, both for students of color and for all pupils
Colleen O'Dea | February 15, 2019
NJ Spotlight--1,200 Children Have Been Shot and Killed Since Parkland, 13 from NJ
A news site has profiled the children who died by gunfire since the school shootings in Florida one year ago. Thirteen New Jersey children are on the list
Yesterday was the first anniversary of the Parkland, Florida shootings, in which 17 teenagers and staff were shot and killed at a local high school. The tragedy precipitated a nationwide campaign by student survivors in favor of gun control.
The Trace, a nonprofit news site devoted to covering gun violence in the United States, tracked the country’s child shootings this past year. With the help of student reporters — and the Miami Herald and McClatchy newspapers — The Trace profiled almost 1,200 children who were shot and killed since Parkland. Trace editors say this does not represent all childhood deaths by gunfire, only those they could identify.
NJ Spotlight | February 15, 2019
Star Ledger--N.J. principal has been on ‘Ellen’ and is getting love from Sen. Booker, all thanks to washing machines
West Side High School Principal Akbar Cook doesn’t check his Twitter account much.
But he took a look this week when someone made a negative comment about the washing machines he had installed at his school in Newark to deal with the bullying of kids who weren’t able to wash their school uniforms at home.
Unfazed by the comment, Cook continued to read previous Twitter messages and was stunned to a see a post from Sen. Cory Booker, who praised his actions and tagged him as a Black History Month figure.
Barry Carter | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com| Updated Feb 14, 9:51 AM; Posted Feb 14, 11:35 AM
Star Ledger--On anniversary of Parkland school shooting, Menendez urges action on gun legislation
It took less than six minutes for the shooter at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School to fire more than 100 rounds from his semiautomatic assault-style rifle, killing 17 students and educators and wounding 17 more. Yet one year later, high capacity magazines that make it possible to fire 30, 60, or even 100 rounds without pausing to reload remain on the shelves and for sale online. It’s well past time for that to change.
Bob Menendez| Star-Ledger Guest Columnist| Updated Feb 13; Posted Feb 14, 7:50 AM
Chalkbeat--New studies point to a big downside for schools bringing in more police
It’s been a year since 17 people were killed at a Parkland, Florida high school, sparking a national conversation about gun control and a race to ratchet up school security.
Florida lawmakers, for instance, passed legislation requiring every public school in the state to have an armed guard. A Trump administration commission recommended armed school personnel, among other safety measures. Already, 71 percent of U.S. public high schools have at least one law enforcement officer who carries a gun.
While some argue that these efforts are increasingly necessary, others point out that school shootings are rare and fear that more security will backfire — making schools less conducive to learning and making it more likely for students of color to be funneled into the criminal justice system.
Now, two new academic studies provide strong evidence that some of those concerns are valid. Both released this week and looking at large groups of students, they are among the first research to directly link more police to worse academic outcomes for students.
https://chalkbeat.org/posts/us/2019/02/14/police-schools-research-parkland/
Matt Barnum| February 14, 2019