(For a glance at a different reality, check out Nicholas Kristof's column in the New York Times, who praises the “jaw-dropping” transformation of the education reform landscape in New Haven, where AFT President Randi Weingarten and the New Haven Public Schools are partners in teacher tenure reform.)
According to the Press of Atlantic City, almost 90% of eligible school boards have moved their elections to November: "468 of 538 eligible school districts have notified the state that they passed resolutions to move their elections as allowed by a new state law. School board elections will now be included in the November general election, but will be placed separately on the ballots so they retain nonpartisan status."
Update: NJSBA is still saying that the final count on school boards choosing to move elections is 413. Not sure what's up with that. Either NJSBA is not up to date or the Press miscounted.
Ed. Comm. Chris Cerf is awarding $1 million to 12 districts who demonstrate the highest achievement among kids with disabilities. (NJ Spotlight)
Camden Mayor Dana Redd met with Ed. Comm. Chris Cerf to “discuss deficiencies” in the Camden City Public Schools, according to the Courier Post. She also said that it may be time for Superintendent Bessie LeFra Young to resign; a board member there says she will call for a no-confidence vote inYoung. Camden recently failed QSAC, the state’s monitoring system (see here) and is home to 23 of the 70 worst schools in the State (according to our NCLB waiver application).
In an interesting wrinkle, the Camden School Board President has refused board member requests to discuss Young's performance.
From the Wall St. Journal on retention of 3d graders: "A recent report by the Annie E. Casey Foundation found that children who don't read proficiently by third grade are four times as likely to drop out of school...The country has spent billions on failed reading strategies. Now, states are taking a different tack: push individualized reading instruction in the early grades and hold back kids who don't pass muster by third grade."