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NJ Spotlight--School Violence and Vandalism by the Book
State DOE’s annual report on problems plaguing schools indicates small bump in incidents over the year before
More than 19,000 incidents of bullying, violence, vandalism, weapons, and drug offenses occurred in New Jersey’s public schools in the past school year, an average of 28 per district, according to the state Department of Education’s annual report on these problems.
That represented a 5 percent increase over the 2014-2015 school year, but was roughly the same number as the year before that. DOE officials said that the data, self-reported by districts, can fluctuate from year to year, reducing the significance of those types of comparisons. Looking over a longer period, the 19,181 incidents in 2015-2016 were 7 percent fewer than three years earlier.
http://www.njspotlight.com/stories/17/02/13/school-violence-and-vandalism-by-the-book/
Colleen O'Dea | February 14, 2017
Philadelphia Inquirer--N.J. Supreme Court rejects South Jersey school district's petition for aid
Kingsway Regional School District in Gloucester County has been lobbying for more state funding to deal with its enrollment growth.
The New Jersey Supreme Court has informed the Kingsway Regional School District that it cannot reopen the Abbott v. Burke school-funding case, just days after the growing Gloucester County district petitioned to do so in its quest for more state aid.
In a letter Monday, court clerk Mark Neary said there was “no basis” for Kingsway to file a motion in the landmark case. While the court previously considered and denied a motion by Gov. Christie to reopen the case, the state was a party to the lawsuit; Kingsway isn’t.
Kingsway, which had petitioned the court Friday, could take its case to a trial court or administrative proceeding, Neary said. The district’s superintendent, James Lavender, said it was considering those options.
“We’re not surprised. I’m surprised they responded so quickly,” Lavender said Monday. Asked why the district had gone to the Supreme Court, given that it was not a party to Abbott, he said that was “something we definitely looked at and discussed thoroughly with the legal team.”
Brett Gorman, an attorney with Parker McCay representing the district, did not return a message Monday.
After the rejection, “we’re in no way, shape or form deterred from fighting this fight,” Lavender said.
Kingsway receives less money from the state than it is entitled to under a funding formula passed in 2008. The Supreme Court, which directed additional funding to the 31 Abbott districts, ruled the formula constitutional in 2009.
But the state has not fully funded the formula, leaving many districts shortchanged. Kingsway, which has been dealing with growing enrollment, has said it is facing teacher layoffs.
While legislative leaders have taken up the school-funding issue, they have not reached consensus. Senate President Stephen Sweeney (D., Gloucester), who has supported Kingsway, has proposed redistributing adjustment aid, which was given to some districts to ensure they did not receive less funding under the 2008 formula. The aid was supposed to be phased out but has not been.
| Maddie Hanna, Trenton Bureau| February 13, 2017 — 6:38 PM EST
Press of Atlantic City-- Senate OKs expanded steroid testing of student athletes
TRENTON, N.J. (AP) — Legislation that would expand steroid testing and education in New Jersey high schools has been passed by the state senate.
The measure now heads to Gov. Chris Christie's desk for his consideration. It was approved by the Assembly last September.
Press of Atlantic City| February 14th, 2017
Press of Atlantic City--Religious vaccine exemptions on the rise in New Jersey
ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. (AP) — More parents in New Jersey are choosing religious exemptions for child vaccinations, resulting in a steady increase in unvaccinated schoolchildren.
The number of state religious exemptions among children in primary school more than doubled within a six-year period.
The number of unvaccinated school-age children has public health experts worried, while vaccine-choice supporters say families are making the best decisions for their kids.
"People are more aware that they can get this exemption, especially people who have this faith or belief against mandatory vaccines," said Megan Sheppard, Cumberland County Health Department health officer, told The Press of Atlantic City (http://bit.ly/2kziR3X). "I believe people take the opportunity to not get their child vaccinated because maybe they don't believe they (the diseases) are dangerous."
NICOLE LEONARD The Press of Atlantic City|Feb 12, 2017
NPR--Did Betsy DeVos Make You Want To Run For School Board?
Early one morning, the week before Betsy DeVos' confirmation as education secretary, 23-year-old Allison Kruk was dropping her boyfriend off at the Philadelphia airport when she decided to swing by the office of her U.S. senator and give him a piece of her mind.
Kruk was a Hillary Clinton supporter, and the nomination of DeVos "just felt like a low blow," she says. "I had been calling and emailing and writing letters about how I thought she was incredibly incompetent, regardless of your position on school choice."
Kruk spent 2 1/2 hours in the office of Sen. Pat Toomey, R-Pa., before she was finally escorted out by security, but not without an official audience scheduled on the Monday before the vote.
Over the weekend, she collected 11,000 signatures on a petition from educators all over the state, plus letters from parents and teachers, all of which she hand-delivered.
When Toomey nevertheless cast his vote for DeVos, Kruk's reaction was immediate: She decided to run for school board.
By all accounts, the election has sparked a surge of political interest among young Democrats and progressives. Similar upwellings have happened after other presidential campaigns, such as the Tea Party movement's surge after Barack Obama's election in 2008.
http://www.npr.org/sections/ed/2017/02/12/514510867/betsy-devos-made-me-want-to-run-for-school-board
Anya Kamenetz| February 12, 20176:41 AM ET
Education Week--Governors, State Lawmakers Roll Out School Choice Proposals
New Jerusalem Christian Academy 3rd graders Kaniya Brown, 8, left, Ashten Hobson, center, and Kriscian Myers II, both 9, watch from the balcony of the Mississippi governor’s office in Jackson as supporters of charter schools, religious schools, and home schooling rallied at the Statehouse for National School Choice Week late last month.
As the Trump administration appears poised to make school choice the centerpiece of its education agenda, Republican-led legislatures in Arkansas, Arizona, Kentucky, Missouri, Texas, and elsewhere are rolling out charter school and voucher bills in what could be a more receptive environment.
U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos—now the nation's most visible school choice advocate—takes the helm at a time when Republicans control the governor's house or the state legislature in 44 states and have full control of the executive and legislative branches in 25 states.
http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2017/02/15/governors-state-lawmakers-roll-out-school-choice.html
By Arianna Prothero and Corey Mitchell|February 13, 2017
