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Posted on January 29, 2015January 29, 2015 by James — Leave a comment

Educators, parents urge commission to drop or delay new state standardized tests

Educators, parents urge commission to drop or delay new state standardized tests

JANUARY 28, 2015, 6:32 PM LAST UPDATED: WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 28, 2015, 7:46 PM
BY HANNAN ADELY
STAFF WRITER |
THE RECORD

JERSEY CITY — Parents and educators told a state education commission Wednesday that New Jersey should drop new state standardized tests, or to consider delaying them, given many problems they already present .

Speakers at a public forum held by Governor Christie’s commission on student testing repeatedly referred to preparations for the tests as having a negative effect on classroom learning and the tests themselves as badly constructed.

Christina Krauss, a member of the Ridgewood Board of Education and parent of an eighth grader, said the new tests put a burden on teachers and students and that test preparation was consuming classroom learning.

“Our children are not lab rats,” said Krauss, who was one of about 45 people who spoke at the forum at the Franklin L. Williams School. “They are curious, creative, individual learners who should be allowed to flourish.”

The tests, known as PARCC, will be required in grades 3-11 in math and reading this spring. State education staff have said the tests will provide useful information about students’ progress and needs as they prepare for college and career. But critics say they take too much time much time away from instruction, are too long and stressful and hamper learning in non-tested subjects.

https://www.northjersey.com/news/educators-parents-urge-commission-to-drop-or-delay-new-state-standardized-tests-1.1260069

Posted on January 28, 2015January 28, 2015 by James — 9 Comments

New Jersey and You : Cop tells NJ teens to stop seeking snow shoveling jobs

file photo

New Jersey and You : Cop tells NJ teens to stop seeking snow shoveling jobs

JANUARY 28, 2015, 7:23 AM LAST UPDATED: WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 28, 2015, 7:23 AM
ASSOCIATED PRESS

BOUND BROOK, N.J. (AP) — Two enterprising teens who were looking to make some money shoveling snow ran afoul of a New Jersey town’s ordinance and were told by police to stop.

Matt Molinari and Eric Schnepf were handing out fliers in Bound Brook during a winter storm on Monday night.

Police Chief Michael Jannone tells the Courier News of Bridgewater (https://mycj.co/1Bnuw6s ) a resident reported a suspicious person.

https://www.northjersey.com/news/cop-tells-nj-teens-to-stop-seeking-snow-showeling-job-1.1259768

Posted on January 28, 2015January 28, 2015 by James — 2 Comments

Chris Christie really wanted to know how you spent Monday night, New Jersey

Chris Christie really wanted to know how you spent Monday night, New Jersey

I don’t know if you have already heard about this, but there is this storm on the East Coast this week. Some places seem to care, I think.

Anyway, as the winter weather hit New Jersey on Monday, Gov. Chris Christie (R) advised residents to take note of the state-wide travel ban, asked that they check supplies of nonperishable food, and also told them to get at him on Twitter with their plans for that night. Because what else were they gonna do? There was a state-wide travel ban, guys.

Some people — cough cough — thought it was a bit … unexpected (?) to see Christie tweeting about Dunkin’ Donuts on Monday night, but others found it somewhat charming that the governor was so into everyone’sdrinking family-friendly entertainment. (Larimer/The Washington Post)

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-nation/wp/2015/01/27/chris-christie-really-wanted-to-know-how-you-spent-monday-night-new-jersey/

Posted on January 28, 2015January 28, 2015 by James — Leave a comment

Leaders in New York and New Jersey Defend Shutdown for a Blizzard That Wasn’t

Deblasio with signer ,why is this guy still mayor?

Leaders in New York and New Jersey Defend Shutdown for a Blizzard That Wasn’t

It was an unprecedented step for what became, in New York City, a common storm: For the first time in its 110-year history, the subway system was shut down because of snow. (Flegenheimer/The New York Times)

https://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/28/nyregion/new-york-blizzard.html?_r=0

Posted on January 28, 2015January 28, 2015 by James — Leave a comment

Scott Walker forms committee in preparation for 2016 presidential bid

Scott Walker forms committee in preparation for 2016 presidential bid

Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, whose speech to activists in Iowa last weekend drew strong reviews, has taken the first formal step toward a presidential candidacy in 2016, establishing a committee that will help spread his message and underwrite his activities as he seeks to build his political and fundraising networks in the months ahead.

Walker filed papers to set up the committee, called “Our American Revival,” and a new Web site for the organization was scheduled to go live later Tuesday. The steps come after a busy weekend of pre-presidential events that included his address at the Iowa Freedom Summit, a later appearance at a gathering in California hosted by the billionaire Koch brothers and a stopover in Denver for additional fundraising.

“Our American Revival encompasses the shared values that make our country great; limiting the powers of the federal government to those defined in the Constitution while creating a leaner, more efficient, more effective and more accountable government to the American people,” Walker said in a statement in the release announcing the committee

https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/post-politics/wp/2015/01/27/scott-walker-forms-committee-in-preparation-for-2016-presidential-bid/

Posted on January 28, 2015April 9, 2020 by James — Leave a comment

N.J. parents critical of standardized tests, poll by teachers union indicates

N.J. parents critical of standardized tests, poll by teachers union indicates

JANUARY 27, 2015, 4:54 PM LAST UPDATED: TUESDAY, JANUARY 27, 2015, 4:57 PM
BY HANNAN ADELY
STAFF WRITER |
THE RECORD

Many New Jersey voters believe that standardized tests are too stressful, take too much time from the classroom and should be reduced, according to the results of a poll released Monday by the state’s largest teachers union.

The New Jersey Education Association, which has been critical of standards-based tests and their use in teacher evaluations, asked 800 registered voters, including 200 parents, for their opinions on testing. Also, 400 parents — including the 200 from the voters group — were polled and their results provided as a group.

In all, 71 percent of parents and 64 percent of voters said the standards-based tests should be reduced. But more than half of parents and 69 percent of voters said they had heard little or nothing about new state tests known as PARCC tests that have been controversial among educators and parent activists.

Also, 81 percent of parents and 78 percent of voters believe teachers are forced to “teach to the test.” The same percentage of parents and voters said they also believe tests aren’t a good measure of the individual student and are given too much weight when used to make decisions on teachers, schools and students.

https://www.northjersey.com/news/n-j-parents-critical-of-standardized-tests-poll-by-teachers-union-indicates-1.1259374

Posted on January 28, 2015January 27, 2015 by James — Leave a comment

Americans hate the federal government now more than ever

Americans hate the federal government now more than ever
By Catey Hill
Published: Jan 27, 2015 6:49 a.m. ET

If you have to deal with the federal government — be it the seemingly innocuous Social Security Administration or the eternally-despised Treasury Department, home to the IRS — prepare to be even more annoyed than in the past.

According to a report released Tuesday by the American Customer Satisfaction Index https://www.theacsi.org/news-and-resources/customer-satisfaction-reports/reports-2014/acsi-federal-government-report-2014, our satisfaction with the federal government has hit an all-time low (at least since the company began collecting data for this index in 2007). The federal government now scores a 64.4 out of 100 in terms of satisfaction (the average across all industries is 75 out 100). This is the lowest score across the 40 different industries – including industries like airlines, cable companies and others — that the ACSI measures, with the exception of Internet service providers.

“Overall, the services of the federal government continue to deliver a level of customer satisfaction below the private sector,” the report — in which ACSI interviewed 1,772 randomly selected people — concludes.

When asked what they specifically didn’t like about the government, some Americans cited issues with the staff and customer service. Indeed, Americans are more annoyed with the government’s customer service (specifically how courteous, helpful and professional the government staff are) than they were in 2013: customer service rankings for the government plummeted 6% from a year ago — from a score of 80 to a score of 75. While this sounds bad, ACSI Director David VanAmburg says that some of it has to do to with the fact that some agencies have fewer staff members now than in the past, which makes consumers more frustrated when trying to get something accomplished in a timely manner.

https://www.marketwatch.com/story/americans-hate-the-federal-government-now-more-than-ever-2015-01-27

Posted on January 28, 2015January 27, 2015 by James — Leave a comment

Foreign Firm Funding U.S. Green Groups Tied to State-Owned Russian Oil Company

Foreign Firm Funding U.S. Green Groups Tied to State-Owned Russian Oil Company

Executives at a Bermudan firm funneling money to U.S. environmentalists run investment funds with Russian tycoons

BY: Lachlan Markay
January 27, 2015 5:00 am

A shadowy Bermudan company that has funneled tens of millions of dollars to anti-fracking environmentalist groups in the United States is run by executives with deep ties to Russian oil interests and offshore money laundering schemes involving members of President Vladimir Putin’s inner circle.

One of those executives, Nicholas Hoskins, is a director at a hedge fund management firm that has invested heavily in Russian oil and gas. He is also senior counsel at the Bermudan law firm Wakefield Quin and the vice president of a London-based investment firm whose president until recently chaired the board of the state-owned Russian oil company Rosneft.

In addition to those roles, Hoskins is a director at a company called Klein Ltd. No one knows where that firm’s money comes from. Its only publicly documented activities have been transfers of $23 million to U.S. environmentalist groups that push policies that would hamstring surging American oil and gas production, which has hurt Russia’s energy-reliant economy.

https://freebeacon.com/issues/foreign-firm-funding-u-s-green-groups-tied-to-state-owned-russian-oil-company/

Posted on January 27, 2015January 27, 2015 by James — 1 Comment

Weatherman : bad call

Weatherman gets #Blizzardof2015 forecast wrong, apologizes

By Nadine Kalinauskas | Daily Buzz

It’s not always easy to say you’re sorry.

But this New Jersey weatherman took a page from the Canadian handbook and did just that,acknowledging that his blizzard forecast completely missed the mark.

On Monday morning, forecasts warned of a “crippling” and “historic” storm due to blanket New York City and northern New Jersey with up to 36 inches (91cm) of snow.

By early Tuesday morning, just 6.3 inches (16cm) of snow covered Central Park, with only about 2 more inches on the way, the National Weather Service reported. In New Jersey, where meteorologists predicted an 18-inch (45cm) dump of snow, only 3 inches (7.5cm) of snow had fallen.

Gary Szatkowski, the meteorologist in charge of the National Weather Service’s office in Mt. Holly, New Jersey, was quick to apologize for the “big forecast miss” on Twitter.

https://ca.news.yahoo.com/blogs/daily-buzz/weatherman-gets-blizzardof2015-forecast-wrong-154052650.html

Posted on January 27, 2015January 27, 2015 by James — 4 Comments

Conservative lawmakers form House Freedom Caucus

Conservative lawmakers form House Freedom Caucus

BY SUSAN FERRECHIO | JANUARY 26, 2015 | 10:40 AM

A group of the most conservative House lawmakers have formed a new caucus advocating many of the principles supported by the Tea Party movement.

Reps. Scott Garrett, Jim Jordan, and others announced the establishment of the House Freedom Caucus, which the lawmakers said will promote “an agenda of limited, constitutional government in Congress.”

In addition to Garrett of New Jersey, and Jordan of Ohio, the new caucus includes Reps. John Fleming of Louisiana, Matt Salmon of Arizona, Justin Amash of Michigan, Raúl Labrador of Idaho, Mick Mulvaney of South Carolina, Ron Desantis of Florida and Mark Meadows of North Carolina.

“The House Freedom Caucus gives a voice to countless Americans who feel that Washington does not represent them,” the lawmakers said in a statement. “We support open, accountable and limited government, the Constitution and the rule of law, and policies that promote the liberty, safety and prosperity of all Americans.”

https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/conservative-lawmakers-form-house-freedom-caucus/article/2559258

Posted on January 27, 2015January 27, 2015 by James — 1 Comment

Snow-buried hydrants present unusual fire hazards across North Jersey

Ridgewood_firefighters_free_hydrants_theridgewoodblog

Ridgewood Firefighters dig out Hydrant Photo by Boyd Loving

Snow-buried hydrants present unusual fire hazards across North Jersey

January 27,2015

the staff of the Ridgewood blogRidgewood NJ, Snow-buried hydrants present unusual fire hazards across North Jersey . The responsibility for keeping hydrants clear of snow varies from town to town.

If you have a fire hydrant in front of your house, help yourself and help your neighbors by keeping it clear of snow. Ridgewood Police and Fire Departments urge resident to clear a path around the hydrant of 3 feet by 3 feet .

Posted on January 27, 2015January 27, 2015 by James — 3 Comments

STATE WIDE TRAVEL BAN NOW LIFTED

STATE WIDE TRAVEL BAN NOW LIFTED :

Trenton, N.J. – The State of New Jersey has revoked the statewide travel ban that was put into effect at 11:00 p.m. last evening. The travel ban is revoked in all 21 counties.
New Jerseyans should continue to stay off the roads whenever possible throughout the day as transportation and public safety officials continue their work to clear the roadways from the snowfall. New Jerseyans should abide by all traffic laws and be extremely cautious if they must travel today.

‪NJT Rail‬ service will resume later this afternoon after mandatory federal inspections are complete. Line by line announcements will be made.‪

NJT Bus‬ service in South Jersey is now operating with limited service. Service in North Jersey will resume by 11 AM if not sooner.

PATH service will be restored at 9:30 a.m. on a weekend schedule

All Port Authority bridges and tunnels are reopened.

Posted on January 27, 2015June 27, 2021 by James — 2 Comments

Blizzard of 2015 a bust?

Blizzard of 2015 a bust?

January 27,2015

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, is it too early to pronounce the Blizzard of 2015 a total bust? Will the US weather service issue an apology ? Lets say the 24 inch snow fall fell about 20 inches short of the anticipated totals .

Readers are already commenting , “As I suspected would be the case since the weather forecasters were all subtly but backing away from their earlier predictions of doom as the day wore on. It’s almost 2:00am on Tuesday, there is next to no wind, and we’ve got maybe one inch of accumulation since 7:00pm? I’m going to send WABC meteorologist Dr. Bill Evans the bill for all the emergency supplies my wife made me buy after he made his remarkably inaccurate forecast Sunday evening. BTW, who knew D batteries had gotten so expensive?”

it does appear at this point that a lot of bread and milk is going to go to waste .

By the way Gov. Chris Christie has just lifted the state wide travel ban , yippiee….

Posted on January 27, 2015January 27, 2015 by James — Leave a comment

Village of Ridgewood Update of Services

Ridgewood OEM, Public Safety, Public Works and Village Staff preparing for the storm

Village Services Update:

We have been meeting and planning at Village Hall. The staff that is needed to deal with this storm will largely be staying on premises throughout the storm. Our issue with sending them home is their ability to get back during the storm.

Streets: We started brining the streets yesterday to prepare them for the storm. Please do not put snow out on the streets – when you remove the snow from your sidewalks it should be going back on your lawns. We will also strive to keep the corners as manageable as possible so that residents with corner properties can more easily do their share in providing a pathway to cross the street safely.

Sanitation/Recycling/Bulk: We have cancelled sanitation and recycling pick-up for tomorrow and bulk pick-up for Wednesday. However, we are planning on picking up recycling in Section 2 on Wednesday. Also, when we resume garbage pick-up, we ask that you bring your barrels to the end of your driveway until snow and ice conditions improve.

Parking: We will be banning on street parking later on tonight; overnight parking in the Central Business District will initially be at Hudson and Prospect Lots only.

Power: If your power does go out, please call PSE&G directly at 1-800-436-7734. The Village will be monitoring this situation as well.

Resident Communications:

Please check for updates at our website (www.ridgewoodnj.net)

We will also be issuing OEM outgoing calls to residents as appropriate. We are sensitive to overcalling but we will always err on the side of keeping our residents safe.

Best,

Roberta Sonenfeld
Village Manager
201-670-5500, ext. 203

Posted on January 27, 2015January 27, 2015 by James — Leave a comment

STATEWIDE TRAVEL BAN IN EFFECT AS OF 11:00 PM January 26th

STATEWIDE TRAVEL BAN IN EFFECT AS OF 11:00 PM January 26th

The Governor has issued an Administrative Order banning ALL travel on ALL roads in the State of New Jersey starting at 11pm January 26th until further notice. This includes state, county and municipal roads. With limited exceptions for essential personnel, violation of the travel ban may be punishable as a disorderly persons offense. Please help us ensure your safety and the safety of others by staying off the roads until further notice.

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