Jersey Jazzman

• Jersey Jazzman: Year 9 March 30, 2019
  I keep of list of stuff I'm supposed to blog about, and right now that list is long. I've yet to give my thoughts on Bruce Baker's excellent report on New Jersey school funding, which you really need to read. There's also the tax incentive nonsense happening here in Jersey, which is a cautionary tale for […]
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• Only You Can Prevent Bad Tax Policy Discussions March 14, 2019
  When I started this blog up again earlier this year, I told myself I wasn't going to waste a lot of time debunking nonsense in the local media. Life is short and there's a lot to write about.But some stuff I come across is so bad, I just can't let it go:Q. Gov. Phil Murphy […]
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• The Case For Stable, Adequate, and Predictable School Funding March 10, 2019
  Here in New Jersey, we're entering budget season -- and that means the beginning of the annual ritual of declaring "winners and losers" in state aid to school districts. Governor Phil Murphy just released his budgetary plan for schools, showing which districts will get more or less aid from the state this year.In a $38.6 […]
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• Thoughts on the Graduation Exam Mess in New Jersey February 23, 2019
  Let me recap where we are first -- skip down if you know the background.Way back in 1979, New Jersey passed a law which required high school students to take an exam before graduating (the Education Law Center has some background on that law here and here). The law says the exam must "...measure those basic […]
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• The True History of New Jersey Teachers' (and Other Public Workers') Sacrifices on Pensions And Benefits February 18, 2019
  I want to talk about a report that emerged a couple of weeks ago about New Jersey public employees' pensions and health care. But let me set the table first...Because every time I come across a story like this, it's as if the Ministry of Information has decided, once again, to disappear history. But I'm […]
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• Testing Chaos Continues in New Jersey February 16, 2019
  Here's an update from my last blog on the chaotic debate over New Jersey's high school exit exam:Yesterday, after several delays, the state announced a settlement that at least clarifies the path to graduation for New Jersey's high school juniors and seniors:New Jersey reached a settlement Friday that offers a clear path for juniors and […]
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• The Failure of State Control in Camden, NJ February 10, 2019
  In my last blog, I wrote about the NJ Auditor's report on Camden's "Renaissance" schools. These charter-district hybrids, run by three of the region's biggest charter operators -- Mastery, Uncommon, and KIPP -- were supposed to show definitively that charter schools could serve all of the children in a neighborhood. They weren't going to "skim the cream" […]
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• Broken Promises: Camden's "Renaissance" Charter Schools January 27, 2019
  UPDATE: Below, I write that no one in the media, so far as I know, has reported on this story. I did the usual Google search and came up with nothing. But over on Facebook, a reader reports:"Matt Friedman did bring the reports up in his daily Politico NJ briefing on Friday (that is how I […]
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• Kids In Disadvantaged Schools Don't Need Tests To Tell Them They're Being Cheated January 9, 2019
  There was a very raw, very discouraging story in The Trentonian this past week that is worth your time, whether you live in Jersey or not. Here's an excerpt:Over the past year, this newspaper spoke with high school students educated in the Trenton Public Schools (TPS) district. The interviews took place in the presence of an […]
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• NJ Court Strikes Down Graduation Test; An Opportunity to Re-Think Testing? January 1, 2019
  Miss me?Yesterday, a New Jersey appellate court struck down regulations that required students to pass two PARCC tests -- the statewide tests implemented a few years ago under the Christie administration -- as a requirement to graduate. Sarah Blaine has an excellent legal analysis you should read about the ruling. Let me add a few […]
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