Welcome!

Welcome to Laurie Goodman's blog. I use this space to share news and opinions about education and schools in Ridgewood, the state of New Jersey and the nation, in addition to other issues I'm personally interested in. I invite you to share your thoughts, feelings, questions or opinions, too, by posting comments on any blog entry. Please observe basic courtesy -- keep your comments focused on issues, no personal attacks or bullying, please. Contact me directly at: lauriegood@mac.com

Monday, December 29, 2008

Happy New Year!

Things have been quiet around here over the holidays...sorry I haven't done much posting. Just taking a little break. It's nice to have stretches of time here and there with nothing pressing to do. Of course, those stretches are getting shorter and less frequent. But I'm determined to relax as much as possible this week! (Gee, that doesn't sound very relaxing...)

But I do wish you a happy new year. All the best wishes for all of us in 2009!

Borrowing an idea from Nixon for education?

An opinion piece in yesterday's New York Times tells about Richard Nixon's plan to increase Federal funding of schools -- and how it's an idea President Obama should consider. Pretty interesting. Here's how it starts:

"Local control of schooling — which means local financing of schools — is an injustice, masked as a virtue, so deeply ingrained in the American mind that no politician in either party dare challenge it. But America’s obsession with local finance, which made perfect sense in the 19th century, is now sinking us morally and economically. To fix it, Barack Obama needs to steal an idea from Richard Nixon..."

Click here to read the article.

Thursday, December 18, 2008

Ridgewood Health Professions Academy is a national "model."

It's very nice to see that the National Career Academy Coalition has named the Ridgewood Academy for Health Professions a "model" academy, with an extremely high rating based on a rigorous and detailed assessment. According to the Coalition, "Many academies are reviewed based on the ten National Standards of Practice for career academies, but few are of model status...The passion of your school team, coupled with the support of the school administration, and the intense focus from Valley hospital and Bergen Community College, have created a stellar program for students and the community. The rigor of the curriculum and the depth of your industry partnership are to be commended." Kudos to the RAHP team -- administrators, teachers, students and Valley staff.

Wednesday, December 17, 2008

Application to DEP for field improvements

At last Monday's Board of Ed meeting, the Board approved spending $11,500 for an engineer to complete an application to the DEP for improvements at the RHS stadium and Stevens Fields. What does this mean?

It does not mean we're proposing to do anything specific yet. The facilities committee has been exploring several options for making improvements to those fields, both for the high school's wellness programs and athletics and also to fulfill our responsibility to the village's master plan for recreation facilities. We don't yet know what we will propose to do. We need more info, namely:

1) We should find out once and for all exactly what type of improvements will be allowed by the DEP in those areas along the Hohokus Brook. Since the area is in some level of flood plain (flood way? flood fringe?), there will undoubtedly be restrictions. It makes sense to find out NOW what all those restrictions are, and then use that info to inform our decision-making. But didn't a group of citizens already pay to have an application for permit filed? Yes, they did. The Foundation for Ridgewood Athletics spent $30,000 for the original permits (at no expense to taxpayers). Unfortunately, after that application was filed, the DEP decided that the types of projects being explored should be categorized differently (I can't remember the exact terminology). And that re-categorization requires an entirely different application -- and an engineer to do the work. The new application will be for "everything:" artificial turf, new/improved bleachers, lights. Applying for everything will enable the DEP to define the parameters for what would be allowed.

2) We are still working on getting the most accurate estimates possible on costs for fields, bleacher upgrades, and the installation of a new track at BF.

3) We need to work with the Village to relocate the varsity baseball field, currently at BF, in order to accommodate the track at BF.

Once we get a ruling from the DEP, and get the true cost estimates, and work out the "domino" effect of field use with the Village, then we'll decide what projects, if any, to include in the Bond Referendum next year.

Hopefully this clears up what the vote last Monday was for. Any questions, let me know.

Bill to move school elections stalled

Legislation that would move April’s non-partisan school board member elections to the partisan November general elections, while also eliminating public votes on below-cap school budgets, did not come up for a vote in the full State Senate on Dec. 15. The bill had been released by the Senate Education Committee on Dec. 8.

Looks like the idea is back in limbo, where it belongs (did I say that?)

How to Find the Best Teachers

There was a very interesting article in the 12/15/08 issue of The New Yorker. The title is:
Most Likely to Succeed:
How do we hire when we can’t tell who’s right for the job?


It's by Malcolm Gladwell, who is a talented reporter and good at taking a fresh look at things. He compares hiring teachers to NFL scouts predicting which draft picks will end up performing well in the NFL. He writes, "There are certain jobs where almost nothing you can learn about candidates before they start predicts how they’ll do once they’re hired. So how do we know whom to choose in cases like that? In recent years, a number of fields have begun to wrestle with this problem, but none with such profound social consequences as the profession of teaching." He goes on to describe some interesting studies of quality teaching being conducted by the University of Virginia’s Curry School of Education. Really fascinating.

Click here to read the full article.

Monday, December 15, 2008

BOE Meeting Tonight 12/15

Highlights of the agenda for tonight's Board of Education meeting, scheduled for 7:30 p.m. on the 3rd floor of the Ed Center:

Students from Orchard and GW will give a brief violin performance.

Dr. Fishbein will give an update on referendum plans.

The usual hires, changes of assignment, appointments, resignations...

Financial items include a change order for the RHS Cupola repair and approval of a contract with an engineer who will be filing our application with the DEP to determine what types of improvements are allowed at the RHS and Stevens fields. Also, Dr. Fishbein will be updating us on the budget process.

And, as always, you are all invited to attend and bring comments or questions.

Our next public meeting will be January 12...happy holidays!

Let them eat cake?

Just a little self-promotion: my cake/baked goods website is now up at www.lauriebakes.com. I'm still taking orders for this holiday season.

Wednesday, December 10, 2008

US high school students are cheating more than ever, survey says...

A new survey of 30,000 high school students across the country showed some alarming results. According to the survey, 64 percent of high school students surveyed by the Center for Youth Ethics at the Josephson Institute in Los Angeles said they had cheated on a test at least once in the past year, up from 60 percent in 2004. Thirty-six percent said had used the Internet to plagiarize an assignment, up from 33 percent two years ago. And 82 percent said they had copied another student's work at least once in the past year. But my favorite part is this: 93 percent of the respondents said they were satisfied with their personal ethics and character. This is troubling, no?

Math Gains Reported for U.S. Students

Good news regarding US students' math education: according to the latest TIMSS (Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study) survey, which is the world’s largest review of math and science achievement, American fourth- and eighth-grade students made solid achievement gains in math in recent years. Read the entire New York Times article by clicking here.

The gap is still large between the US and some of the Asian countries, but the US scores did show some of the largest margins of improvement in math from 1995 to 2007. We may be getting better, but as one of the report's authors said, the other countries aren't sitting still. Are we gaining on them?

Of course, this is just one study (albeit a study that I believe is pretty universally recognized as objective and accurate). No one should base all their opinions on just one study. Just thought I'd put this info out there...

Tuesday, December 9, 2008

School Board Elections in November = BAD IDEA

That headline covers just one aspect of the wrong-headed bill that passed the Senate Education Committee Monday and is headed to the full Senate. The reason this is back on the fast track has nothing to do with the Senate or anyone in Trenton actually caring about our school board elections. It is all about Trenton trying to find some way, any way to at least LOOK like they are working on property tax relief. AND Governor Corzine is simply stalling so he doesn't have to make his budget address in February...he would rather wait and see what kind of income tax revenues come in April.

Here are the main components of the Bill and why it's wrong:
1) Moving school board elections to November, combined with county, state and federal PARTISAN elections, will needlessly politicize school campaigns and clutter voters' mailboxes and attentions. School board elections should be based on educational issues -- that's it. Why do they think turnout will be better in November? Even when the governor's job and all state senators' and assemblypersons' seats have been up for election, turnout has remained consistent.

2) Eliminate the public elections on school budgets that are under state caps. This part is ok, in my opinion. Budget votes are basically meaningless because of the caps and adequacy amounts. Voters FEEL like they are actually influencing the budget, but the state is already controlling the potential for increase. And besides, with the economy, rising prices, flat state aid and threatened adequacy enforcement, there is little room for budgets to come in substantially below the 4% cap anyway.

3) Moving the vote on "second questions" for additional funding to November. This is just ridiculous. When the school district's budget year runs from summer to summer, how will we plan a budget when we won't find out about funding until November, half-way through the year? How will the village know how much property tax to collect? Will they have to go back and revise tax bills (which will cost the village money) if a second questions is passed in November? It's just silly.

This bill is about Governor Corzine and the legislature grasping at straws to help themselves look better and to help them deal with the tanking state economy. I don't appreciate it. I'm letting Senate President Richard Codey and Sen. Shirley Turner, chairwoman of the Senate Education Committee, know how I feel. Click on their names if you'd like to do that, too.

Referendum Project Details

Last night at the BOE meeting we went through the complete working list of projects to potentially be included in a referendum next year. It was a lot to digest and I'm sure many people want to take a closer look. The spreadsheet will be posted on the website soon, and I will do a summary here, but I'm tied up in a meeting all day. Check back tomorrow and I should have it.

Monday, December 8, 2008

No more AP classes?

The high-performing Scarsdale district eliminated AP classes and guess what? The sky didn't fall and the world didn't end. The students' college acceptance rates at top colleges remained consistent. Perhaps the students actually learned more (and were assessed more accurately). The only thing we know for sure happened is that the College Board, with its ridiculous over-influence on our schools, received less revenue from Scarsdale parents. So what's not to like?

Read the NY Times article here.

Obama's plan to help schools

In his weekly address last Saturday, President-elect Obama said something interesting about schools...

"...my economic recovery plan will launch the most sweeping effort to modernize and upgrade school buildings that this country has ever seen. We will repair broken schools, make them energy-efficient, and put new computers in our classrooms. Because to help our children compete in a 21st century economy, we need to send them to 21st century schools."

I wonder if any of that will filter down to districts like Ridgewood?

Hey, at least he's talking about it!

You can read the entire address, which contained more encouraging talk about public works projects, by clicking here. I've often wondered why we can't bring back efforts like the WPA or Civilian Conservation Corp, which built and repaired things like bridges, roads and other public structures and created many of our national parks, by employing unemployed Americans. We have plenty of roads and structures that need repairing, not to mention school buildings...seems like a win-win.

Sunday, December 7, 2008

Agenda for BOE 12/8 meeting

You can read the entire agenda for Monday night's meeting by clicking here, but here are a few highlights:

The RHS madrigals are going to give a performance at the opening of the meeting.

Dr. Fishbein and Mr. DeSimone will give a presentation of the elements which are currently included in the proposed referendum. This will include the building additions at GW, Ridge, Willard and Hawes, as well as renovations and capital projects throughout the district, and a discussion of possible field renovations.

Mr. Lorenz and Mr. Nyhuis will discuss courses being added to the high school. One of my favorites is Finance class designed to teach real-world things like managing money, saving, mortgages, investing, etc. There are several more new classes listed in the full agenda.

We will have discussion on the budget process and on the possibility of independent athletic play in 2010-2011, joining other districts in protesting the new league alignment within the NJSIAA.

There's plenty of other topics on the agenda as well. These are just a few highlights. See you Monday night!

Saturday, December 6, 2008

Taro's Race today

I was wrong on the XC race: The boys' Nike National race is at noon PT...And it's not on ESPN live. It will be taped and shown on ESPN later.

The race WILL be be video LIVE online at the official site: CLICK HERE

Friday, December 5, 2008

Facilities/Referendum Discussion Monday Night

At Monday night's Board of Ed meeting, the Facilities Committee will be presenting its initial recommendation for building improvements and expansion, to potentially be included in a referendum as early as next Fall. We've discussed individual schools' expansion projects at various BOE meetings, but this will be a look at the total picture including capital improvements, building by building, as well as potential athletic field improvements. There will be opportunity for public comment both Monday night and at the following meeting on 12/15. (Well, there's opportunity for public comment at all BOE meetings, but if you want to speak specifically to buildings/fields, these two meetings will be best for now.)

Have a great weekend! Post any questions or comments here. See you downtown tonight!

Thursday, December 4, 2008

Student-Made Christmas Tree Decorations

A parent asked me about the story that Ridgewood elementary school students would be making ornaments for the Village Christmas tree in Van Neste Square. She criticized the use of school time, materials, etc., on a religious-themed project. I checked it out and learned that the ornament idea was suggested by members of the Village Council and the making of the ornaments was offered as an option for those kids who were interested, during lunch or after school. Just wanted to clarify that class instructional time and materials were not to be used. (I forgot to mention that the ornaments were to be made from recycled materials.)

I think it's interesting that over the years the "holiday issue" comes up again and again, and I always hear from many "sides:" At Somerville (where my kids attended) there always seemed to be parents who wanted MORE holiday presence (no pun intended) such as Christmas trees and "Silent Night" at the chorus concert, as well as parents who wanted no reminder of any religious holiday (no Christmas trees, no dreidels), PLUS even some parents who wanted EVERY holiday represented (Kwanzaa, etc.). Apparently this issue will never be resolved.

I will be interested to see the "recycled" ornaments tomorrow night...

"Prop 8: The Musical"

One of the perks of having some unexpected "free time," is discovering the "rest" of the internet (you mean it's not only for work or research?).
See more Jack Black videos at Funny or Die

Wednesday, December 3, 2008

Always darkest...

I went to the Bergen County School Boards Assoc meeting last night and heard Mr. Michael Vrancik, the NJ School Boards' Assoc Director of Governmental Relations, talk about "Current Issues -- What's Next for School Boards." It was not pretty.

Main messages:

Changing school elections...
Just this week, the Senate Education Committee suddenly placed Bill S1861 (Assembly Bill A15) on its agenda for this Monday 12/8. This bill "Provides for the election of school board members at November general election and eliminates vote on school budgets except for separate proposals to spend above cap which will also occur at general election."

Mr. Vrancik believes the motivation behind rushing to get this into the last 2008 meeting of the Education Committee is to give the Governor more time now to defer making decisions on the state budget. He may even decide to wait until after April when state income tax revenues are known. The Governor probably wants to wait as long as possible to make any commitments to school funding, in order to see how bad things get with the state's economy. He was not sure what this would mean for districts and our budget cycles.

The state will claim that moving the election to November and eliminating budget elections will save $5 million and pat themselves on the back (next year's an election year, remember), but that's a pretty tiny percentage of the state budget.

State of the state economy...
Mr. Vrancik also talked about NJ's fiscal situation. He said the current "best case scenario" is that the state's budget shortfall next year (FY2010) will be $5 billion. He said, "It is almost impossible to imagine that there will not be state cuts to education funding." He predicted flat funding would be the "best case." He also explained how state cuts in things like the Homestead Rebate will adversely affect schools -- those hardest hit by the elimination of the rebates will be seniors, who tend to use that rebate to pay their property tax. Without that help, they will feel even more resentful of property taxes and be more likely to vote against school budgets. (Of course, they won't be voting on budgets if A15 passes! Silver lining? JK)

The school board members present were encouraged folks to contact legislators (supposedly 1/8 of the entire legislature is from Bergen County) to reiterate opposition to moving the School Board elections to November.

All in all it was a thoroughly depressing evening.

Tuesday, December 2, 2008

Run, Taro, run!

RHS student Taro Shigenobu has qualified to run in the Nike National Cross Country Championship this Saturday in Portland, OR. It's the first-time ever that individual runners have been invited to run (it's usually a teams-only event) and Taro is one of only 45 individual runners nationwide who qualified. The addition of these top individual runners means this will truly be a national championship and should be a great run. The race will be televised on ESPN (I'm not sure which one) at 3:00 EASTERN time. Go, Taro!