>This is NOT PJ’s comment, but MY comment, which you can see posted under the headline “Pro BOE reader…”I DID NOT address the comment as “Hello Everyone” – this intro was inserted by PJ.MY intro was “Hey, bbwool,” responding to bbwool’s accusation. So my “basically” pokes fun at his use of the word “basically.” And, of course,the “lie” refers to what bbwool claimed and the liar is, of course, bbwool.thanks a bunch, pj, for making it look like i was calling “everyone” a liar.
*My mistake PJ
Hello Everybody .
I found that letter from Frances to Brooks and she DID NOT tell him not to come. so what YOU said was…ummm…”basically” a lie. which makes you “basically” a liar.
in fact, she gave him a heads up on the math discussion in our district. furthermore, her polite communication enabled Brooks to respond in kind. it gave him a chance to publicly explain his position and i must say, he did it well and graciously.
bbwool, why did you say the Ridgewood Blog “proudly” posted her letter but not tell us the whole truth, that it also posted Brooks’ response??
but hey, everyone, you don’t have to take MY word for it because here is the parent’s letter and Brooks’ response from the May 9, 2007 blog:
“Dr. Mr. Brooks,
I am a Ridgewood parent of three children in our public schools and I, like many others here, have been made aware of your pending position as our new superintendent. Our Board may not have advised you of this, but you should be aware of the present climate in our district with regard to the “Investigation” math curriculum. Several articles and ‘letters to the editor’ have appeared in our local paper over recent weeks. If the Board kept you in the dark with regard to this protracted circumstance, there may be little left for you to do but to give it your deepest contemplation. The link below is but a sample of the present discussion underway.
Respectfully,
Frances”
https://www.lindamoran.net/blog_teen/2007/04/the_disaster_at_plainview_old.html
“Dear Ms. Edwards:
Thanks for this note. I’d like to make a few comments about the link you attached. The math wars, like the whole language wars of the past decade, are based on a false dichotomy: traditional education v. progressive education. Good instruction focuses on the needs of the child – every child, one by one – and no one approach meets the needs of all children.
The math issue is interesting in that the battle seems to be pitched around algorithmic fluency v. conceptual understanding. They are not mutually exclusive. Both are essential for mathematically literacy. Students who learn algorithms procedurally without conceptual understanding aren’t truly fluent because although they are able to answer questions correctly on tests (when the questions are posed in the precise format the students are used to seeing), they often have difficulty knowing whether to (and how to) apply that algorithm to new and different situations. Teaching for conceptual understanding helps children develop efficient strategies for computing. Understanding the concept that underlies the algorithm helps students know how and when to apply it, helping them to become more proficient in solving new, differently presented problems and/or more complex problems.
Programs don’t teach children, teachers do. Good teachers vary their instruction – and their materials – based on student response.
Respectfully,
Marty Brooks”
>Wow, be careful what you ask for!
I’m curious about a comment from the resident/teacher. Are you offended by Frances’ statement on teachers because it think it is untrue, or because it is true, or because she merely stated it?
You state that she has contempt for educators because she made a factual comment. Would you also say that stating that blacks commit a disproportional amount of crime, or that the Catholic Church protected pedophile priests must translate to “contempt” for blacks and priests?
>Seems that the only way to attract better teachers would be to pay them more. Do you want to foot the bill for that?
>To: A resident and a teacher said…
As a teacher, I am offended by this quote by “Frances”:
“Of course, there are exceptional teachers in the system, but on average teachers hail from the bottom third of our high school graduating classes, and tenure keeps them there.”
You are right, Frances misspoke when she stated that teachers come from the bottom 1/3rd of their high school and college classes.
According to the “A Nation At Risk,” it seems that they are coming from the bottom 1/4.
Which means, it is worse than she stated.
Shame on you Frances.
>This Frances individual and many on this blog seem to have a virulent disdain for educators. I hear a lot of complaining but little in terms of solutions to the problems facing the public school system. Please Ms. Frances, what do you propose the Ridgewood schools do to attract better teachers? Perhaps the district should raise taxes to increase teacher salaries by 20 percent across the board. We all know that teachers are grossly underpaid and obviously underappreciated (as evident by this blog). Higher salaries would certainly go a long way in attracting the best and the brightest from the nation’s colleges.
FYI – The Hoover Institution is hotbed of right wing propaganda and I would urge all readers to take this so called study with a grain of salt.
>FYI – The Hoover Institution is hotbed of right wing propaganda and I would urge all readers to take this so called study with a grain of salt. ..yes its called capitalism
and Yes all us commies in new jersey read karl marx or mein kampf
>FYI – The Hoover Institution is hotbed of right wing propaganda and I would urge all readers to take this so called study with a grain of salt.
please dont tell me this ignorant poster is a school teacher in town
>To the fellow or gal who said, “I hear a lot of complaining but little in terms of solutions to the problems facing the public school system.”
I would simply say… Vouchers. School choice. State funded scholarships for public, private or parochial schools. Call it what you will. I call it free enterprise. Capitalism.
Competition in the marketplace for students would go a long way in controlling costs and bettering our schools.
But of course the “commies,” the teachers’ union, the politicians who use the school budgets for political patronage and the cottage industry built around public education, all howl at its mention because it would impose marketplace discipline on a monopoly that feeds at the public trough.
>What school would you send your child to as an alternative to Ridgewood?
And vouchers? This is a radical right wing solution that would kill public schools.
>And vouchers? This is a radical right wing solution that would kill public schools.
theres those words again…the internet has made public education Obsolete anyway ..public schools have killed themselfs all ready with stupid math ,sorry folks ion the real world you have to know hoe to add
>Vouchers work in other countries where the level of education is higher than the education our children have received. Check Finland for example.
Ps. I believe there was a wonderful program made by Dateline or 20/20 called “Stupid in America”. It was very educational and informative. Check it out.
>You can attract better teachers by first eliminating the NEA. This teachers’ union keeps teachers earnings the same, regardless of whether they are exceptional or not. Truly able teachers are not permitted to be paid commensurate with their ability.
Incidentally, that is why there is such a critical shortage of math and science teachers in the union system. They do not benefit by having their compensation set by union rules.
>Teachers aren’t underpaid. Here’s some news on that:
Economist Richard Vedder has observed that the Bureau of Labor Statistics National Compensation Survey shows that teachers earn “more per hour than architects, civil engineers, mechanical engineers, statisticians, biological and life scientists, atmospheric and space scientists, registered nurses, physical therapists, university-level foreign-language teachers, [and] librarians.” In fact, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that the average pay per hour for all workers in the “professional specialty” category in 2001 was $27.49, while public secondary school teachers earned $30.48 and elementary teachers $30.52 — or about 10 percent more than the typical professional.
>If you don’t like the message, attack the messenger.
>9:20 asked about giving teachers more $….Our district gave a nice raise to Botsford and DeSimone. Approval of a change in contractual salary for Mr. Angelo DeSimone, Assistant Superintendent for Business, from $130,000 to $136,045, and Mrs. Regina Lemerich Botsford, Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment, from $143,726 to $148,972.� No other changes have been made to the terms and conditions of their employment.� Makes me wonder why we had to hire a conflict resolution counselor for $9000? Our own asst. superintedent can’t handle curricular issues?
>Stop knocking the teachers. Ridgewood has some fine teachers who can’t speak up who are given this crummy Math program and must teach it.
They don’t make Botsford money and they work hard.
Brooks blames the teachers if TERC fails and Frances says they are at the bottom 1/3 of their class, they are both wrong.
In the Math wars, teachers are victims as well as the students.
The Teachers Union in POB actually stood with the parents against Brooks.
>The Frances Factor – valedictorian from the Sharpton Academy of Business. Joe (er, Joseph) must have been the Salutorian…
>If teachers mostly come from the bottom third, why is Frances “wrong” when she repeats that statistic?
Teachers in Ridgewood are obviously going to be better because it is a desirable place to teach, as many will chase such limited high end positions. This allows towns like Ridgewood to get the very best the profession has to offer.
One really must separate one’s “feelings” from one’s intellect in order to conduct an honest discussion.
>I was offended (and YES, I have that right since Frances seems to get offended at the drop of a hat!) because of two reasons. Number 1, it was just sort of put out there and I was wondering the basis of the statement. Number 2, I feel as if my profession is being painted with an extremely broad brush. The contempt she has for educators, and hell, anyone that disagrees with her for that matter, just drips from her lips (or should I say fingertips, as she types). Ask her why she was run out of her job at HBO and how many people she pissed off by her acting inappropriately and overstepping boundaries. Again, she should walk the walk instead of just talking the talk. Get certified and come and teach! Better yet, coach an athletic team! She seems to have endless opinions about both. Put your money where your mouth is, Frances.
>Is this the same Frances Brooks that made noise about Biddy basketball…a certain PE teacher…survey’s……etc..etc ..etc..the whole Federal production?
Would hate to have a crack on my sidewalk. God forbid!
A following?. BWAHAHAHAHHHAAAAAAaaaaa!! I doubt that.
>Hear, hear 1:35 and 10:23. I know there are many MANY people in this town who are simply worn down by Frances Edwards and cannot muster the energy to respond to her vitriol anymore. The fact that so many on this blog seem to support her (yet also seem oblivious of her past in Ridgewood), just shows how non-representative this blog is of Ridgewood public opinion in general. The minute she stepped in to the Brooks discussion, the whole thing took a step downward to crass, shrill, uncooperative, selfish, grandstanding…the list goes on.
And, yes, 10:23, it is the same Frances EDWARDS (not Brooks), who made (and continues to make) all that noise about Biddy basketball, teachers, surveys, etc., etc.
And, for the record, can I just point out once AGAIN that the final ruling in the survey case was that the survey was found to NOT be illegal, and the school district did NOT violate ANY rights. That means, Frances and her posse LOST that particular case in Ridgewood. She did manage to have a law written in New Jersey to change the way surveys are administered and while you may or may not think that’s a good thing, that has NOTHING to do with the Ridgewood survey.
If you want to read the actual NJ State Supreme court decision, go to: vls.law.villanova.edu/locator/3d/Dec2005/042849p.pdf
For those who don’t feel like downloading the entire doc, here’s the important part: “no constitutional violation of the right to privacy or the First Amendment right against compelled speech has been shownn, we will affirm the grant of summary judgment to the School Defendents.”
Too many people like to say that the school district screwed up and “lost” in that survey situation, and that Frances and Carol saved the day, but the opposite is true! All Frances, et al, did for Ridgewood was waste our money!!! Thanks!
>I’m sorry, my mistake…That was not the decision of the NJ State Supreme Court quoted, it was actually the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit (ie., Federal), decision filed 12/1/05.
>Hear, hear 1:35 and 10:23. I know there are many MANY people in this town who are simply worn down by Frances Edwards and cannot muster the energy to respond to her ..and you speak for them…give it up loser what ever she has done or not done TERC is destroying our once great school system ,and once our school system get found out this town goes down the toilet like the rest of new jerky
>i love these wimps from the BOE who are scared of a girl …kick but Frances !!!
>the BOE defender and Frances basher sounds like that Kevin guy thats been trying to kiss up to the BOE fro some time …
>I am 10:23…and to stop the “spin”, before the lie becomes the truth, I do not work for a BOE.
BWAHAHAAAAAaaaaa!! Ya RIght!
Just a working parent listening to the “goings on” in my community.
In the name of decency and high ground, many people chose not to speak too loud about the Dynamic Duo, but I will, on behalf of what I believe to be the silent majority.
>Dear 1:38, you wrote, “The fact that so many on this blog seem to support her (yet also seem oblivious of her past in Ridgewood)” could be a mistake.
With the anonymous posting feature, someone who is not working, or works from home, (lol), could technically create the illusion of having “backing” and done on the cheap.
Of course, they would also have to have delusions of grandeur.
>I’m not “Kevin” nor am I a “guy.” I’m not a “BOE defender” but I suppose I am a “Frances basher.” I agree that the TERC system is a bad idea as a sole way to teach math, and I agree that our math curriculum needs to be overhauled district wide. The only point I wanted to make is that we can have this discussion and solve this problem without people erroneously bowing to Frances-the-crusader, because she doesn’t exist. Only Frances-the-attention-seeker exists. She cannot be accepted as a “spokesperson” for the intelligent people who want to work together to fix things.
>If you think she is an “attention seeker” kevin, then why are you giving her so much attention?
You’re free to disagree with her, so why such vitriol?
What’s the root of the obsession? Go get a life, already!
>This woman, Frances, is a breath of fresh air and an antidote to the scared, backstabbing stepford people in our town.
From what I remember, she was right on the survey, as the federal gov’t ruled that 66 questions were ILLEGALLY asked. The attorney general changed his office’s surveying practices as a result, and the appeals court ruled that students and parents in NJ were now well protected under its new survey law. THANK YOU FRANCES.
As for Biddy, they were acting illegally and that is why they gave in and allowed her daughter to play. Now any girl can play if she wants to. AGAIN, THANK YOU FRANCES.
I have daughters, too. So if you want to discriminate or ask them about their personal sex practices, don’t do it in RIDGEWOOD.
>all this Frances talk is boring and beside the point.
i didn’t notice her, like the math moms, at the mike, respectfully challenging the BOE.
btw, i have yet to see anyone confirm that the second letter is, indeed from Frances.
>It seems that some people just can’t stand the fact that Frances actually gets stuff done and doesn’t roll over or suck-up.
She grew up here and has watched as transplants from Manahattan have tried to make our village fit their progressive ideology.
By the way. Please read the whole court ruling on the survey. The judges state that a jury would have reasonable cause to find the district violated the law.
Charlie Rilley just can’t stand the fact that he, Uber Lawyer, was wrong.
Ask him too, how the NJ Senate Eucation Committee reacted to his testimony when he tried to stop the survey bill.
When one voices an opinion and then works to see it through, no doubt enemies and detractors will come out of the wood work.
Same old story, nothing new here. Just a lot of sour grapes and venom.
Keep up the good work Frances.
A mother of three girls.
>Dislike Frances you may, but you can’t possibly like this Math program either.