NJ Education Report

Confidence Booster of the Day: A new member of the NJ State Board of Education, reports the Star-Ledger, knows nothing about the Abbott rulings, which drive NJ’s school funding formula. At Claire Chamberlain Eckert’s hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee, Senator Nia Gill asked the nominee if she had ever heard of Abbott v. Burke.

“Sorry?” Chamberlain Eckert responded.

“Abbott v. Burke?” Gill asked again.

“No,” Chamberlain Eckert said.

“I have no further questions, thank you,” Gill said.

Chamerlain Eckert was confirmed by the full Senate. Gill was the only “no” vote.

Charles Barone, Director of Democrats for Education Reform, writes in Politico, “Despite all the talk about how to fix education, reform is likely to fall far short of expectations if we don’t fundamentally change the way we recruit, prepare and retain good teachers.”

The Wall Street Journal hearts Chris Christie. And here’s the Journal’s take on this week’s Supreme Court Abbott decision, which notes, “[t]he Supreme Court’s decision could force the state to spend more money, upending the highly political budget process midstream.”

Three hundred rising kindergarten students applied for 31 open slots at Jersey City’s Learning Community Charter School. According to Shelley Skinner, the school’s development of development and outreach, “The number of applicants has increased dramatically over the past few years.”

John Mooney at NJ Spotlight looks at reactions to Michelle Rhee’s guest appearance at Gov. Christie’s State of the State speech.

Willingboro Public Schools’ seventh superintendent in five years just resigned to take a position at Liberty Science Center, according to the Burlington County Times.

The New Jersey Association of School Administrators is suing the DOE over the superintendent salary caps.

A new Rasmussen poll shows a drop in number of Americans who favor unions for public employees.

The State Department of Children and Families has decided to cut off home therapeutic services to 3,000 kids with behavioral problems. A group of parents, therapists, and special education advocates are fighting the decision, reports the Star-Ledger.

The Washington Post reports that when a parent in Prince George’s County School District received a robo-call at 4:33 a.m. informing him that there was a snow day on Wednesday, he was so incensed that he arranged robo-calls at 4:30 the following morning to the district’s school board members, superintendent, and general counsel. The early risers heard:

This is a Prince George’s County School District parent, calling to thank you for the robocall yesterday at 4:30 in the morning. I decided to return the favor. While I know the school district wanted to ensure I drop my child off two hours late on a snow day, I already knew that before I went to bed. I hope this call demonstrates why a 4:30 a.m. call does more to annoy than to inform.