Chalkbeat

Por qué a este maestro de Newark le encanta enseñar cuarto grado

2025-09-05T16:25:30+00:00

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El cuarto grado es una etapa emocionante para los estudiantes. La secundaria está a la vuelta de la esquina y pueden empezar a practicar más autonomía con el apoyo y la guía de adultos de confianza.

Eso es lo que más le llama la atención a Carl Thomas, maestro principal de matemáticas de cuarto grado, del año que enseña, en KIPP SPARK Academy en Newark.

“Es el momento ideal en el que un niño empieza a descubrirse a sí mismo y a volverse más independiente”, dijo Thomas.

Hace varios años, Thomas pasó de un trabajo de oficina a trabajar en el aula. Lleva seis años como educador y este otoño inicia su tercer año en su escuela actual.

El primer día de clases para la mayoría de los más de 6,000 estudiantes de KIPP en Newark fue el 25 de agosto, y los grados de kínder, quinto y noveno comienzan días antes. Una forma en que Thomas y su profesor asistente se preparan es revisando los datos de rendimiento de su nueva cohorte de estudiantes del año escolar pasado para ver “dónde necesitamos alcanzarlos académicamente y qué recursos podemos proporcionarles”.

Sobre todo, añadió Thomas, lo que desea es ayudar a sus alumnos a convertirse en la mejor versión de sí mismos, tanto académica como socialmente.

“A menudo, la mayoría de los estudiantes tienen dificultades con la confianza en sí mismos, lo que suele afectar otras áreas”, afirmó Thomas. “Como docentes, es nuestra labor ayudar a desarrollarla y aportarles todo lo positivo que podamos”.

Thomas habló con Chalkbeat sobre por qué decidió cambiar de carrera a la educación, cómo apoya a sus estudiantes cuando los eventos fuera del aula los afectan y las formas en que su propia experiencia mixta con la escuela informa su trabajo hoy.

Esta entrevista ha sido editada para mayor brevedad y claridad.

¿Cómo y cuándo decidiste convertirte en maestro?

Antes de dedicarme a enseñar, estaba en mi cuarto año de trabajo en el sector corporativo estadounidense como analista de cumplimiento en Manhattan. La docencia siempre me había llamado la atención, pero siempre estaba presente en mi mente. Durante mi adolescencia en Maplewood, Nueva Jersey, trabajé como consejero de campamento durante muchos veranos. Durante la universidad, hice prácticas en la Oficina de Servicios Juveniles en Elizabeth, Nueva Jersey.

Carl Thomas, mestro principal de matemáticas de cuarto grado en KIPP SPARK Academy. (Cortesía de Carl Thomas)

A lo largo de esas experiencias, siempre estuve enseñando y forjando relaciones con los niños y sus familias. Me encantaba esa parte del trabajo.

La enseñanza empezó a ocupar un lugar más destacado en mi mente cuando mi entonces novia (ahora esposa) trabajaba como maestra en Newark. Cuando hablábamos de nuestros días, las historias que compartía a menudo reflejaban mis experiencias cuando niño en escuelas de East Orange y Newark. Me dije: “Yo podría hacerlo”. Empecé a darme cuenta de que la docencia era la manera ideal de aprovechar mi tiempo para generar un impacto significativo. Mi propia trayectoria educativa fue accidentada, así que siempre existió una relación de amor y odio antes de convertirme en maestro. Una vez que comencé mi trayectoria como educador, empecé con buen pie, y el resto aún se está escribiendo. Se puede decir con seguridad que mi relación con la educación ahora es puro amor.

¿Cuál es tu lección favorita para enseñar y por qué?

Esta es una pregunta difícil de responder. Disfruto enseñar todo lo que puedo a mis alumnos. Siempre tomo todas las lecciones o materiales y los conecto con el mundo real. Por ejemplo, al enseñar geometría básica, como líneas paralelas y perpendiculares, hago referencia al barrio donde se encuentra la escuela. Muchos de los alumnos viven cerca, así que les ofrece una conexión con la vida real al hablar de sus calles y cómo se intersectan o no. Enseño matemáticas, pero también tengo experiencia en lectoescritura. Ser integral me ha ayudado enormemente a comprender las dificultades de los alumnos y a abordarlas eficazmente.

Simplemente me encanta y disfruto enseñar.

¿Qué es algo que sucede en la comunidad que afecta lo que sucede dentro de tu salón de clases?

Doy clases en el Central Ward de Newark. Mis alumnos provienen de diversos orígenes y situaciones. No hay un solo factor que afecte lo que sucede en mi aula, sino muchos: algunos positivos, otros negativos. Por ejemplo, un día cualquiera, un alumno podría estar esperando la llegada de un nuevo miembro a su familia, mientras que otro podría unirse a nosotros a mitad del año escolar desde otro país.

El año escolar pasado, una de mis alumnas perdió a su hermano mayor a causa de la violencia con armas de fuego. La apoyé organizando almuerzos con ella y algunos amigos, ofreciéndole “descansos mentales” durante las clases y hablándole con frecuencia para que se sintiera segura y cuidada. Terminó el año con un excelente rendimiento académico y asistencial. Esto me recordó que, independientemente de lo que suceda fuera del aula y en nuestra comunidad, es fundamental crear espacios seguros donde los estudiantes prosperen emocional, social y académicamente.

¿Cómo abordas los acontecimientos noticiosos con tus alumnos?

Cuando hay una noticia importante, la mayoría de las veces, es algo que tengo que preparar la noche anterior y decidir cómo o cuándo puedo comentar con mis alumnos. Incorporó la noticia en nuestras reuniones matutinas al comenzar el día o al final de la jornada. El año escolar pasado, después de las elecciones, debatimos con cuidado, respeto y brevedad los resultados de las elecciones presidenciales y lo que significaron para nuestro país. Mi profesora adjunta y yo creamos un espacio valiente para que estudiantes y adultos se expresaran.

¿Qué es lo que más sobresale en la enseñanza a estudiantes de cuarto grado?

Me encanta dar clases de cuarto grado. Este es el año que sienta las bases antes de la transición a la secundaria. Sentar las bases para el desarrollo socioemocional es lo que más me gusta. Enseñar a los niños a ser más independientes, social y emocionalmente conscientes, a defender sus derechos y a enorgullecerse de sí mismos y de su trabajo son aspectos que destacan en la enseñanza de cuarto grado.

Carl Thomas, maestro principal de matemáticas de cuarto grado en la Academia KIPP SPARK, con sus alumnos en una fiesta de máscaras celebrada recientemente para los alumnos de cuarto grado que cursan quinto grado en otoño. Los alumnos frente a él, de izquierda a derecha, son John, Michadio, Amari, Layla, Zakhi, Chasity, Sydai, Jordynn y Xavier. (Cortesía de Carl Thomas)

Ver el crecimiento genuino al final del año escolar es una sensación maravillosa. Saber que tuviste un impacto genuino y positivo en la vida de tus estudiantes para siempre es algo que me llena de alegría. Es una sensación realmente maravillosa.

Cuéntanos sobre tu propia experiencia con la escuela y cómo afecta tu trabajo hoy.

Bueno, como mencioné antes, mi relación con la escuela fue difícil. Académicamente, me fue bien. En cuanto a mi comportamiento, la escuela fue difícil para mí. Al repasar mis experiencias educativas, las utilizo como guía para ayudarme a convertirme en el mejor maestro posible. Los maestros y administradores nunca se tomaron el tiempo para comprender la raíz de mis problemas. Solían gobernar con mano dura, lo que resultaba en la suspensión y la expulsión como primera medida disciplinaria. Soy un educador que se toma el tiempo de comprender la raíz de cualquier problema que pueda tener un estudiante con dificultades. Si no puedo abordarlo con éxito, buscaré a un compañero que pueda, como una de las maneras de evitar la suspensión.

Desde preescolar hasta la secundaria, solo tuve una maestra que se tomó el tiempo de verme por ser más que un niño con problemas. Se llamaba Sra. Kunzman, que descanse en paz. Se esforzó por conocerme personalmente. Vio que necesitaba orientación y encontró la manera de brindarla. Asumió la responsabilidad de ser mi mentora.

Soy un maestro que ve a cada estudiante que se cruza en mi camino tal como es y puede llegar a ser. Fomento relaciones genuinas con ellos y sus familias. Los niños suelen dar respuestas monótonas y seguir adelante, pero me esfuerzo por convertirlo en una conversación. Esto permite que los estudiantes se abran de verdad y se sientan cómodos, lo que se traduce en asumir riesgos académicos, desarrollar confianza y ser mejores que el día anterior.

¿Cuáles son algunos de tus pasatiempos y cómo los relacionas con el aula?

Como gran aficionado al fútbol americano y al baloncesto, incorporó esas pasiones a mi clase para mantener a los alumnos motivados y motivados. Mi aula tiene como tema a los Georgetown Hoyas, y usamos una pelota pequeña de baloncesto o de fútbol americano durante las clases que los alumnos atrapan al responder preguntas y ganan premios por sus respuestas correctas o por su buen esfuerzo.

También creé el primer programa extraescolar de flag football en nuestra escuela, lo que llevó a muchos estudiantes a inscribirse en equipos locales de tackle football. Estos deportes me ayudan a conectar con los estudiantes, les brindan una forma saludable de liberar su energía y forjan relaciones sólidas basadas en el trabajo en equipo y la disciplina.

Traducido por Diego Maya.

Esta traducción fue proporcionada por The Latino Spirit, en asociación con el Centro de Medios Cooperativos de la Universidad Estatal de Montclair, y cuenta con el apoyo financiero del Consorcio de Información Cívica de NJ. La historia fue escrita originalmente en inglés por Chalkbeat Newark y se vuelve a publicar en virtud de un acuerdo especial para compartir contenido a través del Servicio de noticias de traducción al español de NJ News Commons.

Catherine Carrera es la jefa de oficina de Chalkbeat Newark. Puedes contactarla en ccarrera@chalkbeat.org.

Newark residents call for more transparency in superintendent contract discussions

2025-08-23T00:19:07+00:00

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More transparency and community input.

That’s what Newark residents demanded from the Board of Education at a meeting Thursday as the board has quietly pursued a new five-year contract for Superintendent Roger León.

The drastic move by the board could set him up to be among the longest-serving superintendents in the state.

León’s current five-year contract has three years remaining, but last month, Board Attorney Brenda Liss requested the Essex County superintendent of schools, a proxy for the New Jersey Department of Education, approve a proposed new contract for him that would run from July 1 to June 30, 2030.

The request and subsequent approval from County Superintendent Joseph Zarra were obtained by Chalkbeat through a public records request.

Zarra’s approval notes an additional three months to the proposed contract with an expiration of Sept. 30, 2030. Further details of the proposed five-year contract could not be made available as it is a draft document, which is exempt from public records requests, per state law.

The proposed new contract for the superintendent has not been publicly announced or discussed by the Newark school board.

State law requires school boards to give the public at least 30 days notice prior to voting on a superintendent’s contract, in addition to a public hearing before the vote, with at least 10 days notice of the hearing.

Though Liss’ correspondence with Zarra stated the board would consider León’s contract at its meeting on Thursday, the contract was not listed on the agenda for that meeting nor was it publicly discussed by the board.

Several community members, including former district students, urged the board to gather public input before taking further steps on the contract for León, who has been at the helm for seven years.

“While the decision has not yet been made, it is crucial that this process remains fully transparent and that the community has a genuine opportunity to engage before action is taken,” said Yasmina Ouedraogo, a Newark Public Schools graduate, during the public comment portion of the meeting. “Extending the superintendent’s contract right now is not necessary.”

Word of the board’s steps to start the process of extending León’s tenure to 2030 came earlier this month through news reports by NJ.com and Chalkbeat.

Before it could vote on a new budget for the superintendent, the board would need approval from the county superintendent, according to state code, which it obtained through the correspondence between Liss and Zarra in July.

“For a school district that manages a budget larger than our city’s, we need transparency about spending,” said Mark Pinkney, a Newark Public School alum and city resident, who also spoke during public comment. “We don’t yet know if district improvements are happening. We deserve a transparent community-driven process.”

The City of Newark’s budget last year was about $968 million, about $600 million less than the school district’s $1.57 billion budget for the upcoming year. About $1.3 billion of the district’s budget comes from state aid.

Decisions to extend León’s contract since he was hired for the position in 2018 — when the district began its transition to local control after 25 years under a state monitor — have consistently been made with little to no public input.

In 2019, a year into his initial three-year contract, the school board voted to tack on another two years to that contract, extending it to 2025. There was no notice of a public hearing ahead of that decision on the district calendar of the board’s website and the meeting was sparsely attended, though a district official at the time said they had alerted the public using other methods.

A few years later, León’s contract was automatically renewed without any public discussion or notification due to a renewal clause in his contract. That clause allowed for an automatic five-year renewal in May 2022, more than a year in advance of when the contract was set to expire on June 30, 2023. Board members would have had to alert León by May 15, 2022, per the clause, if they planned not to renew the contract.

After news surfaced in January 2023 of the quiet renewal that had taken place months earlier, school community members expressed disappointment in the board and urged for more transparency.

“Each time, the community was left in the dark,” Ouedraogo said during her three-minute public comment on Thursday.

“What’s happening right now in Newark mirrors troubling patterns we’ve seen on the national stage, where leaders like President Donald Trump and his administration have been accused of bending rules and undermining public trust to maintain power,” Ouedraogo added. “In both cases, the people’s voice is pushed aside for political maneuvering.”

Board members with conflicts of interest stayed out of executive discussion

At Thursday’s meeting, the board went into an executive session for about 40 minutes to discuss matters that fall under attorney-client privilege, they said.

Board members Kanileah Anderson and Louis Maisonave Jr. stayed out of the executive session. The two are among three board members who have relatives working for the school district, connections that are a conflict of interest that could prevent them from weighing in on the superintendent’s contract.

Board President Hasani Council, who also has relatives working for the district, was absent from Thursday’s meeting.

León’s last eight years at the helm of New Jersey’s largest school district has been entangled in controversies — allegations of anti-Black racism and religious bias at the Newark School of Global Studies; worksite issues and construction delays at a new trade high school; and alarmingly low literacy rates that put the district under state review for two years.

The district was also ordered last year to return almost $34,000 to the state for misusing public funds for a “Staff Fun Day.” The event cost the district about $44,000 and spurred an investigation by the state Education Department. The department found that taxpayer money was inappropriately spent for the outdoor party, which included a DJ and four inflatable carnival booths.

Citing that misuse of funds and spending for travel to conferences, some Republican lawmakers have called to put the district under a fiscal monitor.

Dante Howell, a Newark resident who also spoke at the meeting on Thursday, said that he wants the board to ensure that “visions are aligned” for the “good of the community” before a decision is made to extend León’s tenure.

“Before approving contract extensions, I encourage the board to hold community meetings at schools and gather input from staff and parents,” said Carlos Merino, a community member who also spoke during public comment. “Leadership decisions should be based on measurable results, not just presentations.”

Catherine Carrera is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat Newark. Contact Catherine at ccarrera@chalkbeat.org.

Why this Newark teacher loves teaching fourth grade

2025-08-20T16:51:50+00:00

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Leer en español.

Fourth grade is an exciting time for students. Middle school is within sight, and they can start to practice more autonomy with support and guidance from trusted adults.

That’s what Carl Thomas, fourth grade lead math teacher at KIPP SPARK Academy in Newark, loves most about the grade level he teaches.

“It’s the sweet spot of a child beginning to come into themselves and becoming more independent,” Thomas said.

Several years ago, Thomas transitioned from a corporate office job to working in the classroom. He’s now been an educator for six years, heading into his third year at his current school this fall.

The first day of school for most 6,000-plus KIPP students in Newark is Aug. 25, with entry grades of kindergarten, fifth, and ninth grades starting days earlier. One way Thomas and his co-teacher are preparing is by looking over their new cohort of students’ performance data from last school year to see “where we need to meet them academically and what resources we can provide them with.”

Mostly, Thomas added, he’s looking forward to helping his students become the best version of themselves, academically and socially.

“Often, the majority of scholars struggle with confidence in self, which tends to impact other areas,” Thomas said. “As a teacher, it is our job to help build it and positively pour into them as much as we can.”

Thomas talked to Chalkbeat about why he decided to switch careers to education, how he supports his students when events outside of the classroom affect them, and the ways his own mixed experience with school informs his work today.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

How and when did you decide to become a teacher?

Before teaching, I was in my fourth year of working in corporate America as a compliance analyst in Manhattan. Teaching was something that always resonated with me, but it had always been at the back of my mind. Growing up in Maplewood, New Jersey, in my teenage years, I worked as a camp counselor for many summers. During college, I interned with the Office of Youth Services in Elizabeth, New Jersey.

Carl Thomas, lead fourth grade math teacher at KIPP SPARK Academy.

Throughout those experiences, I was always teaching and forging relationships with the kids and their families. I loved that part of the work.

Teaching started to creep to the forefront of my mind when my then-girlfriend (now wife) was working as a teacher in Newark. When we talked about our days, the stories she shared often reflected my experiences as a child attending schools in East Orange and Newark. I said to myself, ‘I could do that.’ I began to realize that teaching was the ideal way to utilize my time to make a meaningful impact. My own education journey was rocky, so there was always a love/hate relationship that existed before teaching. Once I began my journey as an educator, I hit the ground running, and the rest is still being written. It’s safe to say my relationship with education now has shifted to all love.

What’s your favorite lesson to teach and why?

This is a tricky question to answer. I enjoy teaching anything I can to my students. I’m always taking all lessons or materials and making connections to the real world. For example, when teaching students fundamental geometry, such as parallel and perpendicular lines, I reference the neighborhood that the school is in. Many of the students live nearby, so it offers a real-life connection to understand what parallel and perpendicular lines are when discussing their streets and how they intersect or don’t intersect. I teach math, but I have experience with literacy as well. Being well-rounded has helped me tremendously to understand students’ struggles and effectively address them. I simply love and enjoy teaching.

What’s something happening in the community that affects what goes on inside your classroom?

I teach in Newark’s Central Ward. My students come from all different types of backgrounds and situations. There’s not one thing that affects what goes on inside my classroom, but many — some positive, others negative. For example, on a given day, one student might be anticipating a new addition to their family, while another scholar could be joining us in the middle of the school year from a different country.

Last school year, one of my scholars lost her older brother to gun violence. I supported her by hosting lunches with her and some chosen friends, offering ‘brain breaks’ during instruction, and checking in with her frequently to help her feel safe and cared for. She wound up finishing the year strong, both academically and in her attendance. This reminded me that no matter what’s going on outside of the classroom and in our community, creating safe spaces where students thrive emotionally, socially, and academically is really important.

How do you approach news events in your classroom?

When there is big news, more times than not, it’s something I have the night before to prepare for and decide how or when I can discuss it with my students. I incorporate the news into our morning meetings to start our day or at our end-of-day meeting. This past school year, after the elections, we carefully, respectfully, and briefly discussed the results of the presidential elections and what that meant for our country. My co-teacher and I created a brave space for scholars and adults to express themselves.

What’s something that stands out about teaching fourth graders?

I love teaching fourth grade. This is the foundation-setting year before they transition to middle school. Setting the tone for social and emotional development is where I thrive. Teaching kids how to be more independent, socially and emotionally aware, advocate for themselves, and take pride in themselves and their work are things that stand out about teaching fourth graders.

Seeing the genuine growth at the end of the school year is a wonderful feeling. Knowing you genuinely and positively impacted your students’ lives forever is something I live for. Truly a great feeling.

Carl Thomas, the fourth grade lead math teacher at KIPP SPARK Academy, with his students at a recent masquerade party held for fourth graders headed to fifth grade in the fall. The students in front of him, from left to right, are John, Michadio, Amari, Layla, Zakhi, Chasity, Sydai, Jordynn, and Xavier.

Tell us about your own experience with school and how it affects your work today.

Well, as I mentioned earlier, my relationship with school was tough. Academically, I did well. Behaviorally, school was difficult for me. As I look back at my educational experiences, I use them as a sort of guide to help mold me into being the best teacher that I can be. Teachers and administrators never took the time to understand the root cause of my problems. They usually ruled with an iron fist, which resulted in suspension and expulsion as the first choice of discipline. I am an educator who takes the time to understand the root cause of an issue that a troubled scholar may be having. If I can’t successfully address the issue, I will find a peer who can, as one of the ways to avoid suspension as an outcome.

From K-12, I had only one teacher who took the time to see me for being more than just a troubled child. Her name was Mrs. Kunzman — may she rest in heavenly peace. She put forth the effort in getting to know me personally. She saw that I needed guidance and found ways to provide that. She took on the responsibility of being my mentor.

I am an educator who sees every student that crosses my path for who they truly are and what they can be. I foster genuine relationships with them and their families. Kids tend to give one-word answers and move on, but I make it my business to make it a conversation. This allows students to truly open up and become comfortable, which translates to taking risks academically, building confidence, and being better than they were the day before.

What are some of your hobbies, and how do you relate them to the classroom?

As a huge fan of football and basketball, I bring those passions into my classroom to keep students engaged and motivated. My classroom is Georgetown Hoyas-themed, and we use a small basketball or football during lessons that students catch when answering questions and earn prizes for correct answers or giving good effort.

I also created the first after-school flag football program at our school, which led many students to sign up for local tackle football teams. These sports help me connect with students, give them healthy outlets for their energy, and build strong relationships rooted in teamwork and discipline.

A translation of this story was provided by The Latino Spirit, in partnership with Montclair State University’s Center for Cooperative Media and is supported financially by the NJ Civic Information Consortium. The story was republished under a special content-sharing agreement through NJ News Commons’ Spanish Translation News Service.

Catherine Carrera is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat Newark. Contact Catherine at ccarrera@chalkbeat.org.

Longtime Newark principal reflects on parent engagement, supporting undocumented families

2025-07-17T10:00:01+00:00

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Michael Mann became a principal at North Star Academy Charter School in 2005. To mark 20 years in that position, Mann reflected recently on the winding road that led him to a career in education.

“I entered education accidentally,” said Mann, who now serves as head of school at Washington Park High School, part of the North Star Academy system in Newark.

After graduating magna cum laude from Harvard University in 1991, Mann pursued a career in foreign service in the U.S. State Department. He had been interested in working in government and studied Chinese languages for years. He quickly realized, however, that foreign service wasn’t the path for him.

“I left government work with the goal of living in Asia, but the only way I could afford it was to teach English,” Mann said. “That experience changed my life.”

The turning point led to a 32-year career in education, including two decades as a principal at North Star schools, one of the largest charter school systems in Newark.

“I really loved teaching and was good at it,” Mann recalled. “When I returned to the United States, I decided to apply to Teach for America because it seemed like the best way to create positive social change. I was right.”

The veteran educator recently shared with Chalkbeat some advice for early-career educators, his thoughts on education policy affecting his school community, ways he stays engaged with families, and more.

This interview has been lightly edited for length and clarity.

What was your first education job? What made you want to become a school leader?

I first taught in the District of Columbia Public Schools for three years. Then, I taught for two years at a charter school in Massachusetts. During that time, I worked with lots of great people, but I did not see good examples of leadership. After getting my master’s degree in teaching from Harvard’s Graduate School of Education in 1998, I wanted to get back into urban education.

I visited North Star Academy in Newark, even though I had never been to New Jersey. I met Jamey Verrilli and Norman Atkins, co-founders of North Star Academy, and knew that I was in the right place. I had never met such committed, honest, blunt, transparent leaders. They scared me and inspired me. After seven years of watching Jamey run our middle school, I offered to start our second middle school. That is now our Clinton Hill Middle School.

Tell us about your own experience with school and how it affects your work today.

I did not have great teachers. Some of my teachers were charismatic narcissists, and I saw how ineffective and selfish they were. That has made me wary of teachers who want to be the center of attention. I don’t believe that those teachers are effective. From my experience, the best teachers are humble, nerdy, former athletes. They know how to work together, they understand perseverance, and they put the goal of student growth and achievement above other things.

Can you share an experience, recent or not, with a student that changed your perspective or approach to an issue?

I have control issues. I prefer order and structure because I think it promotes safety and success. But a few years ago, one of our senior class leaders asked to do a walkout to protest gun violence in schools. I tried to talk her out of it, but she was very determined. So, we planned it out. Almost the entire school participated in the walkout in Harriet Tubman Square by making signs, giving short speeches, releasing balloons, etc. The students organized all of it. I just watched, impressed. It was in the news. After it was done, we all walked back to the school and finished the day. Interestingly, the former senior class leader who organized most of it is now my colleague at Washington Park High School. She is an excellent special educator!

After 20-plus years in the field, what’s the best advice you have for educators starting out in their career?

Good intentions aren’t enough. In order to be an effective teacher, you need to spend time really preparing and paying attention to student work. Most teachers don’t spend enough time looking at student work.

What issue in education policy is having a big impact on your school right now? How are you addressing it?

We all need to do more to support undocumented students and their families. Schools need to communicate to all families that their children are safe at school and that we will do everything to protect them.

This spring, we did a project where we put up framed, permanent posters all around the school and at all of our entrances — in English and Spanish — to tell all students and families that they are valued and protected while at school. The posters also gave support information for families with questions or concerns. We put together “red cards” in four languages that we made available to staff, students, and parents at four of our schools. With these cards, undocumented students and parents could give them to police or federal agents in lieu of questioning. My son, who is 17 and goes to Verona High School, worked with our juniors on this project, to put up the posters, create the cards, and distribute them.

Our security teams already know that we will not allow federal agents into our buildings. We will only cooperate with local law enforcement.

Tell us about how you engage families to participate in your school community. Is there a common piece of feedback you get from families, and how do you respond to it?

I am outside at dismissal every day — rain, snow, or shine. Parents know this, so they will sometimes use this as an opportunity to give me feedback, ask questions, lobby for a cause, or give me information. When they are upset, they let me know. For a while, the parents of transfer students complained that we did not do enough to support them. They were right. We ended up changing our approach. Now we provide a lot of math tutoring for transfer students.

How do you take care of yourself when you’re not at work?

Well, I take care of myself at work, too. I have an excellent staff. I don’t try to do everything. At home, I have three sons and a great wife, who is also a teacher. We are usually at a soccer game, traveling to a tournament, or watching the Premier League!

Catherine Carrera is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat Newark. Contact Catherine at ccarrera@chalkbeat.org.

New Jersey appellate court will hear school segregation suit, bringing the case closer to resolution

2025-07-11T16:55:39+00:00

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A coalition of plaintiffs that sued New Jersey for the de facto racial and socioeconomic segregation that persists in its public school system has scored a win.

The state’s appellate court agreed this week to take on Latino Action Network v. New Jersey, a move that brings the case closer to a resolution after seven years of trudging through the court system.

The plaintiffs alleged in the suit that the state is responsible for the pervasive segregation that exists across its 600-plus school districts, entrenched in part due to a rule requiring students to enroll in their hometown school district. New Jersey’s constitution is unique in its explicit ban on school segregation.

“We’re confident the court will conclude that the trial court erred by not ruling in October 2023 that the egregious levels of racial and socioeconomic segregation that pervade New Jersey’s public schools violated plaintiffs’ constitutional rights,” said Robert Kim, one of the attorneys representing the plaintiffs and the executive director of Education Law Center.

Latino Action Network and NAACP New Jersey State Conference are among the social justice groups and families that filed the lawsuit against New Jersey in 2018. Five years later, a trial court judge issued a mixed opinion that stopped short of ordering the state to fix its segregated school system. The lengthy trial court opinion stated that the plaintiffs demonstrated persistent “racial imbalance in numerous school districts” but failed “to prove that the state’s entire educational system is unconstitutionally segregated.”

This case has been one of few nationally to address systemic racial and socioeconomic segregation in schools on a statewide level. A decision could have reverberations across the country at a time when policies to strengthen diversity, equity, and inclusion practices are under threat by the federal government.

Following the trial court’s mixed ruling in 2023, the parties entered a mediation phase that ended earlier this year after they couldn’t agree on possible remedies to the segregated school system. An agreement through mediation would have avoided years of litigation and saved taxpayer money.

In May, the state pushed back on the plaintiffs’ motion to have the higher court review the trial court opinion. The state defendants argued that there is insufficient legal record for an appellate court to review the case at this point and that it should stay at the trial court level.

A few weeks later, the plaintiffs in court documents argued that the state’s opposition to have the appeals court step in was a stalling tactic in an effort to kick the case to the next governor’s administration.

“Regrettably, the state’s apparent goal in this litigation is to continue to stall its resolution so that the issue becomes the responsibility of the next administration. But its alarming denial of responsibility, in and of itself, cries out for review,” wrote the plaintiffs’ attorneys in court documents dated June 13.

Gov. Phil Murphy, a Democrat, is serving the last year of his two-term tenure. Democratic candidate U.S. Rep. Mikie Sherrill and Republican candidate Jack Ciaterelli, a former state assemblyman, won their party’s nominations in June and will be facing off in November to succeed Murphy.

A court date had not been scheduled as of Friday.

School choice group’s brief approved to enter case

The New Jersey Policy Institute, a think tank that supports school choice, made a motion in May to enter a brief to the court record about a possible remedy the court should consider. The group wants to see an expansion of the state’s existing interdistrict school choice program as a way to create “greater diversity in New Jersey schools,” the brief stated.

The appellate court also granted that group’s motion, but noted that a merits panel will determine if and to what extent the group can participate in oral arguments, court records showed.

The voluntary interdistrict school choice program allows school districts to opt in as a “choice district,” but has been frozen since 2015 with a waitlist of more than 2,000 students, the group stated in its brief.

“By accepting NJPI’s brief, the Appellate Division acknowledges that the public interest is served by considering NJPI’s policy-based solution as a potential remedy,” said Rosemary Becchi, the group’s president and founder.

Are New Jersey’s schools segregated?

The plaintiffs’ lawsuit drew data from a 2017 UCLA Civil Rights Project study that found New Jersey ranked sixth in the nation in terms of the highest segregation of Black students and seventh in segregation of Latino students.

The suit cited enrollment data for 23 districts, including Newark, with significantly high percentages of Latino and Black students who qualified for free or reduced-price lunch. The state, the lawsuit argued, is in violation of its constitution, which is explicit in its ban on segregation.

But, the state countered, segregation in 23, or 3.41%, of the state’s 674 districts didn’t establish a statewide violation.

Despite New Jersey’s high ranking in segregation of Latino and Black students, most voters remain unaware of that data and of the lawsuit at hand, according to a Fairleigh Dickinson University Poll last year.

In a recent interview, Dan Cassino, the executive director of that polling center, said a ruling in this case ahead of the November gubernatorial election would “throw a bomb” into the race. “We’ve got candidates who are going to do their best to talk around the issue of racial segregation in schools but that issue is going to keep coming up,” Cassino previously said.

Catherine Carrera is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat Newark. Contact Catherine at ccarrera@chalkbeat.org.

School funding, expand charters: Where New Jersey governor hopefuls stand on education

2025-06-13T10:00:01+00:00

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In the election for New Jersey’s next governor, the major party candidates have diverging priorities on key local education issues, which may get overshadowed by President Donald Trump’s looming presence in the race.

The contest may also be upended by a pending lawsuit that alleges the state is responsible for fixing its racially and socioeconomically segregated public school system, which studies have found to be among the most segregated in the nation for Black and Latino students.

Democratic nominee U.S. Rep. Mikie Sherrill, whose district includes Essex County, and Republican candidate Jack Ciattarelli, a former state lawmaker, agree on a couple of areas: The state’s school funding formula needs to change and school-to-workforce programs should be expanded. But they differ in how to get there and why, and are even farther apart on other issues such as the state’s LGBTQ curriculum requirements.

For Ciattarelli, who’s endorsed by Trump, near the top of his education platform is to support charter school growth in New Jersey and to use Florida’s school voucher program as a model. For Sherrill, supporting high-quality tutoring, mental health services for students, and regional magnet schools to help address the state’s de facto segregation found in its schools are among her top priorities.

Sherrill and Ciattarelli won their respective party’s nomination in the Tuesday primary, which had the highest voter turnout in years, based on the latest unofficial primary results.

Voters selected from a pool of five candidates on the Republican side and six on the Democratic ticket, which included Newark Mayor Ras Baraka. Baraka ran a more progressive campaign to Sherill’s moderate views and received the second highest number of votes.

Gubernatorial election could make history

New Jersey’s gubernatorial election is one of two statewide elections in the country this year — Virginia, too, is electing a new governor. Political experts usually look to these races, which immediately follow a presidential election, as indicators of how voters are responding to national politics.

Considered a “blue state,” New Jersey’s roughly 2.5 million registered Democratic voters far outnumber its 1.6 million registered Republicans, but 2.4 million unaffiliated voters create unpredictability in statewide elections. In November 2024, Trump lost to former President Joe Biden by six percentage points in New Jersey, tightening the margin from his 2020 loss in the state of 16 percentage points.

The winner of this November’s election will succeed Gov. Phil Murphy, who’s in his second consecutive term, the limit set under state constitution. Not since 1970 has New Jersey elected a Democrat to the helm for more than two consecutive terms. If Sherrill wins, she would make history by becoming the first Democratic governor who’s a woman.

New Jersey is also known for having among the highest property taxes in the country and often ranked as having among the best schools, though standardized test scores show a majority of students statewide struggle to meet grade-level proficiency in reading and math.

The governor has a consequential role in laying out the state’s public education priorities and how school aid is distributed, with the authority to appoint members to the state school board and an education commissioner to lead the state’s education department.

How will candidates respond to potential federal cuts to education?

This year, federal policy may also play an outsized role in determining the education issues facing the next governor.

“In New Jersey, the cost of education in terms of taxes and the allocation, has always been a hot button issue,” said Kelly Ditmar, a political science associate professor and the research director at the Center for American Women in Politics at the Eagleton Institute at Rutgers University. “I would expect that to be true yet again this year, but with this added layer of complication given the Trump administration’s attack on public education.”

The Trump administration has taken steps to dismantle the federal Education Department and created uncertainty in state and local budgets as some federal funding for K-12 and colleges has already been cut or put at risk. A federal budget proposal for 2026, backed by Trump and making its way through Congress, would include additional cuts to social programs, public health, and preschool.

Murphy’s proposed $58.1 billion state budget, a record high spending plan, includes $22.2 billion for pre-K-12 education for fiscal year 2025-26. Political experts say there’s little to no room in the state’s budget to cover any losses from federal funding cuts.

“Neither candidate is going to want to talk about how Trump is hurting schools because then the follow-up question is, ‘What are you going to do about it?’ and the answer is, well, ‘We don’t have any solutions because we don’t have any money to fill that gap,’” said Dan Cassino, government and politics professor at Fairleigh Dickinson University and the executive director of its polling center.

School segregation case could ‘throw a bomb’ in the race

In the backdrop of this election, the state is fighting a lawsuit that alleges its public education system is racially and socioeconomically segregated due in part to longstanding residential rules that require students to attend schools in their hometown. Plaintiffs in that case, a coalition of social justice groups and families, recently filed for the case to be reviewed by the state’s appellate court. The state argued against that motion, saying the case should go back to trial court after attempts to reach a settlement in mediation failed earlier this year.

Should a judge make a consequential decision in that case within the next few months, it could be a wild card in the gubernatorial election, Cassino said.

“This has the potential to throw a bomb into this election,” he said in a phone interview on Wednesday. “We’ve got candidates who are going to do their best to talk around the issue of racial segregation in schools but that issue is going to keep coming up.”

In a voter guide published by The Jersey Bee, Sherrill was asked about school desegregation.

“I believe part of the solution should include new regional magnet schools that enroll a diverse group of students from both urban and suburban communities,” she said in her response.

On Ciattarelli’s campaign website, he mentions the state’s interdistrict public school choice program, which allows districts to opt in on a list of districts that accept students from across municipal boundaries. The program has been cited as a way to address school segregation, though Ciattarelli’s aim would be to use it as a ramp to create a private school voucher program. Those programs use public dollars to pay for a student’s private school tuition, shifting those funds from the public school district.

“Jack will expand charter schools and loosen restrictions on the interdistrict public school choice program to allow parents real choices in the schools their children attend — modeling it after Florida’s school voucher program,” the website states.

Candidates take on issue of parental rights

In recent years, under Murphy, New Jersey has adopted statewide curriculum standards that include teaching students about the historical contributions of LGBTQ people.

“Parents have a right to opt out of a lot of things but this is not an area where they should be opting out,” Sherrill, a U.S. Navy veteran, said in a primary debate when asked about whether she would support parents who want to “opt-out” their students from those lessons. “This is an area of understanding the background of people throughout our nation and right now we see, for example, in the [U.S.] Naval Academy, an erasure of history.”

In his response on a separate debate panel with the Republican candidates, Ciattarelli said, “I don’t believe we need an LGBTQ curriculum and that doesn’t mean I’m not an inclusive guy.” He added that children should be taught to “respect people and show tolerance” for people who are different from them.

Catherine Carrera is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat Newark. Contact Catherine at ccarrera@chalkbeat.org.

As the primary approaches, here’s where Newark Mayor Ras Baraka stands on key education issues

2025-06-09T08:00:00+00:00

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Newark Mayor Ras J. Baraka’s gubernatorial campaign has garnered headlines for his fervent defense of undocumented immigrants. He was arrested for allegedly trespassing at a detention facility on charges that were later dropped and then subsequently filed a lawsuit against a Trump-appointed federal prosecutor over the fiasco.

As a former Newark Public Schools student, teacher, and principal, Baraka’s rhetoric around schools on the campaign trail has also been notable and fiery.

A public education advocate, he has declared the state school funding system “broken,” criticized local charter schools, and championed school desegregation initiatives as he seeks to win the Democratic party’s ticket in the Tuesday primary. With a self-described “heavy hand” in the way Newark schools have been run since the state takeover of the district ceased, his education track record in the city could provide insight on how he would influence education on a statewide scale.

Baraka is one of six candidates vying to be the Democratic nominee. On the Republican side, five candidates are running to become their party’s nominee in the race for New Jersey’s next governor. Gov. Phil Murphy, in his second term, can’t run for another, per the state constitution.

When the Newark school district was in the process of regaining local control, residents voted to have an elected board instead of one appointed by the mayor, a choice Baraka staunchly favored. Today, the board is run by the candidates he’s backed year after year with his powerful endorsement — a show of his continued sway over city schools.

The mayor has been behind several significant educational endeavors in the city, from a literacy action plan to reengagement centers and community schools. Still, a majority of Newark students are struggling to perform on grade level in reading and math, and the district was placed on a state-approved improvement plan due to low state test scores.

Those persistent issues, he says, should be discussed within the context of the systemic challenges that Newark schools face.

“But when the state is hit, Newark is hit harder because of the deep, systemic inequities in our communities,” Baraka said in an emailed statement on Saturday. “That’s why any conversation about learning loss must also confront poverty, segregation, underfunding, and disinvestment.”

Among his commitments as governor, he added, would be to ensure “that the zip code a child is born in doesn’t determine the quality of education they receive.”

Here are three takeaways on Baraka’s approach to key statewide education issues and how he has been influential in Newark.

Revoking charters and ‘broken’ school funding formula

In a recent radio interview on WNYC while campaigning, Baraka attempted to balance his Newark views and a statewide perspective when answering a question that was critical of charter schools.

“At the end of the day, there are some charters in Newark that are doing a great job, and that’s just clear,” said Baraka, who has been decisively against the further expansion of charter schools in the city.

But, he said, the state has a process to review charter schools and “weed out” those that are poorly managed, including some in Newark “that are horrible, that are bad, that are doing a terrible job, in fact. Those schools, their charters need to be revoked. The state cannot be shy in that.”

In an emailed statement to Chalkbeat, Baraka acknowledged that traditional public schools are also struggling with some measures.

“Some charter schools in Newark are succeeding, and others are falling short, just like some traditional public schools,” he said. “What matters most to me is accountability, transparency, and equity, no matter the governance structure. We need strong public oversight to ensure that every school serves every child.”

Under the Murphy administration, charter school growth slowed down in Newark, with many charter school expansion requests denied. Baraka’s position on this would seem to take a more critical lens on charter schools, which are publicly funded but privately managed.

Charter school funding gets dispersed through the host district where the charter school resides. Public school advocates and administrators have taken issue with that funding process in addition to the funding not being reimbursed to the district if a student decides to return to the local school district mid-school year.

Baraka, in the WNYC interview, reiterated a longstanding position that state funding needs to change for charter schools and traditional public schools.

“New Jersey’s education funding system is broken,” Baraka said in a voter guide published by NJ Spotlight News. “We have more school districts than municipalities and more superintendents than mayors. It’s inefficient and inequitable.”

Baraka proposes incentivizing school desegregation

Baraka wants to incentivize school desegregation efforts that would bolster diversity, equity, and inclusion practices, which stands in stark contrast to the Trump administration’s efforts to undo policies that support DEI.

“I’ll support district consolidation and provide incentives for school desegregation, ensuring every student has access to a well-funded, diverse, and high-quality public education,” Baraka said in Spotlight’s voter guide.

Consolidating school districts, he adds, would result in cost savings and more resources. In an interview in The Jersey Bee, he noted that his approach to desegregating schools would allow for families to send their children to schools across municipal boundaries.

New Jersey has been in the courts for seven years battling a lawsuit that alleges it’s responsible for its racially and socioeconomically segregated school system.

In Newark, a highly segregated district with 90% of its student population identifying as Black or Latino, issues of racial diversity and inclusion have surfaced through the years. At the Newark School of Global Studies, for example, Black students raised allegations of racism that led to public outcry and a leaked draft report that detailed their experiences.

Baraka held a “unity” event in response to the students’ stories as a forum to discuss racial tensions in their communities. After the report leaked, he noted that efforts to resolve these issues “takes a lot more than holding forums and events. This work is an ongoing historic and cultural transformation that relies on continued curriculum focus and the student dialogue it spurs.”

What has Baraka done to improve academic outcomes in Newark?

Nearly 70% of Newark students in grades 3-9 are falling short of literacy benchmarks, around 82% aren’t meeting math standards, and 93% of fifth graders are below grade level in science, according to 2024 state test scores released in December.

The results showed limited increases over 2023, highlighting Newark’s slow recovery from pandemic-era learning upheaval.

New Jersey’s overall 2024 state test results weren’t much better than Newark’s, which would mean the next governor would face similar challenges and scrutiny.

About 47.8% of students statewide did not meet reading standards, and 60.4% were below grade level in math, state test scores showed.

With the overwhelming majority of students not meeting reading benchmarks, Baraka convened a news conference in the summer of 2023 to announce the city’s 10-point approach to the youth literacy crisis.

“It is all our responsibility to make sure that our kids are reading on grade level,” Baraka said at the time.

That plan focused on developing literacy opportunities in all city programs, improving access to books that reflect cultural and ethnic backgrounds, encouraging expectant parents to read to their children, even during the prenatal stage, and providing tutoring for students during the school day, among other points.

The city’s action plan also called on parents to enroll young children in free pre-K3 and pre-K4 programs in district or charter schools or programs led by community-based providers. The district later reported its preschool program saw a bump in the 2023-24 school year enrollment by 300 students.

Catherine Carrera is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat Newark. Contact Catherine at ccarrera@chalkbeat.org.

In school segregation case, New Jersey opposes appeal as think tank urges court to consider remedy

2025-06-03T22:44:10+00:00

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The ongoing court case that accuses New Jersey of failing to fix de facto segregation in its public school system recently marked seven years since it was filed and is no closer to resolution, as two new filings signal more years of expensive litigation ahead.

In one of the briefs submitted to the courts last week, the state opposed the plaintiffs’ recent attempt for an appeal, arguing the case should continue through a trial court. In the other, a think tank asked the court to consider an expansion to the state’s existing interdistrict school choice program as a remedy to the racial and socioeconomic imbalance that the plaintiffs have noted in their lawsuit.

Both filings come amid a divisive political climate, as policies protecting diversity, equity, and inclusion are threatened and efforts to water down the country’s racist history are rampant under a second Trump administration.

The lawsuit, filed against the state in 2018 by families and social justice groups that comprise the plaintiffs, targets school segregation on a statewide scale — a rare occurrence nationally and the first of its kind for New Jersey.

Amid the ongoing historic litigation, the state’s political climate may also be shifting as a contentious primary race for the next governor heats up between five Republican and six Democratic candidates. Some candidates, including Newark Mayor Ras Baraka, have been outspoken on where they stand on school desegregation efforts. Baraka, for instance, supports those efforts.

In the lawsuit, the plaintiffs alleged the state is responsible for the de facto racial and socioeconomic segregation that persists in its public education system of 600-plus school districts, and provided enrollment data for 23 districts with significantly high percentages of Latino and Black students who qualified for free or reduced-price lunch. The state therefore is in violation of its constitution, which is explicit in its ban on segregation, the lawsuit argued.

A 2017 UCLA Civil Rights Project study, cited in the case, found that New Jersey ranked sixth in the nation in terms of the highest segregation of Black students and seventh in segregation of Latino students.

The defendants, composed of the state school board, education department, and education commissioner, countered that segregation in 23, or 3.41%, of the state’s 674 districts didn’t establish a statewide violation.

A trial court judge issued a mixed opinion in 2023 that stopped short of ordering the state to fix its segregated school system and found the plaintiffs failed to prove segregation was statewide, which prompted the parties to attempt to reach a resolution in mediation.

That attempt ultimately failed earlier this year, leading to the plaintiffs motion in April to appeal the trial court judge’s opinion.

The state disputed the plaintiffs’ appeal in its brief last week for the appellate court to deny the plaintiffs’ request that called for the higher court to step in on the case.

Instead, the case should continue proceedings through the trial court, the attorneys for the state defendants wrote in the 46-page brief. Among the points raised, the state argued that there is insufficient legal record for an appellate court to review the case at this point.

“Rather, because of the significance of the claim, the interests of justice demand that this court review this matter only after a sufficient record is developed and the trial court has an opportunity to carefully examine the claim in light of such record,” the state’s opposition brief stated.

The state’s opposition came the same week the New Jersey Policy Institute, a new think tank group that supports school-choice efforts, filed an amicus brief, which is a legal filing to enter the court record from a party that’s not involved in the case. The group wants the courts to consider expanding the state’s existing interdistrict school choice program “as a vehicle for creating greater diversity in New Jersey schools,” the brief states.

The voluntary program, which allows school districts to opt-in as a “choice district,” has been frozen since 2015 but has a waitlist of more than 2,000 students, the group states in its brief.

The group also states that expanding the program “will produce no significant additional administrative burden for the state” since it’s been in place since 1999 and it “presents a ready-made solution that can be implemented almost immediately.”

Catherine Carrera is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat Newark. Contact Catherine at ccarrera@chalkbeat.org.

Legislador republicano de NJ exige investigación de las finanzas de las escuelas de Newark

2025-05-02T19:44:52+00:00

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Un legislador de Nueva Jersey exige que el estado investigue de inmediato los “descarados y frívolos” gastos de las escuelas de Newark en los últimos años, incluyendo $17.5 millones para un sistema de cámaras de seguridad con inteligencia artificial y $44,000 para un día de diversión del personal, entre otros costos en el presupuesto del distrito de $1,500 millones.

El asambleísta republicano Alex Sauickie, que representa partes de los condados de Middlesex, Monmouth, Ocean y Burlington, instó al comisionado estatal de educación Kevin Dehmer a auditar los presupuestos y gastos del distrito para el año académico actual y los últimos cinco años, según una carta enviada por correo electrónico compartida con Chalkbeat Newark.

“Esta petición no se hace a la ligera”, escribió Sauickie en la carta del 15 de abril. “Se basa en un creciente conjunto de información financiera disponible públicamente e informes que revelan lo que la mayoría consideraría gastos descarados y frívolos incompatibles con la responsabilidad fiduciaria esperada de un distrito que recibe más de $ 1,300 millones en dólares de los contribuyentes, la mayor parte provenientes de residentes fuera de Newark”.

El legislador del sur de Nueva Jersey, que defiende el Servicio DOGE de la administración Trump —una iniciativa que la administración dice que está destinada a recortar el gasto federal que considera derrochador— también propuso una legislación a principios de este año que asignaría un monitor fiscal a Newark y otros distritos escolares con alta pobreza.

El vocero de las escuelas públicas de Newark, Paul Brubaker, calificó las declaraciones del legislador como “ataques infundados y escandalosos” contra el distrito. Las llamadas del legislador “exponen conceptos erróneos profundamente arraigados sobre nuestro distrito y, más generalmente, los distritos escolares urbanos de Nueva Jersey”, dijo Brubaker en un comunicado enviado por correo electrónico el martes 22 de abril.

Sauickie se centra en particular en los $1,250 millones que el distrito recibió en ayuda estatal para el año escolar en curso y los $75 millones adicionales asignados al distrito para el próximo año escolar. Esa ayuda estatal marca la primera vez que Nueva Jersey financia totalmente al distrito en base a la fórmula actual de ayuda escolar.

El traslado de fondos a distritos históricamente subfinanciados, como Newark, causó algunos recortes en las ayudas estatales para los distritos que han sido sobrefinanciados según la fórmula estatal de ayuda escolar. Debido a eso, los distritos de su región han experimentado reducciones en las ayudas estatales y han tenido que enfrentar cortes difíciles y a menudo controvertidos en sus presupuestos en los últimos años, dijo Sauickie.

El distrito escolar de Jackson, por ejemplo, ha citado recortes en las ayudas estatales por su decisión de vender una escuela primaria y fusionar sus dos escuelas secundarias.

El impulso del legislador para auditar los gastos de Newark llega en un momento en que la administración de Trump está examinando los costos que considera derrochadores, fraudulentos o un abuso de la financiación a nivel federal. En las últimas semanas, la administración puso fin a los fondos federales para el alivio de la pandemia, pidió a las escuelas que acabaran con los programas de diversidad, equidad e inclusión que considera ilegales, y eliminó personal del Departamento de Educación de Estados Unidos.

El Departamento de Educación del estado no respondió a una solicitud de comentarios antes de la publicación de este artículo. Sauickie dijo que no había recibido respuesta de Dehmer o del departamento estatal de educación desde que envió la carta la semana pasada.

El distrito fue ordenado a reembolsar al estado por el uso indebido de la ayuda

Sauickie tuvo éxito en un reciente intento de investigar los gastos del distrito después de que informes periodísticos el año pasado destacaran el “día de diversión para el personal” del superintendente de Newark, Roger León, que se llevó a cabo con un costo de $44,000. Después de leer los informes, el legislador escribió una carta a Dehmer y le solicitó que se realizara una auditoría.

El Departamento de Educación del estado posteriormente auditó al distrito y determinó que debía devolver $33,650 en ayuda estatal, la cual dijo fue gastada inapropiadamente cuando se organizó el día de diversión para el personal. El evento de un día incluyó un DJ y cuatro cabinas inflables de carnaval, entre otros entretenimientos, pero carecían de componentes educativos o de desarrollo profesional, determinó la auditoría.

En su reciente carta a funcionarios estatales, Sauickie también dijo que quiere que el departamento de educación del estado investigue al superintendente del condado de Essex, Joseph S. Zarra, por el “nivel de supervisión o falta de ella” al revisar los presupuestos del distrito.

El equipo de prensa del departamento estatal de educación, que responde en nombre de los superintendentes del condado, tampoco respondió a una solicitud de respuesta de Zarra.

“Si otros distritos no han recibido la financiación que necesitan para ofrecer un programa educativo completo y eficiente, nos unimos a su petición de ayuda estatal adicional”, agregó Brubaker en su declaración por correo electrónico. “Sin embargo, todo el mundo debería tener cuidado con los legisladores que tratan de desviarse de las necesidades de sus propias comunidades haciendo declaraciones ofensivas, despectivas y falsas sobre otras comunidades, como Newark, en lugar de abordar esas necesidades directamente”.

Newark presupuestó $17.5 millones para un sistema de cámaras de seguridad de inteligencia artificial, que fue financiado en su mayor parte por fondos federales de ayuda para casos de pandemia. El distrito no ha confirmado si el gobierno federal dispersó los fondos que necesitaba para cubrir el costo de ese proyecto, que se paralizó en el otoño debido a problemas de asbesto y plomo.

En los últimos años, la Junta de Educación de Newark también ha gastado miles de dólares en viajes a conferencias desde Miami hasta Honolulu, según el consejo editorial de The Star-Ledger. En los últimos dos años, la junta escolar ha aprobado hasta $2.8 millones de dólares para atender eventos del personal, incluidas las noches de regreso a la escuela, según Tap Into Newark.

Cuando se le preguntó sobre los gastos de viaje, Brubaker dijo en un correo electrónico: “El distrito no ha gastado millones en viajes, y no controla dónde se celebran las conferencias”.

Del mismo modo, cuando se le preguntó acerca de los fondos presupuestados para los eventos con comidas y bebidas, Brubaker dijo: “Nunca lo hemos hecho”.

Este año se cumplen cinco años desde que se restauró el control local de las escuelas públicas de Newark. El distrito había estado bajo control estatal desde 1995, una medida que tenía como objetivo mejorar el rendimiento académico de los estudiantes y las finanzas del distrito. Varias escuelas de distrito fueron cerradas y vendidas durante ese tiempo, que León ha convertido en una de sus prioridades recuperar.

Traducido por Bernardo de la Cruz.

Catherine Carrera es la corresponsal jefa de Chalkbeat Newark. Comunícate con ella por correo electrónico a ccarrera@chalkbeat.org.

Esta traducción fue proporcionada por New Jersey Hispano, en asociación con el Centro de Medios Cooperativos de la Universidad Estatal de Montclair, y cuenta con el apoyo financiero del Consorcio de Información Cívica de NJ. La historia fue escrita originalmente en inglés por Chalkbeat Newark y se vuelve a publicar en virtud de un acuerdo especial para compartir contenido a través del Servicio de noticias de traducción al español de NJ News Commons.

New Jersey GOP lawmaker demands investigation into Newark schools’ finances

2025-04-23T21:55:28+00:00

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A New Jersey lawmaker is demanding that the state immediately investigate Newark schools’ “brazen and frivolous” spending in recent years, including $17.5 million for an artificial intelligence security camera system and $44,000 for a staff fun day, among other costs in the district’s $1.5 billion budget.

Republican Assemblyman Alex Sauickie, who represents parts of Middlesex, Monmouth, Ocean, and Burlington counties, urged state Education Commissioner Kevin Dehmer to audit the district’s budgets and expenditures for the current academic year and the last five years, according to an emailed letter shared with Chalkbeat Newark.

“This request is not made lightly,” wrote Sauickie in the April 15 letter. “It is based on a growing body of publicly available financial information and reports that reveal what most would consider brazen and frivolous expenditures inconsistent with the fiduciary responsibility expected of a district receiving over $1.3 billion in taxpayer dollars — most of which come from residents outside of Newark.”

The South Jersey lawmaker who champions the Trump administration’s U.S. DOGE Service — an initiative the administration says is intended to cut federal spending it considers wasteful — also proposed legislation earlier this year that would assign a fiscal monitor to Newark and other high-poverty school districts.

Newark Public Schools spokesman Paul Brubaker called the lawmaker’s statements “baseless and outrageous attacks” on the district. The calls from the lawmaker “expose deep-seated misconceptions about our district and, more generally, New Jersey’s urban school districts,” Brubaker said in an emailed statement on Tuesday.

Sauickie takes particular aim at the $1.25 billion the district received in state aid for the current school year and the additional $75 million earmarked for the district next school year. That state aid marks the first time New Jersey is fully funding the district based on the current school aid formula.

Shifting funds to historically underfunded districts, such as Newark, caused some cuts in state aid for districts that have been overfunded based on the state’s school aid formula. Because of that, districts in his region have experienced state aid reductions and have had to face difficult, and often, controversial cuts in their budgets in the last few years, Sauickie said.

The Jackson school district, for example, has cited state aid cuts for its decision to sell an elementary school and merge its two high schools.

The lawmaker’s push for auditing Newark’s spending comes at a time when the Trump administration is scrutinizing costs it considers wasteful, fraudulent, or an abuse of funding at the federal level. In recent weeks, the administration put an end to federal pandemic relief funding, asked schools to end diversity, equity, and inclusion programs it considers illegal, and gutted staffing in the U.S. Education Department.

The state Department of Education did not respond to a request for comment by publication. Sauickie said he hadn’t gotten a response from Dehmer or the state education department since he sent the letter last week.

District was ordered to refund state for misuse of aid

Sauickie was successful in a recent push to investigate the district’s spending after news reports last year highlighted Newark Superintendent Roger León’s “staff fun day,” which ran at a cost of $44,000. After reading the reports, the lawmaker wrote a letter to Dehmer and urged an audit.

The state Education Department subsequently audited the district and determined it needed to pay back $33,650 in state aid, which it said was inappropriately spent when hosting the staff fun day. The daylong event included a DJ and four inflatable carnival booths, among other entertainment, but lacked educational or professional development components, the audit determined.

In his recent letter to state officials, Sauickie also said he wants the state education department to investigate Essex County Superintendent Joseph S. Zarra for the “level of oversight or lack thereof” in reviewing the district’s budgets.

The state education department’s press team, which responds on behalf of the county superintendents, also did not respond to a request for a response from Zarra.

“If other districts have not received the funding they need to provide a thorough and efficient educational program, we join in their advocacy for additional state aid,” Brubaker added in his emailed statement. “However, everyone should be wary of legislators who attempt to deflect from the needs of their own communities by making offensive, disparaging, and false statements about other communities, like Newark, instead of tackling those needs head-on.”

Newark budgeted $17.5 million for an artificial intelligence security camera system, which was mostly funded by federal pandemic relief dollars. The district hasn’t confirmed if the federal government dispersed the funds it needed to cover the cost of that project, which was stalled in the fall due to asbestos and lead issues.

In recent years, the Newark Board of Education has also spent thousands of dollars on travel to conferences from Miami to Honolulu, according to The Star-Ledger editorial board. Over the last two years, the school board has approved up to $2.8 million for catering for staff events, including back-to-school nights, according to Tap Into Newark.

When asked about the travel expenses, Brubaker said in an email response, “The district has not spent millions on travel, and it does not control where conferences are held.”

Similarly, when asked about the budgeted funds for catering, Brubaker said, “We have never done so.”

This year marks five years since local control was fully restored for Newark Public Schools. The district had been under state takeover since 1995, a move that was intended to improve student academic performance and the district’s finances. Several district schools were closed and sold during that time, which León has made one of his priorities to reclaim.

Catherine Carrera is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat Newark. Contact Catherine at ccarrera@chalkbeat.org.

A translation of this story was provided by Bernardo de la Cruz of New Jersey Hispano in partnership with Montclair State University’s Center for Cooperative Media and is supported financially by the NJ Civic Information Consortium. The story was originally written in English by Chalkbeat Newark and is republished under a special content-sharing agreement through NJ News Commons’ Spanish Translation News Service.

New Jersey says no to Trump anti-DEI push, questions feds’ power to withhold school funding

2025-04-18T00:23:56+00:00

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New Jersey’s education chief is standing firm against the Trump administration’s pressure to eliminate diversity, equity, and inclusion practices from K-12 schools.

In a Thursday letter to the administration, Education Commissioner Kevin Dehmer said the state would not certify to the U.S. Department of Education that it has ended DEI programs the federal government considers illegal under civil rights laws. Dehmer said that the state already complies with those laws.

Dehmer’s letter was a response to an April 3 request from the Trump administration for states to certify that they’ve removed such DEI programs. The federal Education Department said that states that didn’t sign the certification would lose federal education funding.

Cutting off federal funding, specifically Title I funds, would disproportionately impact high-poverty districts — including Newark — that rely heavily on those funds to fill gaps in their budgets. Roughly $1.2 billion in federal funding is at stake for New Jersey schools, including $77 million that goes to Newark Public Schools.

In his letter, Dehmer also aimed to cast doubt on the administration’s authority to withhold federal funds on the basis of refusing to submit the certification it requested.

New Jersey Education Commissioner Kevin Dehmer said in a letter to the federal Education Department on Thursday that the state wouldn't give into the Trump administration's anti-DEI push.

Dehmer also wrote that while the administration’s request “references ‘certain DEI practices’ or ‘illegal DEI,’ it does not define those terms, and there are no known federal or New Jersey state laws prohibiting diversity, equity, or inclusion.”

New Jersey and its school districts already “fully comply with all state and federal laws and to provide protections that empower all students to realize their full potential,” Dehmer said in a statement that followed release of the letter.

Dehmer’s letter echoed what many other Democratic-led states like Pennsylvania, Illinois, and New York have said in their responses to the administration — that they’re already in compliance with civil rights laws without bowing to the Trump administration’s push against DEI. States have also questioned the legal basis for the certification request.

The administration initially gave a 10-day deadline for states to respond but then extended that deadline to April 24.

The state education department, Dehmer noted in his letter, already certified that it’s in compliance with Title VI — the section of federal law that bans discrimination on the basis of race or shared ancestry — as part of its Every Student Succeeds Act Consolidated State Plan, which outlines how a state implements federal education laws.

Additionally, Dehmer stated, local school districts certify that they’re in compliance with Title VI on an annual basis as part of the state’s grant administration process.

The state education department “is unaware of any changes in federal law or regulations that would necessitate the provision of additional certifications beyond those that it or New Jersey LEAs [local education agencies] have already provided,” Dehmer wrote in the letter.

He added, “The NJDOE questions USDE’s authority to condition continued receipt of federal funds on the submission of additional certifications.”

As of Thursday, at least 15 other states have already declined to sign the certification, according to Education Week.

Locally, teachers and students have held protests against the threats of federal cuts.

Catherine Carrera is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat Newark. Contact Catherine at ccarrera@chalkbeat.org.

New Jersey school segregation case: Plaintiffs ask higher court to step in

2025-04-17T00:41:34+00:00

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A coalition of plaintiffs that sued New Jersey for its failure to fix deeply-rooted de facto segregation in its public school system has asked a higher court to reverse a trial court decision that denied a clear ruling in their favor.

Latino Action Network and NAACP New Jersey State Conference, among other groups and families that comprise the plaintiffs, sued the state in 2018. Using publicly available data, they argued that New Jersey’s public school system, one of the most segregated in the nation, was unconstitutionally segregated by race and socioeconomic background.

A trial court judge issued a mixed opinion in 2023 that stopped short of ordering the state to fix its segregated school system, which prompted the parties to attempt to reach a resolution in mediation.

But by February, after more than a year of meetings, the mediation discussions proved fruitless, bouncing the case back to the courts just as the Trump administration began directly targeting diversity, equity, and inclusion policies and practices in K-12 and higher education spaces.

This case has been one of few nationally to address systemic racial and socioeconomic segregation on a statewide level. A decision on the case could have reverberations across the country at a time when policies to strengthen DEI practices are under threat by the federal government.

Now, the plaintiffs want the appellate court to step in and make a judgement on the state’s liability for allowing de facto segregation to endure in its school system despite it violating the state constitution — which is explicit in its ban on school segregation.

“Indeed, the trial court agreed with plaintiffs on the central constitutional questions before it and acknowledged that the state defendants failed to act to correct this segregation,” attorneys wrote in court documents filed on Tuesday in the Superior Court of New Jersey Appellate Division. “But rather than reach the only logical conclusion that followed — that the state defendants violated plaintiffs’ constitutional rights — the trial court left the question of liability for another day.”

The plaintiffs are asking the higher court to grant its motion to appeal, allow for another full briefing and argument, and reverse Judge Robert Lougy’s decision “so that the parties can finally proceed to the remedial phase of this litigation,” the court documents stated.

Opposition briefs from the defendants, which includes the state’s Education Department and education commissioner, are due April 28.

When the cases were being argued in trial court, the state’s defense pushed back on the plaintiff’s data, saying it was relying only on demographics from a select group of school districts — which included cities such as Newark and Camden — and questioned if it was a far-reaching statewide issue.

State agencies had not responded to requests for comment by publication.

Plaintiffs argue judge’s ruling had flaws

In Lougy’s 99-page opinion, he stated that the plaintiffs demonstrated persistent “racial imbalance in numerous school districts” but failed “to prove that the state’s entire educational system is unconstitutionally segregated.” The attorneys for the plaintiffs argued in court documents this week that Lougy’s conclusion “defies logic” and “fails to fulfill the court’s duty” to order remedies for “constitutional wrongs like those at issue here.”

They also argued against another part of Lougy’s opinion about there being “no practical solution” to school segregation. That finding, they stated in their argument, was “premature, irrelevant to the question of liability,” and unsupported by what was on the record, according to court documents.

In challenging Lougy’s opinion on possible solutions, the plaintiffs pointed out the possible remedies they provided during the trial court argument that would help integrate schools. Those remedies included interdistrict magnet schools and removing the state’s residency statute, which prevents families from enrolling their students across municipal boundaries.

The plaintiffs also argued that there continues to be an injustice to students across the state who are enrolled in segregated schools — defined as 90% or more of the student population identifying as non-white — the longer this case remains in litigation.

Among the plaintiffs are students who were in the fifth grade when the lawsuit was filed seven years ago and are now about to graduate from high school in two months, the court documents show. Other students among the plaintiffs had not yet started kindergarten at the time the lawsuit was filed and will be headed to the seventh grade this fall, according to court documents.

“The protracted nature of this litigation…has already delayed the resolution of this matter and caused real and irreparable harm to students,” the attorneys for the plaintiffs stated in Tuesday’s court documents. “For some, including some plaintiffs in this case, it is too late.”

Not granting the appeal or addressing the issues they presented “would consign yet another generation of New Jersey students to a similar fate,” they added.

Few are aware of New Jersey’s school segregation

New Jersey was ranked as having the sixth most segregated school system for Black students and seventh most segregated school system for Latino students in a 2017 report on the state’s segregated schools from The Civil Rights Project. Even so, most New Jersey voters were unaware of the lawsuit and few were aware that the state has among the most segregated school systems in the country, according to a Fairleigh Dickinson University Poll from the fall.

Though not originally listed as defendants in the suit, representatives of charter schools and renaissance schools became intervenors on the case, meaning they have a stake in its outcome. In New Jersey, renaissance schools are a charter-district hybrid, run by a nonprofit but funded by the public school district at a greater rate than charter schools.

Charter school representatives have previously stated that charter schools could play a role in integrating public schools as they allow for enrollment across municipal boundaries.

Recent research has shown racial and economic school segregation has increased in the last 30 years nationwide, particularly in large school districts. A 2024 report out of Stanford and the University of Southern California found that policies favoring school choice and parental preference, in addition to the end of court oversight that required school integration for certain districts, were two major drivers of the increase.

Catherine Carrera is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat Newark. Contact Catherine at ccarrera@chalkbeat.org.

New Jersey could lose $1.2 billion for K-12 schools as Trump administration threatens DEI practices

2025-04-04T23:39:41+00:00

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Roughly $1.2 billion in federal funding for New Jersey schools is at stake after the Trump administration on Thursday demanded that state education departments adhere to the administration’s controversial stance against diversity, equity, and inclusion programs in public schools.

Federal education officials gave state education agencies 10 days to certify that they are eliminating DEI efforts that the Trump administration deems unlawful under its interpretation of federal civil rights law in order to receive federal funding. Some experts question the order’s legality.

Thursday’s directive from the U.S. Education Department threatens $77 million in federal funding for Newark, the state’s largest district. That funding makes up around 5% of its $1.5 billion budget.

New Jersey Department of Education officials were reviewing the federal government’s latest memo “to determine the appropriate next steps,” spokesman Michael Yaple said in an emailed statement Friday. “The NJDOE remains steadfast in our commitment to work with school districts to ensure all students receive equitable access to high-quality education.”

Yaple did not expand on how the state education department will respond to the 10-day deadline but added that it “will provide updates on the process as it evolves.”

The federal government’s directive broadly says that states failing to comply risk losing all federal funding, but it specifically references withholding Title I funds that support high-poverty schools. Some experts, though, are questioning the order’s legality.

“Threatening federal funding for our schools, and especially our low-income and special needs students, is cruel and reckless,” state Attorney General Matthew Platkin said Thursday on X, formerly known as Twitter. “We’ll fight any attempt to take away this critical funding.”

The state Office of Attorney General did not provide more information on Platkin’s statement on Friday. Some elected officials and state education department leaders have started taking a forceful stance against the threat, including Chicago’s mayor who said he planned to file a lawsuit if the administration follows through on its threat to withhold funds.

This latest attack on DEI in schools comes just days after another setback to federal funding: Education department officials announced that they would not honor deadline extensions to spend COVID aid that had been approved by the Biden administration.

As a result, 20 school districts across New Jersey, including Newark, could lose an additional $85 million in federal funding for infrastructure projects that are already in progress.

“These cuts are reckless and irresponsible, allowing us very little time for contingency plans,” Gov. Phil Murphy said in a statement earlier in the week. It remained unclear how districts would be affected by the federal government’s decision to take back those funds or how the gap in funding would be addressed.

The threats to federal funding for public schools come as districts across the state are approving budgets for the 2025-26 school year. School budgets are largely supported by state and local taxes, but federal funding plays a key role in covering services for students with disabilities, homeless students, low-income students, students learning English as a second language, and school lunch programs.

New Jersey’s K-12 schools receive $1.2 billion in federal funding, of which roughly $460 million is Title I funding for lower-income students and about $430 million is earmarked for students with disabilities under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. The remainder of those federal dollars go toward Head Start programs and other programs the federal government is required to help fund, such as Title III, which supports English language learners.

For a large district like Newark with a significant population of low-income students and students with disabilities, its $76.8 million in federal funding can go a long way as $23.9 million is set aside for Title I needs and $11.6 million is earmarked for students with disabilities. About $9 million helps to cover the district’s Head Start program, while the remaining funds help cover other federally mandated programs.

Last month, Platkin joined 14 other state attorneys general to issue guidance for K-12 schools and higher education institutions that countered efforts by the federal government to eliminate education policies promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion.

In a statement Friday, the state Department of Education said that districts should continue to refer to that guidance in light of the latest directive this week.

“Indeed, providing a welcoming, supportive educational environment free of discrimination in all its forms is central not only to longstanding practice and values in New Jersey schools, but to New Jersey law,” state Education Commissioner Kevin Dehmer said last month in a notice to school districts about where the state stands on DEI practices.

Newark leaders have been outspoken about protecting the federal funding that the district receives while continuing to support programs that promote diversity. Mayor Ras Baraka said last month at a teachers union-led rally against federal funding cuts that the threats target the city’s working-class families.

In a phone interview Thursday, Newark Teachers Union President John Abeigon said that he hopes the state and district leaders take a strong stance against the latest threat.

“We don’t have any programs that discriminate against any students or teachers,” Abeigon said. “I hope the districts and states push back on this — leave us alone.”

Mark Weber, an education policy analyst at New Jersey Policy Perspective, a nonpartisan think tank, said that lower-income districts would be hardest hit if federal funding is pulled back given that Title I funding is based on the concentration of low-income students in a district.

“The districts that are getting more Title I funding are going to have more children of color in them and those are exactly the students that DEI programs are supposed to be helping,” Weber said in a phone interview Friday. “It’s absurd that we’re talking about programming geared toward children whose districts need more federal funds.”

Catherine Carrera is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat Newark. Contact Catherine at ccarrera@chalkbeat.org.

Newark Board of Education 2025 election: Meet the candidates

2025-04-02T20:16:42+00:00

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As Newark residents prepare to vote on April 15 to fill three seats on the Board of Education election, Chalkbeat Newark has put together a guide so voters can learn more about the candidates.

The guide includes what each candidate says about who they are, where they stand on key issues, and why they should be elected.

In total, 11 candidates are running in this year’s election — a historic one, as it will be the first time 16- and 17-year-olds in the city and state vote in a local school board election. Each of the seats up for election has a three-year term.

The sole incumbent, Kanileah Anderson, is running on the “Moving Newark Schools Forward” slate with newcomers Louis Maisonave Jr. and David Daughety.

Returning candidate Ade’Kamil Kelly, on the “Prioritizing Newark’s Children” slate, is also running alongside two newcomers, Shana Melius and Nathanael Barthelemy.

Five other candidates are running independently, including Elaine Asyah Aquil, Dewayne Bush, Yolanda Johnson, Jordy Nivar, and Latoya Tucker-Jackson.

For voters planning to vote by mail, the deadline to apply for a main-in ballot is April 8 if applying by mail and April 14 if applying in person. (Vote by mail applications are available in English and Spanish.)

There’s also a deadline of April 15 — the day of the election — to submit the mail-in ballots by mail or in-person to the Essex County Board of Elections or at an authorized ballot drop box.

For voters planning to vote in person on April 15, polling locations are listed here in English and Spanish.

To better understand each candidate’s views on key issues, Chalkbeat Newark sent them a few questions, including two submitted by readers. All of the candidates responded except for Dewayne Bush.

Here’s what they said in their own words. Responses were lightly edited for clarity and length, not grammatical errors.

This Newark teacher helps his students apply the ‘universal language’ of math to the real world

2025-03-20T10:00:01+00:00

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El Houcin Houssam was always fascinated by mathematics and thought he would take his number skills into the financial services industry.

But it turned out it wasn’t the business of numbers that fascinated him.

“I realized that what truly motivated me wasn’t working with numbers in a business setting,” said Houssam, a math teacher at West Side High School in Newark. “It was helping others understand and appreciate math.”

Now in his sixth year of teaching, Houssam has been named the 2024-25 Essex County Teacher of the Year, cited for helping his students pursue careers in science, engineering, and math.

Houssam’s recognition was celebrated on Feb. 28 at the Montclair State University College for Education and Engaged Learning’s annual Evening of Gratitude Dinner. In addition to teaching Algebra 2 and AP Calculus AB, Houssam serves as an advisor for the school’s debate club, where he encourages students to “embrace challenges” and build empathy.

He recently spoke with Chalkbeat about the personal finance lesson he loves to teach, his own experience as an English language learner, and his advice for high school debaters.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

What was your reaction to being named the 2024-25 Essex County Teacher of the Year? What does this recognition mean to you?

It was a mix of excitement, gratitude, and a little disbelief. Teaching is something I put my heart into every day, so to be recognized in this way felt really special.

This recognition means a lot to me, not just as a personal achievement, but because it highlights the hard work of all teachers who go above and beyond for their students. It’s a reminder that the impact we make in the classroom is seen and valued. More than anything, it motivates me to continue growing as an educator and to use this platform to advocate for my students and fellow teachers.

How and when did you decide to become a teacher? What interested you about mathematics?

I didn’t always know I wanted to be a teacher. In fact, my journey into education wasn’t a straight path. I originally studied Mathematics of Finance, thinking I would go into the financial industry. But over time, I realized that what truly motivated me wasn’t working with numbers in a business setting — it was helping others understand and appreciate math.

The turning point came when I started tutoring at Essex County College. That’s where I realized the joy and impact of helping students truly understand difficult concepts. I saw how much of a difference I could make in someone’s confidence and understanding. That’s when I decided to pursue teaching and earned my Master of Arts in Teaching.

Mathematics has always fascinated me because it’s like a universal language. It’s logical, structured, and yet, so creative. I love how math connects to real life, from the patterns in nature to the way businesses operate. But what really drew me in was the challenge — there’s always a problem to solve, and I enjoy guiding students to find solutions in their own way.

What is your favorite lesson to teach and why?

One of my favorite lessons to teach is exponential functions, especially when exploring compound interest. I love this lesson because it connects math to real-life situations that students can relate to, like saving money, investing, and understanding how loans work.

It’s always rewarding to see students realize how powerful math is beyond the classroom. When they grasp how small investments can grow over time or how interest rates affect debt, it sparks curiosity and deeper discussions about financial responsibility. Plus, I enjoy showing them that math isn’t just about numbers — it’s about making informed decisions that impact their future.

As the debate club advisor, what advice do you have for your students?

As the debate club advisor, my biggest advice to my students is to always be prepared, stay open-minded, and listen just as much as they speak. A strong debater isn’t just someone who argues well but someone who understands different perspectives and responds with logic, evidence, and confidence.

I also encourage them to embrace challenges. Some debates will be tough, and they might have to argue a position they don’t personally agree with — that’s where real growth happens. It teaches critical thinking, empathy, and the ability to adapt under pressure.

Tell us about your own experience with school and how it affects your work today.

As a student, I faced challenges, especially learning in a new language after moving to the U.S. from Morocco. My native language is Arabic, and I also speak French. Learning English as my third language was definitely a challenge, but it also gave me a unique perspective on the struggles that many students face when learning something new.

I know what it’s like to struggle, to feel out of place, and to work hard to catch up. But I also know the impact of great teachers — those who saw my potential, believed in me, and pushed me to succeed.

That experience drives me to be that kind of teacher for my students. I focus on building relationships, creating a supportive classroom, and making math accessible to all learners. I want my students to know that challenges don’t define them. Their effort, resilience, and willingness to learn do.

What’s something happening in the community that affects what goes on inside your classroom?

Many of my students face obstacles like food insecurity, housing instability, and limited access to academic resources outside of school, which impact their focus, attendance, and engagement in learning.

How do you take care of yourself when you’re not at work?

I take care of myself by staying active and spending time outdoors. I love playing soccer and going on hikes — it helps me clear my mind and stay energized. Traveling is also a big part of my life because it allows me to experience new cultures and perspectives, which I bring back into my teaching.

Beyond that, I make time for family and friends, which keeps me grounded. Teaching can be demanding, so I try to find balance by doing things that bring me joy and help me recharge.

Catherine Carrera is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat Newark. Contact Catherine at ccarrera@chalkbeat.org.

Escuelas de Newark podrían recibir $1,300 millones bajo el plan presupuestal de 2026 de Phil Murphy

2025-03-07T23:00:28+00:00

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En el plan de gasto de $58,100 millones propuesto por el gobernador de Nueva Jersey, Phil Murphy, para 2026, las escuelas de Newark obtendrían una cifra récord de $1,300 millones —un aumento del 6% en la ayuda estatal durante el año actual— bajo una fórmula actualizada de financiamiento escolar destinada a proporcionar más estabilidad a los distritos que la actual.

Alrededor de $22,200 millones —o un tercio— del presupuesto propuesto para el próximo año fiscal que comienza el 1 de julio, se destinaría a financiar la educación pre-K-12 en el estado, dijo el gobernador en su discurso presupuestario esta semana. De esa considerable porción, $12,100 millones cubrirían la ayuda estatal a las escuelas, un aumento de $386 millones en ayuda durante el actual año fiscal, según el presupuesto del gobernador en breve.

“Durante los últimos ocho años, el gobernador Murphy se ha asegurado de que el sistema de educación pública permanezca a la vanguardia de sus prioridades para Nueva Jersey y este presupuesto refleja esto”, dijo el comisionado de educación Kevin Dehmer en una llamada con reporteros el jueves.

El Departamento de Educación del estado publicó los estimados de ayuda escolar para el año escolar 2025-26 el jueves y celebró una llamada a la prensa para discutir los cambios propuestos en la fórmula de financiación escolar.

La fórmula actualizada limitaría los aumentos y recortes anuales de la financiación estatal, cambiaría la forma en que se calcula la matrícula en educación especial y permitiría a los distritos aumentar el impuesto escolar por encima del límite actual del 2%.

“Esos ajustes reflejan los temas más comunes e importantes que hemos escuchado de educadores y defensores a lo largo de los años”, afirmó Dehmer, agregando que durante el año pasado el departamento celebró audiencias públicas regionales en todo el estado para discutir la actualización de la fórmula de 17 años.

Algunos cambios básicos incluyeron ajustes para los costos reales, como los salarios actualizados de los maestros, los costos de los beneficios de salud y el costo de la energía para tener en cuenta la inflación, dijo Dehmer. La fórmula actualizada también incluiría el costo de los programas de salud mental en las escuelas y las nuevas prácticas de seguridad.

Sin embargo, estos cambios solo se aplicarían al próximo año fiscal. Si los legisladores decidieran mantener la fórmula actualizada, sería necesario codificarla en una legislación separada.

Este año fue la primera vez que distritos históricamente subfinanciados, incluyendo Newark, recibieron su parte completa de ayuda estatal bajo la fórmula actual desde que se promulgó la Ley de Reforma de Financiamiento Escolar en 2008. Si bien algunos distritos experimentaron un aumento de la financiación, otros sufrieron recortes significativos que hicieron difícil equilibrar el presupuesto.

En un esfuerzo por crear más estabilidad, la propuesta limita los recortes de ayuda este año al 3% y establece un límite máximo de aumentos del 6% en cuatro categorías principales de ayuda estatal: transporte, educación especial, igualación y seguridad.

La fórmula actualizada también calcularía la ayuda para educación especial utilizando las cifras más recientes de matrícula en educación especial de un distrito, en lugar del enfoque actual de utilizar una estimación basada en el censo.

“Queda claro por la abrumadora respuesta que el cambio a usar la matrícula de educación especial es el enfoque preferido”, dijo Dehmer el jueves.

Otro cambio significativo en la propuesta permitiría a “algunos distritos” aumentar el impuesto escolar más allá del límite actual del 2%, pero aún no se ha publicado cómo determinará el departamento qué distritos recibirían esa oportunidad, explicó Dehmer. Algunos distritos, entre ellos Newark, por ejemplo, no están aumentando su cuota local de acuerdo con la fórmula actual debido al límite impositivo, pero esta flexibilidad les permitiría hacerlo.

“Todavía estamos planeando los detalles de exactamente cómo se verá eso”, dijo Dehmer. “En general, vamos a apuntar a los distritos que están aplicando los impuestos por debajo de la cuota local para darles la oportunidad de alcanzar ese nivel de ingresos locales”.

En su discurso del presupuesto, Murphy dijo que el estado tendría que tomar un camino diferente si los recortes anticipados de fondos federales causaran una interrupción, pero no compartió exactamente lo que eso significaría para las prioridades presupuestarias, incluida la educación.

Dehmer dijo que el Departamento de Educación del estado ha aconsejado a los distritos escolares que planifiquen una ligera reducción en la financiación federal mientras preparan sus presupuestos para el próximo año escolar, lo cual ha sido práctica habitual.

“Realmente no sabemos exactamente lo que va a sacudir a nivel federal, así que estamos vigilando eso de cerca”, afirmó Dehmer. “Los distritos ya planean una ligera reducción año tras año y hemos aconsejado a los distritos que planifiquen potencialmente incluso un poco menos, solo para ser conservadores”.

Traducido por Bernardo de la Cruz.

Esta traducción fue proporcionada por New Jersey Hispano, en asociación con el Centro de Medios Cooperativos de la Universidad Estatal de Montclair, y cuenta con el apoyo financiero del Consorcio de Información Cívica de NJ. La historia fue escrita originalmente en inglés por Chalkbeat Newark y se vuelve a publicar en virtud de un acuerdo especial para compartir contenido a través del Servicio de noticias de traducción al español de NJ News Commons.

Catherine Carrera es la corresponsal jefa de Chalkbeat Newark. Comunícate con ella por correo electrónico a ccarrera@chalkbeat.org.

‘Stop the cuts!’: Educators, school activists rally to protect federal funding for public education

2025-03-04T21:36:06+00:00

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On a cloudy, cold Tuesday morning, a cluster of teachers and community activists in Newark chanted “Stop the cuts!” as they stood in their coats outside an elementary school that serves the district’s students with disabilities.

In a Philadelphia school auditorium, teachers, district officials, and lawmakers faced more than a dozen students with disabilities and promised to protect the educational services those students rely on.

In Chicago, the rain came down as more than 20 union members stood in front of Minnie Miñoso Academy elementary to join educators across the country to rally support for public schools and urge lawmakers not to cut federal funding.

The rallies on Tuesday were part of a national effort led by the American Federation of Teachers to protest threats to cut federal funding for education. The “Protect Our Kids” day of action came as newly-installed Education Secretary Linda McMahon prepares to overhaul the federal education department and shift how the agency operates.

McMahon, sworn into office a day before, promised senators at her confirmation hearing that key funding streams, such as for students with disabilities, won’t be harmed. But many advocates fear plans to upend the education department could affect federal support for low-income students, students with disabilities, first-generation college students, and other vulnerable groups.

Republican budget proposals already call for significant cuts to school meals programs and to programs overseen by the House Energy and Commerce Committee, which include Medicaid. Those are important sources of money for public schools. And public education supporters fear even steeper reductions in education spending as Republicans look for ways to pay for President Donald Trump’s tax cuts.

“The millions of children and young adults who get funding to help them in literacy, to help them with occupational therapy and physical therapy, to help them go to college, to help them with hands-on learning — that’s what the federal government spends this money for,” said AFT President Randi Weingarten in a virtual press conference. “It goes directly to schools for these kinds of services.”

Across the country, in small towns and big cities, thousands of educators donned “Red for Ed” shirts and held walk-ins at their schools — and posted on social media using the hashtag #ProtectOurKids — to explain how taxpayer money funds necessary educational services.

Public schools are governed by local school boards and primarily supported by local property taxes and other state revenues. The federal government provides funding and support for school lunch programs, students with disabilities, homeless students, those from low-income families, and students learning English.

Newark schools receive roughly $80 million in federal funding, about 10% of the district’s annual budget. Philly schools receive more than $500 million in federal support, roughly 10% of that district’s budget, while Chicago Public Schools receives $1.3 billion, about 16% of its budget.

Outside of New Jersey Regional Day School in Newark, a few dozen educators and local leaders gathered Tuesday morning to call for protections to critical federal programs that support students with disabilities.

Newark at risk of losing pipeline of student teachers

In Newark, city and school leaders joined educators and student teachers outside New Jersey Regional Day School, one of five specialized schools that serve students with disabilities in the Newark Public Schools district.

Beck Akinyemi, a student teacher pursuing their teaching certification at Montclair State University, stood alongside peers and held up a sign that read “stop the attack on education.” Akinyemi is part of the latest cohort of students supported by the Teacher Quality Partnership grant, a federal grant program that helps prepare teachers for high-need schools and subject areas through a teacher residency with partner school districts.

But Akinyemi is at risk of not completing the program after the federal education department canceled the grant at Montclair State in February. Partner districts of the program, such as Newark Public Schools, could lose their pipeline of qualified teachers due to the cuts.

“Not only will this affect all the necessary social roles schools play in our communities, they will affect the future of the next generation of educators,” Akinyemi said.

Newark Mayor Ras Baraka called the threats of federal funding cuts an attack on public school education and working class families.

“We need to do what we can to support the folks here, the organizations here, and make sure the funding remains solid and stationary,” Baraka said in front of a small crowd of educators, student teachers, and union members who chanted “stop the cuts” after his speech.

New Jersey receives around $1 billion in federal funding every year for education, and about half of that money is used for programs serving students with disabilities under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. Of the $1 billion, New Jersey receives over $460 million in IDEA funding, according to the Education Law Center. This school year, Newark received $66 million in special education aid from the state, according to the district’s latest budget.

Last week, the Newark Board of Education joined school boards nationwide, including Philadelphia, in passing a resolution to formally oppose the Republican congressional budget proposals and Trump administration threats to education funding more broadly.

In Philadelphia, special education cuts would be ‘catastrophic,’ leaders say

As part of Tuesday’s nationwide protests, Philly educators, city officials, and district representatives rallied at Widener Memorial School – the only public school in Pennsylvania that exclusively serves students with disabilities and diverse learners.

Widener student Taisha Cruz, who uses a wheelchair, said her school and the funding it receives “gives us a sense of freedom you will never understand.”

At the rally, the Philadelphia Federation of Teachers union described in detail what city students would lose if IDEA funds were cut.

Acting Pennsylvania Secretary of Education Carrie Rowe has said deep cuts to education programs “would be nothing short of catastrophic” and “would cause irreparable harm,” to all students, especially those students with disabilities.

According to the PFT, Philly schools receive $178 million in Title I funding, $56 million in special education funds, $7 million for career and technical education programs, and $86 million for school meal reimbursements in addition to federal grants for school facilities, prekindergarten programs, and more.

Funding cuts could threaten the very existence of Widener, which relies on federal funds to support small class sizes, paraprofessionals and teacher aides, physical and occupational therapy, speech and language therapy, and activities including wheelchair basketball.

“All of this would not be possible without the funding that comes from IDEA,” said Widener principal Theresa Harrington.

A sign in the school’s lobby showed upcoming student trips to the zoo, the city’s flower show, and dress-up days for “superheroes vs villains” and “mismatch day.”

Several city and state officeholders warned funding cuts would cause a crisis in Philly schools likely to be felt for years.

“I never thought the day would come when we would look at the possibility of education being dismantled from the federal level,” said City Councilmember Isaiah Thomas, chair of the education committee.“This will have an impact on generations to come.”

Taisha Cruz, a junior at Widener Memorial School, joined educators at her school during a rally to support federal funding for education.

Chicago teachers want contract to protect schools from federal ‘foolery’

Those messages were echoed in Chicago where Chicago Teachers Union leaders and members joined the AFT campaign while also rallying around its remaining contract demands. As McMahon moves to make drastic changes to the way the federal education department runs, the clock is ticking toward a possible strike in the country’s fourth largest school district.

Standing in the rain outside Minnie Miñoso Academy Tuesday morning, CTU President Stacy Davis Gates said the union’s contract fight is aimed at “fortifying our school communities against the encroachment of the federal government and its foolery.”

“To sit here and say that special education services are not needed, that Title I is not needed, is an affront to all the sacrifice that’s been made to create this institution called public education,” said Jitu Brown, a recently-elected Chicago school board member and longtime activist who has organized marches in Washington, D.C. with the national Journey for Justice Alliance.

Chicago is shifting away from a school system under mayoral control to one governed by elected representatives. The current partially-elected, 21-member board is grappling with budget challenges now that federal COVID relief money has disappeared.

“Now is not the time to mourn. Now is the time to organize,” Brown said. “They may run D.C., but they don’t run Chicago.”

Dale Mezzacappa contributed to this story.

Carly Sitrin is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat Philadelphia. Contact Carly at csitrin@chalkbeat.org.

Becky Vevea is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat Chicago. Contact Becky at bvevea@chalkbeat.org.

Jessie Gómez is a reporter for Chalkbeat Newark, covering public education in the city. Contact Jessie at jgomez@chalkbeat.org.

Catherine Carrera is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat Newark. Contact Catherine at ccarrera@chalkbeat.org.

Newark schools would get $1.3 billion in aid under Gov. Phil Murphy’s 2026 budget plan

2025-02-28T21:52:35+00:00

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In New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy’s proposed $58.1 billion spending plan for 2026, Newark schools would get a record-high $1.3 billion — a 6% bump in state aid over the current year — under an updated school funding formula meant to provide more stability for districts than the current one.

About $22.2 billion — or one-third — of the proposed budget for the next fiscal year that begins July 1, would go toward funding pre-K-12 education in the state, the governor said in his budget address earlier this week. From that hefty portion, $12.1 billion would cover state school aid, a $386 million increase in aid over the current fiscal year, according to the governor’s budget-in-brief.

“Over the last eight years, Gov. Murphy has ensured that the public education system remains at the forefront of his priorities for New Jersey and this budget is no different,” Education Commissioner Kevin Dehmer said in a call with reporters on Thursday.

The state Education Department released school aid estimates for the 2025-26 school year on Thursday and held a press call to discuss the proposed changes to the school funding formula.

The updated formula would cap year-to-year increases and cuts to state funding, change the way special education enrollment is calculated, and allow districts to increase the school tax levy above the current 2% cap.

“Those adjustments reflect the most common and significant themes we heard from educators and advocates over the years,” Dehmer said, adding that over the past year the department held regional public hearings statewide to discuss updating the 17-year-old formula.

Some basic changes included adjustments for actual costs, such as updated teacher salaries, health benefits costs, and the cost of utilities to account for inflation, Dehmer said. The updated formula would also account for the cost of schools’ mental health programs and newer security practices.

These changes, however, would only apply to the next fiscal year. Should lawmakers move to keep the updated formula, it would need to be codified in separate legislation.

This year marked the first time that historically underfunded districts, including Newark, received their full share of state aid under the current formula since the School Funding Reform Act was enacted in 2008. While some districts saw an upward swing in funding, others experienced significant cuts that made it difficult to balance a budget.

In an effort to create more stability, the proposal limits cuts in aid this year to 3% and places a cap on increases at 6% across four main state aid categories: transportation, special education, equalization, and security aid.

The updated formula would also calculate special education aid using a district’s most recent special education enrollment figures, instead of the current approach of using a census-based estimate.

“It’s clear from overwhelming feedback that the shift to using special education enrollment is the preferred approach,” Dehmer said on Thursday.

Another significant change in the proposal would allow “some districts” to increase the school tax levy by more than the current 2% cap — but how the department will determine which districts would be granted that opportunity has yet to be released, Dehmer said. Some districts, including Newark, for example, are not raising their local fair share per the current formula because of the tax cap, but this flexibility would allow them to do that.

“We’re still planning the details of exactly what that will look like,” Dehmer said. “In general, we’re going to be targeting those districts that are taxing below local fair share to give them the opportunity to get up to that level of local revenue.”

In his budget address, Murphy said the state would need to take a different path if anticipated federal funding cuts cause a disruption, but he didn’t share exactly what that would mean for budget priorities, including education.

Dehmer said the state education department has advised school districts to plan for a slight reduction in federal funding as they prepare their budgets for next school year, which has been customary practice.

“We really don’t know exactly what’s going to shake out at the federal level so we’re keeping a close eye on that,” Dehmer said. “Districts already plan for a slight reduction year-over-year and we have advised districts to plan for potentially even a little bit less, just to be conservative.”

Catherine Carrera is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat Newark. Contact Catherine at ccarrera@chalkbeat.org.

Have a question for the 2025 Newark school board candidates? Help us build a voter guide.

2025-02-27T23:16:52+00:00

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The 2025 Newark school board election on April 15 will be a historic one as the city’s 16- and 17-year-olds will get to exercise their newly established right to vote — a first for the city and New Jersey.

Ahead of the election, Chalkbeat Newark wants to know what questions the school community has for the 12 candidates, including one incumbent, who have submitted their bid to compete for three three-year seats on the board.

The questions will help build Chalkbeat’s 2025 voter guide, a digital tool with essential information about the candidates’ positions to help voters make informed decisions this spring.

Newark’s nine-member board of education establishes district policies and goals, and holds Superintendent Roger León accountable for his responsibilities, which entail leading and guiding the district and staff members in accordance with those policies and goals. The board oversees the district’s $1.5 billion dollar budget, approves curriculum, and serves as the bridge between the community and the school system.

In recent years, the board’s focus has been on improving student performance on literacy, math, and science state exams as the district is currently under a state-approved improvement plan.

Board members Crystal Williams and Daniel Gonzalez, whose seats are up for grabs this year, will not be seeking reelection. Williams is completing her first and only term. Gonzalez has been on the board since 2021, when he was first elected to a one-year term and then subsequently ran with Williams in 2022 for a full term.

The pool of candidates includes incumbent Kanileah Anderson running on the Newark Schools Forward slate with newcomers Louis Maisonave, a city firefighter, and David Daughety, a Newark Public Schools graduate who serves on the city’s Civilian Complaint Review Board Commission.

Looking for a guide on how to vote in the election? Newark students created one here.

Returning candidates Latoya Tucker-Jackson and Yolanda Johnson are also running, along with Dewayne Bush, Jordy Nivar, John Farrell, and Elaine Asyah Aquil. Running on the Prioritizing Newark’s Children slate is another returning candidate Ade’ Kamil Kelly, along with newcomers Nathanael Barthelemy and Shana Melius.

Residents must register to vote in the April election by March 25. The last day to apply by mail for a vote-by-mail ballot is a week before the election. Voting in person at designated polling locations takes place on April 15.

In the form below, let us know what questions you have for the candidates by Friday, March 7.

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Catherine Carrera is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat Newark. Contact Catherine at ccarrera@chalkbeat.org.

Cellphone ban, school aid: Key education priorities in New Jersey governor’s 2026 budget

2025-02-25T23:56:36+00:00

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New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy proposed $22.2 billion for pre-K-12 education in his 2026 budget, which would include $12.1 billion in school aid, $3 million for a school cellphone ban initiative, and $7.5 million to support high-impact tutoring.

The proposed budget for the next fiscal year, which begins July 1, reflects a roughly $500 million increase in school aid over last year and would mark the second consecutive year that the Murphy administration fully funds the state’s school funding formula.

“With every budget we have introduced, we have provided record-high funding for our K-12 schools,” Murphy said in his budget address in the Assembly Chamber at the statehouse in Trenton on Tuesday. “With our final budget, we will once again fully fund New Jersey’s public education system.”

Before a room full of politicians, former governors, community advocates, and other invited guests, Murphy outlined his $58.1 billion overall state spending plan, which makes hefty appropriations to property tax relief programs and public worker pensions, and includes a proposed surplus of $6.3 billion.

Murphy’s education agenda for his final year in office comes as the federal Department of Education faces potentially consequential disruptions and uncertainty about federal funding looms. To that end, the two-term-limited Democratic governor said the plans would likely need to be modified should an emergency situation arise.

“While I sincerely hope that the situation in Washington settles down, and that we, in turn, have a normal, healthy budget season over the next few months — that is by no means a guarantee,” Murphy said. “There is a distinct possibility that we will, instead, need to pursue a ‘break the glass’ strategy. What that looks like, we cannot yet say. But we must acknowledge and adapt to this new reality.”

Murphy repeated a message from his State of the State address last month: that he intends to work with the Trump Administration. But, he added, he will also defend the civil rights of all residents, including immigrant families and the LGBTQ+ community, as well as the rights of educators “to teach the full truth of our history.”

The proposed spending plan must go through negotiations with lawmakers and stakeholders over the next few months before it’s finalized by the June 30 deadline.

Cellphone ban a ‘win-win-win’

Murphy has joined a growing trend nationwide to ban cellphone use during school, following announcements from New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, California Gov. Gavin Newsom, and Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker. Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer also plans to make an announcement this week to implement the initiative in that state.

The proposed $3 million will be available to districts through a competitive grant process to offset the cost for tools that help keep phones out of reach, such as pouches.

Murphy said he believes the initiative is a “win-win-win” for teachers, parents, and students. Without cellphones, “our students can remain focused on their studies, and our educators don’t have to compete with TikTok for their attention,” he said on Tuesday.

New Jersey lawmakers proposed a bill late last year, currently pending action, that would direct the state’s education commissioner to meet with school stakeholders as the education department works on developing cellphone and social media policies.

The excessive use of smartphones and social media can have detrimental effects on youth mental health and academic performance, according to recent studies. In national surveys, many educators have said cellphones are a major distraction in the classroom and most adults support a ban on classroom cellphone use.

However, parents have raised concerns about cellphone bans and there is evidence in other surveys that parents want their children to have a phone in school in case of an emergency.

In Newark Public Schools, the current policy states that electronic devices and cellphones may be brought to school but students may not use them to make calls or take photos or videos from within the school building, unless they receive permission from a school administrator.

Want to share your opinion on policies to limit cellphone usage in your school? Take our survey.

Increases in school aid for some districts, limits to cuts for others

Throughout Murphy’s tenure, state aid to underfunded districts, including Newark, has been increasing incrementally to fulfill the school aid formula established in 2008. The state has used a weighted student formula created under the School Funding Reform Act to give districts financial support in addition to local taxes to help ensure that every student is provided a “thorough and efficient” education, as stipulated in the state constitution. However, the state didn’t provide the full amount owed to underfunded schools until this current fiscal year.

While much-needed funding has increased for historically underfunded districts, other districts have experienced significant cuts. Murphy’s proposal addresses concerns from those districts by capping cuts this year to no more than 3%.

Though the significant increases in school aid for poor districts have received much praise, education advocates say the formula is in serious need of key updates and revisions to meet today’s educational standards.

In the current fiscal year, Newark received a record-high $1.25 billion in aid, which made up roughly 82.3% of the district’s $1.5 billion budget for the 2024-25 school year. Yet, the district remained underfunded per the formula by roughly $112 million due to the local fair share of property taxes.

On Thursday, the governor’s office plans to announce the estimated state aid for school districts. Districts will be able to use those estimates to finalize their own budget proposals for next school year.

Schools Development Authority still needs more funding

Murphy’s proposed budget also includes $350 million for the state Schools Development Authority, the agency responsible for funding school construction projects in Newark and 30 other high-poverty districts in the state. This amount follows a funding schedule established in 2023, according to the governor’s budget-in-brief.

There is an additional $50 million for the SDA from the budget’s general fund to support capital projects in SDA districts, which falls significantly short of the $500 million that a coalition of advocates recently said these districts desperately need for capital projects.

“If significant funding is not appropriated now, the NJSDA may not be able to continue capital projects past the year 2030,” said Nikki Baker, the lead organizer for the coalition Healthy Schools Now. “School facilities funding must be an education priority.”

The expansion of free universal pre-K has been a hallmark of Murphy’s education agenda. As part of his education plan for his final year, Murphy’s plan includes an additional $34.6 million in new funding to continue that program.

He also sets aside $1 million in the budget to incentivize towns to join Newark in lowering the voting age to allow 16- and 17-year-olds to cast ballots in local school board elections. Newark teens will get to vote in the school board election for the first time on April 15.

Fully funding the state’s school aid formula is more crucial now as the threat of federal funding cuts loom, said New Jersey Education Association leaders in an emailed statement.

“We need to protect students from the specter of reckless cuts to federal education funding, and that starts with the state meeting its full obligation, as this budget does,” the statement read.

Catherine Carrera is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat Newark. Contact Catherine at ccarrera@chalkbeat.org.

New Jersey school segregation case: Back to the courts after mediation fails to forge an agreement

2025-02-19T02:10:34+00:00

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The nearly seven-year public school segregation case will head back to the courts after New Jersey and a coalition of plaintiffs could not reach an agreement after 15 months of mediation.

The plaintiffs, a group of advocates and families, have until April 15 to file a motion that would begin the process of appealing a complex court ruling on the case from the fall of 2023.

In a joint status report filed on Tuesday to the Appellate Division of the New Jersey Superior Court, the parties stated that “it no longer appears likely that further mediation will be constructive.” They could not reach an agreement, which could have led to an overhaul of the state’s public school system.

The latest development comes as the Trump administration targets diversity, equity, and inclusion policies and practices in the education space, leaving questions as to how the state would encourage or enforce integration.

There are also shifts in political priorities looming in New Jersey, as Gov. Phil Murphy’s second term nears an end and a contentious gubernatorial primary in June heats up with four Republicans and six Democrats, including Newark Mayor Ras J. Baraka, competing to be his successor.

The team of attorneys representing the plaintiffs said in a joint statement that they had aimed for an agreement “that would provide legal assurance that the state would take concrete steps” to offer all children “the opportunity to attend an integrated school that offers a high-quality education.” In addition, they also wanted the state to agree to “providing for the essential financial support and academic enhancement of all currently segregated school districts.”

“We are disappointed that an agreement could not be reached to settle the litigation in a manner that is consistent with these objectives,” wrote the team of attorneys in the statement issued Tuesday evening. Lawrence S. Lustberg and Ruth O’Herron of Gibbons law firm are the lead attorneys for the plaintiffs.

Mediation discussions were under strict confidentiality rules and representatives from both parties have been tight-lipped about progress. In reports filed last month, the attorneys said an end to mediation talks would be near, but then later submitted a request to continue negotiations.

“The state of New Jersey is deeply committed to providing the highest quality education for all students of every demographic background,” said Tyler Jones, Murphy’s spokesman, in an emailed statement Tuesday night. “While the parties return to the litigation, the state remains steadfast in its efforts to provide the most robust educational opportunities possible for all students and continues to be open to reaching a mutual resolution of the matter.”

New Jersey was ranked as having the sixth most segregated school system for Black students and seventh most segregated school system for Latino students in a 2017 report on the state’s segregated schools from The Civil Rights Project. Yet, most New Jersey voters were unaware of the lawsuit and few were even aware that the state has among the most segregated school systems in the country, a Fairleigh Dickinson University Poll from November showed.

The case stretches back to 2018. The Latino Action Network, NAACP New Jersey State Conference, and the Urban League of Essex County, among other groups, joined families of nine students who attended schools across New Jersey, including Newark, in a lawsuit against the state that claimed its segregated school system violates the state constitution, which is rare in its explicit ban on school segregation.

In the lawsuit, the plaintiffs highlighted state enrollment data that showed 30% of Latino students and 25% of Black students attend schools where the non-white student enrollment is between 90-99% — the measure used by researchers to identify segregated schools. They also specifically noted 23 districts with high percentages of Latino and Black students who qualified for free or reduced-price lunch, which included Newark and Irvington, among others.

In its defense, the state argued that segregation in a handful of districts didn’t establish a statewide violation.

In the fall of 2023, after five years of litigation, a state Superior Court judge issued a lengthy ruling that avoided overwhelmingly favoring one side over the other and stopped short of answering key questions, including what the state should be required to do next.

Some possible remedies, such as creating new magnet schools that enroll students from multiple districts, could be expensive yet popular with families. Other potential measures, such as allowing students to transfer schools or redrawing district boundaries, have historically faced resistance from wealthy white parents and taxpayers in New Jersey who fear an influx of poor students of color will undermine their community’s schools and home values.

“A court judgment is now the surest way to achieve a remedy for this unacceptable reality, in which hundreds of thousands of the state’s children attend school in segregated settings,” the plaintiffs’ attorneys said in the statement.

“We are greatly disappointed with the collapse of the mediation,” said Javier Robles, president of the Latino Action Network. “We will continue to pursue every option to end the disgraceful legacy of segregation in New Jersey schools. This is a generational struggle, and we will do our part.”

Representatives from the other plaintiff advocacy groups also issued statements Tuesday night with similar disappointment and determination to continue the legal fight.

Harry Lee, president and CEO of the New Jersey Public Charter Schools Association, said in an emailed statement that charter schools, which can enroll students across municipal boundaries, could be “part of the solution to ensure that all New Jersey students have access to high quality, integrated public schools.”

Catherine Carrera is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat Newark. Contact Catherine at ccarrera@chalkbeat.org.

Un año después del plan de mejoramiento de las escuelas públicas de Newark, ¿cómo ha progresado?

2025-02-12T21:34:42+00:00

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Después de que las escuelas públicas de Newark no alcanzaran el rendimiento de los estudiantes en las pruebas estandarizadas durante varios años consecutivos, el estado intervino y puso al distrito en un plan de mejoramiento que delineaba métricas claramente definidas necesarias para mostrar el progreso del estudiante.

Eso fue hace casi un año. Ahora, los resultados de la última ronda de la New Jersey Student Learning Assessment (Evaluación de Aprendizaje de Estudiantes de Nueva Jersey) mostraron pocos cambios, una vez más, con la gran mayoría de los estudiantes de Newark todavía por debajo del nivel de grado en lectura, matemáticas y ciencias.

Eso significa que el distrito permanecerá bajo la vigilancia del superintendente ejecutivo del condado de Essex, un representante del departamento estatal de educación, quien tiene el mandato de intervenir para evaluar el progreso del distrito cada seis meses. La supervisión tiene ecos de los 25 años del distrito bajo control estatal, que se suspendió hace cinco años en medio de la pandemia.

Los objetivos del plan de mejora de Newark aprobado por el estado son elevados en algunos aspectos y modestos en otros. Incluyen objetivos anuales para mejorar las tasas de competencia en lectura en 4 puntos porcentuales, matemáticas en 8 puntos porcentuales y ciencias en 3 puntos porcentuales, además de aumentar la tasa de graduación en 1.5 puntos porcentuales, y la disminución del ausentismo crónico en medio punto porcentual.

Según datos estatales y distritales disponibles públicamente, Newark logró solo uno de esos objetivos: reducir su tasa de ausentismo crónico del 12.7% en 2023 al 12.1% en 2024. El estado define el ausentismo crónico como falta del 10% del año escolar, o 18 días en un año escolar de 180 días.

Un portavoz de las escuelas públicas de Newark no respondió a una solicitud de comentarios sobre la situación actual del distrito en el marco del plan de mejora. Según la ley estatal, si el desempeño del distrito empeora drásticamente bajo el plan de mejoramiento, eso podría desencadenar una intervención estatal parcial o completa, aunque también se necesitarían subsanar las deficiencias en varias otras áreas.

Algunos críticos del sistema de evaluación estatal argumentan que medir el desempeño de un distrito en base a los resultados de los estudiantes en las pruebas estatales no representa con precisión lo bien que se está enseñando a los estudiantes.

“Estás juzgando la calidad del distrito escolar en base a métricas que no dependen enteramente sobre cómo le está yendo a la escuela”, dijo Mark Weber, analista de políticas educativas de New Jersey Policy Perspective y profesor de la Rutgers University. “Si tienes un distrito que tiene una alta tasa de pobreza, eso va a afectar las puntuaciones en los exámenes, y el distrito está siendo juzgado por eso”.

Una revisión intermedia en junio mostró que el distrito aún no cumplía con los estándares estatales, según documentos obtenidos por Chalkbeat Newark a través de una solicitud de registros públicos. Según la directriz de seis meses en el estatuto estatal, una revisión posterior estaba prevista para diciembre, pero aún no se había completado hasta esta semana, dijo el martes el portavoz del departamento de educación estatal, Michael Yaple.

El distrito seguirá bajo un plan de mejoramiento, agregó Yaple, hasta que cumpla con los objetivos en la próxima revisión intermedia o cumpla con las normas estatales en la revisión integral que se realizará en el año escolar 2025-26.

El panorama de los resultados de los estudiantes en Newark no ha cambiado significativamente en las últimas tres rondas de pruebas estatales desde que la pandemia de COVID interrumpió el aprendizaje.

Los resultados de las pruebas estatales publicadas en diciembre mostraron que una abrumadora mayoría de los estudiantes del distrito todavía tienen dificultades para rendir a nivel de grado en materias clave. Casi el 70% de los estudiantes de los grados 3 a 9 no alcanzan los niveles de alfabetización, alrededor del 82% no cumplen con los estándares de matemáticas y el 93% de los alumnos de quinto grado están por debajo del nivel de ciencia.

Los resultados mostraron aumentos limitados sobre el 2023, destacando la lenta recuperación de Newark de la convulsión del aprendizaje en la era de la pandemia. En los últimos años, con la ayuda de fondos federales para el alivio de la pandemia, el superintendente Roger León aumentó los esfuerzos de tutoría con programas de verano y sábados. El distrito asignó $6.8 millones para tutoría este año escolar, ofreciendo sesiones adicionales desde el comienzo del año escolar.

Pero algunas de esas actividades de tutoría corren el riesgo de ser reducidas el próximo año, debido a que el distrito ya no tiene acceso a esos fondos federales, que expiraron en septiembre.

La puntuación de evaluación desciende por debajo del nivel estándar, pero no a niveles históricamente bajos

El Departamento de Educación del estado revisa el desempeño general de un distrito cada tres años en base a cinco categorías clave de su sistema de evaluación —el Quality Single Accountability Continuum (Continuo Único de Rendición de Cuentas de Calidad)— que incluye instrucción, gestión fiscal, gobierno, operaciones y personal. En cada categoría, hay varias maneras en que los distritos son juzgados usando una escala de 100 puntos para determinar cómo cumplen con los estándares descritos. Cuando un distrito cae por debajo de la puntuación mínima de aprobación de 80 en cualquier categoría dada, se le ordena crear un plan de mejoramiento del distrito con aprobación y supervisión estatal.

Newark debía ser revisada por el estado en el año escolar 2022-2023 por primera vez desde que recuperó el control local completo en 2020. El distrito se dio altas calificaciones en todas las categorías, pero a fines de 2023, el estado le dio al distrito una puntuación de 79 en instrucción, en particular descontando puntos en lo que respecta al rendimiento de los estudiantes, las tasas de graduación y el ausentismo crónico.

Joseph Zarra, el superintendente ejecutivo interino del condado de Essex, realizó una revisión semestral en junio y redujo dos puntos adicionales de la puntuación de instrucción del distrito a 77 debido a su fracaso para cumplir con los objetivos del plan de mejora, según documentos estatales.

El portavoz de las escuelas públicas de Newark, Paul Brubaker, no respondió a preguntas sobre la lucha del distrito para cumplir con los objetivos de su plan de mejoramiento.

Aunque el distrito sigue teniendo un plan de mejora, las razones son muy diferentes a lo que llevó al control estatal en 1995 cuando los niveles de rendimiento de los estudiantes se contraponían a los gastos exorbitantes entre los líderes del distrito. Fue durante los 25 años de la toma del poder por el estado, cuando se creó el sistema de evaluación del departamento de educación y luego se utilizó para determinar la preparación del distrito en su transición de vuelta al control local.

Los críticos dicen que el sistema de evaluación favorece a los distritos más ricos

Una vez que el distrito recuperó el control local en 2020, se enfrentó a un obstáculo pronunciado ya que los estudiantes de toda la ciudad se vieron afectados de manera desproporcionada por el aprendizaje remoto durante los cierres por COVID-19 debido al acceso limitado a internet, la falta de computadoras portátiles o tabletas digitales en casa, y los obstáculos a los recursos para los estudiantes con discapacidades, entre otros temas.

La pandemia llegó poco después de que el distrito ya estaba viendo volver a caer el rendimiento de los estudiantes en las puntuaciones de los exámenes estatales después de años de avances.

Con la entrada de $287 millones en fondos federales de socorro, los líderes del distrito destinaron grandes sumas de esos fondos para reparar sus edificios escolares dilapidados, y una proporción menor se destinó a aumentar las actividades de tutoría. Newark no fue el único en tomar esas decisiones, ya que muchos distritos escolares de alta pobreza gastaron los fondos de manera similar.

Los críticos del sistema de evaluación estatal señalan las desigualdades subyacentes en el sistema, diciendo que las críticas a un distrito con altas necesidades como Newark basadas en los resultados de los estudiantes en las pruebas estatales no tienen en cuenta factores que contribuyen al bajo rendimiento de los estudiantes, como la pobreza.

“Para un distrito que comienza con puntuaciones más bajas en los exámenes, es más difícil mostrar crecimiento”, dijo Weber, el profesor de Rutgers, agregando que el distrito también ha visto una afluencia de estudiantes de inglés en los últimos años que requieren recursos adicionales.

“¿Es racional y razonable esperar que el distrito obtenga las mismas puntuaciones que otro distrito que no tiene, digamos, tantos estudiantes de inglés?” Weber dijo. “Debido a esta dependencia de los resultados de las pruebas para determinar si se necesita alguna corrección o no, hay un sesgo inherente en contra de un distrito como Newark, Paterson, Trenton y Camden. Eso es problemático”.

Otras categorías del sistema de evaluación, como la gestión y las operaciones, se basan exclusivamente en las políticas y prácticas vigentes.

“Esas son cosas que el distrito escolar podría controlar directamente. Los resultados de los estudiantes no lo son”, dijo Weber.

En los últimos meses, líderes escolares a nivel estatal han instado a la Junta de Educación del estado a cambiar el énfasis del sistema en los resultados estudiantiles, que dicen favorece a distritos más ricos. En octubre, el Comisionado de Educación interino Kevin Dehmer informó a la junta escolar estatal que de 56 exámenes de desempeño de distrito realizados durante ese período, 42 distritos no cumplieron con los estándares estatales, debido principalmente a deficiencias en el rendimiento académico.

Si Newark aún no cumple con los objetivos establecidos en su plan de mejoramiento durante los próximos seis meses, el estado hará una revisión integral en el año escolar 2025-26 y determinará en ese momento si se debe implementar un nuevo plan de mejoramiento, de acuerdo con la ley estatal.

El distrito podría enfrentar una intervención estatal parcial si su puntuación en cualquiera de las cinco categorías de evaluación cae por debajo de 50 puntos y no implementa el plan de mejoramiento, según la ley estatal. Si las circunstancias adicionales también impiden que el distrito proporcione una educación completa y eficiente, como lo exige la constitución del estado, entonces el comisionado de educación podría invocar la intervención total del estado, dice la ley.

Traducido por Bernardo de la Cruz

Catherine Carrera es la corresponsal jefa de Chalkbeat Newark. Comunícate con ella por correo electrónico a ccarrera@chalkbeat.org.

A year into Newark Public Schools’ improvement plan, how has the district progressed?

2025-02-06T11:00:01+00:00

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After Newark Public Schools fell short on student achievement in standardized tests several years running, the state stepped in and put the district on an improvement plan that outlined clearly defined metrics needed to show student progress.

That was nearly a year ago. Now, the most recent round of New Jersey Student Learning Assessment results showed little change, once again, with the overwhelming majority of Newark students still performing below grade-level proficiency in reading, math, and science.

That means the district will remain under the watch of the Essex County executive superintendent, a proxy for the state education department, who is mandated to step in to evaluate the district’s progress every six months. The oversight carries echoes of the district’s 25 years under state control, which was lifted five years ago amid the pandemic.

Newark’s state-approved improvement plan goals are lofty by some measures and modest by others. They include year-over-year objectives to improve proficiency rates in reading by 4 percentage points, math by 8 percentage points, and science by 3 percentage points, in addition to increasing the graduation rate by 1.5 percentage points, and decreasing chronic absenteeism by half of a percentage point.

Based on publicly available state and district data, Newark succeeded in only one of those goals — decreasing its chronic absenteeism rate from 12.7% in 2023 to 12.1% in 2024. The state defines chronic absenteeism as missing 10% of the school year, or 18 days in a 180-day school year.

A Newark Public Schools spokesman did not respond to a request for comment on the district’s current standing under the improvement plan. According to state statute, if the district’s performance drastically worsens while under the improvement plan, that could trigger partial or full state intervention, though insufficiencies in several other areas would also need to be met.

Some critics of the state’s evaluation system argue that measuring a district’s performance on student outcomes in state tests doesn’t accurately represent how well it’s teaching students.

“You’re judging the quality of the school district based on metrics that are not entirely dependent on how the school is doing,” said Mark Weber, an education policy analyst at New Jersey Policy Perspective and lecturer at Rutgers University. “If you have a district that has a high poverty rate, that’s going to affect test scores, and the district is being judged on that.”

An interim review in June showed the district still wasn’t meeting state standards, according to documents Chalkbeat Newark obtained through a public records request. Based on the six-month guideline in the state statute, a subsequent review was due in December, but it had not been completed yet as of this week, state education department spokesman Michael Yaple said Tuesday.

The district will remain under an improvement plan status, Yaple added, until it either satisfies the goals in the next interim review or it meets state standards in the comprehensive review due in the 2025-26 school year.

The dire landscape of student achievement in Newark hasn’t significantly changed in the last three rounds of state testing since the COVID pandemic disrupted learning.

State test results released in December showed an overwhelming majority of students in the district are still struggling to perform on grade level in key subjects. Nearly 70% of students in grades 3-9 are falling short of meeting literacy benchmarks, around 82% aren’t meeting math standards, and 93% of fifth graders are below grade-level in science.

The results showed limited increases over 2023, highlighting Newark’s slow recovery from pandemic-era learning upheaval. Over the last few years with the help of federal pandemic relief funds, Superintendent Roger León ramped up tutoring efforts with summer and Saturday programs. The district allocated $6.8 million for tutoring this school year, offering extra tutoring sessions from the start of the school year.

But some of those tutoring efforts are at risk of being scaled back next year, as the district no longer has access to those federal dollars, which expired in September.

Evaluation score dips below standard, but not at historically low levels

The state Department of Education reviews a district’s overall performance every three years based on five key categories in its evaluation system — the Quality Single Accountability Continuum — which includes instruction, fiscal management, governance, operations, and personnel. Under each category, there are several ways districts get judged using a scale of 100 points to determine how well they’re meeting the standards outlined. When a district falls below the minimum passing score of 80 in any given category, it’s mandated to create a district improvement plan with state approval and oversight.

Newark was due for its state review in the 2022-23 school year for the first time since it regained full local control in 2020. The district gave itself high marks in all categories, but, in late 2023, the state gave the district a score of 79 for instruction, particularly docking points as it related to student achievement, graduation rates, and chronic absenteeism.

Joseph Zarra, the interim Essex County executive superintendent, conducted a six-month review in June and knocked two additional points from the district’s instruction score to a 77 due to its failure to meet goals in the improvement plan, state documents showed.

Newark Public Schools spokesman Paul Brubaker did not respond to questions about the district’s struggle to meet its improvement plan goals.

Though the district remains under an improvement plan, the reasons are starkly different from what led to state control in 1995 when staggeringly low student achievement levels contrasted exorbitantly high spending among district leaders. It was during the state’s 25-year takeover, that the education department’s evaluation system was created and then used to determine the district’s readiness in its transition back to local control.

Critics say evaluation system favors wealthier districts

Once the district regained local control in 2020, it faced a steep hurdle as students citywide were disproportionately affected by remote learning during COVID-19 shutdowns due to limited internet access, lack of laptops or digital tablets at home, and barriers to resources for students with disabilities, among other issues.

The pandemic came soon after the district was already seeing student performance on state test scores slide back after years of improvement.

With the influx of $287 million in federal relief funding, district leaders earmarked large sums of those funds to fix up its dilapidated school buildings, with a smaller proportion going toward increased tutoring efforts. Newark wasn’t alone in those decisions, as many high-poverty school districts spent the funds similarly.

Critics of the state’s evaluation system point to the underlying inequities in the system, saying that critiques of a high-needs district like Newark based on student outcomes in state tests don’t account for factors that contribute to low student achievement, such as poverty.

“For a district that starts with lower test scores, it’s harder to show growth,” said Weber, the Rutgers lecturer, adding that the district has also seen an influx of English language learners in recent years who require additional resources.

“Is it rational and reasonable to expect the district to get the same scores as another district that doesn’t have, let’s say, as many English language learners?” Weber said. “Because of this reliance on test score outcomes to determine whether you’re in need of correction or not, you’ve inherently got a bias against a district like Newark, Paterson, Trenton, and Camden. That’s problematic.”

Other categories in the evaluation system, such as governance and operations, are solely based on policies and practices in place.

“Those are things that the school district could directly control. Student outcomes are not,” Weber said.

In recent months, school leaders statewide have urged the state Board of Education to change the system’s emphasis on student outcomes, which they say favors wealthier districts. In October, Acting Education Commissioner Kevin Dehmer reported a notice to the state school board that of 56 total district performance reviews conducted during that period, 42 districts didn’t meet state standards, largely due to shortcomings in academic achievement.

If Newark still doesn’t meet the goals outlined in its improvement plan over the next six months, the state will do a comprehensive review in the 2025-26 school year, and determine at that point if a new improvement plan should be implemented, according to state statute.

The district could face partial state intervention if its score in any of the five evaluation categories falls below 50 points and it fails to implement the improvement plan, according to state statute. If additional circumstances are also preventing the district from providing a thorough and efficient education, as the state’s constitution mandates, then the education commissioner could invoke full state intervention, the statute says.

Catherine Carrera is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat Newark. Contact Catherine at ccarrera@chalkbeat.org.

New Jersey NAEP scores show reading, math remain stagnant, but gaps widen

2025-01-29T05:08:00+00:00

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Average math and reading scores on the “nation’s report card” for New Jersey’s fourth and eighth graders have remained stable since 2022, but a closer examination shows the gap between the state’s lowest- and highest-performing students continues to widen, according to newly released data.

Although not yet bouncing back to pre-pandemic levels, the average scores for New Jersey remained above the national average in math and reading for fourth and eighth graders, results from the 2024 National Assessment of Educational Progress, also referred to as NAEP, showed.

The data, released Wednesday by the National Center for Education Statistics, are the latest evidence of how dire the effects of the pandemic and remote learning were for all students, especially those already falling behind their peers well before 2020.

“There’s a widening achievement gap in this country and it has worsened since the pandemic,” said Peggy Carr, the NCES commissioner, in a phone briefing with news outlets ahead of the release. “We all need to come together as partners to catch these students up and improve achievement.”

Nationally, student achievement has not returned to pre-pandemic performance levels, though in some states, such as Louisiana, students in the lowest- and highest-performing percentiles showed improvement, according to NCES.

Though New Jersey’s averages remained above national levels, the results also showed that a significant proportion of students scored below NAEP proficiency levels. For example, 62% of fourth graders scored below proficient in reading — a smaller proportion compared to the 70% of fourth graders who scored below proficiency nationally.

Trends from the New Jersey results mirror those seen in the state’s standardized test results from 2024, which the state education department released in December.

In the 2024 New Jersey Student Learning Assessments, average statewide scores improved incrementally over the prior year. Despite the minor upticks in average scores, that data also demonstrated persistent disparities between subgroups, such as Black students and white or Asian American students.

“It’s extremely frustrating to know that after all the investments, the number of programs over the years, this achievement gap is persistent and still remains significant,” state school board member Arcelio Aponte said at the time.

A representative sample of fourth and eighth graders across New Jersey took the national assessment between January and March of last year. The results for reading and math are reported on a scale of 0-500 and grouped by proficiency levels of basic, proficient, and advanced. The NCES is adamant that these levels of achievement do not align with states’ grade-level proficiency standards.

The NAEP scores are also grouped under lowest-performing students, who fall in the bottom 25th percentile of scores; middle-performing students in the average 50th percentile; and highest-performing students in the above-average 75th percentile.

Lowest-performing students did worse in reading than in 2022

New Jersey’s lowest-performing fourth graders scored two points lower than they did in 2022 in the reading exam, going from a score of 198 to 196. This was the lowest score this group has had in the last 20 years. In 2003, the lowest-performing fourth graders scored a 201 on the reading exam.

Meanwhile, the state’s highest-performing fourth graders scored a 252 in the 2024 reading exam, a point higher than 2022. Although an incremental increase for that group of students, the score represents a 56-point difference, the widest gap between highest- and lowest-performing fourth graders in reading in the last decade for New Jersey.

The gap was similar for eighth grade reading scores between these two groups, with a 55-point difference between lowest- and highest-performing students. That gap exceeded by 12 points the 43-point gap between these groups in 2013.

“NAEP has reported declines in reading achievement consistently since 2019, and the continued declines since the pandemic suggest we’re facing complex challenges that cannot be fully explained by the impact of COVID-19,” said Daniel McGrath, associate commissioner for NCES, in a press release.

A similar trend also followed in eighth grade math, but fourth grade math showed a minor improvement. The lowest performing students in fourth grade math scored an average of 217, one point higher than they did in 2022. Even so, the 48-point gap between the lowest- and highest-performing students in math also reached the widest it’s been in 10 years.

Some researchers in New Jersey are currently looking into the role of schools in positively and drastically improving scores for the state’s lowest-achieving students. The state’s Department of Education last year launched the “Promising Practices Project,” which will task researchers with investigating the best practices used in 52 schools statewide that have proven to help improve student achievement and learning.

Family and community impact can have a very significant impact on closing gaps between the state’s highest- and lowest-performing students, said Charles Payne, director of the Joseph C. Cornwall Center for Metropolitan Studies, in an interview with Chalkbeat this week.

“But we have the most systematic evidence on schools,” Payne said. “When they’re operating at the highest levels, schools have enough power to overcome most of the disadvantages that are associated with race and class.”

Schools on the “highest levels” that positively impact student achievement have several key characteristics, Payne added. Those characteristics include a collaborative environment for teachers, the use of data to support instruction, setting high expectations for staff and students, and emphasizing social and emotional learning, Payne said.

Data from NAEP showed that some states have improved significantly already, even reaching 2019 scores, including Alabama in fourth-grade math and Louisiana in fourth-grade reading.

“These results, as sobering as they are, show that once you unpack them, there is hope,” said Carr, the NCES commissioner.

Catherine Carrera is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat Newark. Contact Catherine at ccarrera@chalkbeat.org.

Newark officials, school leaders say they aim to keep families safe amid immigration crackdown

2025-01-25T00:44:36+00:00

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Newark city and school leaders vowed to protect immigrant residents and their children, regardless of their immigration status, as fears and anxiety mounted following a raid by federal immigration agents at an East Ward business this week.

“Our neighbors and our family members — we have a right to protect them and we will protect them,” Newark Mayor Ras Baraka said at a news conference on Friday. “We’re going to stand on democracy here and we’re going to fight for all of our residents in this city.”

On Thursday morning, Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials, or ICE agents, entered a business in the Ironbound section of Newark, where they proceeded to detain and interrogate workers. Baraka said the agents showed no warrant before they began arresting workers, including U.S. citizens and undocumented residents. Among those detained, he said, was a military veteran.

When speaking with employees at the establishment, advocates said the workers described a forceful entry. Agents were “heavily armed,” blocking doorways, “scrambling up delivery ramps,” and “banging down bathroom doors to make sure no one was hiding inside,” said Amy Torres, executive director of the New Jersey Alliance for Immigrant Justice, who spoke with the employees who remained after the raid.

The Ironbound neighborhood, named for the railroad tracks that surround it, has historically been home to immigrant families. In recent decades, families from Central and South America have also moved in, with restaurants, bodegas, schools, day cares, and other small businesses sprouting up to serve those communities.

“I was appalled. Upset. Angry that this would happen here in this state,” said Baraka, to a packed room at City Hall. U.S. Rep. LaMonica McIver, state Sen. M. Teresa Ruiz, other state lawmakers, city council members, and leaders of nonprofit groups that serve largely immigrant communities in Newark were among the speakers at the event.

The raid came just three days after President Donald Trump took office and immediately signed a series of executive orders aimed at altering the nation’s immigration policies and rolling back longstanding rights and protections for immigrants. Trump this week also cleared federal immigration officials to make arrests at or near schools, which, along with churches and hospitals, were previously designated as “protected” from immigration enforcement.

At Friday’s news conference, speakers warned that the incident could have lasting, detrimental effects throughout the city, with parents choosing not to go to work and keeping children home from school out of fear.

“If they can’t deport and physically detain you, they want to detain you into the isolation of your own home — so you’re disenrolling your kid from school [and] when you are sick or having a health emergency, you’re too scared to go to the doctor,” said Torres of the chilling effect of ICE raids.

Torres added that Newark residents who are fearful should seek support from numerous organizations throughout the city that serve immigrant families. Among those organizations are La Casa de Don Pedro, Ironbound Community Corporation, and United Community Corporation, whose representatives were also at the news conference on Friday.

Ruiz, the state senate majority leader who’s from Newark, said she worries workers and students may have already begun staying home from work and school out of fear and increased anxiety.

“I’m afraid,” Ruiz said, pausing briefly to cry. “You know what my biggest fear is? That this happens inside of a classroom.”

Fear in schools ‘palpable’ after raid

Newark Board of Education members, Superintendent Roger León, and district teachers also addressed the heightened anxiety in schools at a board meeting Thursday night. León shared little detail about protocols to follow beyond a parent or teacher getting in touch with a student’s school principal if they have concerns.

Alexander Schuetz, a history teacher at Barringer High School, urged the school board to take a stand against allowing federal immigration officials into schools and to codify it with a policy. Schuetz said he fears that he will have to watch students “suddenly lose their family members or simply disappear.”

Another district educator, Mark Edelstein, echoed those comments. “I just want the board to know that the fear and uncertainty is palpable among the students, and I’m here to say that they belong here in Newark,” said Edelstein, who teaches English language learners at Barringer High School.

Just over 9,000 of the district’s total student population of about 37,000 are English language learners.

Board members urged district officials to be proactive in addressing attendance concerns.

District officials will remind school leadership about their responsibilities to keep students safe, León said. He encouraged students to seek an adult at their school for help in any situation and promised to brief board members on the specifics of the district’s plans.

“My expectation would be that [students] would always be able to come back to the school to have a loving, caring adult make sure that they’re okay,” León said.

Kalenah Witcher, a teacher at University High School, said she spoke with students on Thursday who said they were afraid. A Newark resident, Witcher added that many of her neighbors are immigrants who speak other languages and called on the district to also establish communication with those parents.

“We need to move a little deeper to sort of establish and maintain communication with those parents, because a lot of times those parents dispatch the older children or the students themselves to advocate and move information,” Witcher said.

Emergency deportation plans, shelter-in-place drills

Peter Rosario runs several early childhood education programs throughout the city in his role as president and chief executive officer of La Casa de Don Pedro, a longstanding community organization.

In preparation for anticipated raids from federal immigration officials, he and other leaders in his organization discussed which protocols to use should ICE agents approach their doors.

“We literally were wrestling with, ‘is this shelter-in-place, is this active-shooter’ — what do we do?” Rosario said in an interview with Chalkbeat after the news conference on Friday. “I think every school has to pick the right answer for themselves and practice it.”

“Will they leave their guns in the lobby or will they bring their guns with them into our classrooms? These are the real questions that we, as providers, are asking,” Rosario said.

He added that his organization has been urging parents to create “deportation plans” that include gathering official documents and creating a list of trusted relatives who can be added to school pickup lists.

His organization, along with others in the community, are also looking into additional mental health support for children and their families, he said.

“Our concern is also the psychological trauma, the transference of trauma to the kids,” he said. “That’s what we’re wrestling with and trying to educate our staff to start looking for signs.”

Jessie Gómez is a reporter for Chalkbeat Newark, covering public education in the city. Contact Jessie at jgomez@chalkbeat.org.

Catherine Carrera is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat Newark. Contact Catherine at ccarrera@chalkbeat.org.

In New Jersey school segregation case, an end to mediation talks nears

2025-01-22T00:23:01+00:00

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Mediation in the legal battle to fix New Jersey’s segregated schools could conclude in February, marking a pivotal moment in the case after more than a year of closed-door talks to find common ground on remedies, court documents show.

The state and the group of advocates and families that comprise the plaintiffs began the massive undertaking to jointly seek solutions that would address New Jersey’s deeply-rooted racial and socioeconomic school segregation in November 2023.

The historic lawsuit, filed six years ago against New Jersey’s state school board, education department, and acting education commissioner, argued that schools statewide are unlawfully segregated. Lawsuits targeting school segregation on a statewide scale are a rare occurrence nationally, and this was the first one of its kind for New Jersey. A Superior Court judge in October 2023 issued a complex ruling that then prompted the parties to enter a mediation process.

Should an agreement outlining remedies result from mediation, there could be fundamental changes to the state’s education system that sets a path toward school desegregation efforts. However, if the parties don’t reach an agreement in mediation, more years of legal proceedings could be ahead, delaying any large-scale attempts at desegregation.

After 14 months of mediation talks, which were under strict confidentiality rules, a conclusion appears to be imminent.

“It may be that the parties are close to reaching the end of the mediation process,” wrote Lawrence Lustberg of Gibbons Law, the lead counsel for the plaintiffs, in a court filing earlier this month.

The outcome of these mediation discussions could have reverberations across the country at a time when policies to fortify and codify diversity, equity, and inclusion practices are being threatened by a second Trump administration.

Political changes and priorities in New Jersey are also looming, as Gov. Phil Murphy is in his final year at the helm and a pool of at least 10 candidates, including four Republicans and six Democrats, compete for his seat, including Newark Mayor Ras J. Baraka.

Monumental lawsuit slowly moves through the courts

The case, which could lead to an overhaul of the state’s public schools, stretches back to 2018, when a coalition of advocates and families sued the state, claiming that its segregated school system violates the state constitution, which is rare in its explicit ban on school segregation.

Among the plaintiffs are the families of nine students that attended schools in Camden, Elizabeth, Highland Park, Hoboken, Newark, Paterson, and Union City, and five advocacy groups, including Latino Action Network, NAACP New Jersey State Conference, Latino Coalition, Urban League of Essex County, and The United Methodist Church of Greater New Jersey.

In its defense, the state argued that segregation in a handful of districts didn’t establish a statewide violation.

Though not originally listed as defendants in the suit, representatives of charter schools and renaissance schools entered as intervenors, meaning they have a stake in the outcome of the case. In New Jersey, renaissance schools are a charter-district hybrid, run by a nonprofit but funded by the public school district at a greater rate than charter schools.

After five years of litigation, in the fall of 2023, a state Superior Court judge issued a lengthy ruling that avoided overwhelmingly favoring one side over the other and stopped short of answering key questions, including what the state should be required to do next.

“Novel and broad do not mean meritless. Plaintiffs maintain that ‘New Jersey’s schools are tragically — and embarrassingly — among the most segregated in the nation,’” said Judge Robert Lougy in his ruling, quoting the activists’ complaint. “That alleged condition, along with our court’s prohibition of de facto segregation, makes New Jersey a logical choice for such historic claims.”

Shortly after that ruling to avoid more years of expensive litigation, the parties agreed to enter a mediation phase, with former state Supreme Court Associate Justice Barry T. Albin leading those discussions. Since then, they’ve had 11 formal mediation sessions with Albin, in addition to meetings between sessions, to continue “good-faith discussions” to reach a resolution, Lustberg said in court documents filed this month.

As part of the mediation process, the parties updated the state appellate court monthly on their progress, court documents show.

While most updates showed all parties agreed that they were participating in fair negotiations, in September 2024, the renaissance schools’ attorney Thomas Johnston filed a letter to the court that stated his clients weren’t getting “adequate involvement” in the discussions. Still, the court continued to approve three-month extensions for mediation, which has been consistent throughout the process.

In court documents from this month, the parties changed course and asked for a one-month extension until Feb. 14, adding that mediation discussions could soon be done.

“We believe this will be our last extension request and that, if the mediation has not concluded by February 14, 2025, we will likely be asking the court to set an appropriate briefing schedule,” Lustberg wrote.

He added that the parties “wish to continue to attempt, for at least a brief time more, to devote their efforts and resources to this mediation process, rather than to litigation.”

Potential remedies could catch New Jersey voters ‘by surprise’

The case shined a light on the state’s residency statute, known as the “home rule,” which stipulates that every municipality must have its own school district and that children who live in that town are assigned to those schools. The plaintiffs argued that the “undisputed history” of discriminatory governmental housing policies made way for New Jersey’s residential segregation, which has been replicated in the school system.

In the lawsuit, the plaintiffs highlighted state enrollment data that showed 30% of Latino students and 25% of Black students attend schools where the non-white student enrollment is between 90-99%. They also specifically noted 23 districts with high percentages of Latino and Black students who qualified for free or reduced-price lunch, which included Newark and Irvington, among others.

State Sen. Jon Bramnick, a Republican representing Morris, Somerset, and Union counties, has previously said that this issue should be handled through the legislature, not through lawsuits. Bramnick, one of the Republican contenders running for governor, has also said he wants the home rule in the state’s constitution.

Despite the potential for state and national reverberations from the outcome of this case, a Fairleigh Dickinson University Poll from November showed that most New Jersey voters were not aware of the lawsuit. About 65% of voters reported they’ve heard “nothing” about the case and few were aware that New Jersey has among the most segregated school systems in the country.

“This case has been going on for years, with a lot of it behind closed doors,” said Dan Cassino, the executive director of the FDU Poll and government professor at Fairleigh Dickinson University, in a statement released with the poll results. “Eventually, though, we’re going to get an announcement that could fundamentally reshape public schools in New Jersey, and it’s going to take a lot of people by surprise.”

Catherine Carrera is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat Newark. Contact Catherine at ccarrera@chalkbeat.org.

New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy’s 2025 agenda: School cellphone bans, full-day kindergarten, and more

2025-01-14T23:25:52+00:00

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In his final year at the helm, New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy wants to see a ban on cellphone use in the state’s K-12 classrooms, calling for school districts to establish “phone-free schools” in his 2025 State of the State address on Tuesday.

Murphy also reinforced his commitment to long-standing initiatives that have defined his education agenda as governor, such as the expansion of free universal pre-K, in his annual address delivered in Trenton, which was also livestreamed. This was the two-term Democratic governor’s penultimate state of the state address before his successor takes office next year.

As part of his education plan this year, Murphy also wants to require all school districts to provide full-day kindergarten. In addition, he doubled down on his support to lower the voting age to allow 16- and 17-year-olds to cast ballots in local school board elections.

Murphy’s classroom cellphone ban endorsement follows similar initiatives from other state governors, including New York Gov. Kathy Hochul and California Gov. Gavin Newsom.

“They are fueling a rise in cyberbullying, and they are making it incredibly difficult for our kids, not only to learn, but to retain the substance of what they learn,” Murphy said of cellphone usage in schools. “Honestly, is it any surprise that the rise in smartphone usage has coincided with a growing youth mental health crisis?”

The excessive use of smartphones and social media can have detrimental effects on youth mental health and academic performance, according to recent studies. In national surveys, many educators have said cellphones are a major distraction in the classroom, and there’s also evidence that most adults support a ban on classroom cellphone use.

Murphy said he supports “a new proposal that will direct school districts across New Jersey to adopt policies that ban cellphones from our K-12 classrooms and help establish phone-free schools.” Supporters of banning or curbing the use of cellphones during school have referred to their movement as “phone-free schools.”

New Jersey lawmakers have already proposed a bill that directs the state’s education commissioner to meet with school stakeholders as the education department works on developing cellphone and social media policies.

At the start of the school year, the N.J. Department of Education released a memo to districts with guidance on how to handle the issue and discuss the harmful effects of cellphone usage in the classroom. The department also has a Commission on the Effects of Social Media Usage on Adolescents working on providing recommendations for social media and smartphone usage standards, along with a webpage that offers guidance on these topics for administrators and educators.

Let us know your thoughts on the Newark school district’s cellphone policy by answering a few questions in our survey.

In addition to the cellphone ban, Murphy reiterated his continued goal of ensuring every school district offers free universal pre-K. Most school districts in the state already offer full-day kindergarten, but Murphy said he wants to make it a requirement.

“There are still some districts falling short,” of full-day kindergarten, he said. “And as a result, families and children in these communities are being left behind.”

Murphy also reaffirmed his support for lowering the voting age to 16 and 17 for local school board elections statewide, following the city of Newark’s policy change last year. The upcoming school board race in April will be the first time 16- and 17-year-old Newark residents can cast their vote.

“As I said — during my last State of the State Address — this proposal is an investment in the long-term health of our democracy. Because empowering our youth to participate in local elections will encourage them to become lifelong voters,” Murphy said.

Catherine Carrera is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat Newark. Contact Catherine at ccarrera@chalkbeat.org.

Leaked draft report found anti-Black racism at a Newark high school: Here are 3 things to know

2025-01-13T20:43:50+00:00

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Editor’s note: This story, and a draft report linked to in the story, include references to racist, Islamophobic language and bigoted views that are violent in nature.

The Newark school district has faced controversy over documented claims of racist harassment that occurred at one of its high schools and its fight to block the public from viewing a report, commissioned by the school board, that assessed the fallout.

Chalkbeat began chronicling student complaints of racial bias and religious insensitivity at the Newark School of Global Studies in 2022. Subsequent public outcry prompted the school board in January 2023 to commission a report from Creed Strategies, a consulting firm, to evaluate the school’s culture and provide recommendations that would promote more culturally inclusive dynamics at the school.

Despite continued calls from parents, students, advocates, and school board members to see the findings of the report, district officials have not publicly released it. Instead, Superintendent Roger León has said that the report will remain under review and serve as an internal document, keeping it from public scrutiny. The district previously denied public records requests for the report from Chalkbeat and others, including the Newark Teachers Union.

Read the full analysis of the draft report obtained by Chalkbeat here.

In 2023, the union sued to make the report public. However, the union ultimately settled with the district without the report ever seeing public view.

Chalkbeat has obtained a draft copy of the Creed report, dated May 2023, which is not the most recent iteration of the report. In response to a request for a more recent version, a district spokesman last week did not provide one and said that it was “privileged and confidential.”

Attorneys for the district have argued elsewhere that the report remains a draft document, making it exempt from New Jersey’s open public records law.

Meanwhile, the situation at Global Studies has continued to cause controversy. The school board attempted to oust an elected member whose daughter, a former student at the school, is seeking to sue over her treatment there. A judge recently rejected the board’s bid to unseat that member.

As Chalkbeat continues to report on this story, we want to hear more from Newark School of Global Studies former and current teachers, staff, and students. Reach us at newark.tips@chalkbeat.org.

Here is more background about the situation at Global Studies and brief takeaways from the draft report.

What happened at the Newark School of Global Studies?

In the fall of 2022, a group of Global Studies students spoke out during a Board of Education meeting about the racist and religious harassment they were facing from peers at the school and what they felt was an insufficient response from school staff and administration. The students and their parents demanded attention and a stronger response from district leaders, saying they felt unsafe at the school. Some called for the removal of school principal Nelson Ruiz.

Two Black teachers at the school, who also claimed they were subjected to racial harassment and hostility, resigned from their roles and filed legal claims with the state Division of Civil Rights. They have since sued the district in a lawsuit filed in Superior Court of Essex County that alleges school and district leaders created a hostile work environment where they experienced racial discrimination and retaliation. That lawsuit is ongoing.

For more background, catch up on these related stories:

Racist slurs, parent pleas: Emails reveal long battle to address harassment at Newark’s Global Studies

Battle continues a year after Newark Global Studies’ students first described pattern of racism

The racist bullying at school was unbearable, so I decided to speak out

What is the Creed report?

In January 2023, the Newark school board commissioned Creed Strategies, a consulting firm focused on educational and racial justice and led by Lauren Wells — who previously served as chief education officer for Newark Mayor Ras Baraka — to evaluate the school culture at Global Studies.

The evaluation took months to complete as reviewers conducted classroom observations and extensive interviews with staff, teachers, and students. The firm reviewed a range of metrics, including enrollment, attendance, state test scores, suspension rates, and more.

In the fall of 2023, León shared limited information about the recommendations outlined in the report, withholding from the public further details or findings.

For more, catch up on these related stories:

Report on racial, cultural dynamics at Newark’s Global Studies to remain internal, Superintendent Roger León says

Newark schools must assess effects of ‘anti-Blackness,’ identify cultural gaps, Global Studies report recommends

Major findings from the report: Limited response to racist incidents, patterns of anti-Blackness, need for professional development

The draft report had a number of findings about the culture at Global Studies and the administration’s response:

The report found that the school didn’t act quickly or consistently to address claims of racist, bigoted, and biased incidents, which had been ongoing at the school since its inception in the fall of 2020, when students were learning remotely, according to the draft report.

School leaders’ responses to the alleged incidents ranged from having students do written apologies to suspensions, the draft report stated. The school also took a restorative approach to the alleged racist incidents, but those practices “alone did not create a school culture where Black students and teachers felt psychologically safe and protected from racist incidents and other incidents of biases,” the report detailed.
Since the school opened in the fall of 2020, Latino students have made up the majority of the student body and Black students were less likely to be enrolled, according to the draft report. Black students and teachers also transferred out of Global Studies at disproportionate rates than comparison schools, the draft report found.

“The sharp distinction between being Black and Latino in the racial dynamics of Newark seeps into the school, resulting in the types of racial incidents brought to the public attention.”
Draft report on the Newark School of Global Studies

Through student interviews and observations, reviewers found that some Latino students expressed anti-Black sentiments but would deflect their significance by saying that they’re kidding around or by claiming they identify as Black, according to the draft report.
The superintendent, the report stated, held an assembly for the junior class where, according to the draft report, students said they were told they could leave the school if they felt uncomfortable. The principal also held an assembly, according to interviews cited in the draft report, where he told the entire school “not to use the N-word or they would be suspended,” the draft report stated.
Those interviewed in the draft report noted the school had a “sudden burst of activities around Black History Month” and acknowledged the focus seemed to be “a reactive effort to appease students and quell the tension,” according to the draft report.
School administration failed to identify patterns of anti-Blackness to inform professional development activities, the draft report found. “There was a missed opportunity to address the professional learning needs of instructional staff to be responsive to these issues as a part of student learning,” the report read.

Catherine Carrera is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat Newark. Contact Catherine at ccarrera@chalkbeat.org.

How this Newark third grade teacher uses news to engage her students on DEI topics

2024-12-18T14:40:26+00:00

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As a student, Nia Freeman was highly involved in school — whether it was varsity sports, honor societies, or the morning announcements broadcasting crew.

As a teacher, Freeman applies the same level of school spirit. She’s the co-chair of the diversity, equity, and inclusion committee, and spearheads a monthly student-led newscast, all while studying for her master’s degree.

Freeman, a third grade teacher at North Star Academy’s Liberty Elementary School, draws inspiration from her educational experience to create similar positive learning environments for her students in Newark, more than 800 miles from where she grew up in Atlanta.

Teaching at Liberty Elementary, Freeman said, is reminiscent of the schools she went to as a kid “where almost all of the teachers and students looked like me.”

“I never felt othered as a darker-skinned, Black American and Caribbean girl,” Freeman said. She added that “it brings me joy” to now teach in “classrooms full of Black and brown kids, similar to the ones that I grew up in.”

Her role as diversity, equity, and inclusion committee co-chair, she said, is “about advocating for everyone to feel seen and heard, teachers and students alike.”

With the support of her school principal, Freeman guided the start of a student-led newscast using Zoom that airs across her school and focuses on sharing information about various cultures and identities. She drew some inspiration from her time doing news broadcasting in elementary school.

“I feel responsible for providing everyone in our school with ‘mirrors’ and ‘windows,’” meaning that “everyone should have a chance to see their reflection and feel represented and seen,” she said. “But they should also have an opportunity to look out at other cultures and circumstances and better understand those who are different from them.”

Now in her fifth year of teaching, Freeman is studying to obtain a master’s in social work. Freeman spoke with Chalkbeat Newark about her teaching journey, how she engages students on DEI topics through delivering the news, and more.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

How and when did you decide to become a teacher?

Going into undergrad, I knew that I wanted to go into a helping field, but I wasn’t sure which discipline would best fit me. I just knew that I was passionate about working with children and supporting communities of Black and brown kids, but I was hesitant about education. I ended up studying human development and family science. I started to take classes about children and schools, and I also began volunteering at an after-school program as a mentor. By my senior year of college, I was an executive director of that same after-school program and the family engagement intern at the elementary school that many of my students attended. I had also interned in North Star Academy schools through the Uncommon Schools Summer Teaching Fellowship. These experiences made it clear to me that I belonged working in schools! I then decided to become a teacher, with the goal of eventually pursuing school social work.

What was your experience with school, and how does it inform your teaching?

I was a very involved student. In elementary school, I was on the step team, in Junior Beta Club, and in the art club. I was also on the morning announcements broadcast team! I helped to work the camera while two student reporters discussed the words of the day, the weather, and any major announcements. In my fifth grade year, I got to teach younger students how to work the camera so they could take my position when I went to middle school, and I also filled in on camera if a reporter was absent. These experiences in elementary school set me up to be a very involved student in middle and high school. I did everything from varsity sports, to honor societies, to school broadcasting.

You launched a news program for students at your school. What inspired you to start this project, and how have you seen it impact students?

The DEI committee wanted to be creative and engage our students in developmentally appropriate DEI conversations. My principal suggested a Zoom broadcast, and we took the idea and ran with it! My co-chair planned a Zoom cooking show for Hispanic Heritage Month, and I sent teachers follow-up activities to honor Hispanic and Latinx heritage. After that, we scripted student-led newscasts where they covered topics such as Native American traditions during Native American History Month, activism during Black History Month, and inclusion during Autism Awareness Month. We’ve now had several cohorts of third graders delivering the weather, fourth graders as newscasters, and a few students on technology support. I plan news segments alongside my current DEI co-chair, Caitlyn Dill.

This is my fourth year working on the news so I’ve seen students go from viewers to newscasters who are then ready to train other students. By participating in the news, students practice expressive, fluent reading and public speaking. It builds their confidence and leadership skills. They also walk away with increased tolerance and understanding of different cultures and circumstances. The news often leads to conversations about different holidays, traditions, languages, foods, etc. It gives all students, even those who are just viewers, a chance to share about their families’ traditions and values, but also to learn about others.

What’s something happening in the community that affects what goes on inside your school?

I started teaching at my current school in the fall of 2020, so I’ve only ever taught students who were quite young when COVID hit. For many of them, that means that their elementary and/or preschool experience was cut short or modified. Schools serving mostly students of color or low-income communities have always faced inequality, but it became glaring during COVID.

Ever since we fully returned to the building in 2021, I’ve felt the impact of COVID. Students struggle to socialize and problem-solve with peers. A large part of my teaching is influenced by my undergrad studies of human development and family science because I can bring in my understanding of how students’ socialization, mental health, and family structures might have been impacted during COVID, and how that then impacts how they show up in the classroom.

How do you take care of yourself when you’re not at work?

I take care of myself by sleeping! But also by spending time with friends and loved ones, reading fiction books, working out, listening to music, and taking walks.

Catherine Carrera is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat Newark. Contact Catherine at ccarrera@chalkbeat.org.

New Jersey 2024 state tests: Students show gradual gains in reading, math

2024-12-06T10:45:00+00:00

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Newark students made incremental progress on their spring 2024 mathematics and reading standardized state tests, but still lagged behind statewide proficiency averages and their own pre-pandemic scores, according to new data released by the state this week.

“The statewide assessment results serve as a rich source of data for determining areas of need,” Acting Education Commissioner Kevin Dehmer said at a state school board meeting on Wednesday during a presentation of the results. “We know these results do not fully describe the complexities of the depth and breadth of a child’s complete learning experience, but these data are important and help us understand overall performance trends.”

The New Jersey Student Learning Assessments, commonly referred to as NJSLA, are administered annually in the spring for grades 3-9 in English language arts and math. The tests were not given to students in the spring of 2020 or 2021 after the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted learning.

This year’s scores mark the third time state tests were administered for New Jersey since the pandemic and an overview of results show a continued gradual increase after scores plummeted in 2022. That drastic dip — which put student proficiency averages well behind 2019 rates — prompted education leaders and advocates to underscore the need for high-impact tutoring and more professional development to help teachers learn how they can improve students’ literacy skills.

More than half, or 52.2%, of New Jersey students met or exceeded proficiency standards in English language arts on the spring 2024 tests, an increase of nearly one percentage point from 2023 and 3.3 percentage points from 2022. This year’s rate is still behind the 2019 proficiency rate of 57.6% by 5.3 percentage points, according to the state’s analysis.

In math, about 39.6% of students statewide met or exceeded proficiency standards on the 2024 test, an increase of 2.2 percentage points from spring 2023 and 4.2 percentage points from 2022. That rate is also still behind the 2019 proficiency rate of 44.7% by 5.1 percentage points.

Meanwhile, across Newark traditional public and charter schools — which are publicly funded but privately managed — the proficiency rate was 39.3% for English language arts and 23.8% for math in 2024, according to a Chalkbeat analysis.

The story continues after the data graphic.

Between Newark’s literacy proficiency rate average and the state’s average, there’s a 12.9 percentage point gap, showing city schools are still lagging behind statewide averages. Similarly, there’s a 15.8 percentage point gap for math.

In an overview of Newark Public Schools’ test scores earlier this fall, Superintendent Roger León or other school leaders highlighted the district’s efforts in the last few years to increase tutoring during school, as well as summer and Saturday school efforts and a new English language arts curriculum.

Gaps persist among student groups

A look at subgroups at the state level showed students with disabilities and English language learners are about 20 percentage points or more behind the overall student averages in reading and math, a state analysis showed.

The gaps also persist among racial groups, according to the state. There was an approximate 45 percentage point gap in proficiency rates on the English language arts exams between Black students, who averaged a 35.6 proficiency rate, and Asian American students, who scored above the state average at 80.9%.

“It’s extremely frustrating to know that after all the investments, the number of programs over the years, this achievement gap is persistent and still remains significant,” state board member Arcelio Aponte said at the meeting. “What do we do moving forward? Is there anything that we have not tried as of yet?”

State administrative officials said the literacy bill package Gov. Phil Murphy signed over the summer will create an office within the education department dedicated to finding answers to those questions. The Office of Learning Equity and Academic Recovery is set to be active by early next year.

The story continues after the data table.

Some Newark schools exceed state reading proficiency rates

A Chalkbeat data analysis of Newark’s test scores showed some bright spots throughout city schools, where proficiency rates at certain schools are meeting or exceeding the state’s averages and pre-pandemic scores.

A look at third grade reading scores among district schools showed Park Elementary School reached a 58.7% proficiency rate, above the state and city averages for English language arts and surpassing its 2019 rate of 32.4%. About 45.5% of Ivy Hill Elementary third graders reached reading proficiency scores. The two district schools exceeded the state’s third grade average reading proficiency rate of 44%.

Four city charter schools’ third graders also exceeded the state’s reading proficiency average, including North Star Academy, Gray, Maria L. Varisco-Rogers, and Robert Treat charter schools.

The analysis also shows where proficiency rates lag even further behind. Less than 10% of third graders at eight district elementary schools met proficiency standards for reading on grade level. For example, 5% of third graders at Camden Street School are reading on grade level, meaning the vast majority of third graders at that school are not meeting proficiency standards in English language arts.

The other seven schools with similar rates included Thirteenth Avenue, Avon Avenue, Hawkins, George Washington Carver, Peshine, Sussex, and Quitman elementary schools.

Correction: Dec. 9, 2024: A previous version of this story incorrectly stated the percentage change in proficiency rates on the English language arts and math state tests comparing 2024 results to the last two years.

Catherine Carrera is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat Newark. Contact Catherine at ccarrera@chalkbeat.org.

Newark must return $33,650 of its state aid for violating use of public funds, monitor finds

2024-11-27T21:05:40+00:00

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Newark Public Schools' “Staff Fun Day” turned out to be a headache for the district, after a state investigation revealed the $44,000 festival violated laws on how school boards can spend taxpayer money.

The New Jersey Department of Education’s investigative unit audited the Newark Board of Education and found it inappropriately spent about $33,650 in state aid when it hosted an outdoor party for central office administrators, staff, and their children in June that included a DJ, four inflatable carnival booths, a rescue squad, and a police officer.

As a consequence, a resolution passed by the school board Tuesday night requires the district to return that aid to state coffers — potentially leaving a hole in the district’s budget, of which more than 82% is funded by state aid.

State laws stipulate that district-sponsored activity must “clearly align with the district’s goals and objectives, particularly in relation to the use of public funds,” states a letter sent to Superintendent Roger León on Oct. 25 from Jamar E. Purnsley, director of the state Office of Fiscal Accountability and Compliance. That division within the state’s education department conducts investigations of school districts, often prompted by an external complaint or by a directive from the education commissioner.

In this case, the investigation was prompted after news articles published in June highlighted the $44,000 price tag for the event, school board secretary and business administrator Valerie Wilson said at the school board meeting on Tuesday.

Held at the Forest Lodge in Warren, a 40-acre wedding venue about 24 miles southwest of Newark, the event was billed as the Central Office Staff Fun Day and took place June 1. The $43,813.90 cost for the event covered, among other features, breakfast and lunch buffets for 275 adults, who are employees of the district’s central office, and their children, approximately 140 of whom were accounted for in the invoice.

Weeks after the event, Board President Hasani Council said at a school board meeting that a “majority” of the children in attendance were students in the district and clarified that no alcoholic beverages were served, even though the invoice included bar service for beer on tap.

Tap INTO Newark was the first to report on the invoice from the venue that the school board approved at its May meeting.

The district argued to the state’s auditors that the event supported its strategic plan’s third priority: “strength-based and responsive culture,” which is to “communicate a shared vision and plan for developing, supporting, and sustaining positive culture and climate” across schools and departments.

The letter from the state’s education department noted that the district “contended that the Fun Day event was intended to promote team building.”

But, while state auditors acknowledged the activities “fostered camaraderie,” it determined the event violated three statutes related to the use of public funds, including provisions that define training events, seminars, and retreats.

Among the activities listed in the “fun day” agenda were team basketball and volleyball, an egg toss competition, free throw contests, corn hole, inflatable axe throwing, a scavenger hunt, limbo competition, and a hula hoop contest, which were all facilitated by the venue’s employees. The 415 guests also had access to a rock wall and bungee activity, arcade games, social media photo booth with prints, and caricature artists.

The auditors identified four critical points in its investigation: a lack of educational or professional development content, an absence of Newark Public Schools’ leadership-led facilitation, a lack of formal sessions to discuss the district’s strategic initiatives, and a lack of alignment with state code that requires specific organizational goals for events funded with taxpayer money.

Board approves refund, but not admission of a violation

In the resolution the board approved on Tuesday, it certified directing a refund back to the state and approved the corrective action plan.

The investigation determined that 76.8% of state aid, or $33,649.07, covered the total event cost. The district is directed to return that amount to the state’s education department, the letter states.

The corrective action plan included a public discussion of the audit findings, which the board engaged in on Tuesday night, and ensuring that future events align with statutory requirements and district goals. The district is also required to post that document on its website, which it did on Wednesday.

Though it approved the requirements outlined in the audit, school board attorney Brenda Liss said that the district still does not admit any violation occurred and disagrees with the finding.

“The OFAC finding is not the be all and end all,” Liss said. “I continue to believe and continue to advise this board that I disagree with that finding. But I also made the recommendation that it is not worth pursuing any further.”

Since the corrective action plan wasn’t onerous, Liss said she advised the board to agree to it without admitting they violated state code.

Board member Crystal Williams asked, “If the state says that there was a violation, does it matter that we don’t admit it or not?” But Liss insisted that the board refrain from admitting any violation.

Wilson, the board secretary and business administrator, said the payment to the state hadn’t been made as of Tuesday night.

The $30,000-plus fine is a fraction of the $1.5 billion district budget. But, in a district that has been historically underfunded with rising expenses as this school year marks the near-end of federal COVID relief funding, the cost could affect students and staff.

When asked how the district will address the hole that will be left in its budget after returning those funds, Communication Director Paul Brubaker said in an email on Wednesday that “the district will make the necessary reallocation of funds to address this matter without compromising the academic program.”

This school year, the district received $1.25 billion in state aid, a record high and the first time the state fulfilled its part on the school funding formula. Still, district leaders earlier this year said the district remained $112 million under its local fair share of property taxes.

The hefty fine didn’t stop the Newark superintendent from expressing gratitude for the state auditor’s office at the board meeting Tuesday night, ahead of the vote to approve the resolution. León said the district would be planning another “fun day” this school year.

“We appreciate the team from OFAC because what they in fact did was provide us with guidance on how we can actually have ‘fun day’ this year — what they would expect on our selection of a number of activities,” León said. “We’re actually thankful to them.”

Catherine Carrera is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat Newark. Contact Catherine at ccarrera@chalkbeat.org.

Newark charters kick off 2024-25 school year with larger tutoring fleet, focus on academic recovery

2024-08-27T14:09:54+00:00

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In a Fairmount Heights Middle School classroom on Wednesday, an English language arts tutor sat with three seventh graders during third period as they introduced themselves and started an icebreaker.

A tutoring class built into a school schedule isn’t a common occurrence in Newark schools, but the only task at hand in Room 331 was: What’s your favorite song?

A fun question for some. A weighted one for others, worried about first impressions. After all, it was just the third day of the 2024-25 school year for the roughly 300 students at the recently-constructed building, managed by Great Oaks Legacy Charter School, in Newark’s West Ward.

“You can’t think of a song?” asked AmeriCorps tutoring fellow Justice Lateef to Moses, one of the three students in his tutoring cohort that he’ll lead for the rest of the school year.

“All the ones I like are, like,” Moses said before he lowered his voice, “for a certain age, you know?”

“You can still write whatever song you like,” Lateef reassured Moses and his two peers, Altariq and Hillary. “There will be no judgment passed.”

With No. 2 pencils in hand, they quickly scribbled down their answers.

The students at Fairmount Heights, and roughly 1,700 other pre-K-12 students under the Great Oaks Legacy network’s umbrella, were among the first in the city — and across New Jersey — to be back in the classroom last week.

Thousands more students at some of the 14 other charter school networks citywide, which are publicly funded but privately managed, also returned to school during the final weeks of August, including about 6,000 at KIPP Newark Team Academy and another 6,300 at North Star Academy.

Approximately 42,600 students enrolled in Newark Public Schools still have another week before heading back to school on Sept. 3.

First grader Zara has her backpack adjusted by her mom Nyla Velez-Mack on the first day of school at KIPP Seek Academy in Newark on Thursday.

Across city charter and traditional public schools, initiatives have been set in motion — from tutoring programs to updated curriculums and specialized staff training — to continue to help students recover academically and return to pre-COVID pandemic proficiency levels on state test scores in reading and math. This year, school officials say they’re hopeful to see students doing better in those areas.

“We’re seeing that extra-catered, small-group instruction could really start to move the needle,” said Daniel Apicella, the dean of fellows who leads Great Oaks Legacy’s tutoring program, which has been in place since the network’s inception 13 years ago. “We’re excited for the future.”

Multilingual learner needs increase

The school community at KIPP Seek Academy, a K-4 school in the South Ward, balanced mixed emotions about summer’s end Thursday as students and educators navigated colorful balloons and red-carpet-ready decorations on the first day of school for the city’s second-largest charter network.

Rasheed Jackson and his daughter Love, 7, were second in line at 7:30 a.m., 15 minutes before the doors opened. As Jackson spoke highly of the school and his pride for his daughter, Love interjected — “I woke up early!” with a smile, adding that her “morning routine” consisted of brushing her teeth and putting on her uniform.

Stephanee Cook, an alum of KIPP Newark Collegiate Academy, teaches kindergarten at KIPP Seek Academy in Newark on the first day of school on Aug. 22.

“I’m excited for my first day of second grade,” Love said as she lifted the straps of her sparkly backpack with her thumbs. The front pocket of the backpack had a bright, shiny pink pompom on the front zipper, matching the beads on her hair braids that were different shades of pink.

Some transitions went smoother than others that morning.

As the school day picked up, it was proving to be a tough transition for Samuel, a native Spanish speaker in Stephanee Cook’s kindergarten class. While “Ms. Cook” showed circle time to the students and encouraged them to stand up one at a time to introduce themselves by stating their favorite food, Samuel’s eyes filled with tears. “Ms. Cook” let the class know that Samuel was having a hard time and needed his peers’ support, and then instructed them to say, in unison, “Good morning, Samuel!”

Samuel is one of five new students identified and enrolled at KIPP Seek as a multilingual learner at the school. In the last year, Principal Alexis Conde said, the number of new incoming multilingual learners has increased network-wide. Her school of about 550 students now has 17 multilingual learners, she added.

Across KIPP Newark schools, fall enrollment data points from the state Department of Education show enrollment for multilingual learners has increased by close to 40% from 176 in 2022-23 to 243 in 2023-24 — a similar trend seen on a larger scale in Newark Public Schools.

One of the ongoing professional workshops for K-2 teachers this year, Conde said, has a focus on literacy. “We’re really making sure that we know how to properly teach literacy in the foundation grades so we do what we can to close those gaps that exist,” Conde said. “Because once they get to third grade, that’s harder.”

Principal Alexis Conde greets students arriving for the first day of school at KIPP Seek Academy in Newark on Thursday.

Third graders at KIPP schools in Newark showed some improvement last year on ELA state tests, with proficiency rates at 25.7% in 2022 and 27.5% in 2023, an increase of 1.8 percentage points.

ELA, math tutors offer social and emotional support

Back in Room 331 at Fairmount Heights, where the classroom of 25 seventh graders had been split into small groups of three to five across six tutors, Moses ultimately couldn’t remember the name of his favorite song. But, he conceded, it was one from Travis Scott, an American rapper and songwriter who’s produced multiple number-one hits on top music charts.

Justice Lateef, second from left, a fellow in the Great Oaks Legacy Charter School tutoring program, leads an introductory tutoring session with a small group of seventh graders on the third day of school at Fairmount Heights Middle School.

“I know you’re probably wondering, ‘Why are we, in ELA, talking about songs?’” Lateef, the first-year tutor, pointed out as he and the group scooted their seats even closer together around two desks. “But it’s going to all relate because a lot of these songs — even instrumental music — can translate into stories and themes.”

Lateef, a Newark native and recent Rowan University graduate, is one of 94 AmeriCorps tutoring fellows stationed across Great Oaks Legacy’s three middle schools citywide. The number of tutors deployed across those schools from AmeriCorps — a government agency that pays a stipend for interested participants to get trained and tutor in high-needs districts — is ticking back up after dipping to 68 fellows last school year. During the 2018-19 school year, there were 108 tutors across network middle schools.

The start of the school year, Apicella said, is key for tutors, who specialize either in math or ELA, to begin to develop a strong foundation with the students. Tutors not only provide academic help but also mentorship to support social and emotional learning, he added.

“Those first couple weeks of school are so crucial because there can be no meaningful learning unless there is that meaningful relationship,” he said.

For Lateef, a Newark Public Schools alum, the tutoring position is personal.

“My big ‘why’ that brought me back here was to give back to the community that has given so much to me, despite its flaws,” he said. “I just want to try to be that person I wish I had when I was at that age.”

Catherine Carrera is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat Newark. Contact Catherine at ccarrera@chalkbeat.org.

New Jersey governor signs bills to mandate literacy screenings for K-3 students starting in 2025

2024-08-13T22:29:10+00:00

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New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy signed a set of bills Tuesday aimed at improving student reading proficiency, which dwindled after the COVID pandemic, by mandating literacy screenings for K-3 students and implementing new educator training on reading instruction next school year, among other initiatives.

“When it comes to overcoming barriers to literacy, we do not have time to waste,” Murphy said to a group of education advocates, educators, and lawmakers in the library of Park Elementary School, a pre-K-8 school in Newark’s North Ward where roughly 780 students are enrolled. Newark Superintendent Roger León, school board members, and a few parents and students were also in the audience at the news conference.

The two bills Murphy signed are intended to help improve students’ reading skills, require an early intervention program, and establish a new office in the state’s education department dedicated to equity and academic recovery, all of which hold special significance in Newark where youth literacy rates are struggling.

Reading proficiency for the city’s third graders took a nosedive after the pandemic, and city leaders and educators have been employing various initiatives over the last few years to help students recover. In 2019, 51.6% of Newark Public Schools’ third graders met state reading standards, a rate that dropped by nearly 15 percentage points in 2023, when only 36.9% of third graders were proficient.

Third grade is a particularly crucial time for reading in a child’s development, experts say, and reading proficiency at that grade level can predict what reading levels will be in eighth grade and beyond. Students of color in New Jersey are also more at risk of falling behind as reading proficiency levels among Black third graders in public schools started to decline in 2019, before the pandemic, according to a report by The Racial Equity Initiative.

“From birth to third grade you are learning to read,” Senate Majority Leader M. Teresa Ruiz said at the news conference. “From third grade and beyond, you are reading to learn.”

Ruiz, an alumna of Newark Public Schools who represents the city as part of her legislative district, has been advocating for years for the literacy initiatives outlined in the two bills that Murphy signed.

One bill, S-2644, establishes a Working Group on Student Literacy within the Department of Education that will be dedicated to researching evidence-based literacy strategies, screenings, interventions for students, and professional development programs on literacy education for teachers. This group will present its recommendations to the state education department, and state officials will then publish guidance for districts on literacy strategies.

After that’s implemented, in the 2025-26 school year, traditional public school districts and charter school networks, which are privately run but publicly funded schools, will be mandated to conduct two literacy screenings annually for all K-3 students, and notify guardians of the results within 30 days.

The other bill, S-2647, establishes the Office of Learning Equity and Academic Recovery in the state education department, which will coordinate resources and research best practices for literacy, learning equity, and learning acceleration.

The legislation signed also includes $5.25 million to implement these literacy initiatives, which was earmarked in the 2025 state budget passed in June.

“We have generations of third graders that are not reading at grade level and if we don’t do something to shift course, we are complicit in that,” Ruiz said.

Several advocacy groups worked with Ruiz and other lawmakers on the policies.

“As we move forward and look to the new school year, there is still much to be done, especially when it comes to serving our most under-resourced learners, who are disproportionately Black and brown children,” said Paula White, executive director of JerseyCAN, an education policy nonprofit that was part of the collaborative effort behind the bills.

Newark school and city leaders have pushed various efforts over the last year to help student reading rates.

Last summer, Newark Mayor Ras Baraka declared an “urgent” literacy crisis throughout the city and launched a 10-point Youth Literacy Action plan that called on local schools, parents, community partners, and programs to get young children reading and writing.

The district also mandated 10,000 students last year to participate in summer programs to target math and reading, and school leaders last fall created a plan aimed to boost student performance in writing and English language arts.

Among the students at the bill signing was Kennedy, 8, a rising fourth grader at Park Elementary School, who was there with her mom, Sharmaine Maxey, of Newark.

Maxey proudly said that her daughter is part of the gifted and talented program at the school, loves to read, and was skipped from first grade to third grade last year.

“When you’re in a public school classroom, there’s such a variety of learning styles, and sometimes a teacher may need to pour more of her time into one student and take learning time away from another,” Maxey said, applauding the intervention programs the bills will trigger next school year. “As a mom of a gifted student, this news is precious to me because it’s the stepping stone that’s needed here in Newark.”

Jessie Gómez contributed to this story.

Catherine Carrera is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat Newark. Contact Catherine at ccarrera@chalkbeat.org.

Newark Teachers Union ratifies new contract with 4.5% average annual raises, extended workday

2024-06-07T20:18:30+00:00

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A $65,000 starting salary for new teachers, 4.5% average annual raises, and more say for educators on curriculum decisions are among the new standards for Newark Public Schools teachers under a union contract members overwhelmingly approved this week.

Newark Teachers Union members stopped by the union’s Broad Street office on Thursday to vote on the proposed five-year agreement. There were 1,331 votes in favor of ratifying the contract and 582 votes against it. Just under 30% of the union’s 7,000 members participated in the vote.

In addition to what the union called several notable wins for its members, the contract will change the school schedule for educators. That’s because it will extend the workday for all teachers to seven hours, following a push by the district to have all schools follow one universal schedule.

The union reached a tentative agreement with the district in late May after roughly five months of negotiations.

“NTU members voted to approve the transformational contract that makes them a true partner with the board of education on classroom and district policies,” John Abeigon, the teachers union president, said in a statement. “The negotiations and the contract itself are an example of labor-management collaboration at its best.”

The contract takes effect for the 2024-25 school year.

New teachers starting in the upcoming school year will receive a $65,000 base salary and reach $75,500 in the fifth year of the contract. The salary guide also shows the new teacher base salary in the fifth year of the contract, or school year 2028-29, will be $74,000.

The five-year agreement provides 4.5% average annual raises, though each member’s raise may be different based on which step of the salary guide they are on. The state’s average annual salary increase is 3.5% for teachers union contracts, according to the Newark union.

Members will not see increases in health insurance and benefits costs in the new contract, unlike in other New Jersey school districts in the state, Abeigon said.

There are additional pay increases for teachers with master’s or doctoral degrees, and for teachers with 15 or more years of experience in the district.

In late May, Abeigon took to Facebook to address concerns he was hearing among members about the tentative agreement.

One source of unease was the extended workday, which is increasing from six hours and 40 minutes for high school teachers and six hours and 45 minutes for elementary school teachers to seven hours across all schools in the new contract. High school and elementary teachers will begin at 8:10 a.m. and end at 3:10 p.m. starting this upcoming school year.

The increased time will be used for extended lunch and more transition time between periods, Abeigon said. Longer lunch periods were “one of the most requested items we got in the contract meetings that we held prior to negotiations,” he added.

“There are things in the contract that we’re not really particularly happy with. There are things that the district is not particularly happy with. But that’s the definition of negotiations,” Abeigon said. “We got a lot of what we wanted. We didn’t really lose anything.”

Despite a longer workday, there will now be “mechanisms in place [to] help reduce workload and make changes to how our own buildings operate and address issues,” said Michael Iovino, the union’s secretary and treasurer, in a Wednesday Facebook video.

“It’s a longer day, and for me, I’m going to be clear that since the district demanded extra time, that’s all they’re going to get,” said Iovino, who is a social studies teacher at Technology High School.

Per-diem teachers, per-diem aides, and per-diem school clerks with 60 credits or a bachelor’s degree will see $5 increases to their rates in each year of the contract.

A new provision in the contract gives classroom teachers opportunities to participate in meetings that focus on curriculum and school-level budget matters, Abeigon said.

The contract also proposes a new child study committee team to ensure social workers and other employees have more reasonable caseloads and schedules.

Jessie Gómez is a reporter for Chalkbeat Newark, covering public education in the city. Contact Jessie at jgomez@chalkbeat.org.

Catherine Carrera is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat Newark. Contact Catherine at ccarrera@chalkbeat.org.

Newark Teachers Union’s tentative new contract calls for 4.5% raises, $65,000 starting salary

2024-05-24T17:36:32+00:00

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The Newark Teachers Union has reached a tentative five-year agreement with the Newark Board of Education that would offer a higher starting salary for new teachers of $65,000, 4.5% average annual raises, and more say from educators on decisions involving curriculum and school budgets, among other provisions.

Union and district officials say the contract’s terms were jointly agreed on with the goal of attracting new teachers and retaining current ones in the district — an ongoing issue school systems face across the country.

“We need to create a destination district,” said John Abeigon, the union’s president of nine years, in a phone interview with Chalkbeat Newark on Friday. “Money attracts new educators but professionalism and respect keeps them here. Moving forward, a lot of decision making will involve classroom teachers.”

Informational sessions are set to be held over the next week, culminating in a scheduled ratification vote from 7,000 members on June 6, just ahead of the current contract’s expiration at the end of next month.

The union began negotiations in January and met weekly with the district to reach the terms of the tentative agreement, which outlines 4.5% average annual raises for the five years of the contract, with additional increases for teachers with master’s or doctoral degrees, or those with 35 or more years of service.

In 2022, the district and union re-opened the current contract, which had been ratified in 2019, to increase the starting salary for new teachers from $55,500 to $62,000 as the district faced staffing struggles linked to COVID.

Under the newly proposed deal, the new starting salary would be $65,000 and reach $74,000 in the fifth year of the contract. There would also be salary increases for non-instructional staff, substitutes, and hourly-pay employees, though Abeigon did not specify what the raises would be in those areas.

Superintendent Roger León and school board members congratulated the union members and negotiating teams on the tentative contract at the board meeting on Thursday.

“If our teachers are happy and healthy, they are better able to serve and provide a high quality education to our students,” said co-vice president Vereliz Santana. “The data proves that [teachers] are probably the most singularly important factor as it relates to academic outcomes.”

A new aspect of the tentative agreement would allow classroom teachers to be invited to participate in committee meetings where curricula are decided on and budgetary matters at the school level are discussed, Abeigon said.

Teachers will be given a seat at the table and have a say in the direction the district takes, he added.

“By the time we’ve implemented this for ten years, I predict you won’t even recognize the district,” he said. “We’ll have teachers who have been involved, who are informed, and who have skin in the game. They’ll be given a reason to stay.”

The contract also proposes a new child study committee team to ensure social workers and other employees have more reasonable caseloads and schedules, the union noted in a press release email on Friday.

American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten praised the agreement in a statement included in the Friday press release.

“This Newark tentative contract agreement is a transformative document charting out a cultural shift of educators and district officials working together on the educational strategies, policies and practices that will actually make a difference for students,” Weingarten said.

Clarification: May 28, 2024: The story was updated to clarify that the 4.5% annual raises are an average. Depending on the step in the teacher salary guide, some members may be eligible for slightly higher or lower increases.

Catherine Carrera is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat Newark. Contact Catherine at ccarrera@chalkbeat.org.

Newark Board of Education election 2024 winners raised $63,500 in contributions, campaign reports show

2024-05-17T20:14:30+00:00

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The Moving Newark Schools Forward slate, winners of the city’s school board election last month, raised roughly $63,500 from a mixed bag of donors, including local party committees, unions, and businesses benefitting from district contracts, recent disclosure reports with the state’s election watchdog show.

Those disclosure reports, which had to be filed with the New Jersey Election Law Enforcement Commission by the May 6 post-election deadline, are required for campaign donations of $200 or more and spending of at least $5,800.

Campaign fundraising in this election cycle came solely from that politically-backed slate of four candidates, which has won every election since 2016. Meanwhile, no contributions were reported this year by any of the other six rival candidates, according to the ELEC website.

“When it comes down to it, experience matters — the experience of the people who are backing this slate,” said Micah Rasmussen, the director of the Rebovich Institute for New Jersey Politics at Rider University. “They’re not starting from scratch and they’re not starting from the position of: How do you do this?”

Even though fundraising this year took a slight dip for that dominating slate, which has typically garnered closer to $100,000 or more in recent past elections, it did not result in setting back those candidates who had the advantage of support from well-established politicians.

Newcomer candidates on the slate, Kanileah Anderson and Helena Vinhas, who were appointed in January and secured their seats at the polls on April 16, were the top fundraisers in the race, an analysis of the disclosure documents showed. Vinhas reeled in $29,600 and Anderson received $13,046. Board co-vice president Vereliz Santana, who’s been on the board since 2021, raised $11,650 and board member Dawn Haynes, who secured her third term, raised $9,194.

The roster of elected officials who contributed to the Moving Newark Schools Forward slate are all top-ranking politicians in the state and city.

Those elected leaders, including Newark Mayor Ras Baraka, state Senate Majority Leader M. Teresa Ruiz, state Assemblywoman Eliana Pintor Marin, city Council President LaMonica McIver, and Councilman Michael Silva, among others, gave a collective $13,000 to the slate candidates.

Local businesses with district contracts add money to the race

More than $10,000 in support for the winning slate came from various businesses throughout the state and city, including about $1,500 from businesses that have either current or past contracts with the Newark Board of Education.

Funding to campaigns from public contractors rose last year after a new law, the Elections Transparency Act, increased contribution limits for all reporting entities, a recent analysis from ELEC found.

Public contractors helping to fuel this year’s school board race included JCT Solutions, a security and communications contractor that donated $250 to Santana’s campaign. Since 2018, JCT Solutions has had $609,119 worth of contracts with the Newark Board of Education for services related to “telephone, cameras, door security, [and] network,” according to disclosure documents.

Antonelli Kantor Rivera, who runs a law firm in his name in Livingston, also contributed $500 to Santana’s campaign. Rivera had $3 million in contracts statewide in 2023, including one with city schools for $133,000 for legal services, the reports showed.

Alamo Insurance Group, a North Bergen firm, gave Vinhas $250. The firm had a contract with the district in 2022 for $306,000 to do health benefits consulting.

Another law firm, Souder, Shabazz, and Woolridge Law Group, gave $500 to Haynes. That firm is representing two school board members who are facing ethics complaint charges from last year.

Unions also gave the winning slate financial support, which included $2,500 from the Newark Teachers Union and $1,000 from the Heavy and General Construction Laborers Union Local 472.

There was also $3,250 in total contributions from employees who work in various roles throughout the district.

On the spending side, the winning slate spent a total of about $36,600, the disclosure reports outlined, with payments going mostly toward printing campaign flyers and other promotional materials and consulting services.

Rasmussen, an adjunct professor of political science at Rider, said mailers and other promotional activities ahead of election day drum up momentum from supporters to head to the polls. Turnout remained low in this year’s election at under 3% for the third year in a row, but those who did set out to vote overwhelmingly supported the slate.

“Campaign spending gets a bad name, but voter contact and voter education are really important,” Rasmussen said.

Why was there a dip in fundraising?

One possible explanation for the modest dip in coffers is the absence of the Great Schools for All political action committee, which had fueled campaign fundraising for the slate for years.

A search on the state election watchdog site didn’t find contributions from that PAC in this year’s race. However, Barbara Martinez, who now leads that organization after a departure from the former chief, said in an email on Thursday that Great Schools continued showing its support in this year’s race.

“Great Schools for All was very pleased to support the slate of Moving Newark Schools Forward,” Martinez said in an emailed statement. A follow-up request for clarification on funding disclosure documents was not immediately answered as of publication.

Here’s a rundown of how much candidates reported raising and spending in the race, according to disclosure reports.

Kanileah Anderson

Total raised: $13,046

Total spent: $9,925

Notable donors: Team Baraka, $2,500; Newark Council President LaMonica McIver, $1,000; retired educator Kathleen Witcher, $1,200; Active PAC, $500; the South Ward Democratic Committee, $300; and two Newark school board employees, $500.

Dawn Haynes

Total raised: $9,194

Total spent: $0

Notable donors: Team Baraka, $2,500; city council members Dupre Kelly, C. Lawrence Crump, and Louise Scott Rountree, a total of $700; Active PAC, $500; International Union of Operating Engineers Local 68, $500; the Newark Teachers Union, $500; committee to reelect Wayne Richardson, $500; the South Ward Democratic Committee, $300; two Newark Board of Education employees gave $500 total; the Souder, Shabazz, and Woolridge Law Group, $500.

Vereliz Santana

Total raised: $11,650

Total spent: $0

Notable donors: Nine district employees gave a total of $2,250. Committee to reelect M. Teresa Ruiz, $1,000; the Newark Teachers Union, $1,000; the Hispanic Law Enforcement Society of Essex County, $1,000; the committee supporting Essex County Executive Joseph DiVincenzo’s reelection, $500; the Newark East Ward Democratic Committee, $250; and Allied Risk Management Services, a security and technology company, $1,000.

Helena Vinhas

Total raised: $29,600

Total spent: $26,684

Notable donors: Committee to reelect Eliana Pintor Marin, $1,000; committee to reelect Michael J. Silva, $1,000; the East Ward Democratic Committee, $250; The Newark Teachers Union, $1,000; the Heavy and General Construction Laborers Union Local 472, $1,000; the Newark Firefighters Union, $500; and Citi Bay Builders, $1,000.

Catherine Carrera is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat Newark. Contact Catherine at ccarrera@chalkbeat.org.

Newark 2024 school board election: Meet the candidates

2024-04-11T21:30:08+00:00

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Before this year’s presidential and New Jersey senatorial races, Newark residents will vote in the April school board election on Tuesday.

The city’s 160,000-plus registered voters will head to the polls and see a pool of nine candidates on their ballot vying for three full-term seats and one unopposed incumbent looking to reclaim her seat for a one-year, unexpired term.

Low reading and math test scores, aging facilities, chronic absenteeism, and calls to expand bilingual education services are among the top issues facing the district. In the upcoming year, the board will be tasked with addressing these concerns using its recently approved $1.5 billion budget as federal COVID relief funds are set to expire in September.

How do I vote in the April school board election?

Registered voters can vote in person at their polling place from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. on April 16. There are 97 polling locations citywide and they are listed by ward in English and Spanish on the Essex County Board of Elections website.

If you’re a registered voter but don’t want to vote in person or can’t make it, you can vote by mail. Voters were able to apply by mail for a mail-in ballot up until April 9. For those who missed that deadline and still want this option, visit the Essex County Clerk’s Office to apply in person before the cutoff time of 3 p.m. on Monday, the day before the election. The county clerk’s office is located at 495 Dr Martin Luther King Jr Boulevard in Newark.

Be sure to follow the instructions on the ballot to deliver it before polls close on Tuesday to the county elections board, located in the same building as the county clerk. If mailing the ballot, it must be postmarked no later than April 16 and received by the elections board no later than six days after polls close.

The voter registration deadline for this election was March 26. Voters for this election must be at least 18 years old but starting next year, the minimum age to vote in the school board election will be 16 in Newark. To check on voter registration status, visit the state Division of Elections website.

Who’s running?

Nine candidates are running for three three-year terms, including Che’ Colter, Muta El-Amin, Dawn Haynes, Latoya Jackson, Sheila Montague, Debra Salters, Vereliz Santana, Helena Vinhas, and Jimmie White. Kanileah Anderson is running unopposed for a one-year unexpired term.

Anderson and Vinhas were appointed by the board in January to fill seats vacated by former board members.

To better understand each candidate’s views on key issues, Chalkbeat Newark sent all 10 candidates five questions, including two submitted by readers. Nine candidates responded.

Here’s what they said in their own words. Responses were lightly edited for clarity and length. Grammatical errors in candidate responses were not corrected.

Newark school board candidates discuss key issues ahead of election

2024-04-10T22:37:53+00:00

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Eight candidates running for a seat on the Newark Board of Education took part in a candidate forum on Tuesday to discuss key election issues, including academic performance, district transparency, and chronic absenteeism.

But after tension escalated between an audience member and a candidate, a key takeaway was ultimately a call for the school community to unite in its efforts to find remedies to some of those issues.

About 50 people attended the forum held a week before the April 16 election at the Newark Museum of Art and co-hosted by Chalkbeat Newark, Project Ready, The Gem Project, and New Jersey Black Empowerment Coalition. This was the third forum held this election cycle.

Nine out of 10 total candidates — including three incumbents — are competing for three full-term seats on the nine-member nonpartisan board. One incumbent, Kanileah Anderson, is running unopposed to reclaim her seat on a one-year unexpired term. She was appointed to that seat in January after it was vacated.

Shennell McCloud, the chief executive officer at Project Ready, co-moderated the discussion alongside Chalkbeat Newark reporter Jessie Gomez, and Emmanuela Awuah, a fellow from The Gem Project and student at Newark’s Technology High School.

Incumbents Anderson, Dawn Haynes and Helena Vinhas — part of the Moving Newark Schools Forward slate — participated in the event, along with five other candidates who are vying to unseat them, including Che Colter, Muta El-Amin, Latoya Jackson, Sheila Montague, and Debra Salters. Vereliz Santana, another incumbent on the Moving Newark Schools Forward slate, did not attend, nor did candidate Jimmie White.

Colter and El-Amin are running on the It Takes a Village slate. Montague’s platform is called Open the Door, and Salters’ platform is called Saving Our Children.

Candidates shared their visions for change in Newark Public Schools, including diverting more resources to classrooms, increasing transparency with line-by-line items in the budget, and teaming up with community organizations to empower attendance counselors, among other ideas.

During closing remarks from the candidates, an outburst with shouting between an audience member and a candidate caused the event to pause for a few minutes before it continued and wrapped up. A few weeks earlier, at another community candidate forum, a different disruption occurred that caused that forum to end abruptly.

With an aim to unify the crowd, McCloud brought Tuesday’s event to a close by sharing that she’s been attending Newark school board meetings for about 20 years, since she was 16.

“I go to the meetings and all I see is a lot of fighting among the community,” McCloud said. “We’re at a place where it’s time for us to come together — every single last one of us. Imagine the schools we can build together. Imagine the success our children can achieve. Imagine our pride knowing that we stood up, and most importantly, stood together to make our voices heard.”

Polling locations will be open 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. on April 16.

Watch the full video of the forum below:

Catherine Carrera is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat Newark. Reach Catherine at ccarrera@chalkbeat.org.

Para el 2025, las escuelas de Newark recibirían $1,250 millones en ayuda según el plan presupuestario del Gobernador Phil Murphy

2024-03-08T16:32:17+00:00

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Durante décadas, las Escuelas Públicas de Newark no han recibido la cantidad total de fondos estatales que Nueva Jersey les debe para brindar una “educación exhaustiva y eficiente” a todos los estudiantes, como lo exige la constitución estatal.

Pero eso podría cambiar en 2025, con una cifra récord de $1,250 millones en ayuda destinada al distrito escolar más grande del estado en el presupuesto propuesto por el gobernador Phil Murphy para el año fiscal que comienza el 1 de julio. La semana pasada, Murphy anunció que este plan presupuestario podría financiar completamente los distritos K-12 del estado.

La oficina del gobernador publicó el jueves 29 de febrero estimaciones de asignación de ayuda estatal para cada distrito, que mostraron que Newark obtendría un aumento del 8.8% en la ayuda durante el año en curso.

La semana pasada, Murphy destacó una inversión de $11.6 mil millones para las escuelas públicas el próximo año. La ayuda estatal propuesta, un aumento de $908 millones con respecto a este año, sería el pago final de Murphy al plan de siete años estipulado en la legislación promulgada en 2018 que tenía como objetivo corregir las desigualdades con la fórmula de financiamiento escolar del estado y redirigir el dinero a distritos con fondos insuficientes, incluido Newark.

El plan de gastos propuesto por Murphy de $55.9 mil millones pasará por negociaciones con los legisladores, en foros públicos y en privado, antes de finalizarse antes de la fecha límite del 30 de junio.

Durante una conferencia de prensa el jueves 29 de febrero en la escuela primaria Charles and Anna Booker en Plainfield para promocionar la ayuda escolar propuesta, Murphy insinuó que los fondos reservados para las escuelas podrían permanecer seguros durante los próximos meses de negociaciones.

El presupuesto propuesto se encuentra en un “muy buen punto de partida”, señaló Murphy. “Las cosas siempre cambian entre ahora y el 30 de junio, pero un par de cosas no cambiarán —puedo decir esto con confianza— la financiación total de K-12 y la expansión de pre-K están ahí y están en cemento”.

Su plan de gastos incluye $124 millones para ayuda preescolar, así como financiamiento para otras iniciativas relacionadas con la educación, como expandir el programa de comidas escolares gratuitas, asignar $2.5 millones para un programa de subvenciones para evaluación de alfabetización y proporcionar dinero adicional para estipendios de estudiantes y maestros.

Según la Ley de Reforma de Financiamiento Escolar de 2008, el estado ha utilizado una fórmula estudiantil ponderada para brindar a los distritos apoyo financiero además de los impuestos locales para abordar las desigualdades en la educación observadas en todo el estado. Ese cálculo cambia año tras año considerando los cambios de inscripción y otros factores. En los 15 años transcurridos desde que se estableció la fórmula de financiación escolar, el estado no ha proporcionado el monto total adeudado a los distritos con fondos insuficientes.

En los últimos años, la administración Murphy ha aumentado gradualmente la ayuda estatal de Newark, siendo esta financiación propuesta la más alta. Este año, el distrito recibió $1.15 mil millones en ayuda estatal, en comparación con 2023, cuando el distrito recibió $1,000 millones, y el año anterior, cuando el distrito recibió $915 millones.

El presidente del Sindicato de Maestros de Newark, John Abeigon, manifestó en un comunicado el jueves por la noche que espera que el aumento propuesto en la ayuda estatal para el distrito contribuya “en gran medida a ayudar al distrito a responder de manera significativa” a la contratación y retención de maestros. El sindicato de docentes y el distrito han estado negociando un nuevo contrato ya que el actual expira en junio.

La ayuda estatal para el próximo año incluiría $8.5 millones reservados para transporte y $66 millones reservados para educación especial. Valerie Wilson, administradora de negocios escolares del distrito, señaló en marzo pasado que el aumento en la ayuda estatal para 2024 todavía estaba $27.7 millones por debajo de la cantidad que se le debía al distrito según la fórmula de financiamiento escolar. Aproximadamente el 86% del presupuesto del distrito para el año escolar 2023-24 provino de ayuda estatal.

Está previsto que el distrito presente su propio presupuesto a la comunidad el 27 de marzo. La ayuda estatal propuesta, un nivel históricamente alto, se produciría cuando el distrito enfrenta el fin de su ayuda federal de ayuda por COVID y enfrenta demandas costosas en 2025, como un nuevo contrato para el sindicato de maestros e infraestructura obsoleta.

Esta traducción fue proporcionada por El Latino Newspaper, en asociación con el Centro de Medios Cooperativos de la Universidad Estatal de Montclair, y cuenta con el apoyo financiero del Consorcio de Información Cívica de NJ. La historia fue escrita originalmente en inglés por Chalkbeat Newark y se vuelve a publicar en virtud de un acuerdo especial para compartir contenido a través del Servicio de noticias de traducción al español de NJ News Commons.

This translation was provided by El Latino Newspaper, in association with the Center for Cooperative Media at Montclair State University and is financially supported by the NJ Civic Information Consortium. The story was originally written in English by Chalkbeat Newark and is republished under a special content sharing agreement through the NJ News Commons Spanish Translation News Service.

Catherine Carrera is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat Newark. Reach Catherine at ccarrera@chalkbeat.org.

Have a question for the 2024 Newark school board candidates? Help us build a voter guide.

2024-03-08T11:05:00+00:00

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The Newark school board election on April 16 will be hotly contested with 10 candidates competing for four seats on the nine-member elected body tasked with leading the district’s efforts to improve literacy rates and manage a billion dollar budget, among other pressing issues.

Three seats come with full three-year terms while one is for an unexpired one-year term.

The pool of candidates includes current co-vice presidents Dawn Haynes and Vereliz Santana, and recently appointed Helena Vinhas and Kanileah Anderson. The remaining candidates, Che J.T. Colter, Muta El-amin, Latoya Jackson, Sheila Montague, Jimmie White, and Debra Salters are vying to unseat the four incumbents.

Ahead of the election, Chalkbeat Newark wants to know what questions residents, parents, students, and other school community stakeholders have for the contenders. The questions will be key in creating our annual voter guide, a user-friendly interactive feature with essential information about candidates’ positions to help voters make informed decisions. The questions may also be used in an upcoming candidate community forum, a collaborative effort in the works between Chalkbeat Newark, Project Ready, and other local organizations. More information on that will be available in the coming weeks.

City residents must register to vote by March 26. The last day to apply by mail for a vote-by-mail ballot is a week before the election. Voting in person at designated polling locations takes place on April 16.

In the form below, let us know what questions you have for the candidates as soon as possible. For more information on what’s at stake in this election and who’s running, read this story.

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Catherine Carrera is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat Newark. Reach Catherine at ccarrera@chalkbeat.org.

Newark schools would get $1.25 billion in aid under Gov. Phil Murphy’s 2025 budget plan

2024-03-01T14:57:05+00:00

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For decades, Newark Public Schools hasn’t received the full amount of state funding it’s due from New Jersey to provide a “thorough and efficient education” for all students, as mandated by the state constitution.

But that could change in 2025, with a record-high $1.25 billion in aid earmarked for the state’s largest school district in Gov. Phil Murphy’s proposed budget for the fiscal year that begins on July 1. He announced earlier this week that this budget plan would fully fund the state’s K-12 districts.

The governor’s office on Thursday released state aid allocation estimates for every district, which showed Newark would get an 8.8% increase in aid over the current year.

Earlier this week, Murphy highlighted an investment of $11.6 billion for public schools next year. The proposed state aid — a $908 million increase over this year — would be Murphy’s final payment into the seven-year plan stipulated in legislation enacted in 2018 that aimed to fix inequities with the state’s school funding formula and redirected money to underfunded districts, including Newark.

Murphy’s $55.9 billion proposed spending plan will go through negotiations with lawmakers, in public forums and privately, before it gets finalized by the June 30 deadline.

During a news conference on Thursday at Charles and Anna Booker Elementary School in Plainfield to tout the proposed school aid, Murphy hinted that the funds set aside for schools could remain safe during the next few months of negotiations.

The proposed budget is at a “very good starting place,” Murphy said. “Things always move around between now and June 30, but a couple things won’t move around — I can say this with confidence — fully funding K-12 and expanding pre-K are there and they are in cement.”

His spending plan includes $124 million for preschool aid, as well as funding for other educational-related initiatives, such as expanding the free school meals program, allocating $2.5 million allocation for a literacy screening grant program, and providing additional money for student-teacher stipends.

Under the School Funding Reform Act of 2008, the state has used a weighted student formula to give districts financial support in addition to local taxes to address inequities in education seen statewide. That calculation changes year-to-year considering enrollment shifts and other factors. In the 15 years since the school funding formula was established, the state has not provided the full amount owed to underfunded districts.

Over the last several years, the Murphy administration has incrementally increased Newark’s state aid, with this proposed funding being the highest. This year, the district received $1.15 billion in state aid – up from 2023 when the district received $1 billion, and the year before that when the district received $915 million.

Newark Teachers Union President John Abeigon said in a statement late Thursday that he hopes the proposed increase in state aid for the district goes “a long way in helping the district respond in a meaningful way” to recruiting and retaining teachers. The teachers union and district have been negotiating a new contract as the current one expires in June.

The state aid for next year would include $8.5 million set aside for transportation and $66 million set aside for special education.

Valerie Wilson, the district’s school business administrator, noted last March that the increase in state aid for 2024 was still $27.7 million short of the amount the district was owed under the school funding formula. Roughly 86% of the district’s budget for the 2023-24 school year came from state aid.

The district is scheduled to present its own budget to the community on March 27. The proposed historic-high state aid would come as the district faces the end of its federal COVID relief aid and confronts costly demands in 2025 — such as a new teachers union contract and aging infrastructure.

Catherine Carrera is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat Newark. Reach Catherine at ccarrera@chalkbeat.org.

N.J. Gov. Phil Murphy’s 2025 budget proposal outlines plan to fully fund school aid formula

2024-02-27T22:58:00+00:00

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Gov. Phil Murphy proposed $11.6 billion for New Jersey’s public schools in his fiscal year 2025 budget address on Tuesday — a historic investment that would, for the first time, fully fund K-12 schools.

The proposed aid, a $908 million increase from the current year, would be Murphy’s final payment into the seven-year plan, outlined by a law he signed in 2018, to fully fund the state’s school aid formula and redirect money to underfunded districts, including Newark Public Schools.

“We will be the first administration in our state’s history to fully fund New Jersey’s school funding formula,” Murphy said to a standing ovation in the Assembly Chambers at the statehouse in Trenton. The speech was streamed on the governor’s social media channels.

Before a room full of lawmakers, former governors, and community advocates, Murphy outlined his $55.9 billion proposed spending plan for the fiscal year beginning July 1. The plan includes major investments in schools, the public transit system, and public worker pensions, in addition to a proposed surplus of $6.1 billion, he said.

But a shortfall in tax revenues, a looming forecast of steep deficits, and other economic hardships could present challenges to fund this plan. Lawmakers will be negotiating and making changes to the proposed budget over the next few months before the deadline of June 30.

“There’s a simple reason why we’re keeping this promise,” Murphy said of the proposed boost in state school aid. “It’s because we need to cultivate the potential of every student anyway we can, whether they live in Cranbury or Camden — and that also means equipping our state’s educators with every tool they need to help our children learn and grow.”

Murphy also proposed other educational investments in the budget. He wants $124 million to go to preschool aid, which would include $20 million to expand preschool programs into new districts and create 1,000 new seats. He also wants an additional $30 million to expand the free school meals program, and to join 34 other states to take part in the Summer EBT program, which aims to combat child hunger during the summer with the help of $60 million in federal funds.

In addition, his plan includes a $2.5 million allocation for a grant program to help school districts acquire literacy screening tools to help children in need of support, a promise he made in his State of the State address last month.

While the proposed budget outlined major funding to support education, there was no sign of funding for the Schools Development Authority, a severely underfunded program meant to help high-poverty districts pay for projects to repair dilapidated school buildings.

A historic boost for school aid

Since 2008, New Jersey has used a weighted student formula created under the School Funding Reform Act to give districts financial support in addition to local taxes to provide every student a “thorough and efficient” education, as stipulated in the state constitution. However, in the 15 years since that formula was established, the state has not provided the full amount owed to underfunded districts.

During his campaign for governor in 2017, Murphy promised to prioritize fully funding the formula. Though his annual efforts to follow through on that promise have received much praise, education advocates say key updates and revisions to the formula are urgent to meet today’s educational needs.

Still, the last seven years of funding increases in state aid has been a marked shift from former Gov. Chris Christie’s administration, which mostly kept state aid flat.

In the state’s 2024 budget, Murphy allotted $10.8 billion for school aid – an $832 million increase from the prior year, as well as $103 million in additional aid approved for school districts seeing reductions in funding based on adjustments to the formula. That budget also included $109 million for the state’s universal pre-K program and $40 million to expand other programs, such as workforce development.

Newark, the state’s largest school district, received $1.2 billion in state aid for the current fiscal year, which was an extra $114 million over last year. Valerie Wilson, the district’s school business administrator, noted last March that the increase in state aid was still $27.7 million short of the amount the district was owed under the formula. Roughly 86% of the district’s budget for the 2023-24 school year came from state aid.

Typically, in the days following the governor’s budget address, the state will send districts the estimated state aid they can expect based on the proposed spending plan. Districts use those estimates to finalize their own budget proposals for next school year.

More funding needed for school buildings

Murphy received a mix of praise and criticism from education organization leaders on his proposed spending plan for next year.

“His efforts to fully fund New Jersey’s education formula, including the proposed $11.7 billion in his FY2025 budget plan, have gone a long way towards meeting the educational needs of students across the state,” said Harry Lee, president and CEO of the New Jersey Public Charter Schools Association, in an emailed statement.

Still, Lee added, public charter schools are in “desperate need of facilities upgrades and renovations,” and he urged lawmakers to consider earmarking funding for the recently established Charter School and Renaissance School Project Facilities Loan Program.

Education Law Center research director Danielle Farrie pressed lawmakers to support Murphy’s school funding formula infusion during negotiations and to consider adding $1 million to support efforts to update the formula. In an emailed statement, she also noted the lack of funding for the Schools Development Authority.

“Reaching full state funding and supporting preschool are just a part of what’s needed to make sure all public schools have the resources to provide a thorough and efficient education for their students,” Farrie said.

The New Jersey Education Association, in a prepared statement, had high marks for the governor’s proposal, but the teachers union also called on legislators to institute “transition aid” for school districts that will see a reduction in funding due to various changes with enrollment or other factors.

Jessie Gómez is a reporter for Chalkbeat Newark, covering public education in the city. Contact Jessie at jgomez@chalkbeat.org.

Catherine Carrera is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat Newark, covering the city’s K-12 schools with a focus on English language learners. Contact Catherine at ccarrera@chalkbeat.org.

Residentes de Newark indignados por la eliminación de una novela para adolescentes mientras la Junta cambia las reglas de los libros controvertidos

2024-02-15T19:28:26+00:00

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La eliminación del currículo escolar de un libro de adolescentes sobre un niño palestino de 12 años, por parte de funcionarios de la escuela de Newark, provocó una protesta pública en una reciente reunión de la Junta Escolar. Momentos después, la Junta eliminó el poder del superintendente para tomar decisiones sobre materiales de lectura controvertidos.

Una portavoz de la Junta Escolar dice que el cambio de política no está relacionado con la eliminación del libro, que atrajo a docenas de miembros de la comunidad a una reunión de la Junta la semana pasada. Educadores y padres, indignados porque el distrito retiró el libro del plan de estudios de sexto grado, dijeron que la decisión evoca las prohibiciones de libros, que han ido en aumento en los últimos años en medio de guerras culturales y campañas de censura por cuestiones de justicia social.

Después de una hora y media de comentarios públicos que por momentos se volvieron feroces, la Junta Escolar de Newark, de nueve miembros, que acababa de nombrar a dos nuevos miembros, votó para actualizar su política sobre libros y otros materiales de clase que reciben quejas del público.

La regla originalmente asignaba al superintendente la tarea de tomar decisiones finales sobre lo que sucede con los materiales cuestionados, pero, con la enmienda, ese poder se transfirió a la Junta Escolar. Deering dijo que la enmienda surgió como una recomendación de la School Boards Association (Asociación de Juntas Escolares) estatal.

Pese a que la Junta dice que no tiene relación, el cambio de política se produjo mientras crece la controversia sobre el libro de ficción “A Little Piece of Ground” (“Un Pequeño Pedazo de Terreno”) de Elizabeth Laird, y cómo o por qué fue eliminado del plan de estudios.

El libro, sobre un niño palestino de 12 años que navega su vida en la ciudad palestina de Ramallah, con la guerra y el conflicto en el centro de sus luchas, estuvo en las aulas de sexto grado de todo el Distrito desde el otoño de 2022, según fue confirmado por la portavoz del Distrito, Nancy Deering, a través de un correo electrónico.

En el verano de 2023, los funcionarios escolares del distrito retiraron la novela, que fue publicada por primera vez en 2003.

Los educadores y padres que hablaron en la reunión del 25 de enero cuestionaron por qué el libro fue eliminado del currículo del sexto grado. Hablaron de su importancia y relevancia para los estudiantes que intentan comprender la guerra entre Israel y Hamas y la violencia en Israel y la Franja de Gaza, a pesar de que la eliminación se produjo antes de que comenzara la guerra el 7 de octubre.

También cuestionaron si el distrito había sido influenciado por organizaciones externas para retirar el libro. Un reciente anuncio de la Jewish Federation of Greater MetroWest NJ (Federación Judía de Greater MetroWest NJ), una organización sin fines de lucro y el brazo local de un grupo nacional más grande, impulsó a los miembros de la comunidad a asistir a la reunión del jueves y exigir respuestas de la Junta.

La organización judía sin fines de lucro dice que durante un año presionó a los funcionarios de las Escuelas Públicas de Newark, incluidos los miembros de la Junta y funcionarios municipales y estatales, para retirar el libro de los estantes de las aulas de Newark.

“Es raro que intervengamos en temas curriculares, y mucho menos tratar de sacar un libro del plan de estudios del aula,” dijo Dov Ben-Shimon, director ejecutivo de la organización, en un comunicado el mes pasado. “Pero lo que estaba en juego era demasiado alto para que lo ignoráramos.”

Ben-Shimon también dijo en esa declaración que su equipo intentó reunirse con “educadores y líderes cívicos” pero “generalmente se toparon con puertas cerradas, llamadas telefónicas no devueltas y total hostilidad.” Pero, añadió, “líderes laicos y donantes importantes que tenían conexiones profundas dentro de la ciudad de Newark” apoyaron sus esfuerzos “que en última instancia condujeron a un resultado exitoso.”

Aun así, dijo el superintendente Roger León que el distrito no “prohibió” el libro, sino que fue eliminado como parte de una actualización del plan de estudios.

“A ningún estudiante o miembro del personal se le ha prohibido leer ningún material o literatura,” dijo León.

Algunos miembros de la Junta Escolar dijeron que estaban preocupados porque el libro fue eliminado del plan de estudios sin su conocimiento y decepcionados porque no fueron consultados antes de tomar la decisión.

“Es un flaco favor a nuestra comunidad. Es un perjuicio a la comunidad musulmana. Es un flaco favor para los padres de sexto grado. Y es un perjuicio para cualquiera que tuvo que tomarse su tiempo con 53 oradores para venir y hablar sobre una prohibición de libros que no autorizamos,” dijo la co-vicepresidenta de la Junta, Dawn Haynes, en la reunión que se llevó a cabo en la escuela Newark Vocational High School.

Haynes dijo que la decisión de retirar el libro no se reflejó en las actas de las reuniones del año pasado del Comité de Programa e Instrucción, que supervisa las decisiones curriculares en el distrito.

Susan Garofalo, la secretaria de prensa del alcalde de Newark Ras Baraka, dijo que la administración de Baraka “no tiene conocimiento de ninguna reunión” celebrada con la Jewish Federation y funcionarios de la ciudad sobre la eliminación del libro.

“El alcalde Baraka no ha leído el libro en cuestión para determinar la veracidad de las afirmaciones de que es antisemita,” dijo Garofalo. “Sin embargo, como principio general, la postura del alcalde es contraria a la prohibición de libros.”

La Jewish Federation of Greater MetroWest NJ declinó hacer comentarios.

La amenaza de prohibiciones de libros provoca cambios en las regulaciones

En el otoño, la Essex County School Board Association (Asociación de la Junta Escolar del condado de Essex) aprobó una legislación sobre la prohibición de libros en el condado llamada Ley de Protección de la Libertad de Lectura. La resolución aborda las prohibiciones de libros que están surgiendo en todo el condado en las juntas escolares locales y tiene como objetivo proteger la libertad académica, dijo la Junta.

El mes pasado, la Jewish Federation of Greater MetroWest NJ emitió una declaración que describía sus esfuerzos para prohibir el libro “A Little Piece of Ground” en las Escuelas Públicas de Newark y su reciente éxito en ese esfuerzo.

“Después de más de un año de intensos esfuerzos de cabildeo por parte de nuestro Jewish Community Relations Council (Consejo de Relaciones con la Comunidad Judía), me complace informarles que un libro profundamente inquietante y perjudicial que había sido asignado a estudiantes de sexto grado en el sistema de escuelas públicas de Newark durante el último año, acaba de ser retirado de 200 aulas en toda la ciudad,” dijo el director ejecutivo de la organización, Ben-Shimon, en una publicación en el blog de su sitio web del 29 de diciembre.

Esa publicación del blog, ampliamente compartida en Facebook y publicada por primera vez por The Star-Ledger, atrajo a docenas de padres y educadores a la reunión de la Junta Directiva del jueves.

“Si bien entiendo que las listas de lectura cambian con el tiempo según las decisiones tomadas por educadores capacitados, veo la eliminación de ‘A Little Piece of Ground’ como un claro ejemplo de prohibición de libros,” dijo Karl Schwartz, residente de Newark desde hace mucho tiempo, quien habló en la reunión.

Schwartz citó la declaración de Ben-Shimon y dijo que es preocupante que cualquier organización influya en el distrito para que elimine el libro.

“Es muy preocupante cuando un grupo privado es capaz de hacer algo así y tener influencia externa en el currículo escolar,” dijo.

Whitney Strub, residente de Newark desde hace mucho tiempo y profesor de historia en Rutgers University-Newark, dijo que él también se opone a la eliminación del libro.

“Es extremadamente perturbador e inquietante ver a mi propia ciudad natal, Newark, caer directamente en un error increíblemente evitable de un caso atroz de censura,” dijo Strub, quien agregó que en sus escritos académicos se centra en la censura. Él y otros que hablaron en contra de la eliminación del libro dijeron que la novela no es antisemita.

Sarah Alaeddin, una palestina estadounidense y miembro del programa Newark Teachers Project de Montclair State University, dijo que recientemente tuvo que explicar a sus estudiantes que la prohibición de libros puede ocurrir en cualquier lugar. “Incluso aquí en Newark, una ciudad tan progresista y profundamente diversa,” añadió.

Haynes se dirigió al público en la reunión, defendió a la Junta Escolar y dijo que no estaba al tanto de la decisión de retirar el libro.

“Ninguno de los miembros tuvo nada que ver con la prohibición de un libro aquí en la ciudad de Newark,” dijo. “No estamos de acuerdo en absoluto con la prohibición de libros, específicamente de uno que habla de una comunidad de oprimidos”.

La prohibición de libros ha sido un tema polémico en los últimos años en todo el país y el estado. La semana pasada, los legisladores del estado de Nueva Jersey presentaron la Ley de Libertad de Lectura (Freedom to Read Act) para establecer pautas para evaluar la retirada de libros de las bibliotecas de todo el estado.

La política enmendada de la Junta Escolar de Newark, titulada “Quejas sobre materiales de instrucción” y adoptada en 2019, tuvo una primera lectura el martes en la reunión de negocios de la Junta. Un cambio clave en la política establece que la decisión final sobre “asuntos de lectura controvertidos” recaerá en la Junta de Educación, mientras que la política original establecía que recaería en el superintendente.

Otro cambio en la política estipula que el superintendente debe desarrollar procedimientos para solicitudes, sugerencias o quejas sobre materiales de instrucción. La regla original no incluía la necesidad de desarrollar un procedimiento para tales solicitudes.

Esta traducción fue proporcionada por New Jersey Hispano, en asociación con el Centro de Medios Cooperativos de la Universidad Estatal de Montclair, y cuenta con el apoyo financiero del Consorcio de Información Cívica de NJ. La historia fue escrita originalmente en inglés por Chalkbeat Newark y se vuelve a publicar en virtud de un acuerdo especial para compartir contenido a través del Servicio de noticias de traducción al español de NJ News Commons.

This translation was provided by New Jersey Hispano, in association with the Center for Cooperative Media at Montclair State University and is financially supported by the NJ Civic Information Consortium. The story was originally written in English by Chalkbeat Newark and is republished under a special content sharing agreement through the NJ News Commons Spanish Translation News Service.

Catherine Carrera is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat Newark. Reach Catherine at ccarrera@chalkbeat.org.

Newark residents outraged over removal of teen novel as board changes policy for controversial books

2024-01-29T23:52:33+00:00

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Newark school officials’ removal of a teen book about a 12-year-old Palestinian boy from its curriculum spurred a public outcry at a recent school board meeting. Moments later, the board axed the superintendent’s power to make decisions on controversial reading materials.

A school board spokeswoman says the policy change is unrelated to the book removal, which drew dozens of community members to a board meeting last week. Educators and parents, outraged over the district pulling the book from the sixth grade curriculum, said the decision evokes book bans, which have been on the rise in recent years amid culture wars and campaigns for censorship over social justice issues.

After an hour and a half of public comments that at times became fiery, the nine-member Newark school board, which had just appointed two new members, voted to update its policy on books and other classroom materials that receive complaints from the public.

The policy originally assigned the superintendent to make final decisions on what happens to those materials that are challenged, but, with the amendment, that power transferred to the school board. Deering said the amendment came as a recommendation from the state School Boards Association.

Though the board says it’s unrelated, the policy change occurred as controversy brews over the fictional book, “A Little Piece of Ground” by Elizabeth Laird, and how or why it was removed from the curriculum.

The book, about a 12-year-old Palestinian boy navigating his life in the Palestinian city of Ramallah, with war and conflict at the center of his struggles, was in sixth grade classrooms across the district beginning the fall of 2022, district spokeswoman Nancy Deering confirmed in an email.

In the summer of 2023, district school officials removed the novel, which was first published in 2003.

Educators and parents who spoke at the Jan. 25 meeting questioned why the book was removed from the sixth grade curriculum. They talked about its importance and relevance for students trying to understand the Israel-Hamas war and the violence in Israel and the Gaza Strip, even though the removal occurred before the war began on Oct. 7.

They also questioned whether the district had been influenced by outside organizations to remove the book. A recent announcement from the Jewish Federation of Greater MetroWest NJ, a nonprofit organization and the local arm of a larger national group, spurred community members to go to Thursday’s meeting and demand answers from the board.

The Jewish nonprofit says it lobbied Newark Public Schools officials, including board members, and city and state officials, for a year to get the book off Newark’s classroom shelves.

“It is a rare event for us to weigh in on curriculum issues, much less try to get a book removed from classroom study,” said Dov Ben-Shimon, the organization’s CEO, in a statement last month. “But the stakes were too high for us to ignore this one.”

Ben-Shimon also said in that statement that his team tried to meet with “educators and civic leaders” but “were often met with closed doors, unreturned phone calls and outright hostility.” But, he added, “lay leaders and major donors who had deep connections within the City of Newark” supported their efforts “ultimately leading to a successful outcome.”

Still, Superintendent Roger León said, the district did not “ban” the book, but rather it was removed as part of a curriculum update.

“No student or staff member has been forbidden from reading any material or any literature,” León said.

Some school board members said they were concerned that the book was removed from the curriculum without their knowledge and disappointed that they were not consulted before the decision was made.

“It is a disservice to our community. It is a disservice to the Muslim community. It is a disservice to the sixth grade parents. And it is a disservice to anybody who had to take their time with 53 speakers to come and talk about a book ban that we did not authorize,” Board Co-Vice President Dawn Haynes said at the meeting, which was held at Newark Vocational High School.

Haynes said the decision to remove the book was not reflected in meeting minutes over the last year for the program and instruction committee, which oversees curriculum decisions in the district.

Newark Mayor Ras Baraka’s press secretary Susan Garofalo said the Baraka administration is “unaware of any meetings” held with the Jewish Federation and city officials about the removal of the book.

“Mayor Baraka has not read the book in question to determine the veracity of claims that it is anti-Semitic,” Garofalo said. “However, as a general principle, the mayor’s stance is against banning books.”

The Jewish Federation of Greater MetroWest NJ declined to comment.

Threat of book bans spark policy changes

In the fall, the Essex County school board association passed legislation on county book bans called the Protect the Freedom to Read act. The resolution addresses the book bans popping up around the county at local school boards and aims to protect academic freedom, the board said.

Last month, the Jewish Federation of Greater MetroWest NJ issued a statement that outlined its efforts to ban “A Little Piece of Ground” in the Newark Public Schools and its recent success in that effort.

“After over a year of intense lobbying efforts on the part of our Jewish Community Relations Council, I’m pleased to let you know that a deeply troubling and prejudicial book which had been assigned to sixth graders in the Newark Public School system for the last year, has just been pulled from 200 classrooms across the city,” said the organization’s CEO Ben-Shimon, in a blog post on its website on Dec. 29.

That blog post, shared widely on Facebook and first reported by The Star-Ledger, drew dozens of parents and educators to Thursday’s board meeting.

“While I understand that reading lists change over time based on the decisions made by trained educators, I see the removal of ‘A Little Piece of Ground’ as being a clear example of a book ban,” said Karl Schwartz, a longtime Newark resident who spoke at the meeting.

Schwartz quoted from Ben-Shimon’s statement and said it’s worrisome that any organization would influence the district to remove the book.

“It’s very concerning when a private group is able to do something like that and have outside influence on the curriculum,” he said.

Whitney Strub, a longtime Newark resident and professor of history at Rutgers University-Newark, said he too is opposed to the book’s removal.

“It’s extremely upsetting and disturbing to see my own hometown of Newark walk right into an incredibly avoidable error of an egregious case of censorship,” said Strub, who added that he focuses on censorship in his academic writing. He and others who spoke against the removal of the book said the novel is not anti-Semitic.

Sarah Alaeddin, a Palestinian American and member of the Newark Teachers Project program at Montclair State University, said she had to recently explain to her students that book bans can happen anywhere. “Even here in Newark, a city that is so progressive and deeply, richly diverse,” she added.

Haynes addressed the public at the meeting, defended the school board, and said it was not aware of the decision to remove the book.

“None of the members had anything to do with a book banning here in the city of Newark,” she said. “We do not agree with book banning at all, specifically one that talks about a community of oppressed people.”

Book bans have been a contentious issue in recent years across the country and state. Last week, New Jersey state lawmakers introduced the Freedom to Read Act to set guidelines for evaluating book removals from libraries across the state.

The Newark school board’s amended policy, titled “Complaints Regarding Instructional Materials’' and adopted in 2019, had a first reading on Tuesday at the board business meeting. A key change to the policy states that the final decision on “controversial reading matters” will rest with the Board of Education, whereas the original policy stated it would rest with the superintendent.

Another change in the policy stipulates that the superintendent should develop procedures for requests, suggestions, or complaints about instructional materials. The original policy did not include the need to develop a procedure for such requests.

Catherine Carrera is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat Newark. Reach Catherine at ccarrera@chalkbeat.org.

New Jersey state school board gains two new members with ‘fresh perspectives’

2024-01-17T19:02:53+00:00

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For the first time under Gov. Phil Murphy’s tenure, the New Jersey State Board of Education welcomed two new members: a former Newark Public Schools program director and a former Union City school board member.

Mary Bennett, of Irvington, and Jeannette Peña, of Union City, took their oaths of office before a full conference room during Wednesday’s board meeting at the state Department of Education building in Trenton.

“How exciting for us to have new perspectives on the board,” acting Education Commissioner Angelica Allen-McMillan said at the meeting. “With your vast experience, I know that our board is in good hands.”

Bennett has extensive experience as an educator in various roles, including a Newark Public Schools program director, high school principal and vice principal, English language arts teacher, educational consultant for Seton Hall University, and education mentor at Montclair State University.

Peña was a former bilingual school psychologist for Jersey City schools and previously served as president of the Union City school board.

“This is an honor and a responsibility that I do not take lightly,” Bennett said following the swearing-in. “I will serve with sincerity, professionalism, and utilize my five decades of experience that I bring to this role on behalf of all the children in public schools in New Jersey.”

“I’m still pinching myself,” Peña said about her excitement for her new role.

New Jersey Superior Court Judge Robert Lougy administers the oath of office to Jeannette Peña, of Union City, a new member of the state Board of Education. Mary Bennett, not pictured, was also sworn in at the board meeting on Jan. 17, 2024.

Members of the state school board serve six year terms and are appointed by the governor with confirmation from the state Senate. The board is supposed to have 13 members but has been down two members after recent resignations, and the remaining 11 members are sitting in expired seats.

Murphy has nominated six members to the board, but only Bennett and Peña have been confirmed by the Senate. Seven members currently on the board were appointed by Gov. Chris Christie, who left office in 2018, and four were appointed by previous administrations.

Peña filled the seat formerly held by Ernest Lepore, who served from 2004 through 2022. Bennett replaced Mary Beth Gazi, who was appointed in 2017 and served one term.

The new members join the board as Allen-McMillan prepares to step down as acting education commissioner on Feb. 1. Wednesday was her last board meeting.

Reflecting on her three years in that role, Allen-McMillan said she’s proud of the work the department and board has done during the pandemic.

Board member Mary Beth Berry said she welcomes the new members’ “fresh perspectives.”

“It’s a lot of work, but it’s wonderful to think we can collaborate and do the very best for children of New Jersey,” Berry said.

Some of Bennett’s family members attended the swearing in ceremony, traveling from Newark on a blistering cold day to show their support.

“She’s been in education for so long and has so much knowledge to bring,” from her professional experiences and “as a mother and grandmother,” said Cynthia Breuton, Bennett’s cousin, of Newark. Breuton noted Bennett has long volunteered for various community organizations, including their church’s education ministry.

The state school board is responsible for setting rules and standards to implement state education laws, and supervising the state’s public schools. The board also advises on the education commissioner’s proposed policies and confirms state education department staff appointments.

The next meeting is scheduled for Feb 7.

Catherine Carrera is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat Newark. Reach Catherine at ccarrera@chalkbeat.org.

Will Newark’s 16- and 17-year-olds get the right to vote in school board races?

2024-01-09T19:28:41+00:00

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The Newark City Council is set to vote Wednesday on a proposal to lower the voting age from 18 to 16 for school board races, where voter turnout has hovered around 3% for the last few years.

The ordinance, first proposed at a council meeting on Dec. 20, would take effect in time for the upcoming April election. Council President LaMonica McIver sponsored the measure, which passed the first reading at that meeting. It’s up for a public hearing and final vote at the council meeting on Wednesday at 12:30 p.m. in the council chambers at city hall.

“We need to make sure that the young people, our children, and the children coming behind us have a voice,” said McIver after the council took a first vote in favor of the ordinance last month. “We should be putting them closer to the decision-making table for the policies that directly impact them.”

The proposed measure comes on the heels of a new law that Gov. Phil Murphy recently signed to allow 17-year-olds to vote in primary elections if they are registered and turning 18 by the general election, starting in 2026.

During Murphy’s annual State of the State address on Tuesday, where he outlined his legislative priorities for the year, he said he wants state lawmakers to send him a bill that would expand voting rights for 16- and 17-year-olds statewide to vote in local school board elections.

If the Newark City Council approves the measure on Wednesday, Newark would become the first city in New Jersey to move the minimum voting age to 16 in school board elections.

Newark Mayor Ras Baraka backs the measure and believes it will give Newark youth a “strong sense of their own agency,” he said in an emailed statement on Tuesday.

“I fully support helping them establish civic responsibility at an early age and begin a lifetime habit of exercising this critical and powerful right,” Baraka said.

Nationally, there are signs that more local and state governments are looking to expand voting rights to 16- and 17-year-olds.

The city would join a handful of other municipalities throughout the country that have done the same for school board or local elections in recent years, from Berkeley, California to Takoma Park, Maryland, according to the National Youth Rights Association.

“The unfortunate reality is that voter turnout, especially in non-federal elections remains alarmingly low,” said Micauri Vargas, an associate counsel at the New Jersey Institute for Social Justice who spoke in support of the ordinance at the December meeting. “One bold solution lies in the empowerment of our youth, the very individuals directly affected by the decisions made by the school boards.”

Vargas added that the New Jersey Constitution doesn’t prohibit voting under the age of 18 and local governments in the state have the authority to set the voting age for local races.

Historically, voter turnout for the annual school board race has been low in Newark. In the last three school board elections, which are held annually in April, turnout has been around 3%.

Expanding voting rights to roughly 7,300 of Newark’s 16- and 17-year-olds could allow for more participation in the school board elections, supporters of the new rule said at the meeting.

“These young people deserve strong advocates on their school boards. Why not let them help choose who they will be?” said Ryan Haygood, president and chief executive officer of the New Jersey Institute for Social Justice.

With such low voter turnout in Newark, “we know that they cannot rely entirely on other people alone to do that for them,” added Haygood, who lives in the city and has two teenagers.

Haygood and other advocates said they would collaborate with government and school officials to put together a civics curriculum for high school students as part of an effort to bring awareness to the new measure and maximize turnout if it passes during the final vote on Wednesday.

Deborah Smith-Gregory, president of the Newark NAACP, spoke at the Newark school board meeting in December and said the organization would step in to help engage students on civic duties. She added that a city high school student told her that if the voting age is lowered “without civics education, it’s not going to be effective.”

Catherine Carrera is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat Newark. Reach Catherine at ccarrera@chalkbeat.org.

New Jersey state test results show small gains for most students, but disparities persist

2023-12-11T20:50:00+00:00

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New Jersey’s third graders didn’t see improvement in reading over last year in the latest state Student Learning Assessments, the second round of standardized tests administered since the pandemic disrupted learning more than three years ago.

Results from the 2023 state tests in reading and math showed that seventh graders and Algebra 1 students struggled to improve in math, and disparities remained strikingly wide. Newark’s proficiency rates, in large part, continued to trail behind statewide averages — among the most daunting are third grade reading proficiency rates as low as 1.6% in one elementary school.

But even so, there were notable overall gains in reading and math across many student groups, state Department of Education officials said as they presented the latest test score data at a state Board of Education meeting last week in Trenton that streamed on YouTube.

The results serve as a reminder that the pandemic disproportionately affected thousands of students across the state and in Newark. They also highlight the challenges facing districts, which are scrambling to find effective strategies to help students catch up as the fourth year since the pandemic began approaches.

“This is going to take time,” said Jorden Schiff, the education department’s assistant commissioner of teaching and learning services, as he referred to ongoing efforts to return to pre-pandemic levels in key subject areas, such as reading and math. “No one can predict exactly how many years it will take.”

Some grades, schools show minimal progress

New Jersey put a pause on state standardized testing in 2020 and 2021 during the height of the pandemic. The annual spring exams in reading, math, and science restarted in 2022, providing the first glimpse of the learning loss that occurred since the pandemic began. The English language arts exams are administered to grades 3-9. Math exams go to grades 3-8, while specialized math exams in Algebra 1, Algebra 2, and Geometry are administered to students taking those courses. Science is administered to grades 5, 8, and 11.

The statewide results for 2023 showed some positives when looking at the overall picture: There was a 2.2% increase in math proficiency and 2.4% increase in reading proficiency when looking at the average of scores across all grades. Similarly, Newark Public Schools saw an overall increase of 2% in both math and reading.

But a closer assessment of the data reveals more nuance to this picture.

Third graders’ reading proficiency statewide remained at 42%, the same as last year — and 8 percentage points lower than the 50% rate in 2019. All other grades that took the reading exam, though, showed at least a 1 to 4 percentage point improvement over last year.

Similarly, seventh graders’ proficiency in math remained at 34% this year — 8 percentage points behind the proficiency rate of 42% in 2019 — and the Algebra 1 proficiency rate went unchanged from last year at 35%, also 8 percentage points behind the 2019 rate. Again, all other grades that took the math exams showed some improvement between 1 and 6 percentage points over last year.

“When we disaggregate based on grade level, this is when you’re starting to see some differentiation,” Schiff said.

Newark third graders’ reading proficiency rate of 19.1%, an improvement of .1% over last year, was still 9 percentage points behind 2019 and 22.9% behind the state’s average.

A close look at school-by-school results in the district show third graders at a few schools are exceeding the district’s and state’s overall proficiency for that grade, while others are trailing significantly.

Forty-two percent of third graders at Ann Street, 46.9% at Ivy Hill, and 50% at Sir Isaac Newton elementary schools are proficient in reading. But at other schools, the third grade proficiency rate is bleak — with Hawkins Street elementary at 1.6%, Quitman Street at 1.9%, and Dr. E. Alma Flagg at 2.6%.

Over at North Star Academy, the largest charter school network in Newark, 58.6% of third graders are proficient in reading — a rate that far exceeded the district and state averages in third grade English language arts.

Over the last year, North Star has put extra attention on teacher training and tutoring during the school day, with a focus on small group instruction, said network spokesperson Maria Alcón-Heraux.

Across the city, local leaders have been taking steps to address the learning impacts on children.

Before the start of the 2022-23 school year, Newark Mayor Ras Baraka launched a 10-point Youth Literacy Action Plan that called on community groups and local programs to get young children reading and writing in and out of school. The public school district also mandated students attend summer school as an additional learning opportunity.

Paula White, executive director of education advocacy group JerseyCAN, said in a statement that the latest state test scores provide “evidence that our children are not acquiring the skills and knowledge that will prepare them for a viable life in adulthood.”

“It is fair to say that we continue to lack the urgency and leadership to fully address the needs of our public school students,” White said.

State, districts search for strategies to close gaps

The state’s analysis of test results broken down by other student groups, such as race and ethnicity, English language learners, economically disadvantaged, and students with disabilities, shows improvements across the board, said Schiff, the assistant commissioner, at last week’s state school board meeting.

He noted Black students across all grades showed a jump in reading proficiency of 3.2%, an increase from 30.5% in 2022 but still behind the 37.9% rate in 2019. Latino students also saw an increase in reading proficiency of 2.3% over the 34.8% rate in 2022, but also still behind the 43.7% rate in 2019.

The reading and math proficiency rates for Black and Latino students, as well as students from economically disadvantaged backgrounds, students with disabilities, and English language learners, highlight wide-ranging disparities in New Jersey.

State school board members pressed the education department officials for strategies to address learning gaps evident in the scores.

“These gaps are just unacceptable,” said Arcelio Aponte, a state school board member, during the presentation. “We really need to think through a better strategy to try to close these gaps.”

State education department officials said several programs are in the works to help address the learning loss evident in the results. The department has a high-impact tutoring program set to be underway in January and a professional development program for educators teaching literacy to elementary grades called RAPID.

The state’s office of special education is also offering a professional development program this winter for educators to learn about new strategies for interventions, strategies for trauma-informed classroom instruction, and how to improve preschool outcomes, officials said. The state is also partnering with higher education institutions across the state to support these programs, they said.

State school board member Joseph Ricca said the answer to addressing disparities requires more analysis and discussion. In addition to increased tutoring and learning opportunities, officials need to be “making sure all of our children are fed every day” and “making sure that there’s mental health care services available for all of our children in all of our schools,” he said.

“When we talk about test scores we need to recognize that these are not a singular indicator to human success,” Ricca said. “Recognize that there are issues that we must address within the lives of our children in order to achieve the types of academic growth and results we’d like to see.”

Jessie Gomez contributed reporting to this article.

Catherine Carrera is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat Newark. Reach Catherine at ccarrera@chalkbeat.org.

In New Jersey school segregation case, parties enter mediation phase to avoid years of litigation

2023-11-13T22:34:47+00:00

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The coalition of families and advocates battling New Jersey in court to desegregate its public school system will put the legal fight on pause as they enter a mediation phase in an effort to avoid years of litigation.

After more than five years of legal proceedings, the parties last month received an opinion from New Jersey Superior Court Judge Robert T. Lougy that was mixed and still left questions unanswered about the next steps to take in fixing the issue of segregation across schools.

In Lougy’s 99-page opinion, he said the state failed to remedy the racial segregation evident in numerous school districts throughout New Jersey — rejecting the state’s defense that it shouldn’t be held responsible. But he also didn’t agree the plaintiffs proved segregation exists across every school district — only among the 23 districts they provided evidence for, which included Newark.

On Thursday, lawyers representing the plaintiffs filed a motion, which was granted by the state Superior Court’s appellate division the same day, to put the case on a temporary pause as discussions to reach a resolution begin among the parties, court documents show. This came after the plaintiffs got an extension late last month to consider an appeal.

Over the next several weeks, mediation sessions between all the parties involved, including intervening defendants that represent charter schools, will take place. The first one is planned for Nov. 21.

Former New Jersey Supreme Court Associate Justice Barry T. Albin, who retired earlier this year, will act as the mediator during these discussions.

Albin authored landmark and controversial opinions over his 20 years serving in the state’s highest court, including a ruling to allow same-sex marriage in New Jersey and another that freed a former Black Panther, Sundiata Acoli, who was convicted fifty years ago of killing a state trooper.

The mediation will address issues of liability, remedies, and a process to “ensure that all interested persons and organizations,” whether part of the litigation or not, “have the opportunity to meaningfully participate,” wrote Lawrence Lustberg, of Gibbons Law, the co-counsel for the plaintiffs, in his motion.

“If successful, this mediation process holds the promise of saving the people of New Jersey and the courts of this state from years of complex, highly charged litigation,” Lustberg stated.

The coalition of plaintiffs includes the families of nine students that attended schools in Camden, Elizabeth, Highland Park, Hoboken, Newark, Paterson, and Union City, and five advocacy groups, including Latino Action Network, NAACP New Jersey State Conference, Latino Coalition, Urban League of Essex County, and The United Methodist Church of Greater New Jersey.

Defendants include the state Department of Education, Board of Education, and Acting Education Commissioner Angelica Allen-McMillan.

The court documents show that the parties have agreed to engage in mediation “in good faith,” file status reports on Dec. 15 and Jan. 10 to the appellate division, and, if they wish to extend the temporary pause, would file a motion before Jan. 16, when the pause is set to lift.

“We are pleased to accept the state’s invitation to undertake a confidential mediation process with Justice Albin and are hopeful that it will result in an effective solution to New Jersey’s long standing problem of school segregation more expeditiously than would be the case if it is necessary to continue the ongoing litigation,” Lustberg said in an emailed statement on Monday.

New Jersey “recognizes the innumerable benefits of a diverse school environment,” said Michael Symons, spokesman for the state Office of Attorney General, in an email on Monday. “The parties have entered into a confidential mediation process in the hope of resolving this complex and difficult matter.”

Charter school representatives said they will be at the table to “provide meaningful solutions to increase the number of diverse public schools” in the state.

“Public charter schools are uniquely positioned to be a part of the solution due to their ability to serve students across municipal boundaries,” said Harry Lee, the president and chief executive officer of the New Jersey Public Charter School Association, in an emailed statement. “Justice Barry Albin is universally admired as a legal mind and mediator who can help bridge different perspectives during mediation.”

Jessie Gomez contributed reporting to this article.

Catherine Carrera is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat Newark. Reach Catherine at ccarrera@chalkbeat.org.

Caso de segregación escolar en Nueva Jersey: una mirada a lo que sigue en LAN vs. NJ

2023-11-10T21:44:39+00:00

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Read in English.

Una coalición de defensores y familias tiene menos de dos semanas para apelar el fallo mixto de un juez de la Corte Superior de Nueva Jersey que afirmó que no pudieron demostrar que el sistema de educación pública del estado está segregado socioeconómicamente y que existe segregación racial en todos los distritos.

La tan esperada decisión del juez Robert T. Lougy publicada el 7 de octubre también encontró que las acciones, políticas y programas del estado no han logrado remediar la segregación racial evidente en numerosos distritos escolares de Nueva Jersey, rechazando la defensa del estado de que no debería ser considerado responsable.

Una sentencia judicial previa al juicio de 99 páginas no solo evitó favorecer abrumadoramente a una parte sobre la otra, sino que tampoco respondió preguntas clave, incluido qué se le debería exigir al estado que haga a continuación.

Los representantes legales de ambas partes han dicho que están revisando la decisión de Lougy con sus clientes. Los demandantes tienen que decidir si van a juicio, inician negociaciones o presentan una apelación. Si deciden solicitar un “permiso para apelar” (una moción para apelar un error legal en el caso antes de que vaya a juicio) pueden obtener una extensión de 15 días, según establecen las reglas de las cortes de Nueva Jersey.

Como aún persisten preguntas, aquí hay una guía del caso, que incluye los puntos clave planteados en la demanda y los posibles próximos pasos.

¿Quiénes son las personas y organizaciones en este caso?

El fallo es el último de una batalla legal de cinco años que comenzó cuando varias familias y defensores demandaron a Nueva Jersey, argumentando que el aislamiento racial experimentado por miles de estudiantes negros y latinos viola la constitución estatal, que es única por su prohibición explícita de la segregación escolar.

La coalición de demandantes incluye a las familias de nueve estudiantes que asistieron a escuelas en Camden, Elizabeth, Highland Park, Hoboken, Newark, Paterson y Union City, y cinco grupos de defensa, incluidos Latino Action Network, NAACP New Jersey State Conference, Latino Coalition, Urban League del Condado de Essex y la iglesia United Methodist Church of Greater New Jersey.

La raíz de su demanda – argumentando que el estado es responsable por la segregación que es “ilegal, persistente y generalizada” en todo su sistema educativo público – está impulsada en parte por un estatuto de residencia conocido como “autonomía”.

Ese estatuto estipula que cada municipio tiene su propio distrito escolar independiente (un total de más de 600 distritos en Nueva Jersey) y que los niños que viven en esa ciudad son asignados para asistir a esas escuelas. Los demandantes señalaron que la “historia indiscutible” de las políticas gubernamentales discriminatorias en materia de vivienda condujeron a la segregación residencial de Nueva Jersey, que solo se ha replicado en el sistema escolar bajo el gobierno autónomo.

Mientras tanto, los demandados son el Estado de Nueva Jersey, la Junta de Educación del estado, el Departamento de Educación del estado y la Comisionada Interina de Educación Angelica Allen-McMillan, así como los demandados intervinientes, que incluyen representantes y padres de estudiantes de las escuelas charter y renacentistas.

El estado argumentó que no viola su constitución y que la segregación en un puñado de distritos no establece una violación a nivel estatal. También argumentaron que el alivio de la segregación existente “esencialmente destruiría todo el sistema de escuelas públicas del estado”.

¿Nueva Jersey tiene escuelas segregadas?

Nueva Jersey tiene uno de los sistemas escolares de mejor desempeño del país, pero varios estudios han demostrado que también es uno de los más profundamente divididos por raza y clase. Si bien se ha demostrado que la integración beneficia a los estudiantes, los políticos de todo el país la han abandonado en gran medida debido a la oposición política y las restricciones legales.

El estado ocupa el sexto lugar en la nación en términos de mayor segregación de estudiantes negros y el séptimo en segregación de estudiantes latinos, según un estudio del Proyecto de Derechos Civiles de UCLA en 2017.

Como parte de su evidencia, los demandantes utilizaron datos de inscripción estatal de 2016-17 que mostraban que el 30% de los estudiantes latinos y el 25% de los estudiantes negros asisten a escuelas donde la inscripción de estudiantes no blancos está entre el 90% y el 99%, afirma la demanda. También identificaron 23 distritos con altos porcentajes de estudiantes latinos y negros que calificaban para almuerzo gratis o a precio reducido, que incluían Newark, East Orange, Orange e Irvington.

En su opinión, Lougy señaló que si bien no creía que hubieran demostrado que existiera segregación “en todo el estado”, los demandantes pudieron demostrar que existe un “desequilibrio racial marcado y persistente” en varios distritos escolares. Estuvo de acuerdo con los demandantes en que el argumento del estado de cambiar la demografía que muestra una disminución de estudiantes blancos “puede presentar desafíos, pero esos desafíos sólo enfatizan, no disminuyen, ‘la obligación y el poder de los funcionarios de educación de remediar el desequilibrio racial’”.

¿Qué podría pasar con el gobierno autónomo de Nueva Jersey?

Fuera de Nueva Jersey, las conversaciones sobre la segregación escolar se han visto sofocadas en los últimos años por las presiones de la pandemia y la reacción conservadora contra los llamados a enfrentar el racismo sistémico. Pero a medida que este caso continúa abriéndose paso en el sistema legal, podría hacer que la integración regrese a la conversación nacional.

Stefan Lallinger, que dirige una red de distritos escolares y agencias de vivienda comprometidas con la integración escolar, ha dicho que el mensaje de este caso “es que este problema está vivo y coleando”.

Algunas posibles medidas, como la creación de nuevas escuelas magnet que inscriban a estudiantes de distritos múltiples, podrían ser costosas pero populares entre las familias. Pero otros posibles remedios, como permitir que los estudiantes se transfieran de escuela o volver a trazar los límites de los distritos, históricamente han enfrentado la resistencia de los padres blancos ricos y de los contribuyentes que temen que una afluencia de estudiantes pobres de color socave las escuelas y los valores de las viviendas de su comunidad.

En su argumento, el estado defendió su estatuto de residencia, que obliga a los estudiantes a asistir a escuelas en la ciudad donde residen actualmente. La coalición de grupos de defensa cuestionó la afirmación del estado de que existe una “necesidad pública” de un gobierno autónomo y que la participación de los padres se vería afectada negativamente si las escuelas estuvieran más integradas.

“Ni los límites municipales ni los de los distritos escolares son impermeables en la lucha contra la segregación”, dijo Lougy, añadiendo el contexto de fallos anteriores de la Corte Suprema estatal. “Al cumplir con la obligación constitucional, y sin perjuicio del estatuto de residencia, el comisionado tiene la autoridad de cruzar las líneas distritales para evitar ‘la segregación de hecho’”.

La demanda y la discusión sobre la autonomía han llevado a algunos legisladores republicanos a patrocinar proyectos de ley que proponen que la autonomía forme parte de una enmienda constitucional estatal.

El senador estatal Jon Bramnick, republicano que representa a los condados de Morris, Somerset y Union, dijo en una entrevista con Chalkbeat que este tema debería manejarse a través de la legislatura, no mediante demandas. En febrero de 2022, él patrocinó un proyecto de ley que tenía una propuesta similar en la Asamblea, que tenía como objetivo garantizar que los estudiantes asistieran a la escuela pública más cercana a su hogar.

Bramnick dijo que teme que, sin enmiendas a la constitución estatal, la cuestión de la autonomía podría tardar décadas en decidirse en los tribunales. “No creo que nadie cuestione si existe segregación de facto en nuestras escuelas”, dijo Bramnick. “Así que no se escondan detrás del sistema judicial”.

¿Qué sigue y qué otros remedios son posibles?

El 26 de octubre [venció] el plazo para que las partes presenten una apelación, lo que les permitiría solicitar otra prórroga de 15 días.

También pueden iniciar un juicio o negociar. Otra opción es pedir a la Corte que se reconsideren o aclaren aspectos de la opinión, aunque dado que tomó un año y medio para obtener este fallo, eso probablemente solo prolongaría aún más el proceso legal.

En el pasado, esfuerzos estatales como el de Nueva Jersey no han impulsado la desegregación. En cambio, los actores federales han tomado la iniciativa.

En 1954, la Corte Suprema de Estados Unidos declaró que las escuelas segregadas racialmente son “intrínsecamente desiguales”. Sin embargo, poco cambió hasta que los tribunales y agencias federales, facultados por la Ley de Derechos Civiles de 1964, intervinieron para hacer cumplir el fallo. Luego, la segregación escolar se desplomó en el sur, donde se emitieron la mayoría de las órdenes judiciales, y los estudiantes negros se beneficiaron dentro y fuera de la escuela.

Pero el gobierno federal se ha alejado constantemente de la abolición de la segregación desde la década de los ‘80, con las agencias flexibilizando la aplicación de la ley y las cortes liberando a los distritos de la supervisión. Muchos funcionarios locales también rehuyeron debido a la resistencia política y a un fallo de la Corte Suprema de 2007 que limitó (pero no prohibió) el uso de la raza en los planes de integración voluntaria. Hoy en día, según un análisis de 2020, se pueden encontrar políticas activas de integración en solo 119 de los más de 13.000 distritos escolares del país y 66 escuelas charter.

Frustrados por la inacción federal y local, los defensores de la integración de Nueva Jersey llevaron su lucha a las cortes estatales. En 2018, un grupo de nueve estudiantes, sus familias y una coalición de grupos religiosos y de derechos civiles demandaron al estado con la esperanza de forzar la integración escolar.

“Parecía nuestra única opción”, dijo Christian Estévez, presidente de Latino Action Network, el principal demandante.

Los defensores buscaron una solución a nivel estatal porque la segregación de Nueva Jersey está impulsada principalmente por las diferencias raciales y económicas entre sus aproximadamente 600 distritos escolares. Un plan de integración eficaz permitiría que más estudiantes se mudaran entre esos distritos divididos, dicen los expertos, tal vez ampliando un programa de transferencia existente.

El vecino del norte de Nueva Jersey puede ofrecer inspiración y una advertencia.

En 1989, estudiantes de Hartford, Connecticut, presentaron una demanda alegando que las escuelas segregadas de la ciudad violaban la constitución estatal. Siete años después, la Corte Suprema del estado emitió un fallo histórico a favor de los estudiantes, incluido el demandante principal Milo Sheff.

El caso Sheff dio lugar a una serie de planes de integración voluntaria. Las escuelas magnet recientemente abiertas atrajeron a estudiantes blancos y asiático-americanos a la ciudad, y un programa de transferencia permitió que estudiantes negros y latinos se matricularan en escuelas suburbanas. Los programas crearon escuelas más diversas y mejoraron el rendimiento de algunos estudiantes.

Sin embargo, muchas familias de Hartford siguen decepcionadas. A pesar de los generosos incentivos financieros, los distritos suburbanos nunca han aceptado suficientes estudiantes transferidos para satisfacer la demanda. Y, para mantener la diversidad, algunas escuelas magnet de la ciudad con plazas abiertas rechazan a los solicitantes negros y latinos. Hoy en día, la gran mayoría de los estudiantes de Hartford todavía asisten a escuelas segregadas.

En enero de 2022, los demandantes y el estado acordaron un acuerdo final, que crearía escuelas magnet adicionales y abriría más plazas para estudiantes transferidos. Milo Sheff, que estaba en cuarto grado cuando comenzó el caso, tiene ahora 43 años.

John Brittain, el abogado principal de los demandantes de Sheff, dijo que los defensores de Nueva Jersey tendrán que luchar – tal vez durante muchos años – para mantener el compromiso del estado con el acuerdo de integración.

“Realmente se necesita gente de base, organización comunitaria, como la que tenemos en el movimiento Sheff”, dijo.

Construir un movimiento popular en torno a la abolición de la segregación parecería especialmente difícil en un momento en el que los estadounidenses no están de acuerdo sobre si las escuelas debieran siquiera enseñar sobre el racismo. Sin embargo, es posible ganar apoyo para la integración, dijo Lallinger, director de una red de distritos escolares y agencias de vivienda comprometidas con la integración escolar. Para lograr la aceptación de los padres y la comunidad se requiere educación, diálogo y perseverancia, añadió.

“No deberíamos fingir que el trabajo es fácil”, dijo Lallinger. “Pero tampoco deberíamos ponernos las anteojeras y decir que el status quo es aceptable”.

Patrick Wall contribuyó con el reportaje de este artículo.

Samantha Lauten contribuyó con el reportaje de este artículo.

Catherine Carrera is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat Newark. Reach Catherine at ccarrera@chalkbeat.org.

New Jersey school segregation case: A look at key points, what’s next in Latino Action Network vs. NJ

2023-10-13T17:08:40+00:00

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A coalition of advocates and families have less than two weeks to appeal a New Jersey Superior Court judge’s mixed ruling that said they failed to prove the state’s public education system is socioeconomically segregated and that racial segregation exists across every district.

The long-awaited decision from Judge Robert T. Lougy released last week also found that the state’s actions, policies, and programs have failed to remedy the racial segregation evident in numerous school districts throughout New Jersey — rejecting the state’s defense that it should not be held responsible.

Not only did the 99-page pre-trial court ruling avoid overwhelmingly favoring one side over the other, it also stopped short of answering key questions, including what the state should be required to do next.

Legal representatives of both sides have said they’re reviewing Lougy’s decision with their clients. Plaintiffs have until Oct. 26 to decide whether to go to trial, start negotiations, or file an appeal. If they decide to pursue a “leave for appeal” — a motion to appeal a legal error in the case before it goes to trial — they can get a 15-day extension, New Jersey courts rules state.

As questions still linger, here’s a guide to the case, including key points raised in the lawsuit and possible next steps.

Who are the players involved in the case?

The ruling is the latest in a five-year legal battle that began when several families and advocates sued New Jersey, arguing that the racial isolation experienced by thousands of Black and Latino students violates the state constitution, which is rare in its explicit ban on school segregation.

The root of their lawsuit — arguing that the state is liable for the segregation that is “unlawful, persistent, and pervasive” across its entire public educational system — is in part driven by a residency statute known as the “home rule.”

That statute stipulates that each municipality has its own separate school district — totaling more than 600 districts in New Jersey — and that children who live in that town are assigned to go to those schools. The plaintiffs pointed out that the “undisputed history” of discriminatory governmental housing policies led to New Jersey’s residential segregation, which has only been replicated in the school system under the home rule.

Meanwhile, the defendants are the State of New Jersey, the state Board of Education, the state Department of Education, and Acting Education Commissioner Angelica Allen-McMillan, as well as intervening defendants, which include representatives and parents of students in charter and renaissance schools.

The state argued that it is not in violation of its constitution and that segregation in a handful of districts doesn’t establish a statewide violation. They also argued that relief of the existing segregation would “essentially obliterate the state’s entire public school system.”

Does New Jersey have segregated schools?

New Jersey has one of the nation’s top-performing school systems, but studies have shown it’s also one of the most deeply divided by race and class. While integration has been shown to benefit students, policymakers across the country have largely abandoned it due to political opposition and legal restrictions.

The state ranks sixth in the nation in terms of the highest segregation of Black students and seventh in segregation of Latino students, a UCLA Civil Rights Project study found in 2017.

As part of their evidence, the plaintiffs used 2016-17 state enrollment data that showed 30% of Latino students and 25% of Black students attend schools where the non-white student enrollment is between 90-99%, the lawsuit states. They also identified 23 districts with high percentages of Latino and Black students who qualified for free or reduced-price lunch, which included Newark, East Orange, Orange, and Irvington.

In his opinion, Lougy noted that while he did not think they proved there is “statewide” segregation, the plaintiffs were able to show “marked and persistent racial imbalance” exists in a number of school districts. He agreed with the plaintiffs that the state’s argument of changing demographics showing a decrease in white students “may present challenges, but those challenges only emphasize, not diminish, ‘the obligation and power of education officials to remediate racial imbalance.’”

What could happen to New Jersey’s home rule?

Outside New Jersey, talk of school segregation has been stifled in recent years by pandemic pressures and the conservative backlash against calls to confront systemic racism. But as this case continues to make its way through the legal system, it could thrust integration back into the national conversation.

Stefan Lallinger, who heads a network of school districts and housing agencies committed to school integration, has said the message with this case “is that this issue is alive and well.”

Some possible measures, such as creating new magnet schools that enroll students from multiple districts, could be expensive yet popular with families. But other potential remedies, such as allowing students to transfer schools or redrawing district boundaries, have historically faced resistance from wealthy white parents and taxpayers who fear that an influx of poor students of color will undermine their community’s schools and home values.

In its argument, the state defended its residency statute, which has students attend schools in the town where they currently reside. The coalition of advocacy groups disputed the state’s claim that there is a “public need” for the home rule and that parent engagement would be negatively affected if schools were more integrated.

“Neither municipal nor school district boundaries are impermeable in the fight against segregation,” Lougy said, adding context from previous state Supreme Court rulings. “In meeting the constitutional obligation, and notwithstanding the residency statute, the commissioner is vested with the authority to ‘cross district lines to avoid ‘segregation in fact.’”

The lawsuit and the discussion over home rule have prompted some Republican lawmakers to sponsor bills proposing to make the home rule part of a state constitutional amendment.

State Sen. Jon Bramnick, a Republican representing Morris, Somerset, and Union counties, said in an interview with Chalkbeat that this issue should be handled through the legislature, not through lawsuits. In February 2022, he sponsored a bill, which had a similar proposal in the Assembly, that aimed to ensure students attend the public school closest to their home.

Bramnick said he fears that without amendments to the state constitution, the issue of home rule could take decades to decide in the courts. “I don’t think anyone questions if de-facto segregation exists in our schools,” Bramnick said. “So don’t hide behind the court system.”

What’s next and what other remedies are possible?

Oct. 26 is the deadline for the parties to file an appeal, which would allow them to ask for another 15-day extension.

They can also pursue a trial or negotiations. Another option is to ask the court for aspects of the opinion to be reconsidered or clarified, though given how it took a year and a half to get this ruling, that would likely only further protract the legal proceedings.

In the past, state efforts like New Jersey’s haven’t driven desegregation. Instead, federal actors have taken the lead.

In 1954, the U.S. Supreme Court declared that racially segregated schools are “inherently unequal.” Yet little changed until federal courts and agencies, empowered by the 1964 Civil Rights Act, stepped in to enforce the ruling. Then school segregation plummeted in the South, where most court orders were issued, and Black students benefited in and out of school.

But the federal government has steadily retreated from desegregation since the 1980s, with agencies easing enforcement and courts releasing districts from oversight. Many local officials also shied away due to political resistance and a 2007 Supreme Court ruling that limited (but did not forbid) the use of race in voluntary integration plans. Today, active integration policies can be found in just 119 of the country’s more than 13,000 school districts and 66 charter schools, according to a 2020 analysis.

Frustrated by the federal and local inaction, New Jersey’s integration advocates took their fight to the state court. In 2018, a group of nine students, their families, and a coalition of religious and civil rights groups sued the state in hopes of forcing school integration.

“It seemed like our only option,” said Christian Estevez, president of the Latino Action Network, the lead plaintiff.

Advocates sought a statewide solution because New Jersey’s segregation is driven mainly by the race and wealth gaps between its roughly 600 school districts. An effective integration plan would allow more students to move between those divided districts, experts say, perhaps by expanding an existing transfer program.

New Jersey’s northern neighbor can offer inspiration — and a warning.

In 1989, students in Hartford, Connecticut filed a lawsuit alleging that the city’s segregated schools violated the state constitution. Seven years later, the state Supreme Court issued a historic ruling in favor of the students, including lead plaintiff Milo Sheff.

The Sheff case resulted in a series of voluntary integration plans. Newly opened magnet schools drew white and Asian American students into the city, and a transfer program let Black and Latino students enroll in suburban schools. The programs created more diverse schools and improved achievement for some students.

Yet many Hartford families remain disappointed. Despite generous financial incentives, suburban districts have never accepted enough transfer students to meet demand. And, in order to maintain diversity, some city magnet schools with open seats turn down Black and Latino applicants. Today, the vast majority of Hartford students still attend segregated schools.

In January 2022, the plaintiffs and state agreed to a final settlement, which would create additional magnet schools and open more seats for transfer students. Milo Sheff, who was in fourth grade when the case began, is now 43 years old.

John Brittain, the Sheff plaintiffs’ lead counsel, said New Jersey advocates will have to fight — perhaps over many years — to keep the state committed to the integration agreement.

“You really need grassroots people, community organizing, like we have in the Sheff movement,” he said.

Building a popular movement around desegregation would seem especially difficult at a moment when Americans disagree on whether schools should even teach about racism. Yet it is possible to win support for integration, said Lallinger, the head of a network of school districts and housing agencies committed to school integration. Earning parent and community buy-in requires education, dialogue, and persistence, he added.

“We shouldn’t pretend the work is easy,” Lallinger said. “But we also shouldn’t put blinders on and say that the status quo is acceptable.”

Patrick Wall contributed reporting to this article.

Samantha Lauten contributed reporting to this article.

Catherine Carrera is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat Newark. Reach Catherine at ccarrera@chalkbeat.org.

Judge finds New Jersey has responsibility to address school segregation

2023-10-08T00:16:27+00:00

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In the five-year legal battle to desegregate New Jersey public schools, on Friday a Superior Court judge denied the state’s defense that it should not be held responsible for the “unlawful, persistent, and pervasive” segregation in its educational system.

While acknowledging that state public schools are segregated by race, and that the state has the constitutional power to take action, Judge Robert Lougy’s decision also found that the activists who made the allegations failed to prove the “entire” school system is segregated “across all districts.”

Students, educators, activists, experts, and community members have been waiting for more than a year and a half in anticipation of Lougy’s ruling, which came after 5 p.m. Friday, ahead of a three-day weekend for many public schools and state offices because of Indigenous Peoples’ Day on Monday.

The 99-page decision was complex and nuanced — a reflection of the historic lawsuit itself.

“While plaintiffs have not demonstrated that the entire system is constitutionally repugnant, that shortcoming may be a question of scale, and defendants fail to prove that they are entitled to judgment as a matter of law,” Lougy wrote. He also said the state’s defense failed “on both legal and factual ground,” calling it “unpersuasive.”

The opinion opens three routes for parties in the lawsuit: a move to trial, negotiations, or an appeal process. There is also an option for either party to ask for the court to clarify or reconsider parts of the opinion.

Counsel for the defendants — which include the State of New Jersey, the state Board of Education, and Acting Education Commissioner Angelica Allen-McMillan — was still reviewing the decision as of Saturday afternoon, said Sharon Lauchaire, the interim communications director for the state’s Office of the Attorney General, in an email.

The case also has intervening defendants which include representatives of charter and renaissance schools.

Attorneys representing the plaintiffs — Latino Action Network, NAACP New Jersey State Conference, other advocacy groups, and nine students from schools throughout the state, including Newark — said in a Saturday statement that they are analyzing the opinion and discussing it with their clients and stakeholders.

“The court agreed with us on two essential points,” attorney Lawrence Lustberg, lead counsel for the plaintiffs, said in his statement. “One, New Jersey’s schools are deeply segregated by race, and two, the state has a constitutional obligation to address this urgent problem.”

The judge, however, did not agree with the plaintiffs’ allegation that the state has violated equal protection laws by failing to prevent segregation based on socioeconomic background.

The lawsuit the plaintiffs filed five years ago, on the 64th anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court’s Brown vs. Board of Education ruling, claimed that many New Jersey students are denied the social and academic benefits of diversity because of a state law requiring students to attend schools in the communities where they live, which often are deeply segregated by race and class.

By that regard, the lawsuit argued, the public school system violates the state constitution, which is unique in its explicit bans on school segregation, and prior court rulings that held the state responsible for addressing segregation regardless of what caused it.

Activists want the state to create a plan to uproot this deep-seated racial segregation and find ways to better integrate its 1.3 million public school students.

In his opinion, Lougy acknowledged the historical significance and magnitude of the lawsuit.

“Novel and broad do not mean meritless. Plaintiffs maintain that ‘New Jersey’s schools are tragically — and embarrassingly — among the most segregated in the nation,’” Lougy said, quoting the activists’ complaint. “That alleged condition, along with our court’s prohibition of de facto segregation, makes New Jersey a logical choice for such historic claims.”

After the lawsuit was filed in May 2018, Gov. Phil Murphy, a liberal Democrat, authorized an aggressive legal defense that outraged his progressive allies. Despite data showing nearly half of New Jersey’s Black and Latino students attend schools where less than 10% of their classmates are white, the state’s lawyers questioned the extent of school segregation and insisted that it doesn’t always impair student learning.

But the judge found that the evidence showed the state has failed to fix its segregated educational system.

“Plaintiffs allege with sufficient specificity that defendants intentionally failed to exercise their constitutional obligations and authorities to remedy segregation,” Lougy said. “Plaintiffs adequately allege that defendants have, as a self-evident proposition, failed to take sufficient steps to remedy that segregation.”

During the final hearing in March 2022, Deputy Attorney General Christopher Weber said the state recognizes the value of “an integrated education.” But he argued that the plaintiffs relied on “raw data” for only a small group of school districts and failed to prove that the problem stems from state actions.

The state also argued that its changing demographics would require “ongoing and continuous statewide reorganizations.” On this, Lougy agreed with the plaintiffs’ counterargument that the state’s defense “rings of an ‘attitude of helplessness in the face of what is perceived to be inevitable,’” he said in his opinion.

The New Jersey Public Charter Schools Association, one of the intervening defendants, released a statement on Sunday that said they want to start working on remedies with all parties in the case.

“We should be exploring the creation of new charter schools in key districts that are geographically positioned to draw upon a racially and economically diverse student body from surrounding geographies,” said Harry Lee, the association’s president and chief executive officer, in an emailed statement. “The public charter school community stands ready to work with the state and the plaintiffs to increase the number of intentionally diverse public schools in the Garden State.”

In a statement on Saturday, Robert Kim, executive director of Education Law Center, which supported the plaintiffs in the case, stressed the importance of the lawsuit.

“Nearly 70 years after Brown vs. Board, schools in New Jersey and across the nation remain deeply segregated by race,” Kim said. “This deprives them of the opportunity to learn in a diverse learning environment, which is critical not only for their development and education but for our democracy as a whole.”

Patrick Wall contributed reporting to this article.

Catherine Carrera is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat Newark. Reach Catherine at ccarrera@chalkbeat.org.

Jessie Gómez is a reporter for Chalkbeat Newark, covering public education in the city. Contact Jessie at jgomez@chalkbeat.org.

Sign up for Chalkbeat’s monthly text updates on the Newark Board of Education

2023-09-12T22:15:26+00:00

Want to stay up to date on the latest news from the Newark Board of Education while also having a way to text your school board questions to Chalkbeat’s journalists? Sign up for Chalkbeat Newark’s texting service.

Each month, Jessie Gomez, who writes about Newark public schools for us, sifts through agendas and documents, attends board meetings, and interviews Newark leaders, attendees, and others before and after the meetings. She reports the decisions made by the school board, and tells the stories of the people who will be affected by those decisions.

And with our texting service, you’ll stay in the loop on the latest Newark school board news, regardless of whether you’re able to attend board meetings.

Here’s how it works:

To sign up to receive monthly text message updates on Newark school board meetings, text SCHOOL to 973-315-6768 or type your phone number into the box below.

Once you sign up, you’ll get a reminder text before each meeting, as well as a text after the meeting to tell you the news, and a text on occasion when there is additional important Newark school board news.

Plus, the texts are a direct line to Chalkbeat Newark, so if you have questions you don’t see the answers to, you can text back and ask us. We hope this texting service will make it easier for Newark families to stay plugged into the school board’s decisions.

The Newark Board of Education typically meets at 6 p.m. on the fourth Tuesday and Thursday of the month. Since the pandemic, the meetings have also been held virtually and livestreamed on the district’s Facebook page. But usually, the board meets in person at its headquarters at 765 Broad Street in Newark or at various school locations throughout the district.

Find this year’s board meeting schedule here.

Catherine Carrera is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat Newark, covering the city’s K-12 schools with a focus on English language learners. Contact Catherine at ccarrera@chalkbeat.org.

El personal docente de Newark no siempre coincide con la diversidad de la población estudiantil

2023-08-16T10:30:00+00:00

Read in English.

Cuando los padres de Melissa De Almeida emigraron a Newark en la década de 1990 desde Brasil, navegar el sistema de las escuelas públicas para sus dos hijas fue una de sus batallas más difíciles.

La hermana mayor de De Almeida luchó por aprender inglés en un sistema donde pocos maestros hablaban su portugués nativo. Cuando Melissa se inscribió unos años más tarde, se encontró con maestros que podían comunicarse con su familia, pero era desigual.

Sin embargo, había una luz de esperanza: la maestra de segundo grado de De Almeida en Oliver Street School. De Almeida recuerda con cariño que su maestra hacía malvaviscos y limonada fresca para su clase, pero la gran diferencia era que podía hablar con los padres de De Almeida en portugués.

Ahora, la estudiante de segundo año de 19 años de la Universidad Estatal de Montclair quiere ser maestra bilingüe y ayudar a familias como la suya en Newark, su ciudad natal, donde aproximadamente el 9% de los estudiantes hablan su idioma nativo.

“Necesito ser el cambio que necesitaba mi hermana”, dijo De Almeida, quien se graduó de East Side High School el año pasado.

En Newark y otras ciudades de Nueva Jersey, el personal docente y el liderazgo escolar no siempre reflejan la diversidad de la población estudiantil. Los datos demográficos muestran que los estudiantes afroamericanos y latinos representan alrededor del 90% de la población estudiantil total de Newark, mientras que los maestros de esos orígenes representan poco más de la mitad del personal docente.

Aproximadamente el 20% de las escuelas de Newark tienen una mayoría de maestros blancos. Otras ciudades de Nueva Jersey tienen proporciones aún más bajas de maestros de diversos orígenes raciales y étnicos.

Una mirada cercana revela que los estudiantes latinos, que aumentan en número anualmente en el distrito, están claramente subrepresentados en el personal docente del distrito, según un análisis de Chalkbeat de los datos demográficos escolares proporcionados por el estado de 2021-22.

Los maestros blancos constituyen la mayoría del personal docente en una de cada cinco escuelas del distrito, y los maestros negros son la mayoría del personal docente en poco más de una de cada cuatro escuelas. Pero ninguna escuela en el distrito tiene un personal docente mayoritariamente hispano o latino, a pesar de que aproximadamente la mitad de todas las escuelas del distrito tienen una mayoría de estudiantes latinos.

Una de las escuelas secundarias del distrito tiene una población estudiantil latina de más del 61%, pero no tiene maestros hispanos ni latinos. Otras tres escuelas tampoco tienen maestros que se identifiquen como hispanos o latinos.

De manera similar, la población de niños latinos del estado se ha expandido, aproximadamente un 25%, desde 2010, pero un análisis de NJ Advance Media encontró que aproximadamente el 30% de todas las escuelas no tienen ningún maestro hispano. Además, los distritos han visto una creciente población de estudiantes identificados como aprendices del idioma inglés al mismo tiempo que enfrentan una escasez de maestros bilingües.

Muchos expertos dicen que los fallos de los tribunales relacionados con la desagregación, que una y otra vez no lograron integrar por completo a los cuerpos estudiantiles y al personal, han contribuido a la cantidad desproporcionada de maestros blancos.

Sin embargo, numerosos estudios muestran que un personal docente diverso, especialmente uno que represente a la comunidad escolar, puede fomentar lazos más fuertes entre maestros y estudiantes, relaciones más sólidas entre maestros y familias, y lecciones que responden mejor a la cultura: los beneficios que De Almeida experimentó de primera mano con su maestra de segundo grado.

Los datos demográficos de las Escuelas Públicas de Newark también muestran un rayo de esperanza cuando se trata de acercarse a una fuerza laboral docente que refleje su cuerpo estudiantil: un puñado de escuelas primarias con mayoría de estudiantes latinos tienen una cantidad notable de maestros latinos, que oscila entre el 33% y 44%. Y es más probable que los estudiantes negros tengan una representación proporcional en la administración y el personal docente, según muestran los datos.

Tener maestros con los que los estudiantes de entornos subrepresentados puedan identificarse racial y culturalmente es solo un componente de la calidad de los maestros y la escuela, pero puede ayudar a mejorar la asistencia, los puntajes de las pruebas y la probabilidad de tomar un curso avanzado, según la investigación.

“Si no abordamos de manera más agresiva la falta de coincidencia demostrada entre los estudiantes y el personal escolar que los atiende, es posible que no veamos una aceleración del rendimiento académico de todos nuestros estudiantes”, afirma Leslie Fenwick, decana emérita de la Universidad de Howard, cuya experiencia es sobre la diversidad docente y la equidad educativa. “Debemos hacer un mejor trabajo de reclutamiento, retención y promoción de maestros y directores de color”.

‘Estamos viviendo con las consecuencias de la historia’

Como ilustra la historia de De Almeida con su hermana, muchos estudiantes no tienen maestros que compartan sus antecedentes, y se espera que la brecha entre los estudiantes y maestros hispanos o latinos se amplíe, a nivel estatal y nacional, según sugieren los estudios.

A nivel nacional, los maestros blancos constituyen el 80 % de la fuerza docente, y en Nueva Jersey es el 83%. Mientras tanto, la fuerza docente del estado, que también refleja las tendencias nacionales, es 8% hispana y 6.5% negra, mientras que la población estudiantil es 32% y 15%, respectivamente

Una demanda ante el Tribunal Superior de Nueva Jersey en Trenton argumenta que el estado, con uno de los sistemas escolares públicos más diversos pero segregados del país, es responsable de abordar el hecho de que más de la mitad de los estudiantes negros e hispanos o latinos asisten a escuelas que son predominantemente no blancos. La demanda, encabezada por The Latino Action Network y NAACP-NJ, argumenta que el estado está violando su propia constitución y la decisión de la Corte Suprema de Brown contra la Junta de Educación de Topeka de hace casi 70 años.

Ese fallo histórico de la Corte Suprema, y varios fallos de eliminación de la segregación que siguieron, declararon que la educación segregada era una violación de la Decimocuarta Enmienda. Pero también condujo a una proporción desigual de maestros blancos a maestros de color como personas, incluidos aquellos en el poder que defendían creencias segregacionistas, se resistieron a los esfuerzos de desegregación, según muestran los análisis de documentos históricos.

“Estamos viviendo con las consecuencias de la historia que ocurrió, no como resultado de Brown [v. Board of Education], sino de la enorme resistencia blanca a ella”, dijo Fenwick, autor del libro “Jim Crow’s Pink Slip: The Untold Story of Black Principal and Teacher Leadership”.

El racismo y las creencias segregacionistas llevaron a despidos, despidos y degradaciones ilegales generalizados de maestros negros, más de 100,000, entre las décadas de 1950 y 1970, dijo Fenwick en una entrevista telefónica reciente con Chalkbeat y descrita en su libro.

Los esfuerzos de eliminación de la segregación también deben invertir en la diversidad de docentes, dice Fenwick. Sin eso, los estudiantes de color seguirán perdiendo las oportunidades masivas que puede ofrecer un personal docente que los refleje, incluso a nivel socioemocional, así como académico y conductual, lo cual ha sido documentado por décadas de investigación.

“A menos que abordemos este problema de diversidad en el liderazgo escolar y las fuerzas docentes, me temo que no lograremos el tipo de progreso que necesitamos en el país”, dijo Fenwick.

Newark trabaja para crear una cartera de maestros diversa

Aunque los maestros afroamericanos constituyen la mayoría del personal docente en algunas escuelas del distrito de Newark, la proporción de maestros afroamericanos ha disminuido alrededor de 10 puntos porcentuales desde fines de la década de 1990, cuando el distrito estaba bajo control estatal, según un análisis de 2021 de New Jersey Policy Perspective.

El distrito realiza esfuerzos de reclutamiento para atraer maestros de diversos orígenes, incluido uno que crea una fuente de “maestros locales” al incentivar a los estudiantes actuales a especializarse en educación y obtener un puesto docente garantizado en el distrito después de graduarse de la universidad.

Durante una conferencia de prensa en junio, el superintendente Roger León estuvo de acuerdo en que diversificar su personal “es bueno porque genera diferentes puntos de vista” y señaló las estrategias de contratación del distrito, que incluyen una iniciativa de canalización de maestro a director que se enfoca en maestros afroamericanos y latinos.

El distrito se asoció con la Facultad de Educación y Aprendizaje Comprometido de la Universidad Estatal de Montclair para crear la Academia de Maestros Red Hawks Rising, un programa de inscripción doble en las escuelas secundarias East Side y University donde los estudiantes obtienen créditos universitarios sin costo mientras se preparan para una carrera en la enseñanza. El programa recluta estudiantes para la profesión a una edad temprana, brinda tutoría y garantiza una oferta de admisión al programa de formación docente de la universidad después de la graduación de la escuela secundaria.

Una parte esencial del programa es que anima a los estudiantes a volver a enseñar en el distrito de su ciudad natal después de graduarse de la universidad.

León ha prometido a los participantes que un contrato de maestro con el distrito los estará esperando después de que completen el programa de la universidad.

De Almeida, una graduada del programa en East Side, dice que ser parte de él la ayudó a imaginarse un futuro ayudando a los estudiantes que hablan diferentes idiomas nativos. Pero lo que la ayudó a ver que podía tener éxito, dijo, fue el ejemplo establecido por las codirectoras del programa Mayida Zaal y Danielle Epps, mujeres de color que se graduaron de distritos escolares urbanos.

“Creo que es un poco refrescante tener a alguien hablando contigo que entiende y que ha pasado por lo que has pasado y ha recorrido ese camino contigo”, dijo De Almeida.

‘Retener a los maestros es el problema’

En una entrevista telefónica reciente, el presidente del Sindicato de Maestros de Newark, John Abeigon, dijo que apoya los esfuerzos de reclutamiento del distrito, pero que “retener a los maestros es el problema” que León debe abordar, particularmente cuando se trata de maestros de color.

“Tenemos blancos, negros, hispanos, marrones, el arcoíris”, dijo Abeigon sobre la diversidad de maestros en su sindicato. “Todos los que vienen a este distrito, la mayoría de ellos se van dentro de un par de semanas o meses de trabajar en este distrito. Eso es endémico del distrito y la forma en que trata a su personal”.

Las investigaciones ha encontrado que es más probable que los maestros de color enseñen en “escuelas con necesidades altas, difíciles de dotar de personal, con entornos de trabajo desafiantes y tasas de deserción más altas para todos los maestros”, indicó un informe de FutureEd sobre la diversidad de maestros.

Sin embargo, a medida que los maestros de diversos orígenes navegan por distritos con bajos recursos y condiciones de trabajo desfavorables, a menudo se sienten subestimados y pasados por alto, según los comentarios de los grupos focales en un informe de 2019 que examinó la retención de maestros de color.

Nubia Lumumba, una educadora negra y musulmana y ex maestra de inglés en una escuela secundaria de Newark, renunció a su cargo después de solo seis meses de trabajar en el distrito. Lumumba dijo que experimentó y fue testigo del acoso racial mientras enseñaba, pero la falta de sensibilidad de los administradores de la escuela para manejar las preocupaciones sobre el acoso racial provocó tensiones que finalmente la llevaron a renunciar.

Hubo una falta de “empatía genuina por lo que había pasado”, dijo Lumumba, y agregó que los estudiantes fueron testigos de lo que ella experimentó. “Si, como adulto maduro, me dolió profundamente haber experimentado acoso racial y religioso y no obtener ningún apoyo significativo de los líderes escolares y del distrito, entonces, me imagino, debe ser aún más perjudicial para los estudiantes negros”.

Lumumba, quien enseñó durante ocho años antes de su último cargo, dijo que las escuelas deben contar con estrategias y programas que brinden “una verdadera comprensión y celebración de la diversidad” y apoyen a los estudiantes de diferentes orígenes raciales y étnicos. Esto podría conducir a una mejor retención, dijo.

Los maestros de color en el estudio de caso de 2019 estarían de acuerdo. Entre las soluciones descritas en el informe: los líderes del distrito deben asegurarse de que “las escuelas sean lugares que afirmen culturalmente a los maestros de color”, empoderar a los maestros con caminos hacia el liderazgo y ofrecer compensación por el trabajo adicional.

Un grupo de trabajo de Nueva Jersey sobre la escasez de personal escolar, elaborado por orden ejecutiva del gobernador Phil Murphy el año pasado, publicó un informe a principios de este año que muestra signos de que el estado está prestando atención a la retención de maestros.

Proveer apoyo a las escuelas en “implementar políticas y prácticas que creen un ambiente de trabajo libre de prejuicios, incluidas las microagresiones”, así como aumentar el salario de los maestros y expandir la “tutoría y el desarrollo profesional para educadores de carreras tempranas” fueron algunas de las recomendaciones enumeradas en el informe.

Los estudiantes necesitan apoyo a través de la educación superior

Para los codirectores de Red Hawks Rising, Zaal y Epps, sus esfuerzos con el distrito para diversificar la fuerza docente comienzan apoyando a los estudiantes de Newark y convirtiéndose en su “comunidad de compromiso” mientras navegan por la escuela secundaria, la universidad y carreras a largo plazo, dijo Epps.

No podemos centrarnos simplemente en el reclutamiento de jóvenes que representan a las comunidades negras y latinas, y luego no ser intencionales sobre cómo vamos a apoyarlos para que lleguen a la meta”, dijo Zaal. “Tiene que haber apoyo en el camino para que no tengamos una especie de tubería con fugas hacia las escuelas”.

Según el Centro Nacional de Estadísticas de Educación, la tasa general de inscripción universitaria entre los jóvenes de 18 a 24 años disminuyó del 41 % en 2010 al 38 % en 2021. La tasa general de inscripción universitaria ese año fue aún más baja entre los estudiantes negros de 37 años. % y estudiantes hispanos en 33%.

Mientras están en el programa de inscripción dual, los estudiantes se enfrentan a diferentes conceptos erróneos sobre la educación superior, como la idea de que para seguir una carrera tienen que dejar su ciudad natal o que la universidad está financieramente fuera de su alcance, o la creencia de que “la universidad no es algo para ellos”, dijo Epps.

Muchos estudiantes del programa son bilingües o biculturales y tienen experiencia en el manejo de desafíos educativos que, a su vez, podrían ayudar a sus futuros estudiantes.

“Se criaron en familias resilientes donde pudieron encontrar su camino a la universidad como estudiantes de primera generación”, dijo Zaal. “Entonces, tienen una cantidad significativa de capital social para ofrecer”.

De Almeida, quien se graduará en 2026, retribuye a su comunidad trabajando con los padres en su iglesia local y ayudándolos a comprender la tarea de sus hijos o brindándoles apoyo de traducción. Ella se relaciona con esas familias, dice, y les habla sobre ayudar financieramente a su propia familia mientras hace malabarismos con el trabajo escolar y persigue su sueño de enseñar.

La aspirante a maestra bilingüe está ansiosa por ingresar al aula y espera dejar una marca duradera en los estudiantes con antecedentes similares a los suyos.

“Por lo general, soy a quien todos acuden con este tipo de cosas. Me encanta poder ser esa ayuda”, dijo De Almeida sobre trabajar con padres de diferentes orígenes. “Y creo que una vez que sea maestra y regrese a trabajar en Newark, haciendo este trabajo oficialmente, seré 10 veces mejor”.

Esta traducción fue proporcionada por Reporte Hispano, en asociación con el Centro de Medios Cooperativos de la Universidad Estatal de Montclair, y cuenta con el apoyo financiero del Consorcio de Información Cívica de NJ. La historia fue escrita originalmente en inglés por Chalkbeat Newark/NJ Spotlight News y se vuelve a publicar en virtud de un acuerdo especial para compartir contenido a través del Servicio de noticias de traducción al español de NJ News Commons.

This translation was provided by Reporte Hispano, in association with the Montclair State University Center for Cooperative Media and is financially supported by the NJ Civic Information Consortium. The story was originally written in English for Chalkbeat Newark and is republished under a special content-sharing agreement through the NJ News Commons Spanish Translation News Service.

Newark’s teaching force doesn’t always match its diverse student body — especially among Latinos

2023-07-27T20:15:00+00:00

Read in Spanish.

When Melissa De Almeida’s parents immigrated to Newark in the 1990s from Brazil, navigating the public school system for their two daughters was among their steepest battles.

De Almeida’s older sister struggled to learn English in a system where few teachers spoke her native Portuguese. By the time Melissa enrolled a few years later, she encountered teachers who were able to communicate with her family, but it was uneven.

There was, though, one shining light: De Almeida’s second grade teacher at Oliver Street School. De Almeida fondly remembers her teacher making s’mores and fresh lemonade for her class, but the big difference was that she could speak with De Almeida’s parents in Portuguese.

Now, the 19-year-old sophomore at Montclair State University wants to be a bilingual teacher and help families like hers in Newark, her hometown, where roughly 9% of students speak her native language.

“I need to be the change that my sister needed,” said De Almeida, who graduated from East Side High School last year.

In Newark and other cities in New Jersey, teaching staff and school leadership do not always reflect diverse student bodies. Demographic data shows Black and Latino students make up about 90% of Newark’s total student population, while teachers from those backgrounds make up just over half of the teaching staff.

Roughly 20% of Newark schools have a majority of white teachers. Other cities in New Jersey have even lower proportions of teachers from diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds.

A close look reveals that Latino students, who are increasing in number annually in the district, are starkly underrepresented in the district’s teaching staff, a Chalkbeat analysis of 2021-22 state-provided school demographic data found.

White teachers make up a majority of the teaching staff at one in five district schools, and Black teachers are the majority teaching staff at a little more than one in four schools. But no school in the district has a majority Hispanic or Latino teaching staff — even though roughly half of all the district schools have a majority Latino student body.

One of the district’s high schools has a Latino student population of more than 61%, but no Hispanic or Latino teachers. Three other schools also don’t have any teachers who identify as Hispanic or Latino.

Similarly, the state’s population of Latino children has expanded — by roughly 25% — since 2010, but an analysis from NJ Advance Media found that roughly 30% of all schools don’t have any Hispanic teachers at all. In addition, districts have seen a growing student population identified as English language learners while also facing a shortage of bilingual teachers.

Many experts say that desegregation court rulings, which have failed time and again to wholly integrate student bodies and personnel, have contributed to the disproportionate numbers of white teachers.

Yet, numerous studies show that a diverse teaching staff, especially one representative of a school community, can foster stronger teacher-student bonds, stronger relationships between teachers and families, and lessons that are more culturally responsive — the benefits De Almeida experienced first-hand with her second grade teacher.

Newark Public Schools’ demographic data also displays a glimmer of hope when it comes to moving closer to a teaching workforce that reflects its student body: A handful of elementary schools with majority Latino students have a notable number of Latino teachers, ranging between 33% and 44%. And Black students are more likely to have proportionate representation in administration and teaching staff, data show.

Having teachers who students from underrepresented backgrounds can identify with racially and culturally is just one component of teacher and school quality, but it can help lead to improved attendance, test scores, and the likelihood of taking an advanced course, research has found.

“If we don’t more aggressively address the demonstrated mismatch between students and the school personnel who serve them, we may not see an acceleration of academic achievement by all of our students,” said Leslie Fenwick, dean emerita at Howard University whose expertise is on teacher diversity and education equity. “We must do a better job of recruiting, retaining, and promoting teachers and principals of color.”

‘We are living with the fallout of the history’

As De Almeida’s story with her sister illustrates, many students don’t have teachers who share their background – and the gap between Hispanic or Latino students and teachers is only expected to widen, statewide and nationally, studies suggest.

Nationally, white teachers make up 80% of the teaching force, and in New Jersey, it’s 83%. Meanwhile, the state’s teaching force — also mirroring national trends — is 8% Hispanic and 6.5% Black, while those student populations are 32% and 15%, respectively.

A lawsuit before New Jersey’s Superior Court in Trenton is arguing that the state — one of the most diverse yet segregated public school systems in the country — is responsible for addressing the fact that more than half of Black and Hispanic or Latino students attend schools that are predominantly non-white. The lawsuit, led by The Latino Action Network and NAACP-NJ, argues that the state is violating its own constitution and the Supreme Court decision of Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka from nearly 70 years ago.

That historic Supreme Court ruling — and several desegregation rulings that followed — declared segregated schooling to be a violation of the Fourteenth Amendment. But it also led to an uneven proportion of white teachers to teachers of color as people, including those in power who upheld segregationist beliefs, resisted desegregation efforts, analyses of historic documents show.

“We are living with the fallout of the history that occurred — not as a result of the Brown [v. Board of Education] decision, but of the massive white resistance to it,” said Fenwick, who authored the book “Jim Crow’s Pink Slip: The Untold Story of Black Principal and Teacher Leadership.”

Racism and segregationist beliefs led to widespread illegal firings, dismissals, and demotions of Black teachers — upwards of 100,000 — between the 1950s and 70s, Fenwick said in a recent phone interview with Chalkbeat and described in her book.

Desegregation efforts must also invest in teacher diversity, Fenwick says. Without that, students of color will continue to lose out on the massive opportunities a teaching staff that reflects them can offer, including on a social emotional level, as well as academically and behaviorally, which decades worth of research has documented.

“Unless we address this diversity issue in the school leadership and teaching forces, I fear we won’t make the kind of progress that we need to make in the country,” Fenwick said.

Newark works to create diverse teacher pipeline

Though Black teachers make up a majority of the teaching staff in some Newark district schools, the proportion of Black teachers has dropped about 10 percentage points since the late 1990s, when the district was under state control, a 2021 analysis from New Jersey Policy Perspective found.

The district has recruitment efforts in place to attract teachers from diverse backgrounds, including one that creates a pipeline of “home grown teachers” by incentivizing current students to major in education and get a guaranteed teaching position in the district after they graduate college.

During a June press conference, Superintendent Roger León agreed that diversifying his staff “is good in that it brings about different viewpoints” and noted the district’s recruitment strategies, which include a teacher-to-principal pipeline initiative that targets Black and Latino male teachers.

The district partnered with Montclair State University’s College for Education and Engaged Learning to create the Red Hawks Rising Teacher Academy, a dual enrollment program at East Side and University high schools where students earn college credits at no cost as they prepare for a career in teaching. The program recruits students into the profession at an early age, provides mentorship, and guarantees an offer of admission to the university’s teacher education program after high school graduation.

An essential part of the program is that it encourages students to return to teach in their hometown district after college graduation.

León has promised participants that a teacher contract with the district will be waiting for them after they complete the university’s program.

Melissa De Almeida, a sophomore at Montclair State University and East Side High School graduate, says the “home grown” teacher program in Newark helped her pursue her dream of becoming a bilingual teacher.

De Almeida, a graduate of the program at East Side, says being part of it helped her envision a future helping students who speak different home languages. But what helped her see that she could be successful, she said, was the example set from program co-directors Mayida Zaal and Danielle Epps, women of color who are graduates of urban school districts.

“I think it’s kind of refreshing to have someone talk to you that understands and kind of has been through what you’ve been through and kind of walked that path with you,” De Almeida said.

‘Retaining teachers is the problem’

In a recent phone interview, Newark Teachers Union President John Abeigon said he supports the district’s recruiting efforts, but “retaining teachers is the problem” that León needs to address, particularly when it comes to teachers of color.

“We have white, Black, Hispanic, brown, the rainbow,” Abeigon said about the diversity of teachers in his union. “Everybody that comes to this district, a majority of them leave within a couple of weeks or months of working in this district. That’s endemic to the district and the way it treats its staff.”

Research has found that teachers of color are more likely to teach in “high needs, hard-to-staff schools with challenging work environments and higher attrition rates for all teachers,” a FutureEd report on teacher diversity stated.

As teachers from diverse backgrounds navigate districts with low resources and unfavorable working conditions, though, they often feel undervalued and overlooked, according to feedback from focus groups in a 2019 report that examined retention of teachers of color.

Nubia Lumumba, a Black and Muslim educator and former English teacher at a Newark high school, resigned from her position after just six months of working in the district. Lumumba said she experienced and witnessed racial harassment while teaching, but lack of sensitivity from school administrators in handling concerns of racial harassment led to tensions that ultimately led to her resignation.

There was a lack of “genuine empathy for what I had gone through,” Lumumba said, adding that students were witnesses to what she experienced. “If, as a mature adult, it cut me deeply to have experienced racial and religious harassment and not get any meaningful support from district and school leaders, then, I imagine, it must be even more damaging to the Black students.”

Lumumba, who taught for eight years prior to her last role, said schools need to have strategies and programs in place that will bring “a true understanding and celebration of diversity” and support students of different racial and ethnic backgrounds. This could lead to improved retention, she said.

The teachers of color in the 2019 case study would agree. Among solutions outlined in the report: District leaders need to ensure that “schools are places that culturally affirm teachers of color,” empower teachers with pathways to leadership, and offer compensation for extra work.

A New Jersey task force on school staff shortages, put together by executive order from Gov. Phil Murphy last year, released a report earlier this year that shows signs the state is paying some attention to the retention of teachers.

Providing support to schools in “implementing policies and practices that create a work environment that is free of bias, including microaggressions,” as well as increasing teacher pay and expanding “mentorship and professional development for early career educators” were among the recommendations listed in the report.

Students need support through higher education

For Red Hawks Rising co-directors Zaal and Epps, their efforts with the district to diversify the teaching force start by supporting Newark students and becoming their “community of commitment” as they navigate high school, college, and long-term careers, Epps said.

Red Hawks Rising Teacher Academy co-directors Mayida Zaal and Danielle Epps say the dual enrollment program aims to support Newark students from high school to their career in teaching.

“We can’t just focus on the recruitment of young people who represent Black and brown communities, and then not be intentional about how we’re going to support them to get to the finish line,” Zaal said. “There has to be support along the way so that we don’t have a sort of leaky pipeline into schools.”

According to the National Center for Education Statistics, the overall college enrollment rate among 18- to 24-year-olds decreased from 41% in 2010 to 38% in 2021. The overall college enrollment rate that year was even lower among Black students at 37% and Hispanic students at 33%.

While in the dual enrollment program, students confront different misconceptions about higher education, such as the idea that to pursue a career they have to leave their hometown or that college is financially out of reach, or the belief that “college is not something that’s for me,” Epps said.

Many students in the program are bilingual or bicultural and have experience dealing with educational challenges that, in turn, could help their future students.

“They’ve been raised in resilient families where they have been able to figure out their way into college as first-generation students,” Zaal said. “So, they have a significant amount of social capital to offer.”

De Almeida, who’s set to graduate in 2026, gives back to her community by working with parents at her local church and helping them understand their children’s homework or providing translation support for them. She relates to those families, she says, and talks to them about helping her own family financially while juggling school work and pursuing her dream of teaching.

The aspiring bilingual teacher is eager to get into the classroom and hopes to leave a lasting mark on students with similar backgrounds as her.

“I’m usually the one that everybody runs to with this kind of stuff. I love being able to be that help,” said De Almeida about working with parents of different backgrounds. “And I think that once I’m a teacher and come back to work in Newark, doing this work officially, I’ll be 10 times better.”

Catherine Carrera is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat Newark, covering the city’s K-12 schools with a focus on English language learners. Contact Catherine at ccarrera@chalkbeat.org.

Jessie Gómez is a reporter for Chalkbeat Newark, covering public education in the city. Contact Jessie at jgomez@chalkbeat.org.

Newark’s 2023 Teacher of the Year aims to prepare her students for life after high school

2023-07-17T11:00:00+00:00

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Looking through an old scrapbook, Juanita Greene recently learned something new about herself.

The Newark Vocational High School math teacher rediscovered in those worn pages of a scrapbook she titled “School Days” that she wanted to become a teacher in first grade.

Greene, honored last month as the district’s 2023 Teacher of the Year, had forgotten all about her early career ambitions. But she does remember the moment in college when she made the life-altering decision to become a teacher.

“It wasn’t until I taught math during a summer program between my second and third years in college that I decided to change my major to mathematics and become a teacher,” Greene told Chalkbeat.

She would go on to dedicate 26 years (and counting) to teaching math.

Last month, Superintendent Roger León and other district officials showed up to her geometry class to surprise her with the announcement that she had been named Teacher of the Year.

Greene taught geometry to 10th graders and a probability and statistics class to seniors this past school year at Newark Vocational, where she just completed her fourth year.

Outside of teaching high schoolers, she’s also mentored teachers and taught graduate-level courses for students earning their master’s degrees.

As someone who felt ill-prepared for college, Greene aims to help her students feel secure and ready for their post-high school reality.

“I teach now so that I can better prepare students for life after high school,” she said. “I don’t want anyone to feel the way I did when I went to college.”

Greene spoke recently with Chalkbeat.

This interview has been lightly edited for length and clarity.

What’s your favorite lesson to teach and why?

There’s a lesson I do in geometry when I introduce two-column proofs that involves the card game UNO. That is a lot of fun. Proofs tend to be something new in geometry that students have never done before. By introducing proofs with something students know and enjoy, like UNO, they are more open to learning them.

How do you feel about being named Teacher of the Year?

It makes me so proud. It’s such an honor. I have dedicated so much of my life to teaching mathematics, and I work so hard. It’s great to be recognized after all these years for all the work that I do.

What’s something happening in the community that affects what goes on inside your classroom (or your school)?

I hate to be so general, but everything that happens in the community affects what goes on inside my classroom. We all bring our history, what we believe, what has happened to us or our loved ones with us to school every day. I try to be open and honest with my students, and I think they appreciate that I share so much of myself with them. As Rita Pierson said, “Kids can’t learn from teachers they don’t like.” I hope my openness allows students to like me and want to learn from me.

How do you approach news events in your classroom?

I like to check in with my students every day, especially after a challenging or interesting news event happens. It allows me to make sure they are feeling OK and learn a little about them as people. My check-ins have daily themes: Monday Motivation, Talk About It Tuesday, Would You Rather Wednesday, Think About It Thursday or Thoughtful Thursday.

Tell us about your own experience with school and how it affects your work today.

I enjoyed my high school experience, but I was very unprepared for college. I didn’t know how to study or advocate for myself. I didn’t have knowledge of books that most other students read, and I felt inadequate. I teach now so that I can better prepare students for life after high school. I don’t want anyone to feel the way I did when I went to college.

Tell us about the times when you shifted away from classroom teaching.

Throughout my years in education, I left teaching in my own class a few times. From 2006 through 2010, I worked as an educational consultant, where I led professional development workshops for teachers and worked with teachers in their own classrooms. From 2017 through 2019, I was an assistant professor of practice for Relay Graduate School of Education, where I taught pedagogy to teachers earning their master’s degrees. Both of these positions allowed me to work in schools and with teachers, but I missed working directly with students and being part of a school community. Also, I was teaching and learning new techniques and realized that I wanted to try them in my own classroom.

What are your summer plans? And what are you looking forward to in the 2023-24 school year?

This summer, I am enjoying time with my family and friends. I have a lot of fun concerts lined up that I’m excited to attend. I will also attend a couple of professional development workshops. For 2023-24, I am looking forward to our new geometry textbook and using more technology throughout the school year.

Catherine Carrera is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat Newark, covering the city’s K-12 schools with a focus on English language learners. Contact Catherine at ccarrera@chalkbeat.org.

Newark schools chief retracts promise to give teachers two days off, says learning loss too great

2023-05-12T19:10:01+00:00

Newark Superintendent Roger León backpedaled on a promise and rejected the teachers union request to extend the upcoming Memorial Day break by using two extra in-session days that were built into the 2022-23 academic calendar.

School board members, a community member, and Newark Teachers Union President John Abeigon pressed the chief of schools at a board meeting Thursday to follow through on his promise to end the year early if no days are used for emergency closings due to inclement weather.

Abeigon and the others suggested an extended break before or after Memorial Day would suffice if it’s too late in the year to move up the last day of school by two days.

But León didn’t budge.

“The answer to extending it would be no,” he said, pointing to concerns about students’ low performance in reading and math standardized tests and a rise in chronic absenteeism.

He also said that state standardized testing will be ongoing through the end of the month, which would make it “humanly not possible at this time” to take days off before or after Memorial Day on May 29.

The math, reading, and science standardized tests are scheduled for May 1 through May 26, the Friday before Memorial Day, according to the state testing schedule. Makeup dates are scheduled for May 30 to June 2.

Even so, numerous school districts statewide have opted to extend the holiday weekend with unused snow days, including West Orange, Bloomfield, and others in Essex County.

Though New Jersey schools are required to be in session for 180 days to receive state aid, many districts tack on additional days in the annual academic calendar to allow for sudden closures due to inclement weather or other emergencies.

When the additional days aren’t used, many districts will extend holiday weekends, spring breaks, or allow for an early end to the school year.

The Newark Public Schools 2022-23 school calendar has 182 days, two days more than the minimum 180 requirement. The Newark Teachers Union contract also stipulates a maximum of 182 instructional days, though there can be less than that total. With very light snow this past winter — the state saw record-low snow totals — the district didn’t use the extra two days for emergency closures.

‘Accountability is important’

State code permits school boards to determine the dates schools are open in their districts.

Abeigon asked the school board members at the meeting to make a motion to amend the current school calendar to include two extra days off.

No board members took him up on his suggestion, but two pressured León to explain why he backtracked on his word.

At Newark’s annual convocation on Aug. 30, just before the start of the school year, León told district employees that as a show of appreciation for their work, he would end the school year on June 21 instead of June 23 if the extra two days are not used.

“You know how I said you were valued. You saw how I said we were appreciating you. And you saw that we’re doing it not only with our word but through actions, right?” León said at the convocation, according to a video recording that the union posted on its YouTube channel. “If in fact we do not have any weather inclement reasons to close schools, we will actually close school at the 180th day — June 21.”

But as the school year went on, grim test results showed students struggling in math and reading and the chronic absenteeism rate going up.

“If, in fact, the realities today were any different, we would be making obviously different recommendations,” León said on Thursday. “That is not the recommendation that we are moving forward right now.”

In an email to union members on Tuesday, León also said that “maximizing instructional time for all of our students must be our highest priority” and that deducting two days from the academic calendar would “detract” from that priority.

Though learning loss is evident, it’s hard to see how it would be exacerbated by an additional two days off, said Allison James-Frison, the newly elected board member who was sworn in at the board meeting Thursday.

“And accountability is important,” James-Frison said. “The superintendent stated that he would do it and I think he should be held accountable to what he stated months ago.”

Board member Crystal Williams said she agreed with James-Frison and suggested giving staff and students half days if two full days off is not feasible.

“You can’t tell someone you’re going to do something for them and then don’t follow through,” said Denise Cole, a longtime resident and education advocate, during the public comment portion of the meeting. “That’s not leadership.”

Abeigon said the district’s decision to not go through with the extra two days off could have other ramifications.

“This doesn’t help the teacher retention problem one bit because it will discourage teachers from coming to the district and, in some cases, it will be the last straw for some of our teachers who feel they can’t work in a district where they can’t trust the superintendent,” Abeigon said.

Union leaders raised the issue with district officials at three separate meetings since March, said Michael Maillaro, the union’s spokesman.

The Newark Teachers Union also has support from the state chapter of its union to push for the two days off.

“As a way to show appreciation for the jobs they did all year, it would certainly mean a lot to them if the district recognized their efforts by keeping their promise and not have them go to school for the two snow days they didn’t use,” said Donna M. Chiera, the president of AFT-NJ, in an email. “Those two days at the end of June will not have a significant or any impact on student achievement.”

Catherine Carrera is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat Newark, covering the city’s K-12 schools with a focus on English language learners. Contact Catherine at ccarrera@chalkbeat.org.

Your guide to the 2023 Newark school board election: Meet the candidates

2023-04-24T14:08:37+00:00

Newark voters head to the polls Tuesday to select three candidates from a pool of eight during a pivotal time — three years since the district regained full local control of its schools and the same number of years since the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted student learning.

Six of the eight candidates are running on three-member slates, while two other newcomer candidates are running independently. On the Moving Newark Schools Forward slate are incumbents Hasani Council and Josephine Garcia, joined by Allison James-Frison, who unsuccessfully ran for a school board seat in last year’s race. This slate has historically had strong backing from powerful politicians, including Mayor Ras Baraka and Senate Majority Leader M. Teresa Ruiz.

The opposing slate is Newark Kids Forward, which includes another candidate who ran unsuccessfully last year, Thomas Luna, along with Tawana Johnson-Emory and James Wright Jr. This slate has a strong charter influence: Luna is a teacher at KIPP Rise Academy and Wright Jr. teaches at North Star Academy Washington Park High School.

Rounding out the pool of candidates are newcomers Latoya Jackson, a hair salon owner, and Ade’Kamil Kelly, a real estate agent and team leader at the Boys and Girls Club of Newark.

Voters will be choosing candidates to fill three seats on the nine-member school board that each come with three-year terms.

Incumbent Flohisha Johnson chose not to seek a third term.

Voter turnout for recent past school board elections has been sparse. Last year, turnout was just under 3%, with about 6,000 of 210,000 voters casting a ballot.

The election comes as the district is tasked to spend its federal COVID relief funds by the federally imposed deadline of September 2024. The district received a total of about $288 million in three relief packages that Congress approved to help schools respond to the pandemic. Newark still has $183 million total to spend from the last two relief packages, according to a state-run dashboard last updated on April 10.

Most of the money has been earmarked for building repairs and technology upgrades, while a smaller portion has been set aside for teaching and learning, although Newark students’ reading and math scores show significant learning loss that put them far behind pre-pandemic rates. For example, third graders meeting proficiency standards in math went from 35.4% in 2019 to 15.1% in 2022. In reading, the percentage of third graders meeting proficiency dropped from 28.5% in 2019 to 19% in 2022.

Voters will also need to decide whether to approve the district’s $1.3 billion budget, which is supplemented by a $138.3 million tax levy and $1.2 billion in projected state aid. Taxpayers won’t see an increase in their property tax bills next year under this budget.

The eight candidates shared with us their thoughts on what the district is doing well, how it can improve, transparency, learning loss, mental health services, and more. Click around the interactive feature below to get to know where the candidates stand on top education issues. The biographies and answers have been lightly edited for clarity and length.

Catherine Carrera is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat Newark, covering the city’s K-12 schools with a focus on English language learners. Contact Catherine at ccarrera@chalkbeat.org.

Have a question for the Newark school board candidates? Help us develop Chalkbeat’s voter guide.

2023-03-22T18:55:50+00:00

As eight candidates get their campaigns underway for the Newark school board election in April, Chalkbeat Newark wants to know what questions residents and school stakeholders have for the contenders.

The questions will be key in creating our annual voter guide, a user-friendly interactive feature with essential information about candidates’ positions to help voters make informed decisions at the polls on April 25.

Send us your questions by Thursday, March 30.

The eight candidates, including incumbents Hasani Council and Josephine Garcia, are running to fill three three-year seats on the nine-member board. Flohisha Johnson, a board member since 2017, is not running for a third term.

Council and Garcia, along with returning candidate Allison James-Frison, are running jointly on the “Moving Newark Schools Forward” slate. Historically, this slate has strong endorsement from a coalition that includes Mayor Ras Baraka, charter-sector leaders, and other powerful politicians — not to mention a substantial cushion of cash.

Returning candidate Thomas Luna, a charter school science teacher, along with newcomers Tawana Johnson-Emory and James Wright Jr., comprise another slate on the ballot, “Newark Kids Forward.”

Newcomers Latoya Jackson and Ade’Kamil Kelly round out the remaining two candidates on the ballot.

Among the Newark Board of Education’s responsibilities are approving spending; hiring, evaluating, and firing the superintendent; and setting policies and goals for the district — big picture tasks. The school board also must hold the superintendent responsible for implementing policies and meeting established goals.

Chalkbeat Newark wants to know what questions you have for the candidates and what you think they should prioritize if they win on April 25. Let us know by filling out the form below by Thursday, March 30.

If you are having trouble viewing this form, go here.

Newark schools would get nearly $1.2 billion in state aid under Murphy’s 2024 budget plan

2023-03-02T22:29:52+00:00

Newark Public Schools would get nearly $1.2 billion in state aid in 2024 under Gov. Phil Murphy’s proposed budget, an 11% boost, according to a state aid summary the administration released Thursday.

The school aid increase for New Jersey’s largest school district is part of the governor’s $53.1 billion proposed budget for the next fiscal year, which he presented two days earlier at a joint session of the Legislature in Trenton.

Murphy appeared Thursday with Acting Education Commissioner Angelica Allen-McMillan, Senate Majority Leader M. Teresa Ruiz, and other education leaders at a news conference in a Somerset County middle school to announce what would be a historic increase in aid for districts if the Legislature approves his proposed budget.

About $20.5 billion of the total plan is earmarked for pre-K-12 education, which would be an increase of $1 billion over the current year. Nearly $10.8 billion is carved out to fund the state’s school aid formula, up $832 million from the current year. This would be the state’s sixth payment into a seven-year plan to fully fund the school aid formula, which has left poor districts, including Newark, underfunded for years.

“I am incredibly proud that our administration’s fiscal stewardship has made it possible for us to create a six-year streak of increasing aid for our public schools,” Murphy said at the news conference at Montgomery Township Upper Middle School.

Last year, Newark Public Schools received $1 billion in state aid, which was an increase from the previous year, though still about $140 million short of being fully funded. Poorer districts, such as Newark, rely heavily on state aid to fund their schools because of a lower revenue stream from local property taxes compared with wealthier districts with high property values.

Murphy’s proposed budget also includes $109 million in new spending for universal pre-K, which would fully fund programs that started in 2023. About $40 million of that would go toward expanding preschool programs into new districts and other needs, such as workforce development.

The administration also aims to help districts address the staffing shortage crisis seen statewide by committing $10 million in stipends for student teachers, $5 million to waive teacher certification fees, $1 million to develop local partnerships for paraprofessional training, and other initiatives.

The New Jersey Education Association, the state’s teachers union, said that it supports the education investments Murphy proposed in his budget but that more funding should go toward initiatives to alleviate the school staffing shortage crisis.

The state must adopt a budget for next year by June 30. State lawmakers will hold public hearings on the budget over the next few months.

The Newark Board of Education will present its budget at a special meeting at 6 p.m. on March 29 at Science Park High School, 260 Norfolk St.

Catherine Carrera is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat Newark, covering the city’s K-12 schools with a focus on English language learners. Contact Catherine at ccarrera@chalkbeat.org.

New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy proposes boost in school aid, other education initiatives for 2024

2023-03-01T00:11:51+00:00

New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy has proposed a $53.1 billion state spending plan for 2024 that includes hefty investments in education, such as expanding the universal pre-K program, increasing school aid for underfunded districts, and new funding for teacher retention efforts.

The boost in funding to public school education and other key areas, including healthcare and the state pension system, would come without raising taxes or increasing New Jersey Transit fare hikes, Murphy said Tuesday in his budget address before a joint session of the state legislature in Trenton. The presentation was also streamed live on the governor’s office’s YouTube channel.

“Every penny we provide for our students, educators, and schools, isn’t just an investment in the futures of our kids or the future of our community or economy,” Murphy said during his presentation to a room full of legislators, former governors, and other supporters. “It’s also property tax relief that lifts more of the burden off the local shoulders of taxpayers.”

One of Murphy’s top initiatives since he took office in 2018 has been universal access to full-day preschool statewide. In the next fiscal year, which begins July 1, he proposes $109 million in new spending for universal pre-K, which would fully fund programs that started in 2023 and includes $40 million that would go toward expanding programs into new districts or other needs, such as workforce development.

Murphy’s proposal also includes a “historic increase” of $832 million in K-12 school funding formula aid, according to a budget briefing provided by the governor’s office. This will be Murphy’s sixth payment in his seven-year plan to provide adequate state aid to districts that have been underfunded for years, including Newark.

“Making this investment will mean that in our six years of working together, we will have increased overall K-12 support to our schools by more than $2.6 billion — a more than 30% increase,” Murphy said. “This support is also critical not just for keeping our public schools the envy of the nation — and they are — but it will also help districts and educators to continue to turn around the learning loss we know occurred when the pandemic forced our students to move to remote learning.”

The proposed dollar amount of state aid for Newark Public Schools was not immediately provided by the governor’s office on Tuesday. Newark received a $120 million boost in state aid for this fiscal year.

For 2024, Murphy proposes to commit an additional $10 million to go toward high-impact tutoring and professional development, an effort to help local school districts and students with academic recovery, according to the budget briefing.

Last year, the governor created a Task Force to Address Public School Staff Shortages, an issue affecting districts statewide, as part of a push to address vacancies in teaching and non-teaching positions across schools. The task force provided the governor with recommendations, which Murphy included in his proposed budget.

Among those proposals: $10 million in stipends for student teachers, a $5 million waiver to teacher certification fees, $2 million in Culture and Climate Innovation Grants “to improve educator quality of life issues,” $1 million to develop local partnerships for paraprofessional training, a teacher apprenticeship program, and more.

The New Jersey Education Association released a statement in support of Murphy’s budget proposal, while also pushing for more of an investment in teacher retention initiatives.

“This budget also takes some small preliminary steps toward addressing New Jersey’s ongoing educator shortage crisis,” the teachers union said in a statement. “However, much more work remains to be done in this budget cycle to address New Jersey’s devastating educator shortage.”

Another top education-related priority in Murphy’s budget proposal addresses the youth mental health crisis. The proposal for 2024 includes $43 million for the first year of the New Jersey Statewide Student Support Services network, which the administration is nicknaming “NJ4S.” The program will be a “new model for delivering mental health services” to the state’s youth and create 15 regional hubs to support delivery of prevention services in schools, libraries, community centers, and faith-based organizations, according to the budget briefing.

“This budget will allow us to meaningfully take on the mental health crisis, especially among our youth,” Murphy said. “As I work with my colleagues and experts across the nation rising to this challenge, I also want to make New Jersey a model.”

The legislature will now begin debates and negotiations, both public and behind closed doors, on Murphy’s proposed budget, which will go through a series of public hearings before the June 30 deadline for the governor to sign the budget into law.

Catherine Carrera is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat Newark, covering the city’s K-12 schools with a focus on English language learners. Contact Catherine at ccarrera@chalkbeat.org.

Two Newark charter schools to merge into one K-12, as two others get approval to expand

2023-02-03T00:03:11+00:00

The New Jersey Department of Education approved the expansion of two Newark charter schools, allowing the schools to increase enrollment at their campuses by a combined 532 seats — and bucking the department’s recent trend to curb charter school growth in the city.

The department also approved the merger of Achieve Community Charter School and People’s Preparatory Charter School to create a new K-12 school — People’s Achieve Community Charter School — that will fully integrate this summer, ahead of next school year.

Acting Education Commissioner Angelica Allen-McMillan sent decision letters Wednesday, the annual regulatory deadline, to charter schools statewide seeking renewals or amendments to their charter agreements, including requests to add more seats.

In total, 11 out of 14 expansion requests were approved for charter schools across the state, including the two in Newark. Other charter school expansions were approved in Trenton, Paterson, Clifton, Jersey City, Asbury Park, East Brunswick, and New Brunswick.

“The department weighs a broad range of data to make thoughtful decisions on each application — evaluating schools on their record of performance and ensuring overall accountability,” said Michael Yaple, the department’s spokesman, in a statement.

North Star Academy, one of the largest charter school networks in the city with six elementary, six middle, and two high schools, was approved for 492 additional seats, increasing enrollment from 7,300 to 7,792 by the 2025-26 school year, according to the state education department’s approval letter obtained by Chalkbeat.

The charter school, which has been in Newark since 1997, reported an enrollment waitlist last year of 633 Newark students and 133 non-resident students, the letter stated. Although the school hasn’t met its maximum approved enrollment, North Star says it plans to ramp up recruitment and retention efforts.

LINK Community Charter School, a smaller system in its ninth year of operation, was approved for an additional 40 seats, increasing its enrollment size from 410 to 450 by the 2025-26 school year, according to the approval letter the school received on Wednesday.

The approvals come after the state denied several requests for charter school expansions over the last few years – marking a shift in tone for charter schools in Newark, which have seen a slowdown of growth under Gov. Phil Murphy. Under his predecessor, former Gov. Chris Christie, there was a boom in Newark charter school expansions.

“Communities win when we increase public school options that have a track record of meeting students’ needs,” said Harry Lee, president and chief executive officer of the New Jersey Public Charter Schools Association. “Public charter schools work and we are ecstatic that more children will be able to attend excellent schools that put them on the path to social-emotional and academic recovery.”

Achieve Community Charter School, a K-8 charter school in the South Ward, will merge with People’s Prep, a 9-12 charter school, starting in the 2023-24 school year.

“My heart is overjoyed by this approval, as this was the final piece of the puzzle to provide a holistic model for children and families in our community,” said Dominique Lee, founder and chief executive officer of the BRICK Education Network, which runs Achieve Community Charter School, in a press release.

“By partnering with another high-performing school like Achieve to start our college access and success work earlier, we now have the opportunity to produce even better outcomes with students, families, and alumni for generations to come,” said Keith Robinson, executive director for People’s Prep, in that release.

The state education department also said the consolidation of the two schools will benefit students by providing them with a continuity from kindergarten through 12th grade.

“The two schools’ missions and educational programs are uniquely aligned to ensure a smooth transition into a single entity,” Allen-McMillan said in the approval letter.

Catherine Carrera is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat Newark, covering the city’s K-12 schools with a focus on English language learners. Contact Catherine at ccarrera@chalkbeat.org.

Newark school board blocks attempt to stop superintendent’s contract renewal

2023-01-27T04:23:05+00:00

A Newark school board member’s attempt to stop Superintendent Roger León’s contract renewal and to allow public input went nowhere Thursday, following continued questions about transparency of the process.

Board member Crystal Williams, who was elected last year, introduced a motion to issue a letter of nonrenewal to León before Jan. 31 “in order to reassess his contract” and “give the public the opportunity to voice their concerns.” But the motion died for lack of a second by any of the other eight members of the Newark Board of Education.

Williams’ motion was the first challenge by a board member since last week’s revelation that León’s contract was quietly renewed in May 2022. Once that renewal takes effect on July 1, 2023, León’s term will extend to June 30, 2028, according to his contract.

“The voice of the community is paramount,” said Williams as she introduced the motion. “Let’s take their concerns seriously and do this the right way; there’s no reason to go around it.”

Dozens of Newark parents, teachers, students, and advocates filled the room during Thursday’s board of education meeting and raised a range of issues affecting public school students. Current and former students at Newark’s School of Global Studies brought up concerns over patterns of racist harassment at the school, high school teachers shared their worries over the lack of bilingual teachers supporting English language learners, and advocates criticized the board’s handling of the superintendent’s contract renewal.

Newark school leaders have been under fire after reports that León’s contract was automatically renewed due to a clause in his previous contract that said board members needed to alert him by May 15, 2022, if his term wasn’t going to be extended the next year.

During the public comment portion of the meeting, Deborah Gregory Smith, president of the Newark chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, pointed to the community interest in holding the board accountable after it regained full control of the district from the state.

“Since the return to local control, those of us who fought to have it reinstated have not dropped the ball or stopped being involved,” Smith said. “You have not been listening to the community and as a result have not been transparent or accountable for your decision.”

Others like Newark resident Deanna Harrell said they felt compelled to attend Thursday’s meeting because of the concerns over León’s contract renewal.

“I’m not normally here at these meetings, but hearing about things like that made me want to be here at these meetings and I will be here going forward,” Harrell said.

Following Williams’ motion, board member Flohisha Johnson, who was part of the board that approved León’s initial contract in 2018, defended the contract renewal and process.

“I stand behind my superintendent because you know why? I elected him into this office and we appointed him as a board, as a whole, and we don’t have a problem with him,” said Johnson, who was first elected to the board in 2017.

She also read a state law that does not require boards of education to provide public notice or hearings for new contracts, including contracts that replace expired contracts for tenured and non-tenured employees. According to the law, a public notice and public hearing are required only for renegotiations, extensions, amendments, or other alterations to the terms of existing contracts.

John Paff, a longtime advocate for government transparency and a member of the New Jersey Foundation for Open Government, said the state law surrounding superintendent contracts should be amended to ensure the public is aware of contract renewals and decisions.

“This whole problem is nothing but lousy public policy. Nothing like this should be automatically renewed,” Paff said. “The average member of the public is not informed enough and shouldn’t be responsible to be involved enough to pay attention to statutes like this.”

New Jersey state leaders should review the mandates set by law to ensure the public’s protection, he said.

“The Legislature should repeal the statute and change it so that a public hearing provision is included prior to the end of a contract. That’s the only way the public could be protected,” Paff said.

The groundwork for the terms of the automatic renewal was set during a “sparsely attended” public hearing held before a regular school board meeting in 2019, as Chalkbeat Newark reported at the time. After the hearing — which was not advertised online ahead of time —the board extended León’s contract by two extra years and added the renewal clause.

León, a former principal and lifelong Newark resident, did not address the controversy at the meeting or at Saturday’s board retreat. Instead, he addressed questions about his contract during an interview on “Chat Box” that aired on YouTube and NJ PBS on Thursday.

“The fact that people didn’t know is really an important factor and just educating the community and having conversations with them is something that we obviously think is important … and will be doing as we get through the end of the term of this contract and as we begin the next one,” León said when asked about the public scrutiny the district is getting in light of the quiet renewal.

He was hired in 2018 for a three-year contract that extended to June 30, 2021, according to board documents.

“I was part of this board when we gained back local control,” Johnson said during Thursday’s meeting. “I was part of this board when we voted the superintendent in, who I think is doing an awesome job.”

Jessie Gómez is a reporter for Chalkbeat Newark, covering public education in the city. Contact Jessie at jgomez@chalkbeat.org.

Newark parents, advocates demand answers on superintendent’s contract renewal

2023-01-20T01:31:18+00:00

Newark education advocates plan on showing up to Saturday’s school board retreat to question why Superintendent Roger León’s contract was reportedly renewed in secret last May.

The Newark school board renewed León’s contract for five years at an annual salary of about $290,000, according to The Star-Ledger Editorial Board, which first reported the news in an opinion piece published Thursday on NJ.com.

District spokeswoman Nancy Deering was quoted in the article saying that “the contract automatically renewed in May.” She also added that the district doesn’t normally comment on staff performance but that Leon received “a positive evaluation of his performance.”

An email, phone call, and text to Deering inquiring about contract details were not immediately returned.

A Chalkbeat review of school board documents from four meetings that took place in May did not find any approvals by the board that reflected the superintendent’s contract renewal, which signals that the contract was renewed without any public notification or hearing.

Whether public notice or a hearing was required remains a question. But extending León’s contract for five years without any discussion with the school community has raised questions about the Newark Board of Education’s promise to be transparent.

Residents, education advocates, union members, and parents were upset when reached Thursday to hear they weren’t informed by the nine-member elected school board about the quiet contract extension.

“I am upset at what took place,” said Denise Cole, a longtime education advocate. “I don’t like when my rights are violated.”

Even if state law and contract stipulations permitted the school board to renew León’s contract without any public announcement, the board still should have informed the community, Cole said. Not doing so, she added, took away her right to voice her concerns prior to the renewal.

“You’re not paying attention. You’re not listening. You’re not doing the job that you were elected to do for the community,” Cole said in a phone interview Thursday, directing her message to board members.

State code stipulates that when an initial contract term ends, “the superintendent shall be deemed reappointed for another contracted term” of the same length, unless the board reappoints a superintendent for a different term length or not at all.

While León initially had a three-year term, the board extended it for two more years in 2019. The renewed contract is for a five-year term.

Janet Bamford, the chief public affairs officer for the New Jersey School Boards Association, noted in an email that the state code does not mention a board vote or discussion on a contract renewal for superintendents.

“It is our understanding that the public notice and public hearing requirements … would be triggered when the board discusses and votes on changes/updates to the superintendent’s contract,” Bamford wrote.

Leon was hired in 2018 by the board when the district regained local control after 22 years under state control. As a former principal and lifelong resident of Newark, he had supporters throughout the city, including politically powerful elected officials such as Mayor Ras Baraka and Sen. M. Teresa Ruiz, the state Senate majority leader.

Calls and emails to the offices of Baraka and Ruiz were not returned.

Leon’s salary has gone up by about $30,000 over the last four years. In 2019-20 and 2020-21, he was paid $260,000, according to state school salary data. After a cap on superintendent salaries was lifted in 2019, the salary for the district leader shot up, as it did in most districts throughout the state. In 2021-22, León’s salary was $282,425, and in 2022-23, that went up to $290,050.

Parents and others in education said the renewed contract for the superintendent is consequential and worthy of public notice.

“It is their duty to preserve and protect the interests of the constituents who put them in office,” said Jasmine Morrison, a lifelong Newark resident and parent advocate. “Maybe you didn’t legally have to inform the families, but understanding where we have come from and just getting back local control, it would have been the right thing to do.”

Morrison said she plans on attending the school board retreat meeting, which is open to the public, from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. on Saturday on the sixth floor of the district’s central office at 765 Broad St. in Newark.

“I think it just shows a lack of respect for the residents in the city to renew a contract that is so significant and will have a lasting impact on the future of our city,” Morrison said.

Maggie Freeman, another parent and longtime resident of Newark who previously ran for school board, said she thinks it’s time for families to demand more transparency from the board.

“We may have to come together as far as advocates in the community and figure out the best way to approach this because it’s not right,” Freeman said.

“It’s despicable,” said John Abeigon, president of the Newark Teachers Union.

“They came in promising transparency and that it would no longer be business as usual. They made that commitment to taxpayers and stakeholders,” Abeigon said of the school board. “This is insulting.”

Catherine Carrera is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat Newark, covering the city’s K-12 schools with a focus on English language learners. Contact Catherine at ccarrera@chalkbeat.org.

Learning loss, mental health needs, staff shortages: Most read Newark education stories of 2022

2022-12-22T17:54:48+00:00

Newark students and educators called for an improvement to their school environments.

Standardized test scores gave educators a glimpse of the COVID-19 pandemic’s toll on learning — and led the teachers union to declare a “war on learning loss.”

And mental health needs reached unprecedented levels, prompting students to protest for more counselors in schools.

Chalkbeat Newark covered all of this and so much more in 2022. Below is a list of our most-read stories this year.

Communities across the city called for improved conditions in schools, including Malcolm X Shabazz High School, pictured here.

Demands escalate for safer, fairer school environments

Students and educators throughout the city’s charter and traditional public schools raised their voices — either in public protests or through the legal system — for better learning and working conditions.

Educators across the country were reporting a rise in behavioral issues as students returned to full-time in-person learning for the first time since remote or hybrid instruction began amid the COVID-19 pandemic. But while those behavioral issues might have intensified after the pandemic, students and teachers also said that in many schools, such as Malcolm X Shabazz High School, they weren’t new.

In the years before the pandemic, the school community at Shabazz pleaded with school officials to improve the school environment in terms of safety, academic achievement, and stability with enrollment and leadership.

Want to read more? Check out these stories:

All student groups in New Jersey saw a drop in proficiency rates in math and literacy in this year’s state standardized test, results showed.

Test scores show pandemic’s impact on student learning

The switch to remote instruction for 18 months caused a disruption to learning, especially for many Newark students who struggled to keep up with virtual lessons due to a language barrier, lack of laptop or mobile device, or no internet access. Standardized test scores released over the last year show just how much the pandemic had an effect on students’ education, especially in math and reading.

The first snapshot of a significant drop in grade-level proficiency sparked the Newark Teachers Union to call for a “war on learning loss” and urge city leaders, educators, parents, and residents to unify in an effort to help catch students up academically.

Results from the New Jersey Standard Learning Assessments, which were administered for the first time this spring since the pandemic, showed that 13% of Newark students are proficient in grade-level math compared to 27% in 2019.

Want to read more? Check out these stories:

Student need for mental health resources in schools rose in 2022.

Children’s mental health needs reach unprecedented levels

The pandemic also took a toll on the mental health of students, teachers, and the entire school community. Newark ramped up mental health services for students by partnering with third-party providers, including universities, nonprofits, and private companies.

As the need for mental health services reached unprecedented levels, access to those resources became top of mind. A study released over the summer found that Black and Latinx students in New Jersey have less access to school mental health staff than they did a decade ago.

Want to read more? Check out these stories:

Nassan’s Place, a nonprofit helping children with autism and their families, provided affordable summer programming for students in 2022.

Students with disabilities need more support, parents say

As the 2022-23 school year started, a familiar issue came to light: school bus assignments were delayed or missing. For students with disabilities, a lack of district-provided safe transportation to school can completely derail their routine and impede access to crucial services they can only obtain in school.

Parents this fall began to raise concerns about the months of missed in-person services, including speech, occupational, and physical therapies, during the pandemic for their students with disabilities. Under a law passed earlier this year, school districts have until Dec. 31 to determine if compensatory education must be provided to students with disabilities as a result of disruptions to consistent services during remote instruction.

Want to read more? Check out these stories:

Newark schools are spending millions in COVID aid on tutoring, buildings, and more.

BONUS: COVID spending, staff shortages, and more

How are schools spending the millions of dollars pouring in from federal COVID aid? From tutoring to infrastructure, readers can see how Newark charter schools and the traditional public school district is spending this money using data look-up tools provided in these stories:

Newark raised salaries for veteran and rookie teachers, and even brought back retired teachers to fill in gaps left by staffing shortages. Read more about those recruitment strategies here:

New Jersey stopped charter schools in Newark from expanding this year, slowing a rapid growth the schools had under the previous administration in 2016. The largest Newark charter school networks made a major decision to shift from the nearly decade-old public and charter school agreement to collaborate under one universal enrollment system, and created their own. Catch up on these stories here:

Catherine Carrera is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat Newark, covering the city’s K-12 schools with a focus on English language learners. Contact Catherine at ccarrera@chalkbeat.org.

Newark Public Schools promised $1K bonus for employees but per diem staff say they were left out

2022-12-22T15:30:59+00:00

At the last Newark board of education meeting of the year, dozens of teachers wore green — a symbol, they said, of bonuses from which they had been excluded.

Some of the teachers who attended Tuesday’s meeting are per diem employees — staffers that work as needed for the school district — who say they were left out of a $1,000 “Let’s Go To Work!” payment given to full-time staff. The Newark Teachers Union says the bonus should include per diem staff who have worked during the pandemic and beyond, but district leaders argue that the union did not negotiate the bonus for them.

“From my understanding that was a negotiation that was supposed to happen with your union rep so we will see what is supposed to happen,” said Board President Dawn Haynes during the December board meeting. “It was not negotiated for the per diem.”

Superintendent Roger León announced the $1,000 “Let’s Go To Work!” payment during a convocation held in September for all district employees as he thanked staff for their “dedication, contributions, courage, and commitment to excellence during these most unusual times,” according to a press release the school district issued following the event.

In an email to Chalkbeat Newark on Wednesday, district spokesperson Nancy Deering said the “Let’s Go To Work!” payment was a “retention strategy for full-time employees.”

“All staff who worked during the pandemic were compensated for their services and we remain extremely appreciative of all that they did during the most difficult of times,” Deering added.

Newark shut down schools from April 2020 until September 2021, when the return to in-person learning prompted concern among parents, students, and teachers who were at risk of being exposed to the coronavirus during that time. Shortly after, the district was forced to shut down schools again as COVID-19 cases surged in December of that year.

Arie Fiekowsky started working as a teacher for Newark in September 2020 when schools were still shut down and virtual learning became the new normal. As a new teacher, Fiekowsky upgraded her home internet to the highest speed to avoid interruptions in her connection, she said at the board meeting. Once schools slowly reopened, she went back to teaching in person but got sick with COVID, she added.

“All this to say, as a young person with little savings that $1,000 was very important to me,” Fiekowsky told board members.

The Newark Teachers Union has roughly 2,000 per diem classroom aides and teachers who are members, said Michael Maillaro, the union’s director of research and communication.

During the convocation, León welcomed 600 new teachers, according to the district. But from May to October of this year, 325 employees resigned, compared to the 268 instructional staffers who quit in 2021 during the same months, according to data from the teachers union. The union also counted 83 retirements between May and October of this year, compared to 74 retirements in 2021 during the same period.

In November, another 41 members resigned, according to union data.

Newark Teachers Union president John Abeigon said the bonuses announced at the beginning of the year “were not part of negotiations when the current union contract reopened last spring.”

“These bonuses come from the superintendent, not from us,” Abeigon said. “Why would the union do that to its own members? Our sole way of raising money is through union dues, and the board wants to say we would neglect our very own members?”

Alina McKnight also spoke during Tuesday’s meeting and said her workload “is just the same as a teacher” and her duties are the same as other teachers. McKnight is a per diem bilingual chemistry high school teacher who was hired in 2021.

“If you could go ahead and look at the policy again of what it is to be a per diem teacher, I would love for you to do that because we definitely need the guidance and assistance,” said McKnight during public comments.

A per diem classroom aide at an elementary school in the district who asked to remain anonymous due to fear of retaliation told Chalkbeat Newark that “there are a lot of injustices going on here” and she is afraid to speak out for her rights.

“We’re the ones that live here in Newark and we were the ones working on the frontlines when we were in the middle of a pandemic — we never stopped working,” the classroom aide said. “So why are we being ignored?”

Catherine Carrera is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat Newark, covering the city’s K-12 schools with a focus on English language learners. Contact Catherine at ccarrera@chalkbeat.org.

Jessie Gomez is a reporter for Chalkbeat Newark, covering public education in the city. Contact Jessie at jgomez@chalkbeat.org.

New Jersey’s test scores for 2022: See the math and literacy results for your district

2022-12-21T17:01:21+00:00

Significant disparities between New Jersey’s white and Asian American students and their Black and Hispanic peers grew bigger on last spring’s state standardized tests, while proficiency rates among Newark’s relatively young students suffered the biggest declines from pre-pandemic levels, according to a Chalkbeat analysis of the scores.

There were drops in proficiency rates in math and English language arts on the spring tests for all student groups in the state. And Newark’s struggles with achieving math proficiency have only grown more pronounced.

The scores on the New Jersey Student Learning Assessments, known as the NJSLA, were released by the New Jersey Department of Education last week. The tests were taken by students in grades 3-8 in math, English language arts, and science.

Students took the tests, which were created by Pearson Assessments, between April and June of last school year. It was the first time they took the test since 2019, due to disruptions from the COVID-19 pandemic. (In 2021, Newark students took a different exam that also indicated significant learning loss.)

Comparing this year’s test scores to results from pre-pandemic years can give educators and families a clearer look at how the pandemic stalled progress in student learning.

New Jersey also saw a glimpse of this earlier this year on “the nation’s report card,” which showed significant dips in math and reading scores among fourth and eighth graders on the National Assessment of Educational Progress.

On average, the state test results show that students are performing at the same levels of students in the same grades in 2015, undoing years of steady progress before the pandemic.

“The issues we’re seeing — the achievement gap, the lower percentage of students in Newark meeting or exceeding state learning standards — pre-date the pandemic, but have certainly been exacerbated by it,” said Ronald Chaluisán, executive director of the Newark Trust for Education, in a phone interview on Tuesday.

Statewide proficiency rates showed a growing gulf between the highest and lowest performing student demographic groups.

For example, 83.3% of all Asian American students were proficient in English language arts in 2019, compared to 37.9% of all Black students. This year, that gap grew by nearly 3 percentage points. About 78.8% of all Asian American students were proficient on the English language arts exams, while 30.5% of Black students achieved proficiency, according to an analysis by the state education department that was presented earlier this month at a state Board of Education meeting.

Meanwhile, in Newark public schools, proficiency rates in math for third and fourth graders — many of whom were already falling short of achieving proficiency on the test before COVID — fell significantly from their peers’ scores three years ago.

During a school board meeting in September, district leaders shared a first look at these results, which Superintendent Roger León called “horrible” before promising a focus on tutoring this school year.

The share of third graders in the district who met proficiency standards in math decreased from 35.4% in 2019 to 15.1% in 2022. Similarly, fourth graders meeting proficiency standards in math decreased from 32% in 2019 to 12.2% in 2022.

“Pretty consistently across the board a huge percentage of our students have not done well on those exams over many years,” Chaluisán said.

Data from the spring exams should be used to inform district leaders on how to proceed next with students who need the most support, said Steven LoCascio, director of Kean University’s educational leadership program.

“We have to be very careful not to go on business as usual with our students, especially those who aren’t meeting expectations,” LoCascio said. “In math, for example, the concepts build on one another, and if we’re seeing that basic skills aren’t there, then your students will stay at an ongoing deficit, making it more and more difficult for them to succeed in the future.”

Newark’s largest charter school networks were not immune from proficiency declines.

Fifth graders at KIPP schools in Newark went from a 48.2% proficiency rate in English language arts in 2019 to 31% this year. And fifth graders at North Star Academy schools also saw a steep drop in proficiency, going from a 73.8% proficiency rate in 2019 in English language arts to 51.5%.

“Our charter leaders and teachers remain committed to meeting the immense challenges of this moment so that more students can recover socially, emotionally and academically,” said Harry Lee, president of the New Jersey Public Charter Schools Association, in a statement about the test scores.

The Newark Trust for Education has a five-point response to the test scores across the city’s schools, Chaluisán said.

Among the issues the nonprofit education group will focus on in the new year is pushing for an “aggressive timeline” to help students recover lost ground in math and reading, as well as urging a citywide effort to help students through a collaboration between community organizations, families, and schools.

“If we’re not dramatically changing the day-to-day in this collective work of helping our young people, then we are creating barriers for our kids,” he said. “We are really committed to bringing the community together around the urgency to this issue and around the solution to this issue.”

Catherine Carrera is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat Newark, covering the city’s K-12 schools with a focus on English language learners. Contact Catherine at ccarrera@chalkbeat.org.

This Newark social worker’s early struggle with anxiety led her to help other students

2022-12-14T20:54:34+00:00

As a teenager, Sheyla Riaz faced depression and anxiety. But it wasn’t until a writing assignment for an English class that she was able to share her struggles — and that moment changed her life.

Riaz’s teacher connected her with a school counselor and that opened doors to other helpful resources in school and her community, she said. This experience inspired her to pursue a career as a school social worker. Today, she’s the social work director for KIPP NJ schools.

“We spend a good chunk of our lives in a school setting, and so it is imperative that schools be equipped and resourced to support not just with math and English language arts, but with everything else that comes with being a kid and teenager,” Riaz told Chalkbeat.

She counts herself lucky, she added, to have had access to school-based and community mental health resources as a child. Now, she advocates for supporting students across Newark’s 14 KIPP charter schools, where she manages mental health programming.

Riaz recently spoke to Chalkbeat about her work overseeing 32 school social workers, how her team confronts the stigma around mental health, and the advice she gives to students coping with difficult times.

This interview has been lightly edited for length and clarity.

What led you to the field of social work?

From a young age, I was a helper and learned the value of listening to others when it came to figuring out what to help with. My mother would share stories about her upbringing, and I would sit there for hours just listening to these experiences and taking in her learnings and wisdom. It was fascinating. The drive toward the mental health field really took shape in middle and high school when I experienced my own struggles with depression and anxiety. I was fortunate to be surrounded by a supportive village that connected me with social workers and resources that helped me overcome those difficult times. Now, I get to be part of supportive villages that are helping kids and families overcome their difficult times.

What does a typical day look like for you? What do you look forward to the most?

My days are filled with team and community meetings, data review, progress monitoring, and program planning — very different from the days of direct work with students but just as rewarding. I meet with social workers across our 14 K-12 schools, and we talk through items such as implementation, efficacy, and progress of student support plans. We assess data to determine the most appropriate counseling interventions, we celebrate wins, we check in on community and self-care, we manage crises, we plan for school-wide events centering mental health, and the list goes on. Connecting with a social worker or community partner and experiencing their joy when sharing about something amazing that a student accomplished is always the highlight of my day. Good and happy news always fills the tank!

Sheyla Riaz, the director of social work at KIPP NJ, working from her home office as she leads a team of 32 social workers in a virtual professional development session.

Among those you help, what issues have you seen emerge during the pandemic?

We were noticing spikes in depression, anxiety, drug use, and gang involvement pre-pandemic but those numbers have jumped significantly in the last two years. There are so many stressors impacting our families that stem from systems of oppression, and these play out in the classroom. Our young people are experiencing anxiety, depression, grief, and trauma; and when there is isolation, brought by the pandemic, and limited resources, brought by inadequate systems, they sometimes turn to things like self-medication or getting involved in dangerous situations. Now that our schools are fully open, we are bringing kids back in with urgency and connecting them and their families to resources and supports that will alleviate some of those stressors. We are focused on building relationships and offering healing spaces so that kids can be kids again.

How does your team confront the stigma around mental health with the families in your schools?

You know, I am so proud of this generation of kids because they are incredible and open and forward-thinking. They are the ones that push for mental health advocacy, and they join us in talking about mental health to parents and older generations! We all have mental health, and that is the constant message: We do not shy away from talking about the whole person. When we have a parent meeting, for example, we are talking about academics and social and emotional learning. When we have team meetings, we encourage each other to notice and name feelings. When we start the school day, we encourage students to check in with themselves and identify how they are showing up in the classroom. We confront the stigma by normalizing mental health in every interaction and with every stakeholder.

What advice have you offered students as they cope with difficult times, whether it be grief or trauma?

I wouldn’t necessarily call it advice but rather an encouraged offering of a safe and welcoming space to talk about their feelings, to talk about their worries, to talk about the things that scare them, and to simply say the things that ruminate in their minds — to say them out loud in a space that will not judge and in a space that is sturdy enough to hold these big feelings so that students do not need to carry them alone. I encourage students to connect with the helpers, with their families, with their peers, and with their community.

Tell us about your own experience with school and how it affects your work today.

I shared earlier about my own mental health struggles — home and school support was key in my growth and ability to overcome those. I remember writing about my struggles in an English project; that was the catalyst to getting connected to the school counselor who then connected me to the community resources that helped me learn and apply the coping skills I needed at that moment. We spend a good chunk of our lives in a school setting, so it is imperative that schools be equipped and resourced to support not just with math and English language arts, but with everything else that comes with being a kid and teenager. I was lucky to have access to that support. Today I push to ensure that every student in my district has access to that same support.

You spend your days trying to help others. How do you wind down after a stressful day?

This pandemic has pushed me to really take note of how I take care of myself. These days, winding down is turning off the work computer, silencing email notifications, yoga, and being fully present with my two kids. Perhaps we are playing a game of UNO — or perhaps they are playing a game of UNO, while I nap. Ha! Hashtag, winning.

Catherine Carrera is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat Newark, covering the city’s K-12 schools with a focus on English language learners. Contact Catherine at ccarrera@chalkbeat.org.

In COVID grievance case, Newark teachers win $1 million in back pay, sick days, union leaders say

2022-12-01T00:01:30+00:00

A Newark Public Schools directive that required teachers union members, including teachers, aides, and other school staff, to use sick or personal days for COVID-related absences violated a collective bargaining agreement, an arbitrator ruled last week.

Now, more than a year after a grievance was filed by the union, the American Federation of Teachers Local 481, the district will have to pay roughly $1 million in back pay and sick or personal time, said Michael Maillaro, the union’s director of research and communication, in a phone call with Chalkbeat on Tuesday.

Union leaders estimate around 800 of their 4,000 members used sick or personal time when they had to stay home due to COVID exposure or contracting the virus, and those who ran out of days were docked pay for the days they stayed home due to mandated quarantine.

A stipulation in the union’s contract that union leaders say has been in place since the 1970s lists “quarantine as defined by Newark Board of Education’s health services office and the employee’s physician” as a case where “no deduction of salary of a regular employee shall be made for absence.”

The union argued in its grievance filed on Oct. 13, 2021, that the Newark Board of Education violated its collective bargaining agreement by charging union members with sick or personal days while they were in quarantine for COVID-19, according to a copy of the grievance.

The school district countered that teachers and school staff had to stay home due to COVID to “isolate,” not “quarantine,” and, therefore, had to use sick days, according to a copy of the grievance decision.

After the grievance was filed and no resolution could be reached between union representatives and the Newark Board of Education, it was submitted to binding arbitration, Maillaro said. The union and district mutually picked a qualified arbitrator, Robert C. Gifford, who’s been an arbitrator since 2001.

“I conclude that the broader, more commonly accepted meaning of the term ‘quarantine’ must be applied in this instance,” Gifford said in his ruling. He added that the contract’s stipulation on paid leave for quarantines applied to COVID-related absences.

An arbitrator’s decision in these cases is final and binding, and a failure to comply could be seen as an unfair labor practice, according to the U.S. Federal Labor Relations Authority.

The Newark Public Schools spokeswoman did not respond to requests for comment.

School staff and teachers were constantly at risk of being exposed to the virus, especially when schools first returned to fully in-person learning last fall, Maillaro said.

At times, he added, members who ran out of their allotted paid time off would feel stuck choosing between being honest about their COVID exposure and missing out on pay, or not being honest in order to get a full paycheck.

“If you’re telling them they’re going to be docked pay or lose their days, then should I be honest about having COVID?” Maillaro said. “It’s a scary situation when we’re dealing with a pandemic and you don’t want people to feel afraid to be honest about their situation.”

One union member, who asked to be kept anonymous for fear of retaliation, said that losing sick and personal time due to being in quarantine felt like a shot to morale among teachers.

“It just showed us how much value we have in their eyes,” the teacher said in a phone call on Tuesday. “How much of a concern do our higher-ups have for us? We’re still pumping out work, even while we’re sick and you’re saying well you’ve got to use your personal time?”

Newark educators were hoping to return to “normal” last year, not to have to file complaints due to a contract violation, said Donna M. Chiera, president of the American Federation of Teachers New Jersey chapter.

“This decision forcing the administration to honor the written contract is not only a victory for the Newark Teachers Union and their members, it also sends a message throughout New Jersey,” Chiera said in an emailed statement. “That message is collective bargaining contracts are not guidelines school districts can arbitrarily implement when they work to their advantage; they are legal documents that must be followed.”

Union president John Abeigon said the arbitrator’s ruling is a “huge victory” for union members and for the protection of school staff and students’ health and safety.

“Even if staff were exposed to COVID in schools, they were forced to use their sick time, and in many cases, they were threatened with additional negative consequences,” Abeigon said in an emailed statement.

Maillaro said that it could take weeks or months before the district fulfills the arbitrator’s ruling in back pay and sick days. As of Wednesday, the union had not gotten a response at all from the district since the final decision came last week, he added.

Still, there’s a lot to celebrate for teachers who will ultimately get sick and personal time reinstated, said the teacher who asked to be kept anonymous.

“People are feeling excited to have those days back because they did not think it was fair from the beginning,” the teacher said. “When you know the rainbow is coming, you just try to enjoy.”

Catherine Carrera is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat Newark, covering the city’s K-12 schools with a focus on English language learners. Contact Catherine at ccarrera@chalkbeat.org.

New Jersey school counselors say student mental health needs have ‘increased tremendously’

2022-11-22T21:00:33+00:00

An expectation to “return to normal” this school year has exacerbated student anxiety, depression, and other mental health needs that were already on the rise after the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, school counselors said during a virtual panel organized by the Latino Mental Health Association of New Jersey.

Counselors and other mental health professionals who are part of the state’s school-based youth services program — which contracts nonprofits to provide those services in host schools — gathered virtually on Thursday to discuss their efforts and struggles to re-engage students two years after the pandemic began.

Though anxiety and depression have spiked among their students, counselors are finding hope in being in-person with their students, less stigma in school around seeking help, and sharing resources and tips with their colleagues.

Many students, they say, are finding it challenging this school year to follow basic rules and expectations, such as wearing a uniform all day, showing up to class on time, and completing assignments. Behind those behaviors are students grappling with anxiety, chronic stress, and depression.

In 2020 and 2021, students experienced “fight or flight mode” as schools switched to remote learning for 18 months, said Giselle Fontalvo, a school counselor in Passaic Public Schools who led the virtual meeting. Then, the 2021-22 school year became “all about survival” as in-person learning returned with masks and COVID testing in the face of an ongoing pandemic, she added.

But this school year, with limited accommodations and no remote learning option, students are experiencing a shock as they face yet another transition – a “return to normal” – and it’s affecting their mental well-being, Fontalvo said.

“You need to be in school on time every day and you can’t get up five minutes before school starts to log on to a computer,” Fontalvo said. “There’s this sense of shock when students face consequences for consistently showing up late, like, ‘What do you mean I have detention? I didn’t get detention last year.’”

Student mental health needs ‘rapidly increasing’

The pressure for students to perform well academically and socially in school this year has intensified their mental health needs more than at any point during the pandemic, said Nivioska Bruce, the associate vice president of clinical interventions in schools for Care Plus NJ, during the virtual meeting.

Her clinical intervention teams lead “school clearance assessments” on students to evaluate their level of risk to themselves or others before they’re sent to emergency psychiatric services at a hospital, she said.

In the first three months of school, her team has already “seen so many students” go to emergency rooms for having high-risk levels, Bruce said.

“We’re just realizing the level of intensity that they’re presenting with has been something that we haven’t seen,” she said. “Their mental health needs have increased tremendously. All of the stress from the last two years turned into chronic stress, creating this inability to regulate and utilize healthy coping skills. And now, these levels of anxiety and depression are just rapidly increasing.”

Jennesis Quintana, a school-based youth services counselor with the Mental Health Clinic of Passaic, has seen her students struggling with keeping on their uniforms and lanyards that hold student identification cards and completing assignments.

“A lot of them say it’s hard for them to go to sleep at night, and when they wake up they’re drained and can’t get out of bed or make it in on time,” Quintana said at the virtual meeting.

She said she can recognize when her students are going through depression as it often shows up in their appearance, something she would have missed in a virtual setting. They’ll come to school with poor hygiene and a lack of appetite, on top of the sleep deprivation, she said.

“Those factors then impact how they overall perform, how they function throughout the day, and how they interact with one another,” Quintana said.

But, the counselors said, there’s room for hope.

“The students are opening up more and more,” Quintana said. “You can see what they’re not saying through their body language and interactions and you have direct access when they’re having a breakdown.”

In a phone call on Monday, Fontalvo told Chalkbeat that she feels lucky to work in a district that’s predominantly Latinx and Hispanic, where students can see themselves reflected in her.

“When my English language learners come to see me, they say, ‘Oh, thank God, you speak Spanish,’” she said. “The rest of the day, they’re working on acclimating to the school environment and speaking in English, but with that one conversation in Spanish, they get to have a little relief and feel comfortable.”

There’s also “power in being in the moment” with a student when they’re having trouble regulating intense emotions, Fontalvo said.

“You can help them navigate those feelings of anxiety by simply validating their experience and guiding them with helpful steps to take,” she said. “We can say, ‘OK, you’re right, it is a lot. But we still have to work on this and the goal is still to be a great student. How about we take these two minutes to freak out, and then we’ll work on our to-do list together.’”

In the last two years, an open dialogue about mental health in schools has reduced the stigma of visiting a school counselor or psychologist for help, the counselors said.

“The access to immediate, consistent support and care is the best part of being in schools,” Bruce said at the virtual meeting. “We know that school-based mental health for many of the students and families that come through, this may be the first time they have access to this type of service, but it’s in a place that’s familiar and safe and free of stigma.”

When talking with her students about their needs and what would help them address the pressure they feel, Quintana said she learned that they would like to start their day with a “mental health break.”

“When they haven’t had a good night’s rest, or they just had a fight with a parent, to come in and have a test or project or presentation waiting for them can be overwhelming,” Quintana said to her fellow school-based counselors at the virtual meeting.“Maybe we can incorporate the first 15-20 minutes of the day as a break for them to catch their breath and then start the day.”

Azara Santiago Rivera, president of the Latino Mental Health Association of New Jersey, said in a phone call with Chalkbeat on Friday that she aims to continue holding these meetings for school counselors to share their experiences and resources, especially those that work in predominantly Latinx communities and communities of color.

“At a time when we’re seeing a rise in serious mental health needs for students, we’re also seeing a shortage of mental health professionals,” Santiago Rivera said. “This is the time to share ideas, resources, and strategies with each other and create a safe space for our professionals.”

Catherine Carrera is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat Newark, covering the city’s K-12 schools with a focus on English language learners. Contact Catherine at ccarrera@chalkbeat.org.

Newark’s largest charter schools break ties with universal enrollment system ahead of new cycle

2022-11-03T20:40:46+00:00

Seven Newark charter school networks will not be participating in the Newark Enrolls process this school year, a major shift from a near-decade public and charter school agreement to collaborate on one universal enrollment system for the city’s 60,000 students.

The seven charter networks that will break away from the longstanding pact are Newark’s largest ones, such as North Star Academy, KIPP, Great Oaks Legacy, and Marion P. Thomas, and smaller-scale ones including Achieve Community, People’s Preparatory, and Philip’s Academy.

The networks not only ended ties with the district-controlled system, which could have lasting effects, they’ve also signed on to a new third-party platform, the Newark Common App — altering plans for thousands of families accustomed to one application process for traditional public and charter schools.

A history of issues with the Newark Enrolls platform, including the tightening of rules to apply to a charter school, led to the decision, charter school officials said. Charter schools may be met with some backlash from community members who believe that Newark Enrolls, while flawed, could be improved.

The new platform, spearheaded by the New Jersey Children’s Foundation, a nonprofit charter-aligned organization in Newark with deep-pocketed donors, will open its enrollment window Dec. 1.

Families will need to use that platform to enroll in any of 42 schools that fall under the umbrella of the seven charter networks, which, combined, currently enroll about a third of all Newark pre-K-12 students, or 80% of the city’s charter sector. Other schools, including district public schools, were invited to join the new platform, the website states.

Meanwhile, Newark Enrolls, the system controlled by the Newark Board of Education, will open its window Saturday afternoon, after a school fair from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m at Newark Vocational High School. Families who want to enroll in any of the district’s 60-plus public traditional and magnet schools, or other charter schools that are still with Newark Enrolls, will need to continue using that system.

How a new enrollment platform came to be

Most of the Newark Enrolls features will be available on the Newark Common App, such as mobile functionality, one application for multiple schools, a lottery, and waitlist, according to a press release and interviews with the team behind the new tool. The new platform will also provide a quicker application process with the ability to modify a student’s top choices during the open enrollment window, and more transparency, the team said.

Last school year, the charter-aligned nonprofit initiated a new school look-up tool, My Schools Newark, which let families search any school in the city, regardless of whether its application process was under the Newark Enrolls platform or independently run. The Newark Enrolls search feature only has information on schools that take part in the platform.

At that time, Kyle Rosenkrans, the nonprofit’s executive director who’s also behind the new platform, said his group was not interested in creating a new enrollment system. As Chalkbeat Newark previously reported, he said the group saw a need for a third-party school search tool, nothing more than that.

Over the summer, however, priorities for the group changed when issues surfaced with charter schools not being able to move students from waitlists to available seats in their schools, he said.

Those were just the latest hangups in a series of clashes between the charter schools and district on Newark Enrolls. The universal enrollment system has been a point of contention between the two camps since its origins in 2013. By 2018, charter advocates were preparing to possibly leave the system and start one of their own.

But a year later, Rosenkrans started his nonprofit group with the main goal of serving as a peacemaker and liaison between the charter schools and the public school system, keeping them under one enrollment system.

In recent interviews, Rosenkrans recognized the likelihood that the new enrollment platform may cause some tension between charter schools and the district, and, therefore, neglect a key part of the nonprofit’s mission.

“The interests of families to have a better enrollment experience outweigh some of the risks and the relational strain that may result from this move,” Rosenkrans said in a phone interview with Chalkbeat last month. “That collaboration component was a deep mission component for us, but at the end of the day, we think about what matters most and it’s the interest of educators and children.”

Rosenkrans notified Superintendent Roger León on Tuesday about the new platform with an emailed invitation to join, according to a forwarded copy of the email sent to Chalkbeat.

Prior to issues from this past summer with the waitlist holdups, questionable policy changes created hurdles for families to apply to schools. In the 2019-20 school year, the board removed the option to easily switch schools and added restrictions. Families who ended up enrolled at a school that wasn’t one of their top choices would have to request a transfer for the following school year but those would only be granted under limited circumstances.

Last school year, about 4,000 fewer students applied through the Newark Enrolls system, which some charter and education advocates attributed to the district’s added requirement to show proof of residency during the application process instead of at registration.

“As a school system, our priority is families first so that was the most important thing when making this big decision,” said Stephen Demers, the director of enrollment at KIPP Newark schools, which will join the new platform. “There’s been a lot of enrollment shifts everywhere, but those application numbers certainly went down.”

What is Newark Common App?

Though the nonprofit “fundamentally believed in preserving the collaboration, we wanted to be there as a safety net” by creating a contingency plan for an alternative platform, Rosenkrans said in an interview. As it turned out, the new platform had been in the works for 18 months, he said, so when issues sprang up again over the summer, the foundation was ready to move forward with it.

“It was a very delicate operation for us,” he added.

The new tool has the same developer as the My Schools Newark search tool. Avela, the company behind both platforms, has also designed enrollment tools for Philadelphia’s early childhood centers, Seattle Public Schools, and New Orleans Public Schools. The developers say the algorithm for its enrollment platforms is designed to promote equity.

A screenshot of the Newark Common App website, a new enrollment platform launching Dec. 1.

“The most important thing for families to understand is that there’s no reason to overthink the system and there’s no gaming or strategy to it,” said Greg Bybee, the cofounder and chief executive officer of Avela Education and part of the team behind the Newark Common App. “It’s designed to be easier for parents and guardians to enroll in programs for their kids and certainly meant to be more equitable and give everyone an equal chance.”

Sonali Murarka Soi, Avela’s enrollment specialist and client development lead, said the tool will prioritize students with disabilities, individualized education plans, students who are English language learners, low-income, and families who are in transitional housing or who are homeless.

“The goal overall is to have every school for each of those populations come as close to the kind of community level percentage as possible,” she said. In other words, she said, “the algorithm” will work to have each school representative of the community.

“So a school that was, let’s say, over-represented, compared to the general population, in one subcategory, such as English language learners, wouldn’t necessarily be prioritizing more English language learners,” Murarka Soi said. “But another school that is far below the representative percentage for the category would prioritize that group of students.”

As the new enrollment cycle kicks off this fall and early winter, charter schools under the new platform will plan in-person enrollment events to help answer families’ questions and guide them through the process, said Sarah Yan, New Jersey Children’s Foundation executive director-in-residence. She added that the total time for the new application process will be about 10 minutes.

“You don’t need anything really. You can sit down at a computer or use your mobile device and complete the application in one sitting,” Yan said, adding that it will be available in the top 20 languages spoken in Newark, including Portuguese and Spanish.

“The user experience is what tilted the scale toward joining the Newark Common App,” Demers said. “If we’re doing this change, we want to make sure this process goes smoothly for prospective families.”

The foundation also promises to publicly issue reports with analytics about outcomes from the platform and to have ongoing feedback sessions with families to improve it, according to a press release.

The cost for the new system was not disclosed, only that the marketing campaign for its launch was in the “low six-figure” range. But long term, schools that are part of the new platform will need to pay $8 to $10 per student in order to keep it sustainable, and in addition to philanthropic donations through the foundation, Rosenkrans said. If the district and other schools join the platform, that cost per student would drop, he said.

Last year, under Newark Enrolls, 82% of kindergarten families were matched with their first choice schools, the website states. In 2018-2019, a parent survey published by the district showed that most parents found the system easy to navigate. But more recent parent feedback, which would reflect changes since that survey was taken, either has not been collected or made publicly available.

Questions to the district’s spokeswoman were not immediately answered.

At a school board meeting last month, León listed the deadlines coming up for Newark Enrolls, which uses SchoolMint to run the application process.

“This is the fairest way to determine where children get their choices of instructional program in this city,” León said at the Oct. 27 meeting.

Catherine Carrera is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat Newark, covering the city’s K-12 schools with a focus on English language learners. Contact Catherine at ccarrera@chalkbeat.org.

Newark board approves $5 million contract to purchase, install touchless water fountains

2022-10-28T20:49:10+00:00

Newark school board members have approved a nearly $5 million contract to purchase and install touchless water fountains across all district schools. At least half of water fountains have been inoperable in some buildings since the start of the school year, prompting students to carry jugs from home or go to teachers lounges in search of water.

The two-year contract was approved by district leaders during last night’s board of education meeting and comes after district plumbers tested water fountains across Newark schools and found some inoperable due to leaks from old ring filters and dry rotting, said board member Flohisha Johnson during the meeting.

“Water dispensers, coolers, and cups have been placed at locations where fountains require extensive repairs,” Johnson said, while giving an operations committee report during Thursday’s meeting. “Contactless water fountains continue to be installed districtwide.”

Last school year, Newark Public Schools said it kept all water fountains shut off as a way to curb the spread of the coronavirus when students returned to in-person learning. But Chalkbeat Newark found that the district shut off water fountains in the 2021-2022 academic year due to a delay in testing water sources for lead and getting water filters replaced. In March, Superintendent Roger León promised touchless water fountains would be installed by the time school started this fall but district officials on Thursday said the installations are ongoing.

The district’s school business administrator Valerie Wilson and district spokesperson Nancy Deering did not respond to questions about the number of touchless water fountains purchased and installed so far this year.

The contract approved by board members allows Ringwood-based company, Peter Hywel Plumbing & Heating, to supply and install touchless water fountains across the district. The $4,497,000 contract begins on Oct. 27 and ends on Oct. 26, 2024.

As of mid-August, the district had completed testing for lead at 57 schools, and planned to test 12 remaining schools before the start of the school year, meeting minutes show.

In September, Wilson said that more than 3,000 drinking water fountains had been tested for lead and back in use in September. But during the first month of school, some students said they still didn’t have access to functioning water fountains. Parents say they send their children to school with bottles of water for the day.

“I send my child with a big gallon to lug around with her so she can have water,” said Nadirah Brown, mom of a student at Harriet Tubman Elementary School. “There’s no bottled water provided nor water fountains for our children to drink from.”

At Newark Vocational, water fountains on the upper floors of the building were still turned off with missing filters as of Thursday, while fountains on the main level of the building were functioning properly, said an employee at the school who asked to remain anonymous for fear of retribution.

The school keeps water bottles in administrative offices for students, they said, but it causes disruptions during class time when a student needs to go in search of a water bottle.

“The school has been good about providing water bottles this school year, but having a water fountain in the hallway is very different than having to go wait on somebody or interrupt someone’s meeting so they can hand you a couple of bottles of water,” the source said.

But the lack of functioning water fountains isn’t an issue across the district.

Water fountains were turned back on in the spring at New Jersey Regional Day, a district school for students with severe disabilities, and new contactless fountains can be seen throughout the building, said a staff member at the school who asked to remain anonymous. The school, which has an enrollment under 200, provided students with refillable water bottles over the summer, the staff member said.

At Science Park High School, only about half of the water fountains are functional, according to a source at the school who asked to remain anonymous. And those that are turned on have low water pressure where water “tends to trickle out,” the source said.

The lack of easily accessible water can at times be dire at the school.

A teacher started to sell bottles of water from her classroom due to the water fountains being unreliable, the Science Park source said. There is also a vending machine that has water bottles for sale, but not all students can afford to pay for water, they said.

Recently, when a student visited one of the teachers’ lounges saying she had a headache and needed a drink of water, the teachers provided her with a cup of water from their water cooler, the source said. The lounges are usually equipped with water coolers but the jugs for the coolers aren’t always replaced immediately, they added.

“The fact that some kids are still buying water is definitely problematic and it’s something they shouldn’t have to do,” the source said. “It sort of becomes this situation where people have to scrounge around to look for water.”

Jessie Gomez is a reporter for Chalkbeat Newark, covering public education in the city. Contact Jessie at jgomez@chalkbeat.org.

Catherine Carrera is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat Newark, covering the city’s K-12 schools with a focus on English language learners. Contact Catherine at ccarrera@chalkbeat.org.

New Jersey students did better than country’s average on NAEP math, reading tests despite dismal drops

2022-10-24T04:01:00+00:00

New Jersey students fell behind on math and reading tests known as the “nation’s report card” but continued to score higher than the national average despite dismal results laid bare after the pandemic.

Nationally, fourth and eighth grade students who took the National Assessment of Educational Progress, or NAEP, last year saw the largest dips in math scores since 1990, when the exams were first given.

In New Jersey, eighth grade math scores dropped 11 points between 2019 and 2022, while fourth grade scores in the same subject dropped 7 points during the same time frame.

A representative sample of fourth and eighth graders across the state took the exams between January and March, during a school year that saw a continuation of COVID-related disruptions — temporary school closures due to positive cases and students who had to stay home because of quarantine rules — as well as staff and teacher shortages.

Historically, New Jersey students’ average performance in math and reading has been higher than national averages among fourth and eighth graders, according to state data provided by NAEP. But research has already shown that academic progress was derailed between 2019 and 2022.

The NAEP exams, administered periodically by the National Center for Education Statistics, came just weeks after an uptick in positive COVID-19 cases statewide caused by the omicron variant, which prompted some schools to switch to remote learning.

The results from the closely watched NAEP are important because the exams offer a critical snapshot of how students in the Garden State performed in math and reading after the start of the pandemic. The learning disruptions caused by the pandemic affected students in virtually every state and region of the country.

Despite the declines, 38% of fourth grade students in New Jersey scored at or above proficiency level in reading this year, a notable difference from the national average of 32% for fourth graders in the same subject. Similarly, 42% of eighth graders in the state scored at or above proficiency in reading compared to the national average of 29%.

A closer look at New Jersey test scores shows fourth grade reading scores dropped from 227 to 223 between 2019 and 2022. Eighth grade reading scores were flat between 2019 and 2022 staying at 270.

In math, 39% of New Jersey fourth graders scored at the proficient level, compared to 35% of their peers nationally. About one-third — 33% — of eighth graders in the state scored proficient in math compared to 26% of eighth graders nationally.

Fourth grade math scores in the Garden State also dropped from 246 to 239 between 2019 and 2022. Eighth graders saw a bigger dip as math scores declined from 292 to 281 between the same time frame.

Despite averaging higher overall scores compared to other states prior to the pandemic, New Jersey’s scores have shown consistent disparities between rich and poor students, and white and Black or Hispanic students. White students scored higher than Black and Hispanic students this year in math.

“Far too many students in vulnerable communities don’t have access to the education they deserve,” Patricia Morgan, the former executive director of education advocacy nonprofit JerseyCAN said in 2019. “Equity in education must be a primary goal for all of us.”

In 2019, prior to the pandemic, fourth and eighth grade low-income students across the state scored between 26 to 38 points lower than wealthy students in those grades in math and reading, NAEP data show. That year, fourth and eighth grade white students scored 24 to 38 points higher than Black students in math and reading, and 21 to 35 points higher than Hispanic students in those subjects.

Eighth grade Hispanic students in New Jersey scored higher in math this year than Black eighth graders, but lower than their white counterparts. In reading, the state’s eighth grade Hispanic students scored higher — at 254 this year — than their white counterparts at 249. But white fourth graders scored higher than both Black and Hispanic fourth grade students.

Districts look for solutions to learning loss

The national assessments along with state test scores are used to inform education policy and could greatly influence how remaining federal COVID relief money is spent at the state and local level.

With grim results nationwide, district officials across the state say they’re using federal relief money to fund tutoring programs, increase hiring of teachers, and other efforts to address learning loss. But a shallow pool of teacher applicants remains an issue this academic year, said Millville Superintendent Tony Trongone, who spoke at a state Assembly education committee meeting on Oct. 17 about the impact the pandemic and interrupted learning had on student performance academically and behaviorally.

“We have a tutoring program,” Trongone said. “Our issue is getting people to facilitate that program. Teachers are tired.”

Newark Public Schools Superintendent Roger León is also focusing on tutoring for its 38,000 students this year along with Saturday tutoring sessions, SAT prep classes, and after-school programs to help students’ recovery.

Paula White, the executive director for JerseyCAN, said allocating funds to correct services or resources for students is crucial to supporting student recovery.

But as some federal funds may not be distributed on a regular basis, education leaders must think smarter about spending their funds, White said. Districts could resort to contracting consultants or bringing other resources in-house to think creatively about their educational future, she added.

“So, how do we use the funds in ways that set us up for future success, knowing that this is a one time disbursement?” White said. “At this time, it might make sense to engage with providers on a contractual basis, to set systems up that will be sustainable in the long term.”

Parents can also play a role in supporting teachers in school districts during the recovery period by drawing on what worked during remote learning. White said it could be as simple as making sure their child has time to read a book and has a space to do school work. But ultimately, communication between parents and teachers is critical to improving home-school connections.

“Well, I know my child is supposed to be reading 20 minutes every day, so let me make sure they’ve got this blanket, a nice pillow,” White said. “A lot of parents don’t even know what it is that their school expects, because the school has not laid out that expectation.”

Catherine Carrera is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat Newark, covering the city’s K-12 schools with a focus on English language learners. Contact Catherine at ccarrera@chalkbeat.org.

Jessie Gomez is a reporter for Chalkbeat Newark, covering public education in the city. Contact Jessie at jgomez@chalkbeat.org.

Newark students, teachers: Help us examine access to water in your school

2022-10-07T10:46:57+00:00

Newark Public Schools kept all water fountains shut off last school year, as a way to curb spreading the coronavirus when students returned to in-person learning.

Teachers, staff, and at times, the district, bought cases of water for classrooms, and students would bring water bottles from home or buy some from vending machines. Sometimes, the teachers and students said, they refilled bottles at bathroom sinks, the only source of water they could find in their school buildings.

District officials promised this school year would be different.

But one month in, some students say they still don’t have access to functioning water fountains. Parents say they send their children to school with bottles of water for the day.

At a school board meeting in March, Superintendent Roger León’s presentation included a slide that stated the district would “continue installation of contactless water fountains with a completion date by start of next school year.”

Five months later, at an August meeting, board member Josephine Garcia said the district hadn’t yet started installing the contactless water fountains.

“The district will begin the installation of contactless water fountains shortly,” Garcia said, reading from the minutes of an Aug. 17 operations committee meeting.

Those minutes also stated that “all school drinking sources will be turned on in time for school opening.”

State rules require school districts to ensure students have access to safe drinking water.

León said last year the district kept the water fountains off as a COVID-19 precautionary measure to prevent spread of the virus. However, state and federal guidelines did not mention turning off water fountains when schools resumed in-person learning.

Part of the reason the water fountains remained shut off, it turned out, was a delay in testing water sources for lead and getting water filters replaced, Chalkbeat Newark reported last year.

As of mid-August, the district had completed testing for lead at 57 schools, and planned to test 12 remaining schools before the start of the school year, meeting minutes show.

School Business Administrator Valerie Wilson said Sept. 27 that more than 3,000 drinking water outlets had been tested for lead and turned back on.

But, she added, “As we turned them on we found out that certain components of our plumbing system caused the fountains to fail or be inoperable,” she told the school board.

The district fixed those problems, retested the fountains, and put them back into service, she said.

“There are no schools with fountains inoperable at this point in time,” she said. “All schools have fountains on.”

However, that is not what students, parents and staff have told Chalkbeat.

As the school year gets underway, help us tell this story accurately and thoroughly by sharing what you’re experiencing in your schools when it comes to access to water by filling out the form below.

If you are having trouble viewing this form, please go here.

Catherine Carrera is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat Newark, covering the city’s K-12 schools with a focus on English language learners. Contact Catherine at ccarrera@chalkbeat.org.

Newark Public Schools drop mask requirement starting Sept. 12

2022-09-11T16:27:08+00:00

Newark Public Schools will go mask optional starting Monday, the district announced after the conclusion of the first week of school and following opposition from some families who became impatient with the ongoing mandate.

“Given our review of multiple indicators and with the advice of the Newark Health Department and our healthcare partners this evening, the mask mandate is lifted beginning Monday,” the district announced in a post on Friday evening on its Facebook page. “Masks are now optional in our schools and facilities.”

The district of 38,000 students was likely one of the last in New Jersey to start the new academic year with the mandate in place after most districts went optional in the spring, when Gov. Phil Murphy ended the school and daycare mask requirement.

Superintendent Roger León and school board members previously said the district’s mandate had stayed in place due to advice from the city’s health department that took into account COVID-19 trends and immunizations in the city.

On Saturday, Newark had 119 new COVID-19 cases, the Essex County dashboard showed. That was more than two times the number of cases the city reported on Sept. 1, before the school year began.

Meanwhile, the rate for at least one dose of the vaccine among 5- to 11-year-olds in the city went up in the last week from 37% to 38%, according to the state’s COVID dashboard. The rate stayed the same at 38% for 12- to 17-year-olds, the state’s dashboard shows.

“The NTU is cautiously optimistic about the lifting of the mask mandate,” said John Abeigon, president of the Newark Teachers Union, in a statement on Sunday. “As long as the health officials believe it is safe to do so, we welcome the decision.”

District staff and teachers, as well as students, can still opt to wear face masks.

“We are reminding our members that optional means common sense decision-making,” Abeigon said. “We are not all the same and we’re advising them to make the decision to wear a mask or not upon their personal health and comfort level.”

Communication about the change to mask rules seemed to be scant as of Sunday morning.

The district had posted the announcement on its Instagram page, but not on Twitter. On the district’s main website, as of Sunday morning, there were no clear announcements or banners about the change in face mask rules. In a search through district school websites, no communication to families via letters seemed to be available.

Families received a robo-call with the announcement from the district Friday evening, a few parents said.

For some families, the news of the switch to an optional approach was too little, too late.

Anna Da Silva removed her six-year-old daughter from Ironbound Academy Elementary School, a new K-4 school in the East Ward, after learning she wouldn’t be exempted from the mask mandate even though masks trigger a skin infection on her face. On the second day of school last week, Da Silva filed official forms to disenroll her child, saying she wouldn’t put up with another school year of her daughter being uncomfortable.

“My daughter already lost four days of school,” Da Silva said on Sunday. “On Friday, all of a sudden, nobody has to wear a mask? What changed in four days? This is reactive from the superintendent and an injustice.”

The district kept face mask rules in place through summer programming and into the first week of school, which started Sept. 6. The ongoing mask rules made Newark an outlier in the state and nationwide, as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention had eased most of its recommended school protocols to prevent the spread of the virus, including masking in low-risk communities.

On Sunday, Essex County was still considered a low-risk area for COVID-19 transmission, according to the federal county tracker.

Catherine Carrera is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat Newark, covering the city’s K-12 schools with a focus on English language learners. Contact Catherine at ccarrera@chalkbeat.org.

New Jersey’s Black, Latinx students face shrinking access to school mental health staff, report says

2022-09-09T18:17:40+00:00

Black and Latinx students in New Jersey have less access to school mental health staff today than they did a decade ago, a troubling trend found in a study released this week as the need for such services intensified after the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.

In the last 10 years, as access to mental health staff in schools declined for Black and Latinx students, it increased for white and Asian American students across the state, according to the analysis of state data from New Jersey Policy Perspective, a progressive think tank.

The opposing trends highlight the inequity of access to these school-based resources as Black and Latinx children have a higher chance of living in poverty, going to schools that impose disciplinary actions such as suspensions, and experiencing disproportionate negative effects from the pandemic.

The decline in access to mental health school staff for students of color could be a consequence of years of school underfunding in New Jersey and can’t solely rely on the influx of federal COVID relief money that’s set to dry up by 2024 for a fix, said Mark Weber, author of the report and an education policy analyst.

School leaders and policymakers taking a heightened interest in addressing student mental health issues should be looking at school funding to ensure districts with students of color have the money to get mental health staff in the long term, the report suggests.

“We need to be looking at these things within the racial equity framework that we’re proposing in this report,” Weber said. “It is important to think about how these resources are being distributed unequally among students with different races and different ethnicities.”

The study analyzed state Department of Education school staffing and student enrollment data, looking at the number of nurses, counselors, psychologists, social workers, anti-bullying specialists, and substance use coordinators per 1,000 students by race or ethnicity.

In 2008, public schools across the state had 8.2 mental health staff per 1,000 students on average, which increased to 8.6 staff per 1,000 students in 2020. In that period, mental health staff per 1,000 white students increased from 7.4 to 8.5.

Meanwhile, mental health staff went from 10.3 to 8.5 per 1,000 Black students in that time period. For Latinx students, the ratio also declined from 9 to 8.4 per 1,000.

Access to school mental health staff now hovers around the same ratio of 8.5 staff members per 1,000 students for students across races. But the slump in this ratio for Black and Latinx students is occurring amid a greater need for mental health support.

State health assessment data show that about 25% of Black children under age 5 and 23% of Hispanic children were living in poverty in New Jersey between 2016 and 2020. During that time period, 11.4% of white children and 4.5% of Asian American children were living in poverty, the statistics show.

Living in poverty can lead to a higher risk of mental health illnesses, chronic diseases, and other developmental setbacks in children, according to research on the impact of poverty on health.

The NJPP study on mental health staffing trends also showed that school counselor staffing increased for white students, going from 2.7 per 1,000 white students in 2008 to 3.2 per 1,000 in 2020. But there was a steep drop for Black students, going from 4 counselors per 1,000 Black students in 2008 to 2.6 per 1,000 in 2020.

In Newark Public Schools, the board of education passed a budget for 2022-23 that included an increase in staffing social workers and counselors for the district’s 38,000 students. For this new school year, the budget covers salaries for 45 new social worker positions, for a total of 164 social workers, and one new counselor position, for a total of 89 counselors.

If those positions are filled, the current ratio of 483 students to one counselor, which is far above the American School Counselor Association’s recommended 250 students to one counselor, could be slightly improved.

Cultural perspectives are often overlooked

Another component of addressing students’ mental health needs is the stigma that still persists in some communities today, said Kirk Johnson, assistant professor of justice studies and medical humanities at Montclair State University.

“Religion and spirituality are still very important in people’s lives, especially in Black and Latinx communities,” Johnson said. “Some families feel that if they have mental health issues, they should leave it to God, pray about it, and use spiritual and religious practices to reconcile those issues.”

There may be hesitation among Black and Latinx students to go to a school counselor and open up about issues going on internally or at home, Johnson said, adding that addressing the stigma with students and their families is key.

“That cultural and religious dynamic is a big one that I think we often overlook but adds more to this conversation about mental health access and actually using those available resources,” he said.

Weber said that underfunded school districts have a more difficult time getting the necessary staff to provide students with mental health resources they need.

“When you have an underfunded school, you have fewer music teachers, art teachers, gym teachers, nurses, science teachers,” Weber said in a virtual news conference on Wednesday. “There’s no reason to believe that that isn’t the case with school guidance counselors.”

He added that policymakers should be focusing on adequately funding school districts such as Newark.

“This has been a problem that has been occurring over a decade and a half, and if we have a long-term problem, we have to have a long-term solution,” said Weber. “While it’s very useful to have federal funds, we cannot rely on them to be the sole solution for this problem.”

Catherine Carrera is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat Newark, covering the city’s K-12 schools with a focus on English language learners. Contact Catherine at ccarrera@chalkbeat.org.

Newark Public Schools’ face mask rules will stay in place, but some parents are frustrated

2022-09-01T21:00:52+00:00

When Gov. Phil Murphy ended the statewide school mask mandate in March, Newark and several other large districts across New Jersey kept one in place, keeping watch on local COVID-19 trends.

As positive cases began to climb after spring break in April, Newark, the state’s largest district with 38,000 students, still maintained its mask mandate, though other large school systems transitioned to an optional measure.

Even through summer programs, during which Newark Public Schools reported 82 total COVID cases among staff and students from July 4 through Aug. 7, the district’s mask rules didn’t budge.

Now, as students gear up to start a new school year on Sept. 6, the district mandate will remain – a recommendation that NPS officials say comes from the city’s health department — leaving face masks as a back-to-school item many parents would rather do without.

Many families are growing impatient with the district’s wait-and-see approach, saying they feel “ignored” by the district about their concerns.

“My child cannot start yet another school year wearing masks when the majority of children throughout New Jersey and the country are returning to school with some kind of normalcy,” said Anna Da Silva, as she watched her 6-year-old daughter run around without a mask among other kids at a Newark park on Wednesday.

“I feel frustrated and in disbelief that we’re here once again,” said Da Silva, whose first grader attends the new Ironbound Academy Elementary School.

At a recent school board meeting, Superintendent Roger León and school board members announced that most of the district’s remaining COVID-19 preventative measures, including temperature checks, health screenings, and weekly testing for the virus, would be dropped this school year.

León also said the water fountains would be turned on this school year, as contactless water fountains are in the process of being installed throughout the district.

Newark kept water fountains shut off last school year, a measure that León had attributed to preventing the spread of the virus, even though it wasn’t included in federal or state health department guidance.

Records showed that lead testing had not been completed before buildings reopened last year. As of late August, León said most water fountains had already undergone lead testing and that “a number of schools” would be completing that process “prior to students and all staff returning back to their schools.”

Mask mandate spurs frustration, disappointment

The continued mask rules make Newark an outlier in the state and nationwide, as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has eased most of its recommended school protocols to prevent the spread of the virus. Face masks are still recommended in high-risk level communities.

As of Thursday, Essex County was in a low-risk level category on the federal COVID tracker. That day, the county reported 50 new cases in Newark out of 143 cases countywide. New Jersey reported 1,815 new cases on Sept. 1, compared to 904 on March 7, when the state ended the face mask mandate.

Among the nation’s largest school districts, Newark is one of four to continue the mask mandate, including Philadelphia City School District, Jefferson County school district in Kentucky, and Prince George’s County Public Schools in Maryland, according to Burbio, a data service platform mask policy tracker.

Newark school board member Crystal Williams said she was “disappointed” to hear that mask rules will continue for staff and students on the first day of the new school year.

“I can see the frustration of parents or even the students,” Williams said during a board meeting last month, adding that school staff might have the flexibility to step outside for mask breaks but students “don’t get that type of freedom.”

Board officials said the recommendation for the mask mandate came from the city health department.

“This is based on our numbers and how they rise and fall, as well as immunizations,” board president Dawn Haynes said.

In Newark, the vaccination rate among school-age children hasn’t changed much over the last month, according to the state’s COVID-19 dashboard.

Thirty-seven percent of 5- to 11-year-olds and 87% of 12- to 17-year-olds have received at least one dose, the same rate of vaccination as four weeks ago, the dashboard shows.

The rates back in February, according to Newark Mayor Ras Baraka at the time, were 27% of 5- to 11-year-olds and 76% of 12- to 17-year-olds who had received at least one dose.

Da Silva said she received a letter in late August informing her of the continued mask mandate. As a parent and taxpayer, she says, she feels excluded from the district’s decision-making process.

“We’re never asked how we feel,” she said. “I feel so ignored and disrespected.”

Da Silva’s daughter has a recurring skin infection that’s triggered by rubbing from the mask, she said. Though she’s sought out a mask exemption for her daughter before, she’s been denied, she said. She’s again attempting to secure an exemption for this school year.

This time, she said, she won’t accept a denial.

“It will be a very serious family decision, but I would rather homeschool my daughter than force her to wear a mask for hours a day again if rates are low in the city,” Da Silva said, adding that she’s not against wearing masks when the city is at an elevated risk of transmission.

For Megan Matos, a different and more common health risk makes her uneasy about having her East Ward Elementary third grader wear a mask again this school year.

Her son has asthma that gets triggered “when he’s running around” or isn’t in a well-ventilated area, she said.

“Between his asthma and his allergies, his face will turn a bright red when he’s wearing a mask,” she said, adding that she’s concerned that the fear building up in those moments when breathing gets difficult will also have an effect on his mental health.

Matos says she’s also “annoyed” with the district for informing parents of the decision regarding masks in the last two weeks of August.

“Everything always feels last-minute here,” she said.

Matos hopes the district will move to an optional mandate soon.

“If someone feels safer wearing a mask, then wear a mask. If you don’t want to send your child to school wearing a mask for six hours a day, then you shouldn’t have to,” Matos said. “I hope they listen to families.”

Catherine Carrera is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat Newark, covering the city’s K-12 schools with a focus on English language learners. Contact Catherine at ccarrera@chalkbeat.org.

How New Jersey and Newark plan to beef up school security this academic year

2022-08-30T23:50:00+00:00

In an effort to keep students safe, New Jersey will direct $6.5 million to have school districts digitize building maps for use in emergency situations and Newark plans to hire more security guards, launch a new student identification system, and use updated software to track incidents.

The state and local efforts to ramp up school security come months after a mass shooting in Uvalde, Texas that left 19 students and two teachers dead. Districts nationwide have invested significant portions of their budgets and federal relief funds to upgrade school security measures in the months prior to and following the massacre, as school shootings hit a 20-year high in the 2020-21 school year.

“Ensuring school safety is among my, and I think, our collective, most sacred obligations,” Gov. Phil Murphy said on Tuesday at a news conference the week before the new school year starts for most districts in the state. “An important part of school safety is ensuring that first responders have the tools they need to answer any emergency of any size and at any time.”

Money for the digital school mapping effort will come from the state’s American Rescue Plan funds, Murphy said. The announcement follows a directive from Murphy earlier this month for school districts to create threat assessment teams by next school year, who will be tasked with identifying students who might be a threat to school safety.

About half of all 3,000 public and private schools throughout the state have already created the digital school building blueprints, known as “Collaborative Response Graphics” and created by Hamilton company Critical Response Group.

The digital maps allow police to easily pinpoint key access points, stairwells, and other locations, which could be useful if, for example, a school is under threat of a shooting.

The funds for this initiative will be used to support the creation of the digital maps for the remaining 1,500 schools, Murphy said. The governor’s office did not share which school districts already have the digital building maps.

Critical Response Group, run by former and current members of New Jersey state and local police departments, has been providing the digital blueprint service to hundreds of schools across the country for years, according to trade magazine articles about the company.

Governors and school district leaders in other parts of the country have also been announcing plans to invest in digital school maps, including in Iowa and Virginia.

“When every second matters, the first and perhaps most important tool is the ability to know without delay not just where an emergency is within a building, but also the fastest and safest route to get there,” Murphy said at the news conference, which was held in the East Brook Middle School of Paramus.

The renderings combine aerial imagery, floor plans, and other features into a gridded graphic, which allows various agencies to better communicate on strategy both inside and outside of a building in emergency situations, the company says.

“I think it’s a pretty good strategy to have and a step in the right direction,” said Mo Canady, executive director of the National Association of School Resource Officers, in an interview on Tuesday. “But as we talk more about technology, we cannot dismiss the human element of this whole piece of school safety.”

Canady said he urges law enforcement and public safety officials to visit schools in their regions, getting familiar with the physical layout of the buildings and the people who run the schools.

“This cannot be overlooked, it’s critical and makes all the difference in the world,” Canady said.

He also suggests that while districts invest in upgraded technology and cameras, they should also consider basic maintenance of doors and reporting systems when there are malfunctions.

Last school year, Newark schools faced multiple bomb threats and saw an uptick of disruptive behavior.

Newark has earmarked $2.8 million from its second coronavirus federal relief package for security measures, including about 5,000 new security cameras, six new patrol cars for school safety officers, and equipment at high school entrances to scan students for contraband and weapons.

Some education experts are critical of districts using federal relief money for school security measures, arguing the money was intended to address academic recovery and mental health support after students experienced months of disrupted learning.

For the upcoming school year, the district’s Office of Safety has hired 40 permanent security guards and is looking to hire an additional 50 guards on a per diem basis, according to a board operation committee report.

At a school board meeting last week, Superintendent Roger León said there will also be a new student identification system.

The district will be using a newly upgraded command center in the Office of Safety this coming school year to monitor the district “with our remote surveillance system while dispatchers utilize our new incident tracking CAD (computer-aided dispatch) system,” the operation report stated.

“We will continue to resource all security staff with superior training for the ever changing security threats we face in public education,” the report said. “All implemented security upgrades will benefit NBOE students, staff, and community.”

Catherine Carrera is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat Newark, covering the city’s K-12 schools with a focus on English language learners. Contact Catherine at ccarrera@chalkbeat.org.

Newark water emergency prompts district to cancel summer school for thousands of students

2022-08-09T15:58:07+00:00

The Newark Board of Education canceled summer school Tuesday because of a “city-wide water emergency” stemming from a major water main break at Branch Brook Park, near the city’s border with Belleville.

Residents and establishments throughout Newark and parts of neighboring Belleville, Bloomfield, and Nutley — which all get water from the Newark water supply line — were experiencing low water pressure, discolored water, or had no running water, town officials said.

City health officials advised all residents to boil water before using it.

The summer school cancellation forced thousands of students enrolled in summer school and extended school year programs to stay home on another day of extreme heat.

At the start of summer programming in July, the district said 20,000 Newark students were enrolled in one or more activities. It was unclear how many students were still participating in programs, including extended school year which runs through Aug. 12 for students with a range of special needs.

Around 4,000 Newark students were signed up for mandatory summer school, Superintendent Roger León said at a school board meeting in May.

District officials did not immediately respond to questions.

The city had already activated a “code red” for Tuesday, as temperatures hit the mid-90s that morning and the heat index was expected to reach 101 degrees later that day.

Meanwhile, the state Department of Environmental Protection issued a statewide drought watch that day due to persistent low rainfall this summer on top of record-high temperatures that “continue to stress water supplies throughout the state.”

Families in the North, West, Central, and South wards were all affected by the main break on Clinton and Mill streets in Belleville, Newark city officials said in a statement.

Jasmin Lee Phillips, a resident in the city’s Central Ward, still has water in her home but said the water pressure has been low since early Tuesday morning. Her son Elijah, an autistic 14-year-old, attends the Nassan’s Place summer camp held at George Washington Carver Elementary School, which was also canceled due to the city emergency.

Some residents had their water fully restored on Tuesday, Mayor Ras Baraka said in a statement. However, he did not say how many residents were still without water or provide an estimated time for full restoration.

“Crews are on the scene trying to abate the issue,” posted Council President LaMonica McIver on her Facebook page.

Belleville Mayor Michael Melham said the township’s fire department was working to pump water to Clara Maass Medical Center, which is less than 2 miles from the main break and serves residents from the area.

University Hospital, another hospital near the water supply line, implemented an emergency water conservation plan, canceling clinic visits and elective procedures for the day with limited bottled waters for patients and visitors.

Melham posted a video on Facebook from the scene Tuesday morning which showed water flooding Branch Brook Park Drive, where a river runs parallel.

Newark city officials said in a statement they would be going door-to-door to give out water.

City officials also said residents experiencing a water emergency should call the city’s Division of Water Supply at 973-733-3654. But the influx of calls caused that number to give a busy signal throughout the day.

Some charter schools, including KIPP Newark schools, had professional development sessions scheduled for teachers on Tuesday as they prepare for the new school year starting next week. The schools pivoted to virtual sessions for the day, KIPP NJ spokeswoman Jessica Shearer said in an email.

Many residents took to social media to share their experiences with the water outage during another hot day.

Some commented on the city’s Facebook updates about their elderly parents who were in need of water. Others said that bottled water delivered by city representatives to multi-family households was not sufficient. One woman said she was in need of clean water to make her baby’s formula.

And some residents were able to find a way to cope with the water emergency. Lee Phillips said she and other parents in her son’s summer camp decided to treat their kids to an outing instead of staying home.

“I had to tell my son summer camp was canceled, he was like, ‘but why?’ “ Lee Phillips said. “But then one of the other parents say ‘hey, what about we take the kids to Chuck E. Cheese?’ So, that’s the plan.”

Catherine Carrera is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat Newark, covering the city’s K-12 schools. Contact Catherine at ccarrera@chalkbeat.org.

NJ children facing anxiety, depression ‘at unprecedented levels,’ new report finds

2022-08-08T08:14:00+00:00

As Newark and other school districts prepare for another school year marked by an urgent need to expand and enhance mental health services for students, a new report shows how dire the crisis is among children in New Jersey and across the country.

Children in the state and nationally are in the midst of a mental health crisis, “struggling with anxiety and depression at unprecedented levels,” according to the 2022 KIDS COUNT Data Book released Monday by Annie E. Casey Foundation, a national nonprofit.

In New Jersey, 10.7% of children struggled with anxiety and depression in 2020 — up from 7.6% in 2016, the report found. Similarly, on the national level, that number went from roughly 9% in 2016 to 12% in 2020, the report stated.

The annual study also considered state and national data related to economic well-being, education, health, and family and community factors, such as children living in high-poverty areas.

Though the COVID-19 pandemic had a profound effect on all communities, early research, including this report, is showing disparities with mental health challenges based on those varying factors.

“It’s very hard for a person, especially a child, to engage in counseling or other mental health services if they don’t know if they have a place to live or if they have enough food,” said Mary Coogan, vice president of Advocate for Children of New Jersey. The nonprofit partners with the national foundation in releasing the annual data.

One of the report’s recommendations for policymakers to address the youth mental health pandemic is to use federal pandemic relief money to help give children better access to mental health service providers.

The state’s 2023 budget allocates more than $50 million in American Rescue Plan funding to “strengthen youth mental health supports” by improving access to services, increasing awareness and resilience-building, and providing support and professional development in communities, schools, and college campuses.

The budget also increases the pipeline for behavioral health care workers, a press release from the governor’s office states, though details on that effort were sparse.

“Though we are encouraged to see that the state’s budget has allocated federal dollars toward strengthening youth mental health programs, more must be done,” said Cecilia Zalkind, president and CEO of Advocates for Children of New Jersey. “Programs such as mental health services play a critical role in moving the state forward past COVID-19, but we need to do more to address the shortage of providers for mental health services.”

In the 2020-21 school year, the average student-to-counselor ratio in the state was 339 students to one counselor — above the recommended ratio of 250 to one, the report stated.

In Newark, the average that school year was 483 students to one counselor.

“It’s a nearly impossible task for that one school counselor,” Coogan said. “That means an unknown number of students’ needs are getting missed and the anxiety or depression they have can get exacerbated.”

Catherine Carrera is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat Newark, covering the city’s K-12 schools with a focus on English language learners. Contact Catherine at ccarrera@chalkbeat.org.

State shutdown of Newark charter school leaves families in financial lurch

2022-07-21T20:19:36+00:00

The recent state closure of University Heights Charter School, a network of three Newark schools that enrolled about 600 students, upended short- and long-term plans for hundreds of families.

Now, it’s costing them.

Closing the school shortly after the end of another unprecedented school year has led to unforeseen financial burdens, parents said. Unbudgeted expenses, like summer camp and new school uniforms, are quickly adding up.

And midway through summer break, some anxious parents still don’t know where their children will go to school in the fall.

“There was no regard for parents or children,” said Tanysha Flood, a parent of a rising third grader who had attended University Heights since kindergarten. “The timing of this was inconsiderate and it could be detrimental to my child.”

While school closures often occur because of poor academic performance and under-enrollment, research has shown they can be emotionally disruptive for students. A 2018 study noted that some students have faced “lasting negative impacts on socio-emotional health and long-term declines in academic performance.”

The state Department of Education revoked University Heights’ charter June 30. It informed the pre-K-8 network of its decision in a letter dated June 1.

The school, which has been on probation since 2019, struggled to improve students’ academic performance, faced declining enrollment, and had an unstable leadership team. All those factors contributed to its closure, acting Education Commissioner Angelica Allen-McMillan said in the letter.

Even so, parents say, the decision was ill-timed.

Open enrollment for district schools closed in February. Students received notice of their placements in April. And registration for Newark Public Schools’ free summer program ended in May.

Although the district reopened the enrollment window for families of University Heights students, parents say they’re finding their preferred choices are already at capacity for the 2022-23 school year.

With just weeks to go before the start of school, their students are getting waitlisted, they said.

“Our students already experienced so much trauma during the pandemic,” said Christy Oliver-Hawley, who became head of schools at University Heights in August 2020. “Ninety-five percent receive free lunch and have challenges at home. Now, they have yet another life-altering experience they’re forced to go through.”

About 400 families who signed up for University Heights’ free summer enrichment program also had to suddenly seek alternative plans and, in some cases, face late registration fees they weren’t prepared to pay.

“Now I’m scrambling to try to pay a few hundred dollars for something I thought my children were going to get for free this summer,” said Ashley Goins, a parent of two children who had attended University Heights since preschool. Goins sat on the network’s board of trustees as a parent representative this past year.

Goins will also have to pay for new school uniforms, but can’t buy them just yet for one of her children since she is on a waitlist. “School starts in a few weeks and I still have to get uniforms, and the closer to school starting, the more expensive they get,” she said. “I’m very anxious and frustrated.”

Declining enrollment, low test scores, instability

Though families and school officials say the state’s decision felt abrupt, it was years in the making.

When the state put the school on probation in May 2019, the sanction required the network to make drastic improvements to address exceptionally low test scores and chaotic classroom environments.

In 2019, the school’s state test scores fell to the bottom 5% of high-poverty schools in the state. And classrooms “were not conducive to student achievement” due to unsafe, disruptive student behavior, “with limited evidence of staff intervention,” Allen-McMillan said of the state’s observations of the school from three years ago.

School officials say progress was ongoing, but more time was needed to see the fruits of those changes.

“It’s been a Herculean task to turn this around and get us on the right path,” Oliver-Hawley said. “Our goal was to move from probationary status to a National Blue Ribbon School, and I believe we could’ve gotten there.”

Under Oliver-Hawley’s leadership, the charter school conducted an audit to ensure every teacher was certified and qualified to teach, and hired school counselors, attendance officers, and a parent coordinator. The charter also implemented a one-to-one Chromebook program and free tutoring programs before and after school, she said.

But state education department officials determined the progress so far has not been enough, and more red flags cropped up after a site visit this past spring.

Though class sizes were smaller and behavior was “less disruptive” during an unannounced visit by the state on March 14, officials observed “low-level” instruction and student engagement, Allen-McMillan said.

“However, the maximum number of students in each observed classroom was 12, which may have minimized potential disruptive behaviors with considerably smaller class sizes than previously observed,” she added.

That number, in turn, raised questions about the school’s enrollment.

The charter network’s enrollment dropped to 566 students last school year, compared to 742 during 2020-21. The school has a maximum approved enrollment of 1,005 students, but only enrolls 56% of that limit, department officials said.

And concerns about enrollment are related to another problem: the network’s troubled finances.

University Heights faced the threat of foreclosure or a management takeover earlier this year after it defaulted on the terms of a $14.72 million loan agreement. The charter network used that loan to purchase and renovate a building for its elementary school.

UMB Bank, which represents the bondholders, noted the school’s declining enrollment was cause for alarm and threatened its ability to repay its debt. However, Allen-McMillan did not raise that issue in the state’s letter.

During the state’s site visit in March, education department officials also observed students with individual education plans, known as IEPs. Those students, Allen-McMillan wrote in the letter, received instruction “in a small room that was not conducive to learning.”

Further, a properly certified staff member was not delivering instruction and services, “revealing additional non-compliance” with state special education statutes and codes, she said.

The education department also evaluated the charter network’s assessment scores when deciding whether to shut down University Heights.

Since 2019-20 and 2020-21 statewide assessments were canceled, the state reviewed the school’s benchmark assessments from 2020-21, which showed marginal growth, Allen-McMillan said.

“Absent systemic academic growth suggests University Heights lacks the organizational capacity to provide high-quality education,” she said.

Additionally, the state noted the charter has had two executive directors and three school business administrators since February 2020. The school also hired three new principals in 2020-21, but one of them was set to retire this year. Constant changes in leadership roles “has failed to correct organizational instability,” the state said.

‘Blindsided’ by the state’s decision

University Heights has appealed the state’s decision in Superior Court of New Jersey. The school, which is represented by the Johnston Law Firm of Montclair, argues that the timing of the closure “irreparably harmed students who experienced undeniable COVID-19 related learning loss and trauma,” and violated workers’ rights to fair notice of an employer’s closure.

As for the timing of the charter’s revocation, state regulations allow the education commissioner to revoke a school’s charter “at any time” following a review by the department, said Laura Fredrick, the department’s communications director, in an email.

Oliver-Hawley said the school held a job fair for teachers and staff before shutting its doors for good last month.

“We were blindsided,” she said, adding that state officials gave her positive oral feedback after the site visit in March. “We’re still experiencing that sense of shock.”

While Goins awaits for her daughter’s name to move off a school waitlist, she’s concerned about students who might be discouraged because of all the uncertainty.

“I think a lot of students are just not going to start right away because they don’t know where they’re going next,” Goins said.

Catherine Carrera is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat Newark, covering the city’s K-12 schools with a focus on English language learners. Contact Catherine at ccarrera@chalkbeat.org.

Ten new principals to take the helm at Newark schools

2022-07-01T19:38:38+00:00

The Newark school board recently approved 13 internal leadership promotions, two outside appointments for vice principal positions, and four resignations of top administrators in the latest staffing shake-up for the district.

It’s unclear if the shuffling of school leaders will pay off as the district heads into another unprecedented year that will focus attention on how Newark helps students and educators recover from the learning disruptions of the last three academic years.

The departure of vice principals of color runs contrary to district officials’ repeated goal of elevating people of color to leadership positions, especially men.

And after the recent ousting of two first-year principals, the promotion of 10 first-time principals could cause some concern or, at the least, hint to district officials that support is greatly needed during that transition.

School board president Dawn Haynes said in an email this week that the district would provide that necessary support.

Ten of the 13 promotions are for principal positions at elementary and high schools, mostly going to educators who have worked their way up through the ranks in the district. Two promotions are for vice principal positions at elementary schools and one promotion is for a special assistant to the student leadership team.

The district announced the 10 new principals in an email this week, which, notably, did not include the replacements for the principals at Science Park and Newark Vocational high schools who were removed after one year.

“I am thrilled to announce one of the most diverse group of principal candidates to be named principal for school year 2022-23,” Superintendent Roger León said in the email.

León called the promotions “a shining example of internal mobility at its best” and said that school leadership teams helped with the hiring process.

All candidates for the principal positions met with community members, students, staff, and León as part of the interview process, district spokeswoman Nancy Deering wrote in the announcement.

“Being a principal is the most important leadership role in our schools and we look forward to providing the support needed to be successful,” Haynes said.

A study released in June suggests principal turnover can lead to teacher turnover, and at a time when schools are facing a detrimental teacher shortage, it could cause serious strains on students and educators.

“Principals hire significantly more teachers who persist after they have led their first school for five or more years,” read the findings of the study, which followed 11,717 Texas principals from 1999 to 2017.

The study also showed that principals who enter an “unstable school,” or a school with less than 69% retention in the two years prior to the principal’s arrival, and stay for five years, can counteract prior instability.

Data from the New Jersey Department of Education shows that 87.5% of Newark administrators stayed in their role between the 2019-20 and 2020-21 school years, a lower retention rate than the statewide average of 89.7%.

Here’s a list of leadership changes taking effect ahead of the 2022-23 school year, including resignations, that the school board approved at recent meetings.

Promotions

Vice principals

Kishanda Montes, one of two vice principals at South 17th Street School, was promoted to the student leadership team as special assistant at a salary of $125,000.

Denise Rawding, a math teacher coach in the district, was promoted to a vice principal position at Roberto Clemente Elementary with a salary of $103,763.

Sandy Ferreira, a teacher coach in the district, was promoted to a vice principal position at Benjamin Franklin School with a salary of $95,319.

Principals

Margaret Murray, who was most recently a vice principal at East Side High School and held other positions in the school throughout her 20-year tenure, was promoted to principal of American History High School with a salary of $134,100 effective July 1. She studied at the University of Illinois, Columbia University’s Teachers College, and University of Phoenix.

Krishna Dalal Barroso was most recently vice principal at Avon Avenue School for eight years. Barroso was promoted to principal of Avon Avenue with a salary of $134,100 starting July 1. Barroso studied at Seton Hall University and Rutgers University.

Filipa Alexandra Silva was most recently vice principal of Salomé Ureña Elementary School. She was promoted to principal of Dr. E. Alma Flagg Elementary School with a salary of $134,100 starting July 1. Silva studied at Drew University, St. Elizabeth College, and Grand Canyon University.

Carlos M. Rodriguez, who was most recently a vice principal at East Side High School, was promoted to principal of East Side with a salary of $134,100 starting July 1. He studied at Kean University and Saint Peter’s University.

Andres Barquin was most recently special assistant to the North Ward Leadership Team and previously served as an after school programs director. He was promoted to principal of Elliot Street School with a salary of $134,100 starting July 1. Barquin studied at Thomas Edison State College, Grand Canyon University, and Caldwell College.

Erica L. Paich most recently served as director of enrollment for the district for two years. She was promoted to principal of Ironbound Academy Elementary School, a new school opening this fall, with a salary of $134,100 starting July 1. Paich studied at Rutgers University, Kean University, and Rowan University.

Daniel Guerra, who most recently served as a vice principal at Elliot Street School, was promoted to principal of Luis Muñoz Marin School with a salary of $134,100 starting July 1. Guerra studied at Essex County College, Montclair State University, and John Hopkins University.

Lynnette Dortrait has served as a vice principal at Dr. William H. Horton Elementary School for the last three years. She was promoted to principal of McKinley Elementary School with a salary of $134,100 starting July 1. Dortrait studied at Rider University and St. Peter’s University.

Courtney R. Johnson, who most recently served as special assistant of the high school leadership team, was promoted to principal of Quitman Community School with a salary of $134,100 starting July 1. Johnson studied at the College of New Jersey, Capella University, and New Jersey City University.

Tiffany Wicks, who most recently served as a vice principal at Sir Isaac Newton Elementary School, was promoted to principal of that school with a salary of $134,100 starting July 1. Wicks studied at Caldwell University, Montclair State University, and Seton Hall University.

Appointments

Roberta Washington, who was an assistant principal in the Orange Public Schools district, was appointed to a vice principal position at Belmont Runyon School with a salary of $120,651 effective Aug. 30.

Kevin Williams, who was an assistant principal at Irvington High School this past school year, was appointed to vice principal of Central High School with a salary of $133,000 effective Aug. 30 .

Resignations

Norma Diaz, who was one of four vice principals at Barringer High School, resigned from her position effective June 24, the last day of school.

Mariama Sesay-St.Paul, who was the vice principal of curriculum and instructions, the autism program, and the health and physical education program at American History High School, resigned from her position effective June 30.

Shannon Crowell-Edghill, one of four vice principals at Lafayette Street School, resigned effective June 30.

Krystal Allbright, one of three vice principals at Peshine Avenue School, resigned effective June 30.

Catherine Carrera is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat Newark, covering the city’s K-12 schools with a focus on English language learners. Contact Catherine at ccarrera@chalkbeat.org.

Newark’s 2022 Teacher of the Year says kids strive when they feel accepted

2022-06-30T21:52:46+00:00

When Newark’s 2022 Teacher of the Year reflects on her personal experiences with school, she recalls having educators who established warm and inviting classroom environments that she eagerly anticipated.

And others who made their classes feel like a dreaded task.

So, when Jessica Tavares began teaching for Newark Public Schools eight years ago, she prioritized setting an example in her classroom of acceptance and kindness. From her firsthand experience, she knew those qualities were key to inspiring students to learn.

“When you actually want to be in school and feel like you are accepted, you are more willing to try your best,” Tavares said.

The eighth grade science teacher at Lafayette Street School was recently named the district’s teacher of the year, a recognition she was surprised and honored to receive.

“She was nominated and selected based on her interdisciplinary approach to teaching that centers on student growth, which is both challenging and engaging,” said Nancy Deering, district spokeswoman, in an email about the announcement earlier this month. “Tavares has compassion and sensitivity that allows her to connect with her students and others on a personal level.”

Tavares’ approach to modeling acceptance in her classroom as a way to promote learning is also supported by research.

“Students who learn in positive learning environments that are safe, supportive, and engaging are more likely to improve academically, participate more fully in the classroom, and develop skills that will help them be successful in school and in life,” according to the National Center on Safe Supportive Learning Environments.

Tavares spoke recently with Chalkbeat.

This interview has been lightly edited for length and clarity.

Why did you want to become a teacher? Did you always want to teach middle school science?

As far back as I can remember, I have always wanted to be a teacher, and I have always loved science. Blending the two just made sense. But I wasn’t always sure about what grade I wanted to focus on. When I was younger, my first job was covering the after-school and summer programs for a community center in the Newark area. I was able to experience working with all different grade levels. I found that I was able to connect and make the most impact with the middle school students. When it was time to become a teacher, I decided my best fit would be as a middle school science teacher.

How do you feel about being named the 2022 Teacher of the Year?

I feel honored. I was very surprised by the award. I never thought I would be chosen above all the other great educators in the district.

What’s the best advice you’ve ever received, and how have you put it into practice?

The best advice I have ever received is to be kind to everyone and treat people as you would like to be treated. Most teachers see their students as kids and not always as people. But just like adults, our students have good days and bad days. The toughest student is usually just having a bad day or a hard time and they feel defeated. Most students just need someone to be kind and understanding. You can’t learn and be successful if you are in a negative mindset.

Teaching and showing kindness, compassion, and life lessons are sometimes more important than the curriculum we teach in the classroom. Encouraging my students to be nice people and to show kindness in everything they do is sometimes the best lesson I can teach them.

Tell us about your own experience with school and how it affects your work today.

I have had many different experiences in school. I attended Ann Street School here in Newark from kindergarten through eighth grade. For high school, I attended a small private Catholic school. I was exposed to different teaching styles and environments. Throughout my schooling, I have had some great teachers that made me love going to school and some that made going to school feel like the worst chore. I learned a lot from both experiences and they have definitely all had an effect on my teaching.

Taking in all these different experiences, I have learned that having an inclusive, encouraging, and positive environment in the classroom helps students learn and persevere. When you actually want to be in school and feel like you are accepted you are more willing to try your best. I try to make sure that all my students feel like they can be themselves and not worry about struggling in my classroom. We all need a little extra help from time to time, and it is okay to ask for it. I try to make sure all of my students feel comfortable coming to me for help, whether it is help for something in school or outside of school.

What’s your favorite lesson to teach, and why?

I think my favorite lesson to teach my students isn’t one specific science lesson but something that is taught throughout the school year. I try to teach my students to persevere, whether that be in life or in science. Many students tend to give up when something seems hard, but I try to encourage them to keep pushing forward.

One of my favorite moments as a teacher is when I see a student who once struggled and would give up start to persevere and become the one to help others in the classroom. They have become more confident and have learned to work through difficult tasks. Perseverance and never giving up is a lesson I hope they carry with them throughout their lives.

Catherine Carrera is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat Newark, covering the city’s K-12 schools with a focus on English language learners. Contact Catherine at ccarrera@chalkbeat.org.

Newark school board approves changes to attendance, discipline, graduation policies

2022-06-22T22:37:07+00:00

The Newark Board of Education approved updates to several policies Tuesday that will, among other changes, modify the way absences are tracked and suspensions are imposed.

Certain rules embedded in the old policies contributed to an unclear number of retentions and suspensions. For example, a clause in the previous attendance policy would keep a student in the same grade due to chronic absenteeism without considering the cause of the absences.

New language in the policies aims to keep students in school and on track, Superintendent Roger León said.

The updated attendance policy and guidance will give attendance monitors and teachers codes to mark if an absence is due to trauma, crisis, bereavement, or health conditions, or if a tardy is because of bus and public transportation issues.

Absences can also be due to out-of-school suspensions, and so, board member A’Dorian Murray-Thomas, pushed on Tuesday to amend the guidance further to add disciplinary actions as a reason for absences.

“I think we really risk funneling that school-to-prison pipeline and creating these spaces where kids who are suspended are also more likely to be chronically absent because they have no choice but to not be in school,” Murray-Thomas said.

Leòn agreed to add a marker to indicate if a student is out of school due to suspension.

Black students in the district have historically been suspended at a higher rate than students of any other race, the latest federal data from 2017 shows. In a district where 16% of students were chronically absent in 2020-21, a significant number of students were penalized — in some cases even held back a grade — under the previous policy.

The amended discipline policy adds therapeutic interventions for level three conduct offenses, which include a wide range of disruptions from excessive tardiness and chronic absences to fighting and trespassing.

An amendment to the graduation requirement policy removes the June 1 deadline for seniors to submit a waiver to opt out of filing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, known as the FAFSA. The form helps students determine how much money they can get from federal financial aid to cover the cost of higher education, which can help students make an informed decision on college.

That requirement was imposed this school year for the first time but proved to be a challenge for the Class of 2022.

As of May, León said last month, 75% of seniors had either submitted the FAFSA, or the New Jersey Alternate Financial Aid Application for undocumented students, or the required exemption form to their counselors. That meant that about a quarter of students were at risk of not fulfilling this graduation requirement. An updated number was not shared on Tuesday.

The amended co-curricular activities policy will require all students participating in activities to abide by a code of conduct that will be developed with input from student leaders and presented for approval by the board.

Lastly, the amended dress and grooming policy and guidance will remove hooded sweaters from a list of prohibited items and encourage schools to include students when developing uniform codes.

Catherine Carrera is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat Newark, covering the city’s K-12 schools with a focus on English language learners. Contact Catherine at ccarrera@chalkbeat.org.

Newark board considers changes to discipline, absence policies

2022-06-17T14:51:44+00:00

The Newark Board of Education has been reviewing policy changes that could change the way administrators and teachers approach discipline, attendance, dress codes, and retention.

From removing an 18-day absence retention clause to including therapeutic interventions as part of disciplinary measures, policy amendments that could see a vote at a Tuesday board meeting would significantly affect students’ educational experiences.

Under current policies, Black students in the district are suspended at a far higher rate than students of any other race, according to federal data from 2017 that is limited by state reporting lapses. Students were penalized for absences — sometimes even held back a grade — in a district that had a 16% chronic absenteeism rate in 2020-21.

Proposed changes to disciplinary measures, highlighted below, would add more restorative responses for students who might have previously faced disciplinary action, such as in- and out-of-school suspensions.

“Policies are not supposed to be designed to punish students,” Superintendent Roger León said. “We want to educate our students.”

Teams of administrators, teachers, parents, and students met multiple times over the last two years to review decade-old policies, León said during a board retreat meeting last month where he presented recommendations to amend certain policies and guidance.

Many of the revisions, León said, aim to keep students on track and in school.

The amended policies were introduced at a May school board meeting.

Board committees have been meeting throughout June to discuss and make adjustments to the policies that were recommended. According to León’s timeline at the meeting last month, the policies will likely be up for a vote at the June 21 meeting, before taking effect for next school year. The agenda for the Tuesday meeting was not yet available on the board website.

If approved at that meeting, the updated policies will be added to student and parent handbooks, and shared with families before the start of next school year, León said.

Here are some of the recommended policy changes the board is considering.

Discouraging retention

The board will consider removing a clause in the policy that penalizes students with 18 or more absences, or chronic absenteeism, with being held back a grade.

“It shouldn’t be a sole determining factor” for retention, León said at the May board meeting.

There would also be guidance added to indicate if an absence is due to trauma or crisis, bereavement, or a health condition or concern, or if a tardy is due to school bus or public transportation issues, he said.

On the district’s promotion and intervention policy, there would be guidance added to “focus on promotion with intervention for students who are not meeting benchmarks.”

Therapeutic interventions

The amended discipline policy would include school-based and therapeutic interventions, as well as restorative circle time, for students who commit “level three” offenses. Level three offenses, the current policy stipulates, can include excessive tardiness and chronic absences.

Board member A’Dorian Murray-Thomas has advocated for a restorative justice program in the district and to formally include trauma-informed, restorative-based interventions in policies.

Updated guidance would include sending students home with educational packets if they face suspension and to add a post-suspension conference meeting with students.

“This is not the criminal justice system, this is education,” León said. “Our job is to create pathways of success for students and these policy recommendations do that.”

Removing FAFSA deadline

The current graduation requirement policy, instituted last summer, requires seniors to either submit a Free Application for Federal Student Aid, known by the acronym FAFSA, an alternate financial aid form, or a waiver by June 1.

The application for current and prospective college students helps them determine their eligibility for federal financial aid.

León shared that as of last month 75% of seniors have either submitted the FAFSA, or the New Jersey Alternate Financial Aid Application for undocumented students, or the required exemption form to their counselors. The remaining 25% of seniors may be at risk for not completing this graduation requirement.

“We’re at crunch time,” he said. León recommended eliminating the deadline.

There would also be guidance to add FAFSA workshops for parents and seniors throughout the school year and training for parents on how to use the federal financial aid website.

Student life

The amended co-curricular activities policy would require all students participating in activities abide by a code of conduct to be developed with input from student leaders and presented for approval by the board.

Students would also have to sign a memorandum of understanding before being considered eligible to participate in activities.

The board will also consider an amended dress and grooming policy that would add student input, remove hooded sweaters from the list of prohibited items, and align with the updated disciplinary policy to remove suspensions as a consequence.

Catherine Carrera is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat Newark, covering the city’s K-12 schools with a focus on English language learners. Contact Catherine at ccarrera@chalkbeat.org.

Newark raises pay for veteran and rookie teachers amid staffing crunch

2022-06-03T00:14:06+00:00

The Newark Board of Education and the district teachers union agreed to raise the starting salary for new teachers to $62,000 starting next school year, as part of a deal that includes across-the-board teacher pay increases amid staffing struggles linked to COVID.

Raising the starting salary for new teachers with a bachelor’s degree by $6,500, and by $4,500 for new teachers with a master’s degree, will make the district “one of the most competitive urban school systems in the northeast,” Superintendent Roger León said in a Thursday email announcing the increases.

Meanwhile, more experienced teachers making under $62,000 will get pay increases to match the new starting salary for first-time teachers. Teachers making over $62,000 will receive pay increases of $1,000 over the next two years, according to the new agreement.

“These new salaries will attract fresh talent and at the same time foster retention by increasing the salaries of experienced teachers,” León said in the email.

Due to a “reopening provision” in the Newark Teachers Union contract that allows for the union and district to renegotiate salaries in emergencies, the two parties were able to discuss increasing the starting salary for new teachers as a recruitment strategy. An already small pool of teaching candidates that dwindled further during the pandemic, and the more-competitive salaries offered by other districts, created an emergency situation under the terms of the contract.

The current contract runs through the 2023-24 school year, and negotiations over a new deal are set to begin in January.

For months, the district has had trouble filling vacant teaching positions. It started the school year with 120 instructional vacancies, and began the final month of the school year with 95. A number of teachers also left the district for better paying positions, said John Abeigon, president of the Newark Teachers Union.

“We would see three, four, sometimes five resignations in a single week throughout the year,” Abeigon said, though he couldn’t provide an exact number of resignations. “At that rate, we weren’t going to have any teachers left.”

The increases across the board would bump up Newark Public Schools’ median salary for teachers. As of the 2019-20 school year, the median teacher salary was $65,618 for Newark, which is lower than nearby districts in Essex County, including $72,631 for Belleville, $86,944 for East Orange, $73,085 for Irvington, and $77,368 for Montclair, state data show.

Newark’s new hires in critical areas — such as science, math, special education, bilingual education, and English as a second language — will also be eligible for a $4,000 signing bonus, León said. District employees can also get a $1,000 bonus for referring a new teacher that is successfully on-boarded.

The decision to bump up the pay for Newark teachers follows the district’s plan to hire retired teachers to help fill open positions. In April, the state approved the district’s request to hire retired teachers under a new state law. More than 40 retired teachers had expressed interest in returning to the district at the time.

Newark has also started a teacher pipeline program that encourages high school students to pursue a teaching career and promises a teaching contract with the district after graduating with their bachelor’s degrees.

Newark’s difficulty with attracting and retaining teachers is not new, Abeigon said.

“Our warnings to the district to raise the starting salary pre-date COVID, but the pandemic made it abundantly clear that it was needed,” he said. “Other districts have better salaries and less burdensome conditions than Newark. We have to make it competitive.”

Abeigon said León has also agreed to meet with union members to discuss other ways to boost morale among teachers, and reduce their workload.

Shrinking hiring pool

Earlier this week, the state Board of Education unanimously approved policies that could help widen the pool of prospective teachers by providing an alternate route for those whose grade point averages or standardized test scores fall short of the requirement. Under the new policies, those candidates would receive mentoring and take courses in teaching to earn a standard teaching certificate.

Several staffing problems are growing in the state’s schools. A new report released Thursday shows New Jersey has a shrinking hiring pool, a surge in retirements, and fewer teachers available as substitutes.

“The number of those completing teacher preparation has declined sharply in New Jersey,” according to the report by New Jersey Policy Perspective, a nonpartisan think tank.

The group recommends increasing compensation for teachers, streamlining the process to obtain a teacher certification, and working with teacher preparation programs to attract more candidates of color, among other things.

“If New Jersey does not act soon, there will not be enough qualified candidates to replace teachers leaving the profession,” the report states.

Catherine Carrera is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat Newark, covering the city’s K-12 schools with a focus on English language learners. Contact Catherine at ccarrera@chalkbeat.org.

Helping students rebound after pandemic is top of mind for new Newark board member

2022-05-13T10:00:00+00:00

Crystal Williams, the newly elected member of the Newark Board of Education, has safety, school culture, and academic recovery at the forefront of her agenda as she takes office.

Williams, who accrued the most votes in the April 19 school board election, was sworn into a three-year term — and her first elected position — at last week’s virtual reorganization meeting. Reelected board members A’Dorian Murray-Thomas and Daniel Gonzalez also took the oath of office. The three ran on a slate backed by powerful politicians including Mayor Ras Baraka, who won reelection to a third term on Tuesday.

Williams said at the meeting that she knows there is a lot of work to be done to help students rebound from the pandemic. “I am just here ready to serve, ready to do what’s necessary to make sure the kids get what they need. We need to emerge from this pandemic not the same, but stronger and smarter and kinder, with the commitment to do what’s right for the kids.”

Williams, a network technician at Verizon for more than 20 years, sees her role on the board like that of a customer service representative.

“If you don’t give your customers a quality product, then your customer service is lacking, and a competitor steps in and takes your customer,” she said during a recent interview. “It’s the same way for the students and parents of the Newark Public Schools system. They are our customers and we should be providing them with high quality service and education.”

And, in those terms, she says she deeply understands what her new “customers” want from the board.

As a single mom of seven children who currently attend or have attended public and charter schools in Newark, Williams has seen deteriorating school buildings, lunches that make her kids lose their appetites, a lack of classroom resources, and low test scores.

She’s also seen the unsafe routes children take to and from schools and she hopes to address them, though she wasn’t sure how exactly. “This is all new to me, but I’m going to be asking a lot of questions,” she said. She also said the pandemic’s toll on students’ academic progress is a huge concern as is school culture, with low teacher morale affecting students’ motivation.

“I want students’ quality of life while they’re in our schools to improve, making sure that they want to be there and have pride in their school and feel welcomed and loved and valued,” she said.

While juggling full-time work and her children’s needs over the years, Williams found time to volunteer on parent teacher associations and advocacy groups such as Unapologetic Parents, a group of parents who are proponents of school choice.

She met Jasmine Morrison, a fellow parent and the group’s leader, on a school bus to Trenton. Morrison said they were heading to the state capital along with other group members to rally against a decision to block the expansion of some charter schools in Newark.

“Crystal has been instrumental in the group, whether it be for going to rallies or helping to run coat drives and book bag giveaways,” Morrison said in a recent interview. “She has so much energy and you see that energy in her interactions with her kids, and I think she’s going to bring that to the board.”

Board co-vice president Asia Norton said she looks forward to the fresh outlook Williams will bring to the board and its monthly committee meetings.

“Although she is new to politics, she’s not new to motherhood or to the workforce,” Norton said. “Ms. Williams exudes pride in being a mother and making sure that her children have everything that they need whether it be in the classroom or on the football field or applying to colleges. And I think she’s going to do the same for children across the district.”

Williams’ children range in ages from 3 to 23. Her oldest, Brooklyn, graduated from Rutgers-Newark in May 2020 and struggled with the switch to remote learning during that time.

Her son Jayson, 16, did well with remote learning but had serious difficulties returning to school in person, she said. After considering several options, Williams transferred him to Leaders for Life Academy in the South Ward, a school that helps students earn a high school equivalency diploma. He graduated in December and now attends Universal Technical Institute, a trade school campus in Bloomfield.

“He took a different path,” Williams said. “I’m not going to make him fit into anything he’s not. Now, he comes home excited from school and makes money at his part-time job.”

With seven kids, Williams said, it becomes quickly apparent that all children learn differently and require different supports.

During a recent phone call as Williams drove her second oldest, Autumn, 17, to Temple University in Philadelphia for a campus visit, she shared some advice that she often gives her children.

“Sometimes, we have to detour and a detour is not necessarily a bad thing — you might find where you want to live along the way,” she said. “Sometimes a detour works in your favor. Keeping an open mind and a positive attitude is key.”

Williams said she never imagined running for any public office, especially because she doesn’t enjoy public speaking and would rather stay away from the limelight.

But after getting COVID early in the pandemic and seeing her children persevere through their struggles, she decided she didn’t want to “hide” anymore. When she was approached by other parent advocates and community members to run for the open Newark school board seat, she decided to go for it. Having guaranteed support from influential political players, including state Sen. M. Teresa Ruiz, and the money that comes with that backing, played an integral role in her successful campaign.

“I’ve never been on the board so I don’t know a lot of stuff and I’m going to look to my board members for help,” Williams said. “But I do know I want a better quality of life for the children, and I’m going to stand true to my promise.”

Catherine Carrera is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat Newark, covering the city’s K-12 schools with a focus on English language learners. Contact Catherine at ccarrera@chalkbeat.org.

NJ school officials reject call to reevaluate sex ed standards passed in 2020

2022-05-04T23:16:16+00:00

The majority of state school board members and Acting Education Commissioner Angelica Allen-McMillan Wednesday defended a nearly two-year-old decision to include controversial topics, such as gender identity and abortion, in the state’s new sex education standards.

The discussion on the 2020 revision of state learning standards for comprehensive health and physical education came up during the board’s virtual monthly meeting, a month after a social media post sparked a national firestorm of scrutiny from Republican elected officials.

The post in early April from Republican state Sen. Holly Schepisi, who represents a cluster of affluent towns in northern Bergen County, led Gov. Phil Murphy to ask the state education department for clarity on age-appropriate guidelines.

Four state school board members — Andrew Mulvihill, Jack Fornaro, Mary Beth Gazi, and Mary Beth Berry — voted against the revised sex education standards in 2020 and wrote a letter to Allen-McMillan Tuesday ahead of the board meeting. The letter requested a reexamination of the standards, removal of “some of the more controversial and graphic language,” and to delay implementation of the standards.

But, during the Wednesday meeting, Board President Kathy Goldenberg said there would not be a vote to postpone the implementation of the new standards, set to begin in September.

“At this point there will be no votes taken today,” Goldenberg said. “It’s not on the agenda. We won’t be doing it. It won’t happen.”

Allen-McMillan released a memo mid-April addressed to local district leaders that explained the “intent and spirit” of the sex education standards that were revised in June 2020, during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. The previous standards were set in 2014. The 13-member New Jersey State Board of Education voted 9-4 to update the standards in a resolution after five months of discussion, public comment, and revisions.

“I firmly support the 2020 New Jersey Student Learning Standards in comprehensive health and physical education,” Allen-McMillan said at the meeting. “I recognize that the department can strengthen our efforts to clarify the meaning and scope of the standards for educators.”

She also said she “wholeheartedly disagrees” with critics of the revised standards. One of the guidelines that concerns critics requires second-graders to learn about the “range of ways people express their gender and how gender-role stereotypes may limit behavior.”

“These standards are designed to ensure that children understand that everyone has the ability to live their life in the way that suits them, no matter their gender,” Allen-McMillan said in her memo last month. “They should also help children to understand that every person deserves respect, no matter their identity or expression.”

Local school districts must align sex education curriculum with the revised New Jersey Student Learning Standards for comprehensive health and physical education by September.

Here are some highlights of learning expectations that were added in 2020 by the state school board:

Second graders should learn the medically accurate names for body parts, including genitals, and the range of ways people express their gender. They should also learn how gender-role stereotypes may limit behavior.
Fifth graders should learn about sexual development and the role of hormones when it comes to romantic and sexual feelings, masturbation, mood swings, and the timing of the onset of puberty. Fifth graders should also learn how to differentiate between sexual orientation and gender identity.
By eighth grade, students should be able to define vaginal, oral, and anal sex, and develop a plan to eliminate or reduce risk of unintended pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections, including HIV. Eighth-graders should also learn about pregnancy testing, the signs of pregnancy, and pregnancy options, including parenting, abortion, and adoption.
By 12th grade, students should be able to analyze the influences of peers, family, media, social norms, and culture on the expression of gender, sexual orientation, and identity. Students should also learn to advocate for school and community policies and programs that promote dignity and respect for people of all genders, gender expressions, gender identities, and sexual orientations.

Catherine Carrera is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat Newark, covering the city’s K-12 schools with a focus on English language learners. Contact Catherine at ccarrera@chalkbeat.org.

Newark keeps face mask requirement in schools

2022-05-02T20:26:00+00:00

Newark Public Schools will keep its mask requirement, temperature checks, and other COVID preventative measures in place as the infection rate climbs across the city.

The district was set to end the measures this week. But an increase in the city’s COVID infection rate last week stopped any changes to protocols.

“In Newark, our numbers are starting to grow,” said Mayor Ras Baraka on Friday during a live Facebook update. “The numbers are still relatively low but they are growing, so we have to be cautious.”

Meanwhile, cases among students and staff dropped last week, according to the district’s most recent data posted Monday.

Baraka did not mention the district’s mask mandate during that update. The district did not respond to requests for comment.

John Abeigon, the Newark Teachers Union president, said the district’s decision to keep the COVID protocols in place came after the city’s health department advised Superintendent Roger León against making any changes.

Newark, the state’s largest school district, is one of the last in New Jersey to keep the mask mandate in place across its 65 schools and 38,000 students. Gov. Phil Murphy ended the statewide mask mandate in March, but school leaders were able to keep the rules in place for their districts. Paterson and New Brunswick are among the other districts to keep the rules in place.

Of the 500 largest school districts across the country, only 2% still require masks, including Newark, according to a school mask policy tracker from Burbio.

The city’s infection rate climbed in the last few weeks. On Friday, the seven-day rolling average was 5.31%, up from 3.25% two weeks earlier.

In the district, there were 49 positive cases among staff the week of April 18, when schools were closed for spring break. That was an uptick from 15 cases among staff the week prior.

“The slight bump was expected due to travel during the break,” Abeigon said.

But when the district updated its COVID dashboard Monday, it showed 16 positive cases among staff and 18 among students last week, a return to case counts seen before the break.

The district did not respond to a question about when it plans to revisit the mask requirement.

Catherine Carrera is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat Newark, covering the city’s K-12 schools with a focus on English language learners. Contact Catherine at ccarrera@chalkbeat.org.

Newark schools may go mask-optional in May if COVID case numbers remain low

2022-04-22T19:53:32+00:00

Newark Public Schools students and staff might be allowed to drop their face masks starting May 2, if the COVID infection rate in the district remains low, the teachers union president said.

The decision to ease the district’s face mask mandate and other COVID-related rules will depend on results from at-home rapid tests students and staff must take on Sunday, the day before they return to school from this week’s spring break. The district distributed the test kits to families and staff members before spring break began April 18.

“If the numbers continue to hold, we’ll be mask optional by the first week of May,” John Abeigon, the Newark Teachers Union president, said on Thursday. Citywide and districtwide positive test numbers were relatively low the week before spring break, according to the latest data available.

Staff members will need to upload their rapid-test results to the employee portal, Abeigon said. Parents and caregivers will need to reach their child’s school nurse to report a positive result. Another round of rapid tests will be administered in schools during the week, Abeigon added.

Abeigon said Superintendent Roger León briefed union leaders earlier this week on plans to roll back some COVID mitigation policies if results from the at-home tests show a “low number” of positive cases. A district spokesperson did not respond to emails asking for more details on these plans.

The district would also end temperature checks and the symptom screening questionnaire on May 2, he said. León shared those plans at a school board meeting last month.

The statewide mask mandate for schools and childcare centers dropped March 7, but district leaders were able to keep requiring masks in their schools. Newark, the state’s largest district, with 37,000 students, kept its mask rules in place, as did Paterson, New Brunswick, and Trenton.

León started easing other mitigation rules by removing desk shields and footwear sanitizing stations. State and federal guidance did not include either of those measures at the start of this school year.

And at the board meeting last month, León said water fountains would be turned back on for the first time this school year. León has said the fountains were shut off as a COVID mitigation effort, even though that step was not recommended in any state or federal guidelines either.

Chalkbeat found the district did not complete lead testing before buildings reopened in September.

The district’s COVID-19 dashboard shows positive tests were low across schools in the weeks leading up to spring break.

The week before break, the district reported 18 positive cases among students and 15 among staff. Those numbers were slightly up from the previous week, but still significantly lower than the hundreds of positive cases the district saw before winter break.

Citywide, too, confirmed cases of COVID-19 have remained low for a few weeks, according to figures city officials shared on Facebook this week. The city’s seven-day rolling average showed a 3.25% rate of positive tests on April 15, slightly up from 2.72% on April 11, but well below the 38% rate in late December, before students were to return from winter break. At that time, the district decided to switch to remote learning for two weeks after the break ended.

Catherine Carrera is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat Newark, covering the city’s K-12 schools with a focus on English language learners. Contact Catherine at ccarrera@chalkbeat.org.

In Newark school board race, voters pick slate backed by political heavyweights

2022-04-19T17:00:00+00:00

Newark voters on Tuesday picked a slate of candidates endorsed by politicians and charter school advocates to fill three seats on the district’s nine-member school board, preliminary results show.

Newcomer Crystal Williams and incumbents Daniel Gonzalez and A’Dorian Murray-Thomas, who ran together on a slate called Moving Newark Schools Forward, were far ahead of the other four candidates, though not all votes had been counted as of Wednesday afternoon.

Voters also overwhelmingly approved the district’s $138 million tax levy, the amount of money raised through Newark property taxes to fund schools, which will remain the same as the current year. Preliminary results showed 2,792 votes in its favor and 417 votes against it.

The unofficial vote count showed Williams garnered the most votes at 2,600, while her slate mates were close behind, with 2,559 votes for Murray-Thomas and 2,475 votes for Gonzalez.

The other four candidates on the ballot were Thomas Luna, with 1,087 votes; Maggie Freeman, with 1,027 votes; Phillip Wilson, with 807 votes; and Allison K. James-Frison, with 679 votes.

Williams is a graduate of Chad Science Academy, an Afrocentric private high school in Newark that has since closed, and has worked at Verizon for more than 25 years.

Murray-Thomas will now serve her second full term on the board. Murray-Thomas, who attended the Chad School, a KIPP charter school, and a boarding school in Massachusetts through the support of the Wight Foundation, is the founder of a nonprofit mentoring program for girls in Newark. She’s also an English teacher and associate director of the diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging at Morristown Beard School, a private school in Morristown.

Gonzalez, who graduated from East Side High School, previously served as the city’s chief financial officer under former Newark Mayor Sharpe James. He was elected last year to serve a one-year term, and this would be his first full term.

“I’m looking forward to the opportunity to continue what I started,” Gonzalez said Wednesday afternoon. “Using my experiences in finance, I’m going to keep advocating for our students and make sure that we’re giving them the tools necessary to learn.”

The slate had support from influential politicians, including state Sen. M. Teresa Ruiz, the state senate majority leader; Assemblywoman Eliana Pintor Marin, who chairs the Assembly budget committee; Mayor Ras Baraka; and eight out of nine city council members.

Low turnout and timing of election draw scrutiny

Vote totals so far signaled another year of very low turnout in the Newark school board April election.

Fifteen out of 95 precincts in Newark still had not reported any results as of Wednesday afternoon, while many others reported low numbers. One precinct in the north ward stood out with 1,529 ballots cast out of 2,036 registered voters in that precinct, for a significant turnout of roughly 75%. But the largest precinct in the city, located in the west ward, reported 7 votes cast out of 20,398 registered voters in that precinct, a turnout of .03%.

Around 5 p.m. on Tuesday, poll workers at West Side High School said they had just eight voters in the 10 hours that the polls had been open.

Newark has mayoral and council elections on May 10. Some candidates and campaign officials said voters might have tuned out the school board race, as more advertisements pop up around the city that are focused on the upcoming municipal elections.

Some candidates said it didn’t help that the election fell the same week as Newark Public Schools’ spring break, which could mean some families were out of town.

“It’s not surprising that we have low voter turnout, but it did seem even lower than normal,” said Luna, a math teacher at a KIPP charter school in the city. He added that his team worked all day Tuesday to call supporters and remind them to go vote.

Luna’s campaign had reported spending close to $9,000 as of the April 8 filing deadline. Meanwhile, a charter school-aligned special interest group spent $22,000 and Williams’ campaign committee spent about $3,000 to support the Moving Newark Schools Forward slate as of the filing deadline.

“There’s no way possible that I or local community members or parents can go up against that amount of money,” said Freeman, a longtime community volunteer who did not spend any money in the race. “The only measure we have is word of mouth, getting to know our neighbors, and making sure they know the work that is being done and who is doing it.”

Catherine Carrera is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat Newark, covering the city’s K-12 schools with a focus on English language learners. Contact Catherine at ccarrera@chalkbeat.org.

Newark school board race draws money from out-of-state, charter school supporters

2022-04-19T14:26:25+00:00

The Newark school board race has attracted nearly $94,000 so far, largely from a charter-aligned political action committee and a few out-of-state supporters from Texas and California, according to the latest campaign filings.

Seven candidates are vying for three seats on the nine-member board on Tuesday, but campaign reports show only four of them are benefitting from the infusion of contributions as of the latest filing deadline of April 8.

Three candidates — incumbents Daniel Gonzalez, A’Dorian Murray-Thomas, and Crystal Williams — are running on one slate, Moving Newark Schools Forward. Since 2016, the slate has consisted of a group of candidates jointly endorsed by city politicians and charter school advocates who were once at odds. The slate has also won every election since the alliance formed.

Joint committee filings for that slate don’t show any contributions or spending so far. But the slate has the backing of charter school-aligned Great Schools for All, a political action committee chaired by Kyle Rosenkrans, executive director of New Jersey Children’s Foundation.

The special interest group reported $75,000 in contributions, the largest amount by far in this race. It has spent $22,000 so far on digital advertisements and other promotions on behalf of its three preferred candidates.

By contrast, Thomas Luna, one of the four non-slate candidates, reported the second largest fundraising totals, with $11,355 in contributions and $8,781 in spending on campaign mailers, consulting, and other promotions.

The Texas native and math teacher at a KIPP school in Newark has thousands of dollars coming in from supporters in Texas, California, and New York, including Leadership for Educational Equity, a PAC tied to Teach for America.

One of the three candidates on the mayor’s slate, Crystal Williams, also has benefitted from local charter school interest groups contributing directly to her campaign committee. She received $2,600 from the New Jersey Public Charter Schools Action Fund and $2,600 from a group with the same address as Uncommon Schools in New York City. Uncommon runs North Star Academy in Newark, a charter school system with 14 schools in the city.

For the reporting period ending April 8, the state’s elections watchdog website did not list campaign finance reports for the other two candidates on the mayor’s slate, who can have their own committees.

If voters reject the proposed tax levy, the budget is sent to the city council to vote on reductions.

The vote comes as the district receives a historic infusion of federal money. Board members will be making high-stakes decisions about policies to address severe learning loss in the district and a mental health crisis among young people seen throughout the state.

School board members develop district policy and participate with district officials in monthly committee meetings on programs and instruction, personnel and policy, and finance, among other topics. The board also picks the superintendent and holds this official accountable.

Voter turnout at the annual Newark school board race has been low for years, hovering around 3-4% of registered voters. The Essex County Board of Elections posted an updated list of voting sites, which will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Tuesday. A sample ballot is also available on the county board website.

Chalkbeat asked each candidate the same seven questions about why voters should consider them for office, the challenges the district faces today, and more. Readers can find the candidates’ answers using the interactive feature below. Responses have been edited lightly for clarity.

In Newark school board candidate forum, learning loss among top issues

2022-04-06T23:43:11+00:00

Seven candidates vying for three seats on the Newark Board of Education in the upcoming April 19 election talked about their views on learning loss, mental health, and school budget priorities at a candidate forum Tuesday night.

The two-hour forum, organized by Newark Trust for Education, Project Ready, and Rutgers School of Public Affairs and Administration, gave candidates an opportunity to answer questions related to the pandemic’s effect on students’ learning, policy that governs social and emotional learning, and the $1.2 billion school budget.

Incumbents Daniel Gonzalez and A’Dorian Murray-Thomas are running for reelection, along with newcomer Crystal Williams, on a slate backed by Mayor Ras Baraka and other local and state politicians. Gonzalez is running for his first three-year term after being elected last year to fill a one-year term.

The other candidates are Maggie Freeman, Allison K. James-Frison, Thomas Luna, and Phillip Wilson.

Voter turnout has historically been low for the annual Newark school board election. Over the last few years, turnout has hovered around 3% to 4% of registered voters.

The three organizations and institutions collaborated to host the forum in hopes of increasing voter turnout in this year’s election, said Shennell McCloud, chief executive officer of the nonprofit Project Ready, during her opening remarks at the event held in the Newark Museum of Art. The forum was live streamed online.

“School board members have the opportunity to do three very important things: They set the vision and goals for the district, they approve the Newark Public Schools budget, and they choose the superintendent and hold the superintendent accountable,” McCloud said.

Organizers reached out to community members for input on the questions, said Ronald Chaluisán, executive director of Newark Trust for Education.

One of the first questions posed asked candidates if they believe the district has an adequate plan to address the alarming learning loss evident in recent state assessment data.

The question focused specifically on mid-year assessments that showed no more than 6% of students in grades 3-7 are expected to reach proficiency levels in state math testing slated to begin later this month. Prior to the pandemic, 27% of students in grades 3-8 met the state’s benchmarks on the annual math standardized tests.

“I do believe the district has a strong plan in place to address not necessarily just learning loss, but some of the achievement gaps that exist because of the historic disinvestment from this district,” said Murray-Thomas, referring to the district being underfunded by about $140 million based on the state funding formula.

Williams, Murray-Thomas’ running mate, said she found the latest learning loss data to be “horrific,” “terrible,” and “unacceptable.” Her plan, she said, is to evaluate the areas in the district that are doing well and “mimic” those plans “in the pockets of the city that are doing bad.”

Other candidates talked more specifically about various policies and plans they would want to help implement, including more professional development and tutoring.

“We can’t concentrate on learning loss until we provide educators with the tools they need,” said James-Frison, the founder of Girls; Live, Laugh, Love, Inc., a mentoring program for girls in the city. James-Frison said she would push for more professional development for teachers.

Luna, a teacher at a KIPP charter school in the city, said he believes the district’s current plans for dealing with learning loss need to be updated and include more emphasis on tutoring.

Candidates were also asked about policy to ensure social and emotional learning for staff, teachers, students, and families.

Wilson, who helps lead a Head Start Policy Council in the district, said more community organizations should help with social and emotional learning.

Freeman, a longtime volunteer who helps lead the Weequahic Park Sports Authority Conservancy, said she believes schools need more social workers and counselors, and more emphasis on life skills. She said that when schools shut down, many students didn’t know how to do chores at home, such as laundry, or handle the food they received from food distribution sites.

“When you build up the students in that way, you see a turnaround that is beyond measure,” she said.

When asked about budget priorities, Gonzalez said he would push for a capital improvement evaluation and plan. “The majority of our facilities are very old,” he said. “We’ve not been taking a comprehensive approach in renovating. Because of the lack of dollars, we’ve just been doing enough repairs to teach, but putting bandages on the facilities.”

Candidates were also asked how they would hold the superintendent accountable for executing budget priorities. Wilson said she would ask teachers and administrators for their feedback.

Registered voters have until April 12 to apply by mail for a vote-by-mail ballot in the April 19 election.

Newark will vote on $1.2 billion district budget on April 19

2022-03-29T22:42:25+00:00

In three weeks, Newark residents will head to the polls to vote on a $1.2 billion district budget for the 2022-23 school year.

With an increase of $146 million over this school year’s $1.08 billion budget, the spending plan would cover hiring new teachers and mental health support staff, expanding and upgrading facilities and technology, new education initiatives, and an increase in funding to charter schools. School board members unanimously approved the budget Friday night at a virtual meeting.

The spending plan is supported in large part by a potential $120 million boost in state aid, for a total of $1.04 billion, which was part of Gov. Phil Murphy’s budget proposal released earlier this month. State lawmakers have through the end of June to approve the governor’s budget. There’s also about $38 million in revenue from an excess fund balance and a mix of local and federal aid.

The spending plan also is propped up by a $138.3 million local tax levy, the amount of money raised through Newark property taxes to fund schools, which is remaining flat over the current school year.

The surge in state aid for the next school year would still leave the district underfunded by $140 million, based on the School Funding Reform Act, said school business administrator Valerie Wilson. Even so, the state aid and other revenue would be enough to keep the district from raising property taxes next year, she added.

Newark’s $1.2 billion budget for the 2022-23 school year is largely supported by state aid.

In fact, Wilson said, property taxes will get cut by $8.75 annually for the homeowner of a property assessed at the average of $175,000. This can be attributed to new commercial property and economic development, she said.

School officials did not provide the current property tax rate during the presentation, but the most recent state records show the average homeowner pays about $6,800 in total property taxes in Newark, including the municipal and school tax burden.

The proposed budget is separate from the $282 million total in federal COVID relief aid earmarked for Newark schools. Spending plans for that aid get approved by the federal government. The district got approval in late February for the final round of this aid at about $182 million, the largest chunk of funding from the three rounds.

More money, more teachers

How does the district plan to spend $1.2 billion? Salaries, charter schools, facilities upgrades, and education initiatives are among the top investments.

The largest bucket of $432.3 million is set aside for salaries, including the hiring of new teachers and staff. Next school year, the district plans on filling 2,943 teacher positions, 269 positions for aides, 372 administrative positions, and 755 positions for school support, with an overall increase of 222 new full-time employee positions, of which 121 will be teachers. Around 75 of those teacher positions will be for bilingual and English as a second language teachers.

Though there was also an increase in some of those positions for the current school year over the previous, the district will still be increasing teaching positions for next year, despite having many seats left unfilled in the current school year due to the ongoing teacher shortage. As of February, there were still 110 vacant teacher positions, down from 120 unfilled roles at the start of the school year.

Other new positions will include 45 school social workers for a total of 164 and one more school counselor for a total of 89, based on figures provided during the presentation.

There are 85 positions for academic interventionists in the budget, an increase of 14 over this school year.

“Academic interventionists are needed at some of our most needy schools,” Wilson said. “All of them asked for that in the budget review. We thought we would not be able to do it, but because we got additional (state) aid and are moving closer to being properly funded, we can now make these kinds of actual investments.”

The budget includes $149 million to cover benefits.

More for charter schools

The second largest bucket of spending is $342 million for charter schools, an increase of $42 million over the current school year, Wilson said.

More than 20,000 students attend Newark charter schools, independently operated institutions funded by taxpayers. The increase in funding is due to enrollment projections, even though the state denied some charter schools’ expansion plans for next school year.

The district is prepared to cover a $42 million increase, though the funding may exceed that, Wilson said, if enrollment exceeds projections.

“We would have to address it as the year continues,” Wilson said. To put more money into that bucket at this point, would “create undue stress on the district’s budget and require us to make unnecessary cuts.”

Facilities upgrades, school expansions

The pandemic has led to the district prioritizing a few technological upgrades, including the continuation of a one-to-one Chromebook initiative, updating its electronic health records system, and installing contactless water fountains at every school, Superintendent Roger León said.

About $6 million will go toward surveillance cameras, security radios, magnetic door locks, metal detectors, and scanning devices.

Another $8 million will cover repairs to the University High School gymnasium, which was damaged after Hurricane Ida hit the city at the start of the school year, along with other improvements.

León said the district plans to open up the pool at the Chancellor Avenue annex, across the street from Weequahic High School — an opportunity to start a swim team for the high school and offer swimming lessons for preschool students.

The district will be starting preschool programs at Chancellor Avenue, Dr. E. Alma Flagg, Ridge Street, South 17th Street, and Speedway Avenue schools next school year, León said. Current programs at several schools will also be expanded.

Several schools the district opened in recent years will continue adding new grades, including third grade at Michelle Obama Elementary, and tenth grade at Newark School of Data Science and Information Technology and Newark School of Fashion and Design.

The district also plans to create an alternative education office and has already identified around 2,000 students that would benefit from those services, León said. Alternative education allows students to earn a high school diploma outside of a traditional setting.

“We will be providing children an incredible opportunity to meet them where they are,” León said.

Newark residents will also be voting on three school board seats. Two of the three incumbents, A’Dorian Murray-Thomas and Daniel Gonzalez, are running for reelection on a slate with newcomer Crystal D. Williams. Board member Shayvonne Anderson is not running for a second term. Also running for the three-year terms are Maggie Freeman, Allison K. James-Frison, Thomas Luna, and Phillip Wilson.

Catherine Carrera is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat Newark, covering the city’s K-12 schools with a focus on English language learners. Contact Catherine at ccarrera@chalkbeat.org.

N.J. immigrant students face barriers to mental health aid. What needs to change?

2022-03-24T20:10:09+00:00

Immigrant students in New Jersey need more support in schools to address their unique mental health needs, a new report from immigrant youth advocates states.

A child’s experience migrating to a new country can be traumatic, isolating, and distressing — on top of that, the pandemic has caused significant loss and grief for immigrant and refugee communities.

The New Jersey Consortium for Immigrant Children, a coalition of legal advocates for immigrant youth, released a report last week detailing these and other findings, and focused on highlighting children’s personal experiences during the pandemic that affected their mental health.

Many schools don’t have enough bilingual mental health staff to work with English learners and their families, counselors tend to lack an understanding of an immigrant student’s experiences, and there aren’t enough programs to help immigrant students who recently arrived adjust to their new life, the report outlines.

“The unique and complex experiences of immigrant youth, as well as their limited access to mental health care, mean schools must offer culturally mindful mental health services that are more accessible to students than outside resources,” the report states.

Among the recommendations the report makes are to hire bilingual mental health professionals; create student-led, teacher-facilitated community groups to help new immigrant students adjust; and require training for all staff to learn how to be sensitive to the needs of immigrant students.

Created in part by youth leaders from the organization’s mental health advocates program, the report draws on interviews with immigrant students across the state, their caregivers, mental health professionals, and school staff. These interviews took place last summer in Elizabeth, Passaic, and Perth Amboy.

“I don’t think most people realize that student issues and immigrant issues are intertwined,” said Lady Jimenez Torres, policy director at the consortium. “If you have a student population whose needs when it comes to mental health aren’t being met in school, then you’re going to have issues with their entire schooling experience.”

Last year, the coalition released a report that highlighted how students learning English in New Jersey were often “ignored” during virtual learning, with schools routinely failing to provide information in home languages and bilingual aides to assist with virtual assignments.

In Newark, immigrants make up about a third of the population, with the majority coming from Latin American countries. Statewide, there are about 115,400 immigrant children, a significant number of students who face these difficult experiences.

Immigrant and refugee communities have a high prevalence of post traumatic stress disorder, and often face barriers related to language, technology, and access to basic health resources. They, along with communities of color, were disproportionately affected by the pandemic.

One parent, quoted anonymously from an interview last summer in the new report, said her family had recently arrived in New Jersey when the pandemic forced schools to switch to remote learning in March 2020.

“My son is alone. We don’t have a lot of family, only a nephew, but he is older,” the parent said. “He spent a lot of time locked up taking online classes and it affected him a lot.”

In New Jersey and nationwide, there was also an existing shortage of bilingual mental health professionals before the pandemic. Immigrant students in New Jersey interviewed in the report said that even in cities with large immigrant populations, there aren’t enough counselors who speak their home language.

Danna Chacon, a formerly undocumented student at Elizabeth High School, said that some of her peers who migrated from Latin American countries have shared with her their close encounters with violence and abuse that have driven their families to leave their home countries.

Despite being in Elizabeth, one of the state’s largest districts with an overwhelming majority of Hispanic students, there was only one counselor at her school who spoke Spanish, she said.

“Coming to the U.S. was a very hard transition, in the sense that I really didn’t have any support in the school,” Chacon said. “I didn’t have a counselor who guided me through what was happening. At the time there was just one counselor speaking Spanish, but I would rarely see her. She wouldn’t be available.”

Students also said there aren’t enough counselors — or any, in some cases — who understand the issues undocumented students face. This problem can deter them from seeking help again.

“I have friends that are undocumented. Even when they do get counseling, they don’t get the help they need,” one student said. “They’re educating the counselor on what it means to be undocumented. (Counselors) can’t help until they understand the issue and the student’s experiences.”

Last year, the American Academy of Pediatrics, along with other national organizations, declared a national emergency in children and adolescent mental health last fall. The organizations have pressed policymakers to increase federal funding to ensure access to mental health services and support school-based mental health care, among other initiatives.

This effort has also taken place in New Jersey, where at a meeting last week mental health advocates, professionals, and experts urged the state Senate education committee to take action.

As the push for mental health resources in schools continues to grow, Jimenez Torres hopes policymakers consider the unique needs of immigrant children in New Jersey.

“When we think about the wellbeing of a child, regardless of their immigration status, they need to have access to healthcare, a good education, and mental health support,” Jimenez Torres said. “If a child doesn’t have access to health care, then a common cold can leave them out of school for days, contributing to learning loss. If a child’s mental health needs go unaddressed, then they’re not going to be able to perform what’s expected of them in the classroom.”

Catherine Carrera is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat Newark, covering the city’s K-12 schools with a focus on English language learners. Contact Catherine at ccarrera@chalkbeat.org.

‘Love first, then school’: Amid traumas, this N.J. teacher fosters a supportive classroom

2022-03-16T10:05:00+00:00

Talena Lachelle Queen focuses on creating an atmosphere of love in her English writing class at Eastside High School Academy of Culinary Arts, Hospitality and Tourism in Paterson.

The teacher and poet says love looks like understanding, kindness, and support in the classroom, especially as her students returned to full-day, in-person instruction this academic year.

By establishing a welcoming environment, students feel comfortable “to confide in me and want to get higher grades because they know they are valuable,” said Queen, a Paterson native who attended a local performing arts high school.

“I got to see dancers have recitals, actors have plays, musicians have shows, and artists have exhibits,” Queen said. “The writers did not have that kind of public showcase of their talent like the other disciplines.”

So when in 2018 she was named the city’s first poet laureate by Mayor Andre Sayegh, she started the first annual Paterson Poetry Festival. The festival is intended to serve and support young emerging poets, she said.

Poetry vibrates throughout Paterson, the hometown of poet Allen Ginsberg and the setting of Williams Carlos Williams’ epic poem named after the city. The city was even at the center of the 2016 movie with its namesake, which followed the life of a fictional bus driver and poet named Paterson.

While the city is brimming with arts and culture, incidents of gun violence and homicides are also a reality. There was a record number of homicides in the city last year and the year before.

The educator didn’t have a straight path to teaching. She started out working in broadcast journalism until she took on her first teaching role in 1998 to run a grant-funded videography class at Passaic County Community College. After that, she ran a preschool and daycare in Seattle, earned her teaching certificate, returned to her hometown, and began teaching at Paterson Public Schools in 2016.

Queen shared with Chalkbeat how she helps her students heal from the last two years, why she loves teaching “science of writing,” and the advice she follows to this day.

This interview has been lightly edited for length and clarity.

Was there a moment when you decided to become a teacher?

I decided I wanted to be a teacher in kindergarten, but I forgot about that dream while pursuing a career as a writer and journalist. I got back to my dream in time.

How do you bring your poetry background into your classroom?

I bring my poetry background into the whole district. Our superintendent has been supportive in a variety of ways. I host a poetry contest open to grades 3-12. The district is the primary contest source, though it’s open to all students. I host workshops for free. I visit campsites and afterschool programs. It is true that my favorite way is right in my own classroom. I tell the scholars to “make clay.” When they make clay, I can help them to mold their creations. A great thing happens: a scholar will “trust their pen and just write,” they’ll use a style that they think they’ve invented because they haven’t had intentional exposure to poetry, then I show them published poems in the style of their natural inclinations. I tell them the name of what they’ve made. It is incredibly empowering.

Sometimes what happens is the scholar is writing on a topic that makes me think of a published poet who writes on the same topic. I introduce them to the poet’s writing and, whenever possible, the poet.

We also write poetic responses to texts that are assigned, and we find ways to infuse poetry into the lessons. It helps that I teach language arts.

Following years of disrupted learning, is there anything you’re doing differently this school year to help students catch up and heal?

I am teaching with love. Love first, then school. Love looks like understanding, kind words, praise for even the smallest things. Addressing scholars as scholars and adding “Sir” and “Ma’am” to that address. Love creates sincere feelings of safety. It prompts scholars to confide in me and want to get higher grades because they know they are valuable. Healing, I think, starts with love.

What’s your favorite lesson to teach and why?

The science of writing — that is my favorite lesson to teach. I made up the title. Basically, I’m teaching the scholars that they ought to memorize, I mean really know, the parts of an essay, the parts of a paragraph, and what kind of paragraph goes where. If we can get that part, the science of it, out of the way, then we can have space to write our ideas without angst. I want them to know the parts like they know their math facts. I start the lesson out with math facts that everyone knows: What’s three times three? What’s eight times one? Of course, everyone knows, but they’re confused about why I am asking that question in my class. I acknowledge that there is a part of the writing process that makes them want to cry. The hands fly up. The heads nod in agreement and some even blurt out, “That’s me!” I love this lesson because it is validating and helps to grow scholars into writers.

What’s something happening in the community that affects what goes on inside your classroom?

You know, we are all suffering from a list of traumas. I can barely talk about it without clearing the tears from my cheeks. I think we share these traumas with the nation, but it seems to me that the violence in our communities, that some people only read about, is in our neighborhoods. Our scholars see the street memorials every day. They know the people who are shot. They know the shooters. They see the stains on the grounds, they hear the stories, they know the stories and they carry the stories around with them inside their bodies. I think our scholars are becoming numb. They are escaping to handheld devices and virtual locations.

Let’s add on to the gun violence, the bomb threats, COVID-19, food insecurity, poverty, and the list goes on. The most important thing that I do in my classroom is give scholars a reason to smile and make them feel loved. Love makes the lessons possible.

Tell us about your own experience with school and how it affects your work today.

I had all the best teachers. They were creative, parental, really amazing teachers. I guess, I hadn’t thought of this before now, that my relationship with my teachers is the model for how I teach. They are grand-teachers now.

How do you approach news events in your classroom?

I often use a daily prompt that allows me to introduce news events. Some news events are imperative because we are all human and sharing the planet with each other. Some stories are worth the time. I don’t mind pausing the lesson plan to have a valuable discussion about the world we live in.

What’s the best advice you’ve ever received and how have you put it into practice?

The best advice I ever received was from my mom. She said, “Well, you don’t know before you try.” I try. I try to make a difference. I try things that I haven’t tried before. I try things that have never been tried by anyone before. I have adopted the belief that “I don’t know yet.”

My classroom is better because of the “yet” mindset. It allows me to look at every problem as a puzzle that I am capable of solving.

Catherine Carrera is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat Newark, covering the city’s K-12 schools with a focus on English language learners. Contact Catherine at ccarrera@chalkbeat.org.

Newark schools would get $120 million increase in 2023 in governor’s budget

2022-03-11T00:03:18+00:00

Newark schools would receive more than $1 billion in state aid next year, an increase of about 13% from this year, under a budget blueprint Gov. Phil Murphy detailed Thursday.

The $120 million boost for Newark is part of the governor’s pitch to increase K-12 school funding by $650 million in 2023. Overall, Murphy’s budget provides $19.2 billion to support schools, which includes $9.9 billion in school aid, $80 million to cover capital projects, and $350 million for school facilities projects. Roughly $5.6 billion would go toward funding teachers pensions, according to a press release from Murphy’s office.

The proposed budget also includes $68 million for preschool aid.

“We place great value on providing all students with access to a world-class education, and this budget continues to support students and school districts,” said Murphy, who detailed the proposal at James Monroe Elementary School in Edison alongside acting Education Commissioner Angelica Allen-McMillan and other state officials. “By adequately funding our public schools, we are allowing towns to maintain high-quality educational programs without passing the additional cost on to property taxpayers.”

This year, Newark is receiving about $915 million in state aid, which was a bump from last year. The proposed budget increase would dovetail with significant federal COVID relief funds Newark schools are getting. The district has received $282 million in federal COVID aid.

Though the governor is proposing an increase in state aid, the school state aid formula has not been fully funded for years. Murphy’s office said in a statement that the budget proposal continues a seven-year plan — ending in 2025 — to give underfunded districts, such as Newark, the state aid they’re entitled to.

Not all of New Jersey’s other large school districts will see a boost in funding next year if state lawmakers approve Murphy’s budget. About $185 million is proposed for Jersey City schools, which would be a decrease of about 27% from this year.

The state must adopt next year’s budget by the end of June. Newark plans to propose its budget for next school year on March 23.

Newark would see an increase in school aid next year in Gov. Phil Murphy’s budget, while Jersey City would face a cut in funding. Use the tool below to look up the proposed aid for other districts in New Jersey.

District	County	FY2023 K–12 Aid
Newark Public School District	Essex	$1.0B
Jersey City Public Schools	Hudson	$184.7M
Elizabeth Public Schools	Union	$486.7M
Paterson Public School District	Passaic	$494.9M
Edison Township School District	Middlesex	$47.6M
Toms River Regional School District	Ocean	$45.4M
Trenton Public Schools	Mercer	$310.4M
Woodbridge Township School District	Middlesex	$83.4M
Passaic City School District	Passaic	$272.1M
Union City School District	Hudson	$213.8M
Hamilton Township Public School District	Mercer	$94.6M
Perth Amboy Public School District	Middlesex	$191.4M
Cherry Hill School District	Camden	$29.6M
Clifton Public School District	Passaic	$67.7M
Vineland Public School District	Cumberland	$139.4M
Freehold Regional High School District	Monmouth	$30.6M
New Brunswick School District	Middlesex	$173.1M
East Orange School District	Essex	$175.1M
Bayonne School District	Hudson	$92.3M
Plainfield Public School District	Union	$212.5M
West Windsor-Plainsboro Regional School District	Mercer	$13.0M
Middletown Township Public School District	Monmouth	$13.5M
Bridgewater-Raritan Regional School District	Somerset	$12.5M
South Brunswick School District	Middlesex	$19.7M
Brick Township Public School District	Ocean	$17.2M
West New York School District	Hudson	$118.1M
Old Bridge Township School District	Middlesex	$28.9M
East Brunswick Township School District	Middlesex	$33.3M
Jackson Township School District	Ocean	$34.1M
Irvington Public School District	Essex	$130.9M
Wayne Township Public School District	Passaic	$8.8M
North Bergen School District	Hudson	$63.0M
Hillsborough Township Public School District	Somerset	$21.6M
Egg Harbor Township School District	Atlantic	$70.2M
Washington Township School District	Gloucester	$43.6M
Parsippany-Troy Hills Township School District	Morris	$9.2M
South Orange-Maplewood School District	Essex	$8.3M
Township of Union School District	Union	$38.5M
Piscataway Township School District	Middlesex	$22.4M
Franklin Township Public School District	Somerset	$15.6M
Camden City School District	Camden	$312.1M
Monroe Township School District	Middlesex	$9.6M
Atlantic City School District	Atlantic	$96.1M
Lenape Regional High School District	Burlington	$24.8M
West Orange Public Schools	Essex	$29.4M
Montclair Public School District	Essex	$8.4M
Gloucester Township Public Schools	Camden	$57.7M
Bridgeton City School District	Cumberland	$117.1M
Bloomfield Township School District	Essex	$45.6M
Linden Public School District	Union	$46.4M
Sayreville School District	Middlesex	$35.8M
Westfield Public School District	Union	$6.6M
Livingston Board of Education School District	Essex	$7.4M
North Brunswick Township School District	Middlesex	$39.3M
LONG BRANCH PUBLIC SCHOOL District	Monmouth	$53.6M
Monroe Township Public School District	Gloucester	$49.3M
ORANGE BOARD OF EDUCATION School District	Essex	$102.5M
Ridgewood Public School District	Bergen	$6.0M
Howell Township Public School District	Monmouth	$22.3M
Hackensack School District	Bergen	$36.4M
Lakewood Township School District	Ocean	$24.7M
Scotch Plains-Fanwood School District	Union	$6.3M
Kearny	Hudson	$55.9M
Morris School District	Morris	$8.0M
Fair Lawn Public School District	Bergen	$16.8M
Bernards Township School District	Somerset	$6.5M
East Windsor Regional School District	Mercer	$41.5M
Millville School District	Cumberland	$68.6M
Manalapan-Englishtown Regional Schools School District	Monmouth	$9.4M
Garfield Public School District	Bergen	$63.5M
Millburn Township School District	Essex	$5.5M
Marlboro Township School District	Monmouth	$7.7M
Winslow Township School District	Camden	$44.7M
Pennsauken Township Board of Education School District	Camden	$69.0M
Montgomery Township School District	Somerset	$6.8M
Mount Olive Township School District	Morris	$26.9M
Pemberton Township School District	Burlington	$70.3M
Belleville Public School District	Essex	$44.0M
Randolph Township School District	Morris	$7.6M
Evesham Township School District	Burlington	$7.5M
Mount Laurel Township School District	Burlington	$6.5M
Fort Lee School District	Bergen	$4.7M
School District of the Chathams	Morris	$4.3M
Rahway Public School District	Union	$34.9M
Deptford Township Public School District	Gloucester	$27.0M
Nutley Public School District	Essex	$8.0M
Summit Public School District	Union	$4.0M
Moorestown Township Public School District	Burlington	$4.9M
Phillipsburg School District	Warren	$43.9M
Lacey Township School District	Ocean	$14.4M
Passaic County Vocational School District	Passaic	$57.3M
Carteret Public School District	Middlesex	$43.8M
Neptune Township School District	Monmouth	$17.0M
Princeton Public Schools	Mercer	$4.9M
Lawrence Township Public School District	Mercer	$5.6M
Paramus Public School District	Bergen	$4.4M
Matawan-Aberdeen Regional School District	Monmouth	$12.9M
Cranford Public School District	Union	$4.0M
Teaneck School District	Bergen	$6.7M
Burlington Township School District	Burlington	$26.0M
Freehold Township School District	Monmouth	$5.0M
Pleasantville Public School District	Atlantic	$70.8M
Bergenfield Borough School District	Bergen	$19.2M
Tenafly Public School District	Bergen	$3.8M
Montville Township School District	Morris	$4.5M
Black Horse Pike Regional School District	Camden	$36.9M
Hammonton School District	Atlantic	$28.7M
Roxbury Township School District	Morris	$9.4M
Barnegat Township School District	Ocean	$22.9M
North Plainfield School District	Somerset	$46.4M
Hopewell Valley Regional School District	Mercer	$5.0M
Willingboro Public School District	Burlington	$45.0M
Galloway Township Public School District	Atlantic	$26.5M
Ewing Township School District	Mercer	$19.5M
Wall Township Public School District	Monmouth	$5.0M
South Plainfield School District	Middlesex	$9.9M
Dover Public School District	Morris	$45.9M
Township of Ocean School District	Monmouth	$5.6M
Cliffside Park School District	Bergen	$6.0M
Robbinsville Public Schools	Mercer	$10.1M
Sparta Township Public School District	Sussex	$5.1M
Hillside Public School District	Union	$29.7M
West Milford Township Public School District	Passaic	$6.8M
Flemington-Raritan Regional School District	Hunterdon	$5.7M
Hoboken Public School District	Hudson	$7.5M
Hamilton Township School District	Atlantic	$27.7M
Lodi School District	Bergen	$29.4M
Englewood Public School District	Bergen	$9.3M
Greater Egg Harbor Regional High School District	Atlantic	$36.8M
Delran Township School District	Burlington	$23.1M
Holmdel Township School District	Monmouth	$4.1M
Vernon Township School District	Sussex	$16.8M
Voorhees Township School District	Camden	$6.0M
West Deptford Township School District	Gloucester	$14.4M
Lindenwold Public School District	Camden	$48.9M
Roselle Public Schools	Union	$35.3M
Manchester Township School District	Ocean	$5.1M
Mahwah Township Public School District	Bergen	$3.8M
Southern Regional School District	Ocean	$3.6M
Westwood Regional School District	Bergen	$3.1M
Kingsway Regional School District	Gloucester	$20.2M
Point Pleasant Borough School District	Ocean	$3.8M
Hazlet Township Public School District	Monmouth	$8.4M
Jefferson Township Public School District	Morris	$6.6M
Morris Hills Regional School District	Morris	$9.1M
Haddonfield School District	Camden	$2.6M
Hudson County Schools of Technology School District	Hudson	$23.1M
Cinnaminson Township School District	Burlington	$15.4M
Caldwell-West School District	Essex	$2.9M
Ramsey School District	Bergen	$2.7M
Medford Township School District	Burlington	$4.1M
Hunterdon Central Regional High School District	Hunterdon	$4.7M
Rutherford School District	Bergen	$2.9M
Madison Public School District	Morris	$2.7M
Berkeley Heights School District	Union	$2.6M
Elmwood Park School District	Bergen	$16.6M
Lyndhurst School District	Bergen	$4.7M
Dumont Public School District	Bergen	$11.0M
Glen Rock Public School District	Bergen	$2.7M
Middle Township Public School District	Cape May	$12.6M
Berkeley Township School District	Ocean	$3.2M
Bordentown Regional School District	Burlington	$10.5M
New Providence School District	Union	$2.5M
Rockaway Township School District	Morris	$3.4M
Bergen County Vocational Technical School District	Bergen	$5.7M
Maple Shade School District	Burlington	$18.7M
West Morris Regional High School District	Morris	$3.9M
Essex County Schools of Technology	Essex	$29.6M
Hawthorne Public School District	Passaic	$4.4M
Northern Valley Regional High School District	Bergen	$2.4M
South River Public School District	Middlesex	$22.1M
North Hunterdon-Voorhees Regional High School District	Hunterdon	$3.9M
Somerville Public School District	Somerset	$9.3M
Metuchen Public School District	Middlesex	$2.5M
Harrison Public Schools	Hudson	$26.0M
Central Regional School District	Ocean	$5.4M
Secaucus School District	Hudson	$2.8M
Verona Public School District	Essex	$2.3M
Clearview Regional High School District	Gloucester	$13.4M
Gloucester City Public School District	Camden	$33.7M
Ramapo Indian Hills Regional High School District	Bergen	$2.9M
Ridgefield Park Public School District	Bergen	$13.5M
Collingswood Public School District	Camden	$11.0M
Clark Township Public School District	Union	$2.4M
Springfield Public School District	Union	$3.0M
Penns Grove-Carneys Point Regional School District	Salem	$32.0M
Stafford Township School District	Ocean	$7.7M
Monmouth County Vocational School District	Monmouth	$8.1M
Northern Burlington County Regional School District	Burlington	$21.5M
Upper Freehold Regional School District	Monmouth	$4.3M
Ocean City School District	Cape May	$4.3M
Middlesex County Vocational and Technical School District	Middlesex	$17.4M
Roselle Park Public School District	Union	$17.2M
Middlesex Borough School District	Middlesex	$12.7M
Burlington County Institute of Technology School District	Burlington	$16.4M
Pequannock Township School District	Morris	$2.4M
Haddon Township School District	Camden	$8.5M
Camden County Technical School District	Camden	$29.5M
Leonia Public School District	Bergen	$5.6M
Washington Township School District	Morris	$4.2M
New Milford Public School District	Bergen	$4.7M
Rancocas Valley Regional High School District	Burlington	$16.2M
Bound Brook School District	Somerset	$24.9M
Pascack Valley Regional High School District	Bergen	$2.3M
Hackettstown Public School District	Warren	$12.4M
Union County Vocational-Technical School District	Union	$15.7M
Watchung Hills Regional High School District	Somerset	$2.3M
Eastern Camden County Regional School District	Camden	$10.0M
Glassboro School District	Gloucester	$13.6M
Asbury Park School District	Monmouth	$29.3M
Wyckoff Township Public School District	Bergen	$2.2M
Somerset Hills Regional School District	Somerset	$2.1M
Pine Hill School District	Camden	$21.3M
Glen Ridge Public School District	Essex	$1.9M
North Arlington School District	Bergen	$6.7M
Cresskill Public School District	Bergen	$1.8M
Pennsville School District	Salem	$14.5M
Palisades Park School District	Bergen	$2.3M
Hasbrouck Heights School District	Bergen	$3.3M
Warren Hills Regional School District	Warren	$10.2M
Pompton Lakes School District	Passaic	$8.5M
Kinnelon School District	Morris	$2.5M
Saddle Brook School District	Bergen	$2.0M
Burlington City Public School District	Burlington	$20.2M
Pittsgrove Township School District	Salem	$16.9M
Atlantic County Vocational School District	Atlantic	$19.0M
Buena Regional School District	Atlantic	$17.6M
Ridgefield School District	Bergen	$3.2M
Spotswood Public School District	Middlesex	$6.3M
Freehold Borough School District	Monmouth	$22.3M
Denville Township K-8 School District	Morris	$2.4M
West Essex Regional School District	Essex	$2.3M
Woodbury City Public School District	Gloucester	$21.0M
Little Egg Harbor Township School District	Ocean	$9.3M
Waldwick School District	Bergen	$2.6M
Keansburg School District	Monmouth	$24.9M
River Dell Regional School District	Bergen	$2.3M
Swedesboro-Woolwich School District	Gloucester	$10.1M
Newton Public School District	Sussex	$10.7M
Delsea Regional High School District	Gloucester	$14.9M
Warren Township School District	Somerset	$2.2M
Cedar Grove Township School District	Essex	$1.8M
Manville School District	Somerset	$16.9M
Lower Township Elementary School District	Cape May	$4.7M
Highland Park Boro School District	Middlesex	$4.8M
Florence Township School District	Burlington	$11.2M
Fairview Public School District	Bergen	$25.8M
Woodstown-Pilesgrove Regional School District	Salem	$8.4M
HADDON HEIGHTS School District	Camden	$2.0M
Gloucester County Vocational-Technical School District	Gloucester	$13.0M
Hopatcong Borough School District	Sussex	$3.8M
Pinelands Regional School District	Ocean	$11.9M
Readington Township School District	Hunterdon	$2.1M
Clayton Public School District	Gloucester	$16.5M
Audubon Public School District	Camden	$9.6M
Manasquan School District	Monmouth	$0.9M
Mountain Lakes Public School District	Morris	$1.2M
Upper Township School District	Cape May	$6.0M
Red Bank Borough Public School District	Monmouth	$9.3M
Boonton Town School District	Morris	$2.9M
Riverside Township School District	Burlington	$17.3M
Tinton Falls School District	Monmouth	$2.6M
Kenilworth School District	Union	$7.7M
Township of Franklin School District	Gloucester	$8.6M
Hanover Park Regional High School District	Morris	$2.1M
Harrison Township School District	Gloucester	$5.4M
Northern Highlands Regional High School District	Bergen	$1.3M
Branchburg Township School District	Somerset	$3.1M
Morris County Vocational School District	Morris	$1.6M
Weehawken Public School District	Hudson	$1.8M
Oakland Public School District	Bergen	$1.5M
Ocean County Vocational Technical School District	Ocean	$5.6M
Hanover Township School District	Morris	$1.5M
East Greenwich Township School District	Gloucester	$7.2M
Mantua Township School District	Gloucester	$5.6M
Dunellen Public School District	Middlesex	$12.8M
River Edge School District	Bergen	$3.4M
Lower Cape May Regional School District	Cape May	$4.6M
Mainland Regional High School	Atlantic	$8.2M
Red Bank Regional School District	Monmouth	$1.6M
Park Ridge School District	Bergen	$1.3M
Pitman Boro School District	Gloucester	$7.0M
Salem City School District	Salem	$19.3M
Clinton Township School District	Hunterdon	$2.0M
Wood-Ridge School District	Bergen	$1.3M
Bellmawr Public School District	Camden	$9.0M
Closter Public School District	Bergen	$1.2M
Bogota Public School District	Bergen	$10.1M
North Hanover Township School District	Burlington	$14.2M
Lumberton Township Board of Education	Burlington	$4.9M
Plumsted Township School District	Ocean	$5.8M
Franklin Lakes School District	Bergen	$1.4M
Paulsboro School District	Gloucester	$16.4M
Butler Public School District	Morris	$2.6M
South Amboy School District	Middlesex	$7.2M
Woodland Park School District	Passaic	$1.6M
Wallington Boro School District	Bergen	$6.6M
Ringwood School District	Passaic	$1.9M
Passaic Valley Regional High School District #1	Passaic	$1.5M
Hillsdale School District	Bergen	$1.2M
Upper Saddle River School District	Bergen	$1.2M
Millstone Township School District	Monmouth	$3.1M
Emerson Public School District	Bergen	$1.2M
River Vale Public School District	Bergen	$1.1M
Mount Holly Township Public School District	Burlington	$12.2M
Chester Township School District	Morris	$1.6M
Sussex-Wantage Regional School District	Sussex	$5.3M
Westampton Township Public School District	Burlington	$5.0M
Haledon Public School District	Passaic	$11.8M
Keyport School District	Monmouth	$4.9M
Rumson Borough School District	Monmouth	$1.0M
Northfield City School District	Atlantic	$5.2M
Colts Neck Township School District	Monmouth	$2.6M
Fair Haven School District	Monmouth	$1.0M
Rumson-Fair Haven Regional High School District	Monmouth	$1.2M
Florham Park School District	Morris	$1.1M
Maywood School District	Bergen	$1.6M
Montvale Board of Education School District	Bergen	$1.1M
Guttenberg School District	Hudson	$11.7M
Cumberland Regional School District	Cumberland	$14.5M
Eatontown Public School District	Monmouth	$1.9M
Edgewater Park Township School District	Burlington	$11.3M
Totowa Public School District	Passaic	$1.0M
Cumberland County Board of Vocational Education	Cumberland	$16.7M
East Hanover Township School District	Morris	$1.1M
Lakeland Regional High School District	Passaic	$2.4M
Lincoln Park School District	Morris	$1.9M
Absecon Public Schools District	Atlantic	$5.8M
Palmyra Public School District	Burlington	$6.5M
Monmouth Regional High School	Monmouth	$1.9M
South Hunterdon Regional School District	Hunterdon	$2.7M
Sterling Regional School District	Camden	$9.5M
Wanaque School District	Passaic	$1.4M
Kittatinny Regional School District	Sussex	$2.7M
Waterford Township School District	Camden	$12.2M
Long Hill Township School District	Morris	$1.1M
Little Falls Township Public School District	Passaic	$1.1M
Gateway Regional High School District	Gloucester	$9.5M
Midland Park School District	Bergen	$1.0M
Wildwood City School District	Cape May	$4.1M
Edgewater School District	Bergen	$1.9M
Runnemede Public School District	Camden	$6.5M
Stratford School District	Camden	$7.1M
Allendale Public School District	Bergen	$0.9M
Little Ferry Public School District	Bergen	$3.9M
High Point Regional High School District	Sussex	$3.5M
Prospect Park Public School District	Passaic	$11.3M
Upper Deerfield Township School District	Cumberland	$8.7M
Somers Point School District	Atlantic	$4.4M
Logan Township School District	Gloucester	$2.3M
Little Silver Boro School District	Monmouth	$0.8M
Byram Township School District	Sussex	$2.4M
Linwood City School District	Atlantic	$1.0M
Berlin Borough School District	Camden	$5.1M
Passaic County Manchester Regional High School District	Passaic	$12.2M
Milltown School District	Middlesex	$4.1M
Green Brook Township Public School District	Somerset	$1.6M
Chesterfield Township School District	Burlington	$3.6M
Wharton Borough School District	Morris	$6.1M
East Rutherford School District	Bergen	$0.9M
Sussex County Technical School District	Sussex	$4.2M
Oradell Public School District	Bergen	$0.8M
North Warren Regional School District	Warren	$1.8M
Point Pleasant Beach School District	Ocean	$0.6M
Salem County Vocational Technical School District	Salem	$8.1M
Mountainside School District	Union	$1.3M
Lopatcong Township School District	Warren	$3.6M
Mendham Township School District	Morris	$1.1M
Shamong Township School District	Burlington	$3.1M
Mullica Township School District	Atlantic	$4.9M
Woodcliff Lake School District	Bergen	$0.7M
Greenwich Township School District	Warren	$5.3M
Jamesburg Public School District	Middlesex	$9.3M
Demarest School District	Bergen	$0.7M
Southampton Township School District	Burlington	$1.3M
Fairfield Public School District	Essex	$0.8M
North Caldwell School District	Essex	$0.8M
Delaware Valley Regional High School District	Hunterdon	$1.9M
Tabernacle Township School District	Burlington	$3.1M
Area Vocational Technical Schools of Mercer County	Mercer	$4.7M
Hardyston Township School District	Sussex	$1.3M
Old Tappan Public School District	Bergen	$0.7M
Belvidere School District	Warren	$2.7M
Great Meadows Regional School District	Warren	$2.3M
Berlin Township School District	Camden	$5.5M
Lenape Valley Regional High School District	Sussex	$4.7M
Ventnor City School District	Atlantic	$1.3M
Lebanon Township School District	Hunterdon	$1.4M
North Haledon School District	Passaic	$0.6M
Union Beach Public School District	Monmouth	$5.2M
Barrington School District	Camden	$4.5M
Shore Regional High School District	Monmouth	$0.8M
Oceanport School District	Monmouth	$0.7M
Watchung Borough School District	Somerset	$0.9M
Harrington Park School District	Bergen	$0.7M
Norwood Public School District	Bergen	$0.7M
Dennis Township School District	Cape May	$2.1M
Ho-Ho-Kus School District	Bergen	$1.0M
Morris Plains School District	Morris	$1.2M
Mansfield Township Elementary School District	Warren	$3.8M
West Long Branch School District	Monmouth	$0.6M
Cape May County Technical High School District	Cape May	$1.4M
Hainesport Township School District	Burlington	$0.8M
Wallkill Valley Regional High School	Sussex	$3.3M
Eastampton Township School District	Burlington	$3.8M
Rockaway Borough School District	Morris	$1.8M
Carlstadt PublicSchool District	Bergen	$0.6M
Mansfield Township School District	Burlington	$0.7M
Bloomingdale School District	Passaic	$1.3M
Fairfield Township School District	Cumberland	$5.3M
Medford Lakes School District	Burlington	$1.7M
Holland Township School District	Hunterdon	$1.2M
Northvale Public School District	Bergen	$0.6M
Bedminster Township Public School District	Somerset	$1.1M
Tewksbury Township School District	Hunterdon	$1.2M
Ocean Township School District	Ocean	$2.4M
Carlstadt-East Rutherford Regional High School District	Bergen	$0.7M
Brielle Boro School District	Monmouth	$0.8M
Clementon Elementary School District	Camden	$9.1M
Somerset County Vocational and Technical School District	Somerset	$1.4M
Frankford Township Consolidated School District	Sussex	$1.0M
Brigantine Public School District	Atlantic	$1.1M
Rochelle Park School District	Bergen	$0.8M
Hopewell Township School District	Cumberland	$3.7M
Lawrence Township School District	Cumberland	$5.9M
Mendham Borough School District	Morris	$0.5M
Egg Harbor City School District	Atlantic	$7.8M
Commercial Township School District	Cumberland	$8.9M
Cranbury Township School District	Middlesex	$0.9M
Englewood Cliffs School District	Bergen	$0.6M
Shrewsbury Borough School District	Monmouth	$0.5M
Washington Borough School District	Warren	$3.4M
Somerdale School District	Camden	$4.7M
Alexandria Township School District	Hunterdon	$1.1M
Belmar Elementary School District	Monmouth	$0.8M
Blairstown Elementary Township School District	Warren	$1.0M
Franklin Borough School District	Sussex	$3.4M
Roseland School District	Essex	$0.6M
South Bound Brook Public School District	Somerset	$5.0M
Andover Regional School District	Sussex	$1.4M
Warren County Vocational Technical School	Warren	$3.6M
Clinton-Glen Gardner School District	Hunterdon	$1.0M
Hunterdon County Vocational School District	Hunterdon	$0.9M
Union Township School District	Hunterdon	$0.6M
Merchantville School District	Camden	$5.1M
Greenwich Township School District	Gloucester	$0.8M
Allamuchy Township School District	Warren	$0.9M
Mt. Ephraim School District	Camden	$4.0M
Maurice River Township School District	Cumberland	$5.1M
Washington Township School District	Warren	$1.1M
Delanco Township School District	Burlington	$2.6M
Boonton Township School District	Morris	$0.8M
Green Township School District	Sussex	$2.4M
Lakehurst School District	Ocean	$6.7M
Magnolia School District	Camden	$3.4M
Woodlynne School District	Camden	$10.6M
Folsom Borough School District	Atlantic	$5.7M
Haworth Public School District	Bergen	$0.4M
Delaware Township School District	Hunterdon	$0.9M
High Bridge Borough School District	Hunterdon	$1.1M
Garwood Boro	Union	$0.6M
Margate City School District	Atlantic	$0.5M
Mount Arlington Public School District	Morris	$0.8M
East Amwell Township School District	Hunterdon	$0.8M
Kingwood Township School District	Hunterdon	$0.8M
Westville Boro Public School District	Gloucester	$3.6M
Bethlehem Township School District	Hunterdon	$0.8M
Moonachie School District	Bergen	$0.6M
Mine Hill Township School District	Morris	$3.3M
Alloway Twp School District	Salem	$3.0M
South Harrison Township School District	Gloucester	$1.2M
Riverdale School District	Morris	$0.5M
Henry Hudson Regional School District	Monmouth	$0.6M
Hampton Township School District	Sussex	$0.6M
Elk Township School District	Gloucester	$2.3M
Stanhope School District	Sussex	$1.0M
Tuckerton Borough School District	Ocean	$2.2M
Beverly City School District	Burlington	$5.7M
Pohatcong Township School District	Warren	$2.2M
UPPER PITTSGROVE TWP School District	Salem	$2.7M
Lawnside School Distric	Camden	$5.3M
Riverton School District	Burlington	$1.0M
Neptune City School District	Monmouth	$0.9M
Atlantic Highlands School District	Monmouth	$0.3M
Spring Lake Heights School District	Monmouth	$0.5M
Brooklawn Public School District	Camden	$5.1M
National Park Boro School District	Gloucester	$2.9M
Netcong School District	Morris	$2.0M
Oaklyn Public School District	Camden	$3.0M
Oldmans Township School District	Salem	$2.2M
South Hackensack School District	Bergen	$0.5M
Harding Township School District	Morris	$0.6M
Franklin Township School District	Hunterdon	$0.5M
Wildwood Crest Borough School District	Cape May	$0.6M
Bradley Beach School District	Monmouth	$0.6M
Quinton Township School District	Salem	$3.3M
Oxford Township School District	Warren	$2.4M
Gibbsboro Elementary School District	Camden	$1.8M
Deerfield Township School District	Cumberland	$2.4M
White Township Consolidated School District	Warren	$0.8M
Ogdensburg Borough School District	Sussex	$1.8M
Essex Fells School District	Essex	$0.2M
Hamburg School District	Sussex	$1.3M
Stillwater Township School District	Sussex	$0.7M
Montague Township School District	Sussex	$1.8M
Springfield Township School District	Burlington	$0.6M
Harmony Township School District	Warren	$0.4M
Monmouth Beach School District	Monmouth	$0.2M
East Newark School District	Hudson	$4.4M
Long Beach Island Consolidated School District	Ocean	$0.8M
Woodbine School District	Cape May	$3.1M
Woodbury Heights Public School District	Gloucester	$1.4M
Seaside Heights School District	Ocean	$0.7M
Franklin Township School District	Warren	$0.4M
Alpha Borough School District	Warren	$1.9M
North Wildwood School District	Cape May	$0.4M
Lafayette Township School District	Sussex	$0.8M
Estell Manor School District	Atlantic	$1.8M
Fredon Township School District	Sussex	$0.3M
Mannington Township School District	Salem	$0.3M
Laurel Springs School District	Camden	$2.9M
Highlands Borough School District	Monmouth	$0.3M
Downe Township School District	Cumberland	$1.4M
New Hanover Township	Burlington	$2.0M
Weymouth Township School District	Atlantic	$0.8M
Farmingdale Public School District	Monmouth	$0.6M
Wenonah Boro School District	Gloucester	$0.2M
The Lower Alloways Creek School District	Salem	$0.4M
Knowlton Township School District	Warren	$0.5M
Deal Boro School District	Monmouth	$2.3M
Sea Girt Borough School District	Monmouth	$0.1M
Lavallette Borough School District	Ocean	$0.2M
Alpine School District	Bergen	$0.2M
Spring Lake Borough	Monmouth	$0.3M
Saddle River School District	Bergen	$0.5M
Winfield Township	Union	$1.7M
Cape May City School District	Cape May	$3.8M
Ocean Gate School District	Ocean	$0.6M
Frelinghuysen Township School District	Warren	$0.3M
Woodland Township School District	Burlington	$0.6M
Eagleswood Township School District	Ocean	$0.6M
Hope Township School District	Warren	$0.4M
Stow Creek Township School District	Cumberland	$0.5M
Frenchtown Borough School District	Hunterdon	$0.4M
Avon Boro School District	Monmouth	$0.2M
Bay Head Borough School District	Ocean	$0.1M
Sandyston-Walpack Consolidated School District	Sussex	$0.3M
Island Heights School District	Ocean	$0.3M
Elsinboro Township School District	Salem	$1.3M
Port Republic School District	Atlantic	$0.9M
Lebanon Borough School District	Hunterdon	$0.1M
Bass River Township Board of Education	Burlington	$0.5M
Hampton Borough School District	Hunterdon	$0.7M
Bloomsbury Borough School District	Hunterdon	$0.9M
West Cape May School District	Cape May	$0.6M
Avalon School District	Cape May	$0.1M
Stone Harbor School District	Cape May	$0.0M
Greenwich Township School District	Cumberland	$0.5M
Roosevelt Borough Public School District	Monmouth	$0.8M
Califon Borough School District	Hunterdon	$0.1M
Milford Borough School District	Hunterdon	$0.3M
Beach Haven School District	Ocean	$0.3M
Corbin City School District	Atlantic	$0.5M
Longport Board Of Education	Atlantic	$0.1M
Rockleigh School District	Bergen	$0.0M
Washington Township School District	Burlington	$0.2M
Chesilhurst Board Of Education	Camden	$1.6M
Hi Nella	Camden	$1.5M
Cape May Point School District	Cape May	$0.0M
Sea Isle City Board of Education	Cape May	$0.2M
West Wildwood School District	Cape May	$0.0M
Newfield Boro School District	Gloucester	$2.5M
Allenhurst School District	Monmouth	$0.0M
Interlaken School District	Monmouth	$0.1M
Lake Como School District	Monmouth	$0.3M
Loch Arbour School District	Monmouth	$0.0M
Seaside Park Borough School District	Ocean	$0.1M

Proposed school aid for 2023 by district

New Jersey Department of Education

Catherine Carrera is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat Newark, covering the city’s K-12 schools with a focus on English language learners. Contact Catherine at ccarrera@chalkbeat.org.

Newark students in teacher training program to receive $3,700 stipends from union

2022-02-15T00:30:04+00:00

“What makes my favorite teachers so amazing?” Aniya Mahfood Shockness, 15, wondered aloud to herself in a multipurpose room full of other high school students chattering among themselves.

“It’s how they interact and connect with us, and try to understand us,” the East Side High School ninth grader said. “You can teach wonderful lessons, but they’re not wonderful if you don’t know how to connect with us.”

That’s what the teacher-in-training hopes to do in several more years: teach wonderful lessons.

Mahfood Shockness is in her first year at The Teacher Academy at East Side High School, Newark’s four-year teacher training program aimed at recruiting and preparing students to enter the teaching profession and return to their communities.

She and roughly 34 other students currently enrolled in the program will be receiving a $1,200 stipend this spring and another $2,500 in the summer from the American Federation of Teachers, the union’s president Randi Weingarten announced at a news conference on Monday.

“We want to make sure that you can dream your dreams and achieve them,” Weingarten said to that same room with Mahfood Shockness, her classmates, and teachers. “We need to help create those conditions so that it becomes doable and workable for you to do this kind of work.”

Weingarten said the one-time donation for student stipends will total $125,000. She hopes that the state, district, and other community organizations can step in going forward to fund semester stipends for students in the program.

The academy, which kicked off in 2020, partners with Montclair State University in a dual enrollment portion of the program for juniors and seniors to earn up to 30 college credits. The program’s Class of 2023 will be the first to graduate from the academy.

Some students in the program, Weingarten said, have been overwhelmed with other responsibilities.

“We had people who actually said I can’t do this program any more because I have to work,” she said. “We saw in the work we’ve done in the teacher academy that this piece was missing. A stipend for kids is missing. And instead of waiting for other people to solve it, we said, `let’s give the seed money now.’”

Brianna McClave, who teaches ninth graders in the program, said she was excited to see her students’ faces light up when they heard the announcement.

“I think this pandemic has impacted a lot of people, especially our students,” McClave said. “I’m so happy my kids will be able to take advantage of this opportunity. It’s really going to help them in the long run.”

Rayssa Fernandes, a junior in the program, hopes one day to be a psychology teacher.

“My goal is always to learn as much as I can,” Fernandes, 16, said. “In the future, I really hope that what I learn can help and benefit future generations.”

Superintendent Roger León recommitted to the promise he made when the program was first announced in 2019 and said a teaching contract will be waiting for graduates of the program.

“Not only will they graduate in June of 2023, but I will issue all of them teaching contracts in Newark,” he said. “In 2027, I expect to see all of you back here in Newark.”

As of now, it’s a $65,000 annual salary contract, he added.

At the end of the event, the juniors in the program invited Weingarten and Montclair State University President Jonathan Koppell to attend their graduation in June of 2023.

The investment in the teacher academy comes amid a national teacher shortage that has rippled across the state, including Newark schools.

In the district, León said, there are currently 110 teacher vacancies. When the school year started, there were 120 instructional positions unfilled in the district.

Earlier this school year, after Mahfood Shockness learned about the teacher shortage, she started to research articles about the shortage of Black teachers. Growing up in Brooklyn, she had many Black teachers. But when she moved to Newark, she had fewer teachers who looked like her, she said.

“I know how it feels to feel isolated in a classroom you’re going through a school day and none of my teachers are Black,” she said. “I find that to be kind of sad. This class definitely feels like a good option and good opportunity for me.”

Catherine Carrera is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat Newark, covering the city’s K-12 schools with a focus on English language learners. Contact Catherine at ccarrera@gmail.com.

N.J.’s school mask mandate will be lifted in March. What will happen in Newark?

2022-02-07T22:55:54+00:00

Face masks in New Jersey schools will no longer be a statewide mandate starting next month, but as of now, Newark Public Schools’ masking rules will remain in place and families will be notified if there are any changes, the district said Monday.

As new COVID cases and hospitalizations decline from the omicron surge in early January, Gov. Phil Murphy announced Monday the state would be lifting its mask mandate for schools and day care centers beginning March 7. Districts and private child care providers will still have the ability to implement face mask rules in their buildings, the governor said.

“We’re announcing this with plenty of advance notice for our schools and child care settings, for our students and their families, our educators, and support staff, to determine how this will impact them and to finalize any steps they may need to make in preparation,” Murphy said at a news conference in Trenton.

The state Department of Health has not issued any guidance for school districts, but that’s expected to be released in the coming weeks, Murphy said.

State health commissioner Judith Persichilli said school districts should work with local health departments to determine whether to keep mask mandates in their buildings.

“I must thank the overwhelming majority of students, parents, administrators, educators, and support staffers who stood tall as role models ever since our schools returned to in-person instruction by wearing your masks day in and day out without problem or protest,” Murphy said.

Newark’s safe return plan requires face masks in all school buildings and vehicles with limited exemptions.

“The mask is a part of the district’s protocols and we will notify families of any changes,” a district spokesperson said in a statement.

Murphy is not alone in this decision. Delaware also announced its school mask mandate will be lifted by the end of March and Pennsylvania’s mandate for K-12 schools ended last month.

“This is a huge step back to normalcy for our kids,” Murphy said.

Though new COVID cases have taken a plunge, the vaccination rate among children remains low in the state. Only 1 in 3 New Jersey children ages 5 to 11 have received at least one shot of the vaccine, NorthJersey.com reported this week. Nationally, the vaccination rate among children also remains low.

In Newark Public Schools, roughly 18% of students have reported receiving the vaccine, according to the district. However, that number could be an undercount as it only includes students who have reported their vaccination status to the district.

Mayor Ras Baraka said Monday that 27% of 5- to 11-year-olds in Newark have gotten at least one vaccine dose along with 76% of 12- to 17-year-olds.

The district has a weekly COVID testing program for students and staff, though only 13,454 students — or 35% of the student population — have opted into the program.

Patrick Wall contributed to this story.

Majority Black, Latinx school districts in N.J. are the most underfunded, report says

2022-02-02T23:35:00+00:00

Newark and other large New Jersey school systems with majority Black and Hispanic or Latinx students from low-income neighborhoods are the most underfunded districts in the state, which leaves educators struggling to provide quality education, according to a new report.

The report, “New Jersey School Funding: The Higher the Goals, the Higher the Costs,” released Wednesday by the nonpartisan think tank New Jersey Policy Perspective, shows how the state has failed to fully fund its current school-aid formula. It also recommends that the state update its decade-old formula, which was passed in 2008 under the School Funding Reform Act, to account for the needs of today’s students and school standards.

“Put simply, it costs more to achieve more,” said Bruce Baker, a co-author of the report and professor at Rutgers University Graduate School of Education. “It’s time to revisit the formula and recalibrate it for modern times and modern goals.”

The state’s school funding formula determines how state aid is allocated across districts statewide, with the objective being to equalize spending across rich and poor districts. The school funding law says districts with more high-needs students should get more money through a mix of state aid and local revenue.

Since that law was passed in 2008, school standards have become more rigorous and state assessments have become more difficult to pass, the report says. “Yet, many schools are not receiving the level of funding needed to teach to these more demanding standards,” the report says.

Without adequate funding, students have an increasingly difficult time achieving educational success, according to the report.

“New Jersey’s most affluent school districts have the resources they need — and more — to provide a rigorous education,” the report says. “The state’s large, high-poverty districts, however, have far less funding than needed to meet the same exacting standards.”

Without fully funding the school-aid formula, Newark could be getting shortchanged by about $15,650 per student, based on statistical data, the report says. The spending gap per student ranges across the large districts from $2,275 in Clifton to nearly $22,000 in Trenton the report shows.

“We know that students in poverty and students with limited English proficiency need more resources to equalize their educational opportunity,” said Mark Weber, a co-author of the report and education policy special analyst at the think tank. “You’ve got kids who need more resources and communities that are less able to provide them through local revenue — that’s when the state must step in.”

He added that the state is “demanding a higher level of performance from its students and its teachers. But schools can’t meet high standards if they don’t have the necessary resources.”

More funding could result in smaller class sizes, more individualized instruction, better remediation for struggling students, and the latest technology — “all the things necessary for students to meet more ambitious goals,” Weber said.