NJ Education Report

The Star-Ledger’s Editorial Board agrees that school board elections should be moved to November, even though “those running the schools like it when fewer voters show up.”

The New Jersey School Boards Association reports that on Tuesday New Jersey gave a thumbs-down on almost 60% of the $659 million in school-construction projects, which is the largest number of local school board proposal failures since we started tracking this stuff.

Freehold Regional Public Schools continues to uncover more cases of staff members using a diploma mill called Breyer State University to jack up their salaries. The Asbury Park Press reported this week that an English teacher and a teacher’s consultant both filed paperwork last year claiming legitimate doctoral degrees and had their compensation raised accordingly. The Press’s report also depicts boisterous and angry school board meetings, a clear sign that times are ripe for a turnover in school board members, whenever the election is.

Know hope: The Cincinnati Federation of Teachers has agreed to a one year salary freeze, reports the local Enquirer. And the Washington Post says that “Montgomery County teachers and other school employees have agreed to give up a 5 percent pay raise next year, a concession that saves the school system $89 million and allows Superintendent Jerry D. Weast to balance the budget.” Ohio and Maryland have managed to harmonize the cognitive dissonance between the economy and teacher salaries; is it a trend or an atonal aberration?