Author Topic: Education/Charter Schools/Testing  (Read 147137 times)

Offline Editor

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« Reply #30 on: June 24, 2007, 10:02:11 AM »
« Last Edit: June 25, 2007, 08:50:43 AM by Editor »

Offline Editor

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« Reply #31 on: June 25, 2007, 08:51:13 AM »

Offline Editor

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Education/Charter Schools/Testing
« Reply #32 on: June 29, 2007, 08:30:55 AM »
Latest story: Schools roll tape to keep eye on kids

Districts such as Elmwood Park, Hackensack and Secaucus also film their students -- helped by federal community-policing grants and a political climate where safety is a top concern.

Offline Editor

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Re: Education/Charter Schools/Testing
« Reply #33 on: July 03, 2007, 09:09:32 AM »

Anthony

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Re: Education/Charter Schools/Testing
« Reply #34 on: July 03, 2007, 04:40:47 PM »
144 kids from Hackensack???  That's a big hit.  Has the school system gotten that bad?  Why are so many people willing to take a chance on the unknown?

Offline just watching

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Re: Education/Charter Schools/Testing
« Reply #35 on: July 05, 2007, 03:14:48 PM »
Let's hope the Charter School is not taking the best and brightest only.  This could really become a brain-drain on the student body. If so, the result would be declining standardized test scores. And of course in the future, some people would blame any test score decline on the school system, and not acknowledge loss of the top students to a charter system.  I like the suggestion that entire school systems be converted to the Charter School system.

If someone has the data, I'd love to know which elementary schools lost students, and how many were lost. 

Offline Editor

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Re: Education/Charter Schools/Testing
« Reply #36 on: August 26, 2007, 10:56:09 AM »
From:  What's new in your school?

Hackensack

City schools will be offering Mandarin Chinese come September.

Fourth-graders will be learning the language and about Chinese culture from Zhu Jing, 26, a teacher who will be coming to the district from China. Jing, who teaches English in China and lives in the Hunan Province, is participating in the Visiting Chinese Teacher Program. The Chinese government pays the teacher's salary while the school district pays housing costs.

"I want them to learn about the eastern world and some of its unique cultures," Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum and Instruction Michael Wojcik said.

Over at the middle school, an Academic Attainment Committee composed of teachers will be in charge of analyzing state standardized test scores and figuring out ways to improve, Wojcik said. The district's middle school has been classified in "need of improvement" for the past several years for not meeting benchmarks set by the federal No Child Left Behind Act.

The high school will be offering two more Advanced Placement courses: environmental science and a course on government designed for English as a second language students.

The high school will also be adding two more electives, a Latin American studies class and a Black studies course.

Offline itsme

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Re: Education/Charter Schools/Testing
« Reply #37 on: August 28, 2007, 09:51:48 PM »
Chinese?  Why not offer Spanish in the elementary schools like they did years ago.  There is more of a need for it now.  This will help our kids in the future.

Offline Editor

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Re: Education/Charter Schools/Testing
« Reply #38 on: September 01, 2007, 07:55:00 PM »
There's a pretty big need for Chinese too, apparently:

Yahoo Story:  China's influence spreads around world

China's reach now extends from the Australian desert through the Sahara to the Amazonian jungle — and it's those regions supplying goods for China, not just the other way around. China has stepped up its political and diplomatic presence, most notably in Africa, where it is funneling billions of dollars in aid. And it is increasingly shaping the lifestyle of people around the world, as the United States did before it, right down to the Mandarin-language courses being taught in schools from Argentina to Virginia.

Offline just watching

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Re: Education/Charter Schools/Testing
« Reply #39 on: September 01, 2007, 08:47:48 PM »
I'd like to know what it was 20 years ago.  I think it was at least 75%.

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Re: Education/Charter Schools/Testing
« Reply #40 on: September 02, 2007, 09:29:19 AM »
Latest story:  Students aren't the only ones getting ready for school

Numerous districts, including Cresskill, Fair Lawn, Hackensack, Leonia, Tenafly, North Arlington and Northern Valley Regional High School, will be adding a Chinese language course.

Offline itsme

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Re: Education/Charter Schools/Testing
« Reply #41 on: September 03, 2007, 09:57:59 AM »
There may also be a need for Chinese in the future but right now. there is an obvious need for the Spanish. 

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Re: Education/Charter Schools/Testing
« Reply #42 on: September 04, 2007, 01:02:08 AM »
I agree that Spanish is the priority foreign language to be taught, but......The schools already teach Spanish, don't they ???

If there's a SECOND foreign language to be taught, I'd say Chinese should take precedence over Russian or other traditional favorites, such as French or German.

It wouldn't be so bad if putting Chinese on the curriculum encouraged a few Chinese families to move to Hackensack and attend the public schools.  A little more diversity in terms of Asian students might even increase our test scores.  Those Asian families really push their kids to learn, it's more important to their culture than SPORTS, and sports is what Hackensack has always prioritized.

Offline itsme

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Re: Education/Charter Schools/Testing
« Reply #43 on: September 05, 2007, 05:49:25 PM »
Spanish is taught as an elective only when they get the Middle School.  It was mandatory when I attended Hackensack public schools and it started in the 2nd Grade.

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Re: Education/Charter Schools/Testing
« Reply #44 on: September 06, 2007, 09:03:32 AM »