DiMaso distributes sackpacks to Freehold Learning Center students

Monmouth County Deputy Freeholder Director Serena DiMaso distributed sackpacks filled with school supplies to students of the Freehold Learning Center earlier today. The colorful sackpacks and the school supplies were donated by the Office Depot Foundation as part of their 2016 National Backpack Program in partnership with the National Foundation for Women Legislators (NFWL).

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Officials praise ‘historic’ ruling on $32M Freehold school expansion

FREEHOLD BOROUGH — It was a long, arduous fight that was a decade in the making. School and local officials, concerned with overcrowding in the borough’s classrooms, pleaded with the state for help after residents had twice rejected referendums on proposed expansion. Those officials finally got the answer they hoped for Thursday afternoon when Education Commissioner… Read the rest of this entry »

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Christie defends his school funding “Fairness Formula”

By Chris Christie For 61/2 years, I have been able to effectively ignore the liberal, fact-twisting rantings of The Star-Ledger editorial board. But the stakes of this debate on property taxes and urban education are too great to ignore the newspaper’s latest emotional screed against my Fairness Formula. On property taxes, our residents pay the highest… Read the rest of this entry »

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Christie’s off to Wall with education fairness plan

photo via Governor’s office

By Art Gallagher

Governor Chris Christie is back on the Town Hall circuit…now he is calling them forums…as he meets New Jersey voters on Tuesday in Wall Township to promote the school funding formula that he announced last week.

The “Fairness Formula Forum” will take place in the Wall branch of the Monmouth County Library, 2700 Allaire Rd., Tuesday afternoon at 3:30 p.m.  The doors open at 2:15 p.m and seating his first come first served.  RSVPs are encouraged for planning purposes to  [email protected].

Christie is saying that he wants a referendum in 2017 to amend the State Constitution so that State education funding is distributed equally to all school age children throughout the New Jersey.  He says that the State would contribute $6,500 per student.  Currently roughly 75% of State funding goes to 31 school districts, formerly referred to Abbott districts for the landmark Abbott vs Burke NJ Supreme Court decision that mandated that the State subsidize poor and urban districts.

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N.J. revises, renames Common Core academic standards

TRENTON — Nearly a year after Gov. Chris Christie declared that Common Core academic standards were “simply not working” in New Jersey, the state has adopted a revised and renamed version with few substantial departures from the original. The state Board of Education on Wednesday gave final approval to the New Jersey Student Learning Standards, a… Read the rest of this entry »

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Middletown Teacher Who Played Anti-Trump Video In Class Apologizes, Asks Supporters To Stand Down

Joe Ventre

Joe Ventre, the Middletown High School South history teacher who sparked controversy in the community when he announced to the media that he was forced to resign over showing an anti-Trump video in his classroom and then rescinded the resignation has issued an open letter via a newly created twitter account wherein he  apologizes to the community for playing the “profane and inappropriate” video to his students.

Ventre said that he had no intention to cause any harm and that it is appropriate for parents and students to question his judgement. He absolved parents, students, the Board of Education and the administration of any fault in the matter which he said was entirely his responsibility.

The young non-tenured teacher apologized to “anyone injured or erroneously portrayed” by the incident, especially “any students and parents who expressed concerns.”  Ventre asked his supporters not to protest on his behalf with the Board of Education.  His letter can be viewed here or on twitter.

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Pascack Valley approves transgender policy after contentious meeting

HILLSDALE — Transgender students at the Pascack Valley Regional High School district will be able to use restrooms or locker rooms based on their gender identity under a policy passed Monday by the Board of Education. The board voted 6-1 to approve the policy, which also calls for staff to address transgender students based on a… Read the rest of this entry »

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N.J. sets a goal for number of kids it wants in charter schools

JERSEY CITY — During his State of the State address earlier this month, Gov. Chris Christie pledged to pursue the expansion of charter school opportunities for New Jersey students. On Friday, his education commission put a number on that goal. New Jersey hopes to expand to 50,000 charter schools seats, about a 9 percent increase from… Read the rest of this entry »

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NJ’s Decision to Stick with PARCC Puts It Among Small Minority of States

As arguments over the state’s participation in PARCC rage on, it appears as if New Jersey’s reliance on the standardized tests is making it increasingly isolated. New Jersey is now just one of seven states, along with Washington, D.C., that is slated to give at least some version of the PARCC language arts and math in… Read the rest of this entry »

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Veitengruber: Keep Big City Politicians Out of Howell’s Board of Education

By Sue Veitengruber

I have a self imposed rule of not using my Facebook page for political views on candidates. My friends’ beliefs and ideals cover the entire spectrum. However,  at the risk of a few individuals never speaking to me again, I have questions about certain BOE candidates on the ballot.  Board of Education members are supposed to be the epitome of community volunteers. Howell is not “the big city.” So why, I need to ask, is one candidate being funded by state wide Political Action Committees and the Mayor of Elizabeth?  The Elizabeth BOE has been fraught with corruption and nepotism. Board officials, including an attorney,  were indicted on fraudulently  claiming their kids were eligible for free lunches. Staff members were pressured into contributing to BOE members campaigns. Why does that candidate list her name and “politician” on her  election FB cover page?  This is not what the Howell BOE needs. It is the largest and best K-8 in the state. I am proud to have been part of the reforms in the 80s as a board member for almost 9 years, reforms that succeeding boards built on to continue the excellence in education in our town. We don’t need the Elizabeth political machine determining  the decisions and future of the Howell BOE.
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