Associated Press (via Philadelphia Inquirer)Poll shows support for charter schools, vouchers is growing
WASHINGTON (AP) - Support for charter schools and private school voucher programs has gone up over the past year, with Republicans accounting for much of the increase, according to a survey published Tuesday.
http://www.philly.com/philly/wires/ap/business/20180820_ap_d74e1d2a3aa447b58c3fbadc409e7b13.html
MARIA DANILOVA, The Associated Press | Updated: August 20, 2018 — 11:11 PM EDT
Asbury Park Press—Where’s K-12 Education Headed in New Jersey? New School Chief Answers
New Jersey Education Commissioner Lamont Repollet’s goals include revising graduation requirements and state assessments.
Asbury Park Press| August 21, 2018
Press of Atlantic City--Sweeney touts N.J. pension reforms
Public employees in New Jersey with less than five years of work experience could soon see major changes to their pensions under a new system proposed by a bipartisan committee in the state Legislature.
The committee, spearheaded by Senate President Steve Sweeney, is proposing the state move to a “hybrid pension system” that would keep the first $40,000 of yearly income pensionable and establish a “cash balance account,” similar to a 401(k), that guarantees a minimum return of 4 percent for anything above the $40,000 threshold.
https://www.pressofatlanticcity.com/news/sweeney-touts-n-j-pension-reforms/article_f9786697-5a1e-57eb-a76f-b50c8ac70f5e.html
JOHN DeROSIER Staff Writer| August 20, 2018
New York Times--How Do You Get Better Schools? Take the State to Court, More Advocates Say
By his own account, Alejandro Cruz-Guzman’s five children have received a good education at public schools in St. Paul. His two oldest daughters are starting careers in finance and teaching. Another daughter, a high-school student, plans to become a doctor.
But their success, Mr. Cruz-Guzman said, flows partly from the fact that he and his wife fought for their children to attend racially integrated schools outside their neighborhood. Their two youngest children take a bus 30 minutes each way to Murray Middle School, where the student population is about one-third white, one-third black, 16 percent Asian and 9 percent Latino.
Dana Goldstein| Aug. 21, 2018
Education Week--What the DeVos-Led School Safety Commission Did This Summer
It’s been a busy summer for the Federal School Safety Commission, set up by President Donald Trump in the wake of the Feb. 14 massacre at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla., which left 17 people dead. Headed by U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos, the commission is charged with coming up with recommendations by the end of this year on how to improve school safety and prevent future incidents of mass violence.
https://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2018/08/16/what-the-devos-led-school-safety-commission-did.html
Evie Blad and Alyson Klein| August 16, 2018