NJ Education Report

“In a turnaround abrupt enough to cause whiplash, the state’s School Development Authority is advancing a plan for a new high school in Trenton.” (Trenton Times) For details, see here. The Trentonian points out that the SDA  has twice offered the same plan to Trenton in years past but “preservationists protested keeping the original building and Trenton missed out on both opportunities.”

From NJ Spotlight re: State Assemblyman Troy Singleton’s (D-Burlington’s proposed charter school fix: “[he] has completed a final draft of the bill, which would create a single authorizing board to review, approve and monitor charter schools, in addition to the state Department of Education.His long-awaited and closely-watched legislation would also add some new guidance to help charter schools follow the demographic patterns of the districts they serve, although it contains no explicit requirements for schools to take that approach.” Also, here’s a podcast of John Mooney’s conversation with WHYY about the proposal.

NJ Spotlight reports on  Newark Superintendent Cami Anderson’s firing of five principals (who were later reinstated).  Also see Spotlight’s coverage of mayoral candidate Ras Baraka’s emergence as “the locus of the opposition to the Anderson reforms,” especially school closings, “with both popular support by way of his mayoral campaign but also because of his standing as principal at the city’s Central High School.” More here.

The Asbury Park Press says that teachers feel “terrorized” by new data-linked evaluations.
Lots of musing about Gov. Christie’s proposal for lengthening the school day and year:

The Star-Ledger looks at how much money it would cost, with particulars taken from a new report from the National Center on Time and Learning.