NJPSA News Archive
April 2010
- NJPSA 2010 Legislative Conference & Annual Membership Meeting Addresses Critical Issues Impacting Schools
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NJPSA held its 2010 Legislative Conference and Annual Membership Meeting on April 23. The day featured keynote addresses by U.S. Assistant Secretary for Elementary and Secondary Education, Thelma Melendez de Santa Ana, and New Jersey Commissioner of Education, Bret Schundler. The event also featured a legislative panel including New Jersey Assemblymen Jon Bramnick, Patrick Diegnan, Joseph Malone, and Gary Schaer. NJN’s Michael Aron moderated.
Date: Thursday April 29, 2010
- Division of Pensions and Benefits Announces Retirement Workshops
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Date: Wednesday April 28, 2010
- Commissioner Schundler Testifies Before Assembly Budget Committee
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Commissioner of Education Bret Schundler testified before the Assembly Budget Committee April 26. Schundler told lawmakers that voters had sent a resounding message with the defeat of approximately 58 percent of school budgets last week.
Date: Wednesday April 28, 2010
- NJDOE Requests Enrollment Data on Displaced Haitian Students
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Haitian students displaced as a result of the earthquake have been enrolled in several New Jersey districts. In order to assist in state planning efforts; the Governor’s Office is requesting that districts provide enrollment information to determine the extent and location of these students by Friday, April 30.
Date: Wednesday April 28, 2010
- NJDOE Asks Districts to Permit Students Who Have Not Passed the AHSA to Walk in Graduation Ceremonies
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In a letter sent to districts April 28 Commissioner Bret Schundler is requesting districts afford students who have not passed the Alternative High School Assessment (AHSA) the ability to walk in this year’s Graduation ceremony.
Date: Wednesday April 28, 2010
- NJDOE Invites Participation in 2010 Annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Youth Leadership Conference
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The 2010 Martin Luther King, Jr. Youth Leadership Conference will be held on Thursday, June 3, 2010 at Rider University, in Lawrenceville, NJ. The conference is designed to target high school students in grades 9-12 for a day-long event that will feature a series of interactive workshops to highlight the power youth have to create their own futures. As in prior years, the 2010 conference itinerary plans to offer over 20 interactive workshops focused on five tracks.
Date: Wednesday April 28, 2010
- NJ State Department Announces New Funding Cycle for Learn & Serve America
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The New Jersey Department of State provided information April 22 regarding a new cycle of funding for the Learn and Serve America: School-Based Program (LSA:SBP).
Date: Wednesday April 28, 2010
- U.S. Census Bureau Requests Data on School Safety
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The U.S. Census Bureau is conducting a national study that is collecting information about crime and safety in public schools, from school principals. Approximately 101 New Jersey districts were invited to participate.
Date: Wednesday April 28, 2010
- ASHA Focus of April 21 State Board of Education Meeting
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Deputy Commissioner Spicer, in addition to several members of the Department of Education, provided the State Board of Education information on the status of the new Alternate High School Assessment (AHSA), previously known as the Special Review Assessment (SRA) April 21. The presentation was in response to a letter and accompanying recommendations the Education Law Center, in coordination with several groups, had provided to the State Board and the Department. The letter raised concerns about reports of very low preliminary scores on the first administration of the new AHSA given last January. ELC claimed that the rates threatened the graduation prospects for thousands of seniors this June.
In addition, the Deputy Commissioner provided an update to the Board on the Department’s progress and decisions associated with the second round of Race to the Top funding. The Board also approved regulations associated with Student Transportation and Controversies and Disputes.
Date: Thursday April 22, 2010
- NJPSA Field Reps Needed
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The New Jersey Principals and Supervisors Association is looking for field reps. Must have experience in negotiating and be available to work in the following territories:
Northwestern New Jersey, including Sussex, Warren, and Hunterdon counties.
Southwestern New Jersey, including Salem, Cumberland, and Gloucester counties.
If interested, please contact Chuck Stein at (609) 860-1200.
Date: Wednesday April 21, 2010
- The iConference – Leading Learners to Greatness
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The iConference is a national conference delivered online right to your district, providing access to world-class speakers, networking, interaction opportunities, and the most powerful, low-cost professional learning experiences available today.
Date: Wednesday April 21, 2010
- Over Half of School Budgets Defeated April 20
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According to unofficial results, voters rejected 316 of 541 budgets April 20 — a rejection rate of 58 percent. Budgets were on the ballots in a total of 537 districts across the state's 21 counties. The defeats mean municipal governments who rarely deal with education issues will have to wrestle with school budgets.
Date: Wednesday April 21, 2010
- NJ Voters Decide on School Budgets 8 Board Candidates at Polls April 20
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Some stop on the way into work, others during lunch and still others wait until the evening hours to cast a ballot in the local board of education and budget election. If you were registered to vote in the general elections last November, you can vote April 20. Those registered likely received a sample ballot in the mail. District times vary, however, with some polls opening at 7 a.m. but others not opening until 2 p.m. or even 5 p.m.
Date: Tuesday April 20, 2010
- NJPSA Testifies Before Assembly Budget Committee on Cuts to Education
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The Government Relations Team at NJPSA testified before the Assembly Budget Committee on April 19 on the proposed cuts to education in the FY2011 budget. More than 160 N.J. educators, mayors, and activists signed up to testify at four sessions from morning into the evening in two committee rooms in this most difficult of budget seasons in recent memory.
Date: Tuesday April 20, 2010
- Pension/Benefit Update
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Last week, Commissioner of Education Bret Schundler testified before the Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee on Governor Christie’s Budget Proposal (http://www.njpsa.org/agr/news.cfm?newsid=708). The Commissioner referenced a “toolkit” of reforms that the Christie Administration will be proposing to help schools keep costs down.
The Commissioner discussed the Governor’s intention to propose certain changes to the collective bargaining laws, school pay structures, and pension/health benefits for current school employees. The Commissioner discussed the Governor’s proposed reforms as a way to avoid the actual implementation of staff layoffs and referenced the fact that the targeted date of some of the Governor‘s proposed reforms would have an August 1st effective date.
Date: Monday April 19, 2010
- Federal Legislation Seeks to Save Ed Jobs Supported by Obama Administration
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Legislation recently proposed by Sen. Tom Harkin, (Iowa), may help districts hold on to existing employees and to hire new staff members to provide early-childhood, K-12, or postsecondary services. It could also be used for on-the-job training for “education-related careers.” Modeled on the State Fiscal Stabilization Fund and supported by the Obama administration, the legislation would provide an additional $23 billion to states for that purpose.
Date: Friday April 16, 2010
- NJDOE Announces “New Jersey Schools to Watch” Regional Information Sessions
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The New Jersey Department of Education announced 9 that it will host three half-day regional information sessions for the New Jersey Schools to Watch® (NJSTW) program.
Date: Wednesday April 14, 2010
- Full 3rd Circuit to Address Student Internet Speech
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A full 3rd Circuit announced April 9 that it will re-examine two panel decisions on whether parodies of school principals created by students on MySpace were protected by the First Amendment.
Date: Wednesday April 14, 2010
- Rutgers Poll of Voters Says Don’t Cut Ed
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While recognizing that the state budget needs to be balanced, New Jersey residents believe cuts should be avoided in the areas of education and poverty relief.
Date: Wednesday April 14, 2010
- Fewer School Districts Ask Voters for $ in Extra Ballot Questions
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Fewer New Jersey school districts are using ballot questions this year to seek voter approval for facility repairs and other projects.
Date: Wednesday April 14, 2010
- 2007 Memo by N.J. Supreme Court Chief Justice Warns Against Pension Cuts
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New Jersey would be vulnerable to a court challenge if it attempts to cut the future pension benefits of current public workers, as Gov. Chris Christie has proposed, according to an internal memo by a former attorney general who is now chief justice of the state Supreme Court.
The 2007 memo by Stuart Rabner, obtained by The Star-Ledger, raises possible legal barriers to the changes the Governor has outlined in his reform package as part of this year’s budget.
Date: Wednesday April 14, 2010
- NJDOE Announces Tomorrow’s Teachers Instructor Training
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The New Jersey Department of Education, The College of New Jersey, and the New Jersey Education Association invited high school teachers to participate in a Tomorrow’s Teachers Instructor training opportunity. Deadline is May 14, 2010.
Date: Wednesday April 14, 2010
- Ed Commissioner Schundler Appears Before Senate Budget Committee April 13
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In a sometimes contentious hearing that lasted almost four and a half hours April 13, Commissioner of Education Bret Schundler answered pointed questions focused on the loss of almost $820 million in state aid to schools. Schundler emphasized throughout his testimony that the cuts to the overall budget would not be necessary if the state had the more than $1 billion in federal stimulus aid it received last year. "I wish we had the money," he said. "I wish we didn’t have to eliminate after-school programs. I wish we didn’t have to cut adult education programs, which I think are enormously valuable. I wish most of all that we’ll do the things that are necessary to get out of this hole. Our people deserve better."
Date: Wednesday April 14, 2010
- School of the 21st Century 2010 National Conference
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The Yale University School of the 21st Century will be holding it's National Conference from July 19-21, 2010 in New Haven, CT. The conference is aligned with changes in education and recent efforts to establish collaborations among schools and the community. The theme for this year's 21st Century Conference is Creating Connections among Social Emotional and Academic Learning, Schools, Families, and Communities, Health and Education. Leading researchers and educators will emphasize that student success is determined by a holistic approach to education where children are taught to be emotionally and physically healthy, motivated, and engaged in their community, thereby excelling both academically and personally.
Date: Monday April 12, 2010
- Know the Boundaries of Advocating for School Budgets
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April 20 is fast approaching, and while legislation was once again proposed that would eliminate the budget vote at or under cap, and move the board member and second question votes to November this legislation will not be enacted in time for this year's school board election. There are restrictions on the role school administrators may play when communicating about the school budget. Generally speaking, these restrictions require that any activities involving the expenditure of public funds need to be for informational purposes, but not to advocate passage of the school budget. NJPSA Toolkit on Leading in the New Economy may help.
Date: Monday April 12, 2010
- State Revenue Collections Projected to be $250 Million Short for FY2011
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According to a non-partisan report April 7, New Jersey revenue collections will be $250 million less than what Governor Chris Christie projected in March (Gov. Chris Christie Delivers First Budget Address March 16, 3/16/2010). For the fiscal year starting July 1, the non-partisan Office of Legislative Services (OLS) estimates revenue will be $167.7 million lower than the $28.3 billion Christie projected when he outlined his proposed $29.3 billion budget in March.
Date: Thursday April 8, 2010
- Governor Releases Complete Budget April 6
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The Senate's first budget hearing with Treasurer Andrew Sidamon-Eristoff proved to be combative April 8, with several members of the committee chastising the administration for not releasing detailed budget documents until late April 6.
Date: Thursday April 8, 2010
- Pension Changes to the Public Employees’ Retirement System (PERS), Teachers’ Pension and Annuity Fund (TPAF), and Defined Contribution Retirement Program (DCRP)-Chapter 1, P.L. 2010
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http://www.state.nj.us/treasury/pensions/epbam/exhibits/pdf/coltr0410-chapter1-pers-tpaf.pdf
Date: Wednesday April 7, 2010
- Hawaii School Cuts, Teacher Furloughs Upheld
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A federal appeals court upheld the state of Hawaii's efforts to trim 17 days from the school year and furlough teachers to deal with a budget crisis April 5. A three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit, in San Francisco, ruled unaninmously that the reductions did not violate the rights of students with disabilities under the main federal special education law. A legal challenge to those steps had been filed on behalf of students in special education.
Date: Wednesday April 7, 2010
- Study Says N.J. Teen Accident Rate Drops Due to Drivers-License Restrictions
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Restrictions on the number of passengers allowed, more practice driving, late-night curfews and all the other facets of New Jersey’s Graduated Driver's License (GDL) program for teenagers seem to be paying off. A recent study by the AAA Foundation for Safety calls New Jersey’s GDL program a model for leadership and credits a drop in fatal crashes among 17-year-olds to the GDL provisions after comparing accident statistics for 1998-2000, before the GDL took effect, with rates from 2002-05. The GDL law was implemented in 2001.
Date: Wednesday April 7, 2010
- May 1 is Deadline for Teen Driver Decals in N.J.
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A red, rectangular decal that attaches to the upper left side of the front and rear license plates, signifying for police that the driver is a teenager with a provisional license, will be required as of May 1 for any provisional or graduated license holder. Drivers who fail to do so face a $100 fine. The decals go on sale April 12 at local motor vehicle agency offices.
Date: Wednesday April 7, 2010
- N.J. Ed Commissioner Says All Districts Will Share Equally If School Aid Increases
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According to a report by New Jersey Newsroom, if the day every comes when the state government will again be able to increase school aid, suburban school districts and the poorer urban districts will get an equal share of the money, state Education Commissioner Bret Schundler said April 5.
Date: Wednesday April 7, 2010
- N.J.D.O.E. Receives 36 Applications for New Charter Schools
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The New Jersey Education Department received 36 applications for new charter schools by the March 31 deadline. If approved, the proposed charters would open in the fall of 2011.
Date: Wednesday April 7, 2010
- Governor Extends Deadline for State Aid Incentive for Wage Freezes to June 30
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Governor Christie said April 6 he is extending the deadline for school districts to receive additional state aid in exchange for teachers agreeing to a wage freeze to June 30.
Date: Wednesday April 7, 2010
- Big Changes to New Jersey Graduated Driver License Program
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Date: Thursday April 1, 2010
- 2009-2010 High School Student Leadership Scholarships
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NJPSA is providing twenty five student leadership scholarships. The twenty five (25) $2,500 scholarships will be awarded to graduating seniors for their demonstrated leadership in school activities. Students will be selected from each of the three regions of our state, north, central and south. Read more about the criteria.
Date: Thursday April 1, 2010
- Governor Sets April 5 Deadline for Wage Freeze-State Aid Incentive
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Date: Thursday April 1, 2010