Beck, constituents excluded from “non-political” meeting in Freehold with Sweeney

Senior citizen accosted by Democratic legislators’ staffers

Downey, Sweeny and Houghtaling. photo via facebook from a previous meeting

Senate President Steve Sweeney held a meeting with public officials and education stakeholders at the Freehold legislative office of Assembly Members Eric Houghtaling and Joann Downey this morning to discuss the school funding bill the three legislators are sponsoring.

Houghtaling told MMM about the meeting this morning during a phone call regarding former Assemblywoman Mary Pat Angelini’s call for him and Downey to join Sweeney in demanding that the U.S. Attorney and NJ Attorney General investigate the NJEA’s alleged extortion of Sweeney. Houghtaling repeatedly said that the Freehold meeting is “non-poltical.”

So why was Senator Jennifer Beck, a Republican excluded? Members of the Freehold Borough Council were invited.  The state senator representing Freehold was not invited?  That sounds like a political meeting with only Democrats invited.   Beck’s spokesman Mike Hughes told MMM that the senator was not invited to the meeting in Freehold.

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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when he announced to the media that he was forced to resign over showing an anti-Trump video in his classroom and then rescinded the resignation has issued an open letter via a newly created twitter account wherein he  apologizes to the community for playing the “profane and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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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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Overcrowding crisis: Should N.J overrule voters, approve $33M school expansion?

FREEHOLD — The sign that hangs above the door says “library.” But students at Park Avenue Elementary School don’t come here to check out books. The room has been overtaken, repurposed into seven miniature and makeshift classrooms partitioned only by thin, 6-foot temporary dividers. Students learning English as their second language sit between those dividers, meeting… Read the rest of this entry »

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Christie: Dump Common Core education standards

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Educators worried Christie will back off support of Common Core, report says

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Report: FBI tells N.J. students that ISIS is actively recruiting

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Family drops lawsuit over Mater Dei closing

MIDDLETOWN —The family suing to prevent the closure of Mater Dei Prep in Middletown is withdrawing its lawsuit. Brian Petrone said he decided to drop the suit, after speaking with school officials and alumni, out of concern that his action would harm his goal of having the Catholic high school become more financially secure. It’s not…

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