Ridgewood Schools - Page 217 of 227

Posted on May 30, 2015May 30, 2015 by James — 1 Comment

Readers say Governor goes easy on PARCC because Pearson Publishing, is headquartered in New Jersey

Not so fast…Trenton’s Fred Flintstone is still enamored with PARCC testing. Does this have to do with the fact that the owner/operator of PARCC, Pearson Publishing, is headquartered in New Jersey?

“The Governor did, however, [direct] DOE Commissioner Hespe to assemble a group of parents, teachers and educators to reevaluate the situation to come up with new state-centric standards, and he renewed his support for the controversial Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC) exams. “We must continue to review and improve that test based on results, not fear or speculation,” Christie declared. “I will not permit New Jersey to risk losing vital federal education funds because some would prefer to let the perfect get in the way of the good.””

PARCC is neither perfect nor nor good. It is perfectly worthless and needs to be jettisoned along with Common Core. The two stem from the same rotten ideology.

Posted on May 30, 2015May 30, 2015 by James — 1 Comment

Dropping Common Core may alter little in N.J.

MAY 29, 2015, 7:05 PM LAST UPDATED: FRIDAY, MAY 29, 2015, 11:40 PM
BY HANNAN ADELY
STAFF WRITER |
THE RECORD

Governor Christie’s declaration that he will drop Common Core education standards to create ones that are more suited to New Jersey left open the possibility of change. But if other states are a predictor, that change may not be so sweeping.

Several states have moved to replace Common Core and have ended up with standards that look mostly the same, according to education groups. And educators and administrators in New Jersey say the state has made such a huge investment to roll out standards that a total reversal is unlikely.

“It’s in the materials. It’s in the tests. It’s in the teacher training. It’s taught in professional development,” said Michael Cohen, president of Achieve, an education non-profit that helped develop Common Core. “If standards change dramatically, you’d have to make those investments all over again.”

In 2010, New Jersey adopted Common Core along with more than 40 other states. The states repealing Common Core have done so largely in response to political backlash in the conservative GOP, which believes it infringes on states’ rights. Common Core was developed by state officials, with input from private education groups, but the federal government gives financial incentives for states to use the standards.

https://www.northjersey.com/news/dropping-common-core-may-alter-little-in-n-j-1.1345403

Posted on May 29, 2015May 29, 2015 by James — 2 Comments

Ridgewood One of Eight School Districts in NJ Ranked in the top 70 nationally in School Athletics

By Matthew Stanmyre | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com
on May 26, 2015 11:20 AM

School districts from Summit, West Essex Regional and Southern Regional — districts with well-established reputations for athletic excellence at the high school level — have been ranked the best in New Jersey and among the most highly rated in the nation, according to a study based on athletic statistics and hundreds of thousands of surveys.

Summit also checked in at No. 3 overall nationally, with West Essex (No. 21) and Southern Regional (No. 28) cracking the top 30 in America.

The study rated school district athletics as a whole, considering parent and student opinions, number of interscholastic sports offered, percentages of girls and boys participating in sports and the average athletic expense per student, among other factors.

A school district rated high by the study generally indicates sports and fitness plays a significant role in the student life; students actively participate in intervarsity sports; and the administration is invested in the athletic program.

The study ranked 4,951 districts after fielding more than 750,000 opinions from nearly 230,000 students and parents.

Also, some school districts such as Wayne — ranked No. 16 in New Jersey — include more than one high school.

Eight schools from New Jersey landed in the top 70 nationally: Summit, West Essex, Southern, River Dell, Ridgewood, Pascack Valley, New Providence andRandolph.

https://highschoolsports.nj.com/news/article/-6893356241003402755/is-your-childs-school-district-in-the-top-10-in-nj-for-sports-check-the-rankings/

Posted on May 29, 2015May 28, 2015 by James — Leave a comment

‘Swatting’ hoax puts Ridgewood’s George Washington Middle School on lockdown

MAY 28, 2015, 11:52 AM LAST UPDATED: THURSDAY, MAY 28, 2015, 12:55 PM
BY CHRIS HARRIS
STAFF WRITER |
THE RECORD

RIDGEWOOD — George Washington Middle School was temporarily on lockdown Thursday morning after a prank phone threat village police are investigating as a “swatting” incident.

The call to the school on Ridgewood’s Washington Place was received by school official just before 10 a.m.

The caller, according to a number of sources, claimed that a shooter was on the school’s roof. School officials immediately ordered a lockdown of each classroom.

Police also notified officials at nearby West Side Presbyterian Church, which operates a nursery school that went into lockdown.

Responding officers from Ridgewood, Midland Park, Glen Rock and Wyckoff searched the middle school building, including the roof, and determined the call to be a hoax by 10:30 a.m.

It was the fifth such incident in North Jersey since March of what has become known as swatting, in which false reports are made to elicit the response of police swat units.

Ridgewood Police Chief John Ward confirmed Thursday’s call was a “swatting,” but would not discuss the specific nature of the threat made against the school.

https://www.northjersey.com/news/swatting-hoax-puts-ridgewood-s-george-washington-middle-school-on-lockdown-1.1344405

Posted on May 26, 2015May 26, 2015 by James — Leave a comment

This is Why High School Sucks for so Many Kids: 16 Yr Old Photog Threatened by Admin for Selling Pics

Texas’ Flower Mound HS opens news fronts on the war on students and on photography.
Nick Gillespie|May. 26, 2015 9:28 am

For centuries now, school has produced an ever-enlarging literature of contempt and hate by those of us (read: all of us) unlucky enough to attend K-12 education. I’m betting that Socrates outdoor classrooms were kind of a drag, but certainly from Herman Hesse’s Beneath the Wheel to Catcher in the Rye to Blood and Guts in High School to Pink Floyd’s The Wall to Frank Portman’s King Dorkbooks, the message that school is filled with petty tyrants (both adult and student variety) is based on many people’s everyday experience.

Here’s a good example of why so many of us disliked school even if we dig edumication.

Via the Twitter feed of Lizbuddie comes the story of Anthony Mazur, a 16-year-old student at Texas’ Flower Mound High School. A photographer for the yearbook, Mazur took pictures of athletes and other students and then posted them on a Flickr account where he sold some of them to parents. As it happens, according to his school district’s policy, there’s no issue with that and Mazur apparently owns the the copyright to work he produces.

https://reason.com/blog/2015/05/26/this-is-why-high-school-sucks-for-so-man

Posted on May 23, 2015May 23, 2015 by James — 2 Comments

Schools that ban mobile phones see better academic results

Jamie Doward

Saturday 16 May 2015 16.20 EDT

Effect of ban on phones adds up to equivalent of extra week of classes over a pupil’s school year

It is a question that keeps some parents awake at night. Should children be allowed to take mobile phones to school? Now economists claim to have an answer. For parents who want to boost their children’s academic prospects, it is no.

The effect of banning mobile phones from school premises adds up to the equivalent of an extra week’s schooling over a pupil’s academic year, according to research by Louis-Philippe Beland and Richard Murphy, published by the Centre for Economic Performance at the London School of Economics.

“Ill Communication: The Impact of Mobile Phones on Student Performance”found that after schools banned mobile phones, the test scores of students aged 16 improved by 6.4%. The economists reckon that this is the “equivalent of adding five days to the school year”.

The findings will feed into the ongoing debate about children’s access to mobile phones. In the UK, more than 90% of teenagers own a mobile phone; in the US, just under three quarters have one. The prevalence of the devices poses problems for head teachers, whose attitude towards the technology has hardened as it has become ubiquitous.

https://www.theguardian.com/education/2015/may/16/schools-mobile-phones-academic-results

Posted on May 22, 2015May 21, 2015 by James — Leave a comment

NJ students will spend less time taking controversial state tests

MAY 21, 2015, 11:46 AM LAST UPDATED: THURSDAY, MAY 21, 2015, 7:26 PM

BY HANNAN ADELY
STAFF WRITER |
THE RECORD

Students will spend less time taking standardized tests next year in New Jersey and 10 other states, a response to complaints from teachers, parents and school officials that the exams took up too much instruction time and overwhelmed local schools.

The governing board of the tests, called PARCC, voted to cut down total testing time by about 90 minutes, the officials said in a statement released Thursday.

“The changes will improve and simplify test administration for schools, teachers and students, without diminishing the goal of the assessment,” the statement said.

Locally, testing critics said that, while they were glad state officials were responding to their concerns, the changes do not go far enough. Too much time still will be spent preparing for the tests, they said, because of the high stakes attached to them. The results are used to evaluate the performance of teachers, administrators and schools and will become a graduation requirement in 2019

https://www.northjersey.com/news/nj-students-will-spend-less-time-taking-controversial-state-tests-1.1340082

Posted on May 21, 2015May 21, 2015 by James — Leave a comment

RHS Celebration of the Arts is May 21-22

May 21st 2015

Ridgewood NJ, The event will open to the public on Thursday, May 21 at 7 p.m. in the Campus Center at RHS with music and dance performances. Sharing the Arts will perform A Whole New World from Aladdin, and the advanced dance class will perform to a piece played by the Symphonic Band. Guests will have an opportunity to explore the artwork and displays throughout the first floor before moving to the Little Theatre for a concert of small ensembles.

On Friday, the festivities will continue as high school staff, faculty, and students are immersed in over 1000 pieces of artwork. They may also attend various performances and demonstrations throughout the day. This two-day extravaganza is truly one of the feature events of the Fine and Applied Arts Department.

Thursday evening’s gala is open to the public and free of charge.

Posted on May 20, 2015May 20, 2015 by James — 1 Comment

Ridgewood schools to keep treasurer position

MAY 19, 2015 LAST UPDATED: TUESDAY, MAY 19, 2015, 10:00 AM
BY DARIUS AMOS
STAFF WRITER |
THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS

Ridgewood Board of Education members voted at a May 4 meeting to keep a treasurer of school monies on the district’s books and leave the post open until a qualified candidate is hired.

The position comes with a 2015-16 pay rate of $5,000, a salary amount that remains unchanged from the current year.

The board’s decision, settled by a 4-1 vote, comes on the heels of a recent financial supervision breakdown that essentially led to the theft of nearly $1 million in parking meter coins from the Village of Ridgewood.

“We’re all mindful that our village suffered an incident … we all want to have proper oversight,” said BOE Vice President Vince Loncto.

https://www.northjersey.com/news/education/ridgewood-school-district-to-keep-treasurer-post-1.1337635

Posted on May 19, 2015May 19, 2015 by James — Leave a comment

Proposed Legislation Aims to Keep State Aid Separate from PARCC Participation

April 20, 2011 John de Rosier editorial cartoon

Parents and kids brought plenty of passion — pro and con — to this morning’s debate over PARCC legislation.

“Never once did they come home and say, ‘Mommy, it was so hard! Mommy, I didn’t get it!’ They said, ‘Mommy, I rocked that!’ They were so proud of themselves,” said North Star Academy parent Florisha Johnson. (Flanagan/NJTV)

https://www.njtvonline.org/news/video/proposed-legislation-aims-to-keep-state-aid-separate-from-parcc-participation/

Posted on May 14, 2015May 14, 2015 by James — Leave a comment

RHS History Bowl Team Takes Ninth at Nationals

May 13,2015

Ridgewood NJ, The RHS History Bowl A Team finished ninth out of 150 teams in Arlington, VA at the national championship competition. Additionally, the team of Ben Bechtold and Thomas Cleary finished in the quarter finals of the competition. Other team members with media permission to be listed are Kumal Raza, Regina Park, Minha An, Thria Bernabe, Tristan Kane and Peter Goodman.

Posted on May 13, 2015May 13, 2015 by James — 10 Comments

Newsweek Ranks Ridgewood High School is ranked 15th within New Jersey

May 13,2015

Ridgewood NJ, Ridgewood High School is ranked 15th within New Jersey. Students have the opportunity to take Advanced Placement® course work and exams. The AP® participation rate at Ridgewood High School is 68 percent. The student body makeup is 51 percent male and 49 percent female, and the total minority enrollment is 30 percent. Ridgewood High School is the only high school in the Ridgewood Public Schools.

Rankings / Awards

This details how this school compares with others based on U.S. News ranking criteria.

Medal Awarded Gold
National Rank
#307
State Rank
#15
STEM Rank
#222

Students / Teachers

These counts and percentages of students and teachers are from data reported by schools to the government.

Total Enrollment 1,694
Total Minority Enrollment (% of total) 30%
Total Economically Disadvantaged (% of total) 1%
Full-Time Teachers 132

More About Student Body

Test Scores

U.S. News calculates these values based on student performance on state exit exams and internationally available exams on college-level course work (AP®/IB exams).

Proficient in Language 98%
Proficient in Mathematics 96%
College Readiness Index 60.4

https://www.usnews.com/education/best-high-schools/new-jersey/districts/ridgewood-public-schools/ridgewood-high-school-12746

Posted on May 12, 2015May 12, 2015 by James — 6 Comments

Ridgewood school board monitoring rising enrollment numbers

MAY 11, 2015 LAST UPDATED: MONDAY, MAY 11, 2015, 12:24 AM
BY DARIUS AMOS
STAFF WRITER |
THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS

Ridgewood district administrators informally assessed enrollment numbers of the village’s six elementary schools since 2009, a response to the public’s mounting concerns over anticipated class sizes next year.

In its search for a trend, the administration determined that a definitive conclusion could not be identified.

What the research did do, however, was provide a baseline for the district as it continues to monitor overall enrollment heading into the next academic year.

Board of Education (BOE) members said for the past several weeks that they have engaged in numerous conversations and fielded emails from parents alarmed with increasing class sizes. Two dozen parents publicly expressed related concerns at a school board meeting last month.

Those speakers, most with children attending Willard and Hawes schools, noted that high enrollment in the lower grades is adversely impacting the educational environment for the students. The rising student-to-teacher ratio also places a burden on the staff, parents contend.

https://www.northjersey.com/news/education/board-of-education-to-monitor-enrollment-1.1331434

Posted on May 12, 2015May 12, 2015 by James — 14 Comments

Safety concerns near Ridgewood’s Ridge School prompt new talks

MAY 11, 2015 LAST UPDATED: MONDAY, MAY 11, 2015, 9:50 AM
BY MARK KRULISH
STAFF WRITER |
THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS

The issue of sidewalks, and lack thereof, on Clinton Avenue returned to the Ridgewood Council on May 6 as residents came forward to voice their opinion on that issue, as well as the safety concerns held by parents whose children walk to Ridge School.

In February, the council approved a resolution for Clinton Avenue improvements, which included paving, but not installation of sidewalks as recommended by the Citizen Safety Advisory Committee (CSAC).

Councilwoman Susan Knudsen said the topic was put on for discussion at last Wednesday’s work session for residents who believed they were not a part of the process because they were not aware of when CSAC was discussing Clinton Avenue.

Many of those who did come forward last week noted that the lack of sidewalks on Clinton, as well as other nearby streets, is part of a larger safety issue surrounding Ridge School.

Anastasia Bamberg, who lives on Melrose Place, said the village is missing an opportunity to install sidewalks, but believes the street should remain closed to traffic during the day.

“I think Clinton Avenue is a great example of closing the street and I’d like to close more streets in Ridgewood to get kids to school and not have as much traffic,” she said. “I understand that the residents object to sidewalks, but I think they’re objecting because they think it will be opened to traffic.”

https://www.northjersey.com/news/safety-concerns-near-ridge-school-prompt-new-talks-1.1331339

No sidewalks for Clinton Ave despite recommendations by police & Village Engineer

https://theridgewoodblog.net/no-sidewalks-for-clinton-ave-despite-recommendations-by-police-village-engineer/

No sidewalks for Clinton Ave despite recommendations by police & Village Engineer

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