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

Wednesday, April 22, 2009

On vacation

I'll be visiting family in California for the April break, so this blog should be quiet during that time.

Don't worry, I'll be back!
;)

Have a good one.

One way Ridgewood High School helps identify troubled teens

Click here for a good video news clip from local news, showing RHS Principal Jack Lorenz talking about how he and teachers spot and help kids before they get into trouble.

Tuesday, April 21, 2009

School budget passes 1711-1109

The unofficial results are in -- The Ridgewood Public Schools budget for 2009-2010 has been approved by voters, by a count of 1711-1109. This represents approximately 18% voter turnout, which is fairly high by school election standards.

Thanks to everyone who participated and voted today!

VOTE TODAY

There are just 2 things I ask you to do today:

1. Vote
2. Remind a friend or neighbor to vote.

The polls are open until 9:00 p.m. It takes just 5 minutes to have a real and lasting input on our schools.

Monday, April 20, 2009

10 years after Columbine

Today marks the 10th anniversary of the shootings at Columbine High School in Colorado. It's tempting to look back on that day and that school and say things like, "it couldn't (or wouldn't) happen here." The truth is, Columbine High School was and is a school very much like Ridgewood High School. Suburban, relatively high-achieving, quiet. Certainly not a place known for violence or tension between steretypical student groups. That's what always made the Columbine story such a scary one for people like us, here in the Ridgewood "bubble."

There was an interesting op-ed piece in the Wall Street Journal the other day. I'm going to post the entire thing here, just to give us all a little think about.

The High Cost of Coddling
by Caitlin Flanagan
WSJ.com 4/16/09

William Dean Howells observed that at the theater Americans want a tragedy with a happy ending. But in life we are made of sterner stuff and demand from tragedy only this: a lesson.

That the mass killing at Columbine High School a decade ago -- it was on April 20, 1999, that Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold murdered 13 and wounded 23 -- could offer us more than sorrow and outrage has been an article of faith since the nation first learned of the crime. The exact lesson, however, has proved elusive, and the search has seemed obdurately focused on the obscure or the strange: the trenchcoats; the question of social isolation; the possibility that jocks and cheerleaders might be so nasty to an outsider that they could render him into a sociopath.

Apparently, the thing to do was to look not at the largest questions posed by the incident but rather at its particulars and to adopt a "zero tolerance" policy toward any behavior that seemed to mimic them. The result was a longish, culturally embarrassing interlude when kindergartners could get tossed out of school for bringing a nail clipper in a backpack. We began to look like a nation of adults who were terrified of our smallest children.

The one aspect of Columbine that seemed unworthy of examination -- when it came to pondering the policy changes that might actually make American schools safer places -- was the fact that the two killers had a long track record of doing exactly what deeply disturbed teenage boys have been doing since time out of mind: getting in trouble -- lots of it -- with authority.

Ten months before their shooting spree, Harris and Klebold were charged and convicted of stealing tools from a parked van. They were sentenced to a "juvenile diversion" program, which was intended -- by dint of counseling, classes, and the coordinated efforts of school administrators, social workers and police officers -- to keep the boys out of the criminal-justice system. According to the records of that experience, Harris reported having homicidal feelings, obsessive thoughts and a temper. Both boys were placed in anger management, although -- strangely, given Klebold's history of alcohol use and his submission of a dilute urine sample to his minders -- they were excused from the substance-abuse class.

Back at school (which they attended throughout their enrollment in the juvenile-diversion program), they smoked cigarettes in the hollow behind campus, cut classes and blew off schoolwork. According to Dave Cullen's new book, "Columbine," when Klebold carved obscenities into a freshman's locker and was confronted by a dean, "Dylan went ballistic. He cussed him out, bounced off the walls, acted like a nutcase." Both boys also picked on younger children and got into fights.

All of this was in addition, of course, to the notorious AOL postings in which the boys laid their murderous plans bare. Those postings were the basis of the affidavit that the Jefferson County district attorney compiled for a search warrant of the boys' houses. Lacking enough evidence to present it to a judge, however, the affidavit was not acted upon, and the thugs moved closer and closer to their goal. There was a time when boys like these would have been labeled "juvenile delinquents" and removed from the society and company of good kids, whose rights were understood to supersede those of known offenders against the law. It was once believed that good kids should be neither endangered nor influenced by criminals-in-training.

At the turn of the last century, the U.S. -- a nation of laws, of course, and a nation with an ever-evolving sense of sympathy for children and teenagers -- decided that sending youthful offenders to adult prison was a grotesque form of punishment, and so were born the juvenile code and the juvenile court system. With these innovations came something that was still talked about in tones of dread and excitement when I was a girl in the 1960s and '70s. "He's going to end up in reform school," we would say of a bully or a fighter, some luckless child of a rotten drunk or a mean single mother. One way or another, it came to pass: Boys disappeared and were not missed.

Due process? Who knew, who cared? All we knew was that the funny-looking, heavy-set boy who used to smash kids' heads into the porcelain backsplash at the drinking fountain of Cragmont School was no more a menace in our lives.

Harsh fate that would send a boy away for no greater crime than the accident of his birth! Homeward the course of juvenile justice went, reinventing the system in yet another iteration, the one in which Harris and Klebold were allowed to stay put in their own houses and at Columbine, during the very time that they were not only committing petty thefts and cursing out their teachers but also communicating openly about their plans for mayhem.

Today only the most incorrigible young offenders are removed from their guardians' care and forced to live and study in correctional facilities. Furthermore, to expel a student in most public school districts is an arduous business. An expulsion hearing is required, and parents may choose to appeal the decision, a process that rains down a world of legal woe on whatever teachers and administrators have been involved in the action. Many expulsions, moreover, constitute a strange reinterpretation of the very word: They are time-limited and include within them plans for re-enrollment.

It is, of course, the responsibility of the state to provide some sort of education to all its children under the age of 18, and so for a host of legal, moral and economic reasons we end up with an ugly truth about our nation's schools: By design, they contain within them -- right alongside the good kids who are getting an education and running the yearbook and student government -- kids whose criminal rehabilitation is supposedly being conducted simultaneously with their academic instruction.

As someone who taught school for a decade and who has now been a mother for about as long, I can tell you that -- when it comes to children -- the rigid exercise of "due process" in matters of correction and discipline makes for high comedy at best and shared tragedy at worst. Someone needs to stand apart from children and decide what is best for them and for those around them. When it comes to matters of state-ordered punishment, someone needs to stand apart from their parents, too, and make the necessary decisions. It's a complete bummer; I will grant you that.

Who would possibly be willing to side not with the students of an institution -- those fun-loving creatures of the now -- but with the institution itself, a place ostensibly devoted, above all else, to the well-being of its population? I'll tell you who: adults. Remember them?

In my teaching days, no single document shaped my thinking as much as Flannery O'Connor's 1963 essay called "Total Effect and the Eighth Grade." It concerned neither guns nor violence, neither cliques nor experimental approaches to the treatment of adolescent depression. It was about . . . books. In defending the teaching of the great works of the Western canon rather than those of the modern day (which kids far preferred), she said something wise, the sort of thing an adult might say. She said that the whims and preferences of children should always, always be sublimated to the sense and judgment of their elders.

"And what if the student finds this is not to his taste?" O'Connor asked. "Well that is regrettable. Most regrettable. His taste should not be consulted; it is being formed."

Thursday, April 16, 2009

Get the facts, then decide how to Vote

Yes, I've recommended that you vote "yes" on the budget next Tuesday. But I honestly want you to feel good about voting "yes." I want you to do it because you agree that it's the right thing to do. If the reasons I gave previously are enough, great. But if you need to know more...if you have specific questions as to why we spend what we spend, or how we decided what we decided...there are still several opportunities for you to get more info and ask questions:

1) Frank & Denise Delvecchio are hosting an informal discussion with Superintendent of Schools Dr. Dan Fishbein, and members of the Board of Education (including me) TOMORROW, Friday, April 17, 12:45 p.m.. to 2:45 p.m. The address is 65 Walthery Ave. No need to RSVP, just come!

2) "Starbucks & the Budget": Dr. Fishbein and members of the Board of Ed (me again) will be at the Ridgewood Starbucks from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. this Sunday April 19. Come get a free cup of coffee (thanks, Starbucks!) and find out what the budget will mean for our schools and your students.

3) Not the meeting type? There's a special email address set up just for comments and questions on the budget. Send your questions to budget10@ridgewood.k12.nj.us. Dr. Fishbein or Business Administrator Angelo DeSimone will answer.

4) Keep checking this blog and, if you have a question or comment, post it here. I'll answer as quickly as I can.

PLEASE don't forget to show up and VOTE on Tuesday April 21. Mark your calendar. Tell your friends. It's our right and responsibility and it only takes 5 minutes!

Wednesday, April 15, 2009

Vote YES on the school budget

Guess what I just found out? Or, I should say, guess what I just confirmed? As long as I tell you that it's my personal opinion, I can tell you, encourage you, and urge you to vote YES on the school budget next Tuesday 4/21.

I had been led to believe that Board members were not allowed to advocate for or against the budget. That's not exactly true. The BOARD may not advocate. And the District may not advocate (meaning no spending of district money and that includes salary, so employees may not advocate during the work day). But as an individual? I can have all the same opinions I've always had, and for which this Blog exists (in part).

So my personal opinion, not speaking for the Board and being completely accurate in my facts, is that you need to vote "yes." Looking for a few reasons why?

Laurie’s 10 Personal Opinion Reasons to Vote Yes on the School Budget on April 21:

1. This budget is lean. We’ve already sliced and diced and reduced with a scalpel. We cut $2.5 million in spending. Cuts have been made throughout the district. No one area is being targeted.

2. This budget maintains the number of sections at the elementary schools, which means we avoided cutting sections and raising class sizes.

3. We have maintained as much opportunity as possible for our students, especially at the high school. For example, instead of cutting complete sports, or cutting freshman sports, we cut some assistant coaches. It may not be the ideal way to run athletics, but it’s better than losing entire sports (in my opinion).

4. Ridgewood spends below the state average (for districts of 3,500+) per pupil. Click here to compare. We are efficient.

5. Ridgewood has way fewer administrators per pupil than the state average for districts of 3,500+ students. Click here to compare. Again, we are efficient.

6. The Business Office is being reorganized, resulting in a net loss of one position and a more efficient day-to-day operation.

7. If the budget is defeated, all the current cuts will remain, plus we will likely have to find additional cuts, depending on the tax rate set by the Village Council. This is not a threat. It’s reality.

8. There is nothing else “up our sleeve” to cut. If the budget is defeated, and we must cut more, it will absolutely be in areas you and your students will notice.

9. The proposed budget was approved by the Executive County Superintendent, which means it meets all the new state regulations, restrictions, efficiency rules, etc.

10. Better schools = higher property values. And we need higher property values.

Sunday, April 12, 2009

Comparing Ridgewood: Did you know...?

There's something people don't think about when considering our taxes and how much of them go toward schools...and how our taxes compare with other towns.

Did you know Ridgewood has one of the highest density of students-per-capita in the state? About 25% of Ridgewood's residents are of school age. Other towns are around 20% or even less. This means in Ridgewood fewer people are paying for more students...it helps explain the size of Ridgewood's tax bills compared to other towns around here.

Another contributing factor is the fact that Ridgewood doesn't have much in terms of ratables -- commercial enterprises paying property taxes to offset the taxes paid by homeowners. Towns like Paramus have all those office buildings, malls, etc., all paying taxes and thereby reducing the share paid by citizens.

Just a couple things to think about...I know how much we all like to compare ourselves to our neighbors, our friends, our competitors, etc. Just make sure you're comparing apples-to-apples.

Remember to vote on April 21. Put it in your calendar right now! ;)

Friday, April 10, 2009

Wondering about Before/After Care?

If your children attend the before-care or after-care programs run by the Y at some of our schools (as my children did for 6 years at Somerville), then you've probably heard the rumor that "the BOE wants to close the aftercare program." Before you panic that your childcare may disappear for next Fall, please don't worry! Here are the facts:

As you know, we have a budget problem for 09/10 (and beyond). To close the budget gap, we basically have two options: cut expenses and/or increase revenues. That's how all of our budgets work, right? So we've done a lot to cut spending (perhaps you've heard haha). But what options do we have for increasing revenue? Not many. We only get revenue from a few sources: the state, taxes, tuitions, the community school, activity fees. We have an obligation to look for income anywhere we can -- to help offset cuts and also to help keep our tax increase as low as possible. In an attempt to increase revenues, we decided to LOOK AT the POSSIBILITY of running the before and after care program ourselves. To generate income.

By the way, the Y currently runs the before care and after care programs in our buildings and pays no rent to the District.

Next week the BOE finance committee will look at a plan for a District-run before/aftercare program. And they'll look at a new plan from the Y. And then a recommendation will be made to the BOE, and we'll have to decide. It might change. It might stay the same. But shouldn't we at least check it out thoroughly?

I can tell you that the intention is for the service provided to parents/children to not change. We do not want to disrupt anyone's plans or cause a hardship to parents. The plan would be to basically "replicate" the current program: same hours, same locations (if not more), same price, same activities, same coverage on school holidays, same homework time, snacks, outside playtime, etc., etc.

Maybe someone could pass this info along to counter the rumors that we are "taking away" families' childcare? Because that is not the plan.

Wednesday, April 8, 2009

Ridgewood parents on Good Morning America tomorrow

Good Morning America is doing a story on "sexting." A group of GW parents met with some of the GW "teen angels," who taught the parents how to see what their kids are posting and how to find dangerous postings. The idea was to give parents help in starting a dialogue with their kids, to help them be safe with their cell phones and messaging. Click here for the story from the Bergen Record. And Watch GMA tomorrow!

Re-Registration Update

We now join our story, already in progress...today's chapter: Re-registration or "Finding those freeloaders who are obtaining a Ridgewood education under false pretenses."

At last night's BOE meeting, Dr. Fishbein gave us the latest on the District's re-registration drive and, I'm happy to report, it's going well. Some of the schools are further along than others. Some schools are almost done. For example, at the High School, there are only 28 families left who need to bring in their paperwork to confirm they are Ridgewood residents. At BF, there are 25 families outstanding. At GW, there are only 4 families outstanding. Hawes has 9 families outstanding. Willard got a late start, so they are still collecting. And so on...Slowly but surely, families are showing up with proof of residency. Many of these last holdouts are due to missing leases, and needing to get copies of leases from landlords.

Dr. Fishbein feels that the "suspected" cases people talk about are usually joint or shared custody situations, or sometimes tuition students (we do have some students who attend our schools and pay tuition, whether for special ed or regular ed).

One convenient tool the District has been using in its research (although families still must submit paperwork): Did you know the Village of Ridgewood website has a page where you can enter any address, and it will show you the name of the owner, along with property value, taxes paid, and even a photo! (Check it out by clicking here.) This site makes it easy to double check what family should be living in what house. (And like I said, the District is still collecting the required paperwork, even if the info is on the Village website.)

Dr. Fishbein estimates the process will be complete by mid-May. When asked last night what would happen to those who had not yet submitted proper documentation by then, he said that the District would begin the process of disenrollment.

So did we catch any fraudulent families? When Dr. Fishbein mailed his initial letter, stating the requirements for proof of residency, there were three students who disenrolled from the high school. That's it. And we have no proof as to why those students left -- they could have left for any number of reasons. Or they could have left because of the letter.

One thing's for sure: the stories about dozens of students attending Ridgewood schools "illegally" are suburban legend. A myth.

But at least now we know for sure, and we can go forward into the future and confirm residency when students enter kindergarten, when they move to middle school and when they enter the high school. That should keep the records up to date and ensure that those -- and only those -- who are entitled to a Ridgewood education, actually receive one.

Sunday, April 5, 2009

Board Agenda Highlights for April 6

Here are a few highlights from the agenda for tomorrow's Board of Education meeting (7:30 p.m., Ed Center 3rd floor, webcast live):

BF Principal Tony Orsini and GW Principal Katie Kashmanian will present the proposed middle school schedule and courses for the 09/10 school year. Mr. Orsini and Dr. Kashmanian have been working to bring the two schools' schedules and programs into alignment.

We'll be asked to approve a new position of Assistant Business Administrator. This is part of a reorganization of the entire Business Office designed to bring more efficiency and productivity to the business office. More details tomorrow night.

Resignations, appointments, field trips, donations...

Approval of contracts for roof replacement of Somerville's gym roof and BF's auditorium roof.

And some other stuff...

Thursday, April 2, 2009

Is this an April Fools' joke?

I can't decide...several news outlets reported on a story today about baby chicks being able to do addition and subtraction. Is that what they mean by fuzzy math? Here's a link, what do you think?

Enjoy!