NJ Spotlight--Big Changes to School Funding in NJ as Fragile Alliance Holds
New law to lessen disparities in aid, and governor promises every district will be fully funded by 2025
Gov. Phil Murphy yesterday signed into law the first significant changes to New Jersey’s school funding system in almost a decade. Filling a school gym for the announcement, the mix of guests at the signing reflected the fragile alliance the governor needed to get the legislation passed.
John Mooney | July 25, 2018
NJ Spotlight--Explainer: Everything You Need to Know About School Funding in NJ
Funding for New Jersey’s K-12 schools is one of the state’s most divisive issues, pitting district against district. How did it ever get that way?
Carly Sitrin | July 25, 2018
Star Ledger--N.J.'s school funding fight ends in 'big win' for kids -- but it won't come cheap
On the surface, it was a standard political victory lap. There were speeches, over-sized smiles from lawmakers and more "thank yous" than anyone cared to count.
But beyond the fanfare, Gov. Phil Murphy's signing of a school funding bill on Tuesday marked a monumental step in the long battle over the state's education spending.
Adam Clark| Updated Jul 24, 2:00 PM; Posted Jul 24, 2:00 PM
Asbury Park Press--Toms River Regional avoids 'draconian' budget cuts, at least for now
TOMS RIVER - By using surplus funds and maintenance monies to make up for a state aid cut, Toms River Regional will be able to avoid slashing staff, raising taxes or cutting programs this year, Superintendent David M. Healy said Tuesday.
Shortly after the Board of Education agreed to use $1,157,955 in additional surplus funds and $1.2-million in maintenance money to make up for the $2.3-million aid cut, Healy warned that next year is likely to be quite different.
Jean Mikle, Asbury Park Press Published 5:41 a.m. ET July 25, 2018 | Updated 5:42 a.m. ET July 25, 2018
Education Week--Anti-Test Movement Slows to a Crawl
Just a few short years ago, there were real questions about whether Congress would ditch annual, standardized assessments as part of a makeover of the nation’s main K-12 education law. At the same time, parents were increasingly choosing to opt their children out of standardized tests.
But the Every Student Succeeds Act ultimately kept the tests in place. And since then, at least some of the steam has gone out of the opt-out movement in states such as New Jersey and New York, considered hotbeds of anti-testing fervor.
https://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2018/07/23/anti-test-movement-slows-to-a-crawl.html
Alyson Klein| July 23, 2018