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NJ Spotlight--S&P Global Downgrades NJ’s Credit Rating Again
Concerns about state’s public-employee pension system and new package of tax cuts indicate financial problems will persist into next governor’s term, possibly beyond
New Jersey’s financial reputation took another hit yesterday, with S&P Global, one of the Big 3 Wall Street credit-rating agencies, announcing it has once again lowered the state’s debt grade by one step.
The downgrade is another setback for Gov. Chris Christie, a Republican who has now suffered through more credit-rating reductions than any New Jersey governor — despite emphasizing fiscal reform since taking office in early 2010.
The specific issues raised by S&P — including concerns about public-employee pension funding and the potential impact of a package of new tax cuts that Christie and Democratic legislative leaders agreed to enact last month — also show that New Jersey’s financial problems will remain a formidable challenge as the state gets ready to elect a new governor next year.
John Reitmeyer | November 15, 2016
Education Week--After Election, Students Express a Mix of Emotions
For teachers, hard conversations are just getting started
When teachers walked into their classrooms the morning after Donald Trump claimed the presidency in a stunning victory, they had their work cut out for them.
Some students were jubilant, with many wearing "Make America Great Again" hats and shirts in celebration. Others were angry and upset, with some crying in class. Immigrant students, or those from immigrant families, expressed fear that they or their family members would be deported under the Trump administration.
In a handful of schools, including in Berkeley, Calif.; Phoenix; and Des Moines, Iowa, students—and in some cases, teachers—staged walkouts in protest of the Republican nominee's win. Educators even reported physical outbursts and confrontations as emotions ran high.
Now, teachers must work to ease divisions in their classrooms. They must soothe the fears of their students of color, while giving all students space to process their feelings about the election's outcome.
http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2016/11/16/after-election-students-express-a-mix-of.html
By Madeline Will |November 14, 2016
