Quality Public Education for All New Jersey Students

 

8-2-19 Education in the News

NJ Spotlight--The List: ‘Lighthouse’ School Districts Lauded for Big Improvements

Credited for having made significant academic progress and for helping diverse sets of learners, the newly designated ‘lighthouse’ districts are expected to be beacons of best practices

https://www.njspotlight.com/stories/19/08/01/the-list-lighthouse-school-districts-recognized-for-big-improvements/

Carly Sitrin | August 2, 2019

 

 

NJ Spotlight--NJ Groups Join Lawsuit over Questionable New Federal Lead Standards

Attorney claims ‘Trump’s EPA’ failed to ‘follow mainstream science and correctly update these standards for children’s sake’

https://www.njspotlight.com/stories/19/08/01/nj-groups-join-lawsuit-over-questionable-federal-standards-for-lead/

Tom Johnson | August 2, 2019

 

 

Asbury Park Press—Toms River Schools Beg NJ for $4.4 Million in Emergency Aid to Restore 62 Jobs

The Toms River Regional School District has been struggling to cope with state aid cuts that have led to the loss of 77 staff positions

https://www.app.com/get-access/?return=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.app.com%2Fstory%2Fnews%2Feducation%2Fin-our-schools%2F2019%2F08%2F02%2Ftoms-river-schools-beg-nj-4-4-m-emergency-aid-restore-62-jobs%2F1888675001%2F

Jean Mikle|Asbury Park Press| August 2, 2019

 

NY Times--Vivian Paley, Educator Who Promoted Storytelling, Dies at 90

Vivian Gussin Paley, a pioneering teacher and widely acclaimed author who emphasized the importance of storytelling in early childhood development, died on July 26 in Crozet, Va. She was 90.

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/08/01/education/vivian-paley-dead.html?rref=collection%2Fsectioncollection%2Feducation&action=click&contentCollection=education®ion=stream&module=stream_unit&version=latest&contentPlacement=1&pgtype=sectionfront

Katharine Q. Seelye| Aug. 1, 2019

 

 

The Atlantic--The Whiter, Richer School District Right Next Door

Public schools’ dependence on local property taxes means some districts get isolated from the financial resources in their communities.

The Waterbury School District is quarantined within man-made, invisible walls, partitions that hug it on each side, forming taut, if unnatural, boundaries on the map. The school district, in Waterbury, Connecticut, is touched by eight other districts, each one whiter, more affluent, and receiving more dollars than Waterbury itself. Take the Wolcott School District, for example, where 87 percent of students are white, and which spends $2,000 more per student than Waterbury, which is 82 percent nonwhite; or the Plymouth School District, which has a racial makeup that’s comparable to Wolcott’s, and which spends $3,500 more per student. More wealth, more white students, more resources for those kids.

https://www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2019/08/segregated-school-districts-trapped-their-borders/595318/

Adam Harris| Aug 1, 2019

 

 

Education Week--What Ed. Schools Can Do About School Shootings (And Other Overwhelming Problems)

There are some challenges educators shouldn't have to face alone

This year's 20th anniversary of the Columbine High School shooting, in which 12 students and one teacher were tragically killed, was a somber reminder of how deeply the fear of mass violence has penetrated the fabric of our nation's school systems. High-profile incidents—in our civic offices, churches, workplaces, music venues, schools, festivals—continue to make safety a front-of-mind issue not just for students and their families, but also for classroom teachers, school staff, and school and district leaders. Their job requirements now include preparing for and responding to school violence

https://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2019/07/31/what-ed-schools-can-do-about-school.html

Christopher Morphew| July 31, 2019

 

 

Edutopia—Op-Ed: The Case for Not Allowing Test Retakes

As more educators drop penalties for late work and allow students to redo tests, a high school teacher says that traditional policies are better for the majority of students.

In my 21 years in the classroom, I’ve had experience with policies around allowing test retakes, dropping late work penalties, and prohibiting zeros. Education reformers have recently gained traction in promoting these policies, and here at Edutopia David Cutler recently wrote an article entitled “Tips for Allowing Test Retakes.”

https://www.edutopia.org/article/case-not-allowing-test-retakes

Anthony Palma| August 1, 2019