The Ridgewood Blog Brings a Free Market Laissez-faire Point of View to Local, New Jersey State and National Issues.
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Belleville NJ, a group of Belleville High School employees are under investigation by district officials after reportedly wearing t-shirts with the phrase “Gulf of America”—a name change for the Gulf of Mexico suggested by President Donald Trump.
Continue reading Belleville High School Staff Under Investigation for “Gulf of America” T-Shirts
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Hackensack NJ, In a heartfelt and emotional decision, Hackensack Board of Education President Scott James-Vickery announced his resignation Wednesday, citing years of relentless bullying and harassment by teachers union surrogates targeting him and his family. The announcement came during the board’s final meeting of the year, marking an end to James-Vickery’s tenure that began in 2019.
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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
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Ridgewood NJ, Governor Phil Murphy today signed A1181/S2054 to make the completion of a financial aid application form a prerequisite to graduation for public high school and charter school students in New Jersey. Beginning with the 2023-2024 11th grade class, and for two school years thereafter, students and their guardians will be required to complete and submit either the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) or the NJ Alternative Financial Aid Application, as guided by the Higher Education Student Assistance Authority (HESAA), in order to receive their high school diploma. The information on a student’s financial aid application is used to notify them of any financial aid they are eligible to receive if they pursue a postsecondary education.
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Trenton NJ, Governor Phil Murphy is seeking to replace six existing members of the State Board of Education, potentially as early as Monday, despite the absence of scheduled meetings for the Senate Judiciary Committee, responsible for approving these nominations.
the Sunlight Policy Center of New Jersey
Ridgewood NJ, Looks like more slanted coverage of the culture wars by the NJ press corps. This time it’s InsiderNJ’s Fred Snowflack. We’re starting to see a pattern.
Continue reading NJ Press Corps and Its Slanted Coverage of the Public Education Culture Wars
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Westwood NJ, recently, parental rights in New Jersey’s public education system have become a central topic of community discussions. While there’s significant support for this movement, its true importance is sometimes misunderstood. We posit that parental rights are not merely a fleeting trend but are, in fact, a monumental movement that will define our generation’s stance on public education, not just in New Jersey but across the entirety of the United States.
Continue reading Why Parental Rights in Public Education Matter Now More Than Ever
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Trenton NJ, Senators Anthony M. Bucco and Michael Testa said that the State Board of Education is focused more on advancing identity politics than building stronger relationships between parents and teachers in response to the board’s vote to approve a proposal to remove “equality” in the “Managing for Equality and Equity in Education” Chapter of New Jersey’s Administrative Code. The board should be more respectful of parental rights, the senators said.
Continue reading New Jersey State Board of Education Puts Identity Politics Over Parents
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Hillsborough Township NJ, a Somerset County, New Jersey man yesterday admitted to paying kickbacks in return for fraudulent overtime payments that he received in connection with his former role as the Director of Buildings and Grounds for the Hillsborough Township School District, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced today.
Continue reading Former Hillsborough Township School District Official Admits To Kickback Scheme
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Trenton NJ, Senate Republican Leader Steven Oroho and Senator Jean Stanfield blasted the State Board of Education for continuing to deny the public direct access to its meetings under the guise of “ongoing public health concerns.”
Continue reading Lawmakers Call for NJ State Board of Education to Stop Hiding Behind Pandemic
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Wyckoff NJ, unlike Ridgewood which voted to give up its right to vote on school budgets , parents have become increasingly angry over public education – on issues ranging from lockdowns to “woke” indoctrination and falling test scores – school board elections have become a focus of discontent and incumbents are increasingly retiring under pressure or losing re-election.
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Red Bank NJ, Common Sense Club today announced the creation of a “Parental Bill of Rights”, soon to be introduced in the New Jersey legislature. This effort recognizes that the most important people involved with a child’s development are the parents and the law should reflect that fact. Similar to what was recently passed in Florida, the bill will provide that “the state, its political subdivisions, any other governmental entity, or other institution may not infringe upon the fundamental rights of a parent to direct the upbringing, education, health care, and mental health of a minor child.”
Continue reading Common Sense Club Announces Parental Bill of Rights
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Hoboken NJ, in a display of what is right with our system, a high turnout of Hoboken voters overwhelmingly rejected a tax and spend boondoggle in the dead of winter. A broad coalition realized that spending $250 million on a new high school was simply not in the interest of education or fiscal health for the City. A leading member of the successful group was the renewed Hoboken Republican Party led by Chairman Joseph Branco and augmented by Young Republican Chair Pavel Sokolov.
Continue reading Hoboken Voters Overwhelmingly Reject $250 Million School Referendum