Studying the brain to improve teaching and learning.

Interesting story in today's New York Times about how the human brain learns math.

An excerpt:

For much of the last century, educators and many scientists believed that children could not learn math at all before the age of five, that their brains simply were not ready.

But recent research has turned that assumption on its head — that, and a host of other conventional wisdom about geometry, reading, language and self-control in class. The findings, mostly from a branch of research called cognitive neuroscience, are helping to clarify when young brains are best able to grasp fundamental concepts.

In one recent study, for instance, researchers found that most entering preschoolers could perform rudimentary division, by distributing candies among two or three play animals. In another, scientists found that the brain’s ability to link letter combinations with sounds may not be fully developed until age 11 — much later than many have assumed.

The teaching of basic academic skills, until now largely the realm of tradition and guesswork, is giving way to approaches based on cognitive science. In several cities, including Boston, Washington and Nashville, schools have been experimenting with new curriculums to improve math skills in preschoolers. In others, teachers have used techniques developed by brain scientists to help children overcome dyslexia.

And schools in about a dozen states have begun to use a program intended to accelerate the development of young students’ frontal lobes, improving self-control in class.

“Teaching is an ancient craft, and yet we really have had no idea how it affected the developing brain,” said Kurt Fischer, director of the Mind, Brain and Education program at Harvard. “Well, that is beginning to change, and for the first time we are seeing the fields of brain science and education work together.”

The story goes on to describe several examples of innovative programs based on the science of the brain. Click here for the full article.

Superintendent Fishbein meets with Governor-elect Christie's transition team.

Last week, Superintendent Dr. Dan Fishbein was among a group of educators who met with the Governor-elect’s transition team to give input and advice on education issues that will face the new administration ASAP. The group covered many topics including special education costs, new regulations, proposed legislation (prevailing wage, instant tenure), new testing mandates, qualities to look for in a new Education Commissioner and others. The Governor-elect certainly has his work cut out for him. We’ll all be watching closely to see how he makes the most of this opportunity to make some needed changes in state education policy. I’ll keep you posted on developments...

Standardized Tests and Referendum Recovery

So, I've been a little quiet over the past week...after the months of pre-Referendum activities (including 20+ meetings with the community), I guess I was a little burned out. I’ve been focusing on holiday stuff. And my “real” job, too, (for a change, haha).

Anyway, you can expect my posts to be a little less frequent through the end of this month. I wish everyone a happy, healthy, restful and peaceful holiday season and happy new year!

I’ve been meaning to write about the District-Wide State Testing Report, which Assistant Superintendent Regina Botsford presented at the December 7 meeting. But I’ve been dragging my feet a little because I don’t like the excessive and narrow focus on standardized tests, which I sometimes see. And then the other day I heard an interview with a man who wrote an insider’s “tell-all” book on the standardized test business. Definitely got me feeling even more ambivalent on the topic.

I understand why people can get excited about test results. It’s human nature. We need to order things in the world, and we need to “place” ourselves somewhere in that order. (Bear with me on my amateur psycho-evaluation...this is just my opinion.) And of course we want to place ourselves as high as possible in the food chain. Standardized test scores come out and we immediately want to see how our students compare.

The good news is, overall our scores look good. At the elementary level, the percentage of our students who are “advanced proficient” was better than our DFG* average in every category -- Language Arts, Math and Science. At the high school, same thing. We beat our DFG average in all subjects. At the middle school, our students are basically equal to our DFG in most categories – and just below our DFG in some. It’s important to note that the gap between our scores and the DFG average is narrowing over the past few years, so that’s a good trend. When we discussed the results at the Board meeting on December 8, the general feeling was that middle school presents special challenges and even though our scores dip in grades 6-8, they “catch up” again in high school. That is one way to look at it, but I wonder why our scores dip more than the average scores in our DFG. At a future meeting, the District will present goals for every grade/school, including the middle schools, so I’ll have a chance to ask about that. Again, it does look like our middle school scores are improving relative to the average scores in our DFG, and that’s a good thing.

I've written about standardized test issues in the past. I think there's a place for them, but they need to be part of a complete assessment program. You can read a little more about summative vs. formative assessment here.

(*DFG = District Factor Group. It's the group of districts the state puts us in, based primarily on population density and community affluence. We are a "J" district and other districts in this group are Glen Rock, HoHoKus, Northern Highlands, Saddle River, Upper Saddle River, Woodcliff Lake, Millburn, West Windsor-Plainsboro, Rumson, Chatham, Mountain Lakes.)

Now about that book I mentioned. It’s called Making the Grades: My Misadventures in the Standardized Testing Industry, by Todd Farley. The author was really interesting on WNYC the other day. I’ve ordered the book and I’ll let you know what I find out. I can tell I’m not going to like it.

Ridgewood High School named Silver Medal school in U.S. News & World Report's annual rankings

In its annual ranking of the Best High Schools in the United States, U.S. News & World Report named Ridgewood High School to Silver Medal status. We were one of only two Bergen County schools ranked (Bergen Academies was ranked #39 in the nation). New Jersey was ranked #4 state overall. The rankings were based on a three-step methodology, focusing on test performance (overall and for each school's least-advantaged students) and college readiness.

I'm not generally a big fan of magazine rankings...take them with a grain of salt and remember that one of these magazines' primary goals is to sell magazines, so they will develop rankings that seem unique, and with criteria that can change from year to year. In fact, the U.S. News college rankings have generated controversy in recent years as more and more colleges ask to be excluded because they don't agree with the methodology used. I haven't heard any of any similar controversy regarding high schools.

You can read the entire High School rankings story by clicking here.

Anyway, I think our high school's achievement as a Silver Medal ranking is something to celebrate! Congratulations to Jack Lorenz and our high school staff!

Voters approve more than $215.4 million in school construction projects

As reported by the New Jersey School Boards Association:

Voters in 11 of 15 New Jersey school districts approved more than $215.4 million in school construction projects on Tuesday, Dec. 8.

School boards may hold special elections on five specific dates a year, and Tuesday was the final day for a school board to schedule a referendum in 2009. This year, voters approved school-construction proposals in 48 of 66 communities, for a success rate of 72.7 percent, one of the highest approval rates recorded during the past 11 years. The average success rate during the previous four years has hovered around 62 percent.

The 15 districts holding bond referendums on Tuesday proposed a total of $237 million in school construction. Energy-saving initiatives continued to be popular, as seven of the 15 referendums asked voters to approve solar panels; six of the projects with solar energy components were approved.

Of the $215.4 million that was approved in the 11 districts, nearly $68 million will be covered by state funds, either through up-front grants, annual “debt service aid” payments, or rebates through the state’s Clean Energy program.

The next date on which a school board may schedule a bond referendum question is Jan. 26.

Statewide results from Tuesday’s school construction proposals:

ATLANTIC COUNTY
Estell Manor – REJECTED
Renovations, including HVAC, electrical, and installing a geothermal system
Total amount – $3,105,636
Amount eligible for state funding – $1,367,192

BERGEN COUNTY
Edgewater – PASSED (both questions)
Proposal 1: Demolish the George Washington School and construct new elementary school
Total amount – $28,250,000
Amount eligible for state funding – $ 1,179,750

Proposal 2 (contingent upon the passage of Proposal 1)
Install solar panels at Eleanor Van Gelder School
Total amount – $478,400
Amount eligible for state funding – $191,360

Hasbrouck Heights – REJECTED
Relocation of main office and several classrooms for security reasons at two elementary schools; replacement of heating systems at two elementary schools, the middle school and high school
Total amount – $4,728,712
Amount eligible for state funding – $1,891,484

Ridgewood – PASSED
Renovate high school, including field improvements; additions and/or renovations to eight other schools, with projecting ranging from new roofs to installation of a new track
Total amount – $48,265,314
Amount eligible for state funding – $9,844,712

BURLINGTON COUNTY
Bordentown Regional – PASSED
Renovations to the high school complex, including solar panels, reconstruction of athletic fields, lighting and other work
Total amount – $8,499,975
Amount eligible for state funding – $2,620,936

Mansfield Township – PASSED (both questions)
Proposal 1: Roof replacement at elementary school
Total amount – $639,300
Amount eligible for state funding – $255,720

Proposal 2 (Contingent upon passage of Proposal 1: Install solar panels at elementary school
Total amount – $1,229,424
Amount eligible for state funding – $ 491,770

Springfield Township – REJECTED
Renovations including installing solar panels at elementary school
Total amount – $11,083,227
Amount eligible for state funding – $3,776,565

CAMDEN COUNTY
Berlin Township – PASSED
Roof replacement, renovations to HVAC at two schools; roof replacement at administration building
Total amount – $6,580,995
Amount eligible for state funding – $3,246,206

CAPE MAY COUNTY
Woodbine – PASSED
Install solar panels at elementary school
Total amount – $3,682,665
Amount eligible for state funding – $2,145,745

CUMBERLAND COUNTY
Fairfield Township – PASSED
Addition and renovations to elementary school
Total amount – $3,984,772
Amount eligible for state funding – $1,984,772

ESSEX COUNTY
Livingston Township – PASSED (both questions)
Proposal 1: Renovations to six elementary schools and two middle schools
Total amount – $55,996,572
Amount eligible for state funding – $22,398,628

Proposal 2 (contingent upon passage of Proposal 1): Install solar panels and any necessary roof and electrical system renovations at six elementary schools, two middle schools and a high school
Total amount – $8,687,905
Amount eligible for state funding – $3,475,162

GLOUCESTER COUNTY
Delsea Regional – REJECTED
Replace roof at middle school
Total amount – $3,000,000
Amount eligible for state funding – $1,631,719

SALEM COUNTY
Quinton Township – PASSED
Improvements to elementary school, including installing solar panels
Total amount – $4,839,850
Amount eligible for state funding – $2,717,885

SOMERSET COUNTY
Montgomery Township – PASSED
Renovations to three schools, addition and renovations to one school
Total amount – $24,350,352
Amount eligible for state funding – $9,485,489

UNION COUNTY
Cranford – PASSED
Replace roofs at all schools; replace HVAC systems in three schools and boilers at three other schools.
Total amount – $19,981,269
Amount eligible for state funding – $7,992,506

Schools referendum passes 51% to 49%

It was very close, but Referendum 09 was approved by voters. Now the real work will begin as we mobilize for the many renovation and expansion projects throughout the school. Thank you to everyone who participated in the process.

The unofficial totals we got were:
2129 Yes
2047 No

This represents about 25% of the registered voters participating.

We'll get the official results certified by the county.

Details to come...and then some!

For now, though, a little sleep.

On tonight's Board of Ed agenda...

Yes, there's all kinds of activity happening within the district, besides the upcoming referendum (Vote tomorrow!). Here are some highlight's from tonight's meeting agenda:

* Choir Performance by RHS Madrigals
* Report on districtwide test scores
* Referendum update (of course!)
* Approval of new high school courses (discussed at last meeting and listed here)
* Approval of our "articulation agreement" with Bergen Community College, which allows some of our high school students to receive college credit for courses they take at RHS (cool way to make college a little easier and/or less expensive!)
* Various staff appointments, resignations, changes of assignment
* Grateful acceptance of generous donations
* Discussion of revised policies on use of school facilities
* Opportunities for Public Comment

The meeting starts at 7:30 p.m. (CORRECTION) on the 3rd floor of the Ed Center. You can watch the live webcast by clicking here, or watch the archived webcast beginning tomorrow (and fast forward through the less-than-exciting parts!).

Race to the Top or race to more problems?

In the world outside the Ridgewood referendum...
As reported in the Bergen Record, various state lawmakers are upset with Education Commissioner Lucille Davy for not getting New Jersey's application in for Federal Race to the Top education funds. It seems her office decided to leave it for the new governor's staff to handle. I'm not going to comment on the politics of all that (and you can bet it's about politics), but I'm thinking it may not be such a bad thing to drag our feet in the race to the Race. Sure, it would be great to get $200 million to $400 million from the the Federal government for NJ schools, but at what cost? The Obama administration's education policy is something our students will live with for years, and parts of it concern me:
• There's a big focus on charter schools, even though research shows that student achievement in charter schools is as mixed as it is in traditional public schools;
• I have yet to see practical, real-world description of how student test scores can be linked with teacher evaluations;
• Why would NJ want to adopt national common core standards, if many of those standards are lower than New Jersey's existing academic standards?

All I'm saying is, these things are giving me pause and hoping we can get more info/explanations/assurances. The rush to this Race to the Top reminds me of the early days of No Child Left Behind, and we know how well that turned out.

Editorial in today's Ridgewood News says "Vote YES"

Reprinted from Ridgewood News 12/4/09:

This Tuesday, village residents will be asked to approve a $48 million bond referendum to upgrade school buildings and fields. If residents approve the bond referendum, taxpayers will contribute an average of $300 per year for the next 25 years to pay it off.

There are dissenting opinions on the issue: Some residents see the project as a necessity, some want it scaled back, while others don't think now is the right time. District officials are hoping that the bond is approved, because if it is, the state will chip in about $12 million to get the projects completed.

Many Ridgewood residents are proud of their homes, making necessary upgrades and repairs to maintain the value of their properties. That same pride must be shown to the village's communal properties, including the schools.

Would a Ridgewood homeowner ignore a roof leak, rodent infestations, or crumbling walls? Highly unlikely.

Would a Ridgewood resident let a child sleep in a hallway? Probably not, but some village students are now taking classes in school hallways.

Some will argue that fiscal restraint should be shown because of the economic recession. But spending money on much-needed repairs is not frivolous - if the damage gets worse, it will cost more. And if the bond is not approved, the district will lose the state aid for the project, and may never get that money back.

Two major complaints from residents opposed to the referendum are the installation of turf fields and air conditioning in the auditorium at Benjamin Franklin Middle School (BF).

BF has the largest auditorium in all Ridgewood schools, used by Jamboree, Dad's Night and some elementary school productions. In May and June, it can be sweltering. It is often rented by outside organizations - producing income for the Board of Education - and would be more attractive to other potential renters if air conditioning were installed.

The installation of turf fields will allow the football field to be used for more than football, which is only fair for all the other Ridgewood High School teams.

Village residents will make the ultimate decision on whether this project proceeds or not. We think there are too many reasons to vote in favor of the proposal than let the opportunity slip away.

Village is getting more $$ from County to help pay for Schedler property

Just read this good news on the Bergen Record website: Ridgewood will receive an additional $600,000 grant from Bergen County to purchase the 7-acre Schedler property, bringing the total grant aid to $1.6 million. The remaining $1.1 million will be funded through bonding.

The property, assessed at $2,598,000, is located on the east side of Route 17 and runs parallel to West Saddle River Road. Mayor David Pfund said earlier this year that the village anticipates preserving the property as open space, including (in a plan I saw) a park with fields, jogging path, benches and bathrooms.

Explanation (again) of what we currently spend on facilities and why...

For those who missed it when I wrote before (click here), it is true that a school district may budget to put money into a capital reserve account, creating a fund that is accumulated for a “rainy day.” Our District established a capital reserve fund in 2000. We have funded it and, most recently, we used money from this account last year to do repairs on the 1919 roof at RHS. But in recent years, we have not been able to budget additional funds for capital reserve, nor have we been able to end the year with as much surplus as in the past.

Also, yes we are allowed to spend more on capital projects and maintenance within our operating budget. The only thing stopping us is...everything else. After paying our contractual obligations for salaries and benefits, and dealing with cost increases in transportation and other expenses, and staying within the state's budget growth cap of 4.0% of the tax levy (approx. 3.6% budget), the most we've been able to put toward the facilities is $2 million per year. That's a significant amount of money -- except when you consider that we have 11 old buildings to maintain totaling one million square feet. $2 million doesn't go very far. If the community wants to spend more on facilities, we will have to take the money from somewhere else. It's as simple (and as complicated) as that.

(Added 12/4/09 @ 10:50 AM)
What kind of capital and maintenance projects does the District undertake as part of our regular budget? As I wrote previously, here's a partial list of projects from this past summer/fall:

Ridgewood High School
Renovation of Guidance Suite and Grade Advisor area; Rooms 207, 211 & 112. (Note, the Guidance area had water damage, crumbling plaster, dingy paint...now it's a great showcase for visiting college admissions folks and parents.)
Renovation of North Stair Tower (the one I used to say looked like a ghetto movie set)
Repair of Lockers in Boys' Locker Room
Installed flooring in ancillary weight room
Installed 600+ new lockers
Locker room showers, more roof replacement and bathroom renovations going out to bid

Hawes
New fencing
New lighting in gym

Orchard
Fencing
New lighting in gym
Sidewalk (donated by HSA)

Willard
Renovation of art room
Outside lighting improvements

Travell
Gym renovation -- tile & lighting
Outside lighting improvement

GW
Replaced 4 classroom carpets with tile floors
Refinished Gym and Band Room floors
Roof repairs
Fencing
Bathroom renovations -- going to bid

Glen
Gym window wall replacement -- going to bid
Exterior door and electrical upgrades -- going to bid

BF
Roof repairs
Improved electrical in library and computer labs
Fencing
Roofing & door projects to be bid

Ridge
Renovated gym (floor and lighting)
Drainage in front of building
Door project -- going to bid

Somerville
Renovated cafeteria
Removed wall between 2 classrooms; replace with foldable wall
Fencing
Partial roof replacement (over gym)

Any questions, please comment or email me directly lauriegood@mac.com.

Report says "no evidence that Ridgewood synthetic turf field poses a threat to environment, flood plain or children."

For anyone with questions about the benefits/risks of artificial turf in Ridgewood, the following recent press release from REAC (Ridgewood Environmental Advisory Committee) should be helpful (bold or italic sections are my highlights).

11-30-09 Ridgewood, NJ: In November 2009, the Ridgewood Environmental Advisory Committee (R.E.A.C.) released its environmental, health and safety assessment of the synthetic field at Maple Park. The assessment may be accessed at R.E.A.C.’s website by clicking here.

Three years ago, Ridgewood replaced a grass field at Maple Park with a synthetic field manufactured by FieldTurf. Media reports of concerns over synthetic turf fields in NJ received national attention in 2008, prompting REAC to form a sub-committee to conduct a 10-month assessment of whether these concerns affect the residents of Ridgewood. R.E.A.C. focused on identifying the most current and objective information on synthetic turf, in order to provide an unbiased reference resource for the residents of the Village of Ridgewood.

R.E.A.C.’s assessment focused only on concerns, which are applicable in Ridgewood and are specific to the synthetic “infill” turf field design at Maple Park. Much of the information presented in the assessment was derived from actual testing at Maple Park, some of which was previously not available.

The assessment also includes test results and commentary from government sources, including the NJ Dept. of Environmental Protection, NYS Dept. of Environmental Conservation, NYS Dept. of Health, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and California Environmental Protection Agency. Other important sources include the American Journal of Sports Medicine, British Journal of Sports Medicine, the Clean Washington Center (CWC), Penn State University Center for Sports Surface Research, Ridgewood Dept. of Parks & Recreation, RHS Athletic Dept. and RHS Director of Health & Wellness. There are extensive video and website links incorporated into the assessment, which may be of interest to Ridgewood residents.

The assessment is intended to be a living document that can be modified as new credible information becomes available. The overall conclusions from the assessment are that there is no evidence that the synthetic field at Maple Park poses a threat to the environment, the flood plain around the park or children, who use the field. In addition, the assessment highlights a number environmental and functional advantages that have been realized locally and beyond Ridgewood, as a result of the field installation. R.E.A.C. notes that it did not consider financial costs or potential savings associated with the field when conducting its assessment, as these were beyond the environmental, heath and safety scope of the assessment.

The R.E.A.C. is an independent volunteer committee, appointed by the Village Council, with experience and/or interest in environmental issues. REAC advises the Village Council on environmental, health and human safety issues in Ridgewood. It also seeks to assist the residents of Ridgewood in addressing environmental concerns by advocating “best practices”, which protect the environment, respect the ecosystem and promote sustainability.

For additional information, please contact John Halenar with R.E.A.C. at johnhalenar@yahoo.com.

Good questions & answers at last night's community meeting

I'd say there were about 30 people at last night's community meeting on the referendum. Many people brought questions, which Dr. Fishbein and Board of Education members answered. Most of the questions focused on trying to find alternatives to the $48 million bond referendum to address our facilities needs. The trouble is, there really are not many alternatives. To put it bluntly, it sucks that we have to do this, but the system is currently set-up so that the only way to accomplish major capital work is via bonds, which must be approved by voters.

Have we explored all our options? I believe we have.

To reiterate some of the suggestions/alternative solutions I've heard:

* Budget significantly more in capital work within our regular operating budget? Can't do it without removing programs or otherwise impacting daily education activities.

* Budget significantly more in capital work by increasing our regular operating budget? Not allowed, due to the state's budget cap.

* Get corporations to sponsor building projects (to create the RHS Pepsi Stadium or the Hawes Verizon Wing)? Companies aren't doing those types of donations anymore.

* Get the work done with our customary $2 million per year for capital and maintenance? Unfortunately, $2 million does not go very far when we have 11 buildings (One million square feet!) and a single school roof can cost $2 million.

* Split out the fields (or some other project) from this referendum? Too late. The ballot question is locked in.

* Re-open Glen School and redistrict? Re-opening Glen would require construction at Glen to add a cafeteria, library, art room and music room. We would need to hire a principal, secretary, nurse, art teacher and librarian, adding hundreds of thousands of dollars to our operating budget every year. Re-opening Glen would not address the needs at GW and RHS. And re-opening Glen does not address our wellness/athletics needs.

Those are the most comment suggestions. I wish some of them would work. But unfortunately, the way school funding is set up, and with the budget cap, bonds, voted by referendum, are the only way to do major facilities work.

Get Referendum Facts Tonight: Q&A and School Tours

I hope we'll get a decent turnout tonight at the Community Meeting at George Washington Middle School auditorium. The session begins at 7:30 p.m. with a presentation by Superintendent Dan Fishbein followed by questions-and-answers -- anything you want to know, we'll answer! This is a chance for everyone in the community, parents, non-parents, senior citizens, all registered voters, to get the facts, see plans, clarify rumors, etc.

Prior to tonight's meeting at GW, everyone has a chance to tour Willard Elementary School, Travell Elementary School, Hawes Elementary School, GW Middle School and Ridgewood High School. Principals and other staff will give a first-hand look at some of the conditions in need of renovation and expansion. Tours will take place from 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

Hope to see you tonight!
(And don't forget to VOTE on Dec. 8!)

BF Community donates 130 turkeys for needy families!

Congratulations and thank you to the Ben Franklin Middle School community for today donating 130 turkeys for local needy families. This is the unofficial total, and I'm told it may be just one turkey shy of the previous record. (Can anyone confirm this?)

As a reader posted here earlier this evening: "Great job BF'ers. Your community is proud of you. There will be lots of appreciative and well-fed families on Thanksgiving."

Wishing a warm and happy Thanksgiving to all.

Interview with Dr. Fishbein on Ridgewood Patch

Ridgewood Patch, the new online local news site, has posted a brief interview with Superintendent Dan Fishbein on the Referendum. It's a fairly accurate story, but...I don't know why the reporter felt the need to describe Dr. Fishbein's "spacious...corner office." Wow, sounds pretty fancy. Anyone who visits the Ed Center will notice that this historic building is anything but posh...Also, Dr. Fishbein's office is not in a corner. I guess it's spacious enough (I've seen much larger offices), and yes it's also somewhat cozy -- due in part to the nice paint job Dr. Fishbein did himself.

This might be a good time to point out that the Ed Center -- in the building that was formerly the Beech Street School, built in 1894 -- is not included in the list of Referendum projects. The building is in OK shape -- the roof has issues, there are leaks, the wind whistles through the windows like a freight train -- but we decided to focus on school buildings as the priority. You should stop by the Ed Center sometime...it's an interesting building. Did you know that the 3rd floor, where we hold public meetings, was the gymnasium? I find it amazing that they'd put a gym on top and classrooms beneath. Also, there's a good story about the construction of the building, which I wrote about last year (click here to read).

So, looking beyond the needs of the Ed Center and Ridgewood Patch's skewed portrayal of Dr. Fishbein's office, check out the Ridgewood Patch story. Click here to read the article.

Referendum Update: School Tours, Community Meeting on Nov. 30

The community is invited to George Washington Middle School auditorium on Monday 11/30 at 7:30 p.m. for a presentation and question-and-answer session on the upcoming referendum. This event is for everyone in the community, parents, non-parents, senior citizens, all registered voters. Come get the facts and ask questions, see plans, etc.

Prior to the meeting at GW, principals and other staff will be leading tours at a few schools, to give a first-hand look at some of the conditions in need of renovation and expansion. Tours will take place from 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at RHS, Travell, Willard, Hawes and GW.

There are also some photos posted on the district website, showing some of the building conditions. Click here and then click on the school photos you'd like to see.

Questions are also welcome at referendum09@ridgewood.k12.nj.us, or post a question here.

Rumor control: this week’s “out there” referendum comments & questions

As Board members speak with community members at HSA meetings, neighborhood coffees, cocktail parties or on the sidelines, I’m surprised nearly every day with some of the questions I get or the rumors I’m asked to confirm or deny. I’m surprised because it seems like no matter how hard we try to get the facts out there, many people still have many questions (and some people haven’t even heard of the upcoming vote!).

Here are some of the more “out there” comments I heard this past week:

Rumor: "If the Referendum fails, they will redistrict the middle schools, and force some students to move from GW to BF." (Variation: "All Village 6th graders will go to GW and all Village 7th and 8th graders will go to BF.")
Fact: Moving middle school kids around from one side of town to the other is not going to solve our space problems. And consolidating two full grades at BF would mean a population of 800 students…that is not something BF could physically accommodate. Besides that, an 800-student middle school is a completely different environment, educationally, logistically and socially—which would create a whole new slate of issues. Finally, the transportation costs alone to bus kids across town would make this extremely cost-prohibitive.

Rumor: "The track at BF will have an artificial turf field inside."
Fact: The infield of the new track at BF will be a natural grass field.

Rumor: "Ridge and Willard will get computers and Smartboards as part of the referendum, while our school had to fundraise for those things."
Fact: There is no technology -- no computers and no Smartboards -- in the Referendum projects. Ridge and Willard will have Computer Labs added, but those are just new rooms that will house the labs. Currently Ridge's computer lab is in the hallway.

Rumor: "BF students will not be allowed to use the track and field at their school, as it will be reserved for high school students."
Fact: BF students will have complete use of the track and field, including gym classes and afterschool intramurals.

Comment: "The Referendum is not fair for schools such as Somerville or Orchard, which are not scheduled for major renovations or expansions."
Answer: The Board must look at the needs of the entire District as a whole. There’s no east side or west side when we look at needs. We could point out that Somerville was expanded in the last referendum and Orchard has had many projects completed in recent years. The selection of projects included in the referendum should make it clear that we did not simply “give” every school something. We truly balanced the needs of the entire district.

Comment: "We can’t trust the BOE to spend our money wisely. Look how much money and time they just wasted on the new bathrooms at Vets Field."
Answer: Huh? Sorry. OK, here’s the deal: the Board of Education and the School District are completely separate from the Village of Ridgewood. We don’t share budgets, we don’t share management, we don’t share ownership of properties… The bathrooms at Vets are a Village project, not the schools.
However, to address any worries about trusting the BOE with the finances: our budget for these projects is set. The amount that we bond for is the maximum we can spend. We simply are not allowed, by law, to go over budget. If our contingency doesn’t cover change orders due to some unforeseen expensive development, we are required to reduce or eliminate other projects to come in at the $48 million amount. We can’t just pass an ordinance if we need more money. We will hire a construction manager to examine and justify each and every invoice and change order.

More comments and questions to come…

Donate frozen turkeys at BF

Last Thursday was the annual Turkey Trot at BF Middle School. Students, staff and parents walked the BF field...long ago students would get pledges, and then turkeys would be purchased with the funds raised. Nowadays, the walk is for fun and fitness and community, and turkeys are collected as donations.

The annual collection of frozen turkeys at BF Middle School will take place this Tuesday morning, November 24. Every year the BF community generously donates turkeys which are distributed by Social Services to local families in need. Last year there were a couple hundred turkeys donated -- this year the need is the same or even greater.

A lot of local families are hurting this year, and your donation of a turkey will make one family's Thanksgiving holiday a little easier. Please consider dropping off a frozen turkey at BF on Tuesday, before 8:30 AM. Turkeys will be collected in the back of the school at the cafeteria doors.

What has the District been doing to maintain the buildings?

Currently posted on the District website is a report of building-by-building maintenance expenditures over the past 10 years.

Note: these are not major capital improvements. These are maintenance, which includes things like:

* Removal and replacement of asbestos tiles in gyms and classrooms
* Removal and replacement soiled and worn classroom carpeting with tile
* Renovation and refurbishment of classrooms, offices, and hallways (eg., recent work at RHS)
* General plumbing, electrical, roof , HV and HVAC repairs
* Installation of electronics/electrical (e.g. white boards, projectors, air conditioners, etc)
* Fence repairs and improvements (for example the fence that neighbors keep cutting over at BF!)
* Glass replacement
* Preventive maintenance (e.g. filter replacement, oil motors, clean and inspect uni-vents)
* Boiler inspections
* Boiler repairs
* Stack permits (yes, the state charges us for having chimneys that vent our boilers)
* Signage
* Site work (e.g. Curbs, paving, signage, concrete)

Click here for the complete 10-year spreadsheet (click on "Detailed Annual Maintenance Worksheet")

Board of Ed meeting tonight

Head on over to the Ed Center, or tune in to our webcast, to watch tonight's meeting of the Board of Education. It starts at 7:30. A few highlights from the agenda:

-- Review of the annual report from our auditor on financial and administrative performance.
-- Some proposed course changes at RHS next year.
-- Discussion of our new Policy Manual...we've been working on revisions for the past year or so. No ground-breaking changes but lots of revision to ensure our policies are in compliance with state regulations. The draft Policy Manual is currently available on the District website (click here), if you want to take a look (warning: it's 1,500 pages long!)
-- Update on Referendum communications
-- Acceptance of donations from some very generous members of our community (thank you!)
-- Update on K-2 Math professional development
-- Various appointments, changes of assignment, bills, etc.

Oh, boy, this week's meeting required a ton of reading. I'm still reading.

Congratulations RHS Coach Jacob Brown, Running Warehouse National Coach of the Week

Ridgewood's women's cross country and track coach Jacob Brown was named the Dye Stat Running Warehouse Coach of the Week last week. Click here for article/interview. In addition to posting a ridiculously impressive record over the past 34 years at Ridgewood, Coach Brown has had a major influence on, and been a major supporter of, women's HS athletics overall.

According to local sports writer Paul Schultz, Coach Brown's record includes:

24 Bergen Group titles
19 North 1 Sectional titles in 34 straight appearances at State Groups
24 BMOC (Bergen Meet of Champions) titles
At least a divisional title in 28 of the 29 years the NNJIL had girls team scores
4 Group 4 state titles
15 appearances in SMOC (State Meet of Champions)
2 SMOC titles
That's 101 major league, county, sectional and state titles (out of a possible 199)
Also, 44 different runners he's coached have finished in the top 10 of sectionals a total of 91 times

Congratulations Coach Brown!

Refresher Course on the BOE Budget

(updated 11/16/09)
There's been some confusion on another local blog about our district financing.

Some posters said something like, “the district isn’t allowed to put aside money for future capital improvements, because they’re not allowed to end the year with any extra money.”

Other posters countered that the NJDOE says any district can put aside money for capital improvements.

They're both correct…

It is true that a district is not allowed to end its year with a surplus of more than 2% of its total budget. Any surplus beyond 2% must be returned to the voters as tax relief. So that could explain the first poster’s not-allowed-to-save-money statement.

It is also true that a district may budget to put money into a capital reserve account, creating a fund that is accumulated for a “rainy day.” That would be in line with the info the other previous poster got from the NJDOE.

The truth is, this district established a capital reserve fund in 2000. I don't know the exact history of deposits since then, but I do know the fund currently has $1,187,144 in it. (Last year we used money from this account to do some repairs on the 1919 roof at RHS.) In recent years, the district has not been able to budget additional funds for capital reserve, nor have we been able to end the year with as much surplus as in the past. In fact, last year, when developing the budget for this year, the district had to take funds from surplus and apply them to the revenue side, and even then we still had to cut $2.5 million from the budget in order to remain under the state’s cap. The idea of planning to put aside millions of dollars in a capital reserve fund sounds great, but where will that money come from? It would have to come from current programs in our operating budget. Not only that, but can you imagine voters approving cutting several million dollars from the operating budget and setting it aside for some unknown purpose at some unknown future date? Me neither.

(And, yes, it's true that we could choose to add a second question to our annual budget votes, and ask for more tax money to place into a capital reserve. Based on the statistical history of second questions, that doesn't seem too likely, either.)

I know there’s some chatter that the district’s budget is huge or inflated or wasteful. But how many people are looking at the facts (rather than feeding off each other in anonymous blog posts)?

If you really look at the expenses in the district you would quickly see the cost centers: Salaries and Benefits are 75% of the budget (teachers, secretaries, administrators, lunch aides, special education aides, substitutes, etc.), with the remaining 25% going to (in no particular order) transportation costs (busing for special education, regular education, athletics and some RHS extracurricular programs like Speech and Debate), tuition costs (special education out of district, vocational schools, Bergen Academy), custodial and maintenance services, grounds and fields, technology (lease purchase of computers, this year installation of new phone system), professional development and curriculum development, extracurricular/athletics, supplies, maintenance and capital projects, related services for special education (ABA therapy, some OT, PT, Speech, sometimes evaluations by outside psychologists and neurologists when required due to evaluations, IEP and out of district placements), insurance (other than health), legal services, auditor, architect (every capital project requires engineering or architect drawings as required by the state), utilities, phone charges, textbooks, and books for libraries. (I might be missing something.)

If you take a look at the comparative spending guide on the NJDOE web site, Ridgewood’s costs per student are less than the average cost for districts over 3500 students. Compare our costs to Northern Highlands and the other regional high school districts, or Millburn, Montclair, Teaneck, Paramus, Fair Lawn. Our ratios for students and teachers to administrators is higher (meaning we have fewer administrators) than other districts in our size range.

One more thing — school districts are highly regulated by the state. The new accountability standards (215 pages long!) effective last year require us to get state approval for most things that we do, and our budgets are reviewed each year by the state (county superintendent). Our administrative costs are below what the state allows. The county superintendent also approves contracts for our superintendent and two assistant superintendents. Our budget and contracts are in line with all rules and regulations as dictated by the state. As a matter of fact, our auditor will be reporting to the Board the audit of the 2008-09 budget Monday night and the district is being monitored next month by the state under QSAC (a new monitoring system in which districts are monitored every three years).

Sorry for such a long post, but I thought the details would be helpful.

The last thing I want to say (at least for tonight!) is this: This referendum is not a case of, “oops, we forgot to take care of the buildings.” Our budget pressures (thanks mostly to salaries/benefits) combine with 11 old buildings to make it virtually impossible to take care of these types of major capital improvements within the regular budget. In recent years we’ve spent around $2 million every year on capital projects and maintenance…but that doesn’t go very far.

Anyone who has paid close attention to the budget over the years knew this day would come. Personally, I'm thankful it came when interest rates are low, construction costs are low and the state of New Jersey still has it's last few million dollars to grant.)

Referendum 5 at 5: my most frequent FAQs

I wanted a catchy title...it's almost 5:00...so here you go.

I feel the need to review some of the things I've already written (or spoken a hundred times). The questions and misinformation are swirling...I wish I could have a one-on-one conversation with everyone, because whenever I do that, we both benefit. But in the meantime, here are the questions I keep hearing -- and some bullet point answers. (Technically these were my notes for the RHS HSA meeting the other night):

1) Why now? The economy is too bad.
* The needs of the buildings are not going away, they will only get worse/more expensive.
* Now we can take advantage of $12 million in state aid, reducing the cost to the taxpayer. State aid will not be available if referendum is defeated. There is a limited "pot" of money, and other districts are in line right behind us. On December 9, if our referendum has failed, that money will be scooped up.
* Construction costs are currently lower than they've been in years (we save $$)
* Interest rates are lower than they've been in years -- if we need to borrow, now is the time -- we'll save $$ in long run
* Energy savings will help our operating budget, year after year

2) It's too much; there are too many luxuries
* We worked for two years to identify the projects; worked with every principal. Many many more projects did not make the list.
* List contains nothing luxurious or purely aesthetic. No finishes. Everything is infrastructure, health & safety, expansion/crowding/efficient use of space

3) Why not re-open Glen?
* Re-opening Glen would not save money and would not address the needs of the district as a whole. We would still need roofs at RHS, Somerville, Travell & Willard, RHS would still have all its renovation needs, GW would still be crowded, electrical needs would remain at Ridge, etc.
* Glen has 15 classrooms. 5 are currently used by preschool disabled classes. They would have to move somewhere in the district, or else add classrooms on to Glen
* Glen would require work to be brought up to current code. There is no library or cafeteria, so those would need to be added.
* Glen does not have a principal, nurse, librarian, secretary -- adding them (along with teachers needed to staff classrooms) would add to our operating budget every year. My back-of-napkin estimate is as much as $1,000,000 per year added to our budget. Since we're still capped by the state, that money will come from existing programs.

4) How did this happen? Is it mismanagement?
* We spend about $2 million every year on capital projects & maintenance. That's more than the state requires. With 11 buildings, $2 million will never allow us to do major projects like roofs at all of them. (Old home analogy: your home's new roof is financed by home improvement loan, not your weekly paycheck)
* Our budget is capped, so even if we wanted to spend more on annual capital projects, the money would have to come from somewhere else.

5) Why the luxury of turf fields, and why in a flood plain?
* Not a luxury; RHS does not have adequate outdoor teaching facilities, according to state
* Need to protect all our field assets -- turf & re-sizing will allow RHS and Stevens to be used more, lessening wear & tear on our grass fields
* Turf field engineering will actually enhance drainage and reduce flooding.
* Turf & re-sizing will allow RHS and Stephens fields to be used by more RHS students (boys & girls) and more community youth
* Regulation track will give our championship track & field athletes a facility that matches their accomplishments and caliber; host RHS meets; maintain grass infield at BF
* The fields are in the referendum (and not a 2nd question) because we feel they are important. Statistically, 2nd questions fail. Relegating the fields to a 2nd question would have killed those project.

So that's some of what I said Tuesday night at RHS. I'd like to add: I'm a taxpayer. I was laid off last year and remain "underemployed." My husband was laid off for part of this year and recently started a new job. I am not thrilled that my taxes will go up. I understand the struggle. But with the hundreds of hours I've spent working on this, and the hundreds of questions I've asked, I honestly believe this referendum is the right thing for this community and for our schools.

Please get the facts. Then vote however your heart and your circumstances dictate. If you hear a rumor or some wild claims, please just ask. I will answer if I can, or I'll tell you where to find the answer if I can't.

Free speech lesson for high school journalists.

And now a short diversion to a non-referendum, yet important, topic:

The New York Times reports that U.S. Supreme Court Justice Anthony M. Kennedy recently insisted that a high school newspaper get his approval before publishing any article about a talk the justice gave to an assembly of the school students.

This is quite a lesson in how not to operate a free objective press. And I find it troubling that both the school's headmistress (it was the fancy Dalton school in NYC) and the justice's representative so casually defended the action, saying things like, we just thought it would be good for the students to check their facts.

I agree wholeheartedly with the rep from the Student Press Law Center, who said this was more about image control than teaching journalism. Where are the journalists anymore? I worry that the valuable role of "the fourth estate" has been diluted and distorted and, frankly, abused by those who believe that anyone with an internet connection is a journalist. Yes, I do see the irony of my writing that statement in my blog, but I understand the role of my blog. And anyway, I have a journalism degree, the study for which included journalism ethics, news reporting and investigative journalism. I know my professors and mentors in the business would be dismayed by Justice Kennedy's action. In the meantime, all I can do is remind people, especially young people, that the press -- including the high school press -- does not exist to serve anyone but the public, and no true journalist should ever allow the subject of a story to dictate its content. Mr. Kennedy, normally a defender of first amendment rights, knows better.

FAQ #5: Why didn't we split out the athletic fields?

Someone asked, "Why are you sneaking in the fields with the educational projects in the referendum? You're just trying to slide it past the voters."

Let me explain it. We talked at length about whether we should have one question or two. We wondered if the athletic projects should be in one question, and the building renovations in another question. There was some worry that the athletic projects would become the "lightning rod" issue, like the pool was way back when (in the failed referendum). I can tell you my personal opinion from the very beginning was that we should NOT have two questions. First, I work in direct marketing, and my first boss taught me that when faced with a difficult decision, if you give customers a way "out," they will take it. I always felt that if voters were faced with two questions, they would vote "no" on the smaller question in order to feel more in control. I felt from the beginning that our athletic facilities were in serious disrepair, due in part to their overuse in our field-poor village, and this situation truly needed to be addressed in a way it has not been for a very long time.

Second, statistically, 2nd referendum questions fail. That is a fact. You can read a history of New Jersey referendum questions by clicking here. By deciding to include the athletic projects in the single referendum question, the Board clearly felt that the projects were too important to sacrifice.

Believe me when I tell you, the athletic projects in the referendum have nothing to do with kids wanting to play on turf or parents wanting fancy facilities for their kids. It's not about wanting "luxuries." It's about these things only: 1) Ridgewood High School does not have enough outdoor "wellness" teaching space. That's according to the State. (And that's why they're giving us debt service aid.) 2) Ridgewood does not have enough field space for the number of children age 5-18 participating in recreational sports. We want to do our part to address this community shortage by putting the RHS and Stevens Fields into the rotation. (I experienced first-hand the benefit to my family's daily life when Maple was renovated, relaxing some of the competition for soccer fields and reducing our late-night schedule.) 3) We need to reduce wear and tear on our current BOE fields, which will keep them in better shape, reduce the work/expense needed to keep them playable, and protect our investment. One bonus to all this is the addition of the regulation 400M track & field facility at BF, which will allow our athletes, some of the best in the state, to train and compete in a facility whose quality matches their efforts. Another bonus is the RHS school community being able to walk out their door, come together, and either play soccer or lacrosse or football, or cheer on their classmates, boys or girls, as they compete.

I understand how some people may cynically believe we have a single referendum question as some sort of "trick." It's not a trick. (And by the way it's too late to change it for the Dec. 8 vote.) It's only this: the athletic projects are included in the question because they're important...important enough that we don't want them to fail.

Increase in dangerous "dip" in Ridgewood

Chew. Chaw. Dip. Packing a lip. I wouldn't have believed it if I hadn't heard it from a number of reputable sources over the past few months, but it's a fact that the use of smokeless tobacco among Ridgewood youth -- primarily teen boys -- is rising dramatically. I'm told that athletes and non-athletes alike are using chewing tobacco at night, on weekends and even during the school day. It seems they think it's a "healthy" alternative to smoking. And it delivers a real buzz, without sneaking liquor from your parents cabinet or hiding from the cops in the woods.

Obviously it's easy to carry some dip in your pocket without anyone knowing. I'm not sure where the kids are buying it...probably older siblings are buying it for them?

If you've got teenage boys, please talk to them about this disgusting, dangerous and highly addictive activity. Smokeless tobacco is a leading cause of mouth and throat cancers. The kind of cancer that can result in the victim losing his tongue, jaw, cheeks, neck muscles...get the (gory) picture?

Below are some great website resources.

National Spit Tobacco Education Program

My Last Dip

Why Quit: Story of Gruen Von Behrens (sad, scary, shocking story to get kids' attention)

In my opinion, in many ways this is worse than teen drinking. No teen is walking around sipping vodka during the school day.

Has anybody else noticed this phenomenon growing?

Any ideas for how to stop it?

Christie promises even more state regs for schools.

Governor-elect Christie in today's Bergen Record:

“I refused during the campaign to come up with some type of slick, packaged proposal that people were going to say, ‘Oh, wow, that’s a miracle, there’s going to be no pain involved.’”

Instead, Christie’s plan for reducing property taxes targets government spending in general. The hundreds of town councils and schools districts in New Jersey where most of the money generated by local property taxes is spent are going to be held more accountable, he said.

We're going to be held more accountable? School districts already have accountability regulations that stretch from here into eternity. Piles and piles of paperwork. Micromanaging rules about what kind of paper we can print our newsletters on. So the strategy is no "magic" plan (or any specific plan), but massive amounts of "accountability regulations." This ought to be interesting...

Village Council meeting: Well, that was awkward

Members of the Board of Ed, along with Dr. Fishbein and Angelo DeSimone, Business Administrator, attended last night's meeting of the Village Council. Our purpose was to inform the Council about the upcoming Bond Referendum vote on Dec. 8. (Normally we invite the Council to attend a Board meeting for this presentation, but this year they declined. Everyone's busy this time of year and adding another meeting can be problematic. I'm assuming that was the reason. But we really wanted our Village leadership to be informed about the facts of this important issue, so we traveled to their fancy Village Hall digs.)

Anyway, Dr. Fishbein raced through his powerpoint in order to finish within our allotted 15 minutes. Council members asked what have definitely become "frequently asked questions:" 1) Why now? 2) Have you looked at alternatives? 3) Why not re-open Glen School? 4) How did the schools get into this shape? (Click on each of those questions to read my previous thoughts on these topics.) And that was it. Oh, yeah, Councilwoman Zusy thought it would be helpful to have the Village Clerk remind everyone about how the Village's budget was going to increase our taxes this year, too. That was helpful.

We stayed around for the fireworks when the Chamber of Commerce president and other representatives complained about the Village Council's actions on raising fees (parking, sewer, dumpster, health dept, sidewalk, etc.), in light of the terrible business climate in town and 35-40 businesses closed. It was so unpleasant and emotional and frustrating for everyone in the audience, at one point Councilman Mancuso commented that he could tell that the BOE members present were glad we ran for the Board of Ed and not the Council. Right you are, Pat!

People were shouting (on both sides of the lecturn). There were personal attacks. Most of us BOE members left after that. (Awkward!) Needless to say, I'll definitely hit my local Ridgewood stores when running errands today!

BOE visits the VC tonight

Superintendent Dan Fishbein and members of the Board of Education will pay a visit to the Village Council's meeting tonight, to present them with information about the upcoming Bond Referendum (please vote on December 8). This is a courtesy call to inform our Village leadership of our plans and answer any questions they may have. I'm told they've allotted us 15 minutes in the agenda, so I guess they don't expect to have many questions. Starts at 7:30 tonight.

New York Times Op-Ed on Teaching Teachers

At last night's Board of Ed meeting, Board President Joseph Vallerini commented on yesterday’s New York Times op-ed piece on America's teacher training programs. As I'm swamped with work today, I'm re-printing a post from the blog of Rachel Norton, of the San Francisco Board of Education, since her views are aligned with mine. Rachel wrote, "If you were a teacher, how would reading this make you feel?"

Our best universities have, paradoxically, typically looked down their noses at education, as if it were intellectually inferior. The result is that the strongest students are often in colleges that have no interest in education, while the most inspiring professors aren’t working with students who want to teach. This means that comparatively weaker students in less intellectually rigorous programs are the ones preparing to become teachers.

Rachel continues on her blog:

I am not sure that bashing the rigor of teacher training programs does anything to advance the author’s suggestion that the profession should attract students with better academic records. Instead, we should create policies, programs and compensation schemes that will convince the best and the brightest that we will give them respect and a decent standard of living if they choose teaching as a career. The piece does, however, go on to make some great suggestions, such as:

* Spend “less time studying specific instructional programs and learning how to handle mechanics like making lesson plans,” and instead encourage prospective teachers to continue studying the disciplines they want to teach – “It makes no sense at all to stop studying the thing you want to teach at the very moment you begin to learn how.”

* Take a page from programs that train therapists, which encourage students to videotape their sessions and go over their work with mentors and peers. Similarly, “young teachers need to record their daily encounters with their classrooms and then, with mentors and peers, have serious, open-minded conversations about what’s working and what isn’t.”

* Help prospective teachers learn “how to watch children, using research and theory to understand what they are seeing,” because disregarding “the developmental needs of our students it’s unlikely we’ll succeed in teaching them.”

* Finally, hire new teachers in groups of seven or more. “This way, talented eager young teachers won’t languish or leave teaching because they felt bored, inept, isolated or marginalized. Instead, they will feel part of a robust community of promising professionals. They will struggle and learn together.”

(Thanks for the assist, Rachel!)

Register to Vote 11/17 @ Ridgewood Public Library

The Village will be holding a Voter Registration Drive on Tuesday 11/17 from 4:30 to 9:00 p.m. It will take place at the Ridgewood Public Library. Register just in time to vote in the December 8 Referendum!

FAQ #4: Why don't we just re-open Glen School?

Occasionally someone will ask, "We already have an entire school just sitting across Route 17...why don't we re-open Glen School and solve our overcrowding problem?" Here's why that doesn't work:

Glen School has 15 classrooms. Five are used by our RED special-needs preschool program (which we are required to offer), and the remainder are rented out to a childcare program. The current set-up is ideal, because our RED students are able to interact with the daycare students, thus meeting our obligation and desire to educate the RED students in the most inclusive environment possible. If Glen were converted to a regular elementary school, we would lose the income from the childcare rental, and we would still need a place to house our RED students.

Glen School does not have a cafeteria, nor a library. Nor is it up to current code. If we wanted to re-open it as an elementary school, we would need to do costly construction to fix those deficiencies.

Glen School also does not have a staff. If we were to open it, even if there were some way to re-deploy teachers throughout the district, we would still need to hire a principal, secretary, nurse -- and these would become recurring additional costs in our budget.

On top of all this, re-opening Glen would not address the space needs at GW, nor the very real renovations needed at RHS, nor the roofs at Travell & Hawes, nor the asbestos at Willard, nor the electrical issues at Ridge and GW...and not the athletic/wellness facilities, either. So all those expenses would still exist, on top of the cost to renovate Glen and then staff it.

So as attractive as it might seem, re-opening Glen would not be cost-free and would actually impact our budget year after year going forward.

Response to odd comment Monday night

Just wanted to clear up any confusion...an attendee at Monday night's community meeting questioned the need for additional classrooms at Ridge School because, as she said, "there's one empty classroom there already." Actually, no, there is not. There are no empty classrooms at Ridge. I feel pretty confident saying there are no empty classrooms anywhere in the District (but I guess I'd have to confirm that.) On the contrary, at Ridge, there is a classroom divided into four smaller "rooms" with temporary partitions (in addition to OT/PT in the hallway/vestibule).

But this does remind me that there is still some confusion regarding the proposed school expansions. Most of what we propose to add are small group instruction spaces. These are rooms where specialized services like OT/PT and other special ed services can be provided to small groups of 6-8 students. Other proposed space includes convertible "kindergarten-style" classrooms. (Kindergarten-style rooms are rooms that can be divided if necessary, and that have bathroom facilities.) These are the most flexible types of rooms we could add -- they can be used by regular classes, or by self-contained special ed classes, or they can be divided and used for smaller group classes -- and will be a smart investment to accommodate future enrollment trends.

By adding this space at Ridge, Hawes and Willard, we will be able to open-up space at these schools as well as Travell, Somerville and Orchard. And we'll be able to give our special ed students a continuum of service in a single location. Students will enter a school in kindergarten, and stay there until 5th grade, just like their friends. This will be better than moving them around every year...better than forcing children in one neighborhood to attend other schools because their home school is too full...and better than spending lots of money to send students to other districts for special ed services.

Community Referendum Meeting at GW tonight; Principal will lead a tour after

The Community Meeting on the Referendum is tonight at 7:30 p.m. in the Auditorium at GW Middle School. I just learned that after the meeting, GW Principal Katie Kashmanian will lead a tour to showcase some of the needs at her school.

This is a good chance to find out everything you need to know in order to make a decision. Don't rely on assumptions or rumors. Get the facts...you are being asked to vote on a detailed question with important implications for our district and our Village. After this meeting, whether you vote "yes" or "no," at least you'll know you made an educated choice.

If you can't make it tonight, a repeat meeting will be held on Monday, November 30 at GW. These meetings were especially set-up for voters who do not have children in the schools or parents who do not attend HSA meetings.

You can also find lots of Referendum documents, including drawings of proposed school additions, detailed spreadsheets of renovation costs, bond financing information, and much more, at the District website click here.

Referendum FAQ #3: Wy can't you take care of our facilities with the big budget you already have?

Think about this: the District has 11 buildings. The youngest of them are 43 years old. The oldest school building is 90 years old. I've used this analogy before: If anyone has an old house, you know that things deteriorate over time. In an old house, day in and day out we make the repairs that come up -- a broken window here, a squeaky floorboard there, a small roof leak over there. We absorb these small expenses into our regular budget. Eventually, however, no matter how diligent we are on basic upkeep, the time will come when the old house needs a new roof. I do not personally know any homeowner who can afford to replace his/her roof and fund it through their weekly budget. Instead, homeowners will take out a home improvement loan to put on the roof and probably to take care of a few more necessities that have been building up...maybe some plumbing repairs or adding a bathroom for a growing family.

With a new school roof costing around $1 million, there really isn't any way to handle that expense through our regular operating budget, where we typically budget around $2 million for capital improvements/repairs district-wide.

How much do we normally spend on facilities? Click here for a spreadsheet that lists the money spent on a school-by-school basis over the past 10 years. (Click "Detailed Annual Maintenance Worksheet.") You can also see that our District spends FAR MORE than is required by the state. (At that same link, click "Annual Maintenance Budget Worksheet.") Could we spend more on maintenance? Yes...but since our budget is capped at a 4% increase on the tax levy, any increases for facilities would have to come from somewhere else in the budget. The Board of Ed has been reluctant in the past to cut from those areas that more directly "touch" learning that takes place in the classroom. So we do the repairs that are absolutely necessary as they come up, and we save the big renovation, to carry us forward, for a Referendum such as this. It's time.

Community Meeting on Referendum 09 this Tuesday

If you've got questions about the Referendum, you're not sure what to think, or you're leaning toward a "no" vote, I hope you'll come to the Community presentation on Tuesday night at George Washington Middle School. Superintendent Dr. Fishbein and Board members will be on hand to present details on the projects to be included in the Referendum and to answer all your questions.

I feel like parents have been receiving quite a lot of details on the referendum (via HSAs and eNews mailings, etc.), but if you're a taxpayer who doesn't have kids in the schools, this is a good chance to find out everything you need to know in order to make a decision. Don't rely on assumptions or rumors. Get the facts...it's a detailed question with important implications for our district and our Village. After this meeting, whether you vote "yes" or "no," at least you'll know you made an educated choice.

Tuesday night's meeting starts at 7:30 p.m. in the GW Auditorium. If you can't make it Tuesday, a repeat meeting will be held on Monday, November 30 at GW.

Referendum FAQ #2: Managing so many projects

I've heard a couple people say something like, "How do we know all these school construction projects won't end up over budget and behind schedule, like Village Hall or the Vets Field bathrooms?"

First, remember this: the BOE is NOT the Village of Ridgewood. We are completely separate entities with our own budgets, management and -- this is important -- rules. You may be interested to know that the laws for school districts are much stricter than the laws governing certain aspects of municipal government. One example: the BOE is not allowed to go over budget. Period. If one of our projects requires more money, we can't just pass an ordinance to approve spending more than we have. We must remain under the budget. So, let's say we open up the roof of one of our historic buildings and discover things are much worse than expected, requiring more work and more cost. We will be forced to cancel other aspects of the project, to find the money. Maybe we would do without some locker replacement, or cancel some other renovation. Whatever it was, we would not go over budget. A) We don't want to. B) We're not allowed to. (This is why our $48 million proposal includes a 10% contingency -- because with buildings this old we know unexpected things will come up.

Second, it's good to know that we will not be managing concurrent renovations and/or expansions at nine schools using our current administrative staff. They already have full-time jobs -- and construction management isn't one of them. Instead, our plan includes hiring full-time construction management for the duration of the projects, to keep a close eye on the contractors, keep things moving on schedule, coordinate logistics with school activities, town activities, etc., and to manage the tons and tons of state-required paperwork. There will be weekly (at least) construction meetings with building principals and Ed Center administrators to keep the projects under control and spot problems before they actually become problems.

So if you're frustrated about the bathrooms at Vets, the cancelled parking garage or the previous Village Hall construction experience -- so am I. But those types of things simply can not happen with the projects proposed in this referendum.

Referendum FAQ #1: Why now? Isn't this the wrong time?

It's time I start addressing the various questions, rumors, misconceptions, confusions and other impediments to supporting Referendum 09. I thought I'd start with the perennial favorite: Why now? With this economy, this is the wrong time to ask for $48 million.

My position is, this is precisely the right time, I daresay the best time for this referendum.

First of all, as I mentioned before, we are well aware that we're in a recession. I realize Ridgewood is in trouble. I know that many Ridgewood families are struggling. My own family has been struggling through layoffs and unemployment. This is absolutely not about the "haves" on the BOE being oblivious to the struggles of the "have nots." But to put it bluntly, the Board of Ed is not charged with lowering taxes or improving the business climate. The BOE is charged with one thing: educating the children of Ridgewood. That must be our priority. And in order to do the best we can for all our children we need to take care of our physical assets -- the buildings.

Right now, interest rates are low...money can be borrowed at much more favorable rates than in the past and the future. As one friend of mine said, "they're having a sale on money, and we should get some!" If we go out for a bond now, when rates are low, our total cost will be much lower than itr would be if we wait till interest rates start going up again. This will save Ridgewood taxpayers' money.

Right now, construction costs are low. Contractors and builders are hurting. They want work. Gone are the days when you couldn't get a contractor to return your phone calls, because they didn't need your business. When we go out to bid for the projects in this referendum, we will see competitive bids like we haven't seen in decades. Planning for construction now, when prices are low, will save Ridgewood taxpayers thousands of dollars.

Right now, the state of New Jersey has awarded us almost $10 million in grants, and over $2 million in debt service aid. If the Referendum is not passed by voters, then that grant money goes back into the "pot." If the Board decides to go back to voters with a smaller referendum, there is no guarantee that those grant funds will still be available. Other districts are and will be proposing projects and receiving grants. The state is not going to wait around for Ridgewood to come up with a package of projects that the voters approve. Taking advantage of this grant money and debt service aid will save taxpayers millions of dollars.

We would be proposing this referendum whether the economy was booming or busted. Because the projects are absolute necessities. We must replace roofs. We must improve air quality. We must stop educating students in hallways and vestibules. And we must find a way to get more use from our fields. Now is exactly the right time for Referendum 09.

Public Meetings on Bond Referendum

I'm going to be at the BF HSA meeting tomorrow (Tuesday) night -- along with Dr. Fishbein (Superintendent), Mr. DeSimone (Business Administrator) and Board members Joseph Vallerini and Bob Hutton -- to discuss the upcoming Bond Referendum and answer questions.

While we're on the subject, following is the schedule of upcoming meetings throughout town. Feel free to attend any of these meetings -- either HSA meetings or come to one of the Community Meetings on 10/27 or 11/30. This is your chance -- every question answered!

10/27 7:30 p.m.
Community Meeting @ GW Auditorim

11/17 9:15 AM
Ridge School HSA

11/17 7:00 PM
Somerville School HSA

11/18 9:00 AM (beginning of meeting)
GW Middle School HSA

11/18 9:15 AM (end of meeting)
Hawes School HSA

11/30 7:30 PM
Community Meeting @ GW Auditorium

Also, there will be a day of school tours, so you can see some of the conditions and needs close-up. Date TBD -- I'll let you know.

(In case you're wondering, Dr. Fishbein and others have already attended meetings at Federated HSA, Learning Services HSA, Willard HSA, RHS HSA, Travell HSA, Orchard HSA.)

Intriguing session on "invasive parenting."

The Municipal Alliances of Franklin Lakes, Oakland and Wyckoff are presenting an interesting session on Tuesday: A Nation of Wimps: the High Cost of Invasive Parenting. It's a conversation with the author Hara Estroff Marano.

According to the event flyer: "A Nation of Wimps is the first book to connect the dots between overparenting and the social crisis of the young. Marano focuses on the what and how of this crisis, then turns to what we can do about it. She offers guidance for being supportive without being overprotective and for preparing kids for the real world, along with alternative approaches to educating the young and tips on how to find balance between freedom and control."

Session will take place Tuesday October 20 at 8:00 p.m. at the Ramapo High School Auditorium.

Any thoughts on this intriguing concept? Do you ever struggle with knowing how much to help your kids, vs. when to let them struggle and possibly fail? I do.

Amazing kids working for the environment.

Doing my part for Blog Action Day, I wanted to let you know about an amazing 14-year-old kid named Alec Lorze, who started his own website called Kids Vs. Global Warming. According to the homepage: "We are a group of kids that Educate other kids about the science of global warming and Empower them to take action. Through educational presentations, community activism projects, multi-media, and leadership training, we empower youth to use their voice, and remind kids that WE MATTER! and there really is something we can do about global warming."

Check out the website. Or, better yet, have your kids check it out. It's quite impressive, well-researched, lots of links to facts, and it appears that young Alec is now a sought-after speaker on the topic of global warming and youth environmental activism.

Dog Show Cancelled!

Received this message from the REF:

It is with regret that I inform you that we're canceling the dog show after all. The weather looks terrible, and the Chamber didn't want to go forward. We will try to reschedule for the spring. So, you are free to spend your Sunday afternoon without that wet dog smell, unless it is your own dog.

Math scores: NJ up slightly, nation is flat.

(Revised 9:42 AM)

A news release from Governor Corzine today proudly proclaimed:

NEW JERSEY'S FOURTH AND EIGHTH GRADERS AMONG NATION'S LEADERS IN MATH
Fourth grade scores surpass national average by eight points; Eighth grade scores eleven points higher than national average

Isn't that great news? Sure it is, if you define "great" as "not bad" or "better than it could have been."

Another story (New York Times), states that, for the first time in 19 years, U.S. math scores nationwide are "flat." No increase whatsoever.

According to the Times story, "The latest results on the most important nationwide math test show that student achievement grew faster during the years before the Bush-era No Child Left Behind law, when states were dominant in education policy, than over the years since, when the federal law has become a powerful force in classrooms."

NCLB requires schools to bring 100 percent of students to reading and math proficiency by 2014. Guess what, as a nation, we're not going to make it.

Sure, New Jersey's numbers are encouraging, in an inching-forward kind of way. According to the press release from the NJDOE: "New Jersey fourth graders continue to score higher on the NAEP math test than students in all but three other states, the report noted. The average math score of fourth graders in New Jersey was 247, while the average score for public school students across the nation was 239."

"This is good news for our kids, our families and our future," said Governor Corzine. "The average scale score for the grade eight students at 293 is four points higher that it was in 2007 and eleven points higher than the national average of 282. While there is still much more work to be done, the eighth grade results in particular show that the investments this administration is making in education is paying off, and that the efforts of our educators are yielding positive results."

Those are just a few excerpts from the press release. Click here to read the entire thing.

And click here to review the complete NAEP report card.

Dog Show Time Change: Sunday Noon-2:00 PM

The time for this Sunday's Dog Show, a fundraiser for the Ridgewood Education Foundation, has changed to Noon-2:00 p.m. This is going to be a fun event, people. Bring your dogs!

Families! Dogs! Fun! And raising money for a good cause, too!

The first annual Community Dog Show, presented by the Ridgewood Education Foundation and the Ridgewood Chamber of Commerce, will be held this Sunday, October 18, from 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM at the Graydon Pool parking lot. Grab your pooch and come on down! Contests include: Best Costume (on a dog, haha), Dog-Owner Look-a-Like, Best Dog Trick, Smallest Dog, Biggest (Lap?) Dog and more! Proceeds will benefit the REF's classroom grants and Arts Fund programs. Pre-registration us required. Fetch your form at www.ridgewoodedfoundation.org. See you there!

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Everybody Loves Elwood Day October 18

Students and others in our community have come out year after year to show support and raise funds for former Ridgewood High School teacher Jack Elwood. This year the annual 5K run/walk in honor of Mr. Elwood will take place Sunday 10/18. This event is both a fundraiser and a way to bring attention to ALS (Lou Gehrig's Disease). Registration for the 5K is at 8:00 AM and is $20 (includes t-shirt). The run/walk steps off at 9:00 AM at the RHS Stadium/Track.

Click here for the RPS website, for info and registration form.

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Do the folks in Washington ever connect the dots between funding and education?

Times columnist Paul Krugman today says, "Until now, the results of educational neglect have been gradual — a slow-motion erosion of America’s relative position. But things are about to get much worse, as the economic crisis — its effects exacerbated by the penny-wise, pound-foolish behavior that passes for “fiscal responsibility” in Washington — deals a severe blow to education across the board."

He goes on..."There’s no mystery about what’s going on: education is mainly the responsibility of state and local governments, which are in dire fiscal straits. Adequate federal aid could have made a big difference. But while some aid has been provided, it has made up only a fraction of the shortfall. In part, that’s because back in February centrist senators insisted on stripping much of that aid from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, a k a the stimulus bill."

He goes on to suggest that the Federal government should approve another big round of aid to state governments, as a solution. Can't they skip Trenton and just send the funds to the districts? The state of NJ has a poor track record for passing along funds to Ridgewood.

Click here to read the full column.

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Bergen Record mistake: no safety grant for Ridgewood

You may have seen the article in the Bergen Record last week -- saying that Ridgewood and Fair Lawn would be sharing a $100,000 grant for school safety. Well, that was a mistake. It's RIDGEFIELD that got the grant -- which is intended for things like metal detectors, locks and security lighting. I thought it was odd when I first read about the grant (do we need metal detectors?)...and no one at the District knew anything about it. Turns out, reporting mistake.

Am I the only one who thinks the Record is not the paper it used to be?

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Board of Ed meeting tonight 7:30

The Ridgewood Board of Education will hold its meeting tonight at 7:30 p.m. (preceded by a closed Executive Session at 7:00 p.m.), at the Ed Center, 3rd floor. Highlights from tonight's agenda include

• Discussion of Board and District goals for the 2009-2010 school year (a continuation of our discussion from July 20).
• Various appointments, resignations, changes of assignment...
• Recognition of National Merit and AP Scholars
• Time for public comment -- got any comments or questions? Come on down!

You are invited to watch the Board meeting on Cablevision channel 77 or click here for the webcast (watch it live or watch it archived later -- the sound is better on the recording, rather than live, FYI)

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New Jersey now has medical amnesty law for minors who report a drinking emergency

Last week Governor Corzine signed a law that grants legal immunity to persons under the age of 21 who have been consuming alcohol and call 911 for medical assistance. The bill previously passed the Senate and Assembly unanimously. This is a major step forward in getting realistic about youth drinking and the safety of our youth.

Please let your high school and college age kids know about this law.

Studies have consistently shown that young people are afraid to contact authorities in a medical emergency if alcohol has been present and the people involved are not 21. On college campuses, especially,  thousands of serious, alcohol-related medical emergencies are unreported as young people try to deal with the problem without help from authorities. Students will leave their friends to "sleep it off", which can lead to the drunken teen slipping into a coma in their sleep or asphyxiating on their vomit. There are approximately 1,700 alcohol-related deaths per  year among college students -- almost all of them completely preventable.

Many colleges have medical amnesty policies (also called good Samaritan or non-retaliation agreements) including Harvard, Yale, Stanford, Cornell, Tulane, UPenn, William & Mary, Fordham, Duke, UVA, Smith and Hampshire College. These policies have one goal: ensuring that no matter the circumstances, students will get help when they or their friends need it.

Not many states have enacted medical amnesty laws -- but several are currently in the process.

I am glad to see New Jersey in the forefront on this. But -- in order for the law to truly save lives, young people need to be aware. So let them know.

"When the going gets tough, the tough support our schools."

Oh boy, do I wish I had written that. I discovered that great line on a website called YourSFPublicSchools.org -- it's a new website from the San Francisco Unified School District, designed to educate San Franciscans about their public schools and engage the city's residents in a conversation about the relationship between strong public schools and a strong city. It's part of a promotion and advertising campaign, at the heart of which are 16 "new rules for our public schools." The headline on today's post is actually San Francisco's New Rule #1. And I'd like to borrow it here in Ridgewood.

I have not had time to explore much of the YourSFPublicSchools.org website, but I like the tone and flavor of the whole thing. As they say, "It's the 21st century. The rules have changed. And with your support, our schools can change for the better."

I wonder what "new rules" we could use here in Ridgewood? I wonder if we have the capability to look at our schools and identify what should be changed...to have a real dialogue...to work together. Quite honestly, I do believe we have the capability. Do we have the energy?

Will you forgive me if I tie this "when the going gets tough" rule to our referendum? How could I resist?

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