Category: Ridgewood Schools

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Looking at the larger picture : the Ridgewood teachers’ contract is one of the highest in the county

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Looking at the larger picture

FEBRUARY 5, 2016    LAST UPDATED: FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2016, 12:31 AM
THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS

Looking at the larger picture

To the editor,

As a former nine year member of the Ridgewood Board of Education I would like to recognize and thank the current five members of the Board for their service. Only a few of us fully understand the position that they find themselves in during the time of teacher negotiations.

These five community members are up against the most powerful union in New Jersey. While their conversations are with representatives of the Ridgewood Education Association, the NJEA is right behind the curtain. At the same time each member when they were sworn into office, they took an oath. The oath was pretty much their commitment to play by the established rules. Public education is a regulated industry. Knowing the five members of our Board, I have no doubt that they are doing everything possible to reach a settlement with the REA within the established constraints and what is feasible for all parties. I can understand that the REA may not like those constraints.

I know the fact finder is scheduled to come to Ridgewood, shortly. Unfortunately, it is not one of those situations that after a few hours of meetings the fact finder will appear on the steps of the Education Center and make a declaration of the facts. However, those financial facts will probably rule the day in a report issued weeks later.

Looking at the larger economic picture, we know that the salary guide in the Ridgewood teachers’ contract is one of the highest in the county. We know that the offered state health benefit plan is one of the best, if not the best available in the program. For those of us employed outside of the teaching profession, we have seen stagnant salaries for a number of years and have experienced job insecurity. As to health benefits, we may be contributing the same percentage to our health care premiums, but the plan in which we are enrolled is probably a lot different today than it was a few years ago. The days of $10 copays have been replaced with high deductible plans.

I know teachers have and will continue to express their views at the microphone during public comment of BOE meetings. They have every right to do that. But, does not every issue have two sides? I firmly believe our Board is doing everything possible.

Bob Hutton

Ridgewood

https://www.northjersey.com/opinion/opinion-letters-to-the-editor/ridgewood-news-letter-looking-at-the-larger-picture-1.1506624

 

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Michael Yannone President, Ridgewood Education Association : A “fair” settlement is when both sides give to get

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Contract discussions continue

FEBRUARY 5, 2016    LAST UPDATED: FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2016, 12:31 AM
THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS

Contract discussions continue

To The Editor,

Last week the Ridgewood Board of Education used this space to comment on the status of negotiations with the Ridgewood Education Association. In their statement they stated that they recently presented to us “a new and comprehensive proposal”. The village should know that this was not the case.

The major issue before us is health care contributions that is no secret every time both sides meet that is all we talk about. Almost 200 teachers came to last Monday’s BOE meeting because of this issue with 20 of them speaking personally and passionately on this topic. The board’s “new and comprehensive” proposal on this issue has not changed in 11 months, they have offered nothing new. Their continued solution is to provide teachers with a level of health care that would be the worst of any district in the state. The only savings found in this plan are on the Board’s end any savings for teachers quickly evaporate once the plan is used. They would do nothing to lower the crushing costs of contribution levels.

Again we heard about 2 percent caps on their budget. The district has money in its $101 million budget, they just prioritize its use elsewhere: additional administrators, paid speakers and consultants, fancy furniture, and yes ebooks for elementary aged children who don’t have Chromebooks just to name a few. At Monday’s meeting they announced that they were allocating $970,000 for technology in next year’s budget. But there is no money to settle this contract?

What I found most interesting in the Board’s statement was the use of quotation marks around the word fair as if this is a foreign concept that has no place in the discussion. Good faith negotiations require compromise. A “fair” settlement is when both sides give to get. The REA understands this and has been willing to give in other areas of the contract. We have repeatedly pitched creative concepts to reach a middle ground and have been rebuffed at every step with no counter proposal offered. Their statement reads as if they have actually engaged in back and forth negotiations, when in fact they have yet to offer anything new and substantial for our team to consider. Successful negotiations can not be one sided, and right now the REA feels like we are simply talking to ourselves.

It should come as no surprise that we find ourselves in this impasse as this Board has stated publicly that they are against the rights of teachers to collectively bargain. The Ridgewood Board of Education doesn’t want “fair”, they want it all.

Michael Yannone

President, Ridgewood Education Association

 

https://www.northjersey.com/opinion/opinion-letters-to-the-editor/ridgewood-news-letter-contract-discussions-continue-1.1506617

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New worry on N.J. school test scores; graduation in doubt for some who didn’t pass

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FEBRUARY 4, 2016    LAST UPDATED: THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2016, 1:00 AM

BY HANNAN ADELY
STAFF WRITER |
THE RECORD

One day after the state released dismal scores on new state tests, high schools were dealing with the reality that it could be harder or at least more complicated for their students to get a diploma in New Jersey.

Most students failed the new state tests, called PARCC, which are among about a half-dozen options that students can use to graduate — part of an overhaul that state officials unveiled in the prior school year. Some who did not meet graduation benchmarks on state exams or on other eligible tests are now scrambling to find ways to prove their readiness for graduation so they can receive their diplomas in June with their peers.

“We are concerned about the impact on students,” said Janina Kusielewicz, curriculum director for Clifton schools. “We know our students can show proficiency. We just hope they can do so, given all the changes.”

The release of statewide test scores came just one day before the state released news that the high school graduation rate had grown for the fourth consecutive year to nearly 90 percent. But those rates were calculated for years when students had to pass the state’s High School Proficiency Assessment in math and reading to graduate and most North Jersey districts had fairly high passage rates for those tests.

Education officials say the new requirements are better measures of college readiness. The change was needed, they said, because students had been graduating without basic skills they needed to succeed in college, and some had to take remedial classes before they could start their first semester.

The overhaul to graduation requirements came as thousands of students refused to take PARCC exams last spring amid criticism about test quality and overtesting. Many more students did not take the test seriously, officials said, in some cases even rushing through it or putting in a half-hearted effort because they believed it would not matter for graduation.

https://www.northjersey.com/news/new-worry-on-n-j-school-test-scores-graduation-in-doubt-for-some-who-didn-t-pass-1.1505586

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N.J. education officials release PARCC test scores

standardized-testing

FEBRUARY 2, 2016, 12:22 PM    LAST UPDATED: TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 2016, 12:47 PM
BY HANNAN ADELY
STAFF WRITER |
THE RECORD

New Jersey education officials released statewide scores today from new state exams given last spring to students in grades 3 to 11 in math and English.

The scores show whether students met expectations for their grade level on the tests, known as PARCC. Students were scored on a scale from 1 to 5 in math and English; those with a 4 or a 5 are considered to be meeting expectations.

PARCC stands for Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers, which is the group of states that developed the tests. Experts say the exams are more rigorous than previous tests and a better measure of whether students are prepared for college.

https://www.northjersey.com/news/n-j-education-officials-release-parcc-test-scores-1.1504043

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A Brief History The of National History Bee and Bowl was established by 1999 RHS alumnus David Madden

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February 1,2016
the atff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, Here’s a good story about two of our alumni. Dave Madden, RHS 1999 and Laura Fleming, RHS 1977. Congratulations!

“The National History Bee and Bowl was established by 1999 alumnus David Madden. Ridgewood High School held the very first tournament in May, 2010, and the contests have grown by leaps and bounds under David’s direction. The New Jersey State Championship was held at RHS on Saturday, January 16, 2016. There are now dozens of tournaments held every year spanning more than twenty countries on four continents, with the national championships held in Arlington, Virginia in April. Last year’s RHS History Bowl team finished 9th in the country. Pictured here with David is Laura Medici Fleming (RHS 1977), RHS history teacher and adviser to the History Bowl teams.”

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Public Employees time for Obamacare ?

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Law’s expiration may renew battle over benefits
February 2,2016

PLEASANTVILLE, N.J. (AP) — A state law requiring public employees to pay a percentage of their health benefit premiums expired last year, setting the stage for a battle over benefits between school boards and teachers unions.

At issue is whether school boards will be able to maintain those payments during contract negotiations or whether the unions will have the clout to roll them back, The Press of Atlantic City reported ().

At stake are millions of dollars that ultimately would be passed on to local taxpayers. Statewide, school districts budgeted almost $4 billion for all employee benefits for the 2015-16 school year.

That represents almost 18 percent of all state aid and local taxes spent on education.

Steve Baker, director of communications for the New Jersey Education Association, wrote in an email that they expect many local unions will make the payment an important part of their negotiations.

“Different locals will pursue different strategies, but I think you should expect to see that issue raised in nearly all negotiations once the sunset is reached,” Baker said.

The New Jersey School Boards Association is advising members to expect that request. In a November memo, NJSBA manager of labor relations Patrick Duncan noted that in the last year prior to the law, only 13 percent of contracts analyzed by the NJSBA required any employee contribution.

https://www.edweek.org/tm/articles/2016/01/31/laws-expiration-may-renew-battle-over_ap.html

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Event Parking at RHS continues to Cause Concern

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file photo by Boyd Loving

Adding to parking woes at RHS

JANUARY 29, 2016    LAST UPDATED: FRIDAY, JANUARY 29, 2016, 12:31 AM
THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS

Adding to parking woes at RHS

to the editor:

Adding further to the letter from Adriana Blauvelt regarding the limited parking at RHS (“Trouble finding parking at RHS,” Jan. 22, page A6) ,we also “attended” the 8th grade parent orientation. We had the same problem that Adriana had finding a space, and we succumbed to parking illegally near the football field after circling for at least 20 minutes and missing part of the presentation. (Brookfield was also totally full of cars.)

To our surprise, though, the orientation was not particularly well attended. The source of the parking issue was the overlapping events of a basketball game, a New Player’s production and adult education in addition to the parent orientation.

On the one hand, we can feel gratified that our high school is being so well utilized as a resource for both the students and the community. On the other hand, there must be a way to better schedule the events so as not to create the “perfect storm.”

The school principal said there are so many activities ongoing that it is impossible to find a night that is available. If that is truly the case, we as a community need to be addressing not only the parking issues for the downtown shopping area, but also the needs of our schools.

Melanie Stern

Ridgewood

https://www.northjersey.com/opinion/opinion-letters-to-the-editor/ridgewood-news-letter-adding-to-parking-woes-at-rhs-1.1501706

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Why is Educational Freedom So Important?

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America’s students as a whole lag behind many other industrialized nations on international tests. Government expenditures on K-12 education have more than doubled over the last 40 years (adjusted for inflation), and yet U.S. students’ academic performance at the end of high school is flat.

Learn more:

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Nyack Schools May Require Students Who Appear Intoxicated To Take Breath Test

Breath Test

February 1, 2016 10:27 AM

NYACK, N.Y. (CBSNewYork) — Students suspected of being drunk may soon have to take a breath test in one Rockland County community.

The Nyack Board of Education has been discussing the proposal for months, and it’s on the agenda for Tuesday night’s board meeting.

Under the policy, any student who appears intoxicated would be administered two breath tests within 10 minutes, WCBS 880’s Sean Adams reported. It would apply to students in school and at school-sponsored events, including dances, CBS2 reported.

https://newyork.cbslocal.com/2016/02/01/nyack-school-students-breath-test-alcohol/

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The Ridgewood Board of Education will hold a Regular Public Meeting on Monday, February 8, 2016

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BOARD UPDATES

BOE-REA Negotiations
Click here to read a Letter to the Editor of The Ridgewood News, which appeared in the paper on January 29, 2016.

BOE Meets on February 8 at 7:30 p.m.
The Ridgewood Board of Education will hold a Regular Public Meeting on Monday, February 8, 2016 at 7:30 p.m.

The public is invited to attend the meeting at the Ed Center, 49 Cottage Place, Floor 3. The meeting may also be viewed on FiOS channel 33, Optimum channel 77 or from computers via the “Live BOE Meeting” tab on the district website.FiOS channel 33, Optimum channel 77 or from computers via the “Live BOE Meeting” tab on the district website.

Click here to view the agenda for the January 25, 2016 Regular Public Meeting.

Click here to view the minutes of the December 21, 2015 Regular Public Meeting.

Click here to view the minutes of the January 4, 2016 Reorganization/Regular Public Meeting.

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NY Teacher fired for sex with student got new job at NJ school

Castro and Chez

By Susan Edelman and Dean Balsamini

January 31, 2016 | 1:40pm

A New York teacher who investigators say had sex with a student was able to exploit loopholes and delays in the disciplinary system to land a teaching job in New Jersey, The Post has learned.

Jinwoo Seong, 36, repeatedly grabbed a male student’s crotch, exposed himself, had the youth stroke him and engaged in oral sex while a special-education math teacher at Martin Van Buren HS in Queens, according to an explosive eight-page report by special schools investigator Richard Condon. The student cried throughout an interview with investigators.

Seong also touched a girl’s breast and crotch over her clothes, slapped other boys’ butts, hurled obscene comments and made “gay jokes,” the probe found.

One girl told investigators that Seong asked her to measure a classmate’s penis during an after-school tutoring session. Another boy claimed Seong kicked him in the testicles when he cursed the teacher.

But Seong, who was fired, managed to get a new job in Jersey simply by not revealing his troubled past. The case shows how a teacher accused of shocking misconduct can slip through bureaucratic cracks and back into the classroom.

Condon’s nine-month investigation ended last Sept. 28 with a letter to Chancellor Carmen Fariña, saying Seong “has no place in New York City schools.”

But Seong, who was assigned to a “rubber room” pending the probe, remained on the city payroll until the Department of Education terminated him on Nov. 30. The untenured Seong denied the charges but was not entitled to an administrative trial.

Seong used his time in the rubber room to scramble for new employment. In October, New Jersey granted his application to recognize his New York certifications to teach special-ed and math in grades 7 to 12.

Seong then found an opening at Don Bosco Technical Academy, a public middle school in Paterson, NJ, telling officials he wanted to “relocate.” As soon as his NYC firing was official, he accepted the $62,000-a-year position. He started on Dec. 7.

https://nypost.com/2016/01/31/teacher-fired-for-sex-with-student-got-new-job-at-nj-school/?utm_campaign=SocialFlow&utm_source=NYPFacebook&utm_medium=SocialFlow

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JAMBOREE 2016 – RIDGEWOOD REWIND!

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JAMBOREE 2016 – RIDGEWOOD REWIND!

Ridgewood NJ, Since 1947, Ridgewood’s Jamboree has presented an original musical revue raising funds for need-based college scholarships for graduating RHS seniors.

Over 125 RHS parents and guardians participate and contribute each year by singing, dancing, acting, performing in the band, designing and making costumes, building sets, managing set changes and being back-stage heroes.

The Jamboree Scholarship Fund, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) qualified charity and all contributions are tax deductible. The entire production and all Jamboree fund-raising efforts are 100 percent voluntary. All Fund revenues are raised through program advertising, ticket sales and corporate and individual sponsorships.

Wheelchair accessible!  VIP paid parking available!

TICKETS ARE ALWAYS AVAILABLE AT THE DOOR!

ALL ONLINE TICKET SALES FOR A PARTICULAR PERFORMANCE DATE ENDS ONE HOUR BEFORE SHOW. https://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/2485468

Donations are welcomed on our website – www.rhsjamboree.org!

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Ridgewood School Board says they are ‘committed’ to settling contract

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Board ‘committed’ to settling contract

JANUARY 29, 2016    LAST UPDATED: FRIDAY, JANUARY 29, 2016, 12:31 AM
THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS

Board ‘committed’ to settling contract

to the editor:

At Monday’s Board of Education meeting, 20 Ridgewood teachers spoke at the podium. They spoke passionately about their love of teaching and their deep commitment to our children. With pride, they enumerated the educational opportunities that Ridgewood provides and acknowledged the exceptional quality of our district. They implored the Board to reach a “fair” settlement and expressed their frustration that the contract remained unsettled.

The Board is sympathetic to the concerns expressed by our teachers and shares the desire to complete negotiations as quickly as possible. The Board has made every effort to listen to the union’s concerns and address them.

On Jan. 20 at our last negotiation session, the Board made a new comprehensive proposal that would have increased the take-home pay of every teacher through a combination of salary increases and revisions to the health care plans offered to the REA members. The Board also offered to discuss several ideas to ameliorate the impact of the 35 percent employee health care premium contributions paid by the highest paid staff.

These proposals address the teachers’ primary concerns while staying within the district’s financial capabilities.

Some of the teachers’ comments questioned Ridgewood Public Schools’ spending on improving curriculum, professional development, technology and eBooks in our elementary school libraries. While our teachers and the work they do are key to making Ridgewood the superior district that it is, we know that their jobs would be exponentially more challenging if they did not have new and improved textbooks, revised curriculum and the technology enhancements such as Chromebooks.

As the Board of Education, we are committed to balancing these competing costs and the need to continue to deliver a well-balanced educational program to our students. With the state-imposed hard cap that restricts district property tax revenue increases to 2 percent or less of the prior year taxes, this is a very tough assignment.

We have had numerous meetings with the REA team and are willing to meet at any time to negotiate all components of the contract.

In the meantime, we will move forward to fact-finding. Next week, both sides will have the opportunity to submit their positions, arguments and exhibits to an independent, state-appointed fact-finder. We expect the fact-finder to issue his non-binding recommendations by the end of April.

This Board is committed to settling an equitable new contract that treats our teachers fairly, is respectful of the taxpayers and maintains the financial integrity of the district. Most importantly, we want to end the unrest that drains our staff’s energy so that they can focus on the important job of teaching our children, which is something that they do exceptionally well.

We are united with the teachers in the goal of continuing Ridgewood’s “Tradition of Excellence.”

Sheila Brogan

Vince Loncto

Jim Morgan

Christina Krauss

Jennie Smith Wilson

Ridgewood Board of Education

https://www.northjersey.com/opinion/opinion-letters-to-the-editor/ridgewood-news-letter-board-committed-to-settling-contract-1.1501661

 

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A dog is a Ridgewood Students Best Friend

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Dogs help Ridgewood students lower stress levels

JANUARY 28, 2016    LAST UPDATED: THURSDAY, JANUARY 28, 2016, 11:41 AM
BY MATTHEW SCHNEIDER
STAFF WRITER |
THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS

Ridgewood High School students in the midst of stressing over midterm exams were given a reprieve over the past couple weeks, thanks to the timely arrival of some therapy dogs.

Robert Bell, the district’s supervisor of wellness, worked in conjunction with a non-profit called Bright and Beautiful Therapy Dogs in order to bring five specially trained canines to the high school over four mornings, allowing students to relax between exams and forget about their studies for a while.

“It’s a great opportunity for the kids,” Bell said, noting that the students really seemed to be enjoying themselves, as evidenced by the laughter ringing up and down the hallway.

According to Bell, Ridgewood High School is the first public school to attempt such a de-stressing technique. The program is often used at colleges and universities.

“In all of our research, we haven’t found a public high school that has tried this,” Bell said. “We specifically went for professionally trained dogs, working with outside organizations, bringing in five dogs a day and putting them in different locations throughout the building.”

He explained that the high school’s version of the event is a litmus test, by which the district’s administrators will decide if it is worth bringing to other Ridgewood schools. He also noted that other public schools have contacted the high school about the program.

“We get a lot of phone calls about it, just how this process is working,” Bell said. “I think there’s interest out there at the public school level.”

While the program seems to be an enjoyable one, it is also economically feasible, according to Bell.

https://www.northjersey.com/news/education/dogs-help-ridgewood-students-lower-stress-levels-1.1501207