Quality Public Education for All New Jersey Students

 

 
     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
FYI Parents in Trenton Press Conference 9-21-05

GARDEN STATE COALITION OF SCHOOLS

*GSCS*

 'Public Support for Public Education' 

 FYI--9/9/05

Welcome back to school everyone.  I hope that summer was relaxing (at least a little bit) for all.  See below for information on the GSCS-sponsored press conference in Trenton, and for commentary on the appointment of Lucille Davy as Acting Commissioner of Education.  GSCS is gearing up for action, and I hope many of you will join in.

GARDEN STATE COALITION OF SCHOOLS

*GSCS*

 'Public Support for Public Education' 

 EMAILNET 9-9-05

GSCS "Parents in Trenton" Press Conference 

 

SEPTEMBER 21 confirmed press conference date/see below 

 

*Please circulate*

 

 gscs2000@gmail.com      - 2 pages -          www.gscschools.org

                

                 [Please check our website regularly for updates, info, etc.]

 

gscs quick facts: Board of Trustees Meeting September 14 2005 4 p.m. East Brunswick Board of Education. See  www.gscschools.org  for  GSCS Meetings Calendar information.

 

GSCS was invited to attend Senator Corzine's press conference on his education agenda held yesterday at the College of New Jersey ; many college students were in attendance to hear Senator Corzine’s presentation. While the presentation was encouraging because of the candidate's emphasis on quality education, priority issues important to GSCS members were not emphazised, such as the need for a stable, standardized school funding formula for all districts, a predictable program to meet school facilities needs, state support for special education programs and enrollment increases. GSCS was interviewed by NJN Teevision's Michael Aron after the event. See www.gscschools.org  for news coverage of the event.

GSCS ‘of note”…

GSCS AGREES w/THE MAYORS ABOUT BUDGETS UNDER UNPREDICTABLE STRESS (See today’s article documenting the issues, available on www.gscschools.org   Star Ledger 9-9-05 'Soaring gas costs result in towns asking for cap relief'): GSCS CONTINUES TO PRESS THE STATE TO AMEND S1701; SOARING GAS COSTS UNDERSCORE ISSUES OF INFLEXIBLE CAPS AND SEVERELY RESTRICTED SURPLUS. GSCS continues to press its position that certain 'school budget cost drivers' are beyond local district control - such as gas/energy costs, health benefits, insurances. That these cost drivers can have very negative impact of school budgets, especially in unforeseen circumstances, is sadly proving true today. Steep rising prices will mean program reduction unless that state provides cap waiver for these soaring costs...Surplus is so restricted [2% for schools] that school districts, especially smaller ones, do not have the flexibility to provide for these unpredictable expenses, and bond rating houses do not smile on dipping into such resources that are already so severely limited by S1701 law. The State Senate should allow amendments per S2329 now to reflect reality.

 

Dear GSCS Members/Central Offices:

GSCS and its Parent Network press conference in Trenton HAS BEEN CONFIRMED FOR September 21 , 11:30 a.m., to be held in Committee Room #1 at the Statehouse Annex.  We plan to gather at the Statehouse Cafeteria at 11 a.m. prior to this event.

 

It would be helpful to have additional participants and we need your help in this regard. Please circulate the following notice to the key communicators in your district. This notice (EMAILNET 9-9-05 is also attached for your convenience for reproducing) is self-explanatory; attendance is not restricted and we encourage all interested parties to sign up to attend. We do ask for an RSVP to help us better plan our program….Your commitment to quality education, as reflected in your GSCS membership, is vital for our advocacy to be effective and heard in Trenton. Thank you for your time and effort. Together we will make a difference.

________________________________________________________________

Dear GSCS Parent:

 

We are most appreciative that you are interested in being active in the GSCS Parent Network. Your voices are needed and are critical for positive change. GSCS has been conferring over the summer and is now gearing up for a renewed year of advocacy for improving the opportunity for high quality education in our public schools. Taking our first step in this direction, GSCS is planning a ‘parent press’ event for September at the Statehouse in Trenton. Our goal is to get our message out that parents across New Jersey care deeply about the quality of education being offered to their children in our public schools and that parents will take a stand where that quality is threatened or being diminished. (Please see the GSCS website for details on S1701 status).

 

Politicians seeking elected office need to hear this message and make the well-being of public education delivered to children a part of their political platform. This year there is a gubernatorial election as well as the election of the full Assembly. The Senate on both sides of the aisle would like to see their own party gain seats, so all Trenton leadership has a stake in the November 8, 2005 elections.

 

In order to kick the GSCS fall advocacy campaign off successfully, we need to ensure that enough of you will be able to attend. We also hope to have geographical representation from around the state. The date for the event is now confirmed for September 21 and the time of the conference will be 11:30 and it should last no longer than an hour, start to finish ( see www.njlegislature.state.nj.us for directions). The event will be held in Committee Room #1 of the Statehouse Annex.

 

We do encourage you to reach out to others in your community to attend with you – that way we will make a bigger presence and a bigger point – and you will have far more impact in numbers that way, and a more interesting and enjoyable day when you can carpool together and meet with other parents in Trenton who share your vital concerns.

 

Please fill in the form below & copy-paste it to an email to gscs2000@gmail.com as soon as possible. Title your email reply to this  ‘Parents in Trenton’ please.

 

Thank you in advance for your concerns for quality education, negative impact of S1701 on that quality, and the stability that schools require in order to promote student achievement and engender public support for public education.

       MAKE THE TIME TO MAKE THE DIFFERENCE!

 

I PLAN TO ATTEND THE SEPT 21 PRESS CONFERENCE

 

Name:                            Email:                        District:

 

I plan to bring (     )   friends with me.    For more GSCS info see: www.gscschools.org