>Ridgewood school district better do something or we’ll end up like Camden, Paterson and Passaic.

>Ridgewood went from “23″ instances of violence in ’02-’03 to “37″ in ’05-’06. Substances for the same periods went from “9″ to “14″. Most other districts went down. This does not bode well for Ridgewood.

Glen Rock, Northern Highlands and Ramsey are looking more appealing by the moment — AND — they also don’t teach TERC math — AND — their taxes are lower. Goodbye, Ridgewood!

It’ll be intesting to see the spin that the boe will put on this and we know they will.

>Close the campus and create a more supervised environment. Watch the incidents drop dramatically!

These students are not adults. Their collective behavior continually makes it clear that they require a more structured environment.

>10:28

Where were you? They DID the survey in 2000 and it was useless, just as the critics said.

If it were so useful, then how come we are where we are today?

What an idiotic comment you made.

>block scheduling + open campus = T-R-0-U-B-L-E

>Don’t the parents who raise these children have any responsibility???

>Welcome to Montclair.

>This would stop if they closed the darn campus and really kept track of the kids.

>Parents no excuses…. take responsibility for your own kids…. can not always be some one else who is at fault.

>In response to “rik mayal” one can only say ‘Dope’ and ‘Jerk’ arn’t very useful terms in this discussion, I assume you were not educated in Ridgewood. The real Rik Mayall would be disappointed!

>Open campus is not the problem — it’s been ‘open’ for 30 years. Like a previous poster mentioned, try fixing the small things first. Start reining in the children (yes, they are still children) with regard to chewing gum, using ipods/phones, etc. first. Then tackle dress codes and see where we are. Once they realize that they do not rule the universe, Ridgewood teens may start to make an attempt to behave. Parents, feel free to step in at any time — thanks!

>Lets all move to Ho Ho Kus not a single incidence!

>When we were kids and didn’t follow the rules we got “wacked”
(not like Sopranos do) with the back of the hand, we are not violent because of this. In general we conform and do the right things. Sure maybe we did a little grass, but we didn’t beat people up to get it.
Its time that todays parents spend some time with their kids.
and teach the values that were passed on from our parents.
By the time our kids reach HS they have the values that they learned from us. If they learned at all.

WAKE UP FOLKS its YOUR fault that the kids are the way they are today.
NOT THE SCHOOLS.
Its too late for the middle school kids right now. But do your job for the grade school childern NOW while you can.
YOU TEACH THEM VALUES.

>Two thoughts -

When I moved to Ridgewood I applied to become a substitute teacher until I could find a full time teaching job. I worked at the High School and I was shocked at the attitute of not only the students but some of the techers. When I took attendance the students then just walked out, or they brought friends into the classroom, or they listened to their i-pods or ate or played card games. If you pulled them up on it you just got attitude – from both student, teacher and admin.

My own highschool kids say that happens all the time!

Enough is enough – there should be better leadership from admin after all they get paid the big bucks. They should expect be unpopular with some of the people in the community but in the long run the students would benefit.

As a parent of highschoolers I hate the block scheduling and long lunches because my kids are constantly coming home or into town. How can I keep track of them when even the school can’t. What happened to in loco parentis. I let the school have my kids in their care and expect them to look after them as I would – which means knowing where they are at all times. How can the school safe guard my child when they don’t know where they are.

Also as an open campus there is so little security it is a joke. You can get in any door without being asked what you are there for and the students often open doors for their friends

>First, bbwool you were outed on this blog for lying so I’m surprised you’re back. Second, your call for “more info” is not genuine because PJ’s post provides the link to the DOE’s report. All you have to do is go and read it. As for lumping things together, the breakdown is right there for you to ponder.

Usually, with miscreant behavior in a school population, it’s often a small percentage of children that become repeat offenders and increase reported incidences. Largely, parents are doing their jobs, but some parents have lost control of their children and those children are in our schools, like it or not. The schools know who these children are and should be able to monitor them closely and protect the student body at large. That is why we have so many administrators at great cost to the taxpayers.

School policy, however, is a great contributor to the socially permissive atmosphere that used to exist at the HS. I say “used” to exist because the new principal has made a complete right turn on this and I expect we will see results and improvements in next year’s report.

The BOE needs to provide much support to his efforts. They can also encourage middle school principals to deal early with these few repeat offenders.

Everyone in the school system knows who they are. Other students have given them names: ever heard of “the juvees” in middle school? The administration didn’t need a “survey” to find them. They are right in front of their noses.

They must deal seriously with these students and must involve their parents in helping to keep them in line.

The past leadership at the HS was the worst I have ever seen. Clueless administrators and leaders who ignored the problems. I personally went to the HS two years ago and told the administrators that my children couldn’t come there unless things changed.
I think they fnally have. Thanks to Jack Lorenz.

The fact that the BOE let the zoo continue for as long as it did is a derelection of duty. None of them should keep their positions for having presided over this.

>”Don’t the parents who raise these children have any responsibility???”

Yes, but this is a report on SCHOOL violence not HOME violence. Parents are not in school with their children. Therefore the BOE must take ultimate responsibility for what has happend in our schools. They select and hire the administrators, many of whom are not up to the task.

Fire bad people and recruit good people; that is their first responsibility. Sadly, I think they can’t tell the difference. Look at their support for Ives and Botsford, both of whom are failing up quickly.

>9:55

Childern learn at home first, then go on to school to misbehave.

This is not about home violence but about teaching your kids AT HOME right from wrong so that they won’t be violent in school.
It’s not ALL the kids, but enough of them so that this situation at the schools stands out to make the news.

IT’S GOT NOTHING TO DO WITH THE SCHOOL, BOE, TEACHERS OR ADMINISTRATORS and everything to do with how the kids are raised ( or not raised) by their parents.

The parents need to do a better job with the k-5 kids so that by the time they get to middle school they know better.
TAKE THE TIME AND TEACH YOUR OWN KIDS!!

>agreed 1139. but if the teachers start to actually work, then they will demand MORE money and threaten ANOTHER strike and use the bullshit tactics as before (such as refusing to write student recommendations for college..which IS INEXCUSABLE)but since they act like garbage truck union members rather than professionals….you see the results!

>The BOE likes to think of itself as “progressive” which is a kind way of saying Left wing. And it favors progressive left wing policies. That’s why we have TERC and Open Circle, etc.

But Left wing anything, especially cities, are total failures — Detroit comes to mind. Look at New York City under Dinkins. Total disaster.

It took a completely Right turn to make NY livable again. I know because we fled the city when Dinkins was mayor.

It will take a similar change in direction of our local gov’t to embrace sound principles of leadership–they will also save money. Otherwise the inmates will continue to run the asylum.

>Ah, but the left wing from the Upper West Side of Manhattan will never allow their so called “progressive gains” be undermined by common sense and morals.

They believe in socialism, and that they know best for us mere hayseeds out here.

They have made a stake here, like they did in Montclair. Upending them will be very difficult. They always trot out racism and intolerance when challenged.

Who needs that. Time to leave Ridgewood for Allendale and the northern towns of Bergen County.

Besides, those places have lower taxes and better schools.

>BTW, in the last long comment I posted referring to Nepotism in Ridgewood, I was not referring to possible Nepotism in the RPD and RFD where Civil Service testing is required and most related parties their are just trying to pursue family heritage of public service to their community. I was referring to other areas where some Village Employees and BOE employees were hired to positions they were not qualified for or some where positions were created out of no where for relatives of higher-ups in Village leadership.

>hey 1:23pm my kids are behaved so if a teacher wants to toss one of the ones misbehaving (ipod, disrepectful, disruptive) then that teacher gets my full support and the misbehavin kid can sit in the principals office til his mommy,daddy, or nanny rescues him/her

>I totally agree with post 8:09 pm, and yes there is plenty of blame to go around. There needs to be a community wide effort by all concerned to reverse the negative and dangerous trend that is emerging in our village. Not only should the children themselves be held accountable for their conduct, but those whom are responsible for their guidance must accept some responsibility. I have heard many parents complain that the BOE and the town are failing our children, and that they have been met with indifference when seeking assistance. I believe the source of the apathy by the BOE, Police, Fire and Village employees stems from the top of the Village Management. The vast majority of the teachers and village employees care about this community, however after years of trying to do a good job and watching others being taken care of due to being connected through family or otherwise tends to beat one down. There have been positions created throughout the BOE and Village which at best could be described as ill conceived and unnecessary. Unfortunately the people who have gotten these positions all have either been related to a top official or connected through friendship or other means. While the Fire and Police departments are supposed to be governed by civil service, the Village has circumvented rules governing promotions repeatedly. For example the creation of a director of the fire department when someone failed to pass the test. I know of at least two firefighters whom were passed over for another. Then there is the police department where they have had legal issues regarding promotions and where positions have been created and the structure of the department rearranged take care of certain persons. What do these people do in their new found positions, it’s any ones guess as they can rarely be found. Have you tried to find any of the village’s top leadership at village hall? Don’t even bother trying to reach any of the BOE leadership either. What we appear to be experiencing is a absence of leadership with in village government, the BOE and unfortunately in many homes.
My point here is that the leaders of these organizations are setting the tone and example for their employees, unfortunately the example they are setting is that of taking care of themselves rather than the mission of their organizations which our community. Just as parents should be setting and reinforcing the proper examples for their children, the leadership of the village should be doing the same. Before we can hope to affect a positive can in our community we need to establish an atmosphere where such things positive work ethic, integrity, family values, respect for others and community service are rewarded, rather than what we have seen thus far. Please, this is not an attack on any ones’ parenting skills; I have made enough of my own. The vast majority of us are doing the best we know how; however it is a wake up call. If we are not leading our children down the right path, there are plenty of others willing to lead them down the wrong path. We are just as responsible if we allow the council and village management to continue to abuse the trust we have placed in them.

>How can we stop them? They run the town like they own it.

>What kind of school ALLOWS eighteen cuts per class? How can you monitor CHILDREN when your own school policy allows/ENCOURAGES them to wander around?

>If they closed the campus there would be no room for half the school to eat. There aren’t even enough tables for a quarter of the students. They don’t get open campus because they deserve it, they get it because there is no room.

>18 absents is a state law and the student whether regular or special ed fails the course… of course medical ex. are different… what do you mean school? where are the parents?

>All the kids know abot eighteen cuts per class and they use them as their own personal time. There should be a school mechanism that intercedes by having family conferences at ,say, five cuts to see if there are valid reasons for these cuts. Otherwise the kids intercxept the 5:05PM telephone notifications and the parents are none the wiser. The kids are still wandering around getting into trouble. How can the school monitor the kids when they’re all wandering around campus or intown just hanging out. Are we saying that these juveniles are allowed to make these decisions on their own without any repercussions? Yhey aare not little adults they are teenagers that need guidance. Left to their own devices we’ll wind up with “Animal House” or “Lord of the Flies” as the major theme at RHS. The lack of guidance, leadership, and accountability at RHS is deplorable. We’ve got a very high priced guidance department; we got very high priced grade administrators; and, we’ve got a very high priced administration, and we’re leaving accountability to the kids? We need some adult guidance and supervision there and we’re not getting it. Let’s stop blaming the kids for being kids.

>To 8:08 AM: The whole school has to have lunch at the same time because of “block scheduling.” So, for that whole lunch time no classrooms are being used. Because no classrooms are being used for a whole period, we needed to expand the high school.

BTW, there were more students attending RHS in the 70′s then there are now with one more grade….there were 3 kids to a locker back then.

Someone said it best up further in the comments: block scheduling + open campus = T-R-O-U-B-L-E.

>It was reported recently in the Ridgewood News that a high school english teacher was arrested for theft. My son had her … said she was weird. Great role model.

>Clean out these lazy administrators who have been there for years. They are growing cobwebs for goodness sakes.

Some of them are older than the building.