Our Schools Are In Crisis: Shall

Shall

18A:6-45. New Jersey School Boards Association established
There is established a body corporate and politic, with corporate succession, to be known as the "New Jersey School Boards Association." All boards of education of the various school districts in this State shall be members of the association.

  L.1967, c.271; amended by L.1970, c. 104, s. 1, eff. June 19, 1970.https://law.justia.com/codes/new-jersey/2013/title-18a/section-18a-6-45/

18A:6-46. Delegates to state association
Each of the district boards of education shall select annually one of its members as a delegate to the association.
L.1967, c.271; amended by L.1970, c. 104, s. 2, eff. June 19, 1970
https://law.justia.com/codes/new-jersey/2013/title-18a/section-18a-6-46/

18A:6-47. Powers and duties
The association may investigate such subjects relating to education in its various branches as it may think proper, and it shall encourage and aid all movements for the improvement of the educational affairs of this State.
L.1967, c.271; amended by L.1970, c. 104, s. 3, eff. June 19, 1970.

https://law.justia.com/codes/new-jersey/2013/title-18a/section-18a-6-47/

18A:6-50. Expenses of delegates; dues 
For the purpose of defraying the necessary expenses of the association, the various district boards shall pay the necessary expenses incurred by its delegates, and shall appropriate annually such sums for dues as may be assessed by the association at any delegates meeting. The assessment of dues shall be made upon a graduated scale and shall be made only upon two-thirds vote of the delegates present at such delegates meeting, after notice of the taking of such vote shall have been given to each district board in writing at least 60 days before such delegates meeting. However, the dues assessed any board of education shall not be increased for any year by more than 33 1/3% of the dues assessed that board during the preceding year. Dues shall be payable by the custodian of school moneys of the school district to the treasurer of the association. 

     L.1967, c.271; amended by L.1969,c.89,s.1, eff. June 17, 1969; L.1970,c.104,s.5, eff. June 19, 1970; L.1973,c.120,s.1, eff. May 9, 1973. 

https://law.justia.com/codes/new-jersey/2013/title-18a/section-18a-6-50/

https://law.justia.com/codes/new-jersey/2013/title-18a/section-18a-6-50/

The Membership dues for Englewood Public School District were $26,000.00 for last year.

Public Domain Google Clip Art

I was present at the last 2 re-organization meetings. 2 years in a row the law was ignored. At no time within the last 2 years has this board designated a Delegate to the New Jersey School Boards Association as required by law. I have last year's agenda and this year's agenda. No resolution. No appointment of a Delegate. 

Sign the petition below. Your signature may be kept private. For the welfare of all the children the board SHALL be made to follow the law. If you live in Englewood and would like to sign a paper petition that will be sent to Governor Christie & Acting Commissioner Cerf and Secretary of Education for the US, Arne Duncan, please email and make arrangements.

Training and Technical Assistance Grant Opportunity

TO: New Jersey Afterschool Training and Technical Assistance Provider Agencies,
Interested Parties and Organizations
FROM: Barbara Gantwerk, Assistant Commissioner Division of Student and Field Services
SUBJECT: Solicitation of Interest for 21st Century Community Learning Centers Program Training and Technical Assistance Grant

The New Jersey Department of Education (NJDOE) is soliciting letters of interest from New Jersey based agencies to provide statewide training and technical assistance to improve the quality of forty-eight (48) 21st Century Community Learning Centers programs (21st CCLC) in New Jersey. 


The 21st CCLCs offer academic remediation and enrichment activities in tandem with a broad array of other opportunities including arts, cultural, youth development and physical activities to students and their adult family members when school is not in session. 

The provision of services through 21st CCLC programs is intended to: increase students' academic achievement, encourage positive student behavior, engage adult family members of participating students and develop collaborative relationships to ensure participants' access to all available resources through coordinated efforts. 

The duration of this project will be 3-5 years. The anticipated period for the first year of the project is September 1, 2012 through August 31, 2013. Continuation will be based upon documented need for continued or expanded project services, NJDOE priorities and available funding. Through a Notice of Grant Opportunity (NGO), NJDOE intends to provide training and technical assistance that not only helps the 21st CCLC grantees fulfill program requirements, but also builds the capacity of the program staff which in turn will enhance the quality of the program. 

In addition to training sessions and technical assistance, the selected agency will assist the department in addressing program quality, sustainability and networking. The selected agency would be required to fulfill the following activities: 

 * Provide technical assistance and training to all 21st CCLC program grantees and other eligible entities within New Jersey in an effort to increase the quality of afterschool programs throughout the state;
 * Facilitate professional learning communities within 21st CCLC programs, especially around the following themes: STEM, career awareness and exploration, visual/performing arts and civic engagement;
 * Foster the development of 21st CCLC grantee partnerships with key stakeholders including school-day administrators and staff, parents, and collaborators; * Collaborate with state 21st CCLC evaluator to administer evaluation trainings to ensure appropriate use of data, including surveys;
* Assist the 21st CCLC programs in the implementation of action research to encourage continuous quality improvement;
 * Assist in the development, continuity and expansion of quality 21st CCLC programs through on-site quality visits;
 * Provide training sessions on best practice strategies for intentional planning, aligning with the school-day, creating a youth-centered environment, effective management, summer learning, engaging parents and families, local evaluation methods and designing program staff professional development;
* Design and plan professional learning experiences that are relevant, interactive and based on current national research;
* Promote the use of a guided-inquiry approach to support the development of participants' 21st Century skills;
* Use nationally recognized quality standards for afterschool in developing trainings, workshops and conferences; and It is the intent of the department to select an agency that has documented experience in:
 * Developing, coordinating and conducting capacity building training and technical assistance for afterschool program providers through various methods, such as on-site, remotely and web-based;
* Supporting sustainable practices in out-of-school-time programs that enhance or improve students' academic performance;
 * Administering and managing a federal grant program;
* Accessing national resources to provide technical assistance of high quality and based on current national research; and
* Facilitating networking opportunities for out-of-school-time program providers throughout New Jersey.

 Interested agencies should respond to this solicitation with a request to receive the Notice of Grant Opportunity (NGO) for the 21st Century Community Learning Centers Program Training and Technical Assistance project. 

Only those agencies who respond will receive the NGO. A maximum of $160,000 per year is available to implement this project. The final program budget will be determined based upon the approved program scope and related activities.

Interested agencies must submit their responses to the following address by May 30, 2012: 
New Jersey Department of Education
Division of Student and Field Services
Office of Student Support Services
c/o Haydee Y. Perez-Livingston
100 River View Plaza, Second Floor
P.O. Box 500 Trenton, New Jersey 08625-0500

If you have any questions regarding this solicitation, please contact
Ms. Haydee Y. Perez-Livingston, program coordinator,
Extended Educational Services Unit, Office of Student Support Services at (609) 292-5935.

Thank you for your attention to this solicitation.
BG/sm
c: Christopher Cerf
Andrew Smarick
Dave Hespe Susan
Martz Anne Corwell
David Joye
Haydee Y. Perez
Robert Schilling

The Science Achievement GAP: Got Food!?

New Jersey Students Continue to Outperform the National Average on 2011 NAEP Science Exam, But Substantial Achievement Gap Remains 

Trenton, NJ - According to results released today for the 2011 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) science exam, New Jersey students continue to outperform the national average in science but have the 9th highest achievement gap between low- and high-income students in the country.

Based on these results, the Christie Administration is reaffirming the need for new science standards for the state, which are already being developed with New Jersey's participation through a state-led partnership. "As these results today demonstrate, New Jersey students continue to do well by nearly every objective measure compared to the rest of the country, but we still have more work to do to ensure that every student in New Jersey has the knowledge and skills necessary to be ready for the demands of the 21st century," said Acting Commissioner Chris Cerf. "

New Jersey is a lead partner in developing the Next Generation Science Standards along with 25 other states to ensure that we set high standards and help all of our schools implement those standards in the crucial area of science."

For more information: http://www.state.nj.us/education/news/2012/0510naep.htm

A High School group earning credits in Agriculture towards
high school graduation
is concerned with the Science involved in feeding
the population of the world in the future.

In Partnership with NYC High School, Cornell U. Builds and Enhances Sustainable Agriculture Technology

http://seedstock.com/2012/02/08/in-partnership-nyc-high-school-cornell-u-builds-enhances-sustainable-agriculture-technology/
Agriculture Scholarships
http://www.scholarships.com/financial-aid/college-scholarships/scholarships-by-major/agriculture-
scholarships/
Agricultural and Natural Resources
http://www.nj.gov/agriculture/divisions/anr/
Outstanding High School Nutrition Program
http://www.state.nj.us/agriculture/news/press/2012/approved/press120504.html

Is this a joke? I wonder who did this evaluation.
http://www.state.nj.us/agriculture/news/press/2012/approved/press120427.html

Give Your Favorite Teacher A Shout Out At the NJ State Department of Education

Christie Administration Celebrates National Teacher Appreciation Week by Recognizing and Applauding the Contribution of New Jersey's Educators

To all Teachers:
Have a great week!

Trenton, NJ - The Christie Administration today kicked off National Teacher Appreciation Week with two new website features and a video address from Acting Commissioner Chris Cerf to celebrate and recognize the work of New Jersey's 130,000 educators. National Teacher Appreciation Week is an annual event that begins on May 7, 2012. "Every day I am asked what the secret is to ensuring every child in New Jersey graduates from high school ready for college and career, and I always have one simple response - outstanding teachers," said Acting Commissioner Cerf. "I began my career as a high school history teacher, and I can honestly say that I never worked harder or felt more rewarded than I did during those four years. We as a state should make sure that we celebrate outstanding educators every day for their work with our children and for developing the next generation of leaders."

Stand up for our children.
Protect them
when others fail.

To kick off National Teacher Appreciation Week, the New Jersey Department of Education launched three new pages on its website. 

* Video address to New Jersey's teachers: Acting Commissioner Cerf recorded a short video address to New Jersey's educators. http://www.state.nj.us/education/news/2012/0507teach.htm

*Teacher Memory: This is a new feature of the state's website where New Jersey residents can submit a memory of their favorite teacher, either past or present. These memories will be reflected on the Department's website to demonstrate the important contribution that teachers make in each of our lives, even many years later. http://education.state.nj.us/feature/

*Teacher Spotlight: Each month, the Department will feature a different outstanding New Jersey teacher to recognize and reward their contribution in the classroom. The first teacher to be featured in this series is New Jersey Teacher of the Year - Jeanne DelColle. http://education.state.nj.us/feature/spotlight/12/05.php

"The research is very clear that the quality of the teacher in front of the classroom is the most important in-school factor affecting student achievement," said Acting Commissioner Cerf. "That is why this administration has invested so heavily in making sure that we are able to recruit, retain, reward, and support outstanding educators that make a difference every day in our children's lives." Among Governor Christie's education reforms, the Department of Education has launched the following initiatives over the past year to ensure that New Jersey has the best educators in the country and that those educators have the tools they need to be successful.

 * Teacher evaluation: This year, the Department launched the first year of a pilot program to develop a more meaningful teacher evaluation system that will help all teachers, regardless of experience, constantly improve their practice. This new evaluation system will support teachers not only by providing more regular and consistent feedback, but also by tying professional development opportunities directly to their evaluation. Through the first two pilot years, this new system is being developed with the support of hundreds of educators on the ground across the state.

 * Model curriculum: As educators across the state work to implement the new Common Core State Standards in math and English over the next two years, the Department of Education is in the process of developing a model curriculum that will serve as an optional resource to educators to help them turn the new standards into classroom instruction. This initiative is being led by the Department of Education with the support of current educators, and the first draft of this curriculum is currently posted on the Department's website. Through feedback from teachers, this model curriculum will be ready to launch by September. http://www.nj.gov/education/modelcurriculum/

 * Data: Through continued investment in the state's longitudinal data system, NJSMART, the Department continues its work to provide timely and actionable data to educators to help them succeed.

                                        How are the children?

Hello Out There!

There are just no words.......
http://www.northjersey.com/englewood/sexabusesettlement0502.html

Except.....


How are the children?
http://www.northjersey.com/bergenfield/Using_new_formula_NJ_sees_graduation_rate_dip.html

In Englewood...