The Ridgewood Blog Brings a Free Market Laissez-faire Point of View to Local, New Jersey State and National Issues.
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Ridgewood NJ, a review by the Office of the State Comptroller finds a majority of school districts including Ridgewood and more than one in four municipalities have failed to comply with a requirement to submit current union contracts to the New Jersey Public Employment Relations Commission (PERC). The widespread—and growing—noncompliance undermines transparency, according to the Office of the State Comptroller (OSC) review, released today.
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Trenton NJ, the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs (DCA) Division of Local Government Services (DLGS) has announced the awarding of School Regionalization Efficiency Program (SREP) grants to five school districts. These grants are intended to offset the costs associated with conducting feasibility studies that explore the potential advantages of school district regionalization or consolidation. By merging school districts or implementing shared services agreements, there is potential for cost savings and other efficiencies that could benefit both students and taxpayers. The grant program was established by P.L.2021, c.402, which was signed into law by Governor Phil Murphy in January 2022.
Continue reading New Grants Focus on School District Regionalization in New Jersey
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Hackensack NJ, a teacher from the Hackensack School District has filed a lawsuit in Superior Court, claiming she was wrongfully dismissed in May 2023 due to her pregnancy.
Continue reading Hackensack Teacher Files Lawsuit Alleging Pregnancy Discrimination
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Tenafly NJ, Last month, the teaching certificate of Christopher R. Icochea was revoked due to his involvement in violent acts in Bergen County a year prior. According to the June 2024 Order of Revocation from the state, the State Board of Examiners made this decision on May 23, 2024, following Icochea’s guilty plea to aggravated assault in June 2023. The revocation became final on June 27, 2024.
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Ridgewood NJ, the Sunlight Policy Center of New Jersey released their latest report today, entitled The NJEA vs. Local Unions: The Local Unions Make and the NJEA Takes. The report examines the relationship between the statewide New Jersey Education Association (NJEA) and the hundreds of affiliated local unions around the Garden State and finds that only 12 percent of New Jersey teachers’ dues return home.
Continue reading Only 12% of NJEA’s Highest-In-The-Nation Dues Are Reinvested at the Local Level
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Livingston NJ, the Livingston Public Schools (LPS) Board of Education unanimously approved the appointment of Dr. Daniel Fishbein, Ed.D., as interim superintendent for the upcoming 2024-2025 school year.
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Ridgewood NJ, earlier this month, the New Jersey Department of Education unveiled the latest School Performance Report, offering insights into the academic landscape of the state’s educational institutions. With schools scored on a scale of 0 to 100, encompassing various metrics such as standardized test scores, student academic growth, and graduation rates, the report provides a comprehensive overview of school performance.
Continue reading New Jersey School Performance Report: Mixed Results Revealed
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Point Pleasant NJ, an English teacher at Hamilton High School West in Mercer County has been arrested and criminally charged with having a sexual relationship with a student, Monmouth County Prosecutor Raymond S. Santiago announced Tuesday.
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Westwood NJ, during the latest board meeting, the Westwood board of Education approved a policy banning the use of video recordings on school premises. In a previous meeting in June, James O’Keefe addressed the board, announcing his intention to distribute hidden cameras to parents and possibly students upon request.
Continue reading Westwood Board of Education Bans Video Recordings on School Premises
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Fort Lee NJ, two former students of Fort Lee have initiated legal action against the school district and Board of Education, alleging that a former teacher engaged in inappropriate behavior towards them.
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Westwood NJ, the Westwood Regional School District board continued its efforts to reverse policies implemented by the previous parental rights majority, taking steps this week to dismantle a policy that restricted teachers’ opinions on “controversial issues.”
Continue reading Teachers Union Reasserts Control Over Westwood Regional School System
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Livingston NJ, the Livingston Public Schools has announced an early dismissal on April 8th due to the solar eclipse scheduled to occur later that afternoon, as noted on the academic calendar.
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Trenton NJ, the New Jersey Family Policy Center (NJFPC) – a pro-family organization that is part of a vibrant national alliance of 40 state policy councils across the nation, relaunched www.JerseyVotesNo.com on Monday, February 5, 2024 to educate the public on the dangers of Senate bill 2421, the so-called “Freedom to Read Act,” sponsored by Senator Andrew Zwicker (D-Hillsborough) and Senator Teresa Ruiz (D-Newark).
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Ridgewood NJ, a teacher effectiveness organization’s report on the nationwide implementation of best practices for teaching reading reveals that 19 states including New Jersey lack critical policies to promote literacy effectively.
Continue reading New Report: Here’s why 40% of fourth graders can’t read at a basic level
