Saturday, November 21, 2015

The Burning Question About What is Right....

Paul Jayson ·
I was under the impression that when a student attended one of the county's academies the sending district paid the bill. I guess in this case that wasn't so.
Like · Reply · 3 hrs

Lucy D. Walker · 
You deserve a blue ribbon for that observation. Fact is, they may attend the County Academies for free. They just have to test in like all the other students. The Academy@Englewood is NOT a County School. It is merely a DMHS Academy program that was created under the guise of integrating Dwight Morrow High School. It did the opposite, after accepting and spending approximately 30 million dollars to supposedly integrate.

In the Englewood A@E Program the Englewood Cliffs students get priority over Englewood students before any test is given. In the beginning, entrance was supposedly based on Math Scores. Englewood students are not prepared to compete in Math or Literacy with Englewood Cliff's students or any of the other applicants. The cards are stacked in pre-school. School Choice is a Choice for students who do not live in Englewood. Englewood parents have begun to take advantage of this Choice by sending their children elsewhere. This has been a lose lose situation since the School Choice deal was struck.

Few would listen to those of us who know of the sending/recieving agreement. Englewood Residents were fed a line about how a great deal of money was coming into the District with students. That scenario ended circa 2008-09, when the Equity and Excellence millions stopped coming into EPSD. In reality, we have been supplementing the Education of students whose parents can pay the required tuition. There is also a discrepency in the actual amount that EPSD receives per School Choice student. This very publication has reported the amount as $10, 500. What iexactly is the correct amount?

It is time the smoke is blown away so we can all see what is actually in the mirror. Qualifying Englewood students/parents have been told that their children must wait until Englewood Cliffs students have been accepted into the Academy and counted. That does not nurture warm and fuzzy feelings from those of us who are keeping up with the charade.

Some of us have been demeaned in meetings by Englewood Cliffs parents who tell us that we do not belong in their PPA meetings. Right up in our faces, they have cried out for "Academic Segregation" on our dime. They were under the impression that they were paying tuition that covered buildings, heat, teachers and the right to have "Academic Segregation" and their own building with no chance of their children ever having to even walk the same halls as our children. They treated us like crap to our faces, and all the time their politicians were lying to them while ours lied to us. (30 million dollars spent to integrate, yeah right.)

Just yesterday, a friend told me that someone had suggested an answer to this problem.
The suggestion was that Englewood Cliffs and Englewood should merge School Districts.
Clearly that person has missed the point. The 2 school Districts merged long ago. I graduated DMHS in 1969 with more than a few Englewood Cliffs students in my class. DMHS was their high school. Back then, no one questioned that. What changed?

The burning question here is...Whom does Englewood's School Choice Program really benefit?

Tuesday, November 3, 2015

Make History

Elect a School Board that is of the People
and that upholds the laws of the 
State of New Jersey


George Garrison III Colum 2
Henry Pruitt III, Colum 3
Howard Haughton, Column 4

Sunday, November 1, 2015

2-3-4. Open The Door



Election Day November 3, 2015

Vote Columns 2 -3-4 and
Open the Door
to Change.


































Thursday, October 29, 2015

Englewood Has A New Superintendent of Schools

September 17, a new Superintendent was hired.

Mr. Kravitz was introduced to the public on Sept. 17. 2015
Robert Kravitz, who formerly served as Superintendent in Englewood Cliffs was hired on September 17, 2015 with a unanimousvote of approval. 
  
Mr. Kravitz has settled himself comfortably into his new surroundings and is ready to deal with the issues facing Englewood's Educational Community.

I found him both knowledgeable and engaging. Contrary to some opinions, he knows full well what he is getting into with his new responsibilities. He is not a stranger to Englewood. It was a pleasure to know that he chose us,  ON PURPOSE!
  • Huffington post describes our new Superintendent as an Educator, Entrepreneur, and Author. 
  • Read his philosophy on what we are doing in education as published June 16, 2014


Good Students

It is so great when someone we once had faith in reaches an epiphany and realizes that he has been on the path of least resistance, but that path leads to a place that does not help our children academically.
It is rather like the spy coming in from the cold. The Jedi Knight emerging from the dark side, scarred but ready to fight on the side of the light.
We should all welcome Howard Haughton, Henry Pruitt III and George Garrison III into the light.
Regardless of what group of people gets a Board Member elected, that Board Member is then responsible to the State of New Jersey and must uphold the laws of said state. One cannot do this if one does not take the time to educate themselves to the laws governing education. This is what GOVERNANCE is all about.
We, the taxpayers spend $26,000.00 per year to train and educate our Board Members.
Ask Molly Craig-Berry how many credits she has.
If we are going to raise the bar for our students so that they are able to compete beside students
educated anywhere else in the world, then our Board Members must also educate themselves.
Up to now, too many of them have been very poor students. We want excellent students creating policy and establishing goals and objectives for our Superintendent.
Anyone who is unwilling to take advantage of the training, for which we pay, should NOT be returned to the Board of Education.
An educated public is the best defense against an un-educated Board of Education.
The LAW is the great equalizer. The Board must learn to create policy that demonstrates they understand and uphold the law and are true to their Oath of Office.

Mandated Training