So here was my path tonight...I clicked on the "I Support Strong American Schools" box on this blog (look right), feeling a little bummed that the candidates never really did talk much about education (regardless of my "ED in 08" buttons, oh well)...then I saw a link to a Wall Street Journal article comparing the candidates on several education issues. It is a nice clear comparison which you can read here and will probably not sway your vote tomorrow but might make you feel even better about what you're going to do. Here is the link to the article CLICK HERE.
But wait! As I was reading that I got distracted by some truly groundbreaking news: Starbucks is giving away FREE COFFEE on election day! Woohoo! They started out promising a free tall coffee to anyone who votes, but then I guess they got a little worried about breaking election laws, so anyone who shows up at Starbucks on Election Day can have a free tall coffee, regardless of whether they vote or not (but, please oh please, VOTE!).
Have a good one!
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
Monday, November 3, 2008
Voting at Schools: Update
In response to parent concerns at some schools, Federated HSA has arranged for police presence at the following schools tomorrow:
Glen
Travell
Hawes
Orchard
Dr. Fishbein has said that the district will split the cost with Federated.
The district had already arranged for police presence at Willard, and for the police to walk through all other schools throughout the day.
The remaining schools' administrators, in discussion with their HSAs, feel their set-up is fine and they don't need police.
Remember, all of our schools (except Willard) have direct access to voting places so voters will not be walking through the hallways. Parking restrictions will be lifted to ease possible traffic issues.
A little extra info: when this year's calendar was set (two years ago), Election Day was discussed and it was decided not to close the schools. There are 4-5 elections every year...we can not afford to close schools on all 4-5 days, every year. This summer we began discussing election day again, mostly because some Willard parents were concerned. We attempted to get the polling place moved out of Willard to Ridge, and the election commission said "no." The use of schools as polling places is not up to the district or the town. We do not make that decision, and we cannot decline the use of schools. So, to meet the concerns of the Willard parents, we secured Officer Chris McDowell to keep watch at Willard. All of our schools will be employing regular security measures throughout the day -- locked doors, buzzing to get in with school business. If a voter buzzes at the office to enter for voting, they will not be admitted but will be directed to the polling place entrance.
It is certainly every parent's prerogative to keep their child home if they are concerned, but my personal opinion is that that our schools are and will be safe.
GO VOTE!
Glen
Travell
Hawes
Orchard
Dr. Fishbein has said that the district will split the cost with Federated.
The district had already arranged for police presence at Willard, and for the police to walk through all other schools throughout the day.
The remaining schools' administrators, in discussion with their HSAs, feel their set-up is fine and they don't need police.
Remember, all of our schools (except Willard) have direct access to voting places so voters will not be walking through the hallways. Parking restrictions will be lifted to ease possible traffic issues.
A little extra info: when this year's calendar was set (two years ago), Election Day was discussed and it was decided not to close the schools. There are 4-5 elections every year...we can not afford to close schools on all 4-5 days, every year. This summer we began discussing election day again, mostly because some Willard parents were concerned. We attempted to get the polling place moved out of Willard to Ridge, and the election commission said "no." The use of schools as polling places is not up to the district or the town. We do not make that decision, and we cannot decline the use of schools. So, to meet the concerns of the Willard parents, we secured Officer Chris McDowell to keep watch at Willard. All of our schools will be employing regular security measures throughout the day -- locked doors, buzzing to get in with school business. If a voter buzzes at the office to enter for voting, they will not be admitted but will be directed to the polling place entrance.
It is certainly every parent's prerogative to keep their child home if they are concerned, but my personal opinion is that that our schools are and will be safe.
GO VOTE!
Topics at the BOE meeting 11/3
As always, the full agenda is posted here. But if you want to know the highlights, here's a snapshot of some of the items on the agenda for tomorrow night:
We'll be reviewing the calendar for developing the 09-10 budget. This will be of particular interest to me since I've never gone through the process before. The work on budget actually begins this week, in order to have a final budget proposal for the election next April. Tomorrow's agenda also says we'll be discussing "budget what ifs". Hmm...sounds depressing.
We'll have a first reading of the proposed Nepotism policy. This is something mandated by the state, that we must update in our district policy manual. Basically, no relative of a Board member or Superintendent may be employed by the district. Currently, there is no prohibition on the employment of relatives.
We'll get an update on the Math Planning Team and the public input meeting which was held last week. And by the way, there is still time for you to email your input on elementary math. PLEASE email your thoughts to KKiedaisch@ridgewood.k12.nj.us before November 10.
Oh I just remembered...I should give a little report of my time in Atlantic City last week. Some of us were there for the New Jersey School Boards Association annual Workshop. It was definitely interesting. More to come...
We'll be reviewing the calendar for developing the 09-10 budget. This will be of particular interest to me since I've never gone through the process before. The work on budget actually begins this week, in order to have a final budget proposal for the election next April. Tomorrow's agenda also says we'll be discussing "budget what ifs". Hmm...sounds depressing.
We'll have a first reading of the proposed Nepotism policy. This is something mandated by the state, that we must update in our district policy manual. Basically, no relative of a Board member or Superintendent may be employed by the district. Currently, there is no prohibition on the employment of relatives.
We'll get an update on the Math Planning Team and the public input meeting which was held last week. And by the way, there is still time for you to email your input on elementary math. PLEASE email your thoughts to KKiedaisch@ridgewood.k12.nj.us before November 10.
Oh I just remembered...I should give a little report of my time in Atlantic City last week. Some of us were there for the New Jersey School Boards Association annual Workshop. It was definitely interesting. More to come...
Friday, October 31, 2008
Hot topics
Look at this cool thing I found! The following image shows the top 100 words mentioned on this blog...the more times they've been mentioned, the larger the words appear. Really cool website called Wordle. You can enter any text or collection of words, or you can give the URL for a blog or site with RSS feed, and Wordle will create a word image automatically.
Image created by Wordle
Image created by Wordle
Thursday, October 30, 2008
Voting @ Schools
Some parents have questioned the safety and security of our students on Election Day. Here is some information about the voting in Ridgewood on 11/4:
The District has been discussing and preparing for Election Day. Monday, Dr. Fishbein spoke with the Chief of Police. The police have not received any notices of imminent threats nor official alerts about security.
All of our schools, except Willard, are able to limit access to the polling areas, so that voters do not enter the rest of the school. For example, at Somerville, voters enter and exit the gym through dedicated gym doors, and not through the hallways. Willard, because of its design and the location of the voting, cannot do this. For this reason, there will be a police officer on duty at Willard all day on election day. (FYI, we did try to get the polling moved out of Willard and the county Election Commission denied the request.) Regular security procedures (locked doors, visitor sign-in, etc.) will be enforced for any person who enters the non-polling-place areas of any schools. In addition, police will do walk-throughs at every school building throughout the day.
It is not possible to deny voting at the schools (although feel free to bring that up with the county!). Without specific threats, closing the schools up to four or five times per year on election days is not practical.
The District's thinking is that persons entering our schools to vote are our neighbors, who come to the buildings several times a year on election days. I agree with Dr.Fishbein that it's important for students to see the democratic process in action.
The District has been discussing and preparing for Election Day. Monday, Dr. Fishbein spoke with the Chief of Police. The police have not received any notices of imminent threats nor official alerts about security.
All of our schools, except Willard, are able to limit access to the polling areas, so that voters do not enter the rest of the school. For example, at Somerville, voters enter and exit the gym through dedicated gym doors, and not through the hallways. Willard, because of its design and the location of the voting, cannot do this. For this reason, there will be a police officer on duty at Willard all day on election day. (FYI, we did try to get the polling moved out of Willard and the county Election Commission denied the request.) Regular security procedures (locked doors, visitor sign-in, etc.) will be enforced for any person who enters the non-polling-place areas of any schools. In addition, police will do walk-throughs at every school building throughout the day.
It is not possible to deny voting at the schools (although feel free to bring that up with the county!). Without specific threats, closing the schools up to four or five times per year on election days is not practical.
The District's thinking is that persons entering our schools to vote are our neighbors, who come to the buildings several times a year on election days. I agree with Dr.Fishbein that it's important for students to see the democratic process in action.
Monday, October 27, 2008
The 'Math Meeting' was tonight...any feedback?
I was not able to attend the math meeting tonight. (FYI, too much work and I'm leaving tomorrow for the NJ School Boards Association Workshop). How did it go?
Parry Aftab will speak about internet safety on December 11: here at RHS!
All Ridgewood parents and community members are invited...
A Common Sense Approach to Internet Safety in this Age of Changing Technology
Parry Aftab, an Internet privacy and security lawyer, is WiredSafety's Executive Director. WiredSafety is the world's largest Internet safety and help group. Ms. Aftab will present to Ridgewood parents and community members in the Ridgewood High School Campus Center on December 11 from 7:00 to 9:30.
This will be a great and truly informative session! Ms. Aftab has spoken to thousands of students and parents and knows the hot topic issues, explains them in parent-speak, and offers parents workable ways to balance their parental responsibilities and create sensible guidelines for kids.
In particular, the very important topic of Cyberbullying will be discussed and the audience will be introduced and asked to take the Megan Pledge. In particular, Ms. Aftab will cover:
What steps can parents take to prevent their children from becoming victims of cyberbullying? (pro-active approach)
If they become victims, what can victims and parents do, where can parents go for help and when do they bring it to the attention of school administrators or law enforcement?
What to do if they find out that their child is a Cyberbully?
Most victims of CyberBullying are so affected by the threats and harassment that they keep quiet and never report it to their
parents, teachers or friends. It is important that victims realize that we adults are here to fight this new form of bullying.
Get more info by clicking HERE or HERE.
A Common Sense Approach to Internet Safety in this Age of Changing Technology
Parry Aftab, an Internet privacy and security lawyer, is WiredSafety's Executive Director. WiredSafety is the world's largest Internet safety and help group. Ms. Aftab will present to Ridgewood parents and community members in the Ridgewood High School Campus Center on December 11 from 7:00 to 9:30.
This will be a great and truly informative session! Ms. Aftab has spoken to thousands of students and parents and knows the hot topic issues, explains them in parent-speak, and offers parents workable ways to balance their parental responsibilities and create sensible guidelines for kids.
In particular, the very important topic of Cyberbullying will be discussed and the audience will be introduced and asked to take the Megan Pledge. In particular, Ms. Aftab will cover:
What steps can parents take to prevent their children from becoming victims of cyberbullying? (pro-active approach)
If they become victims, what can victims and parents do, where can parents go for help and when do they bring it to the attention of school administrators or law enforcement?
What to do if they find out that their child is a Cyberbully?
Most victims of CyberBullying are so affected by the threats and harassment that they keep quiet and never report it to their
parents, teachers or friends. It is important that victims realize that we adults are here to fight this new form of bullying.
Get more info by clicking HERE or HERE.
Fixing 'No Child Left Behind'
I thought this was an interesting OP-ED from Washington Times, 10/23/08. What do you think?
Nailing down specifics on 'No Child'
by Michael J. Petrilli
Education is the neglected stepchild of this year's presidential race - very likely because the candidates are correctly reading the electorate. A recent poll found that only 1 percent of registered voters identified education as the issue most important to them. Yes, they've got plenty else on their minds. Still, it's a stunning change from 2000 when, during a time of peace and prosperity, school reform made it to the top of the nation's agenda.
One of the most significant outcomes of that election was bipartisan passage of President Bush's No Child Left Behind Act - a controversial law that is now overdue for renewal. Both Sen. John McCain and Sen. Barack Obama have promised to make changes to it, though each has been coy about the specific fixes he would propose.
That's not too surprising, either. NCLB is hugely unpopular with the bases of both political parties, with teacher unions abhorring its focus on test scores and conservatives ruing its expansion of federal powers. In the face of this widespread buyers' remorse, both candidates have been careful not to offer any specifics that would alienate key supporters.
But no such reticence is an option once Mr. McCain or Mr. Obama becomes president. Nor is NCLB going away. This massive statute houses most of the major federal programs in elementary-secondary education, as well as some $25 billion per annum in federal education aid. To move any school-reform initiative forward, indeed to do anything significant in K-12 education, the new president and Congress will have to update NCLB. And that means finding a political compromise.
That's plainly true for Mr. McCain, who would face a Democratic Congress. But Mr. Obama, too, will have to make a deal. Because so many members of his own party are loath to buck the unions, he will need to find Republican votes in order to get any NCLB reauthorization through Congress.
What could such a compromise entail? The best feature of NCLB is the transparency it has created around school performance. Because of annual testing in math and reading, and the reporting of test results for sub-groups as well as entire schools, communities now have tons more information with which to gauge their schools' effectiveness. The worst feature of NCLB is its heavyhandedness, labeling schools as failures even if just a handful of students perform poorly on state tests - and spelling out in excruciating detail the year-to-year cascade of sanctions that are supposed to be imposed on such schools.
How could the next president and Congress keep the good while getting rid of the bad? They should turn NCLB on its head, making it tight where today it's far too loose while loosening the parts that today are excessively tight.
Right now, NCLB micromanages the formula and timelines by which schools are labeled and sanctioned, yet it allows states total discretion over the academic standards and tests used to judge schools (and kids) in the first place. These should be flipped. Provide incentives for states to sign up for rigorous nationwide (not federal) standards and tests. Make the results of this testing publicly available, sliced every which way by school and group. But then allow states and districts (or private entities, such as GreatSchools.net) to devise their own school labels and ratings - and let them decide what to do with schools that need help.
This will enable parents, policy-makers, and taxpayers to compare schools in an apples-to-apples manner, across state lines, but will also empower states and communities to take the driver's seat again when it comes to determining which schools need help and how to intervene.
This solution won't please everyone. Some reformers will worry that, without stern mandates from Washington, some states will fail to hold troubled schools accountable. Some conservatives will complain about "national" testing. And some union leaders will still chafe at the transparency of school results and the possibility of tying student performance to teacher effectiveness.
But reasonable people on all sides of the issue will see that this approach is better aligned with Uncle Sam's skill set. After all, Washington is at least three or four steps removed from the operation of local schools. There's only so much policy-makers can do from Capitol Hill and the federal Education Department, whatever their intentions. It would be far better for the feds to focus on making school standards explicit and results transparent, and then allow the states, communities and expert educators to focus on how to reform schools that aren't making the grade. It might even remove some of the buyers' remorse that has come to be associated with NCLB.
Michael J. Petrilli, a former Bush administration official in the U.S. Department of Education, is vice president for national programs and policy at the Thomas B. Fordham Institute.
Nailing down specifics on 'No Child'
by Michael J. Petrilli
Education is the neglected stepchild of this year's presidential race - very likely because the candidates are correctly reading the electorate. A recent poll found that only 1 percent of registered voters identified education as the issue most important to them. Yes, they've got plenty else on their minds. Still, it's a stunning change from 2000 when, during a time of peace and prosperity, school reform made it to the top of the nation's agenda.
One of the most significant outcomes of that election was bipartisan passage of President Bush's No Child Left Behind Act - a controversial law that is now overdue for renewal. Both Sen. John McCain and Sen. Barack Obama have promised to make changes to it, though each has been coy about the specific fixes he would propose.
That's not too surprising, either. NCLB is hugely unpopular with the bases of both political parties, with teacher unions abhorring its focus on test scores and conservatives ruing its expansion of federal powers. In the face of this widespread buyers' remorse, both candidates have been careful not to offer any specifics that would alienate key supporters.
But no such reticence is an option once Mr. McCain or Mr. Obama becomes president. Nor is NCLB going away. This massive statute houses most of the major federal programs in elementary-secondary education, as well as some $25 billion per annum in federal education aid. To move any school-reform initiative forward, indeed to do anything significant in K-12 education, the new president and Congress will have to update NCLB. And that means finding a political compromise.
That's plainly true for Mr. McCain, who would face a Democratic Congress. But Mr. Obama, too, will have to make a deal. Because so many members of his own party are loath to buck the unions, he will need to find Republican votes in order to get any NCLB reauthorization through Congress.
What could such a compromise entail? The best feature of NCLB is the transparency it has created around school performance. Because of annual testing in math and reading, and the reporting of test results for sub-groups as well as entire schools, communities now have tons more information with which to gauge their schools' effectiveness. The worst feature of NCLB is its heavyhandedness, labeling schools as failures even if just a handful of students perform poorly on state tests - and spelling out in excruciating detail the year-to-year cascade of sanctions that are supposed to be imposed on such schools.
How could the next president and Congress keep the good while getting rid of the bad? They should turn NCLB on its head, making it tight where today it's far too loose while loosening the parts that today are excessively tight.
Right now, NCLB micromanages the formula and timelines by which schools are labeled and sanctioned, yet it allows states total discretion over the academic standards and tests used to judge schools (and kids) in the first place. These should be flipped. Provide incentives for states to sign up for rigorous nationwide (not federal) standards and tests. Make the results of this testing publicly available, sliced every which way by school and group. But then allow states and districts (or private entities, such as GreatSchools.net) to devise their own school labels and ratings - and let them decide what to do with schools that need help.
This will enable parents, policy-makers, and taxpayers to compare schools in an apples-to-apples manner, across state lines, but will also empower states and communities to take the driver's seat again when it comes to determining which schools need help and how to intervene.
This solution won't please everyone. Some reformers will worry that, without stern mandates from Washington, some states will fail to hold troubled schools accountable. Some conservatives will complain about "national" testing. And some union leaders will still chafe at the transparency of school results and the possibility of tying student performance to teacher effectiveness.
But reasonable people on all sides of the issue will see that this approach is better aligned with Uncle Sam's skill set. After all, Washington is at least three or four steps removed from the operation of local schools. There's only so much policy-makers can do from Capitol Hill and the federal Education Department, whatever their intentions. It would be far better for the feds to focus on making school standards explicit and results transparent, and then allow the states, communities and expert educators to focus on how to reform schools that aren't making the grade. It might even remove some of the buyers' remorse that has come to be associated with NCLB.
Michael J. Petrilli, a former Bush administration official in the U.S. Department of Education, is vice president for national programs and policy at the Thomas B. Fordham Institute.
Friday, October 24, 2008
Why we all need to answer the math questions.
I’m from the school of thought that believes if you’re asked outright for your opinion, you should give it. I’m also a big believer in second chances. Or even more chances. In the messy world of people with different opinions working together to figure out what’s best for the community, as many chances as it takes to get the job done.
The District is asking community members to share what’s important to them in terms of elementary math education. We have two options: 1) Attend the Math Meeting at the Ed Center on Monday night at 7:30. 2) Send our opinions via email to kkiedaisch@ridgewood.k12.nj.us. I’ll be using the second option. (But I'll probably be at the Ed Center to help with the meeting.) I encourage (urge, ask, beg) you to use whichever option most appeals to you. Just please make your opinion known now.
Yes, there were already focus groups. But those were over a year ago. And the purpose of the focus groups was not, no pun intended, focused. At that time, there was no explicit goal of choosing a math textbook/program for all elementary schools. Now that we know that’s the ultimate goal, and we had a long year of talk amongst friends and neighbors and others, let’s make extra-sure that the District knows the opinions of as wide a sample of parents as possible.
Click here to read the four questions you’re being asked. Please answer any or all of them. If you don’t like the first question about “passion,” (it’s a little touchy-feely for some), it would probably be ok to skip it. The real meat is in questions 3 & 4: what do you think all students should know, and what would you like to see in a math textbook?
So please come to the Ed Center Monday night. Or please send your email comments by November 10.
The District is asking community members to share what’s important to them in terms of elementary math education. We have two options: 1) Attend the Math Meeting at the Ed Center on Monday night at 7:30. 2) Send our opinions via email to kkiedaisch@ridgewood.k12.nj.us. I’ll be using the second option. (But I'll probably be at the Ed Center to help with the meeting.) I encourage (urge, ask, beg) you to use whichever option most appeals to you. Just please make your opinion known now.
Yes, there were already focus groups. But those were over a year ago. And the purpose of the focus groups was not, no pun intended, focused. At that time, there was no explicit goal of choosing a math textbook/program for all elementary schools. Now that we know that’s the ultimate goal, and we had a long year of talk amongst friends and neighbors and others, let’s make extra-sure that the District knows the opinions of as wide a sample of parents as possible.
Click here to read the four questions you’re being asked. Please answer any or all of them. If you don’t like the first question about “passion,” (it’s a little touchy-feely for some), it would probably be ok to skip it. The real meat is in questions 3 & 4: what do you think all students should know, and what would you like to see in a math textbook?
So please come to the Ed Center Monday night. Or please send your email comments by November 10.
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
New Board of Ed web pages
The Board of Ed has expanded its web pages on the District website, in an effort to give the public more information on what we do, how and why. If you go to the Ridgewood Public Schools website and click Board of Ed on the left, you'll find:
-- Board member bios with e-mail addresses;
-- An FAQs page with explanations of how the Board operates, what the Board is responsible for vs. what the superintendent is responsible for, meeting formats, etc.;
-- List of Board committees with descriptions and Board member assignments;
-- Detailed line item budget;
-- Referendum planning page, containing drawings of expansion plans for GW, Willard, Hawes and Ridge.
If you check it out, let me know what you think. Is there anything else about the Board of Ed you'd like to know?
-- Board member bios with e-mail addresses;
-- An FAQs page with explanations of how the Board operates, what the Board is responsible for vs. what the superintendent is responsible for, meeting formats, etc.;
-- List of Board committees with descriptions and Board member assignments;
-- Detailed line item budget;
-- Referendum planning page, containing drawings of expansion plans for GW, Willard, Hawes and Ridge.
If you check it out, let me know what you think. Is there anything else about the Board of Ed you'd like to know?
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