“Hello, New World. All the Boys and Girls. I Got Some True Stories to Tell”
-Kendrick Lamar “N95”
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood Nj, Village residents are witnessing a new social order where a partnership is emerging between the Village’s schools and council leadership teams. Consulting them are New Jersey State Democratic politicians. A partnership of the reorganized public services has little to do with the educational needs of village children aged 3-21 and more to do with gaining political power.
Members of the Ridgewood Board of Education are signing local educational control over to the preferences of the State of New Jersey when it should be addressing local concerns and operating for district residents. Could it be for self-serving political purposes? What do the omniscient public wizards know that they are concealing from the public?
This is the real Vision 2030.
Community Schools are the ideal school model of the New Jersey Education Association (NJEA), the National Education Association (NEA), and American Federation of Teachers (AFT). In 2008 Randi Weingarten promoted this educational model as AFT Union President. It continues to be a structure promoted by Governor Phil Murphy, who has shared dreams of turning New Jersey into the California of the East Coast. California has invested $4.1 Billion dollars in this initiative in recent years. Additionally in January 2024, State Senators Teresa Ruiz (D-Essex and Hudson) and Shirley Turner (D- Huntertdon and Mercer) introduced Bill 2243, which establishes a five year Community Schools Pilot Program.
Now, it appears Democratic legislators are using Ridgewood Public Schools to advance this partisan effort that has yet to gain traction, but still very much the vision of Democratic legislatures. Montclair State University, the University currently advising Ridgewood Public Schools, has also contributed to the creation of the state’s formal Full Service Community School (FSCS). However, this information has never been communicated in good faith or with transparency by Dr. Mark Schwarz, his administrative staff, and Ms. Sheila Brogan and other Board of Education members. It is a disheartening realization for those families and students who were misled to believe they were honestly part of shaping the district’s educational mission.
In recent years, the New Jersey Department of Education negotiated deals with both Newark Public Schools and Paterson Public Schools. The terms were clear: your city can have local control in return for the implementation of the Community School model. Now, both Newark and Paterson Public Schools follow the Community School partnership, a political deal made for convenience. A power exchange between politicians and local community activist groups. Ridgewood officials are eager to make a deal of their own. The infrastructure was already in place prior to inviting the community to attend and participate.
If Village residents would like more information on the Community School model, they are encouraged to direct their questions to Richard Matthews, the Board of Education Secretary and Business Administrator and Alicia Pavone, the recently hired Director of Special Education. Both administrators come from Paterson Public Schools where they have direct experience with the implementation of this new educational framework. If they can not answer questions, Dr. Mark Schwarz will be available at his next virtual coffee conversation at 7:00 pm on May 15, 2025. That is if the Board of Education does not release him from his services at the next Board of Education meeting at 7:00 pm on April 28th.
Community Schools require partnerships with local politics, agencies, and special interest groups. In New York City, former Mayor Bill de Blasio initiated a comprehensive multi-year plan to promote community schools in New York City. According to the Community Schools Playbook, “mayoral support can also help drive the local implementation of community schools” (22). Sitting in the audience and recognized by the Board of Education was Mayor Paul Vagianos. Local government agencies also took part in the development of the District’s plans for the future educational environment for Ridgewood’s school children.
The aim of Community Schools is to address the central issues of chronic absenteeism, student discipline, and teacher retention. The first act was for Ridgewood to advance the later start time at Ridgewood High School. Their second step was to increase their numbers with the Harassment, Intimidation, and Bullying data, which have risen sharply and unexpectedly over the past two years. Finally, teacher retention will be addressed with new hires from Montclair State University or The College of New Jersey, or from established FSCS. In exchange, Ridgewood Public Schools has seen a rapid and unexplained rise up the Niche.com Best Schools ranking. In 2025, all six elementary schools rated in the top 40 for best elementary schools in New Jersey (Orchard-#10, Hawes-#12, Ridge-#21, Willard-#23, Somerville-#34, Travell-#37). In 2024, only Orchard (#8) achieved that status. (Willard-#41, Ridge-#46 (with yearly Principal turnover), Hawes-#59, Somerville-#66, Travell-#98) A convenient offering to start off negotiations between the State Department of Education and the Ridgewood Board of Education. The similarities are too clear to ignore. The shared language between the Community School Playbook and the language from district administrators’ presentations is too similar to dismiss. The partnerships are now too revealing. The data and evidence-based research is in.
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion; Critical Race and Feminism Theory, and now Community Schools are the three pillars that Ridgewood Schools Board of Education members have erected in order to satisfy their own narrow ideology. There was never a need for a Hazard, Young, Attea & Associates (HYA) consultant. There was never any intention of listening to and acting upon student involvement other than introducing them into the great American game at an early age. The only “pursuit of excellence” is the administration’s attempt to hide the true intentions so they can continue this social experiment that originated in Ivy League university classrooms shortly after radicals corrupted the true Civil Rights Movement. Ms. Brogan’s and Dr. Schwarz’s “pursuit” is not for the benefit of village children. It is to use students, families, and resources for advancing a failing ideological experiment.
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Elections matter…
Vote red for Governor
In Ridgewood, this will fail spectacularly.
Just as did the Board of Education’s failed attempt years ago to make of Ridgewood the modern Constructivist Education Mecca (Marty Brooks and his like-minded wife read the tea leaves and got out, while the gettin’ was good).
Ridgewood really sucks!
Yep
Car thefts all over town. Breaking into houses while ur home and sleeping just to grab ur keys. But hey even if arrested they are back on street and at ur house the next day.
The district’s survey sent to residents today validates the subject of this article.
what was the survey about?
Now we know why all the navel gazing leading to pushing the start time at the high school till later in the morning.
They are bent on hobbling the Ridgewood district by forcing it to think about and treat its students as urban districts think about and treat their students. Including, in this instance, applying a “fix” (a later start time) for a problem that is not acute or widespread among Ridgewood High School students (insufficient sleep at night).
The same dynamic was in place about fifteen years ago when the Ridgewood Board of Ed was determined to impose upon students here Constructivist Education techniques originally and only designed to remediate urban districts run through with chronically low-performing students.
Longtime trustee Sheila Brogan, frankly, must be the one pushing this. Has she begun wearing hair bows again?