Quality Public Education for All New Jersey Students

 

8-24-18 Education in the News

Star Ledger--N.J. wouldn't give teachers guns under possible Trump program, Murphy says

New Jersey would not take part if President Donald Trump's administration allows states to use federal funds to buy guns for teachers, Gov. Phil Murphy said Thursday. 

The New York Times, citing anonymous sources, reported that the U.S. Education Department is considering whether to permit states to seek federal money set aside for academic enrichment and student services to purchase firearms for educators to protect students.

https://www.nj.com/politics/index.ssf/2018/08/nj_wouldnt_give_teachers_guns_under_possible_trump_program_murphy_says.html#incart_river_index

Brent Johnson| Updated Aug 23, 4:31 PM; Posted Aug 23, 3:25 PM

 

Star Ledger--As Orthodox Jews move in, taxpayers in these N.J. school districts are spending more than $1M on buses

For years, Lakewood’s school budget has been in crisis because of the rising cost of providing taxpayer-funded busing to the children of the growing Orthodox Jewish population attending religious schools in town.

Now, as more Orthodox Jewish families flock to Ocean and Monmouth counties, the busing issue is spreading to other municipalities.

Toms River Regional, Brick, Jackson and Howell are among the school districts that have seen their busing costs climb as more Orthodox Jewish families move into the area and request district-funded busing to send their children to the more than 100 private religious schools in neighboring Lakewood.

https://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2018/08/as_orthodox_jews_move_in_taxpayers_in_these_nj_tow.html#incart_river_index

Kelly Heyboer | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com| Posted August 24, 2018 at 07:05 AM | Updated August 24, 2018 at 07:07 AM

 

 

The Record--Editorial: Adding more guns won’t make our schools safe

There is crazy, and then there is crazy.

Even in the bizarre world of the Trump era in which we live, reports that Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos is considering a plan to let states use federal funds to buy guns for teachers is something truly out of the twilight zone.

Or, to put it another way: “How to take an already fraught situation and make it worse.”

https://www.northjersey.com/story/opinion/editorials/2018/08/24/editorial-adding-more-guns-wont-make-our-schools-safe/1075687002/

North Jersey Editorial Board Published 6:23 a.m. ET Aug. 24, 2018

 

Education Week--DeVos Ponders Letting Schools Buy Guns Under ESSA in Twist on Federal Law

Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos might let school districts use a relatively new federal program as a funding source for buying guns.

DeVos is mulling the idea that school districts could purchase firearms and firearms training through a grant program in the Every Student Succeeds Act, the main federal education law.  If she were to allow such a move, it would be her most controversial step yet to address school safety in the wake of two mass shootings in high schools this year. Such a move would also allow her to let local districts take the lead, in keeping with her support for a limited federal role in schools.

Education advocates are already pushing back hard on the idea. And arming teachers and other school staff is not broadly supported among teachers and other K-12 eduacation leaders.

http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/campaign-k-12/2018/08/devos-schools-buying-guns-essa-twist-federal-law.html?r=1045911624&cnfm=0

Andrew Ujifusa on August 23, 2018 8:59 AM