Parent Networking

GSCS FYI

1-24-11 GSCSS Testimony before Assembly Education Committee: Charter School Reform

1-24-11 GSCS Testimony on Charter School Reform before Assembly Eduction Committee today

12-8-10 Education & Related Issues in the News - Tenure Reform, Sup't Salary Caps Reactions, Property Valuations Inflated

8-18-10 Property Tax Cap v. Prior Negotiated Agreements a Big Problem for Schools and Communities

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

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'

MARK YOUR CALENDARS! GSCS GENERAL MEMBERSHIP-STATEWIDE MEETING 'THE SUMMIT AT SUMMIT', TUESDAY MARCH 2, 7:30 p.m., Details to follow

GSCS at TRI-DISTRICT MEETING IN MONMOUTH COUNTY January 27

GSCS to speak at Tri-District 'Open' meeting in Monmouth on January 27

7-16-08 Schools Testing measures adopted; Test scoring upgraded - harder to pass

CONCERNED ABOUT YOUR SCHOOLS? YOU ARE INVITED-GSCS General Membership Open Meeting Leonia Feb 25 7 pm

8-27-08 SAT analysis reported by College Boards

11-6-07 GSCS Parent Advocates help clarify election issues...the Millburn Example

GSCS 'NOV 6th LEGISLATIVE ELECTIONS 'ADVOCACY PACKET

Nov 2006 Special Aid loss to districts if aid were based on current ability-to-pay formula

5-16-07 Education Week 'Frustration Builds in NJ Funding Debate'

SCHOOL ELECTIONS - A PUBLIC'S CHOICE....for ITS PUBLIC VOICE

4-3-07 Governor Corzine signs A1 and A4 today at the War Memorial

2-20-07 GSCS member Fair Haven holds school funding forum tonight

2-15-07 'Parents get boost on special ed rights' Star Ledger

2-12-07 State School Aid - needed to offset property taxes now

2-9-07 GSCS EMAILNET MEMBER FYI on Trenton legislation Action

2-7-07 School funding, school audits - need for new formula underscored

2-2-07 Grassroots letter to editor & communications message to Trenton re S19 'Super' County Supt and S20 Tax Caps bills

2-1-07 GSCS Advocacy on bills A1-S20 and A4-S19

1-31-07 GSCS FYI

GSCS members submit their well-reasoned thoughts to local newspapers

Grassroots in Action, recent forums re school aid, property tax squeeze on communities, consolidation issues

1-9-07 Countywide Pilot Program and County 'Super' Superintendent bills held again yesterday, Jan 22 next probable vote date scheduled for these bills

1-3-07 GSCS Member ALERT 'County School bills' fastracked again

1-2-07 GSCS New Year's Resolution

12-15-06 District 21 letter to GSCS subsequent to S7 & S10 being held

12-15-06 EMAILNET Bills Held!

12-13-06 GSCS critique re A4-Roberts - Executive County Supt sections

12-10-06 Parent Letter to Trenton re CORE Plan

12-8 & 12-9 News clips on Trenton machinations...

12-6-07 Sample Parent Advocacy Letter to Trenton

11-17-06 Letter to members - cites proposal pros & cons, thanks GSCS volunteers

1-17-06 Asbury Park Press "Viewpoint" comments by parents Kim Newsome & Marianne Kligman

9-21-05 Comments from "Parents in Trenton" Press Conference

11-17-06 PARENT ADVOCACY INFO PACKET

11-17-06 News Clips - Trenton Proposals

11-16-06 Property Tax Proposal news articles

11-15-06 The Special Session Jt Committee Reports

11-15-06 Spec Session Proposals - What GSCS is hearing & what's being said

11-11-06 EMAILNET Special Session Legislative Committees report Nov. 14 or 15

11-2-06 GSCS Parent Press Conference Coverage

11-1-06 Press Conference packet

GSCS PARENTS' Press Conference at the Statehouse set for November 1, 11:00 a.m.

10-31-06 PRESS ADVISORY

DIRECTIONS to Statehouse

SPECIAL SESSION ADVOCACY TIPS

DIRECTIONS

Parent & Member Information Packet on Special Session

October 2006 Quality Education At Risk

GSCS Key Message Points re Special Session & School Funding

GSCS Press Conf at theStatehouse set for November 1, 11:00 a.m.

Parents: For information on the Special Session on Property Tax Reform

6-22-06 GSCS Parent Coordinator Letter to the Editor

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

1-12-06 Asbury Park Press letter to the editor

12-12-05 EMAILNET Bills move out of Assembly Education Committee

Summit Parent Nora Radest on Statehouse Steps Delivering letters re S1701

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

11-15-05 EMAILNET

S1701 EMAILNET Alert 11-28-05

Parent Letter to Senate Education Committee Chair on S1701 and request to move amendment legislation

Parent letter to legislators on S1701 and 'stalled status of amendment bills S2329 and S2278'

10-14-05 EMAILNET Parent question for Gubernatorial Candidates aired on 101.5 debate, SCC funds, Next Board meeting, press briefing notes

People are asking: How does the GSCS Parent Network 'work'?

MANY HAVE ASKED; How does the GSCS Parent Network 'work'?: Grassroots, yet coordinated, with the help of GSCS - See this 9-30-05 Candace Mueller, past GSCS Parent Network Coordinator, letter reaches out to Ewing district parents

9-21-05 Comments from

new file

See 9-21-05 Press Conference Program

THANK YOU - OVER 100 PARENTS SHOWED UP TODAY IN TRENTON at the Parents in Trenton Press Conference

PARENTS IN TRENTON PRESS ADVISORY & INFO & LOGISTICS

PARENTS IN TRENTON PRESS ADVISORY & INFO

FYI Parents in Trenton Press Conference 9-21-05

PARENTS IN TRENTON PRESS CONFERENCE INVITATION

NJ State Public Information: How to Locate

A Parent Call to Action To Amend S1701 & Pursue Quality Public Education for All Children

Parent Network Sign Up Cover Letter

Parent Network FYI 1-27-05

2004 Archives

11-11-06 EMAILNET Special Session Legislative Committees report Nov. 14 or 15
GARDEN STATE COALITION OF SCHOOLS/GSCS EMAILNET 11-11-06 Special Session Legislative Committees report Nov. 14 or 15
Stay Informed & Be ready to input to Trenton:

School funding formula/consolidation and more - recommendations anticipated to be passed by end of the year.

GARDEN STATE COALITION OF SCHOOLS/GSCS

EMAILNET 11-11-06

Stay Informed & Be ready to input to Trenton:

Special Session Legislative Committees report Nov. 14 or 15, school funding formula/governance structure recommendations anticipated to be passed by end of the year.

gscs2000@gmail.com www.gscschools.org

On the Homepage Today: go to www.gscschools.org for details....

11-11-06 School Funding, Governance, Property Tax Recommendations on schedule for mid-week Nov 14 or 15
GSCS is working hard to see that all communities are positively impacted by legislative reform efforts...details of the as yet publicly 'unvetted' plans are going to be very important...Details will require thoughtful analysis to assure funding stability, underscored by district flexibility to realistically provide for quality education for all children, no matter where they live.

Nov 11, 2006 Star Ledger - New school funding plan could add $1 billion in aid

"...The new school funding formula outline will be part of a wide range of reform proposals by four committees that spent the summer reviewing ways to cut the nation's highest property taxes. The plans are expected to be released Tuesday or Wednesday."

11-9-06 Public hearing on school consolidation, 7 pm, at Freehold Borough Chambers, 51 Main St
GSCS FYI: GSCS backs consolidation (and of course shared services which occurs frequently already) efforts of school districts, with the caveat that it remain voluntary for individual districts option.

GSCS also supports laws and regulations that would secure: 1) a tax structure that would not penalize a district via higher property taxes as a result of consolidating with another school district; 2) find an equitable way for districts not to have to share debt services incurred by one or more of the merging district prior to merging; 3) addresses differences in teacher salaries that would not lead to joined districts' having to cover additional salary costs that are likely to occur due to the merger.

These points above are currently major stumbling blocks to districts' merging and yet the legislative dialogue on consolidation has remained silent on these issues. GSCS, as well as other groups, have noted these problems consistently when talking to legislators, in our communications in general and in testimonies as well. We formally noted it in our write-up to Gov Corzine's Transition Team/Education last December as well.

GSCS is interested in Pennsylvania's Intermediate Unit system which goes a long way in helping to provide regionalized services to local districts - from special education instruction and various education programs to transportation to textbooks etc - while sustaining local district home rule.
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11-8-06 Summary Overviews - Elections '07
Courtesy to GSCS by Princeton Public Affairs Group
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