"In a turnaround abrupt enough to cause whiplash, the state’s School Development Authority is advancing a plan for a new high school in Trenton." (Trenton Times) For details, see here. The Trentonian points out that the SDA has twice offered the same plan to Trenton in years past but "preservationists protested keeping the original building and Trenton missed out on both opportunities."
From NJ Spotlight re: State Assemblyman Troy Singleton's (D-Burlington's proposed charter school fix: "[he] has completed a final draft of the bill, which would create a single authorizing board to review, approve and monitor charter schools, in addition to the state Department of Education.His long-awaited and closely-watched legislation would also add some new guidance to help charter schools follow the demographic patterns of the districts they serve, although it contains no explicit requirements for schools to take that approach." Also, here's a podcast of John Mooney's conversation with WHYY about the proposal.
NJ Spotlight reports on Newark Superintendent Cami Anderson's firing of five principals (who were later reinstated). Also see Spotlight's coverage of mayoral candidate Ras Baraka's emergence as "the locus of the opposition to the Anderson reforms," especially school closings, "with both popular support by way of his mayoral campaign but also because of his standing as principal at the city’s Central High School." More here.
"A statewide
campaign to provide breakfast in school to low-income children is paying
off, according to a national report released Wednesday. But New Jersey
still ranks almost last nationally in the percentage of schools that
offer both breakfast and lunch through the subsidized National School
Lunch Program." (Press of Atlantic City)
The Asbury Park Press says that teachers feel "terrorized" by new data-linked evaluations.
Lots of musing about Gov. Christie's proposal for lengthening the school day and year:
The Star-Ledger looks at how much money it would cost, with particulars taken from a new report from the National Center on Time and Learning.
The South Jersey Times remarks, "One problem in Camden is attendance,
with truancy and dropout rates far exceeding the state average. If we can’t
keep students in school for six hours a day, 91⁄2 months a year, what hope do
we have of keeping them any longer?"
The Gloucester County Times recounts that "south Jersey educators could have a hard time fighting the educational theories behind the move, according to Delsea Regional School District Superintendent Dr. Piera Gravenor. 'It’s a pretty bold statement [re: educational benefits of extended school time] and it’s difficult to argue,' said Gravenor, whose school district educates about 1,200 middle and high schoolers from Franklin and Elk townships."
The Philadelphia Inquirer: "Who's going to pay for this?" [Cherry Hill teacher union president Martin] Sharofsky asked, if longer days and hours go statewide."And it's not just teachers' salaries. It's everything else involved," he said, including paying for more bus service and higher utility costs."
An NJEA official in Montclair says, ""This is really a local issue. Each local board of education and each community would have to figure out how this would work." (The Record)