NJ Education Report

NJEA applauds Gov. Christie’s signing of the tenure reform bill. The Record notes, “[r]eforming tenure has become a goal that crosses party lines, with both Christie and the Obama administration in support of changing the system. We’re glad to see the NJEA backing sensible reform.” Additional coverage from CNN, CBS and the New York Times. Here’s a great overview from John Mooney. The Philadelphia Inquirer says the bill “bridges the Christie-union gap.” Wasting no time, Sen. Joe Kyrillos has already proposed a bill to eliminate LIFO, or seniority-based lay-offs.

Excellent op-ed in today’s Courier Post on the new bill, looking at both implementation and further steps in the context of the Kyrillos proposed bill.

Here’s  NJEA President Barbara Keshishian’s editorial in the Asbury Park Press  on the importance of keeping teacher performances confidential. She’s right.

Camden Update: the Courier Post looks grimly at applicants for the Urban Hope Act charter schools. For a less jaundiced view, see this piece from the Philadelphia Inquirer. NJ Spotlight reviews the “strongly worded” “in-depth evalution” of Camden schools from Ed. Comm. Cerf. Sample: “While the in-depth evaluation team found that many individuals in Camden are working tirelessly to serve the city’s children, they also found that the district was lacking fundamental structures to support the public schools.”

The NJ DOE has a contract with the Council for Chief State School Officers for $1.55 million in order to help with our new Regional Achievement Centers, which will focus resources on historically low-achieving school districts. (NJ Spotlight)

There’s turnover at the NJ DOE.

Paterson Superintendent Donnie Evans will be held accountable for student achievement.

A newly-passed bill will send another $4.1 million to high-growth districts in South Jersey. Also see here from the Gloucester County Times.

If you missed it, here’s my column at NJ Spotlight on blended online schools, and here’s my post at WHYY on how implementation of tenure reform will make passage of the bill look like a piece of cake.

Stephen Sawchuk at Edweek asks, “Can a teachers’ union” — in this case, Randi Weingarten and the AFT —  “successfully be both a hardball-playing defender of its rights and a collaborative force for the common good?”

I’m taking a week off, although my blog will appear on Thursday at WHYY’s Newsworks. I’ll be back next Sunday with the usual leftovers.