NJ Spotlight--Murphy’s Budget Is $1B Bigger than Last Year’s, Promises $1B in Savings
Governor’s proposal receives a far less hostile response from fellow Democrats than his budget last year, although they still seem at odds over possible tax hikes
A year after making a host of tax increases the centerpiece of his first state budget request, Gov. Phil Murphy is offering lawmakers a more balanced approach for fiscal year 2020. A $38.6. billion budget plan he unveiled yesterday includes new revenue from a millionaire’s tax but also savings initiatives worth more than $1 billion.
John Reitmeyer | March 6, 2019
The ABCs Of What Budget Means for New Jersey’s Schools
A look at the details of a spending plan that boosts aid to districts by more than $200 million and pre-K funding by $68 million
Before Gov. Phil Murphy presented his fiscal year 2020 budget yesterday, the scene outside the State House belied what would come inside. Dozens of placard-carrying students and teachers lined the sidewalk, doing their part to make sure that a pro-public school message would carry the day.
John Mooney | March 6, 2019
NJ Spotlight--Op-Ed: The True Assessment Opportunity Presented by End of the PARCC Era
By reconceptualizing assessment, we can develop a system that is diagnostic and provides feedback to educators and parents about their students in real time
https://www.njspotlight.com/stories/19/03/04/op-ed-the-true-assessment-opportunity-presented-by-end-of-the-parcc-era/
David Aderhold, Scott Rocco, and Thomas Smith | March 5, 2019
Star Ledger--N.J. schools are going to war over state funding. Should they just raise taxes instead?
Before Gov. Phil Murphy delivers his second state budget address Tuesday, thousands of educators and students are expected to march on New Jersey’s capital with a message: Don’t cut our funding unless you’re ready for the consequences.
Teachers will be laid off. Sports and music programs will be reduced. Students will pay the price, and state politicians will be to blame, goes the popular messaging around the rally.
Adam Clark | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com| Updated 11:53 PM; Posted Mar 5, 8:28 AM
StarLedger--This is how Republicans want to overhaul school funding in N.J.
Republican state lawmakers unveiled a new proposal Monday to revamp public school funding in New Jersey, calling for a dramatic increase in state money for special education while decreasing aid for low-income students and English-language learners.
The proposal — called “Every Child Counts" — also aims to crack down on “gimmicks” schools can use to manipulate their state funding, such as using payments in lieu of taxes.
Brent Johnson | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com and Adam Clark | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com| Posted Mar 4, 2019
The Record--Bill to Test Later Start Times at High Schools Moves Forward
New Jersey high schools could see later start times under still-moving-through legislation
Hannan Adely|March 5, 2019
Education Week--1.7 Million Students Attend Schools With Police But No Counselors, New Data Show
As policymakers call for more school police in response to safety concerns, a new analysis of federal data shows that many students don't have access to other kinds of staff necessary for safety and support—staff like school nurses, social workers, and psychologists.
As a result of safety discussions that focus on shootings, rather than the broader range of safety concerns and student needs, "schools are under-resourced and students are overcriminalized," says the report, released Monday by the ACLU. The analysis also found that disproportionately high arrest rates for students of color and students with disabilities are continuing, while there was a 17 percent growth in school-based referrals to law enforcement from 2013-14 to 2015-16.
Evie Blad on March 4, 2019 1:44 PM |