>Projected 8.9 percent increase in N.J. pension bills underscores need for reform, treasurer says Jarrett Renshaw/Statehouse Bureau
TRENTON — Local governments and school districts will see their pension bills climb by 8.9 percent next year, according to figures released Friday by the state Department of Treasury. The steep rise follows an even bigger 22 percent increase in the local pension bill for 2011. State Treasurer Andrew Sidamon-Eristoff said the increases underscore the need for lawmakers to pass the pension reforms proposed by Gov. Chris Christie.
“Without passage of the governor’s reform package, local taxpayers will put almost $1 billion more into public employee pension funds over the next five years,” Treasurer Andrew Sidamon-Eristoff said. “The cost of local pension contributions in 2011 and 2012 illustrates again the high cost of doing nothing about pension and benefit cost inflation.”
When thousands of police officers and firefighters converged on the state capitol yesterday, they were greeted by scores of Democratic legislators. From Barbara Buono to Paul Sarlo … from Bonnie Watson Coleman to Joe Cryan — the Democrats were out in full force to welcome NJ’s finest with words of support and gratitude.
In many respects, it was a flashback to an earlier time – when Democrats would stand shoulder-to-shoulder with union workers, particularly those who put their lives on the line every day. The banners and signs. The adrenaline-filled speeches. The solidarity between Democrats and the hardworking people they represent. It was all there, and it was all good.
Sadly, however, it was all too unfamiliar as well.
For the past year, my Party has largely stood on the sidelines as union workers were vilified and scapegoated. Silent and passive, many Democrats did nothing as others attacked the very people at the center of our Party. No defense. No counteroffensive. No nothing. During the past year’s great debate over worker’s rights and responsibilities, the Democrats – by and large – refused to show up.
This is not to suggest that all Democrats have abandoned the cause. Some of our legislators not only get it; they have also demonstrated their willingness to passionately fight for it.
And this is not to suggest that Democrats and union members should agree with each other on each and every issue and negotiating position. Quite the contrary. The Democratic Party is as diverse as union membership, and thus, disagreements over the particulars are not uncommon.
A Christie administration task force has proposed that a combination of test scores, personal observation and school-wide performance be used in New Jersey to figure out which public school teachers are the most successful. (Fleisher, The Wall Street Journal)
CantaLyrica Cabaret/Auction, Sunday March 6, Unitarian Society of Ridgewood
CantaLyrica chamber chorus will showcase the talents of its members and their guests at its annual Cabaret/Auction on Sunday, March 6. Festivities will begin at 6 p.m. at the Unitarian Society, 113 Cottage Place, Ridgewood. Performances will include Broadway show tunes, folk songs, opera arias and art songs, and there will be both a silent and a service auction. Refreshments will be served. For tickets, $25 per person or $40 per pair, call 201-837-1734. Remaining tickets will be available at the door.
Photo Caption: Guests enjoy themselves during intermission at a past CantaLyrica Cabaret/Auction.
>Parents who didn’t support the “dumb dumb” math were talked down to and ignored to promote Math program sold by the text book publisher
“I was one of the parents who examined all four of the proposed elementary school math programs when they had an open house at cottage place. I voted for Singapore Math, along with many others. I have an engineering degree and know a little bit about math. Unfortunately, my vote was overruled.”
“I was one of the parents from my childs elementary school selected to participate in the very first focus group. I also reviewed all of the proposed elementary at Cottage Place and presented my input at that time. I, too, felt Singapore was the best and most appropriate program for our Ridgewood students. On both occasions, my iput was ignored. Why, you ask? Because I am a highly educated, working scientist and not a math educator! I was told that I did not understand the way children learn (despite the fact that I was heavily afterschooling all of my kids in math).”
“How about the math teachers that tell a class full of parents on back to school night NOT to help their children with homework because you (the parents) won’t understand it. Talk about the arrogance! The majority of parents probably have Master’s degrees and NOT from Montclair.”
“I do remember being talked down to by the math teacher. Sort of joking about parents not understanding new math. I may have missed something, but math is not new. The programs sold by the text book publishers are new and there is a sucker born every minute (Botsford).”
“How patronizing to pretend that parents don’t understand how to teach math. I have a middle schooler and I teach him math every night. He gets NOTHING from school.I teach him and he understands.”
>Abbot v. Burke fact-finding hearings: It’s all over – but the final report
The deputy attorney general was the last to speak after three weeks of hearings in the Abbott v. Burke school equity case, and she was barely into her closing statement when the judge chimed in with a question. (Mooney, NJ Spotlight)
>Connected and enVision Math a boom for the math tutoring business
Wow, it sure is a “I told you so” moment. Sad how educators are ruining education from Ridgewood to NYC all in the name of, “it’s for the children.”
Regina has to go and Daniel has to fix this pronto. Not another year should go by with our children being subjugated to either Connected or enVision Math.
Write the cost of both programs off, admit our mistake and implement Singapore Math ASAP. Then parents, teachers and even older siblings will be able to help our kids learn math.
A friend of mine sarcastically quipped that he loves these new crappy math programs. That’s because he owns a math tutoring business.
The marketplace never lies. Create a demand and it will be filled. My friends business is booming. Way to go Regina I had know idea your goal was to create more jobs in the private sector. And all this time I had you pegged as a lefty liberal. My bad. Sorry.
>5 Lesser Known European Islands Here are five spectacular, yet lesser-known European islands where you and your loved ones can escape the crowds.
1. St. Agnes St. Agnes, one of the Isles of Scilly, is the southernmost inhabited bit of England. Temperatures are moderate and pleasant year-round with beaches and shorelines reminiscent of the Caribbean. You can spend your time walking around the island, visiting the lighthouse, and relaxing over a pint at the Turk’s Head, England’s southernmost pub.
2. Corvo, Portugal This island boasts a stunning verdant caldera with two crater lakes. It is also well-known as a birdwatching spot. Food lovers should enjoy Corvo’s local handmade cheese, distinctive corn bread, and larded tarts made with rock grass.
3. Kasos, Greece Situated between Crete and Karpathos, Kasos is a sparsely populated dot on the map at the southern end of the Dodecanese Islands. The island has several remarkable beaches, delightful churches, and maintains a busy festival schedule throughout the year. The festival of St. Marina, held on July 17, is the most important summer season festival event.
4. Bornholm, Denmark This rural island is packed with attractions. Among these is Hammershus, the largest castle ruin in Northern Europe, which dates back to the 12th Century. Bornholm is also a hub for arts and crafts, and hosts an annual Culture Week festival in September.
5. Hiiumaa, Estonia This quiet western Estonian island is full of charming rural corners: old churches, lighthouses, little forested islets, and beaches for swimming and sunning. Hiking is a big draw here, and there are also opportunities for horseback riding and kayaking.
For more information or to book your next trip, contact:
The Travel Center / American Express “Ridgewood’s ONLY Travel Agency” 50 E. Ridgewood Ave. Ridgewood, NJ 07450 (201)447-3311 [email protected] TheTravelCenterNJ.com
Residents wondering if their towns should regionalize or share services can click through a new online tool to help find answers. (Jordan, New Jersey Press Media)
>BOE Announces New School Budget and No Layoffs the Staff of the Ridgewood blog
The BOE announced that it is not planning to eliminate any staff positions for the 2011-2012 school year and at its Monday meeting it unanimously approved an $86,775,809 budget. which will now be sent to the county Executive Schools Superintendent for review.
The district also received word that the state would be returning a small but significant portion of its state aid.The $850,000 in state aid has been allocated to cover budget shortfall of a reported $650,000 that could have resulted in staff cuts. The finalized version of the School budget must be approved by the voters .
The Board of Education had previously announced there will be no raises for teachers and secretaries represented by the Ridgewood Education Association, according to a report on NorthJersey.com.
Last years budget was defeated by voters , as residents expressed frustration at what they saw as teachers unwilling to make sacrifices like everyone else in a tough economy. The district had proposed an $84.9 million budget.
The Ridgewood Education Association ,the local teachers’ union is currently in the second year of a three year contract. The current contract ends at the close of the 2010-2011 school year, on June 30, 2011.
The BOE will have two vacancies in the April 27 Annual School Election. A full term on the school board runs for three years. Candidate kits are still available in the Board Secretary’s office at the Education Center, 49 Cottage Place, or online from the New Jersey School Boards Association. The deadline for filing candidate petitions is Tuesday, March 8, at 4 p.m. Wednesday, April 6, is the deadline for registering to vote in the Annual School Election.
>Report: Immigrants living in N.J. healthier than their native counterparts Seth Augenstein/The Star-Ledger
TRENTON — Chicken, beans and rice is a simple, traditional dish Catherine Rousseau Saintilien was cooking up Monday night for her family. But as the 50-year-old Elizabeth mother of three began whipping up the meal from a recipe she learned in Haiti as a girl, her American-born children complained — they wanted something quick, and something fried.
“They wanted to eat McDonald’s,” Saintilien said.
Such a simple dinner conflict might explain some far-reaching new health statistics. Foreign-born residents living in New Jersey are generally healthier than their native-born counterparts, and they also have healthier lifestyle habits, according to a report released today by the New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services.
>Math Wars : BOE once again puts Politics over Education
The “text book” does not have any examples, just more questions. Most of the problems are language based. If you don’t know what you are doing there is no where to turn. That is why it takes so long to do the homework – and no two problems are the same. There is no mastery of a topic, they just keep moving around.
It is wrong for the BOE to ignore the problem with the math program. But I forgot – they are busy working on lighting the ball fields for the late night sports. Their priorities are all in the wrong places. EDUCATION FIRST!!!
Saturday, March 19th, 7:00 p.m. Mount Carmel gymnasium,52 Passaic Street.The Village Caterer will be providing traditional Irish fare of corned beef and cabbage. Renowned New York City musicians Bob and Norm will be playing Irish classics and great dance music. There will also be a special appearance by the Irish Step Dancers. “This is one of our biggest fundraisers of the year, and it is a great opportunity for friends and neighbors to get together for a night of fun”, said Doug Findlay, organizer of the event. Tickets are $45 each.Payment can be mailed to:Doug Findlay 211 Circle Ave.Ridgewood, NJ 07450,(201) 670-9514
>This just in….The middle school math program is a failing our children.
Ridgewood NJ – The concerns over Connected Math continue to be justified as we fully integrate the program into the middle schools. This is NOT confined to one class, grade or school; BF or GW. It’s the whole program, top to bottom. Ridgewood’s once successful middle school math program has been destroyed and replace with one which fails to prepare the children for advanced level high school math. There is little support for the program from teachers, parents, and students. It’s such a shame. How can this continue?
If you are not aware of the situation; students are lost, teachers are finding it difficult to explain, review and complete the ‘Investigations’ (cute huh; we used to call them lessons), and parents are expressing their concerns in droves only to be told to have the kids come for extra help that is only more of the same.
At least this is some recognition of problems and an attempt to address them, but the children will only benefit from Connected Math when it is gone. Let’s hope they do not try and put blame on the teachers. After all, they are the same teachers who oversaw the successful program that was replaced.
And now a message from the BF Principal…….
———————————–
Dear BF Parents and Guardians,
We have asked our math teachers to utilize the following practice beginning next Monday.
Since we now have Skyward open full time our Math teachers have the assignments posted daily. In addition, they will put in the comment section the amount of time the homework assignment SHOULD take the students to complete.
I would like our students to really only spend the amount of time on the homework that the teacher believes it should take to complete. If a student works for the assigned amount of time but has not completed the assignment, the student should stop and have their parent or guardian initial where they left off. Students will receive full credit for any homework that is not completed but has a parents initials.
It is important for us to follow this procedure because it gives our teachers valuable information that can directly inform their teaching. If 20 students in the class cannot complete an assignment, the teachers knows that he or she must either cut down the amount of work, or re-teach a concept that the students as a whole are not getting. If an individual is not able to complete an assignment, the teacher knows specifically what that individual student was not able to grasp and can target individual instruction or procedures to help that child.
We believe this will help us target instruction for individual students, provide feedback for our teachers as they plan lessons, and reduce stress and angst over the inconsistent struggle to complete homework.
I hope everyone is diligent about helping our math teachers (and our students) by following this simple step.
