Wednesday, February 27, 2013

ATTENTION: PARENTS OF SPECIAL NEEDS CHILDREN


In Courtesy and full support of SPAN - Statewide Parent Advocacy Network


"Experience has taught us that, when Child Study Team members are not members of the school community or the community wherein the school lies, there is a lack of awareness of the school’s and community’s culture and expectations that play a direct role in decision making. 

We have also learned that relationships developed between Child Study Team members and other school staff members have a direct impact on the services provided to special needs students. 

Child Study Team members are the bridge uniting families and school personnel. Child Study Team members also provide vital services to our students, e.g.,counseling, academic support, family services, etc. 

These relationships are greatly enhanced when Child Study Team members are full members of the educational community."


A coalition of stakeholders that work with individuals with disabilities have joined voices to address the Education Transformation Task Force Final Report dated September 5, 2012. 

In addition to the attached substantive concerns, this coalition is concerned that a broad range of special education stakeholders were not included on this task force. Those organizations 
represented include:


Disability Rights New Jersey (DRNJ)
Education Law Center (ELC)
NJ Association of Learning Consultants (NJALC)
NJ Association of School Psychologists (NJASP)
NJ Association of Social Workers (NJASW)
NJ Association of Speech Language Specialists (NJASLS)
NJ Parent Advocates 
New Jersey Education Association (NJEA)
NJ Special Education Practitioners
Special Education Clinic at Rutgers University School of Law - Newark
Special Education Leadership Council of NJ
Statewide Parent Advocacy Network (SPAN)
The Arc of New Jersey

See the full study:  They are working for your children.

Sunday, February 17, 2013

We the People hold these truths to be....


Online Standardized Testing Requires DATA ENTRY SKILLS.
Does your 2nd, 3rd or 4th grader have DATA ENTRY SKILLS?
Do you have DATA ENTRY SKILLS?
Find out why this matters.



Online Standardized Testing Requires DATA ENTRY SKILLS.
Does your 2nd, 3rd or 4th grader have DATA ENTRY SKILLS?
Do you have DATA ENTRY SKILLS?
Find out why this matters.


Thursday, February 14, 2013

It is Time to Stop the Madness and Revive the 10 Finger Method!

The First Typewriter
Typing has little to do with intelligence.
It is more concerned with hand-eye-coordination.
We do know that students who cannot type will be at a disadvantage 
when taking the online standardized test. The TEST IS TIMED! 
2014 -2015 it begins! Will your child be ready for the test?

For those of you hunt and peck persons of high economic power. Your child will still fail if he/she is not able to get the full import of the writing across in the allotted time. Is this how the Governor and Cerf are leveling the playing field? The actual keyboard has changed very little.

ALL STUDENTS MUST BE TAUGHT TO "type or key" THE 10 FINGER METHOD!

I wanted to be a doctor, but Mrs. Fowler (DMHS guidance) informed me that this was but a pipe dream. She explained that this type of dream was for white boys. She explained that white girls got to be nurses, if lucky. She told me that the only thing that would guarantee me a job was my clerical skill.  My typing teacher had already told her that I would make a pleasant and capable secretary. So I learned to type 70 words per minute, no mistakes and to write letters in every style in vogue. I also switched guidance counselors to a white one, Mrs. Franz. (spelling)

I hated Mrs. Fowler a lot of years. I blamed her for destroying my dream. I went back every time I got a degree to show her that I was better than the clerical box that she put me into. Now that I think back on the message that rotund lady forced me to hear, I am sorry that I ever resisted her. The very skills that she forced me to embrace are the skills needed to help our children be successful right now. For anyone who feels that this is off base. Look at the computer keyboard. It is the same. A few keys have been added, that is all. Oh, except that it is way easier to type 70 words per minute w/o errors with spell check. There is no spell check on the TEST.

That playing field may be more level than one might imagine. Get behind your school districts, your community libraries and community centers. We are playing catch up. Children must learn to type. Children of all economic backgrounds. Rich kids who do well in school and can't type. Hello. It is a timed test. It is a proven fact that the 10 finger method is faster and more dependable than the hunt and peck. Do you feel the bumps disappearing and the playing field leveling out?


It would not hurt to teach them a little keyboard history in the  process. The computer keyboard and their smartphones all originated in the same place. We have some fantastic teaching moments ahead. What are we going to do with them?

Failing test scores are closing schools all over 

America.


The People's Town Hall Meeting on
Public Education Issues & Solutions
February 23, 2013
11 am - 1 am
Community Baptist Church
224 First St.
Englewood, New Jersey

Saturday, February 9, 2013

Call Your Local RAC for Important Information

Click here for the list of NJ Priority, Focus, and Reward Schools

The list below are the RACs for our area. Any questions? Use the telephone number.

Why do we need them? We are a FOCUS School.

Regional Achievement Center
Serving Bergen, Passaic, Morris, Sussex and Warren Counties
Telephone #: (973) 569-2126 ● Fax #: (973) 754-0657
Scott Rixford.………..…...……….Executive Director
Spring Banks…………………………Network Turnaround Officer
Pat DiGiaimo……………………….Intervention Specialist
Ron Karsen…………………..… State Turnaround Officer
Dr. Albert Mussad……Instructional Specialist (Secondary Literacy)
Joanna Santana……………………Instructional Specialist (ELL)

Definitions for priority, focus and reward schools.