Ridgewood NJ, Ridgewood Schools releases more details on the annual service awards were announced on Friday by Superintendent of Schools Dr. Daniel Fishbein at Convocation, the district’s all-staff gathering that annually kicks off the new school year.
The 2017 winner of the coveted Ashby Award is Colleen Gieniec, First Grade Teacher at Somerville Elementary School. Ms. Gieniec has been a teacher for over 35 years, with service in the Ridgewood Public Schools for more than 30 years. Ms. Gieniec has an undergraduate degree from Immaculata University and a Master’s Degree from William Paterson University as a Reading Specialist. The 2017 Tradition of Excellence Award for Support Staff was presented to Kathy Kiedaisch, recently retired from the Ridgewood Public Schools as Administrative Assistant to the Superintendent. Ms. Kiedaisch was an employee of the district for 31 years, starting at Hawes School then serving as the assistant to three superintendents and four interims over the years.
In addition, she was the dedicated Evening Coordinator of the Ridgewood Community School for over 15 years. The Ashby Award was established in 1966 to honor former Superintendent Lloyd Ashby and his wife, Lois, for their distinguished service to the community. The recipient is selected from nominees submitted by staff members and is someone who, in the opinion of his or her peers, has upheld the Ashby tradition of service and contribution. This is the highest award that can be bestowed upon a Ridgewood staff member. The Ridgewood Board of Education established the Tradition of Excellence Award in 2014 to honor a member of the support staff, who in the opinion
Los Angles CA, The Los Angeles Chargers are making a change at kicker this season.The Chargers released third-year kicker Josh Lambo on Saturday, ceding the starting kicker job to rookie Younghoe Koo.
Lambo was 2-for-2 in the preseason with a long of 53, while Koo was 1-for-1.
Koo ,a graduate of Benjamin Franklin Middle School and Ridgewood High School ,is a rookie out of Georgia Southern, was born in South Korea before moving to the United States in 2006. The first-year pro was Georgia Southern’s first All-American and ranked second in the country in field goal percentage (95 percent).
Koo is probably best known on the for this insane trick kick.
Ridgewood Public Schools will open on Wednesday, September 6th. Please be mindful of excited children walking to and from school and always be prepared to stop for school crossing guards.
Everyone should expect delays and congestion around the schools as parents and commuters learn to navigate through the increased school-related traffic at this time of year. If you are driving in the area, leave yourself a little extra time and please be patient.
The next Regular Public Meeting of the Ridgewood Board of Education will be held on Monday, September 11, 2017 at the Education Center, 49 Cottage Place, Floor 3 at 7:30 p.m. The meeting will be aired live on television, FiOS channel 33 and Optimum channel 77, and streamed via the “Link in Live” tab on the district website at www.ridgewood.k12.nj.us. Meeting webcasts are generally posted to the district website within 48 hours.
2017-2018 Back-to-School Nights BFMS: Tuesday, September 12 at 7 p.m.
GWMS: Thursday, September 28 at 7 p.m.
Hawes (Gr. 2-3): Thursday, September 14 at 6:30 p.m.
Hawes (Gr. K-2): Thursday, September 14 at 8 p.m.
Orchard: Thursday, September 14 at 6:30 p.m. RHS: Wednesday, September 13 at 7:30 p.m.
Ridge: Tuesday, September 19 at 7 p.m. (revised)
Somerville: Thursday, September 14 at 7 p.m.
Travell: Thursday, September 14 at 7 p.m.
Willard: Wednesday, September 27 at 7 p.m. (revised)
Ridgewood NJ, Colleen Gieniec, Kathy Kiedaisch are honored at Convocation with the Ashby Award (Colleen) and Tradition of Excellence Award (Kathy).
The Ashby Award was established in 1966 to honor former Superintendent Lloyd Ashby and his wife, Lois, for their distinguished service to the community. The recipient is selected from nominees submitted by staff members and is someone who, in the opinion of his or her peers, has upheld the Ashby tradition of service and contribution. This is the highest award that can be bestowed upon a Ridgewood staff member.
The Ridgewood Board of Education established the Tradition of Excellence Award in 2014 to honor a member of the support staff, who in the opinion of their peers has made an outstanding contribution to the excellence of the Ridgewood Public Schools.
Nicholas Katzban, Staff Writer, @NicholasKatzban Published 12:41 p.m. ET Aug. 31, 2017
RIDGEWOOD — According to a third-party audit presented this week, the Ridgewood school district special education programs exceed national standards, but staff training and guidelines could be improved.
The firm of Bryant, Gemza, Keenoy and Kozlik reported that “Ridgewood ranks consistently well when compared with similar districts in most categories.”
Based on a combination of their own reviews and observations, along with staff and parent surveys, the auditors noted that Ridgewood’s special needs programs, which serve children ages 3 to 21, offered some form of support services in each of the district’s schools. The report commended the dedication of specific classes for students with autism.
Ridgewood was found to have a rate of classification below the statewide mean, referring to the percentage of students in a district with a disability or receiving special-needs services. Superintendent Daniel Fishbein said a high percentage can raise the state’s eyebrows, as over-classification can be a means to increase a district’s funding.
Ridgewood NJ, Niche put together a list of the best elementary schools for 2018. The 2018 Best Public Elementary Schools ranking is based on rigorous analysis of key statistics and millions of reviews from students and parents using data from the U.S. Department of Education. Ranking factors include state test scores, student-teacher ratio, student diversity, teacher quality, grade school ratings, and the overall quality of the school district.
Ridgewood School District placed very well with 6 schools in the top 100. Interesting to many residents they may not have placed in the order you would expect. The Six Ridgewood public schools are :
Expanding Educational Opportunities For Children And Families
August 29,2017
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Trenton NJ, Governor Christie has improved the authorizing and application process, encouraged more charter school applicants, created greater flexibility with administration and finances, and allowed districts to convert failing public schools into charters. The Christie Administration has increased the overall number of charter schools in New Jersey to 89 in the current fiscal year, while relentlessly focusing on quality and holding all schools accountable for results as 21 low-performing charter schools have closed during the past eight years.
The Host District Support Aid funding category created in fiscal year 2017 continued in fiscal year 2018, and ensured the base per pupil funding provided to charter schools is not less than the prior year base per pupil funding. In addition, the Interdistrict Public School Choice Program is increasing educational opportunities for students and their families by providing students with the option of attending a public school outside their district of residence without cost to their parents.
The Fiscal Year 2018 budget is projected to support more than 52,000 charter school students and more than 5,000 choice students in 129 choice districts in the 2017-18 school year.
Governor Christie continues to support educational options for our children by providing over $51 million for Charter School Aid in fiscal year 2018. This funding supports over 52,000 students projected to be in our charter schools in FY2018. This is in addition to the tens of millions of dollars in State Aid that flow through the districts to charter schools. In certain districts, like Newark and Camden, charter and renaissance schools are educating more than 1 out of every 4 of the public school population.
Easing The Regulatory Burden Facing Charter Schools
In 2016, Governor Christie announced a series of reforms at the 8th annual New Jersey Charter Schools Conference born from input received through meetings with charter school leaders in the fall of 2015. The New Jersey State Board adopted these reforms in 2017. Among the reforms adopted were:
• The state will allow single-gender charter schools that meet appropriate criteria and single-purpose charter schools for educationally disadvantaged students, such as a school serving over-age, under-credited students who, because of life circumstances, are unable to graduate in four years.
• Charter renewal will be expedited for schools with a track record of high academic performance and no fiscal or organizational issues. Charter schools that do not meet fiscal management/ compliance standards or present concerns regarding their fiscal viability will remain subject to deeper review.
• Weighted lotteries will be expanded by adding language explicitly allowing weighted lotteries for educationally disadvantaged students. Redundancies will be reduced by removing the requirement that charters send corrective action plans to the Executive County Superintendent as they already are submitted to the DOE Charter Office.
• The funding monitoring requirement will be relaxed since it has become unnecessary because of the new charter performance system. DOE will continue to monitor if charter schools are adequately allocating funds to impact what is happening in the classroom. And, cash fund procedures, which are difficult to navigate, will be updated and simplified.
• Districts will be required to report to DOE, on a rolling basis, any closed, unused or unoccupied school facility available for lease that would be posted online in order to facilitate cooperation between districts and charter schools.
• Satellite campus regulations will be redefined to allow charter schools to operate on multiple campuses within their approved district or region of residence. The requirement that charter leases cannot exceed the length of the charter – a barrier to obtaining financing – will be removed.
• New regulations will clarify renovations, expansion and reconstruction exemptions from the Charter School Act’s restriction on construction with State of local funds.
• The Christie Administration approved the expansion of several of the state’s highest performing charter schools.
• In March, 20 charter schools were approved to expand to provide more than 5,000 additional seats in high performing schools in the coming years.
• According to an independent report by The Center for Research on Education Outcomes (CREDO), “Compared to the educational gains that charter students would have had in a traditional public school (TPS), the analysis shows that students in New Jersey charter schools on average make larger learning gains in both reading and mathematics:
In Newark: “When we investigate the learning impacts of Newark charter schools separately, we find that their results are larger in reading and math than the overall state results.”
“On average, charter students in New Jersey gain an additional two months of learning in reading over their TPS counterparts. In math, the advantage for charter students is about three months of additional learning in one school year. Charter students in Newark gain an additional seven and a half months in reading and nine months in math.”
Among Black Students: “Black students enrolled in charter schools show significantly better performance in reading and math compared to Black students in TPS.”
Among Hispanic Students: “In both math and reading, Hispanic students in charter schools perform significantly better than Hispanic students in TPS.”
• According to a 2015 independent report on Urban Charter Schools by The Center for Research on Education Outcomes (CREDO), students enrolled in charter schools in Newark, on average, make statistically significantly greater gains in both reading and math compared to their counterparts enrolled in Newark’s traditional public schools. While, in Newark, charter schools on average are doing a better job of closing achievement gaps than are traditional public schools.
K-8 Schools:
From 2009 to 2014, charter schools serving K-8 students improved 6 percentage points in Language Arts Literacy and 15 percentage points in Mathematics, in the aggregate, on the NJASK.
Based on NJASK data in 2014, 64 out of 74 charter schools outperformed their comparative districts in language arts literacy.
Based on NJASK data in 2014, 64 out of 74 charter schools outperformed their comparative districts in mathematics.
° High Schools:
From 2009 to 2014, charter schools serving high school students improved 17 percentage points in both Language Arts Literacy and Mathematics, in the aggregate, on the ‘Banked’ HSPA.
Based on HSPA data, in 2014, 15 out of 15 charter schools outperformed their comparative districts in language arts literacy.
Based on HSPA data, in 2014, 12 out of 15 charter schools outperformed their comparative districts in mathematics.
Across all charter schools in 2014, the graduation rate was 90% compared to a state-wide graduation rate of 89.
• 2016 Charter Schools PARCC Data
Charter schools continue to outperform their district counterparts. In the elementary grades 3-5, 63 percent of charters outperformed the average across their district elementary schools in Math and 84 percent did so in ELA. In the middle school grades 6-8, 84 percent of charter schools outperformed their district middle school average in Math and 89 percent did so in ELA.
Charter schools serving grades 6-8 showed impressive gains in academic performance, as measured by median School Growth Percentiles (mSGPs). Almost half of all charters serving grades 6-8 achieved growth scores that are better than those of two-thirds of all public schools serving grades 6-8 in the state.
• Newark Charter Schools PARCC Performance
Charter schools in Newark are effectively accelerating student learning: in a district typically underperforming statewide achievement results, for two consecutive years students in grades 3-8 in Newark charter schools have met or exceeded expectations on PARCC assessments at the same rate as their peers around the state. For example, in 2015-16, the last year with available data, 51 percent of students in grades 3-8 in Newark charter schools met or exceeded expectations on a PARCC assessment in ELA compared to 50 percent of students in grades 3-8 across the state. In the same year, the percent of students in grades 3-8 who met or exceeded expectations on a PARCC assessment in math was 43 percent for Newark charter school students compared to 43 percent statewide.
Charter schools in Newark are effectively accelerating student learning for traditionally underserved subgroups: Students from economically disadvantaged backgrounds and minority students enrolled in grades 3-8 in Newark charter schools are meeting or exceeding expectations on PARCC assessments at a greater rate than their counterparts across the state. For example, in 2015-16, 63 percent of Hispanic students enrolled in grades 3-8 in Newark charter schools met or exceeded expectations on a PARCC assessment in ELA compared to 36 percent of Hispanic students statewide.
Newark charter schools have virtually eliminated the achievement gap for economically disadvantaged students. In 2015-16, statewide proficiency rates for students eligible for free or reduced price lunch trailed those for non-eligible students by 30 percentage points in both ELA and math. Those gaps shrinks to 3 and 2 percentage points, respectively, in Newark charter schools.
• Since taking office, state funding to support the local share of funding for students transferring out-of-district to approved school choice districts has increased by over $40 million.
• School choice funding has increased commensurately, and has surpassed $55 million in fiscal year 2018.
• Announced pilot educational program between Harlem Children’s Zone and City of Paterson.
Improving Oversight
The Christie Administration has worked to improve accountability for charter schools by instituting an oversight program that sets clear expectations for charter school performance and serves as the basis for school evaluation, monitoring, and intervention.
The Performance Framework sets the academic, organizational and fiscal standards by which all New Jersey public charter schools are evaluated, informing officials about school performance and sustainability.
NJDOE officials expanded the rigorous standards and metrics by which each and every public charter school is evaluated. This enabled NJDOE officials to take multiple factors into account when evaluating public charter schools across the state.
Ridgewood NJ, Ridgewood HS Football kickoff dinner was August 26 . The Ridgewood Football season kickoff dinner was hosted by the scholarship committee. .Ridgewood Scholarship Committee President Rich Barclay remarked that Ridgewood football will surpass $1 milion in scholarship money this season.
The Legendary Ridgewood Football Head Coach Chuck Johnson spoke at kickoff dinner along with Senior starter Vincent Riggio and Senior Tight End Pete Marshall spoke to the crowd.
According to Varsity Aces the Football Public School Top 20 Countdown ,Ridgewood ranks Number 5 in our pre-season poll.
Schedule :
9/8 @ Hackensack (Hackensack, NJ)
Location: Hackensack High School
9/15 Paramus (Paramus, NJ)
Location: Ridgewood High School
9/28 @ NV – Old Tappan (Old Tappan, NJ)
Location: NV – Old Tappan High School
10/6 Passaic (Passaic, NJ)
Location: Ridgewood High School
10/13 Bergen Tech (Hackensack, NJ)
Location: Ridgewood High School
10/20 @ Kennedy (Paterson, NJ)
Location: Kennedy High School
10/27 Passaic County Tech (Wayne, NJ)
Location: Ridgewood High School
11/4 @ Eastside (Paterson, NJ)
Location: Eastside High School
Ridgewood NJ, BOE regular public meeting Monday August 28,2017, 5pm-7pm .
At all regular meetings, two opportunities are provided for citizens to make comments. The public comment periods will be scheduled after presentations and approximately 6:00 p.m. or just prior to the end of the meeting, whichever occurs first. The first opportunity may be limited by the presiding officer to conclude at about 5:30 p.m. in order for the Board to continue with its scheduled agenda.
The second opportunity will occur at about 6:00 p.m. at the discretion of the presiding officer taking into consideration a break point in the agenda.
At every opportunity for public comment, citizens are invited to comment on subjects on the agenda or general topics. At the discretion of the presiding officer, public comments may be permitted at other times. Persons wishing to speak must, upon being recognized, rise, sign in, and state their names and addresses. Each speaker shall be limited to four minutes. The Board Recorder will note the time. A speaker who has not finished in the allotted time will be directed by the presiding officer to summarize quickly and relinquish the floor within 30 seconds. Comments shall be limited to issues. If personal remarks or discourteous statements are made, the presiding officer shall require the speaker to stop. No person will be recognized for a second time until all others asking to speak have been heard.
Yes , everyone payes taxes but it is the long time residents who are burdened with the annual tax increases. Were you around when Ridgewood had the bright idea of adding a pool to the high school so the snowflakes did not have to travel to the YMCA? Fortunately, common sense prevailed and the pool was voted down. Not everyone has a bottomless bank account.
Take a look at the curriculum and see where some non-essential classes could be eliminated.
The all-knowing Board of Education eliminated shop class and an auto mechanic class a number of years ago because the residents thought these classes were below “Ridgewood educational standards ” and “decreasing enrollment”. These career paths can lead to financial independence as young adults. But I digress…
Final thoughts…Ridgewood never had a tax increase they didn’t like and they definitely don’t believe in the term ” budget neutral”.
WEST WINDSOR TOWNSHIP, N.J. — The nationwide forces that are beginning to uproot football have converged at a place called High School North.
Demographic shifts, concussions, single-sport specialization and cost — among the same issues that have caused youth football numbers to plummet around the country in recent years — have led West Windsor-Plainsboro High School North to drop varsity football this season. The Knights, with a roster of 37 players, will play a junior varsity schedule.
High School South, the other secondary school in the district, might have to do the same next year, along with high schools from four other neighboring jurisdictions, West Windsor-Plainsboro Schools Superintendent David Aderhold said.
The moves reflect a crisis for football all over the country, but one that has accelerated in this New York City bedroom community.
The recent events in Charlottesville have compelled me to write to you this afternoon. The horrific and
vile images on our screens emphasized the unfortunate and misguided behavior of real people with real
hate in their hearts towards others who look or believe differently from themselves.
Having watched those expressions of hatred and violence with horror and disbelief, I want to stress to
you and reassure you that the Ridgewood Public Schools does not tolerate any acts of hate or negative
speech in our buildings or on our property. Our district is a community of people from many different
backgrounds, nationalities, beliefs and protected classes, and we insist that our students and staff
practice tolerance and respect at all times through clearly articulated goals for respectful and inclusive
behavior. We also go one step further, by finding ways to highlight and celebrate both differences and
similarities.
As we ready for the opening of school and a peaceful and welcoming start to a new year, I encourage
you to talk about the school environment in your discussions with your family about the recent events in
Charlottesville. Please know that we are here to assist you and feel free to reach out to your child’s
principal, or to me, at any time.
Enjoy the rest of your summer.
Sincerely yours,
Daniel Fishbein, Ed.D.
Superintendent of Schools
Only half of U.S. students think their high schools have prepared them with the knowledge and skills they need for college, according to recent survey data.
Compiled by the nonprofit YouthTruth, the data reveal an uncertainty among high schoolers in how to become ready for college and careers.
The survey didn’t require students to explain why they felt they way they did — but anonymous comments provide some clues.
“They just want us to have high grades, and that’s what most kids are doing by cheating or studying really hard, not by actually learning something,” one student wrote. “School has taught us that having better grades is better than actually learning something, and that’s not how it should be.”
Ridgewood Nj, the Ridgewood School district has released a REVISED Back-to-School Night Schedule: Sorry for any inconvenience but there are a couple of changes to the BTS Night schedule (Ridge and Willard, specifically). Here it is:
Benjamin Franklin Middle School: Tuesday, September 12 at 7 p.m.
George Washington Middle School: Thursday, September 28 at 7 p.m.
Hawes Elementary School (Gr. 3-5): Thursday, September 14 at 6:30 p.m.
Hawes Elementary School (Gr. K-2): Thursday, September 14 at 8 p.m.
Orchard Elementary School: Thursday, September 14 at 6:30 p.m.
Ridgewood High School: Wednesday, September 13 at 7:30 p.m.
Ridge Elementary School: Tuesday, September 19 at 7 p.m. (revised)
Somerville Elementary School: Thursday, September 14 at 7 p.m.
Travell Elementary School: Thursday, September 14 at 7 p.m.
Willard Elementary School: Wednesday, September 27 at 7 p.m. (revised)
Ridgewood NJ, Assemblywomen Holly Schepisi took issues with NJEA endorsements yesterday and took to Facebook to make her displeasure known .
Schepisi said,“I find it fascinating that the NJEA, an organization funded primarily by female members, did not endorse one female incumbent Republican in the entire legislature. For my friends and constituents who are teachers, I have always supported teachers and I always will regardless of endorsements received or not received. I am a proud product of a public school education and the first female in my family to graduate with a college degree. I am the only female legislator currently representing any portion of Bergen County with children attending public schools. Volunteering as “teacher for the day” in many of our area schools has helped me to understand the challenges and rewards of teaching. So today I thank all of our teachers for their services provided to our children.”
