>My take on the following article is that it is more evidence that the constructivist death grip Ms. Botsford holds on the Ridgewood district’s math and science programs stems from an agenda having nothing to do with encouraging academic excellence.
Title 9 Not the Answer for Scientific Men’s Club Allison Kasic Wednesday, May 14, 2008
Graduation season is upon us. In the coming weeks thousands of American students will celebrate their accomplishments, reflect on four years’ of memories, don silly robes and hats, and graduate from college. The majority of those students will be women, who nationally make up 6 in 10 college students.
Women have made tremendous strides in all aspects of life over the last few decades, but perhaps none is as pronounced as in higher education. In 1970, only 42 percent of undergraduate students were female. Women now dominate campus life, raking in the majority of bachelor’s and master’s degrees awarded each year. But those tremendous accomplishments won’t stop those dedicated to convincing women they are victims.
The latest charge from the gender equity crowd is that women face widespread discrimination in STEM fields (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics). They say government action (in the form of increased Title IX enforcement) is needed to correct this imbalance.
Much of the hysteria can be traced back to a 2007 report from the National Academy of Sciences. Beyond Bias and Barriers: Fulfilling the Potential of Women in Academic Science and Engineering looked at the different rates of participation between the sexes in STEM fields and concluded that discrimination was the key factor holding women back. The report has been taken as gospel since its publication, but policymakers need to take a closer look at the potential causes of this gender disparity before jumping to “fix” the discrimination problem.
Most likely several factors are at play. Unfortunately, some of the likely factors are considered so taboo in the modern academic environment that few people will openly discuss them. Larry Summers came under tremendous fire at Harvard when he suggested that innate biological differences between the sexes might be a factor. Summer’s detractors may have been offended by his comments, but that doesn’t mean that there isn’t an element of truth in there. There is a growing body of research revealing biological differences that affect how men and women learn and process information. Women also tend to profess different interests and priorities. The key question is how big of an impact do those differences have on the disparity in STEM fields.
At this point all potential factors should be on the table for serious inquiry, including differences in aptitude, learning styles, temperament, interest, work-life priorities, and discrimination. To jump ahead and label discrimination the key factor is, at best, intellectually lazy and, at worst, purposefully misleading. I, for one, find it incredibly unlikely that discrimination is the key factor. Women have broken down countless barriers in recent history, including “boys clubs” like business school and law school. Are we really to believe that the last unbreakable bastion of sexism in the academy is being led by scientists in white lab coats?
Even if there is a problem that needs fixing, politicians should pause before looking to Title IX as the solution. Currently, Title IX enforcement is most visible in college athletics where it is lauded for increasing female athletic participation over the past 35 years. But the successes of Title IX have often come with a serious price tag. Too often, Title IX gets used as a weapon against male athletes in the form of cut teams and roster caps rather than a positive force for women’s athletics. The problem lies in the controversial proportionality measurement—the gender breakdown of athletes must match the gender breakdown of the student body. That leaves schools with two options: recruiting more female athletes or cutting opportunities for men. Schools often go for the latter. It’s hard to see how that sort of quota mentality would benefit women in STEM fields.
Universities should aim to ensure that any remaining barriers to fields of studies are removed so that students are free to choose their preferred area of study. Yet any effort to create a politically correct gender balance is a misuse of power that disserves students.
Ridgewood resident, 13 years: 1989-92 (437 Colonial Rd.) and 1998-present (299 W. Ridgewood Ave.) … lived in London and D.C.in between … married to Al Ortiz, 3 kids: Alex, 21; Eliza, 18, Katie, 16.
Contact: annezusy@optonline.net
What I bring:
A journalist by profession, I’ve worked at The New York Times and as editor of The Village Gazette and am able to decipher and/or identify issues, weigh them objectively, discern what’s important, missing or needs to be considered and report in cogent ways with obligations to none save the reader.
Because of my coverage of Ridgewood along with myriad volunteer jobs over the years, I have familiarity with and sensitivity to issues and needs. Coupled with this is my passion, persistence and determination to Get It Done and move on to the next issue/s.
My success, particularly getting the village to set up a Community Center, led to my selection by the Mayor and Council Members as Volunteer of the Year in 2006.
Why I’m running:
My volunteer jobs over the past decade have shown me that the Village Government can be run more efficiently and expeditiously, and I offer ideas, imagination and energy that will focus on old issues and resolve them so that we can tackle new ones.
It is simply ridiculous how long it takes some times to get things done. My forte is offering multiple solutions that can be considered quickly and acted upon aggressively. I am a Get It Done person. My track record shows this.
What I’d Do:
Perhaps there is no more looming issue facing Ridgewood today than the health and wellness of its commercial soul and the way the village lets business be done, because that will determine its personality for years. In coming months the Council will take a stand on Valley Hospital’s modernization plans. There are crucial decisions to be made that, along with advice from independent analysts, require long-term vision and much public input – unlike present consideration of the North Walnut Redevelopment Plan and the approval of surveillance cameras downtown. I am honored that Concerned Residents of Ridgewood views me as an objective candidate, “a feisty and persistent advocate who has integrity and passion.” Equally important for the Council to grapple with are business-district realities that make the stores Ridgewood was known for 20 years ago now set up shop in Hohokus, where rents are far less.
Some other issues are these:
Parking for downtown is needed sooner not later. The quickest way to solve this problem is to arrange for “lifts” to be put on existing lots off Chestnut and Hudson Streets. Meantime, develop a whole parking plan, including a well-publicized handy-map of the 1,000 or so parking sites around town and designating special spots for seniors. Pease must be made viable in a way that respects present as well as historical sensibilities. One idea for a revenue-based plan would build a boutique hotel at Pease, part of which would be preserved and utilized as an Algonquinesque salon with music and more. Habernickel Park must be brought to fruition. A developer should be given the mandate and in exchange operate for a while a restaurant/function-type entity if possible in the old house, bringing in revenue to the village.
Other thoughts:
I offer fresh ideas, imagination and energy that will focus on old issues and resolve them more quickly so that we can go on to new ones! Here are a few:
Taking steps to Go Green, from solar panels to hybrid village-owned cars to lower-energy lights; using non-chemical cleaning agents in public buildings, promoting community gardens and our farmer’s market, working with the Board of Ed to promote school gardens and education on food issues. Acting on some residents’ concerns and offering fast, creative solutions to problems such as recycling bins at the train station, more mailboxes and bike lanes. Survey to identify wants/needs of constituents (being conducted for Zusy for Council committee). Creating conversations about good government that replace local blogs.
What I’ve Done:
Head, Ridgewood Youth Council and Youth Advisory Committee, efforts to establish Community Center and Community Center fundraising drive; member, Community Center Advisory Board President, Federated HSA, GW Middle School HSA Had ideas for, oversaw and brought to fruition multiple projects including: Ridgewood All-Stars vs. Harlem Wizards basketball games for Federated, Tastings of Ridgewood with Chamber of Commerce, News You Can Use meetings for parents/teens on alcohol and drugs, bullying and other subjects germane to teen-age years; Teen Taste of Ridgewood, Party in the Park and Battle of the Bands, Halloween Parade, Miss America anti-bullying talks, SAFE (Schools and Families in Emergencies) meeting for Federated and Ridgewood Youth Council, Opening Day Open House for village residents, Habernickel Park … Auctions: Ridge Elementary School (playground), GW Middle School, and for 9/11 family … Service memorializing village teenager. Editor, Ridgewood Gazette: Wrote many stories on Village Government (budget, water problems, parking survey, Pease, pedestrian safety, etc.) Women Gardeners of Ridgewood – Vice President and Program Chair in charge of programs, speakers, workshops, 2006-8, including bringing a renowned English floral designer to Ridgewood for May 2008 public meeting … oversaw or wrote descriptions and more for multiple Ridgewood garden tours, got national publicity for multiple Ridgewood gardens in Better Homes & Gardens magazines, my own garden three times on Garden Conservancy’s Open Days program to see “America’s Best Private Gardens.” Publicity, RHS: Band Association, New Players, Choir, Asian Festival; Ridgewood TURF and others, Judge and/or chaperone, RHS Speech & Debate team, Princeton/Harvard; chaperone, RHS Band trip, California, DECA, Cherry Hill, Choir, Annapolis/D.C.
Disclaimer: The views expressed on this page are wholly those of Anne Zusy and do not necessarily reflect the view of the Concerned Residents of Ridgewood. This information is provided solely as a public service to promote the dissemination of ideas within the Village of Ridgewood.
“This election just goes to say that this blog does not run this town and math is not the only issue. Nice try….not “
“How could you not be angry? This board has misspent our tax dollars on consultants that told us what we knew anyway, search fees for a firm that didn’t do its homework, on curriculum materials that have been deemed insufficient by national experts, etc. When Sarah Kate and others asked politely and through proper channels for answers they were ignored or dismissed.
What has amazed me in all of this was how some viewed the Maskin and Lois platform as radical or in some way not in all of our best interests. In voting against them, were you opposed to higher academic standards, fiscal accountability, standardized curriculum, increased parental involvement, and more transparent communication?
I never thought I would be making comparisons to “High School Musical”, but I found myself humming the song, “Stick to the Status Quo” this morning (Sing with me!)
Stick to the stuff you know If you wanna be cool Follow one simple rule Don’t mess with the flow, no no Stick to the status quo
Hopefully, we and our children won’t end up like the kids at East high – pretty and shiny on the outside, but a whole lot of nothing going on underneath. “
“This town is a joke. Town services are cut,-idiots on the BOE get re-elected. Everyone gripes on this blog but are no shows at the polls
Our house is on the market already. We’re moving to Fardale in Mahwah, 5 miles from Ridgewood. Nice homes and churches. Schools are good, taxes are less and they’re not arresting kids for carring weapons. Real grass on the playing fields. FYI the school budget passed at $48,000,000.”
” “the Travell crowd”…
I live in the Travell school district. I was disappointed in the results of the election. Then to read this kind of language…I really don’t know what to say.
It really hurts to think that this is what some of your neighbors think of you. “
“I am sick to my stomach. While Sheila has been on the board our curriculum is going to pot, our buildings are falling apart and meanwhile they use our tax dollars to partner with a university to get information we already have at hand. I am disgusted. When Sheila attended the Travell HSA meeting she still feigned surprise that there were issues with the math! Somehow she got all of her old friends to vote for her even though they really no longer have any vested interest in our children’s education. It is time to move. For Sheila, this is just a vanity project. How long can she stay on the BOE? “
“If it wasn’t so clear that they had an agenda, and if it wasn’t so clear that they were angry, angry, angry, they would have won. However, every non angry parent in the town – which is obviously the majority – voted against them as much as they voted for them. I can’t tell you how many people said, “I’m not voting for those kooks.” THAT was their major problem. In a district where there are definitely some issues that need to be addressed, they catered to the Travell crowd and took it too far. To most people in town, they were way too militant – and they were associated with this blog (“Are they the blog people? I’m not voting for THEM!”).
It is all in the packaging. “
“Sarah-Kate and Greg ran a very good campaign and put up a good fight. The mortal mistake was to be silent about the nasty attacks on this blog and to have a link to it on their website. Voters are not stupid- they can see. Yesterday they saw and spoke loudly.(Here is where all the attacks referring to this post will happen…) Now, let’s reconcile for the sake of this town, otherwise you, all of you will become irrelevant.”
“This is a lesson. The “math” issue has no import to the people of Ridgewood. The un-equal education (depending on where you live in town) does not matter to the people of Ridgewood. The lack of books is OK, too. The people have spoken. The fight is over. “
“Laurie Goodman was the best candidate running and the voters agreed. “
“well PJ like I have been saying with the internet who needs public education?”
“so what do you think PJ Ridgewood without schools ? Interesting future for the town dont you think ..I see a clifton like school system in your future ,as all the serious parents who need to live hear send there kids to private schools ,nope not the same old Ridgewood at all kinda sad … “
“First one to find a tutor wins.
get cracking Travell parents – you will need tutors for grades 1 through 12.
>Today is election day for the Ridgewood Board of Education, and we are respectfully asking community members, including those who don’t usually vote, to take heed—this is no ordinary school board election. Our property values and quality of life are more at stake than ever before.
Our school district is at a threshold. To enter the 21st century means a substantive, adaptive change in the way we—as a nation of citizens—do business with our schools. Because of the technology explosion, districts are forced to open up communication with taxpayers exponentially.
There is no turning back. Yet thus far, there has been resistance from some administrators and school board members. Resistance leads to discord, and as many of you know, there has been great discord in this town concerning our schools, made public for all the world to see by the New York Times and NBC Nightly News, among other media.
As candidates, we, Sarah-Kate Maskin and Greg Lois, seek to: uncover underlying issues, question previous assumptions, raise the bar for our kids, unify the district, and heal the discord. Above all, we’re committed to helping guide our district onto a new path where honesty, full disclosure and transparency become the norm. We want a board where parents engage in two-way communication and where they are invited to step on the heretofore sacred soil of curriculum decisions. These are necessary changes that will allow taxpayers to gain assurance that Ridgewood’s sterling reputation will remain true.
The promise of transparency is an especially tall order, to be sure, but that’s because, as mundane as the word “communication” may sound, a two-way dialogue between school and community will mark a departure from the past and will empower taxpayers. Booker T. Washington said it best: “Excellence is to do a common thing in an uncommon way.”
We humbly seek your vote today. Allow us to serve our taxpayers with integrity, intellect, and hard work.
>The APP recently updated a database on multiple job holders in NJ who double dip into our pension system. I was shocked to learn that Ridgewood abets such individuals.
Michael Barker has 3 jobs (Ridgewood – $117,864, North Haledon – $17,228, and Pompton Lakes – $22,432) Stephen Sanzari has 4 jobs (Ridgewood – $93,989, Haworth – $5,000, Little Ferry – $3,874, Prospect Park – $35,691) James Zaconie has 3 jobs (Ridgewood – $24,580 , Mahwah – $71,687, Ramsey – $27,337)
There may not be a problem per se with having a full time job supplemented with a part time job but there is no way that these individuals can perform all of these jobs satisfactorily to the level for which they are being compensated. They definitely should not be allowed to double dip into the state pension plan.
>Over the last two weeks, Valley once again dipped into its considerable “war chest” and sent out glossy “sign-up cards” to Ridgewood residents. The tri-fold cards read, “Have You Expressed Your support for the Valley Renewal – there is still time?” A large Valley advertisement also appeared in the Ridgewood News on the same theme and was timed by Valley to coincide with the card mailing. Another $20,000+ not spent on healthcare!
Despite the money spent, Valley says that it only has 1,200 replies. As there are 24,936 residents and 8,802 households in Ridgewood, and a number of the replies were from the same household, this represents only 5% to 10% of residents and households.
Thank you Valley for proving that over 90% of Ridgewood DOES NOT SUPPORT the “Renewal” because these people deliberately decided not send back the card or did not feel strongly enough in favor of the “Renewal” to send back the card.
>“Inventing procedures involves solving problems that the students do not already know how to solve, so they gain valuable experience with non-routine problems. They must learn to manage their resources: How long will this take? Am I wasting my time with this approach? Is there a better way? Such resource management is especially important in complex problem solving. As students devise their own methods, they also develop persistence and confidence in dealing with difficult problems.”
I don’t know about any of you, but as bright as my kids are, and I’m sure yours are too, complex resource management and character development, all while trying to learn math, seems over the top for just about any kid.
> Natural Forces, Not Man, Causing Global Warming, Scientist Says By Kevin Mooney CNSNews.com Staff Writer March 05, 2008
(CNSNews.com) – Natural forces, not human activity, are primarily responsible for any global warming taking place, prominent atmospheric and space physicist Fred Singer declared Monday at the Heartland Institute’s 2008 International Conference on Climate Change in New York City.
What’s more, the preponderance of scientific evidence about natural forces causing global warming is so great that the issue is settled, Singer said.
“The science is settled in the sense that we have evidence that most of the climate change taking place today is caused by natural forces and not by human activity,” Singer said during his luncheon address at the conservative Heartland Institute.
As was previously reported by the Cybercast News Service, Singer is a long-time critic of the “alarmist” view of global warming.
He was among 100 speakers and panelists taking part in the climate conference, which was attended by scientists from a dozen countries, including Australia, Canada, England, France, New Zealand, Russia and Sweden.
The conference is designed to give so-called “contrarian” scientists the opportunity to freely express their views on climate change. In a letter to the conference, Heartland Institute President Joseph Bast praised the scientists for taking a stand against political correctness and for protecting the scientific method at personal cost to themselves.
A summary of “Nature, Not Human Activity, Rules the Climate,” Singer’s latest report, was released at the conference. Singer discussed some of the study’s major findings in his address.
The report, published by the Nongovernmental International Panel on Climate Change (NIPCC), is a rejoinder to the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), Singer said.
The IPCC, he said, has failed to produce any hard evidence suggesting that humans are largely responsible for the planet’s current warming cycle.
The same information and data used by the U.N. IPCC was also applied in the NIPCC’s exercise, Singer said.
However, in contrast to the U.N. study, an effort was made in his work to “connect the dots” between greenhouse model outputs and actual observations, Singer explained. In the end, no significant amount of warming resulting from human activity could be detected, he said.
The consequences of these results are “far reaching,” especially as they pertain to public policy, said Singer. Since natural variability is responsible for climate change, it logically follows that warming and cooling periods are unstoppable and that carbon dioxide is not a pollutant, he noted.
Unfortunately, the political class has already attached itself to another set of assumptions that sees a strong correlation between man-made emissions and global warming, said Singer.
For this reason, “the train is already moving in the opposite direction” with all three leading presidential candidates embracing views that do not hold up under scientific scrutiny, he said.
Marc Morano, a spokesman for Sen. James Inhofe (R-Okla.), agrees with Singer. “Consensus is a political construction,” Morano said in an interview with Cybercast News Service. Nevertheless, the alarmist view that argues in favor of substantial human contribution to global warming is actually losing supporters, he said.
On average, there are anywhere from two to four new scientists per week in the English-speaking world who are publicly announcing their skepticism about claims that human activity is primarily responsible for climate change, said Morano. (Disclosure: Marc Morano is a former investigative reporter for Cybercast News Service.)
Most of the speakers gathered for the conference agree that there is no genuine consensus on global warming and man-made emissions.
In fact, international survey results show that almost half of the climate scientists polled in 2003 disagreed with what is often portrayed as being “the consensus” view, according to a booklet published by the Heartland Institute.
Most recently, Dr. Joanne Simpson, an atmospheric scientist who previously served with the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, outlined her views in a blog cautioning against excessive reliance on climate models.
“Since I am no longer affiliated with any organization or receive any funding, I can speak quite frankly,” she wrote.
“For more than a decade now ‘global warming’ and its impacts has become the primary interface between our science and society. … There is no doubt that atmospheric greenhouse gases are rising rapidly and little doubt that some warming and bad ecological events are occurring,” Simpson added.
“However, the main basis of the claim that man’s release of greenhouse gases is the cause of the warming is based almost entirely upon climate models,” she said. “We all know the frailty of models concerning the air-surface system. We only need to watch the weather forecasts.”
>Reading these comments shows me just how much people are interested in the lives of other people. It’s sad the time people spend worried about other families when in fact they should be focused on their own families; let me tell you no family or person is perfect. Unfortunately for Eric’s sake he got involved in a relationship with Beth Rhoten, that ruined it for himself and the Rhotens. And yes Beth was charged in court, but Eric allowed her to take a plea deal so she would not go to jail. After this Eric was left with little certainty about his future. Being forced into Washington Heights was that much more difficult for Eric after being here. On top of that he could not play sports at all which probably would have been his future.
He was back in a home where is mother did not have enough money to survive and he did work in a hospital and gave her most of it. Friends in Ridgewood urged Eric to get them drugs because they he could if he tried. This is clearly when Eric saw an oppurtunity to feed himslef, help is mother, and go to school. No doubt he made a mistake, but Eric never asked anyone to do drugs or that he sold drugs. He simply got drugs for his friends in Ridgewood when they asked.
As far as his arrest people are confused. A twenty year old from Ridgewood (many know who this boy is) who is a heavy drug user introduced Eric to an undercover cop because he got in trouble. This boy was doing herion and selling oxycotin, which was all from Irvington and Allendale. He threw Eric under the bus so he would not get in trouble (which he didn’t—great legal system). He told people he was going away to rehab but is still here and probably still doing and selling drugs. He knew Eric could help him by getting him drugs and then blamed everything on Eric so he would not get in trouble.
One could not say that Eric was selling drugs in Ridgewood for the past years because he was seriously into his sports until he got caught up with Beth Rhoten.He never filed a civil suit against the Rhotens nor wanted anything from them. He spoke up so the sexual problem would stop. And Beth his not a poor soul she talks about half this towns kids gossiping like her family is better than everyone else. Eric learned his lesson and i know he is sorry what he has done to the community. I have heard his say “He will never have anything to do with illegal drugs again.” Everyone is trying to put Eric down when they don’t even know him and just beleive what they are told. He is a good person at heart and other people influenced him to do bad things for them, not the other way around.
People need to stop judging every single person they can criticize, everyone makes mistakes. If your kids really want to do drugs they are doing them there are plenty other of people who can get them. So if you are spending time reading this worried about Eric you should be with your family worrying about your own problems.
>Answers of Sarah-Kate Maskin & Greg Lois, Candidates for Ridgewood Board of Education To “10 Questions” Posed by The Ridgewood Blog March 21, 2008
1) Would you support the expansion of the BOE from the current five member board to a seven member BOE?
Answer: Ridgewood is a “J” district- that means that Ridgewood is one of 25 schools that falls into the highest categorization of personal income of its residents. Out of these 25 school districts, 14 have nine board members. Of the remaining eleven that we have data for, only four districts (including Ridgewood) have 5 members of the Board.
Given the size of our student population (second-biggest in our “J” category) and the small size of our Board one would expect that this small-decision making body would be more agile than a larger board.
Our experience in observing this board indicates that this “agility” which is born from “smallness” is wasted: we do not have a dynamic, quick-moving board. In opposite, we have a board that seems overwhelmed and which does not seem to question the administrators.
We would support the expansion of the Board from five to seven members.
[Our research on the other “J” districts follows:
Bedminster Township, New Jersey K-8. 620 students. Nine board members.
Bernards Township School District 5,404 students. Operates K-12. Nine school board members.
Chester Township Public School District K-8 only, approximately 1,500 students. Nine board members.
Cranbury School 650 students. K-8. Nine board members.
Essex Fells, New Jersey K-8. 271 students. Five board members.
Glen Rock Public Schools K-12. 2,472 students. Nine members.
Haddonfield Public Schools K-12. 2,377. Nine members.
Harding Township, New Jersey K-8. 321 students. (Bd of Ed website down).
Ho-Ho-Kus Public School K-8. 650 students. Five members.
Little Silver School District K-8. 802 students. Seven members.
Mendham Borough Schools K-8. 650 students. Nine members.
Mendham Township Public Schools K-8. 926 students. Seven members.
Millburn Township Public Schools K-12. 4,573 students. Nine members.
Montgomery Township School District K-12. 4,917 students. Eight board members.
Mountain Lakes Schools K-12. 1,631 students. Nine members.
North Caldwell Public Schools K-6. 731 students. Website down.
Plainsboro Township, New Jersey Plainsboro and West Windsor are part of a combined school district, the West Windsor-Plainsboro Regional School District. 9,016 students. Nine members.
Ridgewood Public Schools K-12. 5,551 students. Five members.
Rumson School District K-8. 986 students. Nine members.
Saddle River School District K-5. 207 students. Five board members.
School District of the Chathams K-12. 3,380 students. Nine members.
Tewksbury Township Schools K-8. 753 students. Nine members.
Upper Saddle River School District K-8. 1,344 students. Seven members.
West Windsor Township, New Jersey See Plainsboro. Plainsboro and West Windsor are part of a combined school district, the West Windsor-Plainsboro Regional School District. 9,016 students. Nine members.
Woodcliff Lake Public Schools K-8. 895 students. Seven members.]
2) “In light of the unexpected departure caused by Mr. Brooks, what have you changed in your approach to a search for a superintendent candidate and what changes you have, if any, in the criteria for the superintendent candidate?
Answer: We would start by conducting a search within our current staff to find a “home-grown” replacement.
Instead of simply “listing qualities” of a “dream superintendent” we think it is more important to (a) identify the problems we are facing and then (b) describe what type of leader we need in Ridgewood to address our problems.
(a) Problems – the challenges we expect our next Superintendent to deal with:
Our leadership staff (Principals) and teaching staff have had to endure a ‘revolving door’ of Superintendents. We need someone who is committed to Ridgewood – who will live here and become part of the community. This will inspire our staff and leadership and show that our superintendent is here to stay, and not just “passing through.” Permanence will lend credibility to our next Superintendent.
Ridgewood is heading into a crisis with the infrastructure in our schools. In the next 3-5 years our community-members (taxpayers) are going to have to face up to the years of neglect our lovely buildings and grounds have endured. This will be expensive. In the next several months and years not only does our Board have to show the taxpayers of Ridgewood they can exercise fiscal responsibility, but our superintendent must lead us towards the necessary reinvestment and rebuilding of our school infrastructure. This new Superintendent must demonstrate fiscal responsibility in order to convince the taxpayers that any ‘Second question’ or capital improvement monies will not be “frittered away”-the Superintendent must lead the way and build a community-wide optimism in rehabilitating our crumbling schools.
We have an instructional crisis in Ridgewood-our district has become embroiled in “Math Wars.” Our next Superintendent should have a strong instructional background so she/he can steer our district clear of “fads,” “experiments,” and “unproven reforms.”
The Superintendent must reduce our overhead and “flatten” the organizational tree. For example, why have the facilities supervisor report to the Business Administrator? The facilities manager should report directly to the Superintendent. This will “free up” our business administrator (and maybe we will not have to hire an assistant for our business administrator). Our next superintendent must reduce inefficient staffing.
(b) To adequately address these problems, Ridgewood’s superintendent should possess the following qualities:
Possess the highest standards and maintain the highest aspirations for Ridgewood – demonstrate a belief that Ridgewood can be #1; Show a commitment to Ridgewood (permanence); Be fiscally responsible and prepared to reduce waste; and Have a strong instructional background.
3) What is your plan for ensuring Ridgewood kids receive a world-class education?
Answer: The Maskin-Lois plan is: (a) The Board must set the following goal for our school leadership and instructional staff: We must be #1 in Bergen County and #1 in New Jersey. Tolerance of other standards of success (such as the Board’s discussion of simply ‘meeting state standards’ and espousing success via state test scores) is a waste of time. Let’s focus on getting back to where we should be: #1. (b) The Board must select and support an outstanding new Superintendent. (c) The Board must create community-wide support for massive infrastructure improvement, including facilities, technology, and grounds. As set forth in our other answers, the Board must establish credibility within the community by demonstrating fiscal responsibility (doing more with less, identifying efficiencies, and cutting out the waste). The Board must come up with a sustainable and responsible plan to repair our school buildings in a timely fashion, involve the community, and secure the resources necessary to support the infrastructure development.
4) Do our HSA’s have a purpose beyond fundraising? If so, what is it and how can you help them achieve it?
Answer: We have a talented, educated, and capable parent community that is willing to help our schools achieve excellence. To ask our HSA’s to solely fundraise diminishes the possibilities our parents can offer to benefit our schools, children, and faculty.
We believe the role of the HSA should be an avenue for parents to express their ideas, concerns, needs and goals within each school involving all topics that impact our children. The HSA’s in return can provide the parent voice by communicating directly to the principal at their meetings and then to the superintendent. This allows for changing that avenue from a one-way street to a two-way street.
5) What role should NJ’s state standards or lack thereof play in selecting our curriculum and do you agree with the direction the academic program has taken in Ridgewood Schools?
Answer: Our goal must be to be #1 in Bergen County and #1 in New Jersey. That does not mean “#1 in NJASK, GEPA, and HSPA testing.” There is a need for improvement regarding our academic programming.
One example is the Reader’s and Writer’s Workshop. Our model is effective in producing solid results for elementary student achievement in both reading and writing. However, grammar and language mechanics are missing from this model. We should include grammar and language mechanics into our program.
Another area of our academic programming that must be addressed is the methodology of instruction dictated by district administrators. Our children spend a disproportionate amount of time working in groups or partnering with other students throughout all academic domains.
Our district must unify our curricula throughout all of our schools. Unifying the curricula will save tax dollars, guarantee the same content is provided to each student, and eliminate the divisiveness felt among parents that “one school is better than another.” We all live in Ridgewood, and creating unity has powerful results.
6) Is a “state teaching certification” enough to satisfy our standards for teachers we hire?
Answer: Of course not. By law, all teachers must be state certified. That is merely the “minimum” requirement. We must continue to recruit outstanding teachers and invest in our teachers (continuing education, workshops, etc.). Ridgewood traditionally hired only those teachers who had at least three years experience. We would consider a return to this practice to ensure our children have experienced teachers.
7) Would require redistricting our elementary and middle schools to lower the student teacher ratio?
Answer: There are many things we could do to lower the student-teacher ratio in our schools.
For example, Benjamin Franklin Middle School has a very high student-to-teacher ratio. The ratio of students to teachers at Benjamin Franklin is nearly 25 to 1. The New Jersey middle-school average is closer to 19 to 1.
Principal Orsini took an innovative approach to this high student-to-teacher ratio: he looked at ways of re-scheduling the class offerings to maximize his student-to-teacher ratio. The school is moving to a different scheduling system and Principal Orsini expects that this change alone will reduce the student to teacher ratio at BF. Changing the schedule is obviously a more cost-effective approach than simply hiring more instructional staff and does not require redistricting.
The mission of the school board and their administrators, consultants, leaders, etc., is to find and encourage efficient and innovative solutions to district problems, like the high student-to-teacher ratio at BF.
8) How do you think the recently released report of the President’s Math Panel should impact and inform our current discussion of Ridgewood’s math curriculum?
Answer: The recent math panel report does not support the adoption of reform math teaching methods in our schools. The Math panel found that knowledge of basic math facts (using standard algorithms to solve equations) is necessary to comprehend math concepts.
It is a waste of learner’s time and taxpayer dollars to re-train our teachers and re-purchase new instructional materials to teach reform math.
We believe the traditional math instructional model, which has always been used in Ridgewood, best follows the math panel recommendations.
The report also recommends moving away from the spiral topic sequencing approach that reform math advocates espouse. The reform math currently in use at some of our elementary schools relies on a spiral approach and eliminates standard algorithms. At the middle school level, ‘Connected Mathematics Program 2 (CMP2)’ was rolled in for the sixth and seventh graders. It will follow them next year as they enter eighth grade. This middle school math program follows a spiral approach to learning and instruction.
After reading the President’s Math Panel Report, we strongly urge our administrators and Board to jettison all reform math programs from our district as not meeting the recommendations of the report.
We believe a traditional math program provides the necessary content and rigor to prepare our students mathematically and these suggestions are outlined in the Report. Any quality traditional math program inherently builds into its text both strategies and problem solving skills that reform math so highly promotes. Textbooks are a must. Sarah-Kate has sat on curriculum committees and knows it is absolutely possible to unify our districts math instruction with a top quality, proven successful program for this coming September.
For your information, below is a letter that Ms. Maskin emailed to our Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum and Instruction on March 17, 2008.
Dear Ms. Botsford,
I am sure you have had an opportunity to read through the President’s Math Panel report that was released last week.
Now that it is published with its clear recommendations regarding K-8 mathematics, the district, I hope, will abandon its idea of partnering with a local university.
Short of the implicit response to re-train our teachers, I can’t imagine that this said partnership could possibly offer anything as insightful and detailed as outlined by the President’s National Math Panel. This august and inclusive assembly of experts spent two years researching and collecting information–something we could not do given our limited resources.
The guidance has been provided and I am sure that this report can truly help our district find a resolve to the current state of math programming here in Ridgewood.
Most importantly, do you still see any reason why delaying the implementation of a math program is necessary given its huge cost of another lost year for so many of our students. I look forward to your reply.
Regards, Sarah-Kate Maskin
9) The BOE believes it has sought ways to improve communication with parents. Has it been successful and if not, what will you do to enhance this aspect of the board’s communication?
Answer: 70.6% of survey-takers said that the current Board does not “accept or want parent input” and 69.7% said that they “don’t feel well-represented by this Board.” (Source: web survey taken by Maskin & Lois for School Board – available online at https://www.OurRidgewoodSchools.com). Based on the results of our polling, the Board has not been successful in improving communication with parents.
Communicating with parents and the community is incredibly important because we are facing several challenges in the coming months: the hiring of a new superintendent, the restoration of a mission of excellence (we must be #1 in Bergen County and #1 in New Jersey and not accept anything less), and the fiscal pressures presented by our decaying infrastructure.
Our campaign exemplifies how to communicate with parents and the community: we have sent direct mail, sent email, created web surveys, drafted a website, and we have individually responded to questions presented by the community (in person at HSA meetings and through correspondence, like these responses). We do not think that the community’s communication expectations should have to change once campaign season is over and the lawn signs go to recycling.
We think the Board must do more to make their website responsive, to incorporate surveys and polling where appropriate, and to consider moving meetings away from Cottage Place and into the individual schools (The BOE has said they can’t hold meetings in the schools because of the location of the TV cameras . . . if the Orchard HSA can webcast their meetings remotely, surely the Board can too!)
Our district’s communication is one way and ineffective. The Board talks about being transparent but in reality, falls short. One of our goals is to provide the public with all information. Currently, the Board and administration impart carefully selected items that equates a partial picture.
There is a chain of command a parent must undergo when voicing their concerns about an educational issue. What has happened specifically regarding math could just as easily be about any issue. It is not the topic; it is the attitude of the Board that is of great concern and we would like that to change to truly represent the parent and tax-payer voice. It is our intent to make sure that no parent must experience the exasperating ordeal of being ignored. These are our children and our hard-earned tax dollars. Parents should be heard and respected in the process. Ms. Brogan does not share in this philosophy; her actions over the past few years demonstrate this point.
We would:
• Provide board minutes on the BOE website; • Provide tallies of how Board members voted on issues before the Board; • Hold Board meetings in all of the schools (on a rotating basis); • Allow write-in (or emailed in) questions to be read into the record at public meetings if a resident can not attend; • Continue our use of web surveys (see www.OurRidgewoodSchools.com) to include annual reviews of each school by the parents and community; • Consider increasing the size of the Board to better address and represent taxpayer’s and resident’s issues (from 5 to 7 members); and • Encourage community participation in the work of the Board committees.
Finally, we remind you that the ultimate communications tool is your vote: if you do not like the direction the school system is heading, vote for change!
10) Where would you rank the quality of our facilities and fields on a scale of 1 to 10? How would you handle the responsibility of ensuring that our facilities and fields are maintained?
Answer: We give the quality and quantity of our recreational facilities a “5” out of “10.” Given that 1 in 4 residents of Ridgewood is a child (25%), versus a national average of 18%, open space and recreational opportunities are very important for our youth.
I direct you to the ‘Ridgewood Comprehensive Parks, Fields, and Recreation Master Plan’ (2nd Draft) (available here: https://www.ridgewoodnj.net/main.cfm?ArticleID=498). This plan provides a ten-year incremental map of recreational facilities development. The plan anticipates a ‘sharing’ of costs between the BOE and Village for fields and facilities (tennis courts, basketball courts, etc.).
The allocation of field resources (as opposed to the maintenance and creation of new resources) can be done more efficiently. A greater sharing of facilities between the BOE, the Bergen County park system, the YMCA of Greater Bergen County must be explored in addition to the sharing of township resources. The village has 16 parks and the BOE operates and controls 11 ‘active recreation facilities.’
Our Master Plan calls for the acquisition of additional properties over the next ten years. This is a joint plan involving the Village Council as well as the BOE.
We would fight to fully fund our infrastructure maintenance plan and improve our recreational fields. We do not think that we must “sacrifice” one part of our system (facilities, fields) at the expense of another.
The issue of field maintenance and recreational expense is really about the overall budget. Here is Greg Lois’ Letter to the Editor published in the March 21, 2008 Ridgewood News:
Dear Editor:
I asked Board Member Brogan whether she agreed with the statement that “The proposed 2008 budget does not include full funding for the infrastructure maintenance as presented in the LAN Associates district plan and does not include full funding for the recreational facilities maintenance and upkeep as set forth in the Schoor DePalma master plan.”
Ms. Brogan agreed with that statement.
She then went on to speak at length about why our district did fully fund the maintenance and recreational facilities plans. She specifically said it was problem of “allocating resources” and that the infrastructure needs had to be balanced with instructional costs, etc. The answer was quite lengthy and there was no time for other questions after the long response.
I am writing this letter because I do not want the attendees to get the wrong impression from Ms. Brogan’s response. Specifically, I want your HSA members to know that I do not subscribe to Ms. Brogan’s “shrinking pie” theory of the school budget, where we as Board members can do nothing better than just “slice up the pie” between competing school needs. I want your Association members to know that there is a more realistic and optimistic approach to addressing the district’s financial needs.
It’s not a static pie. The pie expands when efficiencies are found.
In order to most easily understand my approach to the school budget process I will provide an example of it in practice.
Benjamin Franklin Middle School has a very high student-to-teacher ratio. The ratio of students to teachers at Benjamin Franklin is nearly 25 to 1. The New Jersey middle-school average is closer to 19 to 1.
Principal Orsini took an innovative approach to this high student to teacher ratio-he looked at ways of re-scheduling the class offerings to maximize his student-to-teacher ratio. The school is moving to a different scheduling system and Principal Orsini expects that this change alone will reduce the student to teacher ratio at BF. Changing the schedule is obviously a more cost-effective approach than simply hiring more instructional staff.
In the BF example, the application of a different scheduling system (a time management system) “expanded” the budget “pie” and the school district is able to provide a benefit (lower student to teacher ratio at BF) without significant cost increase.
The mission of the school board and their administrators, consultants, leaders, etc., is to find and encourage these types of efficiencies. In relation to the budget, this really should be “job one” for the Board members. Not to throw their hands up, say “well this is all we can do” and give up. Not to lead us to believe that every added benefit (like lower teacher to student ratio) comes at the cost to some other district aspiration.
I was hoping to confront Ms. Brogan’s “shrinking pie” budget theory at the meeting. I am sorry we ran short of time because I really think that focusing on efficiencies and the application of technology (like the new time-scheduling system at BF) will be more successful for Ridgewood.
The question really becomes “how much more pie can we find?” in the current budget. I think there is plenty of efficiency to be found.
I have not given up on fully funding our infrastructure maintenance plan and improving our recreational fields. I do not think that we must “sacrifice” one part of our system (facilities, fields) at the expense of another (according to Ms. Brogan, “everything else”). Very Truly, Greg Lois
Please visit our website (www.OurRidgewoodSchools.com) for more information and information about our platform. Please contact the candidates with any questions regarding these responses. Sarah-Kate can be contacted directly at Sarah-Kate@OurRidgewoodSchools.com . Greg can be contacted at Greg@OurRidgewoodSchools.com.
>With so much negative talk about Ridgewood Public Schools, let’s remember what Ridgewood does best—the arts. On April 7, the very talented Mr. Sattely brought his High School Madrigal Singers to the school board meeting to give everyone a listening treat.
>As I watched the proceedings at this evening’s Board of Education meeting, I was struck by the story that is unfolding at Somerville. As many of you know, the PARRCA program, which services our district’s autistic children at a major savings to the taxpayers, has been moved around in recent years, most notably with one of the classes moving from Hawes to Ben Franklin. Well, the program is on the move again.
When I first heard of the move, I looked at it like most people would. “Well, if they don’t have room at Somerville, they will place the kids somewhere where they can best be served.” But then the second speaker stepped up to the microphone. She mentioned that space was needed to accommodate students who will be joining the kindergarten class in the fall, as well as current kindergarten students who were temporally placed in schools such as Hawes because of this year’s overcrowding. The speaker asked the board if those children were more important than her child?
Unfortunately, since its inception, the PARRCA program has been seen as just that – a program. A program can move. But these are children. These are children who have made a connection to their school. They attend specials, play on the playground, and have formed relationships with teachers, administrators and other students. They are not just another program.
If you notified me that my child was going to be moved from her school to make room for others, my first call would be to my lawyer. I have a feeling that everyone else reading the blog would react the same way. Why do we feel that disabled kids have less rights than the general population? Do we think that they won’t know that they have changed schools? Do we think that it is justified since some of the students do not live in the Somerville district? Several of them do live in the Somerville district, and even if they didn’t, are they any less important to our community than the others who are slated to take their spots?
There has to be another way. I urge anyone with a thought on this matter to speak up. Let’s shoot for a win-win for everyone, especially for these kids.
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