Quality Public Education for All New Jersey Students

 

 
     3-30-13 Education in the News - Dept of Education-State Budget, Autism Rates in NJ
     3-20-12 Education Issues in the News
     GSCS State Budget FY 2012-2013 Testimony
     3-11-12 Education Issues in the News
     2-29-12 NJTV on NJ School Funding...and, Reporters' Roundtable back on the aire
     2-26-12 State budget, School Elections, and Federal Grant funds for local reform initiatives
     2-24-12 Headlines from around NJ - from Google (hit on nj education-nj budget)
     2-23-12 Education in the News - Education reform noted in state budget message; Facebook grant to Newark teachers
     2-23-12 State Aid Figures Released late today: GSCS Statement
     STATE AID DISTRICT LIST - PROPOSED for FY 2012-2013
     Education Funding Report on School Funding Reform Act (SFRA) issued 2-23-12
     Text of Gov. Christie's State Budget Message, given Feb. 21, 2012
     2-22-12 School Aid in State Budget Message - Is There a Devil in the Details
     2-21-12 State Budget Message for Fiscal Year 2012-2013
     FY'12 State School Aid District-by-District Listing, per Appropriations Act, released 110711
     GSCS Take on Governor's Budget Message for FY'12
     GSCS 3-7-11Testimony on State Budget as Proposed by the Governor for FY'12 before the Senate Budget Committee
     Gov's Budget Message for Fiscal Year 2011-2012 Today, 2pm
     GSCS FYI
     2-7-11Grassroots at Work in the Suburbs
     1-13-11 Supreme Court Appoints Special Master for remand Hearing
     1-20-11 GSCS Testimony before Senator Buono's Education Aid Impact hearing in Edison
     NOTE: FOR CURRENT INFO ON STATE BUDGET FY'11, GO TO LINK ON LEFT SIDEBAR '2010-2011 STATE BUDGET'
     GSCS FYI - GSCS will be testifying onTuesday in Bergen County on the State Budget
     3-17-10 Budget News - Gov. Chris Christie proposes sacrifices
     3-15-10mid-day: 'Gov. Christie plans to cut NJ school aid by $800M'
     3-14-10 'Christie will propose constitutional amendment to cap tax hikes in N.J. budget'
     3-15-10 'N.J. taxpayers owe pension fund $45.8 billion' The Record
     3-3-10 'Public Education in N.J.: Acting NJ Comm of Educ Bret Schundler says 'Opportunity'
     2-24-10 'Tight funds raise class sizes that districts long sought to cut'
     2-22-10 Christie and unions poised to do batttle over budget cuts'
     2-22-10 Trenton Active Today
     2-19-10 'Acting NJ education commissioner hoping other savings can ward off cuts'
     2-16-10 'Christie Adopts Corzine Cuts, Then Some'
     2-14-10 'FAQ's on NJ's state of fiscal emergency declaration by Gov. Christie'
     2-12-10 Assembly Budget hearing posted for this Wednesday, Feb. 17
     2-12-10 News Coverage: Governor Christie's message on actions to address current fiscal year state budget deficits
     FY2010 Budget Solutions - PRESS PACKET
     School Aid Withheld Spreadsheet
     State Aid 2010 Reserve Calculation and Appeal Procedures
     State Aid Memo (2-11-10) 2 pgs
     2-11-10 Gov Christie address to Joint Session of the Legislature on state budget and current year aid reduction remains scheduled for today
     2-10-10 'Schools are likely targets for NJ budget cuts'
     2-9-10 News article posted this morning notes potential for large loss of current year school aid
     2-8-10 'School leaders around N.J. wait and worry over state aid figures'
     1-28-10 School Surplus plan to supplant State Aid in this year gaining probability
     1-21-10'N.J.'s Christie won't rule out layoffs, furloughs to close unexpected $1.2B deficit'
     2005 Archive
     1-18-10 Advance news on 'Christie as new Governor'
     GSCS to speak at Tri-District 'Open' meeting in Monmouth on January 27
     12-15-09 GSCS is working with the Christie Transition Team
     11-29-09 Ramifications - News of NJ's fiscal realities
     Codey bill allows Budget Message to be delayed until March 16, 2010
     6-26-09 Executive Director to GSCS Trustees; Wrap Up Report - State Budget and Assembly bills this week
     6-26-09 NJ State Budget Passed late Thursday night
     6-19-09 a.m. GSCS 'Quick' FYI - State Budget Vote delayed to Thursday, June 25
     6-18-09 Deocrats say they have the votes to pass the State Budget today
     6-16-09 News from Trenton on State Budget in Senate and Assembly Budget Committees yesterday
     APPROPRIATIONS ACT FY2009-1020 as introduced
     A4100-S2010 Appropriations Act 'Scoresheet' and Language Changes released
     5-14-09 GSCS Heads Up - State Aid payments to be delayed into next Fiscal Year
     5-19-09 Treasurer David Rousseau announces additional round of cuts to Gov's proposed State Budget FY2009-2010
     4-5-09 The Record, Sunday April 5, Front Page Opinion
     Latest Title 1 'preliminary' funding under the ARRA 3-09
     Latest website filing by the USDOE on Title 1 funding
     3-13-09 Information to Districts re: Federal Stimulus- Additional Title 1 and IDEA funding information still not ready for distribution
     3-11-09 CORZINE BUDGET ADDRESS: STATE FUNDING FOR SCHOOLS A LITTLE MORE NOT LESS - FEDERAL TITLE 1 & IDEA INCREASES YET TO BE COUNTED - STATE SCHOOL AID FIGURES ON DEPT OF ED WEBSITE 1:30 TODAY - RELATED ARTICLES, MORE...
     3-10-09 GOVERNOR TO DELIVER STATE BUDGET MESSAGE TODAY - SCHOOL AID FIGURES TO BE RELEASED BY THURSDAY LATEST
     2-24-09 State Budget & Stimulus News of Note
     2-23-09 S-15 (Buono) Pension Deferral bill up for a vote in the Sentate today
     2-19-09 Federal stimulus - information re: Education funding in 'State Fiscal Stabilization' part of the package
     2-18-09 Corzine announces more cuts, more deficit
     NJ District listing, Title One & IDEA under federal stimulus law
     2-3-09 Corzine to unveil new cuts when he offers 2010 budget
     1-23-09 Schools get an eduction in thrift
     1-17-09 GSCS EMAILNET & SCHOOL FUNDING OVERVIEW
     1-16-09 Today's news notes state budget waiting on Obama stimulus package
     1-15-09 HEADS UP - Budget Message date to be delayed now to March 12
     1-14-09 Meeting with Mayors, Corzine warns of cuts
     1-9-09 State Senator requests education committee hearing on potential school funding cuts
     12-28-08 NY Times 'Pension Fight Signals What Lies Ahead'
     11-25-08 Perspective piece criticizes recent Supreme Court Abbott decision
     6-24-08 State Budget passed yesterday, as did the School Construction, Pension Reform, and Affordable Housing bills
     6-23-08 A2873-S1457 School Construction bills up for vote today, along with State Budget FY09
     6-20-08 State Budget stalls, school construction is one obstacle
     A2800 - Proposed State Budget bill released 6-17-08
     6-17-08 Legislature and Governor agree on State Budget FY09
     GOVERNOR'S PROPOSED BUDGET Fiscal Year 2009...INFO
     Office of Leg Services Analysis of Gov's Education budget FY09
     GSCS & NJ Spec. Educ.Funding Coalition on STATE FUNDING FOR EXTRAORDINARY COST FY09 issues & beyond
     6-9-08 GSCS Quick Facts: TRENTON FOCUS THIS WEEK
     3-19-08 GSCS Testimony on State Budget for Fiscal Year 2008-2009
     2-26-08 Governor Corzine's Budget Message for Fiscal Year 2008-2009
     6-29-07 Lots of news affecting NJ, its schools and communities this week - STATE BUDGET signed - LIST OF LINE ITEM VETOES - US SUPREME CT RULING impacts school desgregation - SPECIAL EDUCATION GROUPS file suit against state
     6-14-07 Revisions to State Budget filed today
     4-4-07 N Y Times, front page 'NJ Pension Fund Endangered by Diverted Billions'
     3-15-07 State eases at risk aid restrictions & 25% members of NJ Senate retiring (so far)
     3-13-07 GSCS Testimony on State Budget FY'08
     GRASSROOTS SPEAK UP re State Aid for FY07-08 & Recent Legislation that can negatively impact school communities
     Hearings Schedule for State Budget FY07-08
     3-1-07 Emerging Devil showing up in the details
     2-27-07 GSCS welcomes that state aid increases for regular operating districts helps lower & some middle income districts - will persevere to see that the state extends its share of support to education more fully to all districts
     2-23-07 News Articles re Gov's Budget Proposal
     2-22-07 GSCS EMAILNET re Gov's Budget Message
     2-22-07 Gov's Budget Message Link & Related News Articles
     2-22-07 GSCS Press Release: Governor Corzine's Budget Message today
     2-22-07 Governor Corzine's Budget Message today
     2-16 to 2-19 New Articles of Note
     2-14-07 GSCS letter to Gov Corzine & Commr of Education Davy - Request for State Aid FY0708
     NJ Assembly Session FY06 Budget Debate Majority Leader Joe Roberts standing
     7-12-06 Column on State Budget legislator items
     7-11-06 Appropriations Act bill
     7-9&10-06 State Budget news articles -wrap up & news analyses
     7-9-06 Sunday New York Times
     7-8-06 FY07 Budget approved - 19.5 in spec ed grants stays in
     7-7-06 Afternoon Friday - budget document awaiting
     7-7-06 EMAILNET - AGREEMENT ON STATE BUDGET REACHED, impt 'details' still being finalized
     7-7-06 AGREEMENT ON STAE BUDGET REACHED, impt 'details' still being finalized
     7-3-06 Roberts, Codey & Corzine still not on same page
     6-30-06 State Budget news - as the dissonance must be resolved
     6-29-06 GSCS 'QUICKNET FYI' Update on State Budget for FY 2007
     6-29-06 Mirroring the elements, State Budget looking like a 'natural disaster'
     6-25-06 State Budget issues:legislative branches conflict - news articles
     6-14-06 Assembly Minority Budget Leader Joe Malone's Op Ed
     Editorial on benefit of using UEZ surplus for spec educ aid for this year
     6-12-06 EMAILNET - Extraordinary Special Education student aid; FY07 Budget 'crunch' is on; news clips
     Weekend News Clips re Property Tax & School Funding issues
     GSCS 15th Annual Breakfast Meeting Program Info Update
     5-16-06 EMAILNET Action in Trenton
     5-10-06 EMAILNET
     5-10-06 A Lot is going on - Major News fromTrenton
     5-9-06 Supreme Ct freezes aid & Asm Budget Comm grills DOE Commissioner
     News articles
     TRENTON RALLY PROPOSED (late morning) Thurs JUNE 8
     3-28-06 GSCS testimony before Assembly Budget Comm today
     Legislative Calendar during State Budget FY07 process
     4-17-06 EMAILNET
     4-16-06 Star Ledger editorial & article re Gov v. Abbott from 4-15-06
     40-16-06 Gannett & Asbury Park Press on School Budget election issues
     4-16-06 Sunday NY Times Metro Section, front page
     Governor Corzine takes steps towards major policy initiatives.
     3-28 & 4-3-06 GSCS FY07 testimony before Senate & Assembly Budget Comm
     Grassroots at work - Ridgewood Board member testimony of FY07
     4-8-06 Corzine Administration files brief with Supreme Court re Abbott funding
     4-7-06 The Record
     3-31-06 AP 'Budget idea puts onus on income taxes, businesses'
     3-29-06 EMAILNET State Budget FY07 Hearings Update
     3-24-06 EMAILNET FYI Update on Gov Corzine's Budget FY07
     3-24-06 Schools learn who wins, loses in Corzine budget
     3-23-06 Corzine says some Abbotts can raise taxes
     3-22-06 News Article sampling on Governor's Proposed FY07 Budget
     3-22-06 EMAILNET Governor Corzine's Budget Message
     Governor's 3-21-06 Budget message & hard copy links
     3-15-06 News articles on FY07
     3-10-06 Star Ledger 'Time is ripe for poorer districts to contribute.
     EMAILNET 3-9-06 to South Jersey districts
     3-7-06 More articles on the Gov's Budget Summit and School Board members fo to Trenton
     3-7-06 Articles on Gov's Budget Summit and School Board members off to Trenton
     3-4-06 Star Ledger Interest groups to address budget
     3- 4-06 Trenton Times Likey state aid cuts frustrating districts
     3-3-06 EMAILNET Budget Discussions begin in earnest
     7-14-05 EMAILNET Record article & today's editorial re politics & inequity in school aid and S1701: Update
     Check it out - The Press of Atlantic City 7-6-05 Education Funds lie in Budget Fine Print
     3-1-06 EMAILNET State Budget FY07, Health Benefits
     2-24-06 Trenton Times - Higher schools taxes needed
     School Budget Guidelines released 2-21-07
     2-11-06 Trenton Timesn'NJ State Budget has little wiggle room'
     2-1-06 EMAILNET GSCS Advocacy FY07 Budget; On the Homepage Today
     FUNDING HISTORY - May 27 1998 - Education Week article re Abbott V - funding above parity
     2003 GSCS letter to legislators
     Star Ledger 6-29-05 Bid to Save Tax Rebates Imperils NJ Budget
     Rebate Debate on Budget for FY06
     Public Information available at New Jersey website
     S2558 Bill to provide $19.9M in Abbott aid to additional districts
     GSCS Advocacy for State Budget FY06
     GSCS Testimony: State Budget Fiscal Year 2006
3-20-12 Education Issues in the News
Politickernj.com - Education advocates seek greater increase in funding; say schools still underfunded “…Lynne Strickland, the executive director of Garden State Coalition of Schools, said she was in favor of the additional school aid, but still had concerns about underfunding. Strickland also said she had concerns about charter schools, which “create a hole in school budgets.”

NJ Spotlight - Newark Super Drums Up Support for Sweeping Reforms…Critics missing as Anderson reveals final details to close, reorganize schools

Northjersey.com - Christie: 'Enough is enough' in NJEA war of words

Star Ledger - N.J. education groups call for more state money for public and private schools

Politickernj.com - Education advocates seek greater increase in funding; say schools still underfunded   “…Lynne Strickland, the executive director of Garden State Coalition of Schools, said she was in favor of the additional school aid, but still had concerns about underfunding. Strickland also said she had concerns about charter schools, which “create a hole in school budgets.”

NJ Spotlight - Newark Super Drums Up Support for Sweeping Reforms…Critics missing as Anderson reveals final details to close, reorganize schools

Northjersey.com - Christie: 'Enough is enough' in NJEA war of words

Star Ledger - N.J. education groups call for more state money for public and private schools  

 

Politickernj.com - Education advocates seek greater increase in funding; say schools still underfunded   “…Lynne Strickland, the executive director of Garden State Coalition of Schools, said she was in favor of the additional school aid, but still had concerns about underfunding. Strickland also said she had concerns about charter schools, which “create a hole in school budgets.”

 

By Ray Smith | March 19th, 2012 - 3:19pm

NEWARK – Public schools need an increase in funding and a change in the proposed school aid formula, according to education advocates testifying at the Assembly Budget Committee hearing on Monday.

Brian Volz, of the New Jersey Education Association, the state’s largest teacher’s union, said that while the proposed additional $140 million in funding to schools is better than additional cuts, the money is “far short of what the school formula requires and what our children deserve.”

This year, the state has changed the way it counts enrollment, moving from a one day tally to an average daily attendance model. Officials say the change will give schools an incentive to keep students in school, while opponents say it will decrease funding for schools in poor districts.

“This would result in a significant drop in funding for districts that serve poor students whose daily attendance in school is compromised by ill health, family challenges and other issues, problems over which the district has no control,” said Sharon Krengel, the Policy and Outreach Coordinator with the Education Law Center.
Krengel urged the Legislature to “rewrite the provisions for school aid in the budget based on the educationally necessary, and legally required, costs, weights, enrollment and other parameters” in the state educational aid formula.

Julia Sass Rubin of Save Our Schools NJ echoed Krengel’s concerns.

“We ask that you reject the funding formula changes proposed in this budget and instead put forth a budget that allocates school aid based on the current school funding formula,” she said. “That formula was adopted in a bipartisan manner, after much consideration and study.”

Lynne Strickland, the executive director of Garden State Coalition of Schools, said she was in favor of the additional school aid, but still had concerns about underfunding. Strickland also said she had concerns about charter schools, which “create a hole in school budgets.”

 

NJ Spotlight - Newark Super Drums Up Support for Sweeping Reforms…Critics missing as Anderson reveals final details to close, reorganize schools

By John Mooney, March 20, 2012 in Education|1 Comment

Newark schools superintendent Cami Anderson's announcement yesterday of the final details in her plans to reorganize New Jersey's largest district was almost as much about appearance as it was about substance.

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The substance was significant: The outright closing of six school buildings; the "renewal" of eight more with new leadership, faculty and programs; and the expansion of both early childhood and high school options.

Similar to what she first proposed this winter, it would be the new superintendent's most sweeping moves yet in a district that has the attention of the Christie administration, if not the school reform movement nationwide.

But the choreography of the hour-long event at the Quitman Elementary School was notable, too, with Anderson introducing more than a dozen city leaders to voice their support for change -- from politicians to clergy to philanthropic leaders, from virtually every section of the city.

It was a far cry from the community showdown at Rutgers-Newark a month ago, where Anderson presented the first iteration of plan from a lone perch on a stage before a large audience that was far from welcoming.

Yesterday on a sunny schoolday morning, there were no catcalls or even hints of discord in the invitation-only crowd, a few of the most outspoken critics left outside to complain and the Newark Teachers Union a notable absence from the room.

Instead, it was a long train of support that had been noticeably missing from the first meeting, including three principals in the district, a half-dozen ministers, several of the largest foundations in the city, and some of the most outspoken politicians.

Mayor Cory Booker was an impassioned keynote, repeatedly citing what he called Anderson's "common sense" proposals to close or overhaul low-performing and under-enrolled schools and place the most qualified educators in the classroom.

With a nod to the challenges ahead, Booker implored the community to support the superintendent's changes.

"The success or failure of this plan is not going to be determined by the superintendent," he said. "It is going to be determined by the community and whether we stand up and not make it about her but about our children."

In a district that has been under state oversight for close to 20 years, there are plenty of challenges, from the political to the logistical. Anderson went out of her way yesterday to show her ability to adjust.

For one, the plan made some major changes from the initial blueprint proposed last month before the raucous crowd at Rutgers. One of the most contentious closings, the Miller Street School, has been taken off the table, although not ruled out for the future.

Still, that leaves six school buildings to be closed outright: Eighteenth Avenue, Burnett Street, Dayton Street, Martin Luther King, and the annexes at West Side and Barringer high schools.

The school closings are not likely to happen quietly, with Joseph Del Grosso, the Newark Teacher Union president, saying he would challenge the moves in court, if necessary. The union president said he was not invited to yesterday's event, something Anderson's staff did not dispute.

"This is better than the original plan, but it needs work," Del Grosso said in an interview. "I'm not going to buy into any plan that closes Newark public schools. I am still of the opinion that we can fix schools that are not performing."

"Will we challenge it? If necessary, we certainly will," he said of legal action. "This is not just automatic, this is far from settled."

Yet, this is also an interesting time with the union, with contract negotiations underway and the two sides scheduled to exchange bargaining proposals today. The 5,000-member union has been without a contract for more than a year.

In side agreements, the union and district have already agreed to some of the stipulations for Anderson's plans around extended hours in the new so-called "renew schools." Also, Anderson has proposed additional bonuses for teachers to work in those schools, something that Del Grosso yesterday said he was open to.

Anderson said she was cautious but remained hopeful about her talks with the union: "We have been talking with them quite a bit, and when we do, we are much likely to get where we need to go."

When asked about the union's past resistance, Anderson said: "I am one who believes in collaborating with the union. We will do what is best for kids."

Another tricky balance will be in Anderson's plans for tightening the assignment of teachers in the new alignment of schools, opening up new positions citywide but also requiring principals to agree to the placements. This year, that system has left more than 80 teachers unassigned and instead filling in at schools in a variety of support roles, at an extra cost of $8 million.

Anderson's new plan cited that the district as a whole is overstaffed by as many as 600 teachers, a number that would vastly expand that excess pool -- and its cost. She did not shy from that yesterday, conceding there would be sacrifices.

"We have experienced a 9 percent decrease in enrollment (over three years), and we have not experienced a 9 percent decrease in the number of teachers we have hired," Anderson said yesterday.

Much of the changes will be coming in the new "renew schools" in eight buildings: 13th Avenue, Peshine Avenue, Chancellor Avenue, Camden, Sussex Avenue, Quitman Street, Newton Street and Cleveland Avenue.

In each case there will be new principals and teachers, extended hours and additional student supports, all with the stated goal of raising student achievement to 50 percent proficiency on state tests in two years and 75 percent in four years. The average now is 20 percent, Anderson said.

In the audience yesterday was an experienced hand to the challenges facing Newark's schools, former deputy superintendent Anzella Nelms. Now working with the Newark Charter School Fund, Nelms was a top administrator under former superintendent Marion Bolden, who led the district for nine years.

Nelms cheered Anderson for putting forward constructive ideas both new and previously considered by Bolden, all with political support she had not seen in her years at the district's Cedar Street headquarters.

But she said even the easy changes can face resistance in a district that has seen many years of distrust.

"It will be an uphill battle," Nelms said. "It will be an uphill battle in changing the mindset of many people in the city who think we can do the same things . . . I think they truly do care, but they also want to be included so that they truly understand."

 

Northjersey.com - Christie: 'Enough is enough' in NJEA war of words

Monday, March 19, 2012 Last Updated: Monday March 19, 2012, 4:17 Pm  The Associated Press

KEARNY — Gov. Chris Christie says it may be time to call a truce in the war of words between him and New Jersey's teachers' union.

But the call came after the governor leveled some pointed criticism at the union during a town hall event Monday.

The governor told a crowd at the Archdiocesan Youth Retreat Center Gym in Kearny that the New Jersey Education Association has a "political slush fund" that's spent millions on ads attacking him, money that should be used for merit pay for teachers.

When a woman who said she is a second-grade teacher asked Christie to end the name-calling and personal attacks, the governor said he would if the union would.

A union spokesman says the group has attacked Christie's policies but not him personally.

 

Star Ledger - N.J. education groups call for more state money for public and private schools

Published: Tuesday, March 20, 2012, 7:30 AM  By Ted Sherman/The Star-LedgerThe Star-Ledger

NEWARK — Education advocates took aim at the governor's proposed $32.1 billion state spending plan yesterday, urging the Assembly Budget Committee to direct more money to public and private schools.

While hundreds of millions in aid to public colleges and local schools was restored under Gov. Chris Christie’s proposal, many witnesses at the all-day hearing in Newark complained the assistance fell short of what is needed.

Jennifer Keys Maloney of the New Jersey Principals and Supervisors Association said despite increases, almost 16 percent of all school districts will see further cuts. At the same time, she said, the effects of slashed funding over the last several years is still being felt.

"Schools have had to make tough choices," she told the legislative committee during the public hearing at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey.

Maloney said districts have been forced to increase class sizes, cut classroom teachers, eliminated art, music and gifted and talented programs and cut non-instructional staff — including reading coaches. "These choices have had an irrevocable impact on the education we provide to our students," she said.

Christie’s spending plan relies on a revived state economy generating enough cash to cut income taxes.

Under the budget for the fiscal year that begins July 1, overall spending would increase by about $2.1 billion — or 8 percent — over the current plan the governor signed in June. It would include about $108 million more to colleges, an extra $212 million to schools and $89 million for transportation projects.

But several of those testifying before the committee said even with the additional money, the state is underfunding its obligations.

"New Jersey has a school funding formula that distributes state aid based on the needs of individual children, wherever they live," said Julia Ruben of Save Our Schools NJ. "The proposed state budget would underfund that formula for the fourth year in a row."

Ruben said the shortfall places an increased burden on local communities, and shortchanges kids.

"The districts most adversely impacted by the changes would be those with the largest concentrations of low-income and non English-speaking students," she said.

Going through the numbers on aid earmarked for the districts of each member of the budget committee, Ruben said Assemblyman Gary Schaer’s district would lost more than $10 million in money mandated by the school funding formula.

Schaer (D-Passaic), though, took issue with the accounting, noting other increases that offset some of those reductions.

The governor, in his State of the State address earlier this year, called the school funding formula — which was upheld by the state Supreme Court — a "failure" that funnels the bulk of state aid to 31 poor urban districts that are still "predominantly failing."