QSAC: Governance F4, F6 & F7

QSAC = The New Jersey Quality Single Accountability Continuum. District Performance Review (DPR) 

The QSAC is an instrument created by the state to enforce the New Jersey State  Constitution and the Administrative Code, Educational Statutes and Regulations. You might say that it is the standardized test that the Board of Education, Business Administrator, Superintendent and other Administrators must take. The major purpose of the test is to make sure that the achievement of the students is given the highest priority.

Taxpayers: Parents, Community Members, Business Owners: The following is what the law promises and what our board of education has sworn an oath to supply. Is this what you see?

The school board conveys clearly and concretely, through the policies it adopts and the information that it seeks, that student achievement is the highest priority.

F. ANNUAL EVALUATIVE PROCESS - The school board engages in an annual and ongoing evaluative process.


F2. The school board annually reviews and revises, as necessary, an evaluative instrument used in the evaluation of the CSA, based on the goals and objectives of the district. (N.J.A.C. 18A:17-20.3)


F3. The school board annually evaluates the CSA and complies with all requirements of N.J.S.A. 18A:17-20.3 (a).

F4. The school board's annual evaluation of the Chief School Administrator is based on the adoption of goals and performance measurement that reflect that highest priority is given to student achievement and attention to subgroup achievement.

F6. The school board or advisory board annually undertakes a self-evaluation process which reflects that highest priority is given to student achievement.

F7. The school board or advisory board self-evaluation process includes a professional development improvement plan directed towards increasing knowledge and skills in policy making and governance for members of the board.


There are districts that understand that the QSAC is the state's assessment tool designed to evaluate the level of achievement  in the district.  Some  districts publish the document on line for all to see. 


What are the goals and objectives of the Englewood Public School District?


It brings to mind a song lyric that my Daddy sang on the back porch on occasion. I fought the Law and the Law won!
This is compliance. This is transparency. This is not Englewood, NJ.

                          How are the children?

New Jersey State Board of Education/Attorney General Please Stand UP!

Newark, Camden and Jersey City school districts are run by the state. Now the push is towards privatizing the educational leadership in these districts. Has the state given up hope for these children and their parents? The "Urban Hope Act" or Bill S3173/A4426 enables these three school districts to allow private entities to manage the public schools. These privately-managed public schools are called “renaissance schools". It is said that it will stop here with these 3 needy districts. What exactly does this takeover mean? What will be different? Someone really needs to spell it out.

It is time for the voters of New Jersey to tell our elected political leaders, and the Attorney General of the State of New Jersey to enforce the Educational Laws and Statutes of the State. Stop ignoring the Constitution. It is no coincidence that at the same time this is happening there is a CAP on Superintendent Salaries and mandates for Board of Education Members to submit to criminal background checks. There is corruption. CORRUPTION. Stop circumventing the laws. Enforce them. Stop back peddling on mandates. Do what the law requires. Where is all that ZERO tolerance and TRANSPARENCY that folks have been talking about for years?

What will change when the people in charge of these same failing/minority districts are private entities? What will happen when the big land developers and Billionaire Corporations, for instance have free reign? Oh, and is Communist China going to get a piece of the pie also? Are we selling off the responsibility to educate the poor and disenfranchised youth of America? Exactly what Miracle are they expecting? The method in which the money is being misused might become more elaborately cloaked. What will that do for the children? Someone really needs to deal with that question. The welfare and the education of the children must come first. Make it so. Stop with the abject Cowardice and exchange it for integrity and gain some respect from the stakeholders who put you in office.

There is very little difference between Englewood and the districts named above. Regardless of how steeped in fantasy many of us have become, we have some of the same problems. In some ways we are in bigger trouble. At least the residents of those districts know that they are in deep sh*t.

Proposed Bill: The Urban Hope Act
http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/2010/Bills/S3500/3173_I1.PDF
http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/


Some of us are actually capable of putting 2 and 2 together without the aid of a calculator.

Taxpayers Beware: What you Don't Know Can And Will Cost YOU and your children for years to come!

                              

            How are the children?

Race To The Top: NJ Awarded $38 Million dollars in Federal Funds

Governor's Education News Service...
The U.S. Department of Education today announced that New Jersey has
been selected as a winner of its Race to the Top 3 grant competition.
New Jersey will receive $38 million in federal funds, half of which will
go to participating districts, and half of which will be used to support
the state's bold education reform agenda

The US Department of Education today announced that New Jersey has been
selected as a winner of its Race to the Top 3 grant competition. New
Jersey will receive $38 million in federal funds, half of which will go
to participating districts, and half of which will be used to support
the state's bold education reform agenda.

Governor Christie said, "New Jersey is on a path of bold education
reform, and over the past two years we have taken significant steps to
ensure that every child in New Jersey, regardless of zip code, will
graduate from high school ready for college and career. This award
today will help give educators in New Jersey the tools they need to be
successful and the support to meet our reform agenda goals."

As part of its Race to the Top 3 application, New Jersey selected four
objectives in line with the administration's education reform agenda:

Development of model curriculum and assessments for all core content
subject areas

Development and rollout of an online Instructional Improvement System
(IIS) that will serve as a platform for teachers to access the model
curriculum and other supports like formative assessments and
instructional tools

Implementation of the current teacher evaluation pilot program and the
creation of a principal evaluation pilot program

Expansion of high-quality school options by strengthening the
Department's charter authorizing practices Of these funds, roughly
two-thirds of the state's allocation will be spent on the development of
model curriculum and IIS. Last month, the New Jersey Department of
Education (NJDOE) outlined a plan to develop model curriculum for math
and English language arts in K-12 by September 2012, and all subjects
aligned with New Jersey Core Curriculum Content Standards by September
2013. This curriculum would consist of six week units of student
learning objectives tied to the Common Core State Standards, with a bank
of aligned formative assessments and instructional resources. These
resources would be optional for all teachers to use as a resource, but
may be required for the state's persistently failing schools if they do
not otherwise have high-quality curriculum. Focusing such a large
portion of RTT3 funds on these areas is another indication of the
NJDOE's investment in providing high-quality tools to educators to
implement high standards for all students.

"This injection of funding will have a transformative impact on teachers
and students across the state and allow us to aggressively pursue
important pieces of our reform agenda, such as implementing the Common
Core State Standards. These revolutionary new standards are aligned
with college- and career-readiness and will change the way we prepare
students for the 21st century. Over the past month, we have heard a
groundswell of support from districts across the state for this type of
model curriculum to ensure that the Common Core State Standards move
from a concept in Trenton to a tool for every classroom in the state,"
said Acting Commissioner Cerf.

Any district in the state will have the ability to sign up to
participate in the Race to the Top 3 award, and 50 percent of the award,
or $19 million, will be split between those districts that choose to
participate. In January, the NJDOE will provide details on the process
for districts to participate.

"From day one of the Christie administration, New Jersey has embarked on
a bold education reform agenda and has already begun to execute on a
number of the projects included in our Race to the Top applications.
This includes the development of a new teacher evaluation framework; the
development of a new school accountability system and the development of
seven Regional Achievement Centers that will provide targeted assistance
to help turn around the state's persistently lowest-performing schools,"
said Acting Commissioner Cerf. "On top of this, we have restructured
the entire state Department of Education around the four building blocks
of success that will have the biggest impact on student achievement:
academics, performance and accountability, talent, and innovation. This
award today will help us to accelerate the tide of reform across New
Jersey."

http://www.state.nj.us/education/news/2011/1223rttt.htm

Taxpayers Beware: Our Schools are In Crisis and the Spending Continues!

Recommendations given to the Englewood Board of Education Based on Synopsis of Audit for the year ended June 30, 2011. The taxpayers of Englewood paid for this Audit.

I. Administrative Practices and Procedures
It is recommended that the issue regarding the Superintendent's employment contract be
resolved with the State Department of Education.

II. Financial Planning, Accounting and Reporting
It is recommended that:

1. The payment of compensated absences (ie. unused sick and vacation leave benefits) be made in accordance with State regulations and approved employment contracts. 
2.  Internal control procedures be reviewed and revised to ensure funds are available prior to contract awards. Furthermore, contracts be encumbered when awarded. 
3. Expenditures be classified and charged to the appropriate budget line accounts in accordance with the Uniform Minimum Chart of Accounts for New Jersey Public Schools

III. School Purchasing Program

*It is recommended that continued efforts be made to ensure purchases and contract awards in excess of the bid or quote threshold are made in accordance with the Local Public School Contracts Law. 

IV. School Food Service

It is recommended that the District review the prior year accounts receivable balance outstanding at years end and appropriate action be taken to clear it of record.

V. After School Day Care and Summer Programs

*It is recommended that revenue collection and reporting procedures in the After School and Summer Child Care Programs be reviewed and revised to provide greater internal controls over amounts collected.

VI. Student Body Activities

*The District develop and implement financial reporting and internal control procedures related to the financial transactions of the high School, Middle School and Athletic Accounts.
VIII. Facilities and Capital Assets      There are none
IX. Miscellaneous      There are none

X.  Status of Prior Year's Audit Findings/Recommendatins
A review was performed on all prior years' recommendations and corrective action was taken on all prior year findings, however, further action is required for the recommendations denoted with an asterisk (*).
             
***************************************************************

The above was copied word for word from the Auditor's Report for Englewood Board of Education. The Auditor projected that 2 years down the road EPSD would suffer financial hardship. This means that the taxpayer will suffer down the line. The budget is in shortfall/danger and under attorney review. It is clear from the above assessment that fiscal responsibility is sorely lacking. The items in red with the asterisk are recommendations from previous years that have been ignored. Why was it reported that EPSD was signing a lease agreement with the City for Liberty School and for Saint Cecilia? And by the way, whatever happened to the 5.8 million dollars collected for the selling of Liberty School? Isn't that enough money to employ all of the new teachers that Dr. Carlisle dragged into the fray?

Is anyone surprised that EPSD does not listen to Auditors that taxpayer money funds to help clear up the mess made by persons who do not adhere to the rules? Is anyone surprised that the Board Meeting of December 19, 2011 ended with 12 A 63 Request Proposal for the hiring of an expert consultant to assist the Superintendent and the Board in the fiscal Operations of the District?  Taxpayers, now we must pay the bill created by the person who will fix their fiscal mess.

Three Letters From the Executive Superintendent

Three letters documenting the communication between the state and EPSD were distributed to the public. It is very clear that the board is not in compliance. Hypothetical situation...What if student A was given a chance to redo an assignment for a better grade? If he/she hands in the exact same paper each time it is submitted, will the grade go up? No way! It might even go down, because the student is demonstrating that he/she has learned nothing. Why were no communications from George Garrison III/Board of Education to Mr. Gilmartin included? It seems we only have access to part of the puzzle.

                                           How are the children?

Are Our Schools In Crisis? Is State Aid For Englewood City In Jeopardy?

Special Meeting of the Englewood Board of Education...December 19, 2011
The hour is late. Getting straight to the point. The Englewood Board of Education is still NOT in compliance with the State Board of Education's mandate. They are instead gearing up to fight the state. They are listening to that discordant drummer again.

Teachers and parents attended again to support teachers who have gotten pink slips telling them that they are going to be laid off. Those of us who watched the parade of new hires are not surprised. We watched as the Candidate for Superintendent and the Board of education hired one after another until they were seriously overstaffed. This board and Dr. Carlisle are still hiring when faced with some serious fiscal issues. We were there when these new teachers were promised a full year of work. They deserve the full year of work.

For almost a year now, the energy of the board has been focused on Dr. Carlisle and his lack of a contract.  We have listened to the excuses given by the board. Now the State Department of Education has given an order to a group of people that generally do not follow orders or the law...

The following is the last paragraph of a letter to the Englewood Board of Education detailing the actions that the state is prepared to take if the board does not comply.


Excerpt of letter from Robert Gilmartin
Executive County Superintendent of Schools


December 12,2011

"....Therefore and in accord with the caution given to the Board regarding non-compliance in my correspondence of November 18, 2011 be advised that, due to the Board's failure to comply with my directive, the commissioner shall direct that the state aid payment to the district scheduled for December 22, 2011, in the amount of $439,846.00, will henceforth be withheld until the Board complies with the directive in my correspondence of November 18, 2011, which, as noted above, required "a proposed superintendent contract containing an amount for total annual base salary not higher than $167,500". Finally and in closing, be advised that, so long as the Board continues to be non-compliant, future state aid payments may also be withheld at the discretion of the commissioner."


                                    How are the Children?