Author Topic: Education/Charter Schools/Testing  (Read 147054 times)

Offline wetochwink

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Education/Charter Schools/Testing
« on: April 29, 2005, 08:33:08 AM »
Editor's note: This topic was merged with an older one called "Troubled School System"

Quote
Yet the suit accuses the government of shortchanging schools by at least $27 billion, the difference between the amount Congress authorized and what it has spent. The shortfall is even larger, the suit says, if the figures include all promised funding for poor children.

The suit, citing a series of cost studies, outlines billions of dollars in expenses to meet the law's mandates. They include the costs of adding yearly testing, getting all children up to grade level in reading and math, and ensuring teachers are highly qualified.

To cover those costs, the suit says, states have shifted money away from such other priorities as foreign languages, art and smaller classes. The money gap has hurt schools' ability to meet progress goals, which in turn has damaged their reputations, the suit says

CNN - First national lawsuit over education law

Maybe school districts should build oil refineries so that the President takes notice. Think of the additional funds one could raise and the workforce experience students would have.


« Last Edit: August 15, 2005, 03:35:56 PM by Editor »



Offline lab94

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Re: Troubling all school systems
« Reply #1 on: April 30, 2005, 12:02:55 PM »
This is a huge problem!! Not only with the newly implemented programs but with some of the older ones that don't get funding increases. One of them is the all day kindergarten. Years ago the State said Hackensack had to have it and made it mandatory. The State said it would fund it, and they did. Years later the funding amount has not changed but the school has had to add more teachers to keep up the number of children attending these classes. Then add the cost of the teacher’s salary increases and the rise in insurance costs over the years and you end up with a large amount of cash that needs to be used to make up the gap in the school budget.
 Last year the school received about $350,000 in Help funds, next year we get $0. The State says the funding stayed flat, but I would call it a decrease. The BOE has a power point on the budget on there website (www.hbe.net) it’s OK but doesn’t get into all the details.

Offline Editor

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Re: Troubled school system
« Reply #2 on: June 12, 2005, 03:15:52 PM »

Offline Editor

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Education/Charter Schools/Testing
« Reply #3 on: August 10, 2005, 10:06:09 AM »
Record Article:  Charter school plan offers choice

"More than 500 parents from the Lodi, Garfield and Hackensack school districts signed a petition looking for another education option in their communities."
« Last Edit: August 11, 2005, 09:59:06 AM by Editor »

Offline Editor

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« Last Edit: August 11, 2005, 10:00:00 AM by Editor »

Offline wetochwink

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Re: Education/Charter Schools/Testing
« Reply #5 on: August 12, 2005, 11:08:31 AM »
And yet some how the Bush Administration continues not to fund the Federal program that started this mess.

Local school taxes continue to climb - but for what?.  Over the last few years the increases only support existing programs, health benefits costs or unexpected special ed students coming into the district. The money is not flowing right.

Offline keysersoze

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Re: Education/Charter Schools/Testing
« Reply #6 on: August 12, 2005, 04:48:43 PM »
I don't even think mere funding is enough.  The problem is treating education like it's a generic business that can be understood via test scores and the such.  Teaching to the test rather than engaging the students is a direct cause of low test scores, meaning that the mechanism by which schools are evaluated indicates cause, not effect.

Programs like NCLB (No Child Left Behind) are really directed at destroying the public school system by allowing public schools to fail.  The people in Congress who voted for it because of its name and the potential damage from voting "against the children" should be absolutely ashamed of themselves for allowing such an odious idea to become law.
« Last Edit: August 15, 2005, 04:03:30 PM by Editor »

Offline lab94

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School test scores
« Reply #7 on: November 01, 2005, 03:36:10 PM »
Please take 5 minutes to read page 23 in the County Seat. Dan Kirsch from the BOE wrote about how the State test scores are broken down by groups and sub-groups. It shows how unfair the test is to schools that are so diverse like Hackensack.

Offline Editor

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Re: Advanced Placement
« Reply #8 on: January 18, 2006, 11:23:01 AM »
Someone told me about a recent New York Times article about AP classes.  Hackensack is mentioned several times.

Click here to read the article.

If the link is dead, let me know and I'll send you a copy. 
« Last Edit: January 18, 2006, 11:26:39 AM by Editor »

Offline Editor

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Re: Education/Charter Schools/Testing
« Reply #9 on: January 24, 2006, 09:28:33 AM »

Offline Editor

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Re: Education/Charter Schools/Testing
« Reply #10 on: February 08, 2006, 09:48:12 AM »
There was an article in the last edition of the Chronicle discussing the BOE's opposition to charter schools.  Chronicle articles are not available online.


Offline Editor

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Re: Education/Charter Schools/Testing
« Reply #11 on: October 09, 2006, 10:18:42 AM »

Offline Editor

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Re: Education/Charter Schools/Testing
« Reply #12 on: October 15, 2006, 11:54:28 AM »
In today's Record, "Your Views":

I take offense at the eighth paragraph in "Education forum will stress greater school involvement" (Page L-3, Oct. 6). It identified all the Hackensack schools that this year did not meet adequate yearly progress and "were therefore classified as in need of improvement."

The Fanny Hillers Elementary School made AYP in 39 of 40 categories. It made "Safe Harbor" in the 40th. The state required Safe Harbor in three subgroups; Hillers' students went beyond the expectations of the state.

Safe Harbor is a state requirement that involves reducing failure by 10 percent in any given subgroup. Hillers had to make Safe Harbor in three subgroups: African-American, Latino and the economically disadvantaged. Our students scores reached AYP in the African-American and Latino subgroups, and reached Safe Harbor in the economically disadvantaged subgroup -- a feat laurelled by our superintendent and many proud members in the community.

To suggest anything less is an insult to my dedicated staff and to the intelligence of the Hillers community.

As an educator with 37 years of dedicated service to the children of Hackensack, I find it personally offensive that the great strides we have made are minimized.

Michael A. C᥺

Hackensack, Oct. 11

The writer is principal of the Fanny Meyers Hillers School in Hackensack.
« Last Edit: October 15, 2006, 11:57:07 AM by Editor »

Offline Editor

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Re: Education/Charter Schools/Testing
« Reply #13 on: November 03, 2006, 09:20:24 AM »

Offline Editor

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Onward to College
« Reply #14 on: November 16, 2006, 10:03:07 AM »
The Record produced a chart of the percentage of students in NJ high schools going to college.

Click here for the chart.

For 2004-05, 46.3% of Hackensack High students went on to college. The statewide average was 52.6%.