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North Jersey Media Promotes “Taking the School Budget Vote” Away From Ridgewood Residents

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the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, North Jersey Media ran an article  called , “These Glen Rock, Ridgewood residents are pushing to change local elections. Here’s why”  . In a style that reminds many of why the previous owners of  North Jersey lost virtually their entire circulation with its over the top one sided reporting . In the article North Jersey quoted only members of the group “One Village, One Vote”, a group looking to eliminate residents ability to vote on the school budget .

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Parents Could Face Civil Liability for Failure to Comply with “‘Mallory’s Law’

Ridgewood Police at RHS

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Rockaway NJ, Senator Joe Pennacchio (R-Essex, Morris, Passaic) and Senator Patrick Diegnan’s (D-Middlesex) legislation to standardize and strengthen New Jersey’s anti-bullying laws was advanced by the Senate Education Committee. “Mallory’s Law” is named in honor of Mallory Rose Grossman, a 12-year-old Rockaway student who committed suicide after being the victim of relentless bullying.

“School bullying is killing our children,” said Pennacchio. “I cannot fathom the pain Mallory’s family suffers through every day. Bullying is preventable and addressable, so we shouldn’t have to just tolerate or accept it. ‘Mallory’s Law’ is recognition that stopping the culture of bullying requires a multi-faceted approach that involves students, parents, teachers, and school administrators.”

Continue reading Parents Could Face Civil Liability for Failure to Comply with “‘Mallory’s Law’
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Readers Debate $111 Million School Budget Vote

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“We forfeit the right to vote on any budget within the annual state caps. That is not the same as “completely losing the right to vote on the budget.” You lose the chance to vote on budgets with small increases. Is the budget more than a 2% increase? Then we vote even if we move the election. When was the last budget voted down? What happened then? The council removed the cost of two May elections ($100k) from the budget and sent it back to the BOE. More voters = more voices = greater representation of the community. Why are you Mayday voters so afraid to have more people vote for BOE?”

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“Its same as completely losing the right, the past process without vote didn’t seek residential inputs and ignored calls to correct glaring gaps, this time due to budget vote the process was more transparent, so it’s not just ‘when was the budget voted down’, someone will leave the town to be just run by elected officials without resident oversight, either if they are naive, indifferent or part of the gravy chain”

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Reader says New SAT Curve Will Unfairly Hurt Ridgewood Students

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“This change to the SAT grading on a curve will unfairly hurt Ridgewood …… https://www.cnn.com/2019/05/16/us/sat-adversity-score/index.html
Why any parent from Ridgewood would have their kids take the SAT knowing the scores will be curved against them is beyond me. I would guess a move to the ACT replacing the SAT will accelerate as parents and students realize this.”

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Turf Town 2.0

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photo by Boyd Loving

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, on April 29 meeting, the Ridgewood Board of Education voted to again install a rubber crumb based field turf at RHS Field Stadium . In the usual method the Board made its decision without open discussions with residents, vendors ,students  and healthcare and environmental professionals.Crumb Rubber fill is basically ground up car tires .

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Did You Know that Every New Jersey Property Taxpayer Directly Funds New Jersey’s Most Powerful Special Interest Group?

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the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, Last week, the Sunlight Policy Center of New Jersey issued a report that made news throughout the state, when we uncovered that the NJEA has been secretly funneling millions of dollars into a dark money group supporting Governor Murphy.

Continue reading Did You Know that Every New Jersey Property Taxpayer Directly Funds New Jersey’s Most Powerful Special Interest Group?
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Reader says,”The very fact that students presumably got a break on their grades by merely buying a ticket is horrible”

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“How did May 22 determine that “there was no selling of grades”? Did they actually check with the students in that class or the teacher him/herself? Many above responses were in the line of “So what?” and stating this was a common practice in the schools. The very fact that students presumably got a break on their grades by merely buying a ticket is horrible. The whole concept is totally wrong but if you are actually doing these kind of things regularly–and as above writers stated “The student accomplished a learning experience for which they should get raises in their grades because they did something educational”–without a sign in and sign out sheet, how can anyone know they were actually there? After reading this column it is easy to see how those who were rich enough could see no wrong in buying their child’s way into college. It started young by “buying grades” in earlier school situations. I do admit that many students have bought their way into many schools by their parents buying a building or making a huge contribution to the school in which entrance is desired. I see no way to stop this but paying someone to “get the student into the school” was obviously set up by someone who wanted to pocket the money rather than having it go directly to the schools. Where our son went to school the Chairman of the board was the head of a huge corporation and had 5 children–4 of whom went to that school but the 5th was turned down as the school felt she would be unable to keep up with the requirements. Where is that honesty today? “

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Fallout Continues from Ridgewood Schools Extra Credit Purchase Scandal

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RIDGEWOOD NJ , just weeks after a nationwide college admissions scandal rocked some of the country , a Ridgewood  mom has stepped forward to claim a local teacher offered extra credit points to students for money.

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Ridgewood Board of Education Meets Monday, April 29, 2019 49 Cottage Place 7:30 p.m.

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the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, The Ridgewood Board of Education will hold its next Regular Public Meeting on Monday, April 29, 2019. The Board meets at the Education Center, 49 Cottage Place, Floor 3 at 7:30 p.m.

The public is welcome to attend the meeting, or to watch from home on Fios channel 33 or Optimum channel 77. Meetings are also streamed via the “BOE Webcast” tab on the district website at www.ridgewood.k12.nj.us.

Meeting webcasts are immediately available on the district website.

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Reader asks , “Has identity politics come to this, where being a boy is now a special needs category? “

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” Has identity politics come to this, where being a boy is now a special needs category? Yes classroom learning seems better suited to the female temperament and the disproportionate success of girls in K-12 proves that out. I was one of those boys who hated school, cut classes, treated it as a joke. I grew out of it. Most do. Let’s not dumb the system down any further to coddle to boys. “

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Reader says , “There’s too much talk about diversity and inclusion and less about discipline and competence”

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The rankings measure how well the competition does, as well as Ridgewood school district. Without proper analysis, one can’t assume the drop in Ridgewood rankings is due to declining quality. It could just be other schools started to deliver better performance than before.

I am concerned about indoctrination in the school system though. There’s too much talk about diversity and inclusion and less about discipline and competence.

Continue reading Reader says , “There’s too much talk about diversity and inclusion and less about discipline and competence”
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Reader says , “I will vote NO not only because I am not convinced it is being allocated and spent wisely but also because I see some suspicious people with ties to past controversial VC who are pushing a YES”

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” I will vote NO not only because I am not convinced it is being allocated and spent wisely but also because is see some suspicious people with ties to past controversial VC who are pushing a YES in local FB pages and doing it very actively. They have their personal reasons for this which do not resonate with mine.
Somebody last night recommended a YES vote so that our property values remain high. If this is correct then we are living in a bubble which will burst with sh!t all over the place. “

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Ridgewood School Board Faces “No Confidence” Vote Over $111 Million Budget

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the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, The countdown to the School Election is underway! Next Tuesday, April 16, Ridgewood voters will cast their ballots on next year’s school budget. Schools will be closed for Spring Recess but the polls will be open from 6 a.m.-8 p.m.

This the school board that puts their own interests above that of the students or the taxpayers , using taxpayer money to circumvent the community by extending their terms till 2020 .

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Five Ridgewood High School students acceptanced to the 2019 All State Orchestra

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the staff of the Ridgewood Blog

Ridgewood NJ ,Congratulations to the following Ridgewood High School orchestra students for their acceptance to the 2019 All State Orchestra:

All State High School Orchestra:
Isabel Lee, violin (9)
Ryan Rhew, violin (11)
Eric Baw, violin (9)
Ashley Kim, violin (9)
Daniel Son, viola (11)

All State Intermediate Orchestra:
David Mo, violin (9)

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RHS Student in Finals in Adolescent Immunization Awareness Contest

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the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, A Ridgewood High School student’s video is a finalist in an annual contest by Potect Me With 3+ . The contest is designed to help encourage adolescent immunization awareness.

Nicole Kye’s entry is a 30 second public service announcement encourages people to get a vaccine against human papillomavirus. Kye created the video and entered it into the Protect Me With 3+ contest.

Continue reading RHS Student in Finals in Adolescent Immunization Awareness Contest