Newark Superintendent Is Advising School Board Members to Lie to the State
Just when you think Newark Public Schools District can’t get any more dysfunctional, another perversion pops up. Example: today Chalkbeat reports that during October’s board
2022 Mid-Terms: Winners Listened to 81% of Parents Who Support School Choice
This is a press release from the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools. Education played a significant role in the 2022 election cycle in America—and
Top New Jersey Officials Demand More Honesty and Less Vomit From Murphy’s Education Department As Student Proficiency Plummets
When someone stands up and says New Jersey schools are #1 I have an immediate reaction to vomit because I know that’s not true. That’s
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Newark Mayor Ras Baraka and Education Reform
Speaking of Newark, earlier this week the New York Times ran a front-page feature on Mayor Ras Baraka that celebrates him as a practical and
Newark School Teacher: “There’s a Sense of Hope”
Newark students started school today in an atmosphere that appears to be a marked contrast to the agitation and unrest last year. The Record online
QOD: The Truth is that the Achievement Gap Isn’t Only About Black and Latino Students
Kayla Patrick explains how we err in placing the goalpost for poor minority students at the current academic achievement level of white, middle-class students: Is
Camden Update: Parents are Thrilled By Renaissance Schools; Anti-Choice Lobbies Threaten Action
So, how’s it going at Camden Public Schools, where three new renaissance schools – hybrid district/charter schools run by non-profit operators KIPP, Mastery, and Uncommon
Newark Advisory Board Votes for Quick State Turnaround on Accountability Results
The Newark School Advisory Board, reports the Star-Ledger, has a reasonable request: the state Department of Education should turn around district accountability evaluations, at least
Lakewood School Board Sues Fiscal Monitor
Department of Dysfunction: the Asbury Park Press reports that the Lakewood School Board is suing its fiscal monitor Michael Azzara because he vetoed a board
QOD: “Why Liberals Should Learn to Love Charter Schools”
Jonathan Alter explains today why “liberals should learn to love charter schools.” His key example is New Orleans, where “over the last decade, graduation rates
Some (Unsolicited) Advice to NEA and AFT Leaders
Last week Chris Stewart, native of New Orleans and graduate of the its public school system (“My NOLA education sucked. Badly.) blogged about how “a dedicated
Sunday Leftovers
Everyone is talking about the teacher in Roosevelt who was tardy more than a hundred times over the past two years. The arbitrator ordered that
Camden Mom Explains Why Her Children Need School Choice; NJEA, ELC, and SOS-NJ Fight Back
Mastery’s three new Camden schools opened yesterday, reports the Philadelphia Inquirer, and here’s what one parent had to say: Bri, a mother of three from
Presidential Hopefuls Relatively Quiet on K-12 Policy, except for Chris Christie
Allyson Klein at Education Week reviews the education platforms of current contenders for U.S. President and finds, well, not much. On the Democratic side, Hillary
Why New Jersey Still Needs Tenure Reform
Newark Superintendent Chris Cerf has trimmed the city’s school budget deficit from $40 million to somewhere between $15 million to $20 million, but not without
QOD: NOLA Dad Responds to “Outside Attacks” of Post-Katrina Schools
From today’s New York Times: online pharmacy buy cipro no prescription pharmacy To the Editor:As a newcomer to New Orleans, with school-age children, I would
Who’s Your Daddy? Not A Single Teacher in 5 Bergen County School Districts Rated “Ineffective”
From today’s Record: The majority of teachers in five southern Bergen County districts are considered effective by the standards of AchieveNJ, the state’s newest method
NJSBA Reports Status of N.J. School Districts’ Teacher Contract Negotiations
New Jersey School Boards Association just issued a report on the status of teacher contract negotiations in the state’s 579 school districts. Of the 211
Magnet Schools in New Jersey: Applauded Yet Segregated
Speaking of school choice, some parents in New Jersey can bypass their neighborhood school by enrolling their children in one of the state’s public magnet
When Parents Say “No” to Neighborhood Schools
When I was an elementary school student in Queens, New York City, I attended my local public school, P.S. 115. (NYC schools are often numbered
QOD: “How NOLA Proved Urban Education Reform Can Work”
Jonathan Chait in New York Magazine considers the impact of school reform in New Orleans post-Hurricane Katrina, “a disaster that paradoxically gave the city the
Camden City Public Schools Releases Data from Community Survey; Residents Cite Progress
The Camden City School District just announced the conclusion of a one-month community engagement campaign which gathered feedback on the views of students, parents, teachers,
Deconstructing the “Narrative” of Newark Public Schools
There’s a new kind of fairy tale in the annals of those who denigrate efforts at education reform. It goes something like this: 1) Beleaguered
