Special Public Board Meeting on the Budget?

March 11, 2013 Special School Board Meeting

Online Agenda link to tonight's meeting

District Employees in attendance: 
Dr. Donald Carlisle, Superintendent
Dr. Michele James, Assistant Superintendent
Dr. Noel Gordon - Guidance - Curriculum & Instruction
Rosemary Seitel - (Dr. Gordon's Assistant?)
Jeff White - Principal at Grieco Elementary School
Anita Shemesh - Co - President of the Englewood Teacher's Association
Carlos the technician
Residents: 
Carol Feinstein - Candidate for Board
Junius F. Carter - Candidate for Board
Leen DeWeerd Mosley - Parent
David Popkin - resident and DMHS graduate
Curtis Caviness - resident and DMHS graduate
Lucy D. Walker - resident, grandmother and DMHS graduate
The Press: The Suburbanite: Stephanie Noda (also a resident)

Superintendent's Report
We were reminded that there is no "projected"  financial crisis like the one in 2012. We are apparently not living off our savings anymore. He admitted that they went on a spending spree and the spree is over...(That was good to hear.) He advised us that if we were expecting handouts that we were at the wrong board meeting. We were assured that they were compliant with state mandates. He suggested that they have decided to try something different without a lot of educational jargon this year. One wonders what this new strategy might include. (Last year's educational jargon came down from the Federal and State Governments and has not been tried here. It is just as well. It does not seem to work in districts that are under the yoke. Can't wait to see what we do differently this year. We heard pretty much the same thing last year this time.) Dr. Carlisle said that this new "something: should have been tried years ago. He spoke of the safety precautions being considered for the different school buildings in Englewood.

The Business Administrator and Glenn Garrison went to the podium. Glenn explained the budget process. Yes. You heard right.  A Board Member who is running for re-election for a 4th term explained the budget process. It was another unpaid political announcement that was clearly meant for the press and thoroughly inappropriate. The Business Administrator stood silently while Glenn Garrison did the job that we pay her to do. How many years does Mr. Garrison have to be on the Board of Education before he learns what a Board Member does? Is it confusion or arrogance. After 9 years neither is acceptable. Seems he should take advantage of some more training at the New Jersey School Boards Association. That explanation should have come from Maria Engeleit, the six figure district employee. Mr. Glenn Garrison should have remained in his seat along with the other Board Members and listened to the well paid Business Administrator earn her salary.


A quick perusal of the agenda revealed 5 items on which action was taken.
1.  Approval - Purchased Services 2012 - 2013
They voted unanimously to hire a Dr. John Nolan as a Human Resources Consultant on an as needed and emergent basis at $425 per day, not to exceed $30,000. The Director of Human Resources is out on Medical Leave. It should be noted that in most districts, and at one time in Englewood, the head of the personnel department is/was an Assistant Superintendent.

2. Approval - Professional Development Plan - 2012 - 2013  Tab 1
Board Members spoke overlong about the necessity of the Professional Development Plan. It was a great deal of talk that added no real or even new information that was not already included in the agenda. We want to hear from the people we and Board Members pay to get the job done. We want to be dazzled by the brilliance of Dr. Carlisle and Dr. James, not by Henry Pruitt III, Harley Ungar, George Garrison and Stephen Brown. The salaried personnel should give the explanation. More precise and clear objectives and expected outcomes from the Professional Development Activity would have been more effective. It would have also been great to see that they are actually following the mandate of developing School and District Professional Development Committees. Perhaps it might be helpful if more people became "watchdogs" of the Englewood Board of Education. We are working on that.

Below is information that will be helpful for parents and residents. We must begin to include ourselves.


Instructions concerning Professional Development plans were sent to all Chief School Administrators and School Principals by Peter Shulman, Assistant Commissioner/Chief Talent Officer PS Division of Teacher and Leader Effectiveness in December of 2012.
http://www.nj.gov/education/profdev/pd/teacher/pdpdir.pdf


A Guidance Document for the School Professional Development Plan
I have been waiting for the announcement of which employees sit on the School Professional Development Committee for some time. I have not seen that this even exists. I am no longer waiting. Click the link that follows for the School Professional Development Commmittee Profile and Sign-off sheet. http://www.nj.gov/education/profdev/pd/teacher/schoolprofile.pdf

A Guidance Document for the District Professional Development Plan
It would be great to know who sits on this committee also. It would also be great to see that the directions given on the state website are being followed.

County Professional Development Board Rubric - Assessment of Professional Development is key if one wants to have a successful program. This is true of all programs in the district. It is also a weakness in the district that severely impacts the academic success of the students. This must be fixed.

Visit this page at the New Jersey Department of Education for the Professional Development for Teachers Initiative.
Visit this page for Professional Learning Communities Resources for Educators and examine available samples of tools available for teachers. Knowing what is available helps parents pose more relevant questions. 
Question: Are the Board Members filling the positions of School and District Professional Development Committee People?

3. Approval - Amended Settlement Agreement - BOE AND DT o/b/o JT. We had no idea what this item was. Stephen Brown did not read it off and explain it as he generally does. While one is thankful for that, one still wonders what this is. Since a copy is available from the BA, one might make use of the OPRA process. Just saying. (Page 3 of 4)

4. FINANCE - Adoption of a Preliminary Budget For the 2013-2014 School year. 
We did not see a budget. It was resolved that the Board of Education adopt a preliminary budget in the amount of $66,006,414 for the 2013-2014 school year. That was it. It took an awful lot of work and forethought to do that. This action was clearly an after thought. A Special meeting on the budget was called so they could give us an amount. Geez!

5. Approval - E- Chalk Contract - This action awards a contract to eChalk in the amount of $34,120.00 for the provision of Web Hosting (for the school district website) and for the email services to the district beginning July 1, 2013 and ending June 30, 2014.

Tacked onto the eChalk resolution was the resolution that EPSD now participate in the E-Rate Program administered by the Universal Services Administrative Company under the auspices of the Federal Communications Commission. Many districts across the country have already gotten grants or discounts from the federal government through this program that aids school districts in paying technology costs.   It is great to see this now included here. The Tech/Core Initiative is not totally unfunded once a closer look is given.
Funds for Learning.       
The Universal Service Administrative Company website.

Other online information that we should know  - It will involve all children beginning 2014 -2015
PARCC - Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers - (PARCC) is a consortium of 22 states plus the U.S. Virgin Islands working together to develop a common set of K-12 assessments in English and math anchored in what it takes to be ready for college and careers. (The Online Test makers)

Item and Task Prototypes - The PARCC sample items and tasks can and should be viewed as one of the many types of materials educators can use during the transition to the Common Core State Standards and PARCC. In addition to educators, students and parents may also find the sample items and tasks to be a useful resource for learning more about the Common Core State Standards and how state assessments may appear in the future.

Consortium for School Networking (CoSN)
http://www.cosn.org/

All items were accepted with unanimous votes of yes. Why was the meeting on Monday, the 11th instead of on Thursday, the 14th? Why was this a special meeting? 
               
                             How are the children?

Just Say No to the Meals & Entertainments @ Conventions

public domain photo

Mr. David Popkin brought up an issue that has been discussed at length with our Board of Education. It was in reference to the guideline regarding acceptance of meals and entertainment at conferences. Mr. Popkin was entirely correct in his assertion that our Board should beware and avoid these practices. 

This policy was recently reinforced by the School Ethics Commission.  Read about it here.

An educated Community is the best defense against School Board Corruption. The information is there for everyone. We have the law and we have our vote.

School Ethics Commission

18A:12-21. 

public domain photo

Election Time and the Board Is Trying to Appear Nice To Residents?

Englewood Public School District - School Board Meeting, February 28, 2013

The Superintendent's Report - was all about Technology. It was hard to cover up the fact that the district is playing catch up. While surrounding districts have Technology plans and are squarely dealing with getting ready for online testing Englewood is still struggling under the weight of the decision to Outsource Paraprofessionals and Secretaries.

It is a marvel that our Board still seems unable to release control of the District to a Superintendent for whom they have risked the withholding of State Aid. One wonders if there is a "guardian angle" somewhere protecting this board from state reprisal. Perhaps our budget is much too small to garner the attention of the Regulators from the state.

The 10 Finger Method will prepare students to type without
thinking about the technology. It worked on us.
It still works

Dr. Carlisle suggested that we have 1,800 computers in the district. It seems that these are varying types and models of computers so this number still leaves us short of having enough to accomplish the task of  online testing in 2014 -2015. There was too much talk about the technology and absolutely no talk about the fact that Information Technology is part of the curriculum now that 3rd graders will be tested online beginning 2014. This is consistent with the fact that Curriculum seldom gets the attention that is required to increase student achievement and to close the GAP that has created a FOCUS designation in Englewood. Dr. Carlisle suggested that the District is moving to a single platform in computer software and his idea was bandied around the board with members actually disagreeing with his logic. It is uncharacteristic of a School Board to disagree with a person that they insist on overpaying. One would think that they would value his opinion, since we are paying dearly for his expertise.

1 month, 6 weeks and 45 days before School Board Elections and weirdness is setting in. It was made quite clear that it is election time and that 3 incumbents are running for re-election. There were no threats to cut Kindergarten or to suspend our right to speak at Board meetings.  Most of us were even allowed to exceed our normally allotted 3 minutes in which to speak during privilege of the floor. There was no mention of how they feel about teachers that they have accused of being unreasonable, because they still have no contract. Board Member Glenn Garrison even demonstrated that he knows that monies collected at games and so forth must go back into the general fund. Now they know how things work. Gee whiz. It was hilarious since most of those in attendance represented the press and people employed by the Board of Education. It was an overlong wasted drama.

The Union President and a Teacher gave a very warm welcome to a young student in remission from leukemia and his parents. M. Tabakin, who attended the meeting with his right arm in a sling, was visibly and emotionally touched.  Such a public display of emotion is not characteristic of the full time handsomely and overpaid Board Attorney.

Stephen Brown, the Board President made a very long speech about no longer sharing Information Technology services with the City. The protest was much too long and was in direct opposition to the speech that Mr. Dacey, the City Manager gave at the workshop meeting of the City Council. Regardless of how the cookie crumbles, the school district was fired by the City. Only Mr. Skurnick, the 3rd Ward Councilman voted no on the decision to end the sharing agreement. This was no surprise. The School Board Members are his friends and neighbors.

The new found amiability did not conceal the fact that 5 staff members resigned their positions. It was suggested that perhaps teachers are not happy in the district. This was denied of course and the fake calm decorum of the board was interrupted as the President warned the parent that she would not be allowed to disrupt the proceedings. The parent persisted and she was right. It does seem that this board is much nicer to employees as they are leaving the district. The Board was reminded that they had tried to fire this same teacher a little over a year ago. They were not at all happy when they made this attempt. The community and other staff members came out to support Mr. Stackhouse back then. He was the only teacher listed as Highly Qualified, yet they were hell bent on firing him. Why? Who knows? Now we have lost another fine African American Male example. Our young men have one less example that looks like them.

It was near midnight and it should be noted that the Board still adjourned and went into closed session. It is a mystery as to why they insist on over taxing the Superintendent, Assistant Superintendents, Principals and the Administrative Assistants in such an insane way. They must all report to work in the morning while most of the Board Members have control of their own hours. It makes no sense. Much time could be saved by the Board President speaking less and the Board keeping all actions to matters of policy, instead of on running the district. This practice is so ingrained in the district that most people think this is the way a board is supposed to run. It is hoped that the residents remember the actions of the Board in the last year and that the 3 incumbents will be sent on their way this year as they have sent so many district employees on their way.

• Food service has been outsourced to Pomptonian for many years. No more turkey squares.
• Custodial Services have been outsourced to Pritchard. (the young man who allegedly killed a mother and her child worked for Pritchard.) More oversight on persons working for outside companies is needed.
• Secretaries, Substitute and Guidance Services have been outsourced to Mission One. (There have been actually physical fighting among these "independent contractors" and one incident was described to the Board this night. The students were required to call for help because of this altercation.) Other "independent contractors" filling the position formerly call "secretarial" have been fired.
• Paraprofessional, lunch aides, bus aides have been outsourced to Delta T. There have been complaints of no bus aides on Special Education buses. (In Paterson, a child was killed as she jumped or was pushed from a moving Special Education bus. When will someone make it clear that children must be kept safe as priority? 6A:27-5.1  Parents must really begin to make more noise by raising their voices in support of their children.)
• Curriculum Development has been neglected for nearly 15 years.
• Testing of Students has been privatized. (Yes. Really.)
• Where is the Technology Plan (part of the curriculum) that is to prepare students for online testing that is right around the corner?
• Where is the Information that should have been distributed to the Parents regarding the classification of Dwight Morrow High School as a FOCUS School?
• Where is the Fee Schedule used in the rental of District School Buildings?
• Where is the District Leadership? 
• Where are the Goals & Objectives developed jointly with the Superintendent to be utilized in increasing the achievement and closing the GAP among students?
• Where is the Superintendent's Evaluation?

Board Members were never meant to serve multiple terms indefinitely. This is the reason there are elections every year. Organizations funded and controlled by "Special Interest" groups were never supposed to control non-partisan school boards. School Board Members swear to uphold the Constitution of the State of New Jersey and the United States of America. No other swearings or allegiances are even legal and are in actuality Ethics Violations. 18A:12-24.1 

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.

http://www.spanadvocacy.org/sites/startingpointstemplate.drupalgardens.com/files/publications/Chapter%2014%20Transformation%20Report_0.pdf

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.

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

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.

Save Our Schools

ATTENTION New Jerseysans: Englewood is over 70% free and reduced lunch. It is only one of the school districts that will be affected by projected cuts in state funding to high need districts. Newark, Paterson, Jersey City, Passaic, Camden, Asbury Park, and Garfield to name a few will also feel the cuts. 

Please fill out this simple form and tell your legislators to stop Commissioner Cerf's plan to cut state aid that will significantly affect low income children, children learning English, children that are homeless, children impacted by disasters, children who are migrants, children who are neglected and delinquent, and special needs children. Simply fill in your zip code and click submit. (the form requires those seldom used last 4 digits of the zip code) The children desperately need the power of your voice.

Click the link below and input your zip code including the last 4 digits
http://salsa3.salsalabs.com/o/50831/p/dia/action3/common/public/?action_KEY=9288

Do Certifications Matter In Englewood?

Tuesday, January 15, 2013

The Superintendent spoke of School Resource Officers and how the district might hire 1 more.

Principal Marsha Howard (Quarles School) praised the dress code initiative underway at Quarles School. It was made clear that this is not a required uniform mandated by the board and that children who do not adhere to the dress code will not be punished. I do not object to a voluntary dress code. I do object to the advertising of  Marcia's Attic as the preferred vendor. We all know what bids are. This has the taint of malfeasance attached. Families should be informed about the required colors and that the shirts should have collars and leave it at that. White collar shirts may be purchased for less than $5 each in many places. The shirts presented all retailed for $10 and above. She was pleased that staff and parents are happy with the idea. She added that some teachers have considered wearing the prescribed colors. This would be an improvement over some of the outfits I have seen on teachers. Practicing what one preaches always gets a positive nod here.

Calendar Staff:  It was announced that this Committee met 2 times and discussed ways to make up days missed as a result of Frankenstorm Sandy. Middle School students lost more days than the other buildings. One suggestion was to hold school on 3 Saturdays. April 13, 20 and the 27th. It was suggested that these days be used as test support for NJAsk.  June 25 would remain as the last day of school. This has not been worked out with staff yet.

The Board was questioned about the AAU Tournaments and where the money is going. It seems that individual parents pay a set fee that allows the child to participate and each team pays a fee to participate in the tournament. Mr. Caviness wanted to know who pays the officials, if the gym is rented and where the money goes. He also wanted to know where the money goes from the faith based facilities rental. Stephen Brown was a little cute when he said that they have some good tenants, but did not answer the question. There is no accounting of this money that is collected from the Sunday rentals to religious organizations. A concerted effort has been made to market our school buildings. It is a fair question to ask. Where is the money going? EPSD did just fire over 100 people in 2012. Below is a Youtube video featuring Mike Hunken in which he talks about how important it is to rent out facilities space, including classrooms. .He speaks of a fee schedule that he has developed for this rental purpose. Perhaps it is time that the taxpayers got a look at that schedule.

Re-classifications and Transfers were made to create a Technology Department. Members of this Department are as follows: They are all 12 month employees.
Michael Hunken - Director of Facilities & Technology    $124, 163.50 includes $10,000.00 raise
keith Gardner - Network Engineer                                     $73,000.00 includes $1,190.54 raise
Diachi Kono - Technology Specialist                                  $48,500.00 includes $6,848.56 raise
Carlos Otero - Technology Specialist                                 $60,000.00 includes $3,111.54 raise

Rosemary Roche - Technology Specialist                           $71,040.52 includes $2,069.14 raise

Mr. Hunken has been placed in a situation where he must Supervise persons who have more education, experience and expertise in the area of  his assignment than he does. This is a train wreck waiting to happen. It is also not good for morale. EPSD must not use this area as a method to repay favors. It is too important since the entire state is going to administer online Standardized Testing in the very near future. Regardless of what Mr. Brown says, Englewood is not ready. We do not have enough computers to administer this test. The children are also not ready to take it online, especially the young ones. Read what the Superintendent of the Madison, New Jersey School District has to say.  Mr. Rossi attended and testified at the same NJDOE meeting as I on January 16, 2013. He is truthful about his district NOT being ready to administer this online test.  I have nothing against Mr. Hunken, but I do not think it is right that he was given this position and a raise. His present position did not stand up to the OPRA process at the state. Therefore, it is questionable as to whether he held the certification necessary for the position that he already had. Just saying.

These raises, promotions and transfers come at a time when there is a  need for 2 Special Education teachers at the high school. It is very interesting that these 2 positions have been on every agenda for several months. Dr. Carlisle and what remains of the Child Study Team have been trying to hire 2 Special Education teachers since September. These positons are never filled for some reason. Is it punishment for someone? The students and their parents are the ones who suffer. This means that at least 2 groups of special education students have been exposed to a litany of substitutes since September. A different teacher every 19 days so the district will not be forced to pay for a long term substitute. The Superintendent continues to put the 2 positions on the agenda and the need is actually there. What the heck is wrong with this picture? We will never close any Achievement GAP this way. The GAP is getting wider everyday. Why are these children being neglected? A Child Study Team member was stopped mid presentation 3 board meetings ago because she attempted to explain why the positions should be filled. The Board went into closed session in order to discuss these 2 positions, again. It was announced that action would be taken when they returned. We left. The meeting had already gone overlong. Stephen Brown wastes far too much time reading us the agenda. We are capable of reading. It is the students that are having a problem in this area.

Two students from the Academy complained about the Literary Magazine being cut from the budget. This is is a marvel to me. We pay close to, if not more than a half million dollars for the extended day in the Academy. Why is the Literary Magazine not put together during this time? This is an academic endeavor and should be supported. That extended day is beginning to look awful extra. Those students should have their magazine. Not only that, it should be open to participation to students from the North building. 

A parent and President of the PPA (Parent Partnership Association: The Parent organization of the Academy) Dave Matthews made the very strange suggestion that we should look to hire Teach For America young professionals. For some reason he seemed to think they would be better than our present teachers. Stephen Brown suggested that this was being discussed and that working with the Broad Foundation was also being discussed. This is one time when I am glad that we are little fish. The Barracuda's at the Broad Foundation will hopefully find nothing attractive about us. We are too small and would probably get stuck in Eli's teeth. Mr. Matthews failed to notice that we already have Teach For America on the Board in the person of Harley Ungar. The Broad Foundation is a major supporter of Teach For America. One wonders if Mr. Matthews is in closed sessions with the Board comparing notes. His questions always leave room for such long comments from the board President. It should be noted here that TFA describes themselves on Twitter as young professionals who contract into urban districts for 2 years. They are like the Peace Corps or Missionaries who go into impoverished neighborhoods long enough to work off their student loans. They have no allegiance to the district, children, or parents and they do not join the Teacher's Union. Now why would we want to start a partnership there? Keep your eyes wide Englewood. This goes along with abolishing paraprofessionals and contracting out for secretarial staff.

To Personnel: There is no such title as Teacher of the Handicapped. The Title was changed long ago. It is now Teacher of Students with Disabilities.

In School Suspension: When students are removed from the learning environment and assigned to in-school suspension, they are being removed from one learning environment and placed in another. The learning is supposed to continue. Teachers are required to send assignments along with the student. That is the main reason that this smaller learning environment is supposed to be maintained and supervised by a certified teacher. Students may not be assigned here indefinitely. Not even Special Education Students. Please fix that.

                                               How are the children?

Do You Remember Mary Binder?

Looking Back on Tragedy: Please Learn From it before someone else gets hurt!

A Letter That Everyone Should Read!

October 15, 2012

Arne Duncan
U.S. Secretary of Education
U.S. Department of Education
400 Maryland Avenue, SWE
Washington, D.C. 20202

Dear Secretary Duncan,

We are writing to express our grave concerns about the negative impact of the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) waiver on New Jersey’s most vulnerable children.

We understand that the waivers were an effort to return more control to the states to improve educational opportunities and outcomes.  Unfortunately, here in New Jersey, it is quite clear that the NCLB waiver is being used to apply measures that are more damaging than NCLB would have been, particularly to low-income Black and Latino children. 

 Below, we detail our most pressing concerns with the program the State is implementing under the waiver:  1) introduction of a punitive accountability system that disproportionately impacts school districts populated by low-income children of color while rewarding selective schools and those populated by wealthier, majority white students; and 2) a process of State intervention that excludes low-income communities of color from substantive input in the planning or implementation of the proposed interventions.

 To replace the NCLB framework, the State has adopted a new classification system that will reinforce racial and economic segregation and inequity in New Jersey’s public schools.  The classification system uses state standardized tests, graduation rates, and gaps in achievement, to target a group of 75 “Priority” schools and 183 “Focus” schools for dramatic State-mandated intervention, including possible closings and conversions to charter schools.  These Priority and Focus Schools serve overwhelmingly Black and Latino, very poor communities, and educate many students who do not speak English as a first language.  The Priority schools are concentrated in some of the most distressed communities in the state and have a staggering 24% student mobility rate (please see Attachment A).

In contrast, the State has classified a group of 122 schools as “Reward” schools, based on high achievement or high levels of growth on state tests.  These schools, which are targeted to receive financial bonuses, are located in the highest wealth districts in the state, serve a small percentage of Black and Latino students, have low poverty rates, few English language learners, and little student mobility.  Many of these schools are magnet high schools and vocational schools, with highly selective admissions. 

 The blatant economic and racial inequity built into this classification system harks back to the days when such segregation and inequity were policy objectives for our State.

 To accompany the new school classification system, the NJDOE is creating an infrastructure of 5 to 7 Regional Achievement Centers (RACs).  The RACs, which are being partially funded by grants from private foundations, will have authority to take over the management of Priority and Focus schools, completely bypassing duly elected or appointed local school boards and district administrations. 

The NJDOE is giving the targeted schools two years to reach arbitrary new achievement levels or face sanctions.  It is highly improbable that the targeted schools will achieve the increased standards that the State is requiring, particularly as the State is simultaneously imposing severe funding cuts on these same school districts.  Should they fail to achieve the increased standards, these schools will be subject to closure or the imposition of private management, not only without substantial community input, but in direct opposition to the wishes of the primarily low-income Black and Latino host communities.

In fact, this lack of participation or engagement of the host communities is evident in all aspects of the NJDOE’s implementation of the waiver proposal, underscoring NJDOE Commissioner Cerf’s expressed belief that fixing schools “isn’t about consensus and collaboration.”  Not only have those residents whose children attend the targeted schools been left out of the planning and decision-making process, but so have the local boards of education, and the district administrations.  Moreover NJ’s entire waiver plan was adopted with minimal opportunity for public input, no legislative review and without the required regulatory rule-making process mandated by NJ’s Administrative Procedure Act.

 The potential end result of NJDOE’s implementation of the waiver, with its lack of transparency, its punitive attack on high-poverty school districts, and its insidious disenfranchisement of communities of color, is the undermining and possible destruction of urban public education, including the systematic dismantling of any semblance of democratic governance.    

 We also want to highlight the threat posed by the recent granting of an additional Title I waiver to the NJDOE, which relaxes requirements that federal Title I funding be used for its prescribed purpose of addressing the negative effects of poverty on academic performance.   Governor Christie has proposed redirecting some Title I funds among schools without regard to the degree of poverty, an explicit departure from federal Title I requirements.  This diversion of funding flies in the face of the Title I program’s objectives and would further hinder our ability to meet the needs of our most vulnerable students.   

We ask that the US Department of Education immediately suspend its  No Child Left Behind and Title I waiver provisions in New Jersey until there is a thorough review of the State’s implementation scheme, especially as it pertains to disparate racial and economic impact and lack of community input. 

 Time is of the essence. The RACs are due to come on-line this fall and the clock has begun ticking for targeted schools in low-income communities of color. 

 Respectfully yours,

1.  Reverend Toby Sanders, President, Trenton Board of Education
2. Dr. Jonathan Hodges, Member and former President, Paterson Board of Education
3. Rosie Grant, Program Director, Paterson Education Fund                                             
4. Julia Sass Rubin, Spokesperson, Save Our Schools NJ and Associate Professor of Policy, Rutgers
5. Frank Argote-Freyre, President, Latino Action Network
6. William Colon, President, The Latino Institute
7. Laverne Harvey, President, Camden Education Association
8. David Sciarra, Executive Director, Education Law Center
9. Deborah Sagner, Sagner Family Foundation
10. Junius Williams, Director, Abbott Leadership Institute
11. Kathleen Witcher, President, Irvington NAACP
12. Phyllis Salowe-Kaye, Executive Director, New Jersey Citizen Action
13. Katie Strom, a Founding Member of NJ Teacher Activists Group (NJ TAG)
14. Terry Moore, Save Our Schools March, NJ Information Coordinator
15. Donna M. Chiera, President, American Federation of Teachers NJ
16. Sharon Smith, Parents Unified for Local School Education (PULSE)
17. Michelle Fine, Professor of Psychology, City University of New York
18. Ras Baraka, Newark Southward Councilman
19. Rev. Dr. Ken J. Gordon Jr., President, Southern Burlington County NAACP and Willingboro Councilman
20. Leah Owens, Chairperson, Newark Education Workers (NEW) Caucus
21. Antoinette Baskerville-Richardson, Chairperson, Newark Public Schools Advisory Board
22. Arnold Williams, Founder and Chairperson, League of Black and Latino Voters
23. Jose Delgado, Community Activist and former Camden BOE member
24. Teresa Vivar, Executive Director, LAZOS America Unida
25. Trina Scordo, Executive Director, New Jersey Communities United
26. Gordon MacInnes, Former Assistant Commissioner for Abbott Implementation and NJ State Senator
27. Donna Jackson, President and Founder, United Parent Network
28. Naomi Johnson-Lafleur, President, Trenton Education Association
29. Marcia Marley, President, BlueWave, NJ
30. Irene Sterling, President, Paterson Education Fund
31. Elease Evans, Chairwoman, New Jersey Black Issues Convention
32. Geraldine Carroll, President, Great Schools of New Jersey
33. Charles Wowkanech, President, New Jersey State AFL-CIO
34. Mary G. Bennett, Retired High School Principal, Coalition for Effective Newark Public Schools
35. Reverend Darrell L. Armstrong, Founder, Shiloh CDC, Trenton
36. Paul Tractenberg, Professor of Law, Rutgers & Co-Director, Institute on Education Law and Policy
37. Wilhelmina Holder, President, and Laura Baker, Board Member, Newark Secondary Parents Council
38. Willie Rowe, Vice Chair, Coalition for Effective Newark Public Schools
39. Edward Barocas, Acting Executive Director, American Civil Liberties Union of New Jersey
40. Kevin Walsh, Associate Director, Fair Share Housing Center
41. Dierdre Glenn Paul, President, African American Caucus of Montclair State University
42. Dr. Tamara Spencer, Literacy Graduate Program Coordinator, ECELE, Montclair State University
43. Sterling Waterman, Vice President, Jersey City Board of Education
44. Debra Jennings, Executive Co-Director, Statewide Parent Advocacy Network
45. James E. Harris, President, New Jersey State Conference of the NAACP

 cc:           President Barack Obama             

Governor Chris Christie

The New Jersey Congressional Delegation

The New Jersey State Legislative Delegation

Commissioner Chris Cerf, New Jersey Department of Education

Arcelio Aponte, President, New Jersey State Board of Education

 Attachment A 

Demographic Composition of New Jersey’s Priority, Focus and Reward Schools

Classification	Number of Schools	Black & Latino Students	Free & Reduced Lunch Students	English Language Learners	Student Mobility Rate
Priority	75	97%	81%	7%	24%
Focus	183	72%	63%	10%	15%
Reward	112	20%	15%	2%	5%

Source:  Education Law Center

12TH GRADERS: APPLY FOR FINANCIAL AID NOW!

HAPPY NEW YEAR TO EVERYONE!!!
DID YOU KNOW THAT TODAY IS THE 1ST DAY YOU OR YOUR CHILD, ATTENDING OR PLANNING TO ATTEND COLLEGE, MAY FILL OUT THE FEDERAL FINANCIAL AID FORM? WHY NOT GET A HEAD START AND BEGIN THE PROCESS BEFORE THE FUNDS RUN OUT? TOO OFTEN STUDENTS TRY TO FILL IT OUT IN THE SPRING OR SUMMER WHEN THE FUNDS ARE ALMOST GONE FOR THE YEAR. LET'S STAY AHEAD OF THE GAME AND NOT BE LAST MINUTE. MAKE EDUCATION A #1 PRIORITY.
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