Tag: Race to the Top money

To the Editor:

Public education was intended to be locally controlled by parents and taxpayers. Ridgewood is arguably one of the best local, fully-funded districts in the state with some of the finest teachers and administrators working in our classrooms. For example, the wonderful music program showcases one of many areas of Ridgewood’s “Tradition of Excellence.”

We have become increasingly concerned that parental control is being replaced by mandated state and federal requirements which are tied to Stabilization Aid, waivers from No Child Left Behind and Race to the Top money. This funding dictates high-stakes testing, nationalized copy written standards, state longitudinal data systems and teacher evaluations.

So who decides what is best for our students? Is it the parents working with our teachers and administrators setting an educational path best for the individual learner? Or is it the state’s “one size fits all” approach? What role does our superintendent and Board of Education serve in securing our right to control our local education? Indeed our superintendent has stated that he is an agent of the state carrying out mandated directives from Trenton and Washington, D.C.

https://www.northjersey.com/opinion/opinion-letters-to-the-editor/letter-who-should-decide-our-children-s-education-1.1128795