Quality Public Education for All New Jersey Students

 

 
     3-20-12 Education Issues in the News
     4-29-11 BOOMERANG! Near 80 per cent of School Budgets Passed in Wednesday'sSchool Elections
     4-26-11 School Elections, Randi Weingarten in NJ, Special Educ Aid, Shared Services bill
     4-3-11Press of Atlantic City - Pending Supreme Court ruling could boost aid to New Jersey schools
     4-2-11 The Record - Charter school in Hackensack among 58 bids
     3-31-11 Charters an Issue in the Suburbs - and - So far, only 7 Separate Questions on April School Budget Ballots
     3-22-11 Special Master's Report to the Supreme Court: State did not meet its school funding obligation
     Attached to GSCS 3-7-11 Testimony: Marlboro Schools strike historic agreement with instructional aides, bus drivers, bus aides
     GSCS Take on Governor's Budget Message
     Gov's Budget Message for Fiscal Year 2010-2011 Today, 2pm
     2-16-11 Commissioner Cerf talks to educators on Tenure, Merit Pay , related reforms agenda
     GSCS FYI
     2-7-11Grassroots at Work in the Suburbs
     1-25-11 Education in the News
     1-24-11 GSCSS Testimony before Assembly Education Committee: Charter School Reform
     Public Hearing on the Impact of Education Aid Cuts, Thursday January 20
     1-20-11 GSCS Testimony before Senator Buono's Education Aid Impact hearing in Edison
     Assembly Education Hearing on Charter School Reform Monday, 1-24-11, 1 pm
     GSCS Board of Trustees endorsed ACTION LETTER to Trenton asking for caution on Charter School expansion
     GSCS testimony on Tenure Reform - Senate Education Committee 12-09-10
     12-7-10 Education Issues continue in the news
     12-5-10 New York Times 'A Bleak Budget Outlook for Public Broadcasters'
     12-5-10 Sunday News - Education-related Issues
     11-19-10 In the News - First Hearing held on Superintendent Salary Caps at Kean University
     11-15-10 GSCS meeting with Assembly Speaker Sheila Oliver
     GSCS Education Forum Stayed Focused on Quality Education
     Nov 10 Program Announcement - GSCS & NJSDC Fall Education Forum
     Mark Your Calendars: GSCS-NJ Schools Development Council: Education Forum November 10, 2010 Douglas College Center
     8-23-10 S2208 (Sarlo-Allen prime sponsors) passes 36-0 (4 members 'not voting') in the Senate on 8-23-10
     8-13-10 East Brunswick Public School seeks stay on Hatikvah Charter School opening this fall (re: Hatikvah not meeting minimum enrollment requirement)
     7-22-10 'Summer school falls victim to budget cuts in many suburban towns'
     7-18-10 Troublesome sign of the times? Read article on the growing trend for education foundations - the pressure to provide what the state no longer supports for education...California's Proposition 13 cited
     7-16-10 GSCS Information & Comments - S29 Property Tax Cap Law and Proposal to Reduce Superintendent salaries ....
     7-15 & 16 -10 'Caps - PLURAL!' in the news
     GSCS - High costs of Special Education must be addressed asap, & appropriately
     7-1 and 2- 10 Governor Christie convened the Legislature to address property tax reform
     GSCS On the Scene in Trenton: State Budget poised to pass late Monday...Cap Proposals, Opportunity Scholarship Act in Limbo
     4-21-10 DOE posts election results
     Hear about Governor Christie's noontime press conference tonight
     4-21-10 News on School Election Results
     4-20-10 Today is School Budget & School Board Member Election Day
     4-18-10 It's About Values - Quality Schools...Your Homes...Your Towns: Sunday front page story and editorial
     4-19-10 GSCS Testimony before the Assembly Budget Committee on State Budget FY'11
     4-18-10 Sunday Op-eds on school budget vote: Jim O'Neill & Gov Christie
     4-13-10 Testimony submitted to Senate Budget Committee
     GSCS 'HOW-TO' GET TRENTON'S ATTENTION ON STATE BUDGET SCHOOL ISSUES FY '11' - Effective and Well-Reasoned Communication with State Leaders is Critical
     Administration's presentation on education school aid in its 'Budget in Brief' published with Governor Christie's Budget Message
     PARENTS ARE CALLING TO EXPRESS THEIR CONCERNS FOR THE SCHOOL AID PICTURE - GSCS WILL KEEP YOU UP-TO-DATE
     GSCS 'HOW-TO GET TRENTON'S ATTENTION ON STATE BUDGET SCHOOL ISSUES FY '11': Effective & Well-Reasoned Communication with State Leaders is Critical
     3-5-10 HomeTowne Video taping + interviews of GSCS Summit@Summit
     3-5-10 GSCS Summit@Summit with Bret Schundler to be lead topic on Hall Institute's weekly 2:30 pm podcast today
     3-4-10 GSCS Email-Net: Summit @ Summit Report - A New Day in Trenton?
     3-3-10 'Public Education in N.J.: Acting NJ Comm of Educ Bret Schundler says 'Opportunity'
     3-4-10 'NJ education chief Bret Schundler tells suburban schools to expect more cuts in aid'
     Flyer: March 2 Education Summit Keynote Speaker - Education Commissioner Bret Schundler - Confirmed
     2-25-10 Gov. Christie's Red Tape Review Comm., chaired by Lt. Gov. Guadagno, to hold public hearings In March
     Flyer: March 2 Education Summit Keynote Speaker Confirmed
     Flyer for March 2 Education 'Summit@Summit'
     GSCS at TRI-DISTRICT MEETING IN MONMOUTH COUNTY January 27
     GSCS Report on its Annual Meeting June 2009
     6-23-09 Grassroots at Work re A4140, A4142 and A1489
     6-26-09 Executive Director to GSCS Trustees; Wrap Up Report - State Budget and Assembly bills this week
     5-27-09 GSCS 18th ANNUAL MEETING - All INVITED GUESTS HAVE CONFIRMED, INCLUDING GOVERNOR CORZINE
     4-17-09 Model letter to community re required language on budget election ballot
     FIND OUT & STAY TUNED - www.gscschools.org has nearly 1,000,000 verified hits and approximately 90,000 individual visits to date ... and counting
     3-27-09 GSCS Travels the State
     March 25 GSCS-HADDONFIELD OPEN MEETING 7pm
     Haddonfield On Line posts Commissioner Davy's appearance with GSCS at Wednesday March 25 meeting hosted by Haddonfield School District Board of Education
     GSCS-Leonia 3-18-09 meeting Press Release
     March 25-GSCS-HADDONFIELD GENERAL MEMBERSHIP-OPEN MEETING 7pm
     RESCHEDULED to MARCH 18 - GSCS MEETING IN LEONIA
     CONCERNED ABOUT YOUR SCHOOLS? YOU ARE INVITED-GSCS General Membership Open Meeting Leonia Feb 25 7 pm
     SAVE THE DATE - GSCS GENERAL MEMBERSHIP MEETING IN BERGEN COUNTY
     More good examples - Grassroots advocacy: letters- to-the-editor published
     11-6-07 GSCS Parent Advocates help clarify election issues...the Millburn Example
     10-23 Media reports & Trenton responses to date re GSCS Press Conf
     GSCS 'NOV 6th LEGISLATIVE ELECTIONS 'ADVOCACY PACKET
     7-10-07 EMAILNET GSCS ADVOCACY PACKET Need for new school funding formula, more
     2-20-07 FAIR HAVEN SCHOOL FUNDING & PROPERTY TAX FORUM
     3-15-07 Millburn-Short Hills Advocates for Education ask for you help in contacting Governor
     Grassroots Forum set for 3-8 in Millburn-Short Hills
     GRASSROOTS SPEAK UP re State Aid for FY07-08 & Recent Legislation that can negatively impact school communities
     11-2-06 GSCS Parent Press Conference Coverage
     11-1-06 Press Conference packet
     10-31-06 PRESS ADVISORY
     DIRECTIONS to Statehouse
     SPECIAL SESSION ADVOCACY TIPS
     Parent & Member Information Packet on Special Session
     October 2006 Quality Education At Risk
     7-18-06 Summit PTO-PTA communication
     7-17-06 Bernards Twp communication to citizens
     Contact info for Letters to the Editor - Statewide newspapers
     6-22-06 GSCS Parent Coordinator Letter to the Editor
     NEW to our website...WHAT'S THE 'BUZZ' ?
     4-24-06 Citizens for Hopewell Valley Schools letter to Senator Shirley Turner
     4-16 Courier Post 'Do Nothing Leaders'
     Grassroots at work - Ridgewood Board member testimony of FY07
     3-24-06 Schools learn who wins, loses in Corzine budget
     3-9-06 Governor speaks to S1701 at town meeting
     EMAILNET 3-9-06 to South Jersey districts
     COFFEE a coalition of families for excellent education
     1-29-06 Asbury Park Press Sunday Front Page Right
     Posted 1-17-06 December 2005 article from the NewsTranscript of Monmouth County
     12-16-05 EMAILNET
     1-17-06 Asbury Park Press "Viewpoint" comments by parents Kim Newsome & Marianne Kligman
     1-12-06 Asbury Park Press letter to the editor
     12-12-05 EMAILNET Bills move out of Assembly Education Committee
     Nora Radest Summit Parent, Glen Ridge Supt. Dan Fishbien, Glen Ridge Parenet and Board of Education President Betsy Ginsburg
     UPDATE on 12-8-05 Assembly Education Committee hearing
     12-2-05 Hopewell Valley letter to Senate Education Committee Chair Shirley Turner re: school budget amendment bills & S1701
     Madison parents and Morris County Outreach Efforts on S1701 Amendment legislation 11-28-05
     Parent Network FYI re EMAILNET 11-28-05 on S1701
     10-14-05 EMAILNET Parent question for Gubernatorial Candidates aired on 101.5 debate, SCC funds, Next Board meeting, press briefing notes
     Readington Forum on School Funding & Meet the Assembly Candidates 11-1-05
     Bergen County's 'Dollars & Sense' organization hosts informational meeting on
     Bergen County's 'Dollars & Sense' organization hosts informational meeting on "Bergen County United" Wed. Oct 19th Paramus High School Cafe 7:30 p.m.
     Parents in Trenton 9-21-05 Press Conference
     Annual Meeting President Walt Mahler's Good News on NJ Public Schools
     Glen Ridge community group 'New Jersey Citizens for Education Equity in Funding'
     Glen Ridge Schools and GSCS Dec 9 Meeting
     Red Bank Area December 6, 2004 Forum
     Rumson PTA, Monmouth Parents, May 2005
     Princeton Marh 2005 Education symposium
     Grassroots 'faces'
     Regional Forums: Quality Education Counts - School Funding Reality and S1701
     A99 and S1701
     GSCS Web Servey Results
3-15-07 Millburn-Short Hills Advocates for Education ask for you help in contacting Governor
(Last week a school funding forum was held in Millburn, hosted by the grassroots group Advocates for Education, as well as Millburn Mayor Baer/see Hompage below dated 3-8-07.This grassroots group has asked GSCS to post this outreach letter requesting your help in contacting Governor Corzine.).... "On behalf of Advocates for Education, we thank all those who attended our standing room only open forum last week regarding the impact of property tax legislation on our school district and the municipal budget.

After this forum, our group is even more convinced that Bills S19 and S20, currently on Governor Corzine's desk to be signed, will pose a direct threat to our school district, reducing our ability to manage and fund our schools as our community deems appropriate. We are organizing two phone/e-mail campaigns to Governor Corzine's office to make sure our voices are heard. Please forward this e-mail to all of your friends who care about NJ public education..." FOR DETAILS ON HOW YOU CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE, CLICK on

On behalf of Advocates for Education, we thank all those who attended our standing room only open forum last week regarding the impact of property tax legislation on our school district and the municipal budget. After this forum, our group is even more convinced that Bills S19 and S20, currently on Governor Corzine's desk to be signed, will pose a direct threat to our school district, reducing our ability to manage and fund our schools as our community deems appropriate. If the Governor waits 45 days without action, the bills automatically become law. We are organizing two phone/e-mail campaigns to Governor Corzine's office to make sure our voices are heard. Please forward this e-mail to all of your friends who care about NJ public education. We are separating our efforts by bill to maximize impact. On Friday March 16th & Monday March 19th Please call Governor Corzine at 609-292-6000 and contact him via his website www.state.nj.us/governor/. Ask him to: 1. Veto line items in bill S20 that require a potentially unconstitutional 60% majority vote for special school expenses. 2. Remind him to include the provision, which he has publicly stated he supports, that local elections needn't be held if a district's budget is within the proposed cap. 3. Tell him that if our schools are harmed by this legislation, we will hold him accountable. 4. (S20/A1 will become law on March 22nd if nothing is done) On Friday March 23rd & Monday March 26th Please call Governor Corzine at 609-292-6000 and contact him via his website www.state.nj.us/governor/. Ask him to: 1. Veto S19, which creates a County Executive Superintendent and an ensuing costly bureaucracy which will not result in tax savings. 2. Please remind him that if our schools are harmed by this legislation, we will hold him accountable. 3. (S19/A4 will become law on April 8th if nothing is done.) For those who missed the open forum, the event will be televised on TV36 - Millburn View, during the month of March. If you would like a copy of the event, contact Millburn View at www.tv36coc.com/tv36coc/p2.html. The mission of Advocates for Education is to educate our community about the important legislative matters affecting our schools. We encourage all community members to stay informed and encourage you to visit the New Jersey Legislature’s web site at www.njleg.state.nj.us/ and the Garden State Coalition of Schools web site at www.gs cschools.org as our state continues to grapple with its tax and school funding issues. Thank you for speaking up for our schools. Advocates for Education PS--It's always helpful to track the impact we're having on Trenton. When you're done contacting your legislators, p lease email saralazarus@comcast.net.