Sunday Leftovers

For the few NJ school districts that still have April elections (see Spotlight coverage), the deadline for filing applications for school board candidacy is 4 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 25,. Here’s the Candidate’s Kit from NJSBA.

 New Jersey school districts are ramping up preparations for the new teacher evaluation legislation, set to launch statewide in September. One of the first tasks is for each district to select a teacher evaluation rubric. NJ Spotlight reports that 60% of NJ’s 500+ districts have chosen the model created by Charlotte Danielson (originally intended for professional development, not evaluation, by the way). Details here.

Assemblywoman Connie Wagner, per Philly Burbs, “ is sponsoring legislation to require all New Jersey public school districts to offer full-day kindergarten rather than just a half-day.” About 70% of NJ school districts currently offer full-day kindergarten. Assemblywoman Wagner predicts that her legislation won’t go anywhere because no one has the money.

The Director of The Foundation for Newark’s Future, Greg Taylor, is taking another gig and will be replaced by by the foundation’s chief financial officer, Kimberly Baxter McLain. The Foundation oversees the distribution of the $100 million Facebook grant and is responsible for raising matching funds. (Taylor's salary, a hot topic, was $382K.)

Leslie Brody at The Record looks at the how gifted and talented programs in NJ are being “squeezed out” because of No Child Left Behind’s emphasis on underachieving students and the rising costs of special education.

To the exasperation of parents and advocates, New Jersey gives no specific guidance on how to identify or serve gifted children, and provides no aid targeted toward helping districts meet the state’s mandate to give them “appropriate educational challenges.” By contrast, the state gives districts extra aid for each special needs child enrolled, and chipped in $163 million this year for those with extraordinary costs — though many districts say that aid still doesn’t go far enough. Special needs children have precise plans spelling out services that schools are legally obligated to provide.

(Also see this article from the New York Times on whether children accepted into accelerated programs are either “gifted” or “well-prepared.”)

Central Jersey looks at whether Jersey schools offer adequate athletic opportunities for students with disabilities.

The Courier-Post interview gubernatorial-hopeful Barbara Buono, who cites her work on the School Funding Reform Act as a source of great pride. In related news, the Press of Atlantic City reports on a rally urging Gov. Christie to fully fund the formula: “Advocates said there are ways to increase state aid to schools this year and phase in full funding of the legislatively mandated formula. Among the solutions offered was restoration of the 2009 tax rates on residents making more than $400,000 per year and closing certain corporate loopholes.” 

Don't miss (former NJ Deputy Commissioner) Andy Smarick's balanced discussion of the impact of closing bad schools. So much loss -- history, the "invisible web of social connectivity," sense of ownership, school spirit,  jobs for adults -- yet increasingly hard to square.