BOE - Page 53 of 58 - THE RIDGEWOOD BLOG.

Posted on April 2, 2015April 1, 2015 by James — 3 Comments

New solar panels may add to savings for Ridgewood school district

APRIL 1, 2015 LAST UPDATED: WEDNESDAY, APRIL 1, 2015, 10:19 AM
BY MALCOLM HERBERT
FOR THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS |
THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS

The Ridgewood school district saved about $70,000 last year by installing solar panels at eight schools, and could be looking to increase those revenues by adding more solar energy units at the two middle schools.

Jim Wavle, president of Verterra Renewable Energy Group and a village resident, oversaw the installation of solar panels at all but two of Ridgewood’s public schools nearly three years ago. He was brought back by the Ridgewood Board of Education (BOE) to discuss possibly adding some more.

The potential new units would be set up at George Washington (GW) Middle School, which currently does not have any solar panels, and Benjamin Franklin (BF) Middle School, Wavle said at a BOE meeting last month.

Superintendent of Schools Daniel Fishbein reported that the district is exploring this possibility at this time because “the pricing point for us to expand our solar has come to a better point now.”

The district is considering a small solar project at GW and a larger, carport-based system at BF.

https://www.northjersey.com/news/education/new-solar-panels-may-add-to-savings-1.1299905

Posted on March 29, 2015April 9, 2020 by James — 1 Comment

Readers challenge idea of a private corporation abridging students first amendment rights

Readers challenge idea of a private corporation abridging students first amendment rights

“The Ridgewood Public Schools guards our data and only shares with state and federal officials the information that is required by law. We make every effort to teach our students about good digital citizenship and with the beginning next school year, we will teach it more formally through a Digital Citizenship Curriculum, from kindergarten through Grade 12.”DANIEL FISHBEIN

Students in New Jersey were told repeatedly that they had no choice about taking a test(PARCC) which then resulted in their private information being given to Pearson and also restricted their first amendment rights.

I love how all the NJ DOE apologists are glossing right over the fact that our schools were being asked by a private corporation to discipline a student. What’s next? If a kid tweets that the school lunch is disgusting, will the school punish him on behalf of Aramark??

Posted on March 26, 2015March 25, 2015 by James — 2 Comments

Ridgewood school district putting goals into action

Ridgewood school district putting goals into action

MARCH 24, 2015 LAST UPDATED: TUESDAY, MARCH 24, 2015, 11:22 AM
BY DARIUS AMOS
STAFF WRITER |
THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS

Ridgewood education leaders have outlined several forms of action that the district will consider as it works toward the goals established during community planning sessions last fall.

At a March 9 Board of Education meeting, Superintendent of Schools Daniel Fishbein reviewed the laundry list of action items created to address five distinct BOE goal areas: student achievement, communication, diversity, facilities and technology.

These areas were identified during an hours-long brainstorming process, which brought together school board trustees, administrators, students and community members in September. Goals were then refined by a consulting firm, which presented its report to the BOE and the public in November, and accepted by the BOE.

In its 24-page presentation, Sousa and Stern Education Consultants provided a blank sample plan of action for the BOE to complete while including benchmarks and timelines for each of the goal areas.

According to the goal list, a focus on student achievement would create a comprehensive learning environment that will inspire and empower all students to reach their highest potential academically, creatively and socially.

https://www.northjersey.com/news/education/district-putting-goals-into-action-1.1294469

Posted on March 19, 2015March 19, 2015 by James — 3 Comments

Ridgewood Schools Budget and Strategic Planning Update

2015-2016 Preliminary Budget Information

Budget includes district staff, academic offerings, extra curricular activities, and transportation; as well as continuing to maintain and improve district facilities

 2.00% Local Tax Levy Increase – Within the current state cap

 2.04% Overall Levy Increase – Local Tax Levy + Debt Service Levy

 $2,566,160 in State Aid – down $37,124 from FY15 (Debt Service Aid).

 $1,694,488 Expenditure Increase

Click here to view the presentation on next year’s school budget, given at the March 9, 2015 Board of Education meeting.

Strategic Planning Update

Student Achievement

Communication

Technology

Diversity

Facilities

The Board of Education has approved strategic planning goals.Click here for details..

Posted on March 6, 2015March 6, 2015 by James — Leave a comment

Ridgewood school board approves district calendar

Ridgewood school board approves district calendar

MARCH 6, 2015 LAST UPDATED: FRIDAY, MARCH 6, 2015, 12:31 AM
BY MARK KRULISH
STAFF WRITER |
THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS

Students should expect to begin classes before Labor Day this coming fall as the 2015-2016 Ridgewood Public Schools calendar, approved on Feb. 23, features an early start, among other minor tweaks.

Although opinions were varied on the individual decisions the Board of Education had to consider, trustees were ultimately able to build a general consensus and approve the new calendar by a 4-1 vote.

Board President Sheila Brogan, Vice President B. Vincent Loncto and trustees Christina Krauss and James Morgan all voted in favor of the updated calendar.

The final calendar contains a convocation date of Aug. 31, which is a Monday, for teachers and staff, followed by a professional development day and students arriving on Sept. 2.

A three-day break will take place from Feb. 15 through Feb. 17 and the last day of school for students – Ridgewood High School (RHS) graduation – will fall on June 20, 2016. The calendar also includes two built-in snow days.

https://www.northjersey.com/news/education/parents-can-mark-calendars-1.1283655

Posted on February 15, 2015February 14, 2015 by James — 1 Comment

Ridgewood refines policies as opt-out movement gains steam

Ridgewood refines policies as opt-out movement gains steam

February 14, 2015 Last updated: Saturday, February 14, 2015, 9:30 AM
By Darius Amos
Staff Writer |
The Ridgewood News

Elisabeth Rose’s daughter used to enjoy going to school. She loved to read and loved to learn.

But all that changed once her child’s third-grade class began preparations for the state-mandated PARCC exams.

“She couldn’t understand the text and the questions … she’s not liking school anymore,” Rose said, speaking candidly at Monday’s Board of Education (BOE) meeting.

She further described her daughter’s transformation as one that “breaks my heart,” particularly after days when the student came home crying.

“It’s really sad because she can’t be the only one who’s having trouble in the elementary school setting. There was a time when [students] weren’t taught to test; they had the freedom to learn,” Rose added. “Please put something in place so the students have an option.”

https://www.northjersey.com/news/education/opting-out-option-gaining-steam-in-ridgewood-1.1271578

Posted on February 13, 2015February 13, 2015 by James — 6 Comments

Ridgewood school board trustees discuss changes to district calendar

Ridgewood school board trustees discuss changes to district calendar

FEBRUARY 13, 2015 LAST UPDATED: FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 2015, 12:31 AM
BY DARIUS AMOS
STAFF WRITER |
THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS

Ridgewood school officials are expected to approve the 2015-16 district calendar later this month after a period of gathering and weighing the opinions of parents and teachers alike.

During their Feb. 9 meeting, Board of Education trustees whittled Superintendent Daniel Fishbein’s original list of five calendar options to one. The majority of board members opted for an academic year beginning with the annual Teachers’ Convocation on Thursday, Sept. 3 and followed by a professional development day on Sept. 4.

Under the proposed calendar, which will be open to public comment and up for board vote at the Feb. 23 meeting, students will report for the first day of class on Tuesday, Sept. 8. The last day of instruction and Ridgewood High School graduation are slated for June 22, 2016.

One of the most significant differences between the anticipated calendar and the second alternative is the length of the February recess. Like this year, the 2016 February break will only be two days.

https://www.northjersey.com/news/education/trustees-discuss-changes-to-2015-16-school-calendar-1.1270698

Posted on February 12, 2015June 27, 2021 by James — 1 Comment

Ridgewood BOE Updates Procedure in the event a parent refuses to have their child participate in a Statewide assessment

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Ridgewood BOE Updates Procedure in the event a parent refuses to have their child participate in a Statewide assessment

February 12,2015

the staff of the Ridgewood blogUpdate on BOE Policy 2622 – Student Assessment

Ridgewood Nj, The New Jersey Department of Education, pursuant to State law and regulations, requires all students to take State assessments as scheduled. There is no provision for a student to opt-out of Statewide assessments. Therefore, the Board requires all students to take Statewide assessments and the Board cannot grant permission to a parent for their child to opt-out of required Statewide assessments.

The procedures outlined below shall be followed in the event a parent refuses to have their child participate in a Statewide assessment.

At its February 9, 2015 meeting, the Board of Education approved, with revisions, Policy 2622 – Student Assessment as a First Draft. Click here to read the draft policy with revisions.The Board also made to revisions to new Procedure 2622. Click here to read the draft procedure with revisions

Posted on December 26, 2014December 25, 2014 by James — Leave a comment

Ridgewood Schools District-Wide State Testing Report: 2013-2014

Ridgewood Schools District-Wide State Testing Report: 2013-2014

Cheryl Best

Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum, Instruction and Assessment
December 15, 2014Click here to read the 2013-2014 state testing report presentation, reviewed at the Board of Education meeting on December 15, 2014.

Posted on December 23, 2014June 27, 2021 by James — Leave a comment

2014 Audit Results Ridgewood Public Schools

2014 Audit Results Ridgewood Public Schools

Testing Approach
•
Audit lasts approximately 4 weeks
•
Not just an audit of the Business Office, but of the entire District
•
Test controls over all of the District’s major processes:
•
Payroll
•
Revenue/Cash Receipts
•
Expenditures/Cash Disbursements

Click here to read the 2014 audit report presentation, reviewed at the Board of Education meeting on December 15, 2014.

Posted on December 22, 2014December 22, 2014 by James — 1 Comment

KING OF COMMON CORE PEARSON CLOSES CHARITABLE FOUNDATION AMID LEGAL TROUBLES

KING OF COMMON CORE PEARSON CLOSES CHARITABLE FOUNDATION AMID LEGAL TROUBLES
Breitbart.com ^ | 21 Dec 2014 | DR. SUSAN BERRY

Posted on 12/21/2014, 8:08:18 PM by dontreadthis

Publishing giant Pearson Inc. is set to rake in billions of dollars in profits related to the implementation of the Common Core standards, but the corporation is now dealing with legal problems exposing some of its suspicious methods that have led to its status as the King of Common Core. snip As Breitbart News reported in December of 2013, the Pearson Foundation agreed to a $7.7 million settlement with the state of New York after accusations by the state’s attorney general that the foundation helped develop Common Core-aligned courses for Pearson, Inc., its corporate parent.

https://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/3239698/posts

Posted on December 16, 2014December 16, 2014 by James — 2 Comments

Ridgewood schools stepping up green initiatives

Ridgewood schools stepping up green initiatives

DECEMBER 16, 2014 LAST UPDATED: TUESDAY, DECEMBER 16, 2014, 9:39 AM
BY JODI WEINBERGER
STAFF WRITER |
THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS

The Ridgewood Board of Education (BOE) this month joined with the municipality in furthering its mission to be Sustainable Jersey certified.

At a board meeting on Dec. 1, trustees voted to participate in Sustainable Jersey for Schools to focus attention on the environment and pursue initiatives toward certification.

The program pushes concepts like reduce, reuse, recycle; adhering to green building standards for construction and renovation; and encourages making eco-friendly purchases for things like paper, equipment and cleaning products.

In passing the resolution, the district will form a Sustainability Leadership Team of students and teachers to seek out opportunities for improvement in these areas.

Toward that goal, the board also passed another resolution to “reduce and reuse rather than recycle.”

https://www.northjersey.com/news/education/ridgewood-school-district-steps-up-green-initiatives-1.1156665

Posted on December 12, 2014December 12, 2014 by James — Leave a comment

Ridgewood schools to give update to special needs program

Ridgewood schools to give update to special needs program

DECEMBER 10, 2014 LAST UPDATED: WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 10, 2014, 10:50 AM
BY JODI WEINBERGER
STAFF WRITER |
THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS

Ridgewood is revamping its innovative special needs program with a new name and different structure to better reflect how it works and benefits students.

The Ridgewood Board of Education on Dec. 1 unanimously voted to rename the Ridgewood High School SAIL (Strategic Actions and Innovations for Learning) program to PREP (Practical, Real-Life Education and Preparation), to better describe what it does.

The program will also have a delayed start going forward, and students will not be moved into it until their sophomore year of high school.

Currently students are assigned to the program in eighth grade, but next year will be assigned at the end of ninth grade so they will have a year of classes in the high school’s resource room program before being designated as PREP students in their sophomore year.

The program, which readies students for vocational jobs, has allowed many special education students to stay in district, a benefit to both students and the district’s coffers.

https://www.northjersey.com/news/education/ridgewood-schools-to-give-sail-an-update-1.1149711

Posted on December 4, 2014April 9, 2020 by James — Leave a comment

High-performing N.J. school districts will no longer have intensive state monitoring

High-performing N.J. school districts will no longer have intensive state monitoring

DECEMBER 3, 2014, 1:42 PM LAST UPDATED: WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2014, 9:04 PM
BY HANNAN ADELY
STAFF WRITER |
THE RECORD
Print

TRENTON — High-performing school districts will no longer have to participate in an intensive state monitoring and evaluation system used to measure schools, education officials said Wednesday.

Districts can now request waivers from the commissioner of the state Department of Education if they meet certain benchmarks, Acting Education Commissioner David Hespe announced Wednesday. The move will allow schools to focus more time and resources on students and instruction and free up the department’s time and staff so they can work more closely with struggling schools, he said.

To get a waiver, schools must score 80 percent or higher in all areas of review under the system, known as the Quality Single Accountability Continuum. The areas are instruction and program, fiscal management, governance, operations and personnel.

The exempt districts will have to submit proof that they remain high-performing, in lieu of receiving a full review every three years.

Hespe said that about half of all districts could be exempt, but that it will remain a critical method to assess struggling districts.

The changes will help ease the burden on school districts, which have complained about the time and paperwork associated with the review. The typical performance review takes several months to complete and consumes large amounts of time for district and county staff to complete.

Richard Bozza, executive director of the New Jersey Association of School Board Administrators, welcomed the decision.

“This effort to streamline the process, increase efficiency, and provide flexibility for educators are educational reforms that the NJASA supports and changes that will benefit New Jersey’s students,” he said.

https://www.northjersey.com/news/high-performing-n-j-school-districts-will-no-longer-have-intensive-state-monitoring-1.1145410

Posted on December 1, 2014November 30, 2014 by James — 9 Comments

Reader says its time for Ridgewood to consider later start times for School

Reader says its time for Ridgewood to consider later start times for School

The science on kids and sleep is the driver. The studies point to the need for more sleep, the fact that teens can’t physically go to sleep before 11 and the positive impact on the brain to getting 8hrs sleep.

School asks kids to be at their most alert when they are not, why not maximize the learning opportunities to the brain. A better educational experience is the best preparation for the real world.

It is more the science of sleep and impact on learning than preparation for a post-college life so the science is there…the test case in nearby Wilton, CT is there…when will Ridgewood start considering this?

Guilford weighs later start times for high school students
By Kate Ramunni
Posted: 11/29/14, 4:19 PM EST |

GUILFORD >> An extra hour of sleep is considered a luxury to most, but many say it’s a necessity for high school students. And now several school districts are considering giving that extra hour to its older students, not because they’re feeling magnanimous, but for the safety, physical and academic benefits that extra hour of sleep brings.

The Guilford Board of Education is one district contemplating the change. As the board begins its 2015-16 budget process, its list of priorities includes the investigation of the benefits of later starting times for the older students.

“It’s been on the table for years,” said Board of Education Chairman William Bloss. “It’s really driven by medical science — it seems like every year or two there is a study that describes the advantages to later start times for teens and how medically and educationally it is in the students’ best interest.”

https://www.nhregister.com/general-news/20141129/guilford-weighs-later-start-times-for-high-school-students

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