Ridgewood NJ, According to Sterling Lloyd, assistant director at the Education Week Research Center and coauthor of the Quality Counts report, the grading framework rewards states with a “well-rounded approach to education.” Broadly speaking, in states at the top end of the ranking, parents have the resources to support their children’s learning in well-funded schools; students report high academic achievement in the classroom; and graduates are able to pursue careers in an economy where opportunities are available to them.
The Education Week Research Center rated New Jersey Schools second best in the USA:
2. New Jersey
> Overall grade: B
> Per pupil spending: $15,946 (6th highest)
> High school graduation rate: 89.7% (2nd highest)
> Pct. 3 & 4 yr. olds enrolled in preschool: 63.7% (2nd highest)
Only three states report a higher median annual household income than New Jersey’s $72,222. Partially because of its strong tax base, New Jersey invests heavily in its public school system. The Garden State spends the equivalent of 4.8% of its taxable resources on its schools, second in the country only to Vermont. Each year, nearly $16,000 per student are spent on New Jersey schools — more than all but five other states.
While the connection between school spending and educational outcomes is complex, in New Jersey, high spending accompanies strong academic performance. The state has some of the largest shares both of math and english-proficient eighth graders, and about 38% of 11th and 12th grade advanced placement test scores in New Jersey are 3 or better — high enough to qualify for college credits — the sixth largest share of all states.
Westwood NJ, Assemblywoman Holly Schepisi released the following statement on the state Supreme Court decision requiring municipalities to provide affordable housing for the “gap period:”
“I am deeply disappointed in the Supreme Court’s decision to enforce a gap-period. This ruling will devastate all 23 municipalities I represent and suburban municipalities throughout the state. The failure of the legislature to address the social engineering of the court should not result in changing communities forever.”
“I implore our Senate President and Assembly Speaker to do everything in their power to move forward with bi-partisan legislation addressing this issue. The court rules on what is constitutional, not aggressively ruling what it thinks is best for the state. We cannot let the court legislate what is best for individual communities.”
Assemblywoman Holly Schepisi goes on, “While ideologically I think our communities want to welcome all regardless of income levels the mandates of COAH have implications far beyond that. Many of our communities with populations under 10,000 people are facing the threat of population increases of 10 percent or more without the infrastructure, schools or services to support massive population increases. We currently receive virtually no money from the state to support our schools, our Municipalities, our infrastructure. Mandating massive building in our communities (many of which are done with PILOT agreements) without any financial help to do so will cause a significant financial burden on all. As an example the new 150 unit apartment complex with commercial components will be paying less than $1,750 per average unit per year (in property taxes and payments in lieu of taxes combined) for 30 years with slight increases based upon rental incomes received by the developers. Meanwhile every other home in the Borough is paying an average of about $12,000 per year in property taxes . That $12,000 figure is guaranteed to rise in order to make up for the shortfalls. Further, people have chosen to live in the suburbs for a reason. Prior to moving back to Bergen County I lived many years in cities including Washington, New York and London. I choose where we live today because of the open space, the small class sizes, the fact that there weren’t five or six story buildings around me. Why should the Courts be able to change the entire character of the community I live in?”
Ridgewood NJ, Intensifying his Administration’s commitment in the fight against substance abuse, Governor Chris Christie today signed Executive Order 219 declaring the opioid epidemic a public health crisis in New Jersey. The action requires the marshalling of all appropriate resources to combat its harmful effects on state citizens.
“We must take aggressive action to get this insidious crisis under control so I am calling together all resources of state government in order to save lives,” said Governor Christie. “The human cost of this epidemic is incalculable, impacting every part of life in New Jersey, affecting our education system, our health care system, public safety and the financial security of every person it touches.”
According to the U.S. Surgeon General, an American dies every 19 minutes from an opioid or heroin overdose. New Jersey’s drug overdose death rate increased by almost 22 percent between 2014 and 2015. There was a 30 percent increase in heroin deaths over the previous year and triple the number of deaths caused by the synthetic opioid fentanyl. Additionally, the CDC reports that in 2012, health care providers wrote 259 million prescriptions for opioid pain medication, enough for every adult in the United States to have a bottle of pills.
The new Executive Order creates the Governor’s Task Force on Drug Abuse Control, to be headed by Charlie McKenna, Executive Director of the New Jersey Schools Development Authority, which will be charged with developing and executing a comprehensive, coordinated strategy to combat the drug-abuse epidemic by working with all areas of state government, in addition to local, federal, and private entities, as well as the Facing Addiction Task Force.
The Drug Abuse Task Force will consist of eight members, including the Attorney General and the Commissioners of Health, Human Services, Corrections, Education, Children and Families, and Banking and Insurance.
The Task Force will review current statutes and regulations that present barriers to individuals suffering from addiction to receiving treatment from rapid opiate detox centers and make recommendations to rescind or amend any such statutes or regulations to remove those barriers. The panel is authorized to call upon any department, office, division, or agency of this state to supply it with information, personnel, or other assistance available as the Task Force deems necessary to discharge its duties. The Task Force may consult with experts or other knowledgeable individuals in the public or private sector on any aspect of its mission.
The Executive Order also directs Attorney General Chris Porrino to take all necessary steps to limit the initial prescription of opioids for acute pain and establish standards such that additional quantities may only be prescribed after further consultation with the patient.
The Order further directs Department of Children and Families Commissioner Allison Blake to ensure residential substance abuse disease treatment facilities and similar facilities utilize their existing spaces effectively, including ensuring that 18 and 19-year-olds with substance abuse problems are able to take advantage of any vacancies in existing facilities wherever appropriate.
In addition, the Governor is directing Acting Education Commissioner Kimberley Harrington to develop a new, comprehensive grade-specific curriculum to educate children about the dangers of substance abuse.
“Opioid drug abuse is one of the most challenging issues facing us not only as Americans but as New Jerseyans,” said Governor Christie. “The crisis is pervasive – impacting our families, friends, neighbors and coworkers. The steps I am taking today through this Executive Order recognize the severity of the crisis and pull together the efforts of all state government agencies.”
Ridgewood NJ, so who’s Afraid of Betsy DeVos? “Mrs. Devos’s Most Important Qualification is that She Has the Courage of Her Convictions”, in an editorial the Wall Street Journal attempts to answer the critics and make the case to provide poor children with better educational opportunities. We know the unions don’t like it and neither do Democrat, lawmakers looking to stifle their constituents keeping them fat, dumb and happy. Who’s Afraid of Betsy DeVos?
The Wall Street Journal
Wall Street Journal Opinion
January 14th, 2017 Click Here to Read
Democrats are searching for a cabinet nominee to defeat, and it’s telling that progressive enemy number one is Betsy DeVos. Donald Trump’s choice to run the Education Department has committed the unpardonable sin of devoting much of her fortune to helping poor kids escape failing public schools.
Mrs. DeVos’s most important qualification is that she has the courage of her convictions.
The DeVoses have donated tens of millions of dollars to charity including a children’s hospital in Michigan and an international art competition in Grand Rapids. They’ve also given to Christian organizations, which the left cites as evidence of concealed bigotry. Yet education has been their main philanthropic cause.
During the 1990s, they patronized a private-school scholarship fund for low-income families and championed Michigan’s first charter school law. In 2000 they helped bankroll a voucher initiative, which was defeated by a union blitz. The DeVoses then turned to expanding charters, which have become Exhibit A in the progressive campaign against her.
Two studies from Stanford’s Center for Research on Education Outcomes (2013, 2015) found that students attending Michigan charters gained on average an additional two months of learning every year over their traditional school counterparts. Charter school students in Detroit gained three months.
The real reason unions fear Mrs. DeVos is that she’s a rare reformer who has defeated them politically. Prior to being tapped by Mr. Trump, she chaired the American Federation for Children (AFC), which has helped elect hundreds of legislators across the country who support private school choice.
AFC has built a broad coalition that includes black and Latino Democrats, undercutting the union conceit that vouchers are a GOP plot to destroy public schools. In 2000 four states had private-school choice programs with 29,000 kids. Today, 25 states have vouchers, tax-credit scholarships or education-savings accounts benefitting more than 400,000 students.
You know progressives have lost their moral bearings when they save their most ferocious assault for a woman who wants to provide poor children with the education they need to succeed in America.
Ridgewood NJ, like many of you we have been concerned over the State of New Jersey’s sustainability . The tax base in New Jersey has been under precipitous decline since Jon Corzine. Soon there will be no one here left to pay all the taxes .
In 2017, New Jersey voters will elect a new governor to succeed Chris Christie. So far many of the potentials are same old same old from ,Murphy (Corzine2.0) to our Lt .Gov.
One of the people vying for the Republican Joe Rullo you can find him on Facebook ; Rullo for Governor 2017. He is running a very Trump inspired unorthodox campaign relying heavily on social media .
Basically we went to his website and let him speak for himself ; “As Governor I will reduce property taxes, repeal the $.23 gas tax, dissolve the transportation SLUSH fund, Veto all tax increases, cut billions in political earmarked jobs and contracts, eliminate state income taxes on pensions for retirees and add 1 billion in new revenue sources to further lower taxes. I Will dissolve the Transportation Trust Fund and consolidate all highway authorities eliminating redundant high level management positions, eliminate high cost earmark & specialty contracts tied to contributors.. It will produce millions in savings with shared services and purchases.
I will eliminate tolls and repeal the gas tax with the savings from the new efficient transparent highway entity. I will also eliminate 1.3 billion in pension fees to NYC politically connected brokerage houses and replace with licensed brokers in the state investors division to pay towards pension payment.
Superintendents and business administrators need to be reduced drastically. Instead of having one superintendent and business administrator per school district, we need to cut the number to one per county. By consolidating superintendents & business administrators, we can save $50 million per year by eliminating superintendents alone. And will work to also eliminate municipal tax assessors to one per county. I will fire hundreds of high-salary patronage jobs like indicted Port Authority’s David Wildstein, as an example, saving hundreds of millions of dollars to cut taxes.
Second Amendment Stance
First – I will appoint 2A justices. Governor Christie just appointed a liberal Democrat. Silence from everyone?
Second. I will elect Republicans to control both houses instead of running for President.
Third. I will appoint Pro 2A/ Carry Conceal NJ AG for the obvious reasons.
Fourth. I will exhaust executive process and test courts. And like I have more than proven will work with expert 2A resources to reach the goal of Carry Conceal without justifiable need in NJ. Most importantly, I will present the argument of the change in times with domestic terrorist, shooters, and gangs all carrying illegally regardless of the law – leaving the law abiding sitting ducks.
Veterans
I want to make NJ the capital of where veterans can count on love, respect, and the care a hero deserves. I want NJ to be the model of how veterans should be treated.
As Governor I pledge:
To fight to eliminate state income taxes on all veterans pension regardless of age.
Transition NJ hospitals to accept VA health benefits.
Hire unemployed veterans to protect NJ against terrorist & domestic shooters.
Create a cabinet position, “No Veteran Left Behind”.
Our US Senator Booker visits prisons to advocate for cheaper phone calls for prisoners, but has not visited a NJ VA hospital. I will fight for the heroes who gave us our happiness and freedom.
Education:
Since the start of No Child Left Behind and continued under Race to the Top, NJ parents and students have been saddled with the Common Core Standards. Parents feel like they can’t help their children with their homework because it is something they have never learned before and the children are left floundering in schools with too many children and not enough teachers to explain things to them. The State then decided to force the PARCC (Partnership for Readiness for College and Careers) test on our children. This has resulted in schools and teachers focusing their teaching efforts, not on learning, but on test results. This is wrong and only hurts our children who deserve a comprehensive learning program not a regimen of tests.
As Governor I will end PARCC testing completely and direct the Department of Education to draw up new, independent education standards that will return NJ to the top of the best educated Students in the Country.
Students come out of High School and don’t know how to balance a checkbook, write a resume or know anything about personal credit. Common Core needs to become Common Sense. Teachers need to be allowed to teach and not recite facts mandated from Washington, or some Corporation making money from our tax dollars. We need to provide better opportunities for students who decide to enter the workforce directly from high school with expanded vocational schools. The future of New Jersey depends on it!
Illegal immigration
Illegal immigration destroyed the Landscaping industry for legal businesses following the laws, and is just as devastating to NJ jobs. It’s difficult to compete with a business not paying payroll taxes, employee comp, and not following the same rules. All the jobs lost are directly proportional to NJ unemployment. Just ask business owners following the rules. Ask the employees unemployed or underemployed. Imagine the losses to employee comp insurance revenue and state income taxes. The impact on rates for businesses following the law!
Many illegal immigrants are now running businesses themselves with illegal employees charging less than half of what a job is worth. This summer I couldn’t do a job for cost what an illegal competitor was charging. One of these illegal business owners drives around with a fraudulent license from Mexico with a New Jersey address. He built his business stealing accounts from his former employer for 10 plus years who also used illegal immigrants. The company was fined 13k for failing to have a home improvement license last year. The courts are buried in old warrants from illegal immigrants who never show up to court. They don’t exist.
Our police are overburdened with hands virtually tied because NJ is a sanctuary state. Out of state license plates and DMV fraud are the law of the land. As Governor I will implement E- Verify for all employees working in New Jersey and work with President Donald Trump to eliminate sanctuary cities across NJ. Everyone must follow the same rules in business and follow the law. Our veterans will of NJ will be first priority in NJ hospitals not illegal immigrants.
Heroin Epidemic
There are numerous examples of heroin dealers getting probation for first time offenses in NJ. All it takes is one time to kill someone with this poison they call heroin. Tell the families who have lost loved ones to this poison that first time dealers should get a break. No heroin dealer should get off with probation fo non violent first offense. I will do everything in my power as Governor to make it a living hell for heroin dealers in NJ. With that being said they should be charged for attempt of murder for distribution and automatic manslaughter if someone dies from their distribution. Backed up court systems enabling these criminals to poison our society for court dates as long as one year or more will be another main focus.
Ridgewood NJ, What do Eleanor Roosevelt, Bernard Gimbel, Chef Julia Child and Chef Emeril Lagasse all have in common? Kings Food Markets!
Kings Food Market has been a New Jersey staple since it opened in 1936. In fact, did you know the first Kings was located in Summit, NJ right next to the train station so customers could conveniently grocery shop? This strategy was wildly successful that as Kings continued to grow, it would build all its locations with close proximity to train stations throughout the state.
As the end of Kings’ 80th anniversary year comes to a close, we’d like to reflect on our past 80 years with you, and look ahead to being your specialty and gourmet market for years to come. We included links to popular recipes pertaining to the below decades to inspire your reader’s cooking creativity:
· 1940s – By combining a flare for thriftiness and creativeness, the 1940s home cook continued
to make the most of their food habits by crafting more meals without the use of meat, eggs or sugar like Braised Cauliflower with Spicy Tomato Sauce.
o Kings opened in Summit in 1936 and continued opening stores through the New Jersey commuter train line. Kings was the first market to introduce air conditioning and automatic doors.
· 1950s – As American pantries began to overflow in a post-war 1950s, new convenient foods were introduced into the kitchen in the form of pre-packaged goods, like condensed soup and Deviled Eggs.
o Kings was named Brand Name Retailer of The Year, award presented by Bernard Gimbel and Eleanor Roosevelt.
· 1980s – The term “Tex-Mex” was introduced in 1980s. Americans loved these flavors so much that they named the American Southwest Pesto, the quiche of the 80s. One-Pot Mexican Quinoa became all the rage.
o Kings was also one of the first to start its own cooking schools, which is located in our Short Hills location, featured renowned chefs as Julia Child & Emeril Lagasse.
· 2000s – The culinary lexicon expands to include “EVOO” and “locavore” thanks to an increased awareness of what chefs are cooking. Smoothies also grow in popularity like this Going Green Smoothie.
o Kings Community Outreach remains the cornerstone of the Kings philosophy donating over 20 tons since 1970 of food to those in need.
Newark NJ,His Eminence, Joseph William Cardinal Tobin, C.Ss.R., was installed as the Sixth Archbishop of Newark this afternoon before an overflow crowd at Newark’s Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart, at a Mass attended by six Roman Catholic cardinals and some 60 archbishops and bishops from throughout the country. Some 500 priests and deacons from the Archdiocese, neighboring New Jersey and New York dioceses, and the Archdiocese of Indianapolis, as well as civic leaders and representatives of New Jersey’s Jewish, Protestant and Orthodox communities, were in attendance. Some 2,000 people attended the standing-room-only service.
Also in attendance at the Installation were members of Cardinal Tobin’s family and guests from the Archdiocese of Indianapolis, where he had served previously as Archbishop.
The Most Reverend John J. Myers, Archbishop Emeritus of the Archdiocese of Newark, welcomed all guests to the liturgy on behalf of the priests, religious and laity of the Archdiocese. Immediately following the welcome, the Apostolic Nuncio to the United States, The Most Reverend Christophe Pierre, read the mandate of His Holiness, Pope Francis, authorizing Cardinal Tobin to take canonical possession of the Archdiocese of Newark, a faith community of some 1.5 million Catholics in Bergen, Essex, Hudson and Union counties.
Reverend Monsignor Michael A. Andreano, KCHS, Chancellor of the Archdiocese, presented the mandate to the College of Consultors of the Archdiocese of Newark, who examined it and affixed the archdiocesan seal. Cardinal Tobin then was led to the cathedra, the throne of the bishop of the diocese, and presented with the staff, the sign of his pastoral office.
Those in attendance greeted him with thunderous applause after the formal seating, and representatives of diocesan groups, leaders of religious communities, and government officials extended personal greetings to Archbishop Myers.
Those not able to be present at the installation were able to view the ceremony via a live broadcast of the entire liturgy provided by NetTV, the media arm of the Diocese of Brooklyn, and aired on EWTN and other Catholic television networks, as well as streamed live by News12.com.
Pope Francis named Cardinal Tobin to lead the Archdiocese of Newark, one of the largest archdioceses in terms of population in the United States, on November 7, 2016. The Archdiocese extends over 511 square miles, and is geographically the smallest archdiocese in the United States. Some 877 priests serve in the various parishes and other ministries in this local Church of Newark. Permanent deacons, religious Sisters and Brothers total 1035. The Archdiocese of Newark encompasses 214 parishes, 96 private Catholic and parochial schools, four Catholic universities colleges, three Catholic hospitals, and almost 40 health care, ancillary care and medical centers, sanatoriums and hospices, homes for the invalid and aged, and centers for other human services. Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese is considered the largest non-governmental social service agency in the state of New Jersey.
Ridgewood NJ, President-elect Donald J. Trump today announced that Carl Icahn has agreed to serve as a special advisor to the President on issues relating to regulatory reform.
Over the course of six decades, Mr. Icahn has distinguished himself as one of America’s most successful businessmen and investors. Mr. Icahn was one of President-elect Trump’s earliest supporters, and his intimate knowledge of what businesses need to grow and thrive makes him a trusted voice in developing President-elect Trump’s America First economic agenda. Icahn will be a leader in helping American entrepreneurs shed job-killing regulations that stifle economic growth.
“Carl was with me from the beginning and with his being one of the world’s great businessmen, that was something I truly appreciated,” said President-elect Trump. “He is not only a brilliant negotiator, but also someone who is innately able to predict the future especially having to do with finances and economies. His help on the strangling regulations that our country is faced with will be invaluable.”
“I am proud to serve President-elect Trump as a special advisor on regulatory reform,” said Mr. Icahn. “Under President Obama, America’s business owners have been crippled by over $1 trillion in new regulations and over 750 billion hours dealing with paperwork. It’s time to break free of excessive regulation and let our entrepreneurs do what they do best: create jobs and support communities. President-elect Trump is serious about helping American families, and regulatory reform will be a critical component of making America work again.”
Mr. Icahn is a New York City native and grew up in Far Rockaway, Queens. After receiving a degree in philosophy from Princeton University in 1957, he attended medical school at New York University and then joined the Army. Carl began his career on Wall Street in 1961. In 1968, he formed Icahn & Co., and has gone on to become one of the most well-known and influential investors in America, holding substantial or controlling positions in numerous American companies over the years, including RJR Nabisco, Texaco, Philips Petroleum, Western Union, Gulf & Western, Viacom, Revlon, Time Warner, Motorola, Chesapeake Energy, Dell, Netflix, Apple, and eBay. His efforts have improved the competitiveness of American companies in a wide range of industries, including real estate, telecommunications, transportation, industrial services, oil refining and manufacturing.
Carl has been deeply involved in many charitable endeavors for years. In 2012, in recognition of Carl’s gift of $200 million, the Mount Sinai School of Medicine was renamed the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and the Institute of Genomics was renamed the Icahn Genomics Institute. The School of Medicine also established the Icahn Scholars Program to attract world-class physician-scientists. He also funded the Icahn Medical Institute Building at Mount Sinai Hospital and the Institute of Genomics, a genomics and multi-scale biology research program. Carl serves as a trustee on the boards of the School of Medicine and Mount Sinai Hospital.
In the realm of education, Carl established seven Icahn Charter Schools in The Bronx borough of New York City. The mission of the schools is based on the belief that all students deserve a rigorous academic program through which they will increase their capacity to learn. At Choate Rosemary Hall, a premiere boarding school located in Wallingford, Connecticut, where he previously served on the board of trustees, he endowed the Icahn Scholars Program, which has awarded a large number of scholarships to underprivileged students.
Carl has also made significant donations to the Randall’s Island Sports Foundation, where he previously served as a trustee, for the construction of Icahn Stadium, a track and field stadium located on Randall’s Island. In addition, he has served as a trustee on the board of Lincoln Center.
Carl Icahn will be advising the President in his individual capacity and will not be serving as a federal employee or a Special Government Employee and will not have any specific duties.
Ridgewood NJ, Ridgewood NJ, Governor Chris Christie today released the following opinion editorial on legislation being considered that would update mandates requiring certain legal notices to be published in newspapers. It can be found in full below or on medium.com.
“On Thursday, the Legislature advanced a commonsense piece of legislation that was first proposed in 2004 and will reform the archaic practice of requiring taxpayers and private businesses to pay for costly legal notices in print newspapers. The legislation provides the option of posting notices online and citizens will be allowed to take advantage of modern technologies that are already in use by the vast majority of the people in our State.
“It also saves money.
“The current unfunded mandate that is being addressed by this legislation costs New Jersey taxpayers and private citizens more than $80 million per year. That is $80 million annually from property taxpayers, including those facing the nightmare of foreclosure.
“The taxpayers and citizens of New Jersey can no longer afford this arrangement and thanks to technology, they don’t have to.
“In the case of foreclosures, every family going through that trauma is charged an average of $910 just for the legally required newspaper notices. That is unconscionable and in response to the advancing legislation the New Jersey Press Association proposes increasing those charges.
“As a result, required legal notices earned newspapers approximately $14 million for the 12-month period ending in October 2016. And these costs were borne by the 15,764 financially distressed people who had just suffered a foreclosure of their home in that time period. This is simply unacceptable.
“Today, there are more than 65,000 foreclosures currently pending in New Jersey. That’s $59 million in potential revenue going to private media outlets that can instead be saved by citizens experiencing a foreclosure. Giving them a choice to post online at no cost helps them prevent losing what little equity they may have left or sinking them further into debt.
“For government entities, hundreds of millions of dollars of future resources to be spent on required legal notices could now be made available for public schools and other municipal and county services rather than on an outmoded method which has been supplanted for the majority of New Jerseyans by the Internet.
“The NJ Press Association has acknowledged the inescapable truth – newspapers have a vested interest in seeing this reform movement fail, and it is why they are making baseless charges to support taxing homeowners and bilking those subject to foreclosure unnecessarily.
“For years newspapers have enjoyed a statutorily-protected monopoly on the publication of a vast array of legal notices. Monopolies are always bad for our economy and, in this case, awfully expensive for our citizens.
“The facts are clear: nearly 90 percent of New Jersey households have an internet connection and 100 percent of the state’s public libraries provide free internet access to their more than 43 million annual visitors. Only 22 percent of New Jerseyans buy a print newspaper. This reform will bring New Jersey government directly to the people, who primarily spend their time online accessing information – for free. According to a Pew Research Center study from this summer, 81 percent of adults get their news from online sources or through mobile devices.
“Contrary to the flailing assertions of the NJ Press Association, there will be no lack of transparency and no harm to the public as a result of this reform. These are merely scare tactics by their paid Trenton lobbyists designed to protect the interests of newspaper companies who argue for a free press, but are really arguing for a taxpayer funded subsidy in disguise. This bill, and their fight over it, unmasks their greed. In fact, their true disinterest in transparency and the public’s access to information through a free press – not to mention their undeniable hypocrisy – are fully displayed by the fact that this op-ed was refused publication. I was therefore left with no choice but to disseminate this opinion myself, which will no doubt be read by a vast majority of the population online.
“The truth is this reform legislation maintains the requirement for local governments to provide advance public notice for matters such as meetings, agendas, bid requests and contract awards, while also establishing the requirements for public websites to ensure ease of access for the public. Government entities and individuals would still be able to fulfill notice obligations, but what would no longer be mandatory is the requirement of publishing an exorbitantly expensive notice in a newspaper.
“Although the NJ Press Association insists that this reform bill will result in an overwhelming burden for municipal staff, they intentionally ignore the basic facts. Most importantly, they ignore the fact that this legislation is optional. If municipal clerks can’t manage to transfer the text of a legal notice and post it on their website, they are not required to change their process. However, 532 of the 565 municipalities in New Jersey already maintain websites that provide public notices and information – adding the legal notices that are currently published in newspapers will not be a major leap.
“The New Jersey Association of Counties, the New Jersey State League of Municipalities, the New Jersey Conference of Mayors and the New Jersey School Boards Association all support this bill. The only group raising alarms on behalf of municipalities is the NJ Press Association.
“In 2004, when a nearly identical bill was proposed, Assemblyman Wisniewski, then-Assemblyman (now Senator) Gordon, and then-Assemblywoman (now Senator) Weinberg voted for it. Yet now they have the chutzpah to turn their backs on the taxpayers they serve in order to further their misguided political agenda.
“We must update and modernize the public notification responsibilities of local government so that residents are fully informed and we eliminate the outrageous cost for the taxpayers of New Jersey. It will permit a greater number of citizens access to government. The NJ Press Association’s attempts to hang on to an antiquated, self-serving, money making statutory scheme is shameful. The Constitution guarantees a free press, not a government-subsidized one.
“That is why I support this bill, and all taxpayers who don’t have Trenton lobbyists arguing for government-ordered profit for them, should as well.”
Ridgewood NJ, President-elect Donald J. Trump today met with more than a dozen of the greatest tech leaders in the country to begin a conversation and partnership in order to spark innovation and create more jobs in the U.S., particularly for working Americans.In addition to the private sector leaders in attendance, the President-elect was joined by Vice President-elect Mike Pence, Jared Kushner, Ivanka Trump, Donald Trump Jr., Eric Trump, Peter Thiel, Reince Priebus, Steve Bannon, Wilbur Ross, Gary Cohn and Stephen Miller. During the meeting the President-elect discussed a wide range of issues impacting both American workers and American companies, including specific innovative solutions that have been blocked by narrow thinking in Washington.
The President-elect expressed an open mind and willingness to listen, which was greatly received by the industry leaders in attendance.
During the Tech Summit, the following topics were discussed:
Creating more jobs for American workers
Climinating barriers preventing American companies from doing business in other countries
America’s competitive trade dynamic and market access with China
Cutting taxes
Repatriation of American profits kept overseas by prohibitive tax rates
Improving our physical and digital infrastructures
Protecting our intellectual property rights
Improving America’s cybersecurity
Updating our government software systems
Technology in schools,
The need for greater vocational education opportunities
Reducing bureaucracy
Introducing greater accountability in the government procurement process.
The leaders in attendance also praised the ingenuity and energy of the American workforce, and President-elect Trump suggested reconvening the tech leaders again in the future, perhaps as frequently as every quarter.
Tech leaders in attendance included:
Jeff Bezos, Amazon
Safra Catz, Oracle
Tim Cook, Apple
Alex Karp, Palantir
Brian Krzanich, Intel
Elon Musk, Tesla
Satya Nadella, Microsoft
Larry Page, Google
Chuck Robbins, Cisco
Ginni Rometty, IBM
Sheryl Sandberg, Facebook
Eric Schmidt, Google
Glen Rock NJ, Bear was sighted in the area of Diamond Brook/lower Doremus Avenue around 11am. It did not appear aggressive to the person that reported it to the police. Police checked the entire area, and was unable to locate the animal. All schools were notified. If anymore sighting, please call the police immediately to report its location.
Glen Rock Police Department
1 Harding Plaza
Glen Rock, NJ 07452
Pictured (from left): Maria Mediago, Vice President, Facilities Management, The Valley Hospital; Howard Halverson, Director, Environmental Services, The Valley Hospital; and Audrey Meyers, President and CEO, Valley Health System.
December 4,2016
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (EPA) has recognized Valley’s commitment to recycling with an outstanding achievement award.
Valley was lauded for its recycling efforts, which include solid waste, medical waste, recycled waste and hazardous waste. The hospital uses a single-stream recycling system and makes a concerted effort to recycle whenever possible. For example, the OR now sends its reports electronically, which is saving hundreds of reams of paper annually. The hospital also recycles items such as old hospital beds and sends certain medical goods to be recycled for use by other institutions.
According to the EPA, “The Department promotes recycling through the annual recycling awards program that is coordinated in conjunction with the Association of New Jersey Recyclers (ANJR). The awards recognize the outstanding recycling achievements of municipalities, counties, businesses and industry and individuals, as well as schools and other institutions and are presented at ANJR’s annual recycling symposium. This program has generated positive publicity for New Jersey’s recycling efforts.”
Ridgewood NJ, the staff of the Ridgewood blog recommends voting NO on all ballot questions.
Question #1 (Expansion of Casino Gaming) Question #1 deals with the expansion of casino gaming to northern New Jersey. CIANJ testified in support of the measure as it made its way through the legislative process. We believe any initiative that invites new investment and the creation of new private sector jobs is good for New Jersey’s economy. Casino gaming also subsidizes other New Jersey industries, such as the horse racing industry, providing nearly 7,000 jobs – including veterinarians, farmers, horse trainers, race track employees, etc.- to New Jersey residents. To view background information and the question see here.
Say NO , This is just a joke , think Xanadu the failed Meadowlands mall and Atlantic City’s bankruptcy.
Question #2 (Dedication of Motor Fuels Taxes) Question #2 asks voters to approve an amendment to our constitution which would dedicate all revenues collected from the gas tax to transportation-related projects. As of November 1, the NJ tax on gasoline is 37.5 cents/gallon (44 cents/gallon for diesel). Should the question pass, the money collected could not be used for other purposes like balancing the state budget. The CIANJ agrees with this dedication and supports approval of the question. To view background information and the question see here.
Best to say NO on this one , the key words are “amendment to our constitution” , amending the state constitution is a euphemism for a constitutional requirement to raise your taxes every year . Think Abbott school districts, a huge percentage of your property taxes goes to funding failing urban schools .Great for the NJEA not so good for you or the kids.
RESOLVED, That there shall be raised an additional $929,800 for General Funds in the 2016-17 School Year. These taxes will be used to employ additional personnel and to acquire additional equipment and supplies in order to implement the District’s full-day Kindergarten program. Approval of these taxes will result in a permanent increase in the District’s tax levy. The additional taxes authorized herein will be used exclusively for purposes described herein and to finance expenditures that are in addition to those necessary to achieve the Core Curriculum Content Standards.
Just say NO ,sorry folks this makes no sense in Ridgewood , sure it’s great for parents easier schedule and teachers more hires , but no tangible upside for the kids . But you say it’s only $111 bucks per household precisely how we got to a $102 million dollar school budget ,just a couple of bucks at a time.
Ridgewood NJ, It’s the dream retirement many people anticipate for decades.
Hang out around the pool all day. Play one round of golf after the other. Finally read that teetering stack of books on the nightstand.
In retirement, every day is Saturday – only without the dread about what Monday morning back at the office might bring.
But is endless recreation enough to satisfy still-vibrant retirees who have both the health and the mental capacity to continue to learn, explore and contribute to the world?
Maybe not, says Ann Vanderslice (www.annvanderslice.com), president and CEO of Retirement Planning Strategies, which specializes in advising federal workers about their benefits.
“As people near retirement, they have a great opportunity to map out a strategy to create a fulfilling, rewarding rest of their lives,” Vanderslice says. “Studies show that retirees with a plan have the easiest time transitioning into and being the most satisfied in retirement.”
For many people, planning for retirement focuses almost solely on the financial aspect. They worry about saving enough so they don’t run out of money.
But retirement also represents a lifestyle change, as people accustomed to heading to a job each day suddenly find themselves without any meaningful reason for getting out of bed. And all that free time, which seems enticing at first, can quickly become boring.
Vanderslice suggests a few factors to consider for those seeking a more fulfilling retirement:
• To work or not to work. It’s not unusual for people to continue to work in retirement, at least part-time. In some cases, the extra income is needed or at least adds a little more security to the retiree’s financial outlook. But some people simply don’t feel fulfilled if they aren’t contributing something by working. “Often, I hear people say they’ve been working since they were teenagers and the thought of stopping just makes them uncomfortable,” Vanderslice says. • Volunteer – but volunteer wisely. Plenty of groups need volunteer help, such as charitable organizations, schools, libraries, animal shelters, museums and more. But beware of letting them take advantage of your availability. “You can have your calendar filled before you know what hit you,” Vanderslice says. “Pretty quickly, you may end up feeling like you put in a 40-hour work week.” She recommends taking the time to identify the causes and issues important to you. Make sure the organization is aware of the skills you have to offer so you aren’t just licking envelopes. “And don’t overcommit your schedule,” Vanderslice says. “You do want to leave yourself some time just to kick back.” • Be a lifelong learner. Retirement can be a great time to take a college class or learn how to play a musical instrument. “It’s proven that those who are lifelong learners have a greater sense of optimism and a lower chance of dementia,” Vanderslice says. “So if you’ve always wanted to learn more about philosophy, wanted to take a cooking class, or to learn a foreign language, now is the time.”
“It’s certainly important to have a financial plan for retirement,” Vanderslice says. “But to truly have a happy and rewarding retirement, you’ll want to make plans for your ideal retirement lifestyle as well.”
About Ann Vanderslice
Ann Vanderslice (www.annvanderslice.com), president and CEO of Retirement Planning Strategies, helps federal employees understand their benefits, maximize the value of their benefits, and plan for retirement, as well as organize income planning and IRA distributions. Vanderslice holds the Registered Financial Consultant designation from the International Association of Registered Financial Consultants and the Chartered Retirement Planning Counselor designation from the College for Financial Planning. She is author of “Fedtelligence 2.0 – The Ultimate Guide to Mastering Your Federal Benefits.”
Ridgewood NJ, The Nation’s Report Card: 2015 Science shows scores have improved overall, and higher percentages of the nation’s fourth- and eighth-grade students demonstrated mastery of science on the 2015 assessment compared with the 2009 assessment. The results also show score gaps narrowing by race/ethnicity. The average score of 12th-grade students did not change between 2009 and 2015.
In 2015, 22 percent of 12th-graders performed at or above the Proficient achievement level, which denotes competency over challenging subject matter. Additionally, 38 percent of fourth-graders and 34 percent of eighth-graders performed at or aboveProficient — an increase of 4 percentage points at both grades compared with 2009.
“Seeing these gains in science from our fourth- and eighth-graders makes me hopeful about the future of our nation’s students,” said former Wyoming Gov. James Geringer, director of policy and public sector strategies at the Environmental Systems Research Institute and member of the National Assessment Governing Board, which sets policy for NAEP. “But that progress needs to continue since only about one-third of students, or even fewer, have the science skills they need.”
The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) — known as The Nation’s Report Card — is the largest nationally representative, continuing assessment of what America’s students know and can do in various subjects. The 2015 science assessment measured students’ knowledge of physical science, life science, and Earth and space sciences. The assessment also measured how well students implement science practices, like using scientific principles and engaging in scientific inquiry.
National science results are available for students at grades four, eight, and 12; state-level results are available at grades four and eight.
National highlights include:
Performance Improves at Grades Four and Eight
At grades four and eight, students scored higher in 2015 than in 2009 in all three science content areas: physical science, life science, and Earth and space sciences.
From 2009 to 2015, the percentage of students performing below the Basic achievement level decreased by 4 percentage points at grades four and eight.
Score Gaps Narrow by Race and Gender at Grades Four and Eight
The score gaps between black and white students and between Hispanic and white students at both grades four and eight have narrowed since 2009.
In 2015, fourth-grade male students scored about the same as fourth-grade female students, eliminating the gender difference.
At grade eight, male students scored higher than female students, but the difference between their scores in 2015 was smaller than the difference between their scores in 2011 (3 points versus 5 points).
At grade 12, male students outperformed female students by 5 points. The gap between their scores in 2015 was not statistically different from the 2009 gap.
State highlights include:
Some Sizable Gains Made at Grades Four and Eight
Between 2009 and 2015, scores at both grades rose in 15 states and jurisdictions: Arizona, Arkansas, Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA) schools, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Indiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina,Tennessee, Texas, Utah and Wyoming. Of these, DoDEA schools, Tennessee, Utah and Wyoming had a percentage of students performing at or above Proficient that was greater than the average percentage for national public schools in 2015.
From 2009 to 2015, four states and jurisdictions showed score gains at grade four that were larger than the national average score gain: Arizona, DoDEA schools, Georgia and Tennessee. At grade eight, three states had this distinction: Nevada, Tennesseeand Utah.
Score Gaps Narrow and Close by Race and Gender
The following states saw a statistically significant narrowing of average score gaps between black and white students from 2009 to 2015: Arkansas (a decline of 10 points), Oklahoma (8.9) and Tennessee (8.6) at grade four; and Illinois (7.8) at grade eight.
The following states saw a statistically significant narrowing of the average score gap between Hispanic and white students from 2009 to 2015: Massachusetts (a decline of 8.7 points), Connecticut (8.2), Illinois (6.7) and Nevada (5.9) at grade four; and New York (8.9), Illinois (7.4), Connecticut (7.1), Wyoming (6.9) and Arizona (5.6) at grade eight.
For fourth grade, several states closed the average score gap by gender — meaning statistically significant score differences between female and male students were found in 2009 but not in 2015 — specifically, Hawaii (a decline of 4.2 points), Maine(3.5), North Carolina (2.4), South Dakota (2.4) and Ohio (1.8).
The gender score gap closed at grade 8 in Wyoming (a decline of 6.5 points), Rhode Island (6.4), New Mexico (4.8), Georgia (4.6), and Montana (4.0), and in 13 other states.
Tennessee stands out as a state that showed large score gains at grades four and eight and narrowed score gaps between black and white fourth-graders from 2009 to 2015, and its students are outperforming the nation (public schools) at grades four and eight.
“We’ve set high expectations across the board for our students in Tennessee, and our NAEP performance continues to reflect the hard work and progress our students and teachers are making,” said Candice McQueen, Tennessee commissioner of education. “To me, the most encouraging part of today’s science results is that all of Tennessee’s students are showing what is possible. We’ve narrowed or eliminated gaps between groups of students, and we are continuing to make huge strides in where we have been historically to build a new future for our children.”
Emphasizing science in and outside of the classroom is tied to student performance in the subject, as shown in data collected through NAEP student and teacher questionnaires about educational experiences. Overall, students with more exposure to science scored better on the 2015 science assessment than students with less exposure:
Eighth-graders who participate in hands-on activities or investigations in science class every day or almost every day, as reported by their teachers, scored 12 points higher than students who never or hardly ever engage in these activities.
Eighth-grade students who self-reported that they have visited a museum, zoo or aquarium to learn about science outside of a school trip scored 7 points higher than students who have not participated in those activities outside of school.
Students who have teachers with access to school-provided scientific tools for teaching science — such as telescopes, microscopes and thermometers — also scored higher. Eighth-graders whose teachers reported the highest level of access to these tools scored 16 points higher than eighth-graders whose teachers reported no access. Twelfth-graders who reported having access to such tools scored 37 points higher than 12th-graders without access.
“Students who have more opportunities to dig in deep and fully engage do better in science,” said Missouri science teacher Susan German, a panelist at the Oct. 27 event announcing the NAEP results. “They should be spending less time buried in a textbook and more time doing hands-on activities, such as investigating which insulator works best in keeping soda cold or how height and mass influence the size of impact craters. Parents should do as much as they can to expose their children to science outside of the classroom too — even if it’s as simple as taking them on a walk through a park.”
About the Assessment
The 2015 science assessment was conducted in grades four, eight and 12 and reported at the national level for each. State-level results for grades four and eight are available for 46 states and U.S. Department of Defense schools that voluntarily participated in the assessment. (Alaska, Colorado, the District of Columbia, Louisiana and Pennsylvania did not have the necessary sample size in 2015 for state-level results to be reported.) For grades four and eight, national results reflect the scores of both public and private school students, while state-level results reflect the scores of public school students only.
NAEP performance results are presented as average scale scores and as achievement levels, reported as the percentages of students performing at or above Basic, Proficient and Advanced. Basic denotes partial mastery of the subject, Proficient denotes competency over challenging subject matter and Advanced represents superior work. Scale scores range from 0 to 300. Because NAEP scores and achievement levels are developed independently for each subject, results cannot be compared across subjects. Performance results also cannot be compared with data from before 2009, when the new science framework was introduced. The last assessment for fourth- and 12th-graders took place in 2009, and the last assessment for eighth-graders was administered in 2011.
Check out this video illustrating NAEP data to see how science education can translate into a related career path.
The National Assessment of Educational Progress is the largest nationally representative, continuing evaluation of the condition of education in the United States. It has served as a national yardstick of student achievement since 1969. Through The Nation’s Report Card, NAEP informs the public about what American students know and can do in various subject areas and compares achievement among states, large urban districts and various student demographic groups. The National Assessment Governing Board oversees and sets policy for NAEP. Follow NAEP on Facebook and Twitter.
NAEP is a congressionally authorized project sponsored by the U.S. Department of Education. The National Center for Education Statistics, within the Institute of Education Sciences, administers NAEP. The commissioner of education statistics is responsible by law for carrying out the NAEP project.
The National Assessment Governing Board is an independent, nonpartisan board whose members include governors, state legislators, local and state school officials, educators, business representatives and members of the general public. Congress created the 26-member Governing Board in 1988 to oversee and set policy for NAEP. Follow the Governing Board on Facebook and Twitter.
Warning: Undefined array key "sfsi_riaIcon_order" in /home/eagle1522/public_html/theridgewoodblog.net/wp-content/plugins/ultimate-social-media-icons/libs/controllers/sfsi_frontpopUp.php on line 165
Warning: Undefined array key "sfsi_inhaIcon_order" in /home/eagle1522/public_html/theridgewoodblog.net/wp-content/plugins/ultimate-social-media-icons/libs/controllers/sfsi_frontpopUp.php on line 166
Warning: Undefined array key "sfsi_mastodonIcon_order" in /home/eagle1522/public_html/theridgewoodblog.net/wp-content/plugins/ultimate-social-media-icons/libs/controllers/sfsi_frontpopUp.php on line 177
