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
RICCARDS: 48 U.S. States Teach Reading More Effectively Than New Jersey
“Follow the science.” For nearly a year now, that has been the mantra governing all decisions regarding New Jersey’s public schools. If we are going
LILLEY: Sean Spiller’s Dual Role as Montclair Mayor and Union VP Is a Massive Conflict of Interest in School Reopening
NJEA Vice President and Montclair Mayor Sean Spiller’s massive conflict of interest has reared its ugly head at precisely the wrong time: right in the
COMMENTARY: Will NJ’s New Ed Commissioner Plant Her Flag With Camden Families or Union Lobbyists?
Over the last two years I’ve documented the power New Jersey Education Association (NJEA) wields over the Murphy Administration and his Department of Education (DOE).
Coronavirus in the News
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This New Jersey Parent Summit Had Parents Fired Up and Ready to Go!
(This is a guest post from Quibila Divine, an education advocate who works tirelessly to ensure that all children are provided with equal access to
NJEA Battles Student Advocate Steve Sweeney on Teachers’ Dimes
I don’t know what you’re doing this afternoon from 4-6 but if your calendar is empty and you want to endear yourself to NJEA leaders,
Phil Murphy Perfects the Pivot
“Pivoting” is an essential political skill when faced with a question you don’t want to answer. While I am eager to hear a non-pivot on
Is Randi Weingarten Correct that School Choice is A Form of Jim Crow?
Two weeks ago AFT President Randi Weingarten highlighted a new policy brief that showed how school vouchers were used during Jim Crow to segregate school
When Friends Say it Best: Black Voices on How the NAACP Has Lost its Way
(This post is by my dear pal and colleague Erika Sanzi. It was originally published on her blog, Good School Hunting.) I have the absolute
The Grown-Up Version of PARCC: Can We Measure Up?
The New Jersey Department of Education just released our children’s 2017 scores on the state standardized PARCC tests in language arts and math. The news
“For the First Time I Have Teachers Telling Me That Lisa is One Smart Kid”: A Parent’s Struggle with Dyslexia
(This is a guest post by Aggie Sung, a certified early education teacher whose passion is in children’s books that teach young learners to express
Lakewood’s Biggest Fan: Save Our Schools-NJ Supports the Tyranny of the Majority
Occasionally I check Save Our Schools-NJ’s Facebook page to keep tabs on the anti-choice/accountability crowd. Topping the newsfeed yesterday was an indignant post about the
Look What Happens When District and Charter Schools Collaborate
(This is a guest post by Charles Sahm, who is director of education policy at the Manhattan Institute, a think tank whose mission is to develop
New Jersey’s Educational Inequities Go Right Through the Superintendent’s Office
Howard Lerner is the Superintendent of Bergen County Technical Schools, which comprise several buildings with a combined enrollment of 2,211 students. He makes $255,877 a year.
Guest Post: “The Morality Problem Lurking Below the Surface in Lakewood”
This is a guest post from Thomas G. Gatti, a Lakewood resident and supporter of municipal and educational equity. Gatti is a media consultant and
Just How Irrelevant is the NEA?
This irrelevant: on Tuesday, July 4th, at its annual Delegate Assembly, the National Education Association passed a resolution that would suck the heart out of
Surprised By the Lakewood FBI Arrests on Welfare Fraud? Don’t Be: Just Look at the Schools
Lakewood was the subject of much media attention last week, from USA Today to the Wall Street Journal to the Associated Press. Why the sudden
“I Love Newark And Am Proud To Say I Live Here,” Says NPS Grad
It’s easy to be skeptical about improvements to Newark Public Schools,given its sordid history of corruption, desultory oversight, and — most critically — poor student
A Hope for the Heart of Phil Murphy
The big news story today, of course, is U.S. Senator Mitch McConnell’s failure to summon enough votes to bring to the floor a bill that
Lakewood Public Schools Update
There’s no shortage of news from Lakewood: even the Wall Street Journal takes notice today. Of course, they’re late to my party; no, on second
NJEA’s Toxic Strategy Against Steve Sweeney
Those following New Jersey education politics are probably aware that NJEA, in a confounding lapse of judgement, has declared Senator Steve Sweeney Public Enemy #1.
Charter Parent: With Adults, It’s All About Money; This Is Supposed To Be About Children
As you can see from the post below, I had an informative visit with Ms. Dreya Teel, her son Jared, and staff members from KIPP
Jared’s Got Something Special and KIPP’s ‘Pathways’ Is Helping Him Show It
Eight-year-old Jared Teel-Drayton hops into the room, hands flapping, eyes darting, smile alight. He’s been painting—his class went to the art room today—and his teacher,
“I Thought They Were Creaming Off Top Students”: Camden Charter Leader on His Own Learning Curve
“Even in my seat as a charter school leader, I always say that I wish I could have done what I’m able to do here
