NJ Education Report

Schundler Watch: Josh McMahon writes in New Jersey Newsroom, “Christie has to deal with an independent-minded education commissioner who has already clashed twice with the chief. It’s possible that Schundler won’t make it to the end of June.” And EdWeek asks, “So, if Schundler does lose his gig, can we declare him the first high-profile casualty of Race to the Top politics? Are there others out there in the states?”

The Independent Press examines why some north Jersey school districts signed onto to our Race To The Top applications, while others begged off.

The Star-Ledger reports that recent school district settlements with local NJEA units show a lower increase in annual salaries: down to 3.4% from about 4.3%.

The Manhattan Institute says that a 2.5% cap on local property taxes won’t hurt our public schools. The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities says that it will.

NJ Spotlight interviews Education Law Center’s David Sciarra regarding this week’s filing in Supreme Court charging that Gov. Christie’s state aid cuts to schools violates the School Funding Reform Act.

The New York Times looks at why a few teachers ad administrators tamper with student scores on standardized tests

All hail Colorado, which has changed tenure rules so that teachers are judged on whether or not their students show progress for two consecutive years. Kate Walsh, the president of the Washington-based National Council on Teacher Quality, says that it’s “the boldest education reform in recent memory,” according to the Asbury Park Press.