NJ Spotlight--NJ Public Worker Healthcare Costs to Decrease Next Year
State treasurer acclaims “good news” for property taxpayers but officials provide no estimates of taxpayer savings. Some Medicare retiree rates will rise
Health-insurance premium rates are on course to drop next year for many public workers in New Jersey, thanks to recent administrative changes that are now starting to impact the bottom line.
https://www.njspotlight.com/stories/19/09/08/nj-public-worker-healthcare-costs-to-drop-next-year/
John Reitmeyer | September 9, 2019
Asbury Park Press—NJ School Superintendent Pay Jumps; See Each County After State Killed Limits
NJ superintendent salaries were already starting to climb even before lawmakers eliminated the restraints on their paychecks
Susanne Cervenka| September 9, 2019
New York Times--Before 1st Day of School, a Quiz on How to Use Your Giant Schoolbag
BERLIN — The school ruler must be an exact length. Each child is required to have three pairs of shoes: one for the classroom, one for outdoor sports and a third, with non-marking soles, for indoor sports. Their schoolbags must be reinforced, stand upright on their own and be able to carry pounds of homework.
Christopher F. Schuetze| Sept. 8, 2019
Education Week--Boosting School Quality Remains a Slog for States, Nation
The nation's latest C grade on Education Week's annual Quality Counts report—the mark it's often received since the annual assessment of the country's K-12 system was created in 1997—is another sign that pursuing educational progress remains a slow and challenging task for many states.
https://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2019/09/04/boosting-school-quality-remains-a-slog-for.html
Evie Blad| September 3, 2019
The Hechinger Report--Scientific research on how to teach critical thinking contradicts education trends
An education researcher writes that scientists are united in their belief that content knowledge is crucial to effective critical thinking
Critical thinking is all the rage in education. Schools brag that they teach it on their websites and in open houses to impress parents. Some argue that critical thinking should be the primary purpose of education and one of the most important skills to have in the 21st century, with advanced machines and algorithms replacing manual and repetitive labor.
Jill Barshay| September 9, 2019