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Sharon Krengel
Policy & Outreach Director
Education Law Center
60 Park Place, Suite 300
Newark, NJ 07102
973-624-1815, x24
973-624-7339 (fax)
Showing posts with label Governor Chris Christie. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Governor Chris Christie. Show all posts
Tuesday, June 02, 2015
Christie's Educationgate
Tuesday, June 24, 2014
NJ Legislature Waking Up to Damage of Common Core and High Stakes Testing
This didn't happen by osmosis. It happened because parents, teachers, administrators and citizens in New Jersey have been lobbying their local representatives to end the damage being done to their
children by high stakes testing that is abusive and punitive for teachers, schools and communities.
The people of New Jersey have had enough of Governor Christie and Common Core Standards tied to multiple choice, computerized high stakes testing that is turning the state's public schools into soulless test prep factories as more and more experienced teachers run for the hills and suburban parents are even up in arms.
It's called political action.
Help, save us! None of the teachers I know want to continue spending 7 and 8 hours on their Sundays writing lesson plans tied to the Common Core or be evaluated by a student's score on a meaningless multiple choice test. It's a sick, dysfunctional system on the verge of collapse.
Teachers, parents and students in NJ are at their breaking point.
In the new normal of austerity, job losses, and political corruption in Trenton, New Jerseyans are
waiting for the end of Governor Chris Christie's political career. He rode into town by bullying teachers and decimating funding for public education while touting the mantra of no excuses. Funny how a few years makes a difference. High stakes testing, accountability for teachers, merit pay for higher test scores, for profit charter schools, vouchers, and value added measurements, just don't seem to have the same allure when people are struggling to pay their bills and buy food. Meanwhile, New Jersey's bond rating has gone down the tubes along with the state's quality of life, except for the 1% of course.
Looks like it's time to start holding the Governor accountable for his destructive policies and get some new leaders in Trenton who aren't crooks and a bullies. Stay tuned. :)
Imagine that.
ASSEMBLY VOTES TO PUT BRAKES ON IMPACT OF COMMON CORE AND NEW STUDENT TESTING
Measure would set up task force, could delay the consequences of new standards and associated tests by as much as two years
Credit: Amanda BrownAssemblywoman Mila Jasey (D-Essex)
A bill to slow the impact of the new Common Core State Standards and accompanying student testing won big -- and bipartisan -- approval from the state Assembly this week.
Now the question is: What happens next?
The measure won a 72-4 victory in the lower chamber on Monday, with two abstentions.
Led by state Assemblywoman Mila Jasey (D-Essex) and a dozen other prime sponsors, the bill would create a task force to review the impact of the new Common Core standards and the accompanying Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC) testing.
Most importantly, it would delay the use of the new tests to measure schools and teachers until the task force's review was complete. The bill doesn’t put a precise time frame on the review, but it could be up to two years.
While the Assembly’s vote was by far the furthest the state legislature has moved on such a measure since the state adopted the new standards in 2010 and committed to the PARCC testing, it is unclear how much farther it will proceed.
State Sen. Jeff Van Drew (D-Cape May) last week filed a companion bill in the Senate and has voiced some optimism about its prospects. But so far, the Senate education committee has only posted the bill for discussion -- not for vote.
The discussion is slated for the committee’s next meeting on Thursday.
State Sen. Teresa Ruiz (D-Essex) yesterday said she is pursuing other paths to what could be similar end, including changes in state regulations that would not require legislative approval. Ruiz has also posted a second bill for discussion Thursday that would create a separate task force to review the state’s growing testing regimen, although without the teeth of the Van Drew bill to delay the consequences of that testing.
Van Drew yesterday said he would also support Ruiz’s second bill and hoped that the discussion on his bill on Thursday would move the issue ahead.
“I know the Senator has some concerns, and I am open-minded on this,” he said. “I know (the bill) has some problems, but I will say this has gone further than I ever expected. When I started, I was a lone wolf on this.”
School associations and advocates are watching the late-session jockeying closely, with the chief lobbyist for the New Jersey Education Association, the teachers union, saying she would support any move -- be it legislation or regulation -- that would slow the implementation of the new testing and its use in evaluating teachers.
“I don’t see anything in this bill that the department can’t accomplish on its own through regulation,” said Ginger Gold Schnitzer, the NJEA’s director of government relations. “But it hasn’t happened yet.”
Discussing the bill on Thursday, she said, “may allow for a little more time to see if people can work together on this.”
Schnitzer said she would be amenable to delaying Common Core and PARCC through regulation, as well as legislation. “”We are pushing both paths,” she said.
Jasey last night said she had hoped that Ruiz would put the bill up for full vote, since the committee hearing may be the last of the session before summer.
“I’m disappointed she is not putting it up for vote out of committee, especially in light" of yesterday's victory in the Assembly.
“I had expected to pass with bipartisan support, but certainly not that overwhelming,” Jasey said of the vote. “It reflects the anxiety level across the state.”
She also cited rising pressures outside the state as well, including a recent statement from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation -- one of the early backers of the new standards and testing nationwide -- to hold off on using the new tests for evaluating teachers.
The Christie administration, led by acting state Education Commissioner David Hespe, has stood by the existing timeline so far, and said that changing the rules now could imperil the state’s federal waiver from the No Child Left Behind Act.
Hespe has specifically said he would also like to wait and see the early results of the new PARCC exams -- which this spring underwent field-testing in more than 1,000 districts -- and the new statewide teacher evaluation system before judging the impact.
Here is the URGENT message in my inbox today, time to make some phone calls.
Thanks to your calls and emails, A3081 - the anti-high stakes standardized testing bill - overwhelmingly passed the New Jersey Assembly last week (72 yes; 4 no; 2 abstentions).
Now, we need your help to move it through the New Jersey Senate!
Please take these two quick actions:
1) Call New Jersey Senate President Steve Sweeney before 9 am this Thursday and ask him to post S2154, the Senate version of this bill, for a full Senate vote on June 26th!
The Senate Majority office number is (609) 847-3700. You may leave a message if you call after hours.
2) Click here to ask your Senator to support S2154!
To turn this legislation into law, the Senate needs to approve it before the end of June, when the legislature adjourns for the summer.
Otherwise, our children, our teachers and our public schools will be subject to all the punishments associated with the new PARCC standardized test, starting this fall.
A3081/S2154 would stop the punishments and create a task force of experts to explore alternative ways of assessing students.
The expert task force also would examine the new teacher evaluation system, implementation of the Common Core standards, and the PARCC test.
We are part of a broad, bi-partisan coalition that strongly supports A3081/S2154 because this legislation would protect our children, our teachers, and our public schools!
See Comments
Tuesday, March 18, 2014
Governor Christie Starving Public Education for a Fifth Year
Governor Chris Christie is still bullying public schools and public school teachers who do not work for his bosses in New Jersey. You know, the ones who are being paid off with favors and punished for not bowing down to him.
The governor who is under investigation for closing bridges and playing games with Hurricane Sandy funds, is once again putting children and families in harms way by not adequately funding public schools. He knows how to keep a promise when it comes to not raising taxes on millionaires and billionaires in his state. After all, why would a governor want to generate revenue for infrastructure, education, medicine and transportation projects when they can keep his friends happy.
Under Christies proposed school budget, The Garden State provides whopping $20 per student increase in funding for 2014-2015 school year.
Let's see, is that extra $20 going to Achieve? or to Pearson? It's hard to tell these days.
The governor who is under investigation for closing bridges and playing games with Hurricane Sandy funds, is once again putting children and families in harms way by not adequately funding public schools. He knows how to keep a promise when it comes to not raising taxes on millionaires and billionaires in his state. After all, why would a governor want to generate revenue for infrastructure, education, medicine and transportation projects when they can keep his friends happy.
Under Christies proposed school budget, The Garden State provides whopping $20 per student increase in funding for 2014-2015 school year.
Let's see, is that extra $20 going to Achieve? or to Pearson? It's hard to tell these days.
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Monday, November 25, 2013
Asbury Park NJ Where is the Democracy?
Seems to be an epidemic across the country. Democracy? What's that? In the new world of test and punish from the corporate cronies, democracy is history. Of course, the Christie Administration is only looking out for the best interests of the students, you know the guy who has done so much for NJ public schools that a court had to reinstate $500 million in aid to poor districts.
This Asbury Park Press reporter has her work cut out for her. Perhaps someone should tip her off to the new normal when it comes to poverty stricken school districts who don't know how to work hard and be nice.
Who might state monitor Carole Morris have in mind for the job? Could it be a Broad candidate immersed in the language of "no excuses"? Perhaps a 25- year-old TFA alumn or someone from the Gates Foundation? Stay tuned and follow the bouncing ball.
ASBURY PARK — Where is the democracy?
This Asbury Park Press reporter has her work cut out for her. Perhaps someone should tip her off to the new normal when it comes to poverty stricken school districts who don't know how to work hard and be nice.
Who might state monitor Carole Morris have in mind for the job? Could it be a Broad candidate immersed in the language of "no excuses"? Perhaps a 25- year-old TFA alumn or someone from the Gates Foundation? Stay tuned and follow the bouncing ball.
ASBURY PARK — Where is the democracy?
ASBURY PARK — Where is the democracy?
That’s the question several community members here are asking after the state monitor overturned the school board’s pick for superintendent last week.
They brought their concerns — including that the monitor had applied for the interim superintendent position before taking on the state role — to a public forum at a Wednesday night board meeting that attracted some 50 members of the public.
“Folks elected (the board) to do the best for the children in the city of Asbury Park,” said Teretha Jones, who has a nephew attending school in Asbury Park. “And to deny that is, number one, disrespectful to people. It is totally and outrageously intolerable and will not be stood for.”
A school board majority initially voted to hire Gregory Allen as the district’s next superintendent Oct. 16, with members saying they believed he was the best candidate for the community.
Board member Qzeena Taylor said the board expected to offer Allen a salary of $145,000. Allen’s contract had already been submitted to the county superintendent for a final approval.
But state monitor Carole Morris disagreed with the board’s choice and said in a Nov. 13 letter addressed to the board that the superintendent selection process was flawed and that Allen did not “demonstrate mastery knowledge of the topics.”
She also cited the board’s rejection of candidates recommended by the New Jersey School Boards Association and said she was unable to find a “substantial background check” or verification of the information in Allen’s resumé.
The NJSBA listed Allen as a candidate who exceeded expectations out of a pool of 38 applicants, but he was not in the association’s top 12 recommendations, board members say.
At Wednesday’s meeting, Morris showed little emotion and was selective in responding to questions and statements from audience members. Morris replaced former state monitor Lester Richens in September and has virtual control over all hiring, firing and spending decisions in the district.
“The unique problems that the city has and the children have deserve the very, very best, and in my opinion (Allen) is not the best candidate,” Morris said at the meeting.
Some who spoke during the public forum say they don’t believe Morris understands the needs of Asbury Park’s children.
Duanne Small said voters elected school board members who they trust will make decisions in the best interest of the community. He also said he believes the district needs a leader who identifies with the students, such as Allen, who is black.
Daniel Harris said he questioned whether Morris had a political agenda because she first applied for the interim superintendent position and then became state monitor.
Morris said it will be up to the board to decide how to proceed with the superintendent search process. In the letter, she gave the board two options: reopen the existing search or begin a new search when new board members take office Jan. 7.
Nicquel Terry: nterry@njpressmedia.com; 732-643-4023
Saturday, March 30, 2013
New Jersey Educators' WORST FEARS Come True
Tested to Despair in New Jersey
Did you really think No Child Left Behind was to improve
education? Well, that's what happens when you don't read the fine print or pretend it just isn't there.
Friday, March 01, 2013
New Jersey Targeting Special Ed Child Study Teams
Looks like Governor Christie and his voucher pushing, charter cheerleaders and profiteers have found more ways to suck the life and last breaths out of the New Jersey Public School System -- cutting school child study teams. This includes psychologists, social workers and other professionals.
Who will replace these services? Teachers of course. They will just have to fit it in between lock down drills, and target practice.
And, if the teachers don't go along with this latest scheme, those frivolous and unimportant services can be outsourced to private for profit companies. Here's an idea, just get rid of the for profit, private companies already running the cafeterias and the janitorial services and let the teachers take over those jobs too.
That's what's known as "efficiency." Sounds like a plan.
As New Jersey Jazzman points out, it worked for Halliburton.
From New Jersey Jazzman
Who will replace these services? Teachers of course. They will just have to fit it in between lock down drills, and target practice.
And, if the teachers don't go along with this latest scheme, those frivolous and unimportant services can be outsourced to private for profit companies. Here's an idea, just get rid of the for profit, private companies already running the cafeterias and the janitorial services and let the teachers take over those jobs too.
That's what's known as "efficiency." Sounds like a plan.
As New Jersey Jazzman points out, it worked for Halliburton.
From New Jersey Jazzman
Why Is NJ BOE Targeting Special Ed Case Workers?
As I reported earlier, the NJ State Board of Education, acting on recommendations from
the Education Transformation Task Force, isproposing a change in state code that
would allow teachers and other staff to become case managers for students with
special needs.
I've received a white paper dated February 22, 2013, from a coalition of stakeholders
I've received a white paper dated February 22, 2013, from a coalition of stakeholders
opposed to this change (I don't yet have a link to get my readers a copy, but I'm working
on it). Members 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 School Social Workers (NJASSW)
- 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
Will the stakeholders opposed to the latest torpedo
aimed at the heart of the state's public school system
convince the greedy, lying corrupt politicians and
corporations this is not in the best interests of
New Jersey's children or the communities they live in?
Ask the shareholders of Enron.
aimed at the heart of the state's public school system
convince the greedy, lying corrupt politicians and
corporations this is not in the best interests of
New Jersey's children or the communities they live in?
Ask the shareholders of Enron.
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