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Garden State Coalition of Schools . . .
a statewide grassroots advocacy network of parents,
administrators, Board of Education members,
community organizers and friends
Public Support for Public Education
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| GSCS Email-Net
Keeping GSCS Members & Friends Informed
Tenure Reform Becomes Reality,
Trenton Focus Shifts to Special Education
Also Below:
*Senate Education Committee Moves to Focus
on Special Education
* Revised Charter School Regulations Move Forward
*NJ Education in the News
Don't forget to register
2012 Leadership Conference featuring futurist Glen Hiemstra Co-sponsored by NJ School Development Council & GSCS Douglass College College Center, Oct. 4, 9:00 a.m. |
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Tell Us Your Concerns
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The GSCS message is stronger when we have your input.
Please email us at gscs2000@gmail .com
to share your concerns regarding state policies and proposed legislation that impact on local education and financial issues.
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Please send the correct information to us at gscs2000@gmail.com
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GSCS Thoughts on Tenure Reform Progress
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GSCS Attends Aug. 6 Bill Signing in Middlesex Borough
Tenure Reform has been a long time coming. In the end, this complicated and necessary reform took hold and will become law. But it took bi-partisan leadership - from the Governor's Office and both sides of the legislative aisle - for the spirit of compromise that welcomed education stakeholders' input to make it work.
The need for improved educator evaluations is also recognized in this legislation as the key to effective tenure reform. The revamped, progressive educator evaluations system will allow for the on-going improvement of teaching and learning in the classroom going forward.
The Garden State Coalition applauds the sustained, tenacious efforts of the leadership that enabled this very important and needed collaboration for S-1455 to be passed unanimously. This legislation will undoubtedly improve the delivery of public education for New Jersey's students. GSCS is gratified to have been a part of this critical debate.
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Governor Signs Historic Tenure Reform Legislation
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| For details and full articles, please visit the GSCS website: www.gscschools.org
8-7-12
Star Ledger: "Gov. Christie hails signing of tenure reform bill as 'a great day for good teachers' "
"After some two years of bitter public clashes, Gov. Christie on Monday set aside his differences with the state's teachers unions and signed a bill making it easier for school districts to weed out underperforming teachers while preserving job security for the most senior educators. . . . " The Record: "Gov. Christie signs teacher tenure overhaul bill"" . . . But Christie said there is still work to be done, including changing the provision that the last teachers hired have to be the first let go, regardless of their ability, if there are staff reductions. . . . " NJ Spotlight: "Compromise, Caffeine, and Trade-Offs: Behind NJ's New Tenure Reform Bill""Weeks of marathon meetings bring Sen. Ruiz, key players, and Christie to celebratory signing . . . " 8-6-12
NJ Spotlight: "Christie Scheduled to Sign Historic Tenure Reform Bill Today""TEACH-NJ is landmark legislation, but signing brings questions -- like who will be on hand? . . . "
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Trenton Focus Shifts to Special Education
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GSCS Special Education Testimony submitted today for Senate Education hearing
". . . The statewide percentage of growth in special education instructional costs to districts, compared to instructional costs for regular education, eventually has cut into regular education in a clearly demonstrable way - a 4% loss from regular instructional spending to a 4% increase in special education instructional spending from '03-'04 to '10-'11.
It is time to deal with the student support needs in both regular education programs, as well as special education programs, so that communities, taxpayers, parents and-most importantly-students, are not pitted against one another. The Garden State Coalition has done extensive work and analysis on special education issues and looks forward to contributing much more to this conversation as it continues to evolve."
To download the charts showing the change in percentage of spending over the past seven years, link here to the GSCS website and scroll down to entries for 8-9-12:
www.gscschools.org
8-3-12, NJ Spotlight: "Ruiz Puts Special Education at the Top of Her next Agenda"
"After tenure victory, senator concerned with ways to better serve the 200,000 children with disabilities in New Jersey schools . . . "
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Charter School Revisions Process Moves Forward
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A GSCS note on the process for revising the charter regulations
Per the State Board of Education vote on August 1, the Proposed Charter School Regulations will now be published in the NJ Register, as the process to implement the proposed revisions moves ahead. The regulations were amended following the June 5 public testimony session on the proposed regulations. Commissioner Cerf and State Board members stated that a number of the amendments to the proposed regulations were in response to public input.
One of the most notable (and the last introduced) amendment addressed virtual online "district of residence." Whereas in the earlier regulations students could sign up for a virtual school no matter where they lived and no matter where the virtual school locus of operation was housed, the amendment calls for the student's "district of residence" to be one that has a contiguous boundary with the virtual school's location.
In another amendment, the time for public comment during a charter school's application process has been extended from 21 days to 60 days.
While there was sentiment expressed from the board table that some of the public's reaction was "premature" to the actual process, there was also understanding of the public's concern.
Also, $2M has been set aside to hire external personnel to evaluate charter applications and process.
The education evaluations process was also a main item of the state Board's agenda yesterday, noting that the final statewide "roll out" of the full process is slated for 2013-2014. (See the articles below for specifics on the Evaluations update and the DOE presentation to the State Board.)
GSCS thanks all of our members who have taken the time to let the State Board and the DOE know your concerns on both the issues involved with charters and evaluations. The combined efforts is valuable and helps to makes a difference and improve the process and its goals.
Please click here to link to the GSCS website
www.gscschools.org
* To read the NJ DOE Summer Evaluation Memo scroll down to "UPDATE 7-31-12: NJ Department of Education Summer Educator Evaluation Memo released.
* To read GSCS' charter school testimony, scroll down to 8-1-12 GSCS Message to State Board
*To read the complete the articles quoted below
8-9-12, NJ Spotlight, Opinion by Laura Waters: "Cutting the Clutter About Online Charter Schools"
"Arguments about virtual charters seem to be more about territory than education . . . "
8-2-12, NJ Spotlight: "Five Lessons from Pilot Changing the Way Teachers, Principals are Graded"
"As districts test new evaluation system, first year shows where modifications are needed . . . "
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More NJ Education News
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| For details and full articles, please visit the GSCS website: www.gscschools.org
8-9-12
NJ Spotlight: "Cerf to Lose Two Top Aides -- Deputy Commissioner and Chief of Staff" "Departure comes when education department is starting to enjoy some stability . . ."
Philadelphia Inquirer: "New state aid to 'growth' schools a boon to S. Jersey"
8-8-12
Courier Post: "Ex-state schools chief to lead BCC" " . . . The college board of trustees appointed educator and lawyer David Hespe to the post at a special meeting Tuesday night at the Burlington County College Center. . . . "
NJ Spotlight: "Administration Looks to Outside Experts for School Turnaround Strategies"
"Developer of Common Core Standards will be working with state to help ameliorate lowest-performing schools . . . "
8-7-12
NJ Spotlight: "Should School Lunch Enrollment Determine State Aid?"
"With first public hearing set, Education Task Force begins study of NJ's school funding formula . . . "
8-5-12 Star Ledger Interview, Tom Moran: "Arne Duncan: Better education starts with best educators"
8-3-12
The Record: "N.J.'s deputy education commissioner is stepping down"
" . . . Deputy Commissioner Andy Smarick said Thursday he is stepping down next week to join Bellweather Education Partners, a non-profit group that aims to improve outcomes for low-income students.
NJ Spot light, Opinion by Michael Aron: "Playing Politics -- Politicizing the High Court" "Over the past decade, the Court has been filled by Democrats, Republicans, and Independents -- not simply by Justices . . . "
NPR: "Documents Detail Christie Administration's Plan for School Reform" " . . . Documents released this week by the Education Law Center in Newark detail what the Christie administration is planning to do with the schools that serve a majority of the state's poorest school children. But the N.J. Department of Education cautions that the proposals are merely a work in progress that will all come before the legislature and an updated plan is a more accurate reflection of the direction it's taking. . . . "
8-2-12
NJ Spotlight: "Could State-Run 'Achievement School District' Be Last Resort for Failing Schools?" "Grant application to Broad Foundation sheds light on Cerf's idea for lowest-performing schools . . . "
Politickernj: "Judges Salaries on the Fastback to November Ballot"
7-31-12 Star Ledger: "Christopher Cerf is confirmed as N.J. education commissioner "An 18-month politically charged impasse between Gov. Chris Christie and Senate Democrats over the nomination of Christopher Cerf as education commissioner ended quietly today . . . "
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