NJ adds school districts to test new teacher, principal evaluations

As a new tenure reform bill awaits Gov. Chris Christie’s signature, his administration is moving ahead slowly with the system that could provide the centerpiece of the reforms: a new teacher evaluation system.

A few weeks later than expected, the state Department of Education yesterday announced another 10 mostly suburban districts would be participating in the pilot of a new teacher evaluation system this coming fall.

The state also had hoped to add an additional 10 districts from the pool of communities with high concentrations of poverty, but decided to reopen the grant process when the first round failed to come up with enough qualified districts, officials said.   (Mooney, NJ Spotlight)

https://www.njspotlight.com/stories/12/0717/2228/

Ticking time bomb of debt: State budget crisis report says some problems ‘decades in the making’

New Jersey is a prime example of how states could be crushed by debt over the next few decades, according to a comprehensive report released by national economic experts Tuesday.

The study by the State Budget Crisis Task Force concludes that Gov. Chris Christie, who overhauled the state pension and health benefit system last year, still has his work cut out if he wants to implement financial reforms that will stand the test of time.

The report, which warns of a brewing storm headed for all the state capitals, uses New Jersey as one of six case studies of states where pension debts remain daunting, Medicaid costs are rising and yearly budgets are built with borrowed money and unsustainable sources of revenue.  (Rizzo, The Star-Ledger)

https://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2012/07/ticking_time_bomb_of_debt_stat.html

New Jersey cities abusing pension law may waste millions

New Jersey local governments failed to remove hundreds of contractors such as lawyers and engineers from pension rolls, which may cost taxpayers millions of dollars a year in improper payouts, a state audit shows.

Auditors identified 202 contractors who work for 134 communities and 25 school districts and participate in the Public Employees’ Retirement System even after a 2007 ban on their participation. Hundreds more probably are still enrolled by more than 1,100 other local government units, according to a report today from Comptroller Matthew Boxer.   (Dopp, Bloomberg)

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-07-17/new-jersey-cities-abusing-pension-law-may-waste-millions.html

Ben Bernanke Warns Congress on ‘Taxmageddon’

Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke warned Capitol Hill today that any modest gains the economy is making could all be lost if Congress doesn’t take action to avert the so-called “taxmageddon” by the end of the year.

“As is well known, U.S. fiscal policies are on an unsustainable path,” Bernanke told the Senate Banking Committee. “The most effective way that the Congress could help to support the economy right now would be to work to address the nation’s fiscal challenges in a way that takes into account both the need for long-run sustainability and the fragility of the recovery.”

Congress is facing a year-end “fiscal cliff,” the intersection of several tax provisions — notably, the expiration of Bush-era tax cuts, $1.2 trillion in automatic spending cuts because of the sequester and expiring payroll tax breaks, which, if not addressed, could cost American taxpayers $310 billion in tax increases next year.

“Recovery could be endangered by the confluence of tax increases and spending reductions that will take effect early next year if no legislative action is taken,” Bernanke said.

https://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics/2012/07/ben-bernanke-warns-congress-on-taxmageddon/

DOE grants final charters to just nine schools

The Christie administration yesterday put out a short list of charter schools given final approval to open in the fall, but more interesting was the far longer list of those not getting the go-ahead.

Nine schools were granted final charters, according to the announcement from the state Department of Education late yesterday, including four in Newark and two in Camden.

More notable was the department’s decision to postpone 10 other school openings for another year, including the state’s first all-online schools. Another 13 schools that it had approved earlier were outright rejected.   (Mooney, NJ Spotlight)

https://www.njspotlight.com/stories/12/0716/2241/

Law of the Sea Treaty now dead, DeMint says

The United Nations Law of the Sea Treaty now has 34 senators opposed to it and thus lacks the Senate votes needed for U.S. ratification, a key opponent of the treaty announced Monday.

But the treaty’s main Senate proponent denies the treaty is sunk, saying plenty of time still exists to win support before a planned late-year vote.

The Law of the Sea Treaty, which entered into force in 1994 and has been signed and ratified by 162 countries, establishes international laws governing the maritime rights of countries. The treaty has been signed but not ratified by the U.S., which would require two-thirds approval of the Senate.

Critics of the treaty argue that it would subject U.S. sovereignty to an international body, require American businesses to pay royalties for resource exploitation and subject the U.S. to unwieldy environmental regulations as defined.

The list of treaty opponents has been growing, and on Monday, Sen. Jim DeMint, South Carolina Republican and a leader of efforts to block it, announced that four more Republicans have said that they would vote against ratification: Sens. Mike Johanns of Nebraka, Kelly Ayotte of New Hampshire, Rob Portman of Ohio and Johnny Isakson of Georgia.

“With 34 senators against the misguided treaty, LOST will not be ratified by the Senate this year,” Mr. DeMint said in a statement on his website.

https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2012/jul/16/demint-says-law-sea-treaty-now-dead/

Community Relations Advisory Board finalizing awareness plan
Tuesday July 17, 2012, 9:13 AM
BY DARIUS AMOS
STAFF WRITER
The Ridgewood News

Members of the local Community Relations Advisory Board (CRAB) are finalizing an official plan of action in their effort to raise awareness about the negative impacts of bullying.

The organization, which is comprised of leaders and volunteers from Ridgewood and Glen Rock, launched an initiative this year to empower bystanders and give witnesses of bullying information and confidence to speak out against any wrongdoing that they might encounter.

Much of CRAB’s effort this year was influenced by the Rutgers webcam spying case, in which many college-aged students did not immediately act despite admitting in court that they knew something was wrong. The case unfolded in the trial of Dharun Ravi, who was found guilty earlier this year of invading the privacy of his former roommate, Ridgewood resident Tyler Clementi.

https://www.northjersey.com/news/162709426_Community_Relations_Advisory_Board_finalizing_anti-bullying_awareness_plan.html

Photo credit:  Boyd A. Loving

Fire & HazMat Crews Work to Contain Diesel Fuel Spill in Ridgewood
Boyd A. Loving
July 17,2012
2:30 PM

Ridgewood NJ , Personnel from the Ridgewood Fire Department and Bergen County Health and Human Services Department’s Hazardous Materials Response Team worked jointly on Tuesday afternoon to contain a diesel fuel spill from contaminating the Diamond Brook.  The spilled fuel was caused by a dump truck crash at the intersection of Godwin Avenue and North Monroe Street Ridgewood earlier in the day.

Ridgewood Fire Department Lieutenant John Albano estimated that less than 20 gallons of fuel had seeped into a storm drain at the intersection.  Fire & HazMat crews placed containment booms in the Diamond Brook at two (2) locations to prevent the spill from making its way further downstream.

Responding to the spill also were officers of the Ridgewood Police Department.

Photo credit:   Boyd A. Loving

Chris Colfer Tuesday, July 17th @ 7:00pm at Bookends in Ridgewood

Glee Star and best known for his role as “Kurt Hummel” on Glee, Chris Colfer will sign his new book:  The Land of Stories Book available July 17th.

Doors open at 8:00am for book sales, come buy your book that day, then come back later to lineup for signing beginning at 5:00pmAppearing authors will only autograph books purchased at Bookends and must have valid Bookends Receipt.
Availability & pricing for all autographed books subject to change.Bookends cannot guarantee that the books that are Autographed will always be First Printings.Autographed books purchased at Bookends are non-returnable.

While we try to insure that all customers coming to Bookends’ signings will meet authors and get their books signed, we cannot guarantee that all attendees will meet the author or that all books will be signed.  We cannot control inclement weather, author travel schedules or authors who leave prematurely.

Bookends, 211 E. Ridgewood Avenue, Ridgewood, NJ   07450   201-445-0726

Despite a lower-than-hoped for enrollment level,summer school program at Ridgewood High School gets high marks
Monday July 16, 2012, 12:16 PM
BY LAURA HERZOG
STAFF WRITER
The Ridgewood News

Despite a lower-than-hoped for enrollment level, the revived summer school program at Ridgewood High School (RHS) has received a positive response from several participating students and their parents.

More than 100 students, about half of whom are from Ridgewood, enrolled in the program, which began June 25 and runs through July 27. According to Superintendent Daniel Fishbein, the two-year hiatus was brought on primarily for financial reasons.

According to Fishbein, the summer school program was brought back this year because last year the state changed a law that said districts could not charge their own students for summer courses.

“We could charge students from other districts, but we couldn’t charge our own students,” he said. “Because they still had to pay staff … we operated at a loss.”

https://www.northjersey.com/news/162596396_Revived_summer_school_is_in_session_in_Ridgewood.html