Quality Public Education for All New Jersey Students

 

 
     GSCS Email-Net Archive - Recent and Selected Posting
     GSCS Email-Net 11-16-10
     GSCS News 'Email-Net' Archive, beginning 2009
     6-2-10 RACE TO THE TOP (RTTT) 'NJ STYLE': It is what it is ...but what exactly is it? Race to the Top application is caught in a crossfire of reports - more information and clarity is needed
     3-4-10 GSCS Email-Net: Summit @ Summit Report - A New Day in Trenton?
     2-12-10 Gov Chrisite's Message re Current Yr Deficit
     2-16-10 Email-net March @ Summit at Summit
     1-26-10 GSCS Email-Net Christie Era Begins
     1-20-10 GSCS Heads Up FYI.docx
     1-6-10 GSCS Email-Net Lame Duck Watch
     12-15-09 Email-Net
     11-9-09 GSCS Email-Net: Request to Trustee Districts
     11-6-09 GSCS Email-Net: Important Post-Election Information
     11-5-09 GSCS Email-Net: Election Information - Christie on Education - and Request to Member Districts
     11-3-09 GSCS Email-Net: Today is Election Day - Coverage, more
     10-21-09 GSCS EMAIL-NET: Commissioner Davy to be at GSCS meeting in Atlantic City
     10-15-09 GSCS Email-Net: Compare Corzine-Christie re education
     9-25-09 GSCS EMAIL-NETOn GSCS Radar Screen, Intro Cons. Cntct
     9-14-09 GSCS EMAILNET Welcome 2009-2010
     6-24-09 GSCS EMAILNET Heads Up FYI
     6-22 & 24 (update) - 09 GSCS EMAILNET FYI re bills A4140, A1489, A4142
     6-19-09 a.m. GSCS 'Quick' FYI - State Budget Vote delayed to Thursday, June 25
     6-15-09 GSCS Heads Up FYI
     6-12-09 EMAILNET
     6-4-09 EMAILNET
     5-19-09 Treasurer David Rousseau announces additional round of cuts to Gov's proposed State Budget FY2009-2010
     5-14-09 GSCS Heads Up - State Aid payments to be delayed into next Fiscal Year
     428-09 EMAILNET Abbott & SFRA; DOE before State Budget Committees
     4-17-09 EMAILNET Federal Stimulus Title 1 and IDEA Allocations Announced
     4-2-09 EMAILNET & GSCS FYI for April 2009
     3-27-09 EMAILNET
     3-16-09 EMAILNET
     3-6-09 GSCS March FYI - Trenton & GSCS Happenings & more
     2-23-09 EMAILNET
     2-12-09 EMAILNET GSCS Message for State Budget FY10: STABILITY & FAIRNESS
     1-30-09 EMAILNET Fed Stimulus Proposal, School Vote, Stability & Fairness
     1-24-09 EMAILNET Federal Stimulus proposal - local district impact listing
     1-17-09 GSCS EMAILNET & SCHOOL FUNDING OVERVIEW
     1-17-09 GSCS EMAILNET
     Education excerpts from House Fed Stimulus package in GSCS 1-15-09 Heads Up
     GSCS 1-15-09 'Heads Up' - House Releases its Fed Stimulus Package
     January 2009 GSCS FYI
     1-5-09 EMAILNET Gov Announces Spending Reductions for FY0809 Today
     12-21-08 GSCS EMAILNET - Excerpts
     10-31-08 EMAILNET
     10-17-08 EMAILNET
     9-29-08 GSCS EMAILNET
     9-12-08 GSCS EMAILNET
     7-2-08 EMAILNET FYI
     6-17-08 EMAILNET FYI, State Budget Agreement, School Construction bill moving towards passage
     6-10-08 GSCS EMAILNET FYI Trenton focus
     5-30-08 EMAILNET FYI - GSCS ANNUAL MTG NEWS BRIEFS
     4-16-08 EMAILNETSchool Budget Elections early results
     1-18-07 GSCS EMAILNET FYI
     1-14-08 EMAILNET Governor Corzine Sign funding legisation into law 1-13-08 at Drumthwacket
     1-11-08 EMAILNET Funding legislation passes - Aftermath
     1-4-08 EMAILNET GSCS statement on current funding proposal - leaning negative
     1-3-08 EMAILNET Aid proposal - update & analysis
     12-21-07 EMAILNET - GSCS spots 'Giveback' provision in draft bill - a flip flop?
     12-19-07 Proposed Funding formula - update
     12-12-07 EMAILNET Funding Plan proposal to be released today, no bill yet
     12-7-07 EMAILNET Jt Committees schedule hearing on new school funding plan, Commissioner Davy to present
     12-6-07 EMAILNET Funding bill - emerging issues
     12-1-07 EMAILNET FYI Governor Corzine present new school funding formula concepts
     11-30-07 EMAILNET FYI
     11-13-07 GSCS EMAILNET
     11-6-07 EMAILNET
     10-15-07 GSCS EMAILNET
     10-1-07 GSCS EMAILNET
     071015 EMAILNET
     071001 EMAILNET
     9-21-07 EMAILNET
     7-31-07 EMAILNET Status of School Funding Formula, more
     7-10-07 EMAILNET Includes GSCS ADVOCACY PACKET Need for new school funding formula, more
     6-29-07 EMAILNET Lots of news affeccting your schools and communities
     6-22-07 EMAILNET State Budget Passes last night
     6-14-07 GSCS FYI EMAILNET State Budge FY08 Revisions to State Budget filed today
     6-13-07 GSCS EMAILNET
     5-18-07 EMAILNET School Funding Formula Needed Now
     3-30-07 EMAILNET
     3-21-07 EMAILNET
     3-6-07 EMAILNET State Budget hearings, State Aid, Grassroots activities
     2-22-07 GSCS EMAILNET re Gov's Budget Message
     2-20-07 EMAILNET FYI - AMID joins GSCS
     2-12-07 EMAILNET SCHOOL AID & PROPERTY TAX HELP NEEDED NOW
     2-9-07 GSCS EMAILNET MEMBER FYI on Trenton legislation Action
     1-26-07 EMAILNET TRENTON UPDATE: A4 CORE Plan on Assembly Agenda Monday; A1 The 4% Tax Cap bill not yet introduced but still possible for Assembly agenda 1-29 also
     1-19-07 EMAILNET
     1-2 & 3-07 EMAILNET GSCS Resolution, Fast Track Property Tax bills
     12-15-06 EMAILNET Bills Held!
     11-14-06GSCS FYI EMAILNET - Spec Session Jt Comm Reports due out 11-15-06
     11-11-06 EMAILNET Special Session Legislative Committees report Nov. 14 or 15
     11-7-06 EMAILNET Special Education Categorical aid at risk and more
     10-21-06 EMAILNET Spec Session, press conference, GSCS board mtg inAtl. City
     10-5-06 EMAILNET
     9-22-06 EMAILNET
     9-20-06 EMAILNET Special Session news & testimonies
     9-15-06 EMAILNET Special Session; School Construction Report Released
     9-7-06 EMAILNET Special Session & Trenton Update
     8-31-06 EMAILNET re Sept 5 Jt Comm on Pub Schl Funding mtg
     7-21-06 GSCS QUICKNET
     8-24-06 EMAILNET Special Session Update
     8-18-06 EMAILNET
     8-2-06 EMAILNET Special Session fyi, more
     7-28-06 GSCS 'QUICKNET' direct from Trenton
     7-28-06 GSCS 'QUICKNET' from Trenton on Special Session
     7-27-06 GSCS 'QUICKNET' Property Tax Session info
     7-14-06 EMAILNET
     7-11-06 EMAILNET FYI
     7-7-06 EMAILNET - AGREEMENT ON STATE BUDGET REACHED, impt 'details' still being finalized
     6-29-06 GSCS 'QUICKNET FYI' Update on State Budget for FY 2007
     6-22-06 EMAILNET on the Homepage today
     6-12-06 EMAILNET - Extraordinary Special Education student aid; FY07 Budget 'crunch' is on; news clips
     6-6-06 EMAILNET On the Homepage today
     6-2-06 EMAILNET
     5-16-06 EMAILNET Action in Trenton
     5-10-06 EMAILNET
     5-5-06 EMAILNET
     4-26-06 EMAILNET Member Question 6-8 Rally
     4-24-06 EMAILNET
     4-17-06 EMAILNET
     4-11-06 EMAILNET FYI Hompage...your help requested
     3-29-06 EMAILNET State Budget FY07 Hearings Update
     3-24-06 EMAILNET FYI Update on Gov Corzine's Budget FY07
     3-23-06 EMAILNET Corzine says some Abbotts can raise taxes
     3-22-06 EMAILNET Governor Corzine's Budget Message
     3-10-06 EMAILNET On the Homepage Today
     3-9-06 EMAILNETto South Jersey districts
     3-7-06 Articles on Gov's Budget Summit and School Board members off to Trenton
     3-7-06 EMAILNET S1701 Call to Action at Gov Corzine Public Hearing
     3-3-06 EMAILNET Budget discussions begin in earnest
     3-3-06 EMAILNET Budget Discussions begin in earnest
     3-1-06 EMAILNET State Budget FY07, Health Benefits
     2-1-06 EMAILNET GSCS Advocacy FY07 Budget; On the Homepage Today
     1-19-06 EMAILNET Quick Facts, On the Homepage Today
     1-5-06 EMAILNET Revised: Quick Facts, State Board Legal Committee school funding decision, legislative update
     12-16-05 EMAILNET
     12-12-05 EMAILNET Bills move out of Assembly Education Committee
     12-3-05 EMAILNET Heads Up!
     11-28-05 S1701 EMAILNET Alert
     11-15-05 EMAILNET
     11-10-05 [REISSUE] EMAILNET Update on S1701
     11-8-05 EMAILNET You are invited to December 7 Symposium on School Funding
     11-1-05 EMAILNET More information on Gubernatorial Candidates
     10-28-05 EMAILNET S1701 resignation, Gubernatorial election information
     10-20-14 EMAILNET At the top of the GSCS Home Page Today
     10-14-05 EMAILNET Parent question for Gubernatorial Candidates aired on 101.5 debate, SCC funds, Next Board meeting, press briefing notes
     9-29-05 EMAILNET School Construction Issues
     9-23-05 EMAILNET Follow Up Parents in Trenton Press Conference
     8-30-05 EMAILNET Invitation to Parents in Trenton Press Conference
     9-9-05 EMAILNET
     7-29-05 EMAILNET
     7-14-05 EMAILNET School Aid Inequity & S1701 amendments update
     7-8-05 EMAILNET GSCS Take on the Assembly Passing of A3680Cryan, an S1701 amendment bill
     6-29-05 EMAILNET re State Budget FY06
     EMAILNET 6-24-05 GSCS Positions: State Budget FY06 Issues Need Resolving
     EMAILNET 6-10-05 SchoolConstruction Heads Up
     Read Parent Call to Action Letter
     6-17-05 EMAILNET [2] School Construction continued
     6-17-05 EMAILNET FY06 Budget & Advocay Update, Quick Facts
     EMAILNET 6-10-05 School Construction Funding Heads Up!
     EMAILNET 6-8-05 Annual Meeting Advocacy - FY06 info - Quick Facts - more
     Star Ledger June 3 2005
     Associated Press on Annual Meeting, 6-4-05: In the Homestretch Candidates Talk Education Issues
     GSCS 14th Annual Breakfast Meeting 6-3-05 AGENDA
     EMAILNET 5-27-05FY06 Legislator Budget Question; A451 State Health Benefits Plan Waiver for Dual Spouse Coverage GSCS Supports ....
     5-18-2005
     5-6-05 EMAILNET Rumson S1701 Meeting; Legislative News...More
     4-21-05 Annual Breakfast Meeting June 3 Sign Up
     Emailnet 4-14-05
     4-14-05 EMAILNET
     4-8-2005
     3-29-2005
     3-24-2005
     3-11-2005
     3-1-2005
     2-21-2005
     2-7-2005
     1-27-2005
     1-26-2005
     1-24-2005
     1-14-2005
     1-9-2005
     1-5-2005
     11-30-2004
     11-19-2004
     11-12-2004
     10-29-2004
     10-26-2004
     10-15-2004
     10-14-2004
     10-5-2004
     9-30-04
     9-7-04
     8-30-04
     8-06-04
     7-08-04
     6-29-2004
     2003-2004 School Year Archive
     2002-2003 School Year Archive
2-12-09 EMAILNET GSCS Message for State Budget FY10: STABILITY & FAIRNESS

    GARDEN STATE COALITION OF SCHOOOLS/GSCS

GSCS EMAILNET 2-12-09

Public Support for Public Education

Celebrating Lincoln’s Birthday

 

SHOWING UP TELLS A STORY: GSCS MEETING FEB 25 7 pm LEONIA

Federal Stimulus Proposal Garners Enough Votes to Pass

Find out @  www.gscschools.org                     gscs2000@gmail.com              

 

GSCS Message for State Budget FY10: STABILITY & FAIRNESS

 

GSCS quick facts:

 

GSCS Board of Trustees meeting, 3:30 March 4 at the E. Brunswick Board of Education, Room 103 [note room change]; Executive officers to meet beforehand at 2 p.m. also in room 103. Please RSVP  gscs2000@gmail.com with your attendance plans.

 

CONCERNED ABOUT YOUR SCHOOLS? YOU ARE INVITED - GSCS GENERAL MEETING in Bergen County, at Leonia Schools' Little Theater Feb 25, 7 p.m.                                   
THERE'S SO MUCH TO TALK ABOUT...GSCS General Membership-Open Regional Meeting: Wednesday, February 25, 7:00PM, Leonia (approx. 1/2 mile off Rt.80 East, exit 70A). DIRECTIONS & DETAILED INFORMATION/FLYER ATTACHED. The meeting will include "CONVERSATION WITH EDUCATION COMMISSIONER LUCILLE DAVY, moderated by MICHAEL ARON, NJN's (New Jersey Network) Senior Political Correspondent, including panelists Dunstan McNichol, NY Times contributing reporter and NJ Statehouse specialist,Jim ONeill, Chatham Superintendent and GSCS President, and Lynne Strickland GSCS Executive Director.

Click ‘More’ below for flyer [in pdf & word] & detailed directions.

SHOW YOU CARE, BE THERE...More

 

While legislation has moved the Governor’s State Budget Message to March 12, at this time the Statehouse seems to be holding to March 10 as the actual message date. By law, schools must receive their state aid figures no later than 48 hours after the message is delivered.

 

In recent weeks, GSCS has been in a series of meetings with key legislators to present GSCS’ message of the need for stability and fairness in funding for schools in  FY2009-2010; GSCS also addresses the federal stimulus package, focusing in particular on IDEA special education funding remaining whole as increases from the stimulus package make their way to local districts.  GSCS will continue to pursue these issues in Trenton…

2-12-09 Federal Stimulus Plan gets enough votes to pass
GSCS: DEVIL IS IN THE DETAILS......NY TIMES - 'Deal Reached in Congress on $789 Billion Stimulus Plan' (Education funding pared down, but still remains a healthy chunk) STAR LEDGER - 'Corzine says federal stimulus makes 'pain a little less terrible'   More...

2-11-09 a.m. Education Week Update on Federal Stimulus plan   More...

GSCS MESSAGE TO NJ LEADERS: KEEP IDEA FUNDING WHOLE FOR LOCAL DISTRICT STUDENTS
GSCS' advocacy efforts in recent meetings with state leaders has been directed towards IDEA funding in the proposed stimulus plan. While the plan is still not resolved, IDEA funding for special education remains in both the House and Senate proposals. Students - districts - benefit from the increases that this potential aid would bring to districts. In fact, it brings the federal support of special education nationally up to approximately 38.6% - The federal goverment getting much nearer its original promise to the state of 40% federal funds for IDEA requirements. Based on a federal formula for state wealth, New Jersey would receive less percentage - somewhere in the lower 20% region - but noetheless that is a major increase considering New Jersey has only been receiving 11-12% from the federal government. GSCS' message here is that the increases in IDEA funding should stay whole to each district, and that the funding should be forthcoming to local schools as the increase the federal government intends, and that the state should not use these funds to supplant state funding. Let your legislators hear from you directly on this.   More...

2-8-09 Remand Hearing delving into Abbott challenge of School Funding Reform Act begins Monday
STAR LEDGER - 'School funding reform will get its day in court' "...Lawyers will gather in the Bergen County courtroom of Superior Court Judge Peter Doyne for three weeks, including half days on Saturdays, grilling expert witnesses on arcane school funding formulas and whether they do enough to help the state's poorest children...Three months ago, the state Supreme Court refused Corzine's request to end the long-running Abbott vs. Burke school funding case, instead ordering an evidentiary hearing to try to determine whether a decade of increased funding had been enough..."

Corzine last year succeeded in convincing lawmakers to go along with a wholesale reform of the way state aid is distributed to school districts...That effectively increased funding for districts struggling with large numbers of poor students that had not been deemed among the state's poorest 31, known as Abbott districts..."   More...

2-7&9-09 New York Times on vagaries of Fed Stimulus Package bill
February 8, 2009 'Divisions Over the Competing Stimulus Bills' "Congress is racing to try to finalize the legislation this week...But the competing bills now reflect substantially different approaches. The House puts greater emphasis on helping states and localities avoid wide-scale cuts in services and layoffs of public employees. The Senate cut $40 billion of that aid from its bill, which is expected to be approved Tuesday..."

February 7, 2009 'Senators Reach Deal on Stimulus Plan as Jobs Vanish' "...The biggest cut, roughly $40 billion in aid to states, was likely to spur a fierce fight in negotiations with the House over the final bill. Many states, hit hard by the recession, face wrenching cuts in services and layoffs of public employees as they struggle to comply with laws requiring them to balance their budgets...When debate began this week, the price tag on the Senate version of the stimulus bill was roughly $884 billion, but it grew to more than $900 billion as senators added provisions including tax breaks totaling $30 billion for purchases of homes and cars..."   More...

2-6&7-09 Press of Atlantic City on Report Card & High School Redesign
2-6-09 'Poor students struggle no matter where they go to school in New Jersey'..."The new state school-funding formula is supposed to provide funding for all at-risk children, and preschool is being expanded to reach poor children in every district. But funding shortfalls may jeopardize those efforts. "Children in poverty bring the disadvantages with them to school," said Lynne Strickland, director of the Garden State Coalition of Schools. "But funding for these kids in middle-income districts has been lagging.." 'Reforming high schools a slow process' "...While most high schools offer the new requirements, all students are not required to take them. A DOE survey found that while about 70 percent of the state's public high schools require biology, geometry and algebra I, only 45 percent require algebra II and 35 percent require chemistry. Mandating more lab science for all students would require the costly addition of more science labs in the schools..."   More...

New Jersey Report Cards Issued by Dept of Education
2-4-09 The New Jersey Department of Education today released the 2008 School Report Cards and the 2008 Statewide Assessment Reports. Additional information is found at http://www.nj.gov/education/news/2009/0204rc.htm

2-3-09 Corzine to unveil new cuts when he offers 2010 budget
STAR LEDGER - "Gov. Jon Corzine said yesterday that more midyear cuts to the state's current budget are unlikely, but he is preparing a new slate of cutbacks for the budget he will deliver next month..."   More...

BREAKDOWN OF EDUCATION FUNDING IN HOUSE BILL passed 1-15-09
As the Senate Federal Stimulus bill is in the midst of heated debate in Washington, its counterpart House bill was passed in January. Here are the education funding figures from the House bill (remember, these figures and allocations can and probably will change after the Senate version is passed and a compromise is then worked out between the two houses)…More...

2-2-09 'Area highs schools' investment in personal finance grows'
PRESS OF ATLANTIC CITY "...The state Assembly passed a bill in September that would establish a pilot project to teach personal finance to students in six high schools in the state. The Senate Education Committee approved its version of the bill last week.But schools across the state have not been waiting for a mandate. "They could just ask us to be the pilot," said Ocean City High School Principal Matthew Jamison. The school has had its own personal finance requirement for at least the past five years."   More...

2-1-09 'Stimulus plan aims to pour big money into NJ'
STAR LEDGER "...Because the Senate version isn't yet struck, it's unclear whether the locals will be making their case directly to the federal government or go to the state...School officials said hundreds of millions of dollars in direct grants to districts and assistance for special-education and other disadvan taged populations could go a long way toward righting a historic imbalance: The federal government has long mandated programs for special education and pledged to provide 40 percent of the funding, yet most years it has funded about 18 percent... Noting the upcoming Senate debate, the governor said, "We're trying to shape the language in the educational allocation," so the funding can be used for preschool. Corzine has pushed for universal preschool for all low-income children in the state, but a lack of cash has put the plan on hold..."  More...

1-30-09 EMAILNET Fed Stimulus Proposal, School Vote, Stability & Fairness  More...