Our Schools Are In Crisis

Englewood Residents: Study the Report Card for Dwight Morrow High School in Englewood, New Jersey. Note that there is no separation of the students listed into programs or academies. They are all Dwight Morrow High School students. There is no Eagle Academy and there is no Academy@Englewood. Everyone must let go of the fantasy so we may move on as a district. I am still trying to find the wisdom in the tendency to separate the student population. Apartheid education has no place in the City that collects my property taxes.

Englewood Teachers: I know that some of you have been allowed to play roles as if you live in feudal times. There is no room for nobles here in Englewood. Those days are over. I will personally institute charges against anyone that I witness saying that they object to teaching all children. Those of you who do not wish to TEACH IN THE NORTH BUILDING need to RECOGNIZE where you are. Let this post serve to put you on notice with a promise. The beginning is near. Expectations are set by teachers. Curriculum is driven or not driven, by teachers. Curriculum needs to be written and used by teachers. We must see that you will fight for more than your SALARY and BENEFITS. We must see that you fight for all of the children, not just the ones that you like. There is a climate of neglect at play here and it is HIGH TIME that the Board of Education, Teachers and Administration accept their own part in the malignant neglect.     

http://education.state.nj.us/rc/rc11/rcreport.php?c=03&d=1370&s=040

Our Schools are In Crisis: Too Many Unsettled Contracts!

Curriculum Now!
Student Rights Now!
Test Score Report Now!
Accurate and Timely Reporting Now!
More Preparation for Standardized Tests Now!
Pre - Kindergarten for all Now!
Proper Use of Grant Funds Now!


Fiscal Accountability Now!


New Law Firm Now!


Forensic Audit Now!

Dwight Morrow High School Alumni Educational Alliance
Annual Picnic 

Come stand beside us in support of a Free Public Education Now!



Education should not be a debt sentence!


The amount of money in the budget 
shall be enough to fund the programs
necessary to provide a
Thorough and Efficient Education!


Put on your comfortable shoes and
Join us in a rally for a Thorough & Efficient 
Education For All Children
Thursday, July 26, 2012

Meet us at Liberty School at 5:30 pm
Get to know the dedicated Secretaries and Paraprofessionals
who touch the lives of children everyday.
Walk with us in solidarity 
Talk with us about the Achievement and 
The Needs of our children.




Stand with us in the cafeteria of Grieco School 
as we give the Board of Education of Englewood
some new faces to remember.



                               
                       
                     
       
How are the children?  With your help, they will be well.

The Auditor Warns EPSD again. Stop spending.

I am quite frankly still waiting for item number 1 on the CORRECTIVE ACTION PLAN to be completed. Dr. Carlisle's contract is still not legal. How are they conducting negotiations without a Superintendent or an Assistant Superintendent? Who is restructuring the failed Educational Model that is draining the resources and polarizing the district? Who is making recommendations to the Board about staffing and streamlining the Educational Model that the District cannot afford? In 2003, the state of NJ told EPSD that they generate enough money in district to support this program without state aid. Of course, we know the rest of the story. EPSD blackmailed the state into giving them $30 million dollars by suing them. What did they do with all that money from the state plus the tax revenue collected from us? That is the $9 million dollar question.


Dr Carlisle...Earn your money. Redesign the model. I challenge you. It is not that difficult. EPSD. You made this mess, stop trying to make the public the bad guy. You know what has to be done. Stop trying to get others to do it for you. You made the mess. Sit down with that expensive Candidate for Superintendent and fix it.

The School Board never stopped spending after hearing this report. What happened to the $5 million dollars from the sale of Liberty School? I hear that there is still one million more to come from the City.

Just to be clear, some of us know that there are 3 programs that are a drain on the district. The one that was created to make space for "school choice students" should be assessed as well. The culture and climate of a school or community is NOT changed by ostracizing certain groups from the larger one. That action serves to polarize a community. That separation may be traced down through the grades to the Ivy Program (begins in 4th grade) and through to Pre-Kindergarten. Common Core Standards and the stipulations in the St. Cecila lease. How rich?! If the Board was anticipating the deficit of $4 million dollars, why would they sign this crazy lease?

Reckless and irresponsible.

There is very little mention of children and achievement in this whole scenario. What is going on in the classrooms? When are we going to hear Dorian Milteer's presentation on test scores? We are waiting.

Positive Trends in New Jersey Student Health Survey

Department of Education Announces Results of the New Jersey Student Health Survey Showing Positive Trends in Student Health and Well-Being 

Trenton, NJ - The Department of Education today announced the results of the 2011 New Jersey Student Health Survey (NJSHS) showing overall positive trends in student health and well-being. The 2011 survey, taken by 1,657 students in 31 high schools across the state between March and June, provides information for families, school staff, administrators, community members and policy makers about adolescent behaviors and trends.

Juneteenth 2012

 "The health, safety and emotional well-being of our students is of the utmost importance and the information collected through this survey is critical because it provides us with a greater awareness of trends in adolescent behavior," said Acting Commissioner Chris Cerf. "We will continue to provide as much support and professional development to districts as possible to ensure that our students are physically and emotionally healthy and ready to learn." 

The Department of Education has taken a number of steps to improve the health and well-being of students over the past several years in partnership with other state agencies. With the support of funding from the Center for Disease Control (CDC), the Department provided professional development to physical education teachers, food service directors, and school wellness teams to support increased physical activity and healthy eating in schools.

The Department of Education has also partnered with the Department of Agriculture to support the expansion of the School Breakfast Program to increase students' access to a healthy breakfast.

Through implementation of the Anti-Bullying Bill of Rights (2011), the Department has provided training to thousands of school staff across the state, a model anti-bullying policy, and several guidance documents to help schools better identify and intervene in instances of harassment, intimidation, and bullying.

The NJSHS is comprised of 88 questions addressing a wide variety of behaviors including, but not limited to, physical activity and nutrition, emotional health, sexual behavior, use of tobacco and drugs, and violence.

Summaries of the results are provided to all public middle school and high school principals, superintendents, public charter school leaders, and local health officials in the state in order to help guide decision making when developing policies and programs that address adolescent behaviors.

The survey, administered biennially since 1993, was conducted with funding from the New Jersey Department of Education through a cooperative agreement with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the US Department of Education under Title IV, Part A of the No Child Left Behind Act, and the New Jersey Department of Human Services, Division of Mental Health and Addiction Services.

For key findings: the release is here: http://www.state.nj.us/education/news/2012/0622shs.htm

Center for Disease Control and Prevention: http://www.cdc.gov/HealthyYouth/yrbs/index.htm

$5 million in Federal Grants Will Track NJ Student Progress Pre-School - College & Into The Workforce

Trenton, NJ - New Jersey was awarded $5 million in federal grants this month to expand the state's current data system, NJSMART, to track students from pre-school through higher education institutions and into the workforce.

This expansion will provide valuable information to practitioners in both K-12 schools and higher education institutions to better help measure the effectiveness of programs and to drive improvement efforts. 


"For the first time in New Jersey, we will soon be able to track students from pre-k all the way through their entry into the workforce," said Acting Education Commissioner Chris Cerf. "This data system will be critical to assess the effectiveness of K-12 and career and technical education programs as we strive to ensure that all students graduate from high school truly ready for college and career." 

 Last week, the Department of Education received a $4 million award over three years to expand the state's current data system from K-12 into one that tracks students from pre-k through entry into the workforce. Earlier this month, the Department of Labor and Workforce Development received approximately $1 million to link employment and education data. 


The Office of the Secretary of Higher Education will be the lead developer of this expansion, with the support of the Department of Education and the Department of Labor and Workforce Development.

Release is here: http://www.state.nj.us/education/news/2012/0619data.htm