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
Opinion
COMMENTARY: Murphy Dwells in Denial While Parents and School Leaders Plead for Remote Options
“Denial ain’t just a river in Egypt,” said Mark Twain, but that riverbed is where our mulish Governor has planted his flag. It was back
LILLEY: Montville Teacher Pleads With Fellow Teachers to Quit NJEA and Save $1,500 in Annual Dues
(Opinions by our guest columnists do not necessarily reflect the views of NJER.) Courageous Montville teacher Mark Mansour made an inspiring and impassioned plea to his
LILLEY: Is NJ Working Families Alliance Serving as a ‘Dark Money’ Front for the NJEA?
Sunlight was recently on Twitter asking whether New Jersey Working Families Alliance’s (NJWFA) executive director Sue Altman’s anti-charter school invective online pharmacy purchase antabuse online with
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“Flexibility” Is Fine, Gov. Murphy, But Not When It’s an Evasion of Leadership.
Dear Governor Murphy, Today you have an op-ed in NJ Spotlight asserting that New Jersey’s education system is a “gem” and one hallmark of that
Demand #InternetForAll for 15 Million Students Who Are #LoggedOut
On Wednesday, August 26, education activists and organizations around the country are staging a national day of action, demanding that every student have access to
New Jersey Superintendents Enraged By Murphy’s “Abdication of Responsibility”
In my experience, school superintendents are gracious and diplomatic when faced with hardships, whether dealt unexpected cuts in state aid, new regulations, or community uproars.
“Now I Have Hope,” Says Homeless Mom, After Project Ready Provides Wifi and Laptops.
At brightbeam we talk a lot about the digital divide, a major obstacle to equitably delivering home instruction during this pandemic. New Jersey is no
Murphy’s Executive Order For Districts Going Remote-Only
Governor Murphy Signs Executive Order Requiring Schools to Open for In-Person Instruction and Permitting Districts to Provide Remote-Only Instruction if They Cannot Meet Health and
Newark Charters Pledge to Exceed Health and Academic Standards During COVID
Today thirteen public charter schools in Newark signed the “COVID-19 Compact” that represents a commitment to common standards for the new school year. These standards
There’s A Catch For Districts Planning on Going All-Remote
According to a source who spoke to Advance Media, New Jersey’s nearly 600 school districts will not be able to simply chose to go all-remote,
Breaking News: Murphy Will Announce Today That Schools Can Go All-Remote
At 1:00 this afternoon Governor Phil Murphy will hold a press conference with Interim Education Commissioner Kevin Dehmer. According to reports, Murphy will backtrack from
School Districts Defy Murphy With Impunity While Repollet Takes Kean University All-Remote
Yesterday I wrote of an accelerating pattern of school districts defying direct mandates from Phil Murphy and the state Department of Education by choosing to
New Jersey School Staff Drops 11%, Second Largest Decrease Among All States
New Jersey has eliminated more education workers than any other state except for Delaware, according to a survey from the job site Zippia, reports ROI.
School Leaders Ignore Murphy and DOE Mandates. Here’s Why That’s a Problem.
“We literally have no news on education today,” Murphy said at his latest coronavirus press briefing in Trenton. Well, school leaders across New Jersey have
Letter From NJ Public Charter School Association Prez to NJ Dept. of Education re: School Reopenings.
This is a letter from Harry Lee, President of the New Jersey Charter School Association, dated today, to Kevin Dehmer, Interim Commissioner of the New
Lakewood Teachers Have 67 Questions For Lakewood Officials Determined to Reopen Schools Full-Time In-Person
The Lakewood Education Association, which represents all Lakewood teachers, paraprofessionals, and other staff, is hitting back against the district’s/attorney Michael Inzelbuch’s insistence on reopening schools
District and Charter Leaders Find Common Ground in Bucking DOE/Murphy Mandate For In-Person Instruction
It only took a pandemic for officers at the New Jersey Education Association to reach consensus with leaders of NJ’s charter school sector: Requiring some
If NJ Teachers Take Early Retirement to Avoid Contracting COVID, What Will That Do To NJ’s Budget?
Here’s a scenario you might not have considered: If New Jersey schools do reopen for in-school instruction this year, some unknown number of traditional district
You Thought NJ21United Is About Safe School Reopenings? Think Again.
Last week I wrote a post about a new group called NJ21United that, from all appearances, seems to be soley focused on protesting the reopening
Pressure Builds on Murphy To Keep Schools Closed and Go All-Remote
Governor Phil Murphy is trying to juggle the academic needs of schoolchildren, valid health concerns of teachers, and a sudden uptick of Covid-19 cases as
My Childhood Home Was Not Safe. Like Me, Some Children Need Brick-and-Mortar Schools Right Now.
Dirk Tillotson is the founder and executive director of the nonprofit Great Schools Choices, which supports community-based charter school development and increasing access for underserved
Newark’s Newest Charter School Leader Is Well Equipped to Manage School Reopenings Amidst a Pandemic
“The key is a great team of committed professionals — even in the midst of a pandemic, even in the midst of uncertainty— so that
