Chalkbeat

Newark Board of Education election 2024 winners raised $63,500 in contributions, campaign reports show

2024-05-17T20:14:30+00:00

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The Moving Newark Schools Forward slate, winners of the city’s school board election last month, raised roughly $63,500 from a mixed bag of donors, including local party committees, unions, and businesses benefitting from district contracts, recent disclosure reports with the state’s election watchdog show.

Those disclosure reports, which had to be filed with the New Jersey Election Law Enforcement Commission by the May 6 post-election deadline, are required for campaign donations of $200 or more and spending of at least $5,800.

Campaign fundraising in this election cycle came solely from that politically-backed slate of four candidates, which has won every election since 2016. Meanwhile, no contributions were reported this year by any of the other six rival candidates, according to the ELEC website.

“When it comes down to it, experience matters — the experience of the people who are backing this slate,” said Micah Rasmussen, the director of the Rebovich Institute for New Jersey Politics at Rider University. “They’re not starting from scratch and they’re not starting from the position of: How do you do this?”

Even though fundraising this year took a slight dip for that dominating slate, which has typically garnered closer to $100,000 or more in recent past elections, it did not result in setting back those candidates who had the advantage of support from well-established politicians.

Newcomer candidates on the slate, Kanileah Anderson and Helena Vinhas, who were appointed in January and secured their seats at the polls on April 16, were the top fundraisers in the race, an analysis of the disclosure documents showed. Vinhas reeled in $29,600 and Anderson received $13,046. Board co-vice president Vereliz Santana, who’s been on the board since 2021, raised $11,650 and board member Dawn Haynes, who secured her third term, raised $9,194.

The roster of elected officials who contributed to the Moving Newark Schools Forward slate are all top-ranking politicians in the state and city.

Those elected leaders, including Newark Mayor Ras Baraka, state Senate Majority Leader M. Teresa Ruiz, state Assemblywoman Eliana Pintor Marin, city Council President LaMonica McIver, and Councilman Michael Silva, among others, gave a collective $13,000 to the slate candidates.

Local businesses with district contracts add money to the race

More than $10,000 in support for the winning slate came from various businesses throughout the state and city, including about $1,500 from businesses that have either current or past contracts with the Newark Board of Education.

Funding to campaigns from public contractors rose last year after a new law, the Elections Transparency Act, increased contribution limits for all reporting entities, a recent analysis from ELEC found.

Public contractors helping to fuel this year’s school board race included JCT Solutions, a security and communications contractor that donated $250 to Santana’s campaign. Since 2018, JCT Solutions has had $609,119 worth of contracts with the Newark Board of Education for services related to “telephone, cameras, door security, [and] network,” according to disclosure documents.

Antonelli Kantor Rivera, who runs a law firm in his name in Livingston, also contributed $500 to Santana’s campaign. Rivera had $3 million in contracts statewide in 2023, including one with city schools for $133,000 for legal services, the reports showed.

Alamo Insurance Group, a North Bergen firm, gave Vinhas $250. The firm had a contract with the district in 2022 for $306,000 to do health benefits consulting.

Another law firm, Souder, Shabazz, and Woolridge Law Group, gave $500 to Haynes. That firm is representing two school board members who are facing ethics complaint charges from last year.

Unions also gave the winning slate financial support, which included $2,500 from the Newark Teachers Union and $1,000 from the Heavy and General Construction Laborers Union Local 472.

There was also $3,250 in total contributions from employees who work in various roles throughout the district.

On the spending side, the winning slate spent a total of about $36,600, the disclosure reports outlined, with payments going mostly toward printing campaign flyers and other promotional materials and consulting services.

Rasmussen, an adjunct professor of political science at Rider, said mailers and other promotional activities ahead of election day drum up momentum from supporters to head to the polls. Turnout remained low in this year’s election at under 3% for the third year in a row, but those who did set out to vote overwhelmingly supported the slate.

“Campaign spending gets a bad name, but voter contact and voter education are really important,” Rasmussen said.

Why was there a dip in fundraising?

One possible explanation for the modest dip in coffers is the absence of the Great Schools for All political action committee, which had fueled campaign fundraising for the slate for years.

A search on the state election watchdog site didn’t find contributions from that PAC in this year’s race. However, Barbara Martinez, who now leads that organization after a departure from the former chief, said in an email on Thursday that Great Schools continued showing its support in this year’s race.

“Great Schools for All was very pleased to support the slate of Moving Newark Schools Forward,” Martinez said in an emailed statement. A follow-up request for clarification on funding disclosure documents was not immediately answered as of publication.

Here’s a rundown of how much candidates reported raising and spending in the race, according to disclosure reports.

Kanileah Anderson

Total raised: $13,046

Total spent: $9,925

Notable donors: Team Baraka, $2,500; Newark Council President LaMonica McIver, $1,000; retired educator Kathleen Witcher, $1,200; Active PAC, $500; the South Ward Democratic Committee, $300; and two Newark school board employees, $500.

Dawn Haynes

Total raised: $9,194

Total spent: $0

Notable donors: Team Baraka, $2,500; city council members Dupre Kelly, C. Lawrence Crump, and Louise Scott Rountree, a total of $700; Active PAC, $500; International Union of Operating Engineers Local 68, $500; the Newark Teachers Union, $500; committee to reelect Wayne Richardson, $500; the South Ward Democratic Committee, $300; two Newark Board of Education employees gave $500 total; the Souder, Shabazz, and Woolridge Law Group, $500.

Vereliz Santana

Total raised: $11,650

Total spent: $0

Notable donors: Nine district employees gave a total of $2,250. Committee to reelect M. Teresa Ruiz, $1,000; the Newark Teachers Union, $1,000; the Hispanic Law Enforcement Society of Essex County, $1,000; the committee supporting Essex County Executive Joseph DiVincenzo’s reelection, $500; the Newark East Ward Democratic Committee, $250; and Allied Risk Management Services, a security and technology company, $1,000.

Helena Vinhas

Total raised: $29,600

Total spent: $26,684

Notable donors: Committee to reelect Eliana Pintor Marin, $1,000; committee to reelect Michael J. Silva, $1,000; the East Ward Democratic Committee, $250; The Newark Teachers Union, $1,000; the Heavy and General Construction Laborers Union Local 472, $1,000; the Newark Firefighters Union, $500; and Citi Bay Builders, $1,000.

Catherine Carrera is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat Newark. Contact Catherine at ccarrera@chalkbeat.org.

Newark 2024 school board election: Meet the candidates

2024-04-11T21:30:08+00:00

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Before this year’s presidential and New Jersey senatorial races, Newark residents will vote in the April school board election on Tuesday.

The city’s 160,000-plus registered voters will head to the polls and see a pool of nine candidates on their ballot vying for three full-term seats and one unopposed incumbent looking to reclaim her seat for a one-year, unexpired term.

Low reading and math test scores, aging facilities, chronic absenteeism, and calls to expand bilingual education services are among the top issues facing the district. In the upcoming year, the board will be tasked with addressing these concerns using its recently approved $1.5 billion budget as federal COVID relief funds are set to expire in September.

How do I vote in the April school board election?

Registered voters can vote in person at their polling place from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. on April 16. There are 97 polling locations citywide and they are listed by ward in English and Spanish on the Essex County Board of Elections website.

If you’re a registered voter but don’t want to vote in person or can’t make it, you can vote by mail. Voters were able to apply by mail for a mail-in ballot up until April 9. For those who missed that deadline and still want this option, visit the Essex County Clerk’s Office to apply in person before the cutoff time of 3 p.m. on Monday, the day before the election. The county clerk’s office is located at 495 Dr Martin Luther King Jr Boulevard in Newark.

Be sure to follow the instructions on the ballot to deliver it before polls close on Tuesday to the county elections board, located in the same building as the county clerk. If mailing the ballot, it must be postmarked no later than April 16 and received by the elections board no later than six days after polls close.

The voter registration deadline for this election was March 26. Voters for this election must be at least 18 years old but starting next year, the minimum age to vote in the school board election will be 16 in Newark. To check on voter registration status, visit the state Division of Elections website.

Who’s running?

Nine candidates are running for three three-year terms, including Che’ Colter, Muta El-Amin, Dawn Haynes, Latoya Jackson, Sheila Montague, Debra Salters, Vereliz Santana, Helena Vinhas, and Jimmie White. Kanileah Anderson is running unopposed for a one-year unexpired term.

Anderson and Vinhas were appointed by the board in January to fill seats vacated by former board members.

To better understand each candidate’s views on key issues, Chalkbeat Newark sent all 10 candidates five questions, including two submitted by readers. Nine candidates responded.

Here’s what they said in their own words. Responses were lightly edited for clarity and length. Grammatical errors in candidate responses were not corrected.

Newark school board candidates discuss key issues ahead of election

2024-04-10T22:37:53+00:00

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Eight candidates running for a seat on the Newark Board of Education took part in a candidate forum on Tuesday to discuss key election issues, including academic performance, district transparency, and chronic absenteeism.

But after tension escalated between an audience member and a candidate, a key takeaway was ultimately a call for the school community to unite in its efforts to find remedies to some of those issues.

About 50 people attended the forum held a week before the April 16 election at the Newark Museum of Art and co-hosted by Chalkbeat Newark, Project Ready, The Gem Project, and New Jersey Black Empowerment Coalition. This was the third forum held this election cycle.

Nine out of 10 total candidates — including three incumbents — are competing for three full-term seats on the nine-member nonpartisan board. One incumbent, Kanileah Anderson, is running unopposed to reclaim her seat on a one-year unexpired term. She was appointed to that seat in January after it was vacated.

Shennell McCloud, the chief executive officer at Project Ready, co-moderated the discussion alongside Chalkbeat Newark reporter Jessie Gomez, and Emmanuela Awuah, a fellow from The Gem Project and student at Newark’s Technology High School.

Incumbents Anderson, Dawn Haynes and Helena Vinhas — part of the Moving Newark Schools Forward slate — participated in the event, along with five other candidates who are vying to unseat them, including Che Colter, Muta El-Amin, Latoya Jackson, Sheila Montague, and Debra Salters. Vereliz Santana, another incumbent on the Moving Newark Schools Forward slate, did not attend, nor did candidate Jimmie White.

Colter and El-Amin are running on the It Takes a Village slate. Montague’s platform is called Open the Door, and Salters’ platform is called Saving Our Children.

Candidates shared their visions for change in Newark Public Schools, including diverting more resources to classrooms, increasing transparency with line-by-line items in the budget, and teaming up with community organizations to empower attendance counselors, among other ideas.

During closing remarks from the candidates, an outburst with shouting between an audience member and a candidate caused the event to pause for a few minutes before it continued and wrapped up. A few weeks earlier, at another community candidate forum, a different disruption occurred that caused that forum to end abruptly.

With an aim to unify the crowd, McCloud brought Tuesday’s event to a close by sharing that she’s been attending Newark school board meetings for about 20 years, since she was 16.

“I go to the meetings and all I see is a lot of fighting among the community,” McCloud said. “We’re at a place where it’s time for us to come together — every single last one of us. Imagine the schools we can build together. Imagine the success our children can achieve. Imagine our pride knowing that we stood up, and most importantly, stood together to make our voices heard.”

Polling locations will be open 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. on April 16.

Watch the full video of the forum below:

Catherine Carrera is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat Newark. Reach Catherine at ccarrera@chalkbeat.org.

Newark schools would get $1.25 billion in aid under Gov. Phil Murphy’s 2025 budget plan

2024-03-01T14:57:05+00:00

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For decades, Newark Public Schools hasn’t received the full amount of state funding it’s due from New Jersey to provide a “thorough and efficient education” for all students, as mandated by the state constitution.

But that could change in 2025, with a record-high $1.25 billion in aid earmarked for the state’s largest school district in Gov. Phil Murphy’s proposed budget for the fiscal year that begins on July 1. He announced earlier this week that this budget plan would fully fund the state’s K-12 districts.

The governor’s office on Thursday released state aid allocation estimates for every district, which showed Newark would get an 8.8% increase in aid over the current year.

Earlier this week, Murphy highlighted an investment of $11.6 billion for public schools next year. The proposed state aid — a $908 million increase over this year — would be Murphy’s final payment into the seven-year plan stipulated in legislation enacted in 2018 that aimed to fix inequities with the state’s school funding formula and redirected money to underfunded districts, including Newark.

Murphy’s $55.9 billion proposed spending plan will go through negotiations with lawmakers, in public forums and privately, before it gets finalized by the June 30 deadline.

During a news conference on Thursday at Charles and Anna Booker Elementary School in Plainfield to tout the proposed school aid, Murphy hinted that the funds set aside for schools could remain safe during the next few months of negotiations.

The proposed budget is at a “very good starting place,” Murphy said. “Things always move around between now and June 30, but a couple things won’t move around — I can say this with confidence — fully funding K-12 and expanding pre-K are there and they are in cement.”

His spending plan includes $124 million for preschool aid, as well as funding for other educational-related initiatives, such as expanding the free school meals program, allocating $2.5 million allocation for a literacy screening grant program, and providing additional money for student-teacher stipends.

Under the School Funding Reform Act of 2008, the state has used a weighted student formula to give districts financial support in addition to local taxes to address inequities in education seen statewide. That calculation changes year-to-year considering enrollment shifts and other factors. In the 15 years since the school funding formula was established, the state has not provided the full amount owed to underfunded districts.

Over the last several years, the Murphy administration has incrementally increased Newark’s state aid, with this proposed funding being the highest. This year, the district received $1.15 billion in state aid – up from 2023 when the district received $1 billion, and the year before that when the district received $915 million.

Newark Teachers Union President John Abeigon said in a statement late Thursday that he hopes the proposed increase in state aid for the district goes “a long way in helping the district respond in a meaningful way” to recruiting and retaining teachers. The teachers union and district have been negotiating a new contract as the current one expires in June.

The state aid for next year would include $8.5 million set aside for transportation and $66 million set aside for special education.

Valerie Wilson, the district’s school business administrator, noted last March that the increase in state aid for 2024 was still $27.7 million short of the amount the district was owed under the school funding formula. Roughly 86% of the district’s budget for the 2023-24 school year came from state aid.

The district is scheduled to present its own budget to the community on March 27. The proposed historic-high state aid would come as the district faces the end of its federal COVID relief aid and confronts costly demands in 2025 — such as a new teachers union contract and aging infrastructure.

Catherine Carrera is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat Newark. Reach Catherine at ccarrera@chalkbeat.org.

Para el 2025, las escuelas de Newark recibirían $1,250 millones en ayuda según el plan presupuestario del Gobernador Phil Murphy

2024-03-08T16:32:17+00:00

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Durante décadas, las Escuelas Públicas de Newark no han recibido la cantidad total de fondos estatales que Nueva Jersey les debe para brindar una “educación exhaustiva y eficiente” a todos los estudiantes, como lo exige la constitución estatal.

Pero eso podría cambiar en 2025, con una cifra récord de $1,250 millones en ayuda destinada al distrito escolar más grande del estado en el presupuesto propuesto por el gobernador Phil Murphy para el año fiscal que comienza el 1 de julio. La semana pasada, Murphy anunció que este plan presupuestario podría financiar completamente los distritos K-12 del estado.

La oficina del gobernador publicó el jueves 29 de febrero estimaciones de asignación de ayuda estatal para cada distrito, que mostraron que Newark obtendría un aumento del 8.8% en la ayuda durante el año en curso.

La semana pasada, Murphy destacó una inversión de $11.6 mil millones para las escuelas públicas el próximo año. La ayuda estatal propuesta, un aumento de $908 millones con respecto a este año, sería el pago final de Murphy al plan de siete años estipulado en la legislación promulgada en 2018 que tenía como objetivo corregir las desigualdades con la fórmula de financiamiento escolar del estado y redirigir el dinero a distritos con fondos insuficientes, incluido Newark.

El plan de gastos propuesto por Murphy de $55.9 mil millones pasará por negociaciones con los legisladores, en foros públicos y en privado, antes de finalizarse antes de la fecha límite del 30 de junio.

Durante una conferencia de prensa el jueves 29 de febrero en la escuela primaria Charles and Anna Booker en Plainfield para promocionar la ayuda escolar propuesta, Murphy insinuó que los fondos reservados para las escuelas podrían permanecer seguros durante los próximos meses de negociaciones.

El presupuesto propuesto se encuentra en un “muy buen punto de partida”, señaló Murphy. “Las cosas siempre cambian entre ahora y el 30 de junio, pero un par de cosas no cambiarán —puedo decir esto con confianza— la financiación total de K-12 y la expansión de pre-K están ahí y están en cemento”.

Su plan de gastos incluye $124 millones para ayuda preescolar, así como financiamiento para otras iniciativas relacionadas con la educación, como expandir el programa de comidas escolares gratuitas, asignar $2.5 millones para un programa de subvenciones para evaluación de alfabetización y proporcionar dinero adicional para estipendios de estudiantes y maestros.

Según la Ley de Reforma de Financiamiento Escolar de 2008, el estado ha utilizado una fórmula estudiantil ponderada para brindar a los distritos apoyo financiero además de los impuestos locales para abordar las desigualdades en la educación observadas en todo el estado. Ese cálculo cambia año tras año considerando los cambios de inscripción y otros factores. En los 15 años transcurridos desde que se estableció la fórmula de financiación escolar, el estado no ha proporcionado el monto total adeudado a los distritos con fondos insuficientes.

En los últimos años, la administración Murphy ha aumentado gradualmente la ayuda estatal de Newark, siendo esta financiación propuesta la más alta. Este año, el distrito recibió $1.15 mil millones en ayuda estatal, en comparación con 2023, cuando el distrito recibió $1,000 millones, y el año anterior, cuando el distrito recibió $915 millones.

El presidente del Sindicato de Maestros de Newark, John Abeigon, manifestó en un comunicado el jueves por la noche que espera que el aumento propuesto en la ayuda estatal para el distrito contribuya “en gran medida a ayudar al distrito a responder de manera significativa” a la contratación y retención de maestros. El sindicato de docentes y el distrito han estado negociando un nuevo contrato ya que el actual expira en junio.

La ayuda estatal para el próximo año incluiría $8.5 millones reservados para transporte y $66 millones reservados para educación especial. Valerie Wilson, administradora de negocios escolares del distrito, señaló en marzo pasado que el aumento en la ayuda estatal para 2024 todavía estaba $27.7 millones por debajo de la cantidad que se le debía al distrito según la fórmula de financiamiento escolar. Aproximadamente el 86% del presupuesto del distrito para el año escolar 2023-24 provino de ayuda estatal.

Está previsto que el distrito presente su propio presupuesto a la comunidad el 27 de marzo. La ayuda estatal propuesta, un nivel históricamente alto, se produciría cuando el distrito enfrenta el fin de su ayuda federal de ayuda por COVID y enfrenta demandas costosas en 2025, como un nuevo contrato para el sindicato de maestros e infraestructura obsoleta.

Esta traducción fue proporcionada por El Latino Newspaper, en asociación con el Centro de Medios Cooperativos de la Universidad Estatal de Montclair, y cuenta con el apoyo financiero del Consorcio de Información Cívica de NJ. La historia fue escrita originalmente en inglés por Chalkbeat Newark y se vuelve a publicar en virtud de un acuerdo especial para compartir contenido a través del Servicio de noticias de traducción al español de NJ News Commons.

This translation was provided by El Latino Newspaper, in association with the Center for Cooperative Media at Montclair State University and is financially supported by the NJ Civic Information Consortium. The story was originally written in English by Chalkbeat Newark and is republished under a special content sharing agreement through the NJ News Commons Spanish Translation News Service.

Catherine Carrera is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat Newark. Reach Catherine at ccarrera@chalkbeat.org.

Have a question for the 2024 Newark school board candidates? Help us build a voter guide.

2024-03-08T11:05:00+00:00

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The Newark school board election on April 16 will be hotly contested with 10 candidates competing for four seats on the nine-member elected body tasked with leading the district’s efforts to improve literacy rates and manage a billion dollar budget, among other pressing issues.

Three seats come with full three-year terms while one is for an unexpired one-year term.

The pool of candidates includes current co-vice presidents Dawn Haynes and Vereliz Santana, and recently appointed Helena Vinhas and Kanileah Anderson. The remaining candidates, Che J.T. Colter, Muta El-amin, Latoya Jackson, Sheila Montague, Jimmie White, and Debra Salters are vying to unseat the four incumbents.

Ahead of the election, Chalkbeat Newark wants to know what questions residents, parents, students, and other school community stakeholders have for the contenders. The questions will be key in creating our annual voter guide, a user-friendly interactive feature with essential information about candidates’ positions to help voters make informed decisions. The questions may also be used in an upcoming candidate community forum, a collaborative effort in the works between Chalkbeat Newark, Project Ready, and other local organizations. More information on that will be available in the coming weeks.

City residents must register to vote by March 26. The last day to apply by mail for a vote-by-mail ballot is a week before the election. Voting in person at designated polling locations takes place on April 16.

In the form below, let us know what questions you have for the candidates as soon as possible. For more information on what’s at stake in this election and who’s running, read this story.

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Catherine Carrera is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat Newark. Reach Catherine at ccarrera@chalkbeat.org.

N.J. Gov. Phil Murphy’s 2025 budget proposal outlines plan to fully fund school aid formula

2024-02-27T22:58:00+00:00

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Gov. Phil Murphy proposed $11.6 billion for New Jersey’s public schools in his fiscal year 2025 budget address on Tuesday — a historic investment that would, for the first time, fully fund K-12 schools.

The proposed aid, a $908 million increase from the current year, would be Murphy’s final payment into the seven-year plan, outlined by a law he signed in 2018, to fully fund the state’s school aid formula and redirect money to underfunded districts, including Newark Public Schools.

“We will be the first administration in our state’s history to fully fund New Jersey’s school funding formula,” Murphy said to a standing ovation in the Assembly Chambers at the statehouse in Trenton. The speech was streamed on the governor’s social media channels.

Before a room full of lawmakers, former governors, and community advocates, Murphy outlined his $55.9 billion proposed spending plan for the fiscal year beginning July 1. The plan includes major investments in schools, the public transit system, and public worker pensions, in addition to a proposed surplus of $6.1 billion, he said.

But a shortfall in tax revenues, a looming forecast of steep deficits, and other economic hardships could present challenges to fund this plan. Lawmakers will be negotiating and making changes to the proposed budget over the next few months before the deadline of June 30.

“There’s a simple reason why we’re keeping this promise,” Murphy said of the proposed boost in state school aid. “It’s because we need to cultivate the potential of every student anyway we can, whether they live in Cranbury or Camden — and that also means equipping our state’s educators with every tool they need to help our children learn and grow.”

Murphy also proposed other educational investments in the budget. He wants $124 million to go to preschool aid, which would include $20 million to expand preschool programs into new districts and create 1,000 new seats. He also wants an additional $30 million to expand the free school meals program, and to join 34 other states to take part in the Summer EBT program, which aims to combat child hunger during the summer with the help of $60 million in federal funds.

In addition, his plan includes a $2.5 million allocation for a grant program to help school districts acquire literacy screening tools to help children in need of support, a promise he made in his State of the State address last month.

While the proposed budget outlined major funding to support education, there was no sign of funding for the Schools Development Authority, a severely underfunded program meant to help high-poverty districts pay for projects to repair dilapidated school buildings.

A historic boost for school aid

Since 2008, New Jersey has used a weighted student formula created under the School Funding Reform Act to give districts financial support in addition to local taxes to provide every student a “thorough and efficient” education, as stipulated in the state constitution. However, in the 15 years since that formula was established, the state has not provided the full amount owed to underfunded districts.

During his campaign for governor in 2017, Murphy promised to prioritize fully funding the formula. Though his annual efforts to follow through on that promise have received much praise, education advocates say key updates and revisions to the formula are urgent to meet today’s educational needs.

Still, the last seven years of funding increases in state aid has been a marked shift from former Gov. Chris Christie’s administration, which mostly kept state aid flat.

In the state’s 2024 budget, Murphy allotted $10.8 billion for school aid – an $832 million increase from the prior year, as well as $103 million in additional aid approved for school districts seeing reductions in funding based on adjustments to the formula. That budget also included $109 million for the state’s universal pre-K program and $40 million to expand other programs, such as workforce development.

Newark, the state’s largest school district, received $1.2 billion in state aid for the current fiscal year, which was an extra $114 million over last year. Valerie Wilson, the district’s school business administrator, noted last March that the increase in state aid was still $27.7 million short of the amount the district was owed under the formula. Roughly 86% of the district’s budget for the 2023-24 school year came from state aid.

Typically, in the days following the governor’s budget address, the state will send districts the estimated state aid they can expect based on the proposed spending plan. Districts use those estimates to finalize their own budget proposals for next school year.

More funding needed for school buildings

Murphy received a mix of praise and criticism from education organization leaders on his proposed spending plan for next year.

“His efforts to fully fund New Jersey’s education formula, including the proposed $11.7 billion in his FY2025 budget plan, have gone a long way towards meeting the educational needs of students across the state,” said Harry Lee, president and CEO of the New Jersey Public Charter Schools Association, in an emailed statement.

Still, Lee added, public charter schools are in “desperate need of facilities upgrades and renovations,” and he urged lawmakers to consider earmarking funding for the recently established Charter School and Renaissance School Project Facilities Loan Program.

Education Law Center research director Danielle Farrie pressed lawmakers to support Murphy’s school funding formula infusion during negotiations and to consider adding $1 million to support efforts to update the formula. In an emailed statement, she also noted the lack of funding for the Schools Development Authority.

“Reaching full state funding and supporting preschool are just a part of what’s needed to make sure all public schools have the resources to provide a thorough and efficient education for their students,” Farrie said.

The New Jersey Education Association, in a prepared statement, had high marks for the governor’s proposal, but the teachers union also called on legislators to institute “transition aid” for school districts that will see a reduction in funding due to various changes with enrollment or other factors.

Jessie Gómez is a reporter for Chalkbeat Newark, covering public education in the city. Contact Jessie at jgomez@chalkbeat.org.

Catherine Carrera is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat Newark, covering the city’s K-12 schools with a focus on English language learners. Contact Catherine at ccarrera@chalkbeat.org.

Residentes de Newark indignados por la eliminación de una novela para adolescentes mientras la Junta cambia las reglas de los libros controvertidos

2024-02-15T19:28:26+00:00

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La eliminación del currículo escolar de un libro de adolescentes sobre un niño palestino de 12 años, por parte de funcionarios de la escuela de Newark, provocó una protesta pública en una reciente reunión de la Junta Escolar. Momentos después, la Junta eliminó el poder del superintendente para tomar decisiones sobre materiales de lectura controvertidos.

Una portavoz de la Junta Escolar dice que el cambio de política no está relacionado con la eliminación del libro, que atrajo a docenas de miembros de la comunidad a una reunión de la Junta la semana pasada. Educadores y padres, indignados porque el distrito retiró el libro del plan de estudios de sexto grado, dijeron que la decisión evoca las prohibiciones de libros, que han ido en aumento en los últimos años en medio de guerras culturales y campañas de censura por cuestiones de justicia social.

Después de una hora y media de comentarios públicos que por momentos se volvieron feroces, la Junta Escolar de Newark, de nueve miembros, que acababa de nombrar a dos nuevos miembros, votó para actualizar su política sobre libros y otros materiales de clase que reciben quejas del público.

La regla originalmente asignaba al superintendente la tarea de tomar decisiones finales sobre lo que sucede con los materiales cuestionados, pero, con la enmienda, ese poder se transfirió a la Junta Escolar. Deering dijo que la enmienda surgió como una recomendación de la School Boards Association (Asociación de Juntas Escolares) estatal.

Pese a que la Junta dice que no tiene relación, el cambio de política se produjo mientras crece la controversia sobre el libro de ficción “A Little Piece of Ground” (“Un Pequeño Pedazo de Terreno”) de Elizabeth Laird, y cómo o por qué fue eliminado del plan de estudios.

El libro, sobre un niño palestino de 12 años que navega su vida en la ciudad palestina de Ramallah, con la guerra y el conflicto en el centro de sus luchas, estuvo en las aulas de sexto grado de todo el Distrito desde el otoño de 2022, según fue confirmado por la portavoz del Distrito, Nancy Deering, a través de un correo electrónico.

En el verano de 2023, los funcionarios escolares del distrito retiraron la novela, que fue publicada por primera vez en 2003.

Los educadores y padres que hablaron en la reunión del 25 de enero cuestionaron por qué el libro fue eliminado del currículo del sexto grado. Hablaron de su importancia y relevancia para los estudiantes que intentan comprender la guerra entre Israel y Hamas y la violencia en Israel y la Franja de Gaza, a pesar de que la eliminación se produjo antes de que comenzara la guerra el 7 de octubre.

También cuestionaron si el distrito había sido influenciado por organizaciones externas para retirar el libro. Un reciente anuncio de la Jewish Federation of Greater MetroWest NJ (Federación Judía de Greater MetroWest NJ), una organización sin fines de lucro y el brazo local de un grupo nacional más grande, impulsó a los miembros de la comunidad a asistir a la reunión del jueves y exigir respuestas de la Junta.

La organización judía sin fines de lucro dice que durante un año presionó a los funcionarios de las Escuelas Públicas de Newark, incluidos los miembros de la Junta y funcionarios municipales y estatales, para retirar el libro de los estantes de las aulas de Newark.

“Es raro que intervengamos en temas curriculares, y mucho menos tratar de sacar un libro del plan de estudios del aula,” dijo Dov Ben-Shimon, director ejecutivo de la organización, en un comunicado el mes pasado. “Pero lo que estaba en juego era demasiado alto para que lo ignoráramos.”

Ben-Shimon también dijo en esa declaración que su equipo intentó reunirse con “educadores y líderes cívicos” pero “generalmente se toparon con puertas cerradas, llamadas telefónicas no devueltas y total hostilidad.” Pero, añadió, “líderes laicos y donantes importantes que tenían conexiones profundas dentro de la ciudad de Newark” apoyaron sus esfuerzos “que en última instancia condujeron a un resultado exitoso.”

Aun así, dijo el superintendente Roger León que el distrito no “prohibió” el libro, sino que fue eliminado como parte de una actualización del plan de estudios.

“A ningún estudiante o miembro del personal se le ha prohibido leer ningún material o literatura,” dijo León.

Algunos miembros de la Junta Escolar dijeron que estaban preocupados porque el libro fue eliminado del plan de estudios sin su conocimiento y decepcionados porque no fueron consultados antes de tomar la decisión.

“Es un flaco favor a nuestra comunidad. Es un perjuicio a la comunidad musulmana. Es un flaco favor para los padres de sexto grado. Y es un perjuicio para cualquiera que tuvo que tomarse su tiempo con 53 oradores para venir y hablar sobre una prohibición de libros que no autorizamos,” dijo la co-vicepresidenta de la Junta, Dawn Haynes, en la reunión que se llevó a cabo en la escuela Newark Vocational High School.

Haynes dijo que la decisión de retirar el libro no se reflejó en las actas de las reuniones del año pasado del Comité de Programa e Instrucción, que supervisa las decisiones curriculares en el distrito.

Susan Garofalo, la secretaria de prensa del alcalde de Newark Ras Baraka, dijo que la administración de Baraka “no tiene conocimiento de ninguna reunión” celebrada con la Jewish Federation y funcionarios de la ciudad sobre la eliminación del libro.

“El alcalde Baraka no ha leído el libro en cuestión para determinar la veracidad de las afirmaciones de que es antisemita,” dijo Garofalo. “Sin embargo, como principio general, la postura del alcalde es contraria a la prohibición de libros.”

La Jewish Federation of Greater MetroWest NJ declinó hacer comentarios.

La amenaza de prohibiciones de libros provoca cambios en las regulaciones

En el otoño, la Essex County School Board Association (Asociación de la Junta Escolar del condado de Essex) aprobó una legislación sobre la prohibición de libros en el condado llamada Ley de Protección de la Libertad de Lectura. La resolución aborda las prohibiciones de libros que están surgiendo en todo el condado en las juntas escolares locales y tiene como objetivo proteger la libertad académica, dijo la Junta.

El mes pasado, la Jewish Federation of Greater MetroWest NJ emitió una declaración que describía sus esfuerzos para prohibir el libro “A Little Piece of Ground” en las Escuelas Públicas de Newark y su reciente éxito en ese esfuerzo.

“Después de más de un año de intensos esfuerzos de cabildeo por parte de nuestro Jewish Community Relations Council (Consejo de Relaciones con la Comunidad Judía), me complace informarles que un libro profundamente inquietante y perjudicial que había sido asignado a estudiantes de sexto grado en el sistema de escuelas públicas de Newark durante el último año, acaba de ser retirado de 200 aulas en toda la ciudad,” dijo el director ejecutivo de la organización, Ben-Shimon, en una publicación en el blog de su sitio web del 29 de diciembre.

Esa publicación del blog, ampliamente compartida en Facebook y publicada por primera vez por The Star-Ledger, atrajo a docenas de padres y educadores a la reunión de la Junta Directiva del jueves.

“Si bien entiendo que las listas de lectura cambian con el tiempo según las decisiones tomadas por educadores capacitados, veo la eliminación de ‘A Little Piece of Ground’ como un claro ejemplo de prohibición de libros,” dijo Karl Schwartz, residente de Newark desde hace mucho tiempo, quien habló en la reunión.

Schwartz citó la declaración de Ben-Shimon y dijo que es preocupante que cualquier organización influya en el distrito para que elimine el libro.

“Es muy preocupante cuando un grupo privado es capaz de hacer algo así y tener influencia externa en el currículo escolar,” dijo.

Whitney Strub, residente de Newark desde hace mucho tiempo y profesor de historia en Rutgers University-Newark, dijo que él también se opone a la eliminación del libro.

“Es extremadamente perturbador e inquietante ver a mi propia ciudad natal, Newark, caer directamente en un error increíblemente evitable de un caso atroz de censura,” dijo Strub, quien agregó que en sus escritos académicos se centra en la censura. Él y otros que hablaron en contra de la eliminación del libro dijeron que la novela no es antisemita.

Sarah Alaeddin, una palestina estadounidense y miembro del programa Newark Teachers Project de Montclair State University, dijo que recientemente tuvo que explicar a sus estudiantes que la prohibición de libros puede ocurrir en cualquier lugar. “Incluso aquí en Newark, una ciudad tan progresista y profundamente diversa,” añadió.

Haynes se dirigió al público en la reunión, defendió a la Junta Escolar y dijo que no estaba al tanto de la decisión de retirar el libro.

“Ninguno de los miembros tuvo nada que ver con la prohibición de un libro aquí en la ciudad de Newark,” dijo. “No estamos de acuerdo en absoluto con la prohibición de libros, específicamente de uno que habla de una comunidad de oprimidos”.

La prohibición de libros ha sido un tema polémico en los últimos años en todo el país y el estado. La semana pasada, los legisladores del estado de Nueva Jersey presentaron la Ley de Libertad de Lectura (Freedom to Read Act) para establecer pautas para evaluar la retirada de libros de las bibliotecas de todo el estado.

La política enmendada de la Junta Escolar de Newark, titulada “Quejas sobre materiales de instrucción” y adoptada en 2019, tuvo una primera lectura el martes en la reunión de negocios de la Junta. Un cambio clave en la política establece que la decisión final sobre “asuntos de lectura controvertidos” recaerá en la Junta de Educación, mientras que la política original establecía que recaería en el superintendente.

Otro cambio en la política estipula que el superintendente debe desarrollar procedimientos para solicitudes, sugerencias o quejas sobre materiales de instrucción. La regla original no incluía la necesidad de desarrollar un procedimiento para tales solicitudes.

Esta traducción fue proporcionada por New Jersey Hispano, en asociación con el Centro de Medios Cooperativos de la Universidad Estatal de Montclair, y cuenta con el apoyo financiero del Consorcio de Información Cívica de NJ. La historia fue escrita originalmente en inglés por Chalkbeat Newark y se vuelve a publicar en virtud de un acuerdo especial para compartir contenido a través del Servicio de noticias de traducción al español de NJ News Commons.

This translation was provided by New Jersey Hispano, in association with the Center for Cooperative Media at Montclair State University and is financially supported by the NJ Civic Information Consortium. The story was originally written in English by Chalkbeat Newark and is republished under a special content sharing agreement through the NJ News Commons Spanish Translation News Service.

Catherine Carrera is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat Newark. Reach Catherine at ccarrera@chalkbeat.org.

Newark residents outraged over removal of teen novel as board changes policy for controversial books

2024-01-29T23:52:33+00:00

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Leer en español.

Newark school officials’ removal of a teen book about a 12-year-old Palestinian boy from its curriculum spurred a public outcry at a recent school board meeting. Moments later, the board axed the superintendent’s power to make decisions on controversial reading materials.

A school board spokeswoman says the policy change is unrelated to the book removal, which drew dozens of community members to a board meeting last week. Educators and parents, outraged over the district pulling the book from the sixth grade curriculum, said the decision evokes book bans, which have been on the rise in recent years amid culture wars and campaigns for censorship over social justice issues.

After an hour and a half of public comments that at times became fiery, the nine-member Newark school board, which had just appointed two new members, voted to update its policy on books and other classroom materials that receive complaints from the public.

The policy originally assigned the superintendent to make final decisions on what happens to those materials that are challenged, but, with the amendment, that power transferred to the school board. Deering said the amendment came as a recommendation from the state School Boards Association.

Though the board says it’s unrelated, the policy change occurred as controversy brews over the fictional book, “A Little Piece of Ground” by Elizabeth Laird, and how or why it was removed from the curriculum.

The book, about a 12-year-old Palestinian boy navigating his life in the Palestinian city of Ramallah, with war and conflict at the center of his struggles, was in sixth grade classrooms across the district beginning the fall of 2022, district spokeswoman Nancy Deering confirmed in an email.

In the summer of 2023, district school officials removed the novel, which was first published in 2003.

Educators and parents who spoke at the Jan. 25 meeting questioned why the book was removed from the sixth grade curriculum. They talked about its importance and relevance for students trying to understand the Israel-Hamas war and the violence in Israel and the Gaza Strip, even though the removal occurred before the war began on Oct. 7.

They also questioned whether the district had been influenced by outside organizations to remove the book. A recent announcement from the Jewish Federation of Greater MetroWest NJ, a nonprofit organization and the local arm of a larger national group, spurred community members to go to Thursday’s meeting and demand answers from the board.

The Jewish nonprofit says it lobbied Newark Public Schools officials, including board members, and city and state officials, for a year to get the book off Newark’s classroom shelves.

“It is a rare event for us to weigh in on curriculum issues, much less try to get a book removed from classroom study,” said Dov Ben-Shimon, the organization’s CEO, in a statement last month. “But the stakes were too high for us to ignore this one.”

Ben-Shimon also said in that statement that his team tried to meet with “educators and civic leaders” but “were often met with closed doors, unreturned phone calls and outright hostility.” But, he added, “lay leaders and major donors who had deep connections within the City of Newark” supported their efforts “ultimately leading to a successful outcome.”

Still, Superintendent Roger León said, the district did not “ban” the book, but rather it was removed as part of a curriculum update.

“No student or staff member has been forbidden from reading any material or any literature,” León said.

Some school board members said they were concerned that the book was removed from the curriculum without their knowledge and disappointed that they were not consulted before the decision was made.

“It is a disservice to our community. It is a disservice to the Muslim community. It is a disservice to the sixth grade parents. And it is a disservice to anybody who had to take their time with 53 speakers to come and talk about a book ban that we did not authorize,” Board Co-Vice President Dawn Haynes said at the meeting, which was held at Newark Vocational High School.

Haynes said the decision to remove the book was not reflected in meeting minutes over the last year for the program and instruction committee, which oversees curriculum decisions in the district.

Newark Mayor Ras Baraka’s press secretary Susan Garofalo said the Baraka administration is “unaware of any meetings” held with the Jewish Federation and city officials about the removal of the book.

“Mayor Baraka has not read the book in question to determine the veracity of claims that it is anti-Semitic,” Garofalo said. “However, as a general principle, the mayor’s stance is against banning books.”

The Jewish Federation of Greater MetroWest NJ declined to comment.

Threat of book bans spark policy changes

In the fall, the Essex County school board association passed legislation on county book bans called the Protect the Freedom to Read act. The resolution addresses the book bans popping up around the county at local school boards and aims to protect academic freedom, the board said.

Last month, the Jewish Federation of Greater MetroWest NJ issued a statement that outlined its efforts to ban “A Little Piece of Ground” in the Newark Public Schools and its recent success in that effort.

“After over a year of intense lobbying efforts on the part of our Jewish Community Relations Council, I’m pleased to let you know that a deeply troubling and prejudicial book which had been assigned to sixth graders in the Newark Public School system for the last year, has just been pulled from 200 classrooms across the city,” said the organization’s CEO Ben-Shimon, in a blog post on its website on Dec. 29.

That blog post, shared widely on Facebook and first reported by The Star-Ledger, drew dozens of parents and educators to Thursday’s board meeting.

“While I understand that reading lists change over time based on the decisions made by trained educators, I see the removal of ‘A Little Piece of Ground’ as being a clear example of a book ban,” said Karl Schwartz, a longtime Newark resident who spoke at the meeting.

Schwartz quoted from Ben-Shimon’s statement and said it’s worrisome that any organization would influence the district to remove the book.

“It’s very concerning when a private group is able to do something like that and have outside influence on the curriculum,” he said.

Whitney Strub, a longtime Newark resident and professor of history at Rutgers University-Newark, said he too is opposed to the book’s removal.

“It’s extremely upsetting and disturbing to see my own hometown of Newark walk right into an incredibly avoidable error of an egregious case of censorship,” said Strub, who added that he focuses on censorship in his academic writing. He and others who spoke against the removal of the book said the novel is not anti-Semitic.

Sarah Alaeddin, a Palestinian American and member of the Newark Teachers Project program at Montclair State University, said she had to recently explain to her students that book bans can happen anywhere. “Even here in Newark, a city that is so progressive and deeply, richly diverse,” she added.

Haynes addressed the public at the meeting, defended the school board, and said it was not aware of the decision to remove the book.

“None of the members had anything to do with a book banning here in the city of Newark,” she said. “We do not agree with book banning at all, specifically one that talks about a community of oppressed people.”

Book bans have been a contentious issue in recent years across the country and state. Last week, New Jersey state lawmakers introduced the Freedom to Read Act to set guidelines for evaluating book removals from libraries across the state.

The Newark school board’s amended policy, titled “Complaints Regarding Instructional Materials’' and adopted in 2019, had a first reading on Tuesday at the board business meeting. A key change to the policy states that the final decision on “controversial reading matters” will rest with the Board of Education, whereas the original policy stated it would rest with the superintendent.

Another change in the policy stipulates that the superintendent should develop procedures for requests, suggestions, or complaints about instructional materials. The original policy did not include the need to develop a procedure for such requests.

Catherine Carrera is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat Newark. Reach Catherine at ccarrera@chalkbeat.org.

New Jersey state school board gains two new members with ‘fresh perspectives’

2024-01-17T19:02:53+00:00

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For the first time under Gov. Phil Murphy’s tenure, the New Jersey State Board of Education welcomed two new members: a former Newark Public Schools program director and a former Union City school board member.

Mary Bennett, of Irvington, and Jeannette Peña, of Union City, took their oaths of office before a full conference room during Wednesday’s board meeting at the state Department of Education building in Trenton.

“How exciting for us to have new perspectives on the board,” acting Education Commissioner Angelica Allen-McMillan said at the meeting. “With your vast experience, I know that our board is in good hands.”

Bennett has extensive experience as an educator in various roles, including a Newark Public Schools program director, high school principal and vice principal, English language arts teacher, educational consultant for Seton Hall University, and education mentor at Montclair State University.

Peña was a former bilingual school psychologist for Jersey City schools and previously served as president of the Union City school board.

“This is an honor and a responsibility that I do not take lightly,” Bennett said following the swearing-in. “I will serve with sincerity, professionalism, and utilize my five decades of experience that I bring to this role on behalf of all the children in public schools in New Jersey.”

“I’m still pinching myself,” Peña said about her excitement for her new role.

New Jersey Superior Court Judge Robert Lougy administers the oath of office to Jeannette Peña, of Union City, a new member of the state Board of Education. Mary Bennett, not pictured, was also sworn in at the board meeting on Jan. 17, 2024.

Members of the state school board serve six year terms and are appointed by the governor with confirmation from the state Senate. The board is supposed to have 13 members but has been down two members after recent resignations, and the remaining 11 members are sitting in expired seats.

Murphy has nominated six members to the board, but only Bennett and Peña have been confirmed by the Senate. Seven members currently on the board were appointed by Gov. Chris Christie, who left office in 2018, and four were appointed by previous administrations.

Peña filled the seat formerly held by Ernest Lepore, who served from 2004 through 2022. Bennett replaced Mary Beth Gazi, who was appointed in 2017 and served one term.

The new members join the board as Allen-McMillan prepares to step down as acting education commissioner on Feb. 1. Wednesday was her last board meeting.

Reflecting on her three years in that role, Allen-McMillan said she’s proud of the work the department and board has done during the pandemic.

Board member Mary Beth Berry said she welcomes the new members’ “fresh perspectives.”

“It’s a lot of work, but it’s wonderful to think we can collaborate and do the very best for children of New Jersey,” Berry said.

Some of Bennett’s family members attended the swearing in ceremony, traveling from Newark on a blistering cold day to show their support.

“She’s been in education for so long and has so much knowledge to bring,” from her professional experiences and “as a mother and grandmother,” said Cynthia Breuton, Bennett’s cousin, of Newark. Breuton noted Bennett has long volunteered for various community organizations, including their church’s education ministry.

The state school board is responsible for setting rules and standards to implement state education laws, and supervising the state’s public schools. The board also advises on the education commissioner’s proposed policies and confirms state education department staff appointments.

The next meeting is scheduled for Feb 7.

Catherine Carrera is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat Newark. Reach Catherine at ccarrera@chalkbeat.org.

Will Newark’s 16- and 17-year-olds get the right to vote in school board races?

2024-01-09T19:28:41+00:00

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The Newark City Council is set to vote Wednesday on a proposal to lower the voting age from 18 to 16 for school board races, where voter turnout has hovered around 3% for the last few years.

The ordinance, first proposed at a council meeting on Dec. 20, would take effect in time for the upcoming April election. Council President LaMonica McIver sponsored the measure, which passed the first reading at that meeting. It’s up for a public hearing and final vote at the council meeting on Wednesday at 12:30 p.m. in the council chambers at city hall.

“We need to make sure that the young people, our children, and the children coming behind us have a voice,” said McIver after the council took a first vote in favor of the ordinance last month. “We should be putting them closer to the decision-making table for the policies that directly impact them.”

The proposed measure comes on the heels of a new law that Gov. Phil Murphy recently signed to allow 17-year-olds to vote in primary elections if they are registered and turning 18 by the general election, starting in 2026.

During Murphy’s annual State of the State address on Tuesday, where he outlined his legislative priorities for the year, he said he wants state lawmakers to send him a bill that would expand voting rights for 16- and 17-year-olds statewide to vote in local school board elections.

If the Newark City Council approves the measure on Wednesday, Newark would become the first city in New Jersey to move the minimum voting age to 16 in school board elections.

Newark Mayor Ras Baraka backs the measure and believes it will give Newark youth a “strong sense of their own agency,” he said in an emailed statement on Tuesday.

“I fully support helping them establish civic responsibility at an early age and begin a lifetime habit of exercising this critical and powerful right,” Baraka said.

Nationally, there are signs that more local and state governments are looking to expand voting rights to 16- and 17-year-olds.

The city would join a handful of other municipalities throughout the country that have done the same for school board or local elections in recent years, from Berkeley, California to Takoma Park, Maryland, according to the National Youth Rights Association.

“The unfortunate reality is that voter turnout, especially in non-federal elections remains alarmingly low,” said Micauri Vargas, an associate counsel at the New Jersey Institute for Social Justice who spoke in support of the ordinance at the December meeting. “One bold solution lies in the empowerment of our youth, the very individuals directly affected by the decisions made by the school boards.”

Vargas added that the New Jersey Constitution doesn’t prohibit voting under the age of 18 and local governments in the state have the authority to set the voting age for local races.

Historically, voter turnout for the annual school board race has been low in Newark. In the last three school board elections, which are held annually in April, turnout has been around 3%.

Expanding voting rights to roughly 7,300 of Newark’s 16- and 17-year-olds could allow for more participation in the school board elections, supporters of the new rule said at the meeting.

“These young people deserve strong advocates on their school boards. Why not let them help choose who they will be?” said Ryan Haygood, president and chief executive officer of the New Jersey Institute for Social Justice.

With such low voter turnout in Newark, “we know that they cannot rely entirely on other people alone to do that for them,” added Haygood, who lives in the city and has two teenagers.

Haygood and other advocates said they would collaborate with government and school officials to put together a civics curriculum for high school students as part of an effort to bring awareness to the new measure and maximize turnout if it passes during the final vote on Wednesday.

Deborah Smith-Gregory, president of the Newark NAACP, spoke at the Newark school board meeting in December and said the organization would step in to help engage students on civic duties. She added that a city high school student told her that if the voting age is lowered “without civics education, it’s not going to be effective.”

Catherine Carrera is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat Newark. Reach Catherine at ccarrera@chalkbeat.org.

New Jersey state test results show small gains for most students, but disparities persist

2023-12-11T20:50:00+00:00

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New Jersey’s third graders didn’t see improvement in reading over last year in the latest state Student Learning Assessments, the second round of standardized tests administered since the pandemic disrupted learning more than three years ago.

Results from the 2023 state tests in reading and math showed that seventh graders and Algebra 1 students struggled to improve in math, and disparities remained strikingly wide. Newark’s proficiency rates, in large part, continued to trail behind statewide averages — among the most daunting are third grade reading proficiency rates as low as 1.6% in one elementary school.

But even so, there were notable overall gains in reading and math across many student groups, state Department of Education officials said as they presented the latest test score data at a state Board of Education meeting last week in Trenton that streamed on YouTube.

The results serve as a reminder that the pandemic disproportionately affected thousands of students across the state and in Newark. They also highlight the challenges facing districts, which are scrambling to find effective strategies to help students catch up as the fourth year since the pandemic began approaches.

“This is going to take time,” said Jorden Schiff, the education department’s assistant commissioner of teaching and learning services, as he referred to ongoing efforts to return to pre-pandemic levels in key subject areas, such as reading and math. “No one can predict exactly how many years it will take.”

Some grades, schools show minimal progress

New Jersey put a pause on state standardized testing in 2020 and 2021 during the height of the pandemic. The annual spring exams in reading, math, and science restarted in 2022, providing the first glimpse of the learning loss that occurred since the pandemic began. The English language arts exams are administered to grades 3-9. Math exams go to grades 3-8, while specialized math exams in Algebra 1, Algebra 2, and Geometry are administered to students taking those courses. Science is administered to grades 5, 8, and 11.

The statewide results for 2023 showed some positives when looking at the overall picture: There was a 2.2% increase in math proficiency and 2.4% increase in reading proficiency when looking at the average of scores across all grades. Similarly, Newark Public Schools saw an overall increase of 2% in both math and reading.

But a closer assessment of the data reveals more nuance to this picture.

Third graders’ reading proficiency statewide remained at 42%, the same as last year — and 8 percentage points lower than the 50% rate in 2019. All other grades that took the reading exam, though, showed at least a 1 to 4 percentage point improvement over last year.

Similarly, seventh graders’ proficiency in math remained at 34% this year — 8 percentage points behind the proficiency rate of 42% in 2019 — and the Algebra 1 proficiency rate went unchanged from last year at 35%, also 8 percentage points behind the 2019 rate. Again, all other grades that took the math exams showed some improvement between 1 and 6 percentage points over last year.

“When we disaggregate based on grade level, this is when you’re starting to see some differentiation,” Schiff said.

Newark third graders’ reading proficiency rate of 19.1%, an improvement of .1% over last year, was still 9 percentage points behind 2019 and 22.9% behind the state’s average.

A close look at school-by-school results in the district show third graders at a few schools are exceeding the district’s and state’s overall proficiency for that grade, while others are trailing significantly.

Forty-two percent of third graders at Ann Street, 46.9% at Ivy Hill, and 50% at Sir Isaac Newton elementary schools are proficient in reading. But at other schools, the third grade proficiency rate is bleak — with Hawkins Street elementary at 1.6%, Quitman Street at 1.9%, and Dr. E. Alma Flagg at 2.6%.

Over at North Star Academy, the largest charter school network in Newark, 58.6% of third graders are proficient in reading — a rate that far exceeded the district and state averages in third grade English language arts.

Over the last year, North Star has put extra attention on teacher training and tutoring during the school day, with a focus on small group instruction, said network spokesperson Maria Alcón-Heraux.

Across the city, local leaders have been taking steps to address the learning impacts on children.

Before the start of the 2022-23 school year, Newark Mayor Ras Baraka launched a 10-point Youth Literacy Action Plan that called on community groups and local programs to get young children reading and writing in and out of school. The public school district also mandated students attend summer school as an additional learning opportunity.

Paula White, executive director of education advocacy group JerseyCAN, said in a statement that the latest state test scores provide “evidence that our children are not acquiring the skills and knowledge that will prepare them for a viable life in adulthood.”

“It is fair to say that we continue to lack the urgency and leadership to fully address the needs of our public school students,” White said.

State, districts search for strategies to close gaps

The state’s analysis of test results broken down by other student groups, such as race and ethnicity, English language learners, economically disadvantaged, and students with disabilities, shows improvements across the board, said Schiff, the assistant commissioner, at last week’s state school board meeting.

He noted Black students across all grades showed a jump in reading proficiency of 3.2%, an increase from 30.5% in 2022 but still behind the 37.9% rate in 2019. Latino students also saw an increase in reading proficiency of 2.3% over the 34.8% rate in 2022, but also still behind the 43.7% rate in 2019.

The reading and math proficiency rates for Black and Latino students, as well as students from economically disadvantaged backgrounds, students with disabilities, and English language learners, highlight wide-ranging disparities in New Jersey.

State school board members pressed the education department officials for strategies to address learning gaps evident in the scores.

“These gaps are just unacceptable,” said Arcelio Aponte, a state school board member, during the presentation. “We really need to think through a better strategy to try to close these gaps.”

State education department officials said several programs are in the works to help address the learning loss evident in the results. The department has a high-impact tutoring program set to be underway in January and a professional development program for educators teaching literacy to elementary grades called RAPID.

The state’s office of special education is also offering a professional development program this winter for educators to learn about new strategies for interventions, strategies for trauma-informed classroom instruction, and how to improve preschool outcomes, officials said. The state is also partnering with higher education institutions across the state to support these programs, they said.

State school board member Joseph Ricca said the answer to addressing disparities requires more analysis and discussion. In addition to increased tutoring and learning opportunities, officials need to be “making sure all of our children are fed every day” and “making sure that there’s mental health care services available for all of our children in all of our schools,” he said.

“When we talk about test scores we need to recognize that these are not a singular indicator to human success,” Ricca said. “Recognize that there are issues that we must address within the lives of our children in order to achieve the types of academic growth and results we’d like to see.”

Jessie Gomez contributed reporting to this article.

Catherine Carrera is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat Newark. Reach Catherine at ccarrera@chalkbeat.org.

In New Jersey school segregation case, parties enter mediation phase to avoid years of litigation

2023-11-13T22:34:47+00:00

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The coalition of families and advocates battling New Jersey in court to desegregate its public school system will put the legal fight on pause as they enter a mediation phase in an effort to avoid years of litigation.

After more than five years of legal proceedings, the parties last month received an opinion from New Jersey Superior Court Judge Robert T. Lougy that was mixed and still left questions unanswered about the next steps to take in fixing the issue of segregation across schools.

In Lougy’s 99-page opinion, he said the state failed to remedy the racial segregation evident in numerous school districts throughout New Jersey — rejecting the state’s defense that it shouldn’t be held responsible. But he also didn’t agree the plaintiffs proved segregation exists across every school district — only among the 23 districts they provided evidence for, which included Newark.

On Thursday, lawyers representing the plaintiffs filed a motion, which was granted by the state Superior Court’s appellate division the same day, to put the case on a temporary pause as discussions to reach a resolution begin among the parties, court documents show. This came after the plaintiffs got an extension late last month to consider an appeal.

Over the next several weeks, mediation sessions between all the parties involved, including intervening defendants that represent charter schools, will take place. The first one is planned for Nov. 21.

Former New Jersey Supreme Court Associate Justice Barry T. Albin, who retired earlier this year, will act as the mediator during these discussions.

Albin authored landmark and controversial opinions over his 20 years serving in the state’s highest court, including a ruling to allow same-sex marriage in New Jersey and another that freed a former Black Panther, Sundiata Acoli, who was convicted fifty years ago of killing a state trooper.

The mediation will address issues of liability, remedies, and a process to “ensure that all interested persons and organizations,” whether part of the litigation or not, “have the opportunity to meaningfully participate,” wrote Lawrence Lustberg, of Gibbons Law, the co-counsel for the plaintiffs, in his motion.

“If successful, this mediation process holds the promise of saving the people of New Jersey and the courts of this state from years of complex, highly charged litigation,” Lustberg stated.

The coalition of plaintiffs includes the families of nine students that attended schools in Camden, Elizabeth, Highland Park, Hoboken, Newark, Paterson, and Union City, and five advocacy groups, including Latino Action Network, NAACP New Jersey State Conference, Latino Coalition, Urban League of Essex County, and The United Methodist Church of Greater New Jersey.

Defendants include the state Department of Education, Board of Education, and Acting Education Commissioner Angelica Allen-McMillan.

The court documents show that the parties have agreed to engage in mediation “in good faith,” file status reports on Dec. 15 and Jan. 10 to the appellate division, and, if they wish to extend the temporary pause, would file a motion before Jan. 16, when the pause is set to lift.

“We are pleased to accept the state’s invitation to undertake a confidential mediation process with Justice Albin and are hopeful that it will result in an effective solution to New Jersey’s long standing problem of school segregation more expeditiously than would be the case if it is necessary to continue the ongoing litigation,” Lustberg said in an emailed statement on Monday.

New Jersey “recognizes the innumerable benefits of a diverse school environment,” said Michael Symons, spokesman for the state Office of Attorney General, in an email on Monday. “The parties have entered into a confidential mediation process in the hope of resolving this complex and difficult matter.”

Charter school representatives said they will be at the table to “provide meaningful solutions to increase the number of diverse public schools” in the state.

“Public charter schools are uniquely positioned to be a part of the solution due to their ability to serve students across municipal boundaries,” said Harry Lee, the president and chief executive officer of the New Jersey Public Charter School Association, in an emailed statement. “Justice Barry Albin is universally admired as a legal mind and mediator who can help bridge different perspectives during mediation.”

Jessie Gomez contributed reporting to this article.

Catherine Carrera is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat Newark. Reach Catherine at ccarrera@chalkbeat.org.

Caso de segregación escolar en Nueva Jersey: una mirada a lo que sigue en LAN vs. NJ

2023-11-10T21:44:39+00:00

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Una coalición de defensores y familias tiene menos de dos semanas para apelar el fallo mixto de un juez de la Corte Superior de Nueva Jersey que afirmó que no pudieron demostrar que el sistema de educación pública del estado está segregado socioeconómicamente y que existe segregación racial en todos los distritos.

La tan esperada decisión del juez Robert T. Lougy publicada el 7 de octubre también encontró que las acciones, políticas y programas del estado no han logrado remediar la segregación racial evidente en numerosos distritos escolares de Nueva Jersey, rechazando la defensa del estado de que no debería ser considerado responsable.

Una sentencia judicial previa al juicio de 99 páginas no solo evitó favorecer abrumadoramente a una parte sobre la otra, sino que tampoco respondió preguntas clave, incluido qué se le debería exigir al estado que haga a continuación.

Los representantes legales de ambas partes han dicho que están revisando la decisión de Lougy con sus clientes. Los demandantes tienen que decidir si van a juicio, inician negociaciones o presentan una apelación. Si deciden solicitar un “permiso para apelar” (una moción para apelar un error legal en el caso antes de que vaya a juicio) pueden obtener una extensión de 15 días, según establecen las reglas de las cortes de Nueva Jersey.

Como aún persisten preguntas, aquí hay una guía del caso, que incluye los puntos clave planteados en la demanda y los posibles próximos pasos.

¿Quiénes son las personas y organizaciones en este caso?

El fallo es el último de una batalla legal de cinco años que comenzó cuando varias familias y defensores demandaron a Nueva Jersey, argumentando que el aislamiento racial experimentado por miles de estudiantes negros y latinos viola la constitución estatal, que es única por su prohibición explícita de la segregación escolar.

La coalición de demandantes incluye a las familias de nueve estudiantes que asistieron a escuelas en Camden, Elizabeth, Highland Park, Hoboken, Newark, Paterson y Union City, y cinco grupos de defensa, incluidos Latino Action Network, NAACP New Jersey State Conference, Latino Coalition, Urban League del Condado de Essex y la iglesia United Methodist Church of Greater New Jersey.

La raíz de su demanda – argumentando que el estado es responsable por la segregación que es “ilegal, persistente y generalizada” en todo su sistema educativo público – está impulsada en parte por un estatuto de residencia conocido como “autonomía”.

Ese estatuto estipula que cada municipio tiene su propio distrito escolar independiente (un total de más de 600 distritos en Nueva Jersey) y que los niños que viven en esa ciudad son asignados para asistir a esas escuelas. Los demandantes señalaron que la “historia indiscutible” de las políticas gubernamentales discriminatorias en materia de vivienda condujeron a la segregación residencial de Nueva Jersey, que solo se ha replicado en el sistema escolar bajo el gobierno autónomo.

Mientras tanto, los demandados son el Estado de Nueva Jersey, la Junta de Educación del estado, el Departamento de Educación del estado y la Comisionada Interina de Educación Angelica Allen-McMillan, así como los demandados intervinientes, que incluyen representantes y padres de estudiantes de las escuelas charter y renacentistas.

El estado argumentó que no viola su constitución y que la segregación en un puñado de distritos no establece una violación a nivel estatal. También argumentaron que el alivio de la segregación existente “esencialmente destruiría todo el sistema de escuelas públicas del estado”.

¿Nueva Jersey tiene escuelas segregadas?

Nueva Jersey tiene uno de los sistemas escolares de mejor desempeño del país, pero varios estudios han demostrado que también es uno de los más profundamente divididos por raza y clase. Si bien se ha demostrado que la integración beneficia a los estudiantes, los políticos de todo el país la han abandonado en gran medida debido a la oposición política y las restricciones legales.

El estado ocupa el sexto lugar en la nación en términos de mayor segregación de estudiantes negros y el séptimo en segregación de estudiantes latinos, según un estudio del Proyecto de Derechos Civiles de UCLA en 2017.

Como parte de su evidencia, los demandantes utilizaron datos de inscripción estatal de 2016-17 que mostraban que el 30% de los estudiantes latinos y el 25% de los estudiantes negros asisten a escuelas donde la inscripción de estudiantes no blancos está entre el 90% y el 99%, afirma la demanda. También identificaron 23 distritos con altos porcentajes de estudiantes latinos y negros que calificaban para almuerzo gratis o a precio reducido, que incluían Newark, East Orange, Orange e Irvington.

En su opinión, Lougy señaló que si bien no creía que hubieran demostrado que existiera segregación “en todo el estado”, los demandantes pudieron demostrar que existe un “desequilibrio racial marcado y persistente” en varios distritos escolares. Estuvo de acuerdo con los demandantes en que el argumento del estado de cambiar la demografía que muestra una disminución de estudiantes blancos “puede presentar desafíos, pero esos desafíos sólo enfatizan, no disminuyen, ‘la obligación y el poder de los funcionarios de educación de remediar el desequilibrio racial’”.

¿Qué podría pasar con el gobierno autónomo de Nueva Jersey?

Fuera de Nueva Jersey, las conversaciones sobre la segregación escolar se han visto sofocadas en los últimos años por las presiones de la pandemia y la reacción conservadora contra los llamados a enfrentar el racismo sistémico. Pero a medida que este caso continúa abriéndose paso en el sistema legal, podría hacer que la integración regrese a la conversación nacional.

Stefan Lallinger, que dirige una red de distritos escolares y agencias de vivienda comprometidas con la integración escolar, ha dicho que el mensaje de este caso “es que este problema está vivo y coleando”.

Algunas posibles medidas, como la creación de nuevas escuelas magnet que inscriban a estudiantes de distritos múltiples, podrían ser costosas pero populares entre las familias. Pero otros posibles remedios, como permitir que los estudiantes se transfieran de escuela o volver a trazar los límites de los distritos, históricamente han enfrentado la resistencia de los padres blancos ricos y de los contribuyentes que temen que una afluencia de estudiantes pobres de color socave las escuelas y los valores de las viviendas de su comunidad.

En su argumento, el estado defendió su estatuto de residencia, que obliga a los estudiantes a asistir a escuelas en la ciudad donde residen actualmente. La coalición de grupos de defensa cuestionó la afirmación del estado de que existe una “necesidad pública” de un gobierno autónomo y que la participación de los padres se vería afectada negativamente si las escuelas estuvieran más integradas.

“Ni los límites municipales ni los de los distritos escolares son impermeables en la lucha contra la segregación”, dijo Lougy, añadiendo el contexto de fallos anteriores de la Corte Suprema estatal. “Al cumplir con la obligación constitucional, y sin perjuicio del estatuto de residencia, el comisionado tiene la autoridad de cruzar las líneas distritales para evitar ‘la segregación de hecho’”.

La demanda y la discusión sobre la autonomía han llevado a algunos legisladores republicanos a patrocinar proyectos de ley que proponen que la autonomía forme parte de una enmienda constitucional estatal.

El senador estatal Jon Bramnick, republicano que representa a los condados de Morris, Somerset y Union, dijo en una entrevista con Chalkbeat que este tema debería manejarse a través de la legislatura, no mediante demandas. En febrero de 2022, él patrocinó un proyecto de ley que tenía una propuesta similar en la Asamblea, que tenía como objetivo garantizar que los estudiantes asistieran a la escuela pública más cercana a su hogar.

Bramnick dijo que teme que, sin enmiendas a la constitución estatal, la cuestión de la autonomía podría tardar décadas en decidirse en los tribunales. “No creo que nadie cuestione si existe segregación de facto en nuestras escuelas”, dijo Bramnick. “Así que no se escondan detrás del sistema judicial”.

¿Qué sigue y qué otros remedios son posibles?

El 26 de octubre [venció] el plazo para que las partes presenten una apelación, lo que les permitiría solicitar otra prórroga de 15 días.

También pueden iniciar un juicio o negociar. Otra opción es pedir a la Corte que se reconsideren o aclaren aspectos de la opinión, aunque dado que tomó un año y medio para obtener este fallo, eso probablemente solo prolongaría aún más el proceso legal.

En el pasado, esfuerzos estatales como el de Nueva Jersey no han impulsado la desegregación. En cambio, los actores federales han tomado la iniciativa.

En 1954, la Corte Suprema de Estados Unidos declaró que las escuelas segregadas racialmente son “intrínsecamente desiguales”. Sin embargo, poco cambió hasta que los tribunales y agencias federales, facultados por la Ley de Derechos Civiles de 1964, intervinieron para hacer cumplir el fallo. Luego, la segregación escolar se desplomó en el sur, donde se emitieron la mayoría de las órdenes judiciales, y los estudiantes negros se beneficiaron dentro y fuera de la escuela.

Pero el gobierno federal se ha alejado constantemente de la abolición de la segregación desde la década de los ‘80, con las agencias flexibilizando la aplicación de la ley y las cortes liberando a los distritos de la supervisión. Muchos funcionarios locales también rehuyeron debido a la resistencia política y a un fallo de la Corte Suprema de 2007 que limitó (pero no prohibió) el uso de la raza en los planes de integración voluntaria. Hoy en día, según un análisis de 2020, se pueden encontrar políticas activas de integración en solo 119 de los más de 13.000 distritos escolares del país y 66 escuelas charter.

Frustrados por la inacción federal y local, los defensores de la integración de Nueva Jersey llevaron su lucha a las cortes estatales. En 2018, un grupo de nueve estudiantes, sus familias y una coalición de grupos religiosos y de derechos civiles demandaron al estado con la esperanza de forzar la integración escolar.

“Parecía nuestra única opción”, dijo Christian Estévez, presidente de Latino Action Network, el principal demandante.

Los defensores buscaron una solución a nivel estatal porque la segregación de Nueva Jersey está impulsada principalmente por las diferencias raciales y económicas entre sus aproximadamente 600 distritos escolares. Un plan de integración eficaz permitiría que más estudiantes se mudaran entre esos distritos divididos, dicen los expertos, tal vez ampliando un programa de transferencia existente.

El vecino del norte de Nueva Jersey puede ofrecer inspiración y una advertencia.

En 1989, estudiantes de Hartford, Connecticut, presentaron una demanda alegando que las escuelas segregadas de la ciudad violaban la constitución estatal. Siete años después, la Corte Suprema del estado emitió un fallo histórico a favor de los estudiantes, incluido el demandante principal Milo Sheff.

El caso Sheff dio lugar a una serie de planes de integración voluntaria. Las escuelas magnet recientemente abiertas atrajeron a estudiantes blancos y asiático-americanos a la ciudad, y un programa de transferencia permitió que estudiantes negros y latinos se matricularan en escuelas suburbanas. Los programas crearon escuelas más diversas y mejoraron el rendimiento de algunos estudiantes.

Sin embargo, muchas familias de Hartford siguen decepcionadas. A pesar de los generosos incentivos financieros, los distritos suburbanos nunca han aceptado suficientes estudiantes transferidos para satisfacer la demanda. Y, para mantener la diversidad, algunas escuelas magnet de la ciudad con plazas abiertas rechazan a los solicitantes negros y latinos. Hoy en día, la gran mayoría de los estudiantes de Hartford todavía asisten a escuelas segregadas.

En enero de 2022, los demandantes y el estado acordaron un acuerdo final, que crearía escuelas magnet adicionales y abriría más plazas para estudiantes transferidos. Milo Sheff, que estaba en cuarto grado cuando comenzó el caso, tiene ahora 43 años.

John Brittain, el abogado principal de los demandantes de Sheff, dijo que los defensores de Nueva Jersey tendrán que luchar – tal vez durante muchos años – para mantener el compromiso del estado con el acuerdo de integración.

“Realmente se necesita gente de base, organización comunitaria, como la que tenemos en el movimiento Sheff”, dijo.

Construir un movimiento popular en torno a la abolición de la segregación parecería especialmente difícil en un momento en el que los estadounidenses no están de acuerdo sobre si las escuelas debieran siquiera enseñar sobre el racismo. Sin embargo, es posible ganar apoyo para la integración, dijo Lallinger, director de una red de distritos escolares y agencias de vivienda comprometidas con la integración escolar. Para lograr la aceptación de los padres y la comunidad se requiere educación, diálogo y perseverancia, añadió.

“No deberíamos fingir que el trabajo es fácil”, dijo Lallinger. “Pero tampoco deberíamos ponernos las anteojeras y decir que el status quo es aceptable”.

Patrick Wall contribuyó con el reportaje de este artículo.

Samantha Lauten contribuyó con el reportaje de este artículo.

Catherine Carrera is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat Newark. Reach Catherine at ccarrera@chalkbeat.org.

New Jersey school segregation case: A look at key points, what’s next in Latino Action Network vs. NJ

2023-10-13T17:08:40+00:00

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A coalition of advocates and families have less than two weeks to appeal a New Jersey Superior Court judge’s mixed ruling that said they failed to prove the state’s public education system is socioeconomically segregated and that racial segregation exists across every district.

The long-awaited decision from Judge Robert T. Lougy released last week also found that the state’s actions, policies, and programs have failed to remedy the racial segregation evident in numerous school districts throughout New Jersey — rejecting the state’s defense that it should not be held responsible.

Not only did the 99-page pre-trial court ruling avoid overwhelmingly favoring one side over the other, it also stopped short of answering key questions, including what the state should be required to do next.

Legal representatives of both sides have said they’re reviewing Lougy’s decision with their clients. Plaintiffs have until Oct. 26 to decide whether to go to trial, start negotiations, or file an appeal. If they decide to pursue a “leave for appeal” — a motion to appeal a legal error in the case before it goes to trial — they can get a 15-day extension, New Jersey courts rules state.

As questions still linger, here’s a guide to the case, including key points raised in the lawsuit and possible next steps.

Who are the players involved in the case?

The ruling is the latest in a five-year legal battle that began when several families and advocates sued New Jersey, arguing that the racial isolation experienced by thousands of Black and Latino students violates the state constitution, which is rare in its explicit ban on school segregation.

The root of their lawsuit — arguing that the state is liable for the segregation that is “unlawful, persistent, and pervasive” across its entire public educational system — is in part driven by a residency statute known as the “home rule.”

That statute stipulates that each municipality has its own separate school district — totaling more than 600 districts in New Jersey — and that children who live in that town are assigned to go to those schools. The plaintiffs pointed out that the “undisputed history” of discriminatory governmental housing policies led to New Jersey’s residential segregation, which has only been replicated in the school system under the home rule.

Meanwhile, the defendants are the State of New Jersey, the state Board of Education, the state Department of Education, and Acting Education Commissioner Angelica Allen-McMillan, as well as intervening defendants, which include representatives and parents of students in charter and renaissance schools.

The state argued that it is not in violation of its constitution and that segregation in a handful of districts doesn’t establish a statewide violation. They also argued that relief of the existing segregation would “essentially obliterate the state’s entire public school system.”

Does New Jersey have segregated schools?

New Jersey has one of the nation’s top-performing school systems, but studies have shown it’s also one of the most deeply divided by race and class. While integration has been shown to benefit students, policymakers across the country have largely abandoned it due to political opposition and legal restrictions.

The state ranks sixth in the nation in terms of the highest segregation of Black students and seventh in segregation of Latino students, a UCLA Civil Rights Project study found in 2017.

As part of their evidence, the plaintiffs used 2016-17 state enrollment data that showed 30% of Latino students and 25% of Black students attend schools where the non-white student enrollment is between 90-99%, the lawsuit states. They also identified 23 districts with high percentages of Latino and Black students who qualified for free or reduced-price lunch, which included Newark, East Orange, Orange, and Irvington.

In his opinion, Lougy noted that while he did not think they proved there is “statewide” segregation, the plaintiffs were able to show “marked and persistent racial imbalance” exists in a number of school districts. He agreed with the plaintiffs that the state’s argument of changing demographics showing a decrease in white students “may present challenges, but those challenges only emphasize, not diminish, ‘the obligation and power of education officials to remediate racial imbalance.’”

What could happen to New Jersey’s home rule?

Outside New Jersey, talk of school segregation has been stifled in recent years by pandemic pressures and the conservative backlash against calls to confront systemic racism. But as this case continues to make its way through the legal system, it could thrust integration back into the national conversation.

Stefan Lallinger, who heads a network of school districts and housing agencies committed to school integration, has said the message with this case “is that this issue is alive and well.”

Some possible measures, such as creating new magnet schools that enroll students from multiple districts, could be expensive yet popular with families. But other potential remedies, such as allowing students to transfer schools or redrawing district boundaries, have historically faced resistance from wealthy white parents and taxpayers who fear that an influx of poor students of color will undermine their community’s schools and home values.

In its argument, the state defended its residency statute, which has students attend schools in the town where they currently reside. The coalition of advocacy groups disputed the state’s claim that there is a “public need” for the home rule and that parent engagement would be negatively affected if schools were more integrated.

“Neither municipal nor school district boundaries are impermeable in the fight against segregation,” Lougy said, adding context from previous state Supreme Court rulings. “In meeting the constitutional obligation, and notwithstanding the residency statute, the commissioner is vested with the authority to ‘cross district lines to avoid ‘segregation in fact.’”

The lawsuit and the discussion over home rule have prompted some Republican lawmakers to sponsor bills proposing to make the home rule part of a state constitutional amendment.

State Sen. Jon Bramnick, a Republican representing Morris, Somerset, and Union counties, said in an interview with Chalkbeat that this issue should be handled through the legislature, not through lawsuits. In February 2022, he sponsored a bill, which had a similar proposal in the Assembly, that aimed to ensure students attend the public school closest to their home.

Bramnick said he fears that without amendments to the state constitution, the issue of home rule could take decades to decide in the courts. “I don’t think anyone questions if de-facto segregation exists in our schools,” Bramnick said. “So don’t hide behind the court system.”

What’s next and what other remedies are possible?

Oct. 26 is the deadline for the parties to file an appeal, which would allow them to ask for another 15-day extension.

They can also pursue a trial or negotiations. Another option is to ask the court for aspects of the opinion to be reconsidered or clarified, though given how it took a year and a half to get this ruling, that would likely only further protract the legal proceedings.

In the past, state efforts like New Jersey’s haven’t driven desegregation. Instead, federal actors have taken the lead.

In 1954, the U.S. Supreme Court declared that racially segregated schools are “inherently unequal.” Yet little changed until federal courts and agencies, empowered by the 1964 Civil Rights Act, stepped in to enforce the ruling. Then school segregation plummeted in the South, where most court orders were issued, and Black students benefited in and out of school.

But the federal government has steadily retreated from desegregation since the 1980s, with agencies easing enforcement and courts releasing districts from oversight. Many local officials also shied away due to political resistance and a 2007 Supreme Court ruling that limited (but did not forbid) the use of race in voluntary integration plans. Today, active integration policies can be found in just 119 of the country’s more than 13,000 school districts and 66 charter schools, according to a 2020 analysis.

Frustrated by the federal and local inaction, New Jersey’s integration advocates took their fight to the state court. In 2018, a group of nine students, their families, and a coalition of religious and civil rights groups sued the state in hopes of forcing school integration.

“It seemed like our only option,” said Christian Estevez, president of the Latino Action Network, the lead plaintiff.

Advocates sought a statewide solution because New Jersey’s segregation is driven mainly by the race and wealth gaps between its roughly 600 school districts. An effective integration plan would allow more students to move between those divided districts, experts say, perhaps by expanding an existing transfer program.

New Jersey’s northern neighbor can offer inspiration — and a warning.

In 1989, students in Hartford, Connecticut filed a lawsuit alleging that the city’s segregated schools violated the state constitution. Seven years later, the state Supreme Court issued a historic ruling in favor of the students, including lead plaintiff Milo Sheff.

The Sheff case resulted in a series of voluntary integration plans. Newly opened magnet schools drew white and Asian American students into the city, and a transfer program let Black and Latino students enroll in suburban schools. The programs created more diverse schools and improved achievement for some students.

Yet many Hartford families remain disappointed. Despite generous financial incentives, suburban districts have never accepted enough transfer students to meet demand. And, in order to maintain diversity, some city magnet schools with open seats turn down Black and Latino applicants. Today, the vast majority of Hartford students still attend segregated schools.

In January 2022, the plaintiffs and state agreed to a final settlement, which would create additional magnet schools and open more seats for transfer students. Milo Sheff, who was in fourth grade when the case began, is now 43 years old.

John Brittain, the Sheff plaintiffs’ lead counsel, said New Jersey advocates will have to fight — perhaps over many years — to keep the state committed to the integration agreement.

“You really need grassroots people, community organizing, like we have in the Sheff movement,” he said.

Building a popular movement around desegregation would seem especially difficult at a moment when Americans disagree on whether schools should even teach about racism. Yet it is possible to win support for integration, said Lallinger, the head of a network of school districts and housing agencies committed to school integration. Earning parent and community buy-in requires education, dialogue, and persistence, he added.

“We shouldn’t pretend the work is easy,” Lallinger said. “But we also shouldn’t put blinders on and say that the status quo is acceptable.”

Patrick Wall contributed reporting to this article.

Samantha Lauten contributed reporting to this article.

Catherine Carrera is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat Newark. Reach Catherine at ccarrera@chalkbeat.org.

Judge finds New Jersey has responsibility to address school segregation

2023-10-08T00:16:27+00:00

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In the five-year legal battle to desegregate New Jersey public schools, on Friday a Superior Court judge denied the state’s defense that it should not be held responsible for the “unlawful, persistent, and pervasive” segregation in its educational system.

While acknowledging that state public schools are segregated by race, and that the state has the constitutional power to take action, Judge Robert Lougy’s decision also found that the activists who made the allegations failed to prove the “entire” school system is segregated “across all districts.”

Students, educators, activists, experts, and community members have been waiting for more than a year and a half in anticipation of Lougy’s ruling, which came after 5 p.m. Friday, ahead of a three-day weekend for many public schools and state offices because of Indigenous Peoples’ Day on Monday.

The 99-page decision was complex and nuanced — a reflection of the historic lawsuit itself.

“While plaintiffs have not demonstrated that the entire system is constitutionally repugnant, that shortcoming may be a question of scale, and defendants fail to prove that they are entitled to judgment as a matter of law,” Lougy wrote. He also said the state’s defense failed “on both legal and factual ground,” calling it “unpersuasive.”

The opinion opens three routes for parties in the lawsuit: a move to trial, negotiations, or an appeal process. There is also an option for either party to ask for the court to clarify or reconsider parts of the opinion.

Counsel for the defendants — which include the State of New Jersey, the state Board of Education, and Acting Education Commissioner Angelica Allen-McMillan — was still reviewing the decision as of Saturday afternoon, said Sharon Lauchaire, the interim communications director for the state’s Office of the Attorney General, in an email.

The case also has intervening defendants which include representatives of charter and renaissance schools.

Attorneys representing the plaintiffs — Latino Action Network, NAACP New Jersey State Conference, other advocacy groups, and nine students from schools throughout the state, including Newark — said in a Saturday statement that they are analyzing the opinion and discussing it with their clients and stakeholders.

“The court agreed with us on two essential points,” attorney Lawrence Lustberg, lead counsel for the plaintiffs, said in his statement. “One, New Jersey’s schools are deeply segregated by race, and two, the state has a constitutional obligation to address this urgent problem.”

The judge, however, did not agree with the plaintiffs’ allegation that the state has violated equal protection laws by failing to prevent segregation based on socioeconomic background.

The lawsuit the plaintiffs filed five years ago, on the 64th anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court’s Brown vs. Board of Education ruling, claimed that many New Jersey students are denied the social and academic benefits of diversity because of a state law requiring students to attend schools in the communities where they live, which often are deeply segregated by race and class.

By that regard, the lawsuit argued, the public school system violates the state constitution, which is unique in its explicit bans on school segregation, and prior court rulings that held the state responsible for addressing segregation regardless of what caused it.

Activists want the state to create a plan to uproot this deep-seated racial segregation and find ways to better integrate its 1.3 million public school students.

In his opinion, Lougy acknowledged the historical significance and magnitude of the lawsuit.

“Novel and broad do not mean meritless. Plaintiffs maintain that ‘New Jersey’s schools are tragically — and embarrassingly — among the most segregated in the nation,’” Lougy said, quoting the activists’ complaint. “That alleged condition, along with our court’s prohibition of de facto segregation, makes New Jersey a logical choice for such historic claims.”

After the lawsuit was filed in May 2018, Gov. Phil Murphy, a liberal Democrat, authorized an aggressive legal defense that outraged his progressive allies. Despite data showing nearly half of New Jersey’s Black and Latino students attend schools where less than 10% of their classmates are white, the state’s lawyers questioned the extent of school segregation and insisted that it doesn’t always impair student learning.

But the judge found that the evidence showed the state has failed to fix its segregated educational system.

“Plaintiffs allege with sufficient specificity that defendants intentionally failed to exercise their constitutional obligations and authorities to remedy segregation,” Lougy said. “Plaintiffs adequately allege that defendants have, as a self-evident proposition, failed to take sufficient steps to remedy that segregation.”

During the final hearing in March 2022, Deputy Attorney General Christopher Weber said the state recognizes the value of “an integrated education.” But he argued that the plaintiffs relied on “raw data” for only a small group of school districts and failed to prove that the problem stems from state actions.

The state also argued that its changing demographics would require “ongoing and continuous statewide reorganizations.” On this, Lougy agreed with the plaintiffs’ counterargument that the state’s defense “rings of an ‘attitude of helplessness in the face of what is perceived to be inevitable,’” he said in his opinion.

The New Jersey Public Charter Schools Association, one of the intervening defendants, released a statement on Sunday that said they want to start working on remedies with all parties in the case.

“We should be exploring the creation of new charter schools in key districts that are geographically positioned to draw upon a racially and economically diverse student body from surrounding geographies,” said Harry Lee, the association’s president and chief executive officer, in an emailed statement. “The public charter school community stands ready to work with the state and the plaintiffs to increase the number of intentionally diverse public schools in the Garden State.”

In a statement on Saturday, Robert Kim, executive director of Education Law Center, which supported the plaintiffs in the case, stressed the importance of the lawsuit.

“Nearly 70 years after Brown vs. Board, schools in New Jersey and across the nation remain deeply segregated by race,” Kim said. “This deprives them of the opportunity to learn in a diverse learning environment, which is critical not only for their development and education but for our democracy as a whole.”

Patrick Wall contributed reporting to this article.

Catherine Carrera is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat Newark. Reach Catherine at ccarrera@chalkbeat.org.

Jessie Gómez is a reporter for Chalkbeat Newark, covering public education in the city. Contact Jessie at jgomez@chalkbeat.org.

El personal docente de Newark no siempre coincide con la diversidad de la población estudiantil

2023-08-16T10:30:00+00:00

Read in English.

Cuando los padres de Melissa De Almeida emigraron a Newark en la década de 1990 desde Brasil, navegar el sistema de las escuelas públicas para sus dos hijas fue una de sus batallas más difíciles.

La hermana mayor de De Almeida luchó por aprender inglés en un sistema donde pocos maestros hablaban su portugués nativo. Cuando Melissa se inscribió unos años más tarde, se encontró con maestros que podían comunicarse con su familia, pero era desigual.

Sin embargo, había una luz de esperanza: la maestra de segundo grado de De Almeida en Oliver Street School. De Almeida recuerda con cariño que su maestra hacía malvaviscos y limonada fresca para su clase, pero la gran diferencia era que podía hablar con los padres de De Almeida en portugués.

Ahora, la estudiante de segundo año de 19 años de la Universidad Estatal de Montclair quiere ser maestra bilingüe y ayudar a familias como la suya en Newark, su ciudad natal, donde aproximadamente el 9% de los estudiantes hablan su idioma nativo.

“Necesito ser el cambio que necesitaba mi hermana”, dijo De Almeida, quien se graduó de East Side High School el año pasado.

En Newark y otras ciudades de Nueva Jersey, el personal docente y el liderazgo escolar no siempre reflejan la diversidad de la población estudiantil. Los datos demográficos muestran que los estudiantes afroamericanos y latinos representan alrededor del 90% de la población estudiantil total de Newark, mientras que los maestros de esos orígenes representan poco más de la mitad del personal docente.

Aproximadamente el 20% de las escuelas de Newark tienen una mayoría de maestros blancos. Otras ciudades de Nueva Jersey tienen proporciones aún más bajas de maestros de diversos orígenes raciales y étnicos.

Una mirada cercana revela que los estudiantes latinos, que aumentan en número anualmente en el distrito, están claramente subrepresentados en el personal docente del distrito, según un análisis de Chalkbeat de los datos demográficos escolares proporcionados por el estado de 2021-22.

Los maestros blancos constituyen la mayoría del personal docente en una de cada cinco escuelas del distrito, y los maestros negros son la mayoría del personal docente en poco más de una de cada cuatro escuelas. Pero ninguna escuela en el distrito tiene un personal docente mayoritariamente hispano o latino, a pesar de que aproximadamente la mitad de todas las escuelas del distrito tienen una mayoría de estudiantes latinos.

Una de las escuelas secundarias del distrito tiene una población estudiantil latina de más del 61%, pero no tiene maestros hispanos ni latinos. Otras tres escuelas tampoco tienen maestros que se identifiquen como hispanos o latinos.

De manera similar, la población de niños latinos del estado se ha expandido, aproximadamente un 25%, desde 2010, pero un análisis de NJ Advance Media encontró que aproximadamente el 30% de todas las escuelas no tienen ningún maestro hispano. Además, los distritos han visto una creciente población de estudiantes identificados como aprendices del idioma inglés al mismo tiempo que enfrentan una escasez de maestros bilingües.

Muchos expertos dicen que los fallos de los tribunales relacionados con la desagregación, que una y otra vez no lograron integrar por completo a los cuerpos estudiantiles y al personal, han contribuido a la cantidad desproporcionada de maestros blancos.

Sin embargo, numerosos estudios muestran que un personal docente diverso, especialmente uno que represente a la comunidad escolar, puede fomentar lazos más fuertes entre maestros y estudiantes, relaciones más sólidas entre maestros y familias, y lecciones que responden mejor a la cultura: los beneficios que De Almeida experimentó de primera mano con su maestra de segundo grado.

Los datos demográficos de las Escuelas Públicas de Newark también muestran un rayo de esperanza cuando se trata de acercarse a una fuerza laboral docente que refleje su cuerpo estudiantil: un puñado de escuelas primarias con mayoría de estudiantes latinos tienen una cantidad notable de maestros latinos, que oscila entre el 33% y 44%. Y es más probable que los estudiantes negros tengan una representación proporcional en la administración y el personal docente, según muestran los datos.

Tener maestros con los que los estudiantes de entornos subrepresentados puedan identificarse racial y culturalmente es solo un componente de la calidad de los maestros y la escuela, pero puede ayudar a mejorar la asistencia, los puntajes de las pruebas y la probabilidad de tomar un curso avanzado, según la investigación.

“Si no abordamos de manera más agresiva la falta de coincidencia demostrada entre los estudiantes y el personal escolar que los atiende, es posible que no veamos una aceleración del rendimiento académico de todos nuestros estudiantes”, afirma Leslie Fenwick, decana emérita de la Universidad de Howard, cuya experiencia es sobre la diversidad docente y la equidad educativa. “Debemos hacer un mejor trabajo de reclutamiento, retención y promoción de maestros y directores de color”.

‘Estamos viviendo con las consecuencias de la historia’

Como ilustra la historia de De Almeida con su hermana, muchos estudiantes no tienen maestros que compartan sus antecedentes, y se espera que la brecha entre los estudiantes y maestros hispanos o latinos se amplíe, a nivel estatal y nacional, según sugieren los estudios.

A nivel nacional, los maestros blancos constituyen el 80 % de la fuerza docente, y en Nueva Jersey es el 83%. Mientras tanto, la fuerza docente del estado, que también refleja las tendencias nacionales, es 8% hispana y 6.5% negra, mientras que la población estudiantil es 32% y 15%, respectivamente

Una demanda ante el Tribunal Superior de Nueva Jersey en Trenton argumenta que el estado, con uno de los sistemas escolares públicos más diversos pero segregados del país, es responsable de abordar el hecho de que más de la mitad de los estudiantes negros e hispanos o latinos asisten a escuelas que son predominantemente no blancos. La demanda, encabezada por The Latino Action Network y NAACP-NJ, argumenta que el estado está violando su propia constitución y la decisión de la Corte Suprema de Brown contra la Junta de Educación de Topeka de hace casi 70 años.

Ese fallo histórico de la Corte Suprema, y varios fallos de eliminación de la segregación que siguieron, declararon que la educación segregada era una violación de la Decimocuarta Enmienda. Pero también condujo a una proporción desigual de maestros blancos a maestros de color como personas, incluidos aquellos en el poder que defendían creencias segregacionistas, se resistieron a los esfuerzos de desegregación, según muestran los análisis de documentos históricos.

“Estamos viviendo con las consecuencias de la historia que ocurrió, no como resultado de Brown [v. Board of Education], sino de la enorme resistencia blanca a ella”, dijo Fenwick, autor del libro “Jim Crow’s Pink Slip: The Untold Story of Black Principal and Teacher Leadership”.

El racismo y las creencias segregacionistas llevaron a despidos, despidos y degradaciones ilegales generalizados de maestros negros, más de 100,000, entre las décadas de 1950 y 1970, dijo Fenwick en una entrevista telefónica reciente con Chalkbeat y descrita en su libro.

Los esfuerzos de eliminación de la segregación también deben invertir en la diversidad de docentes, dice Fenwick. Sin eso, los estudiantes de color seguirán perdiendo las oportunidades masivas que puede ofrecer un personal docente que los refleje, incluso a nivel socioemocional, así como académico y conductual, lo cual ha sido documentado por décadas de investigación.

“A menos que abordemos este problema de diversidad en el liderazgo escolar y las fuerzas docentes, me temo que no lograremos el tipo de progreso que necesitamos en el país”, dijo Fenwick.

Newark trabaja para crear una cartera de maestros diversa

Aunque los maestros afroamericanos constituyen la mayoría del personal docente en algunas escuelas del distrito de Newark, la proporción de maestros afroamericanos ha disminuido alrededor de 10 puntos porcentuales desde fines de la década de 1990, cuando el distrito estaba bajo control estatal, según un análisis de 2021 de New Jersey Policy Perspective.

El distrito realiza esfuerzos de reclutamiento para atraer maestros de diversos orígenes, incluido uno que crea una fuente de “maestros locales” al incentivar a los estudiantes actuales a especializarse en educación y obtener un puesto docente garantizado en el distrito después de graduarse de la universidad.

Durante una conferencia de prensa en junio, el superintendente Roger León estuvo de acuerdo en que diversificar su personal “es bueno porque genera diferentes puntos de vista” y señaló las estrategias de contratación del distrito, que incluyen una iniciativa de canalización de maestro a director que se enfoca en maestros afroamericanos y latinos.

El distrito se asoció con la Facultad de Educación y Aprendizaje Comprometido de la Universidad Estatal de Montclair para crear la Academia de Maestros Red Hawks Rising, un programa de inscripción doble en las escuelas secundarias East Side y University donde los estudiantes obtienen créditos universitarios sin costo mientras se preparan para una carrera en la enseñanza. El programa recluta estudiantes para la profesión a una edad temprana, brinda tutoría y garantiza una oferta de admisión al programa de formación docente de la universidad después de la graduación de la escuela secundaria.

Una parte esencial del programa es que anima a los estudiantes a volver a enseñar en el distrito de su ciudad natal después de graduarse de la universidad.

León ha prometido a los participantes que un contrato de maestro con el distrito los estará esperando después de que completen el programa de la universidad.

De Almeida, una graduada del programa en East Side, dice que ser parte de él la ayudó a imaginarse un futuro ayudando a los estudiantes que hablan diferentes idiomas nativos. Pero lo que la ayudó a ver que podía tener éxito, dijo, fue el ejemplo establecido por las codirectoras del programa Mayida Zaal y Danielle Epps, mujeres de color que se graduaron de distritos escolares urbanos.

“Creo que es un poco refrescante tener a alguien hablando contigo que entiende y que ha pasado por lo que has pasado y ha recorrido ese camino contigo”, dijo De Almeida.

‘Retener a los maestros es el problema’

En una entrevista telefónica reciente, el presidente del Sindicato de Maestros de Newark, John Abeigon, dijo que apoya los esfuerzos de reclutamiento del distrito, pero que “retener a los maestros es el problema” que León debe abordar, particularmente cuando se trata de maestros de color.

“Tenemos blancos, negros, hispanos, marrones, el arcoíris”, dijo Abeigon sobre la diversidad de maestros en su sindicato. “Todos los que vienen a este distrito, la mayoría de ellos se van dentro de un par de semanas o meses de trabajar en este distrito. Eso es endémico del distrito y la forma en que trata a su personal”.

Las investigaciones ha encontrado que es más probable que los maestros de color enseñen en “escuelas con necesidades altas, difíciles de dotar de personal, con entornos de trabajo desafiantes y tasas de deserción más altas para todos los maestros”, indicó un informe de FutureEd sobre la diversidad de maestros.

Sin embargo, a medida que los maestros de diversos orígenes navegan por distritos con bajos recursos y condiciones de trabajo desfavorables, a menudo se sienten subestimados y pasados por alto, según los comentarios de los grupos focales en un informe de 2019 que examinó la retención de maestros de color.

Nubia Lumumba, una educadora negra y musulmana y ex maestra de inglés en una escuela secundaria de Newark, renunció a su cargo después de solo seis meses de trabajar en el distrito. Lumumba dijo que experimentó y fue testigo del acoso racial mientras enseñaba, pero la falta de sensibilidad de los administradores de la escuela para manejar las preocupaciones sobre el acoso racial provocó tensiones que finalmente la llevaron a renunciar.

Hubo una falta de “empatía genuina por lo que había pasado”, dijo Lumumba, y agregó que los estudiantes fueron testigos de lo que ella experimentó. “Si, como adulto maduro, me dolió profundamente haber experimentado acoso racial y religioso y no obtener ningún apoyo significativo de los líderes escolares y del distrito, entonces, me imagino, debe ser aún más perjudicial para los estudiantes negros”.

Lumumba, quien enseñó durante ocho años antes de su último cargo, dijo que las escuelas deben contar con estrategias y programas que brinden “una verdadera comprensión y celebración de la diversidad” y apoyen a los estudiantes de diferentes orígenes raciales y étnicos. Esto podría conducir a una mejor retención, dijo.

Los maestros de color en el estudio de caso de 2019 estarían de acuerdo. Entre las soluciones descritas en el informe: los líderes del distrito deben asegurarse de que “las escuelas sean lugares que afirmen culturalmente a los maestros de color”, empoderar a los maestros con caminos hacia el liderazgo y ofrecer compensación por el trabajo adicional.

Un grupo de trabajo de Nueva Jersey sobre la escasez de personal escolar, elaborado por orden ejecutiva del gobernador Phil Murphy el año pasado, publicó un informe a principios de este año que muestra signos de que el estado está prestando atención a la retención de maestros.

Proveer apoyo a las escuelas en “implementar políticas y prácticas que creen un ambiente de trabajo libre de prejuicios, incluidas las microagresiones”, así como aumentar el salario de los maestros y expandir la “tutoría y el desarrollo profesional para educadores de carreras tempranas” fueron algunas de las recomendaciones enumeradas en el informe.

Los estudiantes necesitan apoyo a través de la educación superior

Para los codirectores de Red Hawks Rising, Zaal y Epps, sus esfuerzos con el distrito para diversificar la fuerza docente comienzan apoyando a los estudiantes de Newark y convirtiéndose en su “comunidad de compromiso” mientras navegan por la escuela secundaria, la universidad y carreras a largo plazo, dijo Epps.

No podemos centrarnos simplemente en el reclutamiento de jóvenes que representan a las comunidades negras y latinas, y luego no ser intencionales sobre cómo vamos a apoyarlos para que lleguen a la meta”, dijo Zaal. “Tiene que haber apoyo en el camino para que no tengamos una especie de tubería con fugas hacia las escuelas”.

Según el Centro Nacional de Estadísticas de Educación, la tasa general de inscripción universitaria entre los jóvenes de 18 a 24 años disminuyó del 41 % en 2010 al 38 % en 2021. La tasa general de inscripción universitaria ese año fue aún más baja entre los estudiantes negros de 37 años. % y estudiantes hispanos en 33%.

Mientras están en el programa de inscripción dual, los estudiantes se enfrentan a diferentes conceptos erróneos sobre la educación superior, como la idea de que para seguir una carrera tienen que dejar su ciudad natal o que la universidad está financieramente fuera de su alcance, o la creencia de que “la universidad no es algo para ellos”, dijo Epps.

Muchos estudiantes del programa son bilingües o biculturales y tienen experiencia en el manejo de desafíos educativos que, a su vez, podrían ayudar a sus futuros estudiantes.

“Se criaron en familias resilientes donde pudieron encontrar su camino a la universidad como estudiantes de primera generación”, dijo Zaal. “Entonces, tienen una cantidad significativa de capital social para ofrecer”.

De Almeida, quien se graduará en 2026, retribuye a su comunidad trabajando con los padres en su iglesia local y ayudándolos a comprender la tarea de sus hijos o brindándoles apoyo de traducción. Ella se relaciona con esas familias, dice, y les habla sobre ayudar financieramente a su propia familia mientras hace malabarismos con el trabajo escolar y persigue su sueño de enseñar.

La aspirante a maestra bilingüe está ansiosa por ingresar al aula y espera dejar una marca duradera en los estudiantes con antecedentes similares a los suyos.

“Por lo general, soy a quien todos acuden con este tipo de cosas. Me encanta poder ser esa ayuda”, dijo De Almeida sobre trabajar con padres de diferentes orígenes. “Y creo que una vez que sea maestra y regrese a trabajar en Newark, haciendo este trabajo oficialmente, seré 10 veces mejor”.

Esta traducción fue proporcionada por Reporte Hispano, en asociación con el Centro de Medios Cooperativos de la Universidad Estatal de Montclair, y cuenta con el apoyo financiero del Consorcio de Información Cívica de NJ. La historia fue escrita originalmente en inglés por Chalkbeat Newark/NJ Spotlight News y se vuelve a publicar en virtud de un acuerdo especial para compartir contenido a través del Servicio de noticias de traducción al español de NJ News Commons.

This translation was provided by Reporte Hispano, in association with the Montclair State University Center for Cooperative Media and is financially supported by the NJ Civic Information Consortium. The story was originally written in English for Chalkbeat Newark and is republished under a special content-sharing agreement through the NJ News Commons Spanish Translation News Service.

Newark’s teaching force doesn’t always match its diverse student body — especially among Latinos

2023-07-27T20:15:00+00:00

Read in Spanish.

When Melissa De Almeida’s parents immigrated to Newark in the 1990s from Brazil, navigating the public school system for their two daughters was among their steepest battles.

De Almeida’s older sister struggled to learn English in a system where few teachers spoke her native Portuguese. By the time Melissa enrolled a few years later, she encountered teachers who were able to communicate with her family, but it was uneven.

There was, though, one shining light: De Almeida’s second grade teacher at Oliver Street School. De Almeida fondly remembers her teacher making s’mores and fresh lemonade for her class, but the big difference was that she could speak with De Almeida’s parents in Portuguese.

Now, the 19-year-old sophomore at Montclair State University wants to be a bilingual teacher and help families like hers in Newark, her hometown, where roughly 9% of students speak her native language.

“I need to be the change that my sister needed,” said De Almeida, who graduated from East Side High School last year.

In Newark and other cities in New Jersey, teaching staff and school leadership do not always reflect diverse student bodies. Demographic data shows Black and Latino students make up about 90% of Newark’s total student population, while teachers from those backgrounds make up just over half of the teaching staff.

Roughly 20% of Newark schools have a majority of white teachers. Other cities in New Jersey have even lower proportions of teachers from diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds.

A close look reveals that Latino students, who are increasing in number annually in the district, are starkly underrepresented in the district’s teaching staff, a Chalkbeat analysis of 2021-22 state-provided school demographic data found.

White teachers make up a majority of the teaching staff at one in five district schools, and Black teachers are the majority teaching staff at a little more than one in four schools. But no school in the district has a majority Hispanic or Latino teaching staff — even though roughly half of all the district schools have a majority Latino student body.

One of the district’s high schools has a Latino student population of more than 61%, but no Hispanic or Latino teachers. Three other schools also don’t have any teachers who identify as Hispanic or Latino.

Similarly, the state’s population of Latino children has expanded — by roughly 25% — since 2010, but an analysis from NJ Advance Media found that roughly 30% of all schools don’t have any Hispanic teachers at all. In addition, districts have seen a growing student population identified as English language learners while also facing a shortage of bilingual teachers.

Many experts say that desegregation court rulings, which have failed time and again to wholly integrate student bodies and personnel, have contributed to the disproportionate numbers of white teachers.

Yet, numerous studies show that a diverse teaching staff, especially one representative of a school community, can foster stronger teacher-student bonds, stronger relationships between teachers and families, and lessons that are more culturally responsive — the benefits De Almeida experienced first-hand with her second grade teacher.

Newark Public Schools’ demographic data also displays a glimmer of hope when it comes to moving closer to a teaching workforce that reflects its student body: A handful of elementary schools with majority Latino students have a notable number of Latino teachers, ranging between 33% and 44%. And Black students are more likely to have proportionate representation in administration and teaching staff, data show.

Having teachers who students from underrepresented backgrounds can identify with racially and culturally is just one component of teacher and school quality, but it can help lead to improved attendance, test scores, and the likelihood of taking an advanced course, research has found.

“If we don’t more aggressively address the demonstrated mismatch between students and the school personnel who serve them, we may not see an acceleration of academic achievement by all of our students,” said Leslie Fenwick, dean emerita at Howard University whose expertise is on teacher diversity and education equity. “We must do a better job of recruiting, retaining, and promoting teachers and principals of color.”

‘We are living with the fallout of the history’

As De Almeida’s story with her sister illustrates, many students don’t have teachers who share their background – and the gap between Hispanic or Latino students and teachers is only expected to widen, statewide and nationally, studies suggest.

Nationally, white teachers make up 80% of the teaching force, and in New Jersey, it’s 83%. Meanwhile, the state’s teaching force — also mirroring national trends — is 8% Hispanic and 6.5% Black, while those student populations are 32% and 15%, respectively.

A lawsuit before New Jersey’s Superior Court in Trenton is arguing that the state — one of the most diverse yet segregated public school systems in the country — is responsible for addressing the fact that more than half of Black and Hispanic or Latino students attend schools that are predominantly non-white. The lawsuit, led by The Latino Action Network and NAACP-NJ, argues that the state is violating its own constitution and the Supreme Court decision of Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka from nearly 70 years ago.

That historic Supreme Court ruling — and several desegregation rulings that followed — declared segregated schooling to be a violation of the Fourteenth Amendment. But it also led to an uneven proportion of white teachers to teachers of color as people, including those in power who upheld segregationist beliefs, resisted desegregation efforts, analyses of historic documents show.

“We are living with the fallout of the history that occurred — not as a result of the Brown [v. Board of Education] decision, but of the massive white resistance to it,” said Fenwick, who authored the book “Jim Crow’s Pink Slip: The Untold Story of Black Principal and Teacher Leadership.”

Racism and segregationist beliefs led to widespread illegal firings, dismissals, and demotions of Black teachers — upwards of 100,000 — between the 1950s and 70s, Fenwick said in a recent phone interview with Chalkbeat and described in her book.

Desegregation efforts must also invest in teacher diversity, Fenwick says. Without that, students of color will continue to lose out on the massive opportunities a teaching staff that reflects them can offer, including on a social emotional level, as well as academically and behaviorally, which decades worth of research has documented.

“Unless we address this diversity issue in the school leadership and teaching forces, I fear we won’t make the kind of progress that we need to make in the country,” Fenwick said.

Newark works to create diverse teacher pipeline

Though Black teachers make up a majority of the teaching staff in some Newark district schools, the proportion of Black teachers has dropped about 10 percentage points since the late 1990s, when the district was under state control, a 2021 analysis from New Jersey Policy Perspective found.

The district has recruitment efforts in place to attract teachers from diverse backgrounds, including one that creates a pipeline of “home grown teachers” by incentivizing current students to major in education and get a guaranteed teaching position in the district after they graduate college.

During a June press conference, Superintendent Roger León agreed that diversifying his staff “is good in that it brings about different viewpoints” and noted the district’s recruitment strategies, which include a teacher-to-principal pipeline initiative that targets Black and Latino male teachers.

The district partnered with Montclair State University’s College for Education and Engaged Learning to create the Red Hawks Rising Teacher Academy, a dual enrollment program at East Side and University high schools where students earn college credits at no cost as they prepare for a career in teaching. The program recruits students into the profession at an early age, provides mentorship, and guarantees an offer of admission to the university’s teacher education program after high school graduation.

An essential part of the program is that it encourages students to return to teach in their hometown district after college graduation.

León has promised participants that a teacher contract with the district will be waiting for them after they complete the university’s program.

Melissa De Almeida, a sophomore at Montclair State University and East Side High School graduate, says the “home grown” teacher program in Newark helped her pursue her dream of becoming a bilingual teacher.

De Almeida, a graduate of the program at East Side, says being part of it helped her envision a future helping students who speak different home languages. But what helped her see that she could be successful, she said, was the example set from program co-directors Mayida Zaal and Danielle Epps, women of color who are graduates of urban school districts.

“I think it’s kind of refreshing to have someone talk to you that understands and kind of has been through what you’ve been through and kind of walked that path with you,” De Almeida said.

‘Retaining teachers is the problem’

In a recent phone interview, Newark Teachers Union President John Abeigon said he supports the district’s recruiting efforts, but “retaining teachers is the problem” that León needs to address, particularly when it comes to teachers of color.

“We have white, Black, Hispanic, brown, the rainbow,” Abeigon said about the diversity of teachers in his union. “Everybody that comes to this district, a majority of them leave within a couple of weeks or months of working in this district. That’s endemic to the district and the way it treats its staff.”

Research has found that teachers of color are more likely to teach in “high needs, hard-to-staff schools with challenging work environments and higher attrition rates for all teachers,” a FutureEd report on teacher diversity stated.

As teachers from diverse backgrounds navigate districts with low resources and unfavorable working conditions, though, they often feel undervalued and overlooked, according to feedback from focus groups in a 2019 report that examined retention of teachers of color.

Nubia Lumumba, a Black and Muslim educator and former English teacher at a Newark high school, resigned from her position after just six months of working in the district. Lumumba said she experienced and witnessed racial harassment while teaching, but lack of sensitivity from school administrators in handling concerns of racial harassment led to tensions that ultimately led to her resignation.

There was a lack of “genuine empathy for what I had gone through,” Lumumba said, adding that students were witnesses to what she experienced. “If, as a mature adult, it cut me deeply to have experienced racial and religious harassment and not get any meaningful support from district and school leaders, then, I imagine, it must be even more damaging to the Black students.”

Lumumba, who taught for eight years prior to her last role, said schools need to have strategies and programs in place that will bring “a true understanding and celebration of diversity” and support students of different racial and ethnic backgrounds. This could lead to improved retention, she said.

The teachers of color in the 2019 case study would agree. Among solutions outlined in the report: District leaders need to ensure that “schools are places that culturally affirm teachers of color,” empower teachers with pathways to leadership, and offer compensation for extra work.

A New Jersey task force on school staff shortages, put together by executive order from Gov. Phil Murphy last year, released a report earlier this year that shows signs the state is paying some attention to the retention of teachers.

Providing support to schools in “implementing policies and practices that create a work environment that is free of bias, including microaggressions,” as well as increasing teacher pay and expanding “mentorship and professional development for early career educators” were among the recommendations listed in the report.

Students need support through higher education

For Red Hawks Rising co-directors Zaal and Epps, their efforts with the district to diversify the teaching force start by supporting Newark students and becoming their “community of commitment” as they navigate high school, college, and long-term careers, Epps said.

Red Hawks Rising Teacher Academy co-directors Mayida Zaal and Danielle Epps say the dual enrollment program aims to support Newark students from high school to their career in teaching.

“We can’t just focus on the recruitment of young people who represent Black and brown communities, and then not be intentional about how we’re going to support them to get to the finish line,” Zaal said. “There has to be support along the way so that we don’t have a sort of leaky pipeline into schools.”

According to the National Center for Education Statistics, the overall college enrollment rate among 18- to 24-year-olds decreased from 41% in 2010 to 38% in 2021. The overall college enrollment rate that year was even lower among Black students at 37% and Hispanic students at 33%.

While in the dual enrollment program, students confront different misconceptions about higher education, such as the idea that to pursue a career they have to leave their hometown or that college is financially out of reach, or the belief that “college is not something that’s for me,” Epps said.

Many students in the program are bilingual or bicultural and have experience dealing with educational challenges that, in turn, could help their future students.

“They’ve been raised in resilient families where they have been able to figure out their way into college as first-generation students,” Zaal said. “So, they have a significant amount of social capital to offer.”

De Almeida, who’s set to graduate in 2026, gives back to her community by working with parents at her local church and helping them understand their children’s homework or providing translation support for them. She relates to those families, she says, and talks to them about helping her own family financially while juggling school work and pursuing her dream of teaching.

The aspiring bilingual teacher is eager to get into the classroom and hopes to leave a lasting mark on students with similar backgrounds as her.

“I’m usually the one that everybody runs to with this kind of stuff. I love being able to be that help,” said De Almeida about working with parents of different backgrounds. “And I think that once I’m a teacher and come back to work in Newark, doing this work officially, I’ll be 10 times better.”

Catherine Carrera is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat Newark, covering the city’s K-12 schools with a focus on English language learners. Contact Catherine at ccarrera@chalkbeat.org.

Jessie Gómez is a reporter for Chalkbeat Newark, covering public education in the city. Contact Jessie at jgomez@chalkbeat.org.

Newark’s 2023 Teacher of the Year aims to prepare her students for life after high school

2023-07-17T11:00:00+00:00

Sign up for Chalkbeat’s free monthly newsletter How I Teach to get inspiration, news, and advice for — and from — educators.

Looking through an old scrapbook, Juanita Greene recently learned something new about herself.

The Newark Vocational High School math teacher rediscovered in those worn pages of a scrapbook she titled “School Days” that she wanted to become a teacher in first grade.

Greene, honored last month as the district’s 2023 Teacher of the Year, had forgotten all about her early career ambitions. But she does remember the moment in college when she made the life-altering decision to become a teacher.

“It wasn’t until I taught math during a summer program between my second and third years in college that I decided to change my major to mathematics and become a teacher,” Greene told Chalkbeat.

She would go on to dedicate 26 years (and counting) to teaching math.

Last month, Superintendent Roger León and other district officials showed up to her geometry class to surprise her with the announcement that she had been named Teacher of the Year.

Greene taught geometry to 10th graders and a probability and statistics class to seniors this past school year at Newark Vocational, where she just completed her fourth year.

Outside of teaching high schoolers, she’s also mentored teachers and taught graduate-level courses for students earning their master’s degrees.

As someone who felt ill-prepared for college, Greene aims to help her students feel secure and ready for their post-high school reality.

“I teach now so that I can better prepare students for life after high school,” she said. “I don’t want anyone to feel the way I did when I went to college.”

Greene spoke recently with Chalkbeat.

This interview has been lightly edited for length and clarity.

What’s your favorite lesson to teach and why?

There’s a lesson I do in geometry when I introduce two-column proofs that involves the card game UNO. That is a lot of fun. Proofs tend to be something new in geometry that students have never done before. By introducing proofs with something students know and enjoy, like UNO, they are more open to learning them.

How do you feel about being named Teacher of the Year?

It makes me so proud. It’s such an honor. I have dedicated so much of my life to teaching mathematics, and I work so hard. It’s great to be recognized after all these years for all the work that I do.

What’s something happening in the community that affects what goes on inside your classroom (or your school)?

I hate to be so general, but everything that happens in the community affects what goes on inside my classroom. We all bring our history, what we believe, what has happened to us or our loved ones with us to school every day. I try to be open and honest with my students, and I think they appreciate that I share so much of myself with them. As Rita Pierson said, “Kids can’t learn from teachers they don’t like.” I hope my openness allows students to like me and want to learn from me.

How do you approach news events in your classroom?

I like to check in with my students every day, especially after a challenging or interesting news event happens. It allows me to make sure they are feeling OK and learn a little about them as people. My check-ins have daily themes: Monday Motivation, Talk About It Tuesday, Would You Rather Wednesday, Think About It Thursday or Thoughtful Thursday.

Tell us about your own experience with school and how it affects your work today.

I enjoyed my high school experience, but I was very unprepared for college. I didn’t know how to study or advocate for myself. I didn’t have knowledge of books that most other students read, and I felt inadequate. I teach now so that I can better prepare students for life after high school. I don’t want anyone to feel the way I did when I went to college.

Tell us about the times when you shifted away from classroom teaching.

Throughout my years in education, I left teaching in my own class a few times. From 2006 through 2010, I worked as an educational consultant, where I led professional development workshops for teachers and worked with teachers in their own classrooms. From 2017 through 2019, I was an assistant professor of practice for Relay Graduate School of Education, where I taught pedagogy to teachers earning their master’s degrees. Both of these positions allowed me to work in schools and with teachers, but I missed working directly with students and being part of a school community. Also, I was teaching and learning new techniques and realized that I wanted to try them in my own classroom.

What are your summer plans? And what are you looking forward to in the 2023-24 school year?

This summer, I am enjoying time with my family and friends. I have a lot of fun concerts lined up that I’m excited to attend. I will also attend a couple of professional development workshops. For 2023-24, I am looking forward to our new geometry textbook and using more technology throughout the school year.

Catherine Carrera is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat Newark, covering the city’s K-12 schools with a focus on English language learners. Contact Catherine at ccarrera@chalkbeat.org.

Newark schools chief retracts promise to give teachers two days off, says learning loss too great

2023-05-12T19:10:01+00:00

Newark Superintendent Roger León backpedaled on a promise and rejected the teachers union request to extend the upcoming Memorial Day break by using two extra in-session days that were built into the 2022-23 academic calendar.

School board members, a community member, and Newark Teachers Union President John Abeigon pressed the chief of schools at a board meeting Thursday to follow through on his promise to end the year early if no days are used for emergency closings due to inclement weather.

Abeigon and the others suggested an extended break before or after Memorial Day would suffice if it’s too late in the year to move up the last day of school by two days.

But León didn’t budge.

“The answer to extending it would be no,” he said, pointing to concerns about students’ low performance in reading and math standardized tests and a rise in chronic absenteeism.

He also said that state standardized testing will be ongoing through the end of the month, which would make it “humanly not possible at this time” to take days off before or after Memorial Day on May 29.

The math, reading, and science standardized tests are scheduled for May 1 through May 26, the Friday before Memorial Day, according to the state testing schedule. Makeup dates are scheduled for May 30 to June 2.

Even so, numerous school districts statewide have opted to extend the holiday weekend with unused snow days, including West Orange, Bloomfield, and others in Essex County.

Though New Jersey schools are required to be in session for 180 days to receive state aid, many districts tack on additional days in the annual academic calendar to allow for sudden closures due to inclement weather or other emergencies.

When the additional days aren’t used, many districts will extend holiday weekends, spring breaks, or allow for an early end to the school year.

The Newark Public Schools 2022-23 school calendar has 182 days, two days more than the minimum 180 requirement. The Newark Teachers Union contract also stipulates a maximum of 182 instructional days, though there can be less than that total. With very light snow this past winter — the state saw record-low snow totals — the district didn’t use the extra two days for emergency closures.

‘Accountability is important’

State code permits school boards to determine the dates schools are open in their districts.

Abeigon asked the school board members at the meeting to make a motion to amend the current school calendar to include two extra days off.

No board members took him up on his suggestion, but two pressured León to explain why he backtracked on his word.

At Newark’s annual convocation on Aug. 30, just before the start of the school year, León told district employees that as a show of appreciation for their work, he would end the school year on June 21 instead of June 23 if the extra two days are not used.

“You know how I said you were valued. You saw how I said we were appreciating you. And you saw that we’re doing it not only with our word but through actions, right?” León said at the convocation, according to a video recording that the union posted on its YouTube channel. “If in fact we do not have any weather inclement reasons to close schools, we will actually close school at the 180th day — June 21.”

But as the school year went on, grim test results showed students struggling in math and reading and the chronic absenteeism rate going up.

“If, in fact, the realities today were any different, we would be making obviously different recommendations,” León said on Thursday. “That is not the recommendation that we are moving forward right now.”

In an email to union members on Tuesday, León also said that “maximizing instructional time for all of our students must be our highest priority” and that deducting two days from the academic calendar would “detract” from that priority.

Though learning loss is evident, it’s hard to see how it would be exacerbated by an additional two days off, said Allison James-Frison, the newly elected board member who was sworn in at the board meeting Thursday.

“And accountability is important,” James-Frison said. “The superintendent stated that he would do it and I think he should be held accountable to what he stated months ago.”

Board member Crystal Williams said she agreed with James-Frison and suggested giving staff and students half days if two full days off is not feasible.

“You can’t tell someone you’re going to do something for them and then don’t follow through,” said Denise Cole, a longtime resident and education advocate, during the public comment portion of the meeting. “That’s not leadership.”

Abeigon said the district’s decision to not go through with the extra two days off could have other ramifications.

“This doesn’t help the teacher retention problem one bit because it will discourage teachers from coming to the district and, in some cases, it will be the last straw for some of our teachers who feel they can’t work in a district where they can’t trust the superintendent,” Abeigon said.

Union leaders raised the issue with district officials at three separate meetings since March, said Michael Maillaro, the union’s spokesman.

The Newark Teachers Union also has support from the state chapter of its union to push for the two days off.

“As a way to show appreciation for the jobs they did all year, it would certainly mean a lot to them if the district recognized their efforts by keeping their promise and not have them go to school for the two snow days they didn’t use,” said Donna M. Chiera, the president of AFT-NJ, in an email. “Those two days at the end of June will not have a significant or any impact on student achievement.”

Catherine Carrera is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat Newark, covering the city’s K-12 schools with a focus on English language learners. Contact Catherine at ccarrera@chalkbeat.org.

Your guide to the 2023 Newark school board election: Meet the candidates

2023-04-24T14:08:37+00:00

Newark voters head to the polls Tuesday to select three candidates from a pool of eight during a pivotal time — three years since the district regained full local control of its schools and the same number of years since the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted student learning.

Six of the eight candidates are running on three-member slates, while two other newcomer candidates are running independently. On the Moving Newark Schools Forward slate are incumbents Hasani Council and Josephine Garcia, joined by Allison James-Frison, who unsuccessfully ran for a school board seat in last year’s race. This slate has historically had strong backing from powerful politicians, including Mayor Ras Baraka and Senate Majority Leader M. Teresa Ruiz.

The opposing slate is Newark Kids Forward, which includes another candidate who ran unsuccessfully last year, Thomas Luna, along with Tawana Johnson-Emory and James Wright Jr. This slate has a strong charter influence: Luna is a teacher at KIPP Rise Academy and Wright Jr. teaches at North Star Academy Washington Park High School.

Rounding out the pool of candidates are newcomers Latoya Jackson, a hair salon owner, and Ade’Kamil Kelly, a real estate agent and team leader at the Boys and Girls Club of Newark.

Voters will be choosing candidates to fill three seats on the nine-member school board that each come with three-year terms.

Incumbent Flohisha Johnson chose not to seek a third term.

Voter turnout for recent past school board elections has been sparse. Last year, turnout was just under 3%, with about 6,000 of 210,000 voters casting a ballot.

The election comes as the district is tasked to spend its federal COVID relief funds by the federally imposed deadline of September 2024. The district received a total of about $288 million in three relief packages that Congress approved to help schools respond to the pandemic. Newark still has $183 million total to spend from the last two relief packages, according to a state-run dashboard last updated on April 10.

Most of the money has been earmarked for building repairs and technology upgrades, while a smaller portion has been set aside for teaching and learning, although Newark students’ reading and math scores show significant learning loss that put them far behind pre-pandemic rates. For example, third graders meeting proficiency standards in math went from 35.4% in 2019 to 15.1% in 2022. In reading, the percentage of third graders meeting proficiency dropped from 28.5% in 2019 to 19% in 2022.

Voters will also need to decide whether to approve the district’s $1.3 billion budget, which is supplemented by a $138.3 million tax levy and $1.2 billion in projected state aid. Taxpayers won’t see an increase in their property tax bills next year under this budget.

The eight candidates shared with us their thoughts on what the district is doing well, how it can improve, transparency, learning loss, mental health services, and more. Click around the interactive feature below to get to know where the candidates stand on top education issues. The biographies and answers have been lightly edited for clarity and length.

Catherine Carrera is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat Newark, covering the city’s K-12 schools with a focus on English language learners. Contact Catherine at ccarrera@chalkbeat.org.

Have a question for the Newark school board candidates? Help us develop Chalkbeat’s voter guide.

2023-03-22T18:55:50+00:00

As eight candidates get their campaigns underway for the Newark school board election in April, Chalkbeat Newark wants to know what questions residents and school stakeholders have for the contenders.

The questions will be key in creating our annual voter guide, a user-friendly interactive feature with essential information about candidates’ positions to help voters make informed decisions at the polls on April 25.

Send us your questions by Thursday, March 30.

The eight candidates, including incumbents Hasani Council and Josephine Garcia, are running to fill three three-year seats on the nine-member board. Flohisha Johnson, a board member since 2017, is not running for a third term.

Council and Garcia, along with returning candidate Allison James-Frison, are running jointly on the “Moving Newark Schools Forward” slate. Historically, this slate has strong endorsement from a coalition that includes Mayor Ras Baraka, charter-sector leaders, and other powerful politicians — not to mention a substantial cushion of cash.

Returning candidate Thomas Luna, a charter school science teacher, along with newcomers Tawana Johnson-Emory and James Wright Jr., comprise another slate on the ballot, “Newark Kids Forward.”

Newcomers Latoya Jackson and Ade’Kamil Kelly round out the remaining two candidates on the ballot.

Among the Newark Board of Education’s responsibilities are approving spending; hiring, evaluating, and firing the superintendent; and setting policies and goals for the district — big picture tasks. The school board also must hold the superintendent responsible for implementing policies and meeting established goals.

Chalkbeat Newark wants to know what questions you have for the candidates and what you think they should prioritize if they win on April 25. Let us know by filling out the form below by Thursday, March 30.

If you are having trouble viewing this form, go here.

Newark schools would get nearly $1.2 billion in state aid under Murphy’s 2024 budget plan

2023-03-02T22:29:52+00:00

Newark Public Schools would get nearly $1.2 billion in state aid in 2024 under Gov. Phil Murphy’s proposed budget, an 11% boost, according to a state aid summary the administration released Thursday.

The school aid increase for New Jersey’s largest school district is part of the governor’s $53.1 billion proposed budget for the next fiscal year, which he presented two days earlier at a joint session of the Legislature in Trenton.

Murphy appeared Thursday with Acting Education Commissioner Angelica Allen-McMillan, Senate Majority Leader M. Teresa Ruiz, and other education leaders at a news conference in a Somerset County middle school to announce what would be a historic increase in aid for districts if the Legislature approves his proposed budget.

About $20.5 billion of the total plan is earmarked for pre-K-12 education, which would be an increase of $1 billion over the current year. Nearly $10.8 billion is carved out to fund the state’s school aid formula, up $832 million from the current year. This would be the state’s sixth payment into a seven-year plan to fully fund the school aid formula, which has left poor districts, including Newark, underfunded for years.

“I am incredibly proud that our administration’s fiscal stewardship has made it possible for us to create a six-year streak of increasing aid for our public schools,” Murphy said at the news conference at Montgomery Township Upper Middle School.

Last year, Newark Public Schools received $1 billion in state aid, which was an increase from the previous year, though still about $140 million short of being fully funded. Poorer districts, such as Newark, rely heavily on state aid to fund their schools because of a lower revenue stream from local property taxes compared with wealthier districts with high property values.

Murphy’s proposed budget also includes $109 million in new spending for universal pre-K, which would fully fund programs that started in 2023. About $40 million of that would go toward expanding preschool programs into new districts and other needs, such as workforce development.

The administration also aims to help districts address the staffing shortage crisis seen statewide by committing $10 million in stipends for student teachers, $5 million to waive teacher certification fees, $1 million to develop local partnerships for paraprofessional training, and other initiatives.

The New Jersey Education Association, the state’s teachers union, said that it supports the education investments Murphy proposed in his budget but that more funding should go toward initiatives to alleviate the school staffing shortage crisis.

The state must adopt a budget for next year by June 30. State lawmakers will hold public hearings on the budget over the next few months.

The Newark Board of Education will present its budget at a special meeting at 6 p.m. on March 29 at Science Park High School, 260 Norfolk St.

Catherine Carrera is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat Newark, covering the city’s K-12 schools with a focus on English language learners. Contact Catherine at ccarrera@chalkbeat.org.

New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy proposes boost in school aid, other education initiatives for 2024

2023-03-01T00:11:51+00:00

New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy has proposed a $53.1 billion state spending plan for 2024 that includes hefty investments in education, such as expanding the universal pre-K program, increasing school aid for underfunded districts, and new funding for teacher retention efforts.

The boost in funding to public school education and other key areas, including healthcare and the state pension system, would come without raising taxes or increasing New Jersey Transit fare hikes, Murphy said Tuesday in his budget address before a joint session of the state legislature in Trenton. The presentation was also streamed live on the governor’s office’s YouTube channel.

“Every penny we provide for our students, educators, and schools, isn’t just an investment in the futures of our kids or the future of our community or economy,” Murphy said during his presentation to a room full of legislators, former governors, and other supporters. “It’s also property tax relief that lifts more of the burden off the local shoulders of taxpayers.”

One of Murphy’s top initiatives since he took office in 2018 has been universal access to full-day preschool statewide. In the next fiscal year, which begins July 1, he proposes $109 million in new spending for universal pre-K, which would fully fund programs that started in 2023 and includes $40 million that would go toward expanding programs into new districts or other needs, such as workforce development.

Murphy’s proposal also includes a “historic increase” of $832 million in K-12 school funding formula aid, according to a budget briefing provided by the governor’s office. This will be Murphy’s sixth payment in his seven-year plan to provide adequate state aid to districts that have been underfunded for years, including Newark.

“Making this investment will mean that in our six years of working together, we will have increased overall K-12 support to our schools by more than $2.6 billion — a more than 30% increase,” Murphy said. “This support is also critical not just for keeping our public schools the envy of the nation — and they are — but it will also help districts and educators to continue to turn around the learning loss we know occurred when the pandemic forced our students to move to remote learning.”

The proposed dollar amount of state aid for Newark Public Schools was not immediately provided by the governor’s office on Tuesday. Newark received a $120 million boost in state aid for this fiscal year.

For 2024, Murphy proposes to commit an additional $10 million to go toward high-impact tutoring and professional development, an effort to help local school districts and students with academic recovery, according to the budget briefing.

Last year, the governor created a Task Force to Address Public School Staff Shortages, an issue affecting districts statewide, as part of a push to address vacancies in teaching and non-teaching positions across schools. The task force provided the governor with recommendations, which Murphy included in his proposed budget.

Among those proposals: $10 million in stipends for student teachers, a $5 million waiver to teacher certification fees, $2 million in Culture and Climate Innovation Grants “to improve educator quality of life issues,” $1 million to develop local partnerships for paraprofessional training, a teacher apprenticeship program, and more.

The New Jersey Education Association released a statement in support of Murphy’s budget proposal, while also pushing for more of an investment in teacher retention initiatives.

“This budget also takes some small preliminary steps toward addressing New Jersey’s ongoing educator shortage crisis,” the teachers union said in a statement. “However, much more work remains to be done in this budget cycle to address New Jersey’s devastating educator shortage.”

Another top education-related priority in Murphy’s budget proposal addresses the youth mental health crisis. The proposal for 2024 includes $43 million for the first year of the New Jersey Statewide Student Support Services network, which the administration is nicknaming “NJ4S.” The program will be a “new model for delivering mental health services” to the state’s youth and create 15 regional hubs to support delivery of prevention services in schools, libraries, community centers, and faith-based organizations, according to the budget briefing.

“This budget will allow us to meaningfully take on the mental health crisis, especially among our youth,” Murphy said. “As I work with my colleagues and experts across the nation rising to this challenge, I also want to make New Jersey a model.”

The legislature will now begin debates and negotiations, both public and behind closed doors, on Murphy’s proposed budget, which will go through a series of public hearings before the June 30 deadline for the governor to sign the budget into law.

Catherine Carrera is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat Newark, covering the city’s K-12 schools with a focus on English language learners. Contact Catherine at ccarrera@chalkbeat.org.

Two Newark charter schools to merge into one K-12, as two others get approval to expand

2023-02-03T00:03:11+00:00

The New Jersey Department of Education approved the expansion of two Newark charter schools, allowing the schools to increase enrollment at their campuses by a combined 532 seats — and bucking the department’s recent trend to curb charter school growth in the city.

The department also approved the merger of Achieve Community Charter School and People’s Preparatory Charter School to create a new K-12 school — People’s Achieve Community Charter School — that will fully integrate this summer, ahead of next school year.

Acting Education Commissioner Angelica Allen-McMillan sent decision letters Wednesday, the annual regulatory deadline, to charter schools statewide seeking renewals or amendments to their charter agreements, including requests to add more seats.

In total, 11 out of 14 expansion requests were approved for charter schools across the state, including the two in Newark. Other charter school expansions were approved in Trenton, Paterson, Clifton, Jersey City, Asbury Park, East Brunswick, and New Brunswick.

“The department weighs a broad range of data to make thoughtful decisions on each application — evaluating schools on their record of performance and ensuring overall accountability,” said Michael Yaple, the department’s spokesman, in a statement.

North Star Academy, one of the largest charter school networks in the city with six elementary, six middle, and two high schools, was approved for 492 additional seats, increasing enrollment from 7,300 to 7,792 by the 2025-26 school year, according to the state education department’s approval letter obtained by Chalkbeat.

The charter school, which has been in Newark since 1997, reported an enrollment waitlist last year of 633 Newark students and 133 non-resident students, the letter stated. Although the school hasn’t met its maximum approved enrollment, North Star says it plans to ramp up recruitment and retention efforts.

LINK Community Charter School, a smaller system in its ninth year of operation, was approved for an additional 40 seats, increasing its enrollment size from 410 to 450 by the 2025-26 school year, according to the approval letter the school received on Wednesday.

The approvals come after the state denied several requests for charter school expansions over the last few years – marking a shift in tone for charter schools in Newark, which have seen a slowdown of growth under Gov. Phil Murphy. Under his predecessor, former Gov. Chris Christie, there was a boom in Newark charter school expansions.

“Communities win when we increase public school options that have a track record of meeting students’ needs,” said Harry Lee, president and chief executive officer of the New Jersey Public Charter Schools Association. “Public charter schools work and we are ecstatic that more children will be able to attend excellent schools that put them on the path to social-emotional and academic recovery.”

Achieve Community Charter School, a K-8 charter school in the South Ward, will merge with People’s Prep, a 9-12 charter school, starting in the 2023-24 school year.

“My heart is overjoyed by this approval, as this was the final piece of the puzzle to provide a holistic model for children and families in our community,” said Dominique Lee, founder and chief executive officer of the BRICK Education Network, which runs Achieve Community Charter School, in a press release.

“By partnering with another high-performing school like Achieve to start our college access and success work earlier, we now have the opportunity to produce even better outcomes with students, families, and alumni for generations to come,” said Keith Robinson, executive director for People’s Prep, in that release.

The state education department also said the consolidation of the two schools will benefit students by providing them with a continuity from kindergarten through 12th grade.

“The two schools’ missions and educational programs are uniquely aligned to ensure a smooth transition into a single entity,” Allen-McMillan said in the approval letter.

Catherine Carrera is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat Newark, covering the city’s K-12 schools with a focus on English language learners. Contact Catherine at ccarrera@chalkbeat.org.

Newark school board blocks attempt to stop superintendent’s contract renewal

2023-01-27T04:23:05+00:00

A Newark school board member’s attempt to stop Superintendent Roger León’s contract renewal and to allow public input went nowhere Thursday, following continued questions about transparency of the process.

Board member Crystal Williams, who was elected last year, introduced a motion to issue a letter of nonrenewal to León before Jan. 31 “in order to reassess his contract” and “give the public the opportunity to voice their concerns.” But the motion died for lack of a second by any of the other eight members of the Newark Board of Education.

Williams’ motion was the first challenge by a board member since last week’s revelation that León’s contract was quietly renewed in May 2022. Once that renewal takes effect on July 1, 2023, León’s term will extend to June 30, 2028, according to his contract.

“The voice of the community is paramount,” said Williams as she introduced the motion. “Let’s take their concerns seriously and do this the right way; there’s no reason to go around it.”

Dozens of Newark parents, teachers, students, and advocates filled the room during Thursday’s board of education meeting and raised a range of issues affecting public school students. Current and former students at Newark’s School of Global Studies brought up concerns over patterns of racist harassment at the school, high school teachers shared their worries over the lack of bilingual teachers supporting English language learners, and advocates criticized the board’s handling of the superintendent’s contract renewal.

Newark school leaders have been under fire after reports that León’s contract was automatically renewed due to a clause in his previous contract that said board members needed to alert him by May 15, 2022, if his term wasn’t going to be extended the next year.

During the public comment portion of the meeting, Deborah Gregory Smith, president of the Newark chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, pointed to the community interest in holding the board accountable after it regained full control of the district from the state.

“Since the return to local control, those of us who fought to have it reinstated have not dropped the ball or stopped being involved,” Smith said. “You have not been listening to the community and as a result have not been transparent or accountable for your decision.”

Others like Newark resident Deanna Harrell said they felt compelled to attend Thursday’s meeting because of the concerns over León’s contract renewal.

“I’m not normally here at these meetings, but hearing about things like that made me want to be here at these meetings and I will be here going forward,” Harrell said.

Following Williams’ motion, board member Flohisha Johnson, who was part of the board that approved León’s initial contract in 2018, defended the contract renewal and process.

“I stand behind my superintendent because you know why? I elected him into this office and we appointed him as a board, as a whole, and we don’t have a problem with him,” said Johnson, who was first elected to the board in 2017.

She also read a state law that does not require boards of education to provide public notice or hearings for new contracts, including contracts that replace expired contracts for tenured and non-tenured employees. According to the law, a public notice and public hearing are required only for renegotiations, extensions, amendments, or other alterations to the terms of existing contracts.

John Paff, a longtime advocate for government transparency and a member of the New Jersey Foundation for Open Government, said the state law surrounding superintendent contracts should be amended to ensure the public is aware of contract renewals and decisions.

“This whole problem is nothing but lousy public policy. Nothing like this should be automatically renewed,” Paff said. “The average member of the public is not informed enough and shouldn’t be responsible to be involved enough to pay attention to statutes like this.”

New Jersey state leaders should review the mandates set by law to ensure the public’s protection, he said.

“The Legislature should repeal the statute and change it so that a public hearing provision is included prior to the end of a contract. That’s the only way the public could be protected,” Paff said.

The groundwork for the terms of the automatic renewal was set during a “sparsely attended” public hearing held before a regular school board meeting in 2019, as Chalkbeat Newark reported at the time. After the hearing — which was not advertised online ahead of time —the board extended León’s contract by two extra years and added the renewal clause.

León, a former principal and lifelong Newark resident, did not address the controversy at the meeting or at Saturday’s board retreat. Instead, he addressed questions about his contract during an interview on “Chat Box” that aired on YouTube and NJ PBS on Thursday.

“The fact that people didn’t know is really an important factor and just educating the community and having conversations with them is something that we obviously think is important … and will be doing as we get through the end of the term of this contract and as we begin the next one,” León said when asked about the public scrutiny the district is getting in light of the quiet renewal.

He was hired in 2018 for a three-year contract that extended to June 30, 2021, according to board documents.

“I was part of this board when we gained back local control,” Johnson said during Thursday’s meeting. “I was part of this board when we voted the superintendent in, who I think is doing an awesome job.”

Jessie Gómez is a reporter for Chalkbeat Newark, covering public education in the city. Contact Jessie at jgomez@chalkbeat.org.

Newark parents, advocates demand answers on superintendent’s contract renewal

2023-01-20T01:31:18+00:00

Newark education advocates plan on showing up to Saturday’s school board retreat to question why Superintendent Roger León’s contract was reportedly renewed in secret last May.

The Newark school board renewed León’s contract for five years at an annual salary of about $290,000, according to The Star-Ledger Editorial Board, which first reported the news in an opinion piece published Thursday on NJ.com.

District spokeswoman Nancy Deering was quoted in the article saying that “the contract automatically renewed in May.” She also added that the district doesn’t normally comment on staff performance but that Leon received “a positive evaluation of his performance.”

An email, phone call, and text to Deering inquiring about contract details were not immediately returned.

A Chalkbeat review of school board documents from four meetings that took place in May did not find any approvals by the board that reflected the superintendent’s contract renewal, which signals that the contract was renewed without any public notification or hearing.

Whether public notice or a hearing was required remains a question. But extending León’s contract for five years without any discussion with the school community has raised questions about the Newark Board of Education’s promise to be transparent.

Residents, education advocates, union members, and parents were upset when reached Thursday to hear they weren’t informed by the nine-member elected school board about the quiet contract extension.

“I am upset at what took place,” said Denise Cole, a longtime education advocate. “I don’t like when my rights are violated.”

Even if state law and contract stipulations permitted the school board to renew León’s contract without any public announcement, the board still should have informed the community, Cole said. Not doing so, she added, took away her right to voice her concerns prior to the renewal.

“You’re not paying attention. You’re not listening. You’re not doing the job that you were elected to do for the community,” Cole said in a phone interview Thursday, directing her message to board members.

State code stipulates that when an initial contract term ends, “the superintendent shall be deemed reappointed for another contracted term” of the same length, unless the board reappoints a superintendent for a different term length or not at all.

While León initially had a three-year term, the board extended it for two more years in 2019. The renewed contract is for a five-year term.

Janet Bamford, the chief public affairs officer for the New Jersey School Boards Association, noted in an email that the state code does not mention a board vote or discussion on a contract renewal for superintendents.

“It is our understanding that the public notice and public hearing requirements … would be triggered when the board discusses and votes on changes/updates to the superintendent’s contract,” Bamford wrote.

Leon was hired in 2018 by the board when the district regained local control after 22 years under state control. As a former principal and lifelong resident of Newark, he had supporters throughout the city, including politically powerful elected officials such as Mayor Ras Baraka and Sen. M. Teresa Ruiz, the state Senate majority leader.

Calls and emails to the offices of Baraka and Ruiz were not returned.

Leon’s salary has gone up by about $30,000 over the last four years. In 2019-20 and 2020-21, he was paid $260,000, according to state school salary data. After a cap on superintendent salaries was lifted in 2019, the salary for the district leader shot up, as it did in most districts throughout the state. In 2021-22, León’s salary was $282,425, and in 2022-23, that went up to $290,050.

Parents and others in education said the renewed contract for the superintendent is consequential and worthy of public notice.

“It is their duty to preserve and protect the interests of the constituents who put them in office,” said Jasmine Morrison, a lifelong Newark resident and parent advocate. “Maybe you didn’t legally have to inform the families, but understanding where we have come from and just getting back local control, it would have been the right thing to do.”

Morrison said she plans on attending the school board retreat meeting, which is open to the public, from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. on Saturday on the sixth floor of the district’s central office at 765 Broad St. in Newark.

“I think it just shows a lack of respect for the residents in the city to renew a contract that is so significant and will have a lasting impact on the future of our city,” Morrison said.

Maggie Freeman, another parent and longtime resident of Newark who previously ran for school board, said she thinks it’s time for families to demand more transparency from the board.

“We may have to come together as far as advocates in the community and figure out the best way to approach this because it’s not right,” Freeman said.

“It’s despicable,” said John Abeigon, president of the Newark Teachers Union.

“They came in promising transparency and that it would no longer be business as usual. They made that commitment to taxpayers and stakeholders,” Abeigon said of the school board. “This is insulting.”

Catherine Carrera is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat Newark, covering the city’s K-12 schools with a focus on English language learners. Contact Catherine at ccarrera@chalkbeat.org.

Learning loss, mental health needs, staff shortages: Most read Newark education stories of 2022

2022-12-22T17:54:48+00:00

Newark students and educators called for an improvement to their school environments.

Standardized test scores gave educators a glimpse of the COVID-19 pandemic’s toll on learning — and led the teachers union to declare a “war on learning loss.”

And mental health needs reached unprecedented levels, prompting students to protest for more counselors in schools.

Chalkbeat Newark covered all of this and so much more in 2022. Below is a list of our most-read stories this year.

Communities across the city called for improved conditions in schools, including Malcolm X Shabazz High School, pictured here.

Demands escalate for safer, fairer school environments

Students and educators throughout the city’s charter and traditional public schools raised their voices — either in public protests or through the legal system — for better learning and working conditions.

Educators across the country were reporting a rise in behavioral issues as students returned to full-time in-person learning for the first time since remote or hybrid instruction began amid the COVID-19 pandemic. But while those behavioral issues might have intensified after the pandemic, students and teachers also said that in many schools, such as Malcolm X Shabazz High School, they weren’t new.

In the years before the pandemic, the school community at Shabazz pleaded with school officials to improve the school environment in terms of safety, academic achievement, and stability with enrollment and leadership.

Want to read more? Check out these stories:

All student groups in New Jersey saw a drop in proficiency rates in math and literacy in this year’s state standardized test, results showed.

Test scores show pandemic’s impact on student learning

The switch to remote instruction for 18 months caused a disruption to learning, especially for many Newark students who struggled to keep up with virtual lessons due to a language barrier, lack of laptop or mobile device, or no internet access. Standardized test scores released over the last year show just how much the pandemic had an effect on students’ education, especially in math and reading.

The first snapshot of a significant drop in grade-level proficiency sparked the Newark Teachers Union to call for a “war on learning loss” and urge city leaders, educators, parents, and residents to unify in an effort to help catch students up academically.

Results from the New Jersey Standard Learning Assessments, which were administered for the first time this spring since the pandemic, showed that 13% of Newark students are proficient in grade-level math compared to 27% in 2019.

Want to read more? Check out these stories:

Student need for mental health resources in schools rose in 2022.

Children’s mental health needs reach unprecedented levels

The pandemic also took a toll on the mental health of students, teachers, and the entire school community. Newark ramped up mental health services for students by partnering with third-party providers, including universities, nonprofits, and private companies.

As the need for mental health services reached unprecedented levels, access to those resources became top of mind. A study released over the summer found that Black and Latinx students in New Jersey have less access to school mental health staff than they did a decade ago.

Want to read more? Check out these stories:

Nassan’s Place, a nonprofit helping children with autism and their families, provided affordable summer programming for students in 2022.

Students with disabilities need more support, parents say

As the 2022-23 school year started, a familiar issue came to light: school bus assignments were delayed or missing. For students with disabilities, a lack of district-provided safe transportation to school can completely derail their routine and impede access to crucial services they can only obtain in school.

Parents this fall began to raise concerns about the months of missed in-person services, including speech, occupational, and physical therapies, during the pandemic for their students with disabilities. Under a law passed earlier this year, school districts have until Dec. 31 to determine if compensatory education must be provided to students with disabilities as a result of disruptions to consistent services during remote instruction.

Want to read more? Check out these stories:

Newark schools are spending millions in COVID aid on tutoring, buildings, and more.

BONUS: COVID spending, staff shortages, and more

How are schools spending the millions of dollars pouring in from federal COVID aid? From tutoring to infrastructure, readers can see how Newark charter schools and the traditional public school district is spending this money using data look-up tools provided in these stories:

Newark raised salaries for veteran and rookie teachers, and even brought back retired teachers to fill in gaps left by staffing shortages. Read more about those recruitment strategies here:

New Jersey stopped charter schools in Newark from expanding this year, slowing a rapid growth the schools had under the previous administration in 2016. The largest Newark charter school networks made a major decision to shift from the nearly decade-old public and charter school agreement to collaborate under one universal enrollment system, and created their own. Catch up on these stories here:

Catherine Carrera is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat Newark, covering the city’s K-12 schools with a focus on English language learners. Contact Catherine at ccarrera@chalkbeat.org.

Newark Public Schools promised $1K bonus for employees but per diem staff say they were left out

2022-12-22T15:30:59+00:00

At the last Newark board of education meeting of the year, dozens of teachers wore green — a symbol, they said, of bonuses from which they had been excluded.

Some of the teachers who attended Tuesday’s meeting are per diem employees — staffers that work as needed for the school district — who say they were left out of a $1,000 “Let’s Go To Work!” payment given to full-time staff. The Newark Teachers Union says the bonus should include per diem staff who have worked during the pandemic and beyond, but district leaders argue that the union did not negotiate the bonus for them.

“From my understanding that was a negotiation that was supposed to happen with your union rep so we will see what is supposed to happen,” said Board President Dawn Haynes during the December board meeting. “It was not negotiated for the per diem.”

Superintendent Roger León announced the $1,000 “Let’s Go To Work!” payment during a convocation held in September for all district employees as he thanked staff for their “dedication, contributions, courage, and commitment to excellence during these most unusual times,” according to a press release the school district issued following the event.

In an email to Chalkbeat Newark on Wednesday, district spokesperson Nancy Deering said the “Let’s Go To Work!” payment was a “retention strategy for full-time employees.”

“All staff who worked during the pandemic were compensated for their services and we remain extremely appreciative of all that they did during the most difficult of times,” Deering added.

Newark shut down schools from April 2020 until September 2021, when the return to in-person learning prompted concern among parents, students, and teachers who were at risk of being exposed to the coronavirus during that time. Shortly after, the district was forced to shut down schools again as COVID-19 cases surged in December of that year.

Arie Fiekowsky started working as a teacher for Newark in September 2020 when schools were still shut down and virtual learning became the new normal. As a new teacher, Fiekowsky upgraded her home internet to the highest speed to avoid interruptions in her connection, she said at the board meeting. Once schools slowly reopened, she went back to teaching in person but got sick with COVID, she added.

“All this to say, as a young person with little savings that $1,000 was very important to me,” Fiekowsky told board members.

The Newark Teachers Union has roughly 2,000 per diem classroom aides and teachers who are members, said Michael Maillaro, the union’s director of research and communication.

During the convocation, León welcomed 600 new teachers, according to the district. But from May to October of this year, 325 employees resigned, compared to the 268 instructional staffers who quit in 2021 during the same months, according to data from the teachers union. The union also counted 83 retirements between May and October of this year, compared to 74 retirements in 2021 during the same period.

In November, another 41 members resigned, according to union data.

Newark Teachers Union president John Abeigon said the bonuses announced at the beginning of the year “were not part of negotiations when the current union contract reopened last spring.”

“These bonuses come from the superintendent, not from us,” Abeigon said. “Why would the union do that to its own members? Our sole way of raising money is through union dues, and the board wants to say we would neglect our very own members?”

Alina McKnight also spoke during Tuesday’s meeting and said her workload “is just the same as a teacher” and her duties are the same as other teachers. McKnight is a per diem bilingual chemistry high school teacher who was hired in 2021.

“If you could go ahead and look at the policy again of what it is to be a per diem teacher, I would love for you to do that because we definitely need the guidance and assistance,” said McKnight during public comments.

A per diem classroom aide at an elementary school in the district who asked to remain anonymous due to fear of retaliation told Chalkbeat Newark that “there are a lot of injustices going on here” and she is afraid to speak out for her rights.

“We’re the ones that live here in Newark and we were the ones working on the frontlines when we were in the middle of a pandemic — we never stopped working,” the classroom aide said. “So why are we being ignored?”

Catherine Carrera is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat Newark, covering the city’s K-12 schools with a focus on English language learners. Contact Catherine at ccarrera@chalkbeat.org.

Jessie Gomez is a reporter for Chalkbeat Newark, covering public education in the city. Contact Jessie at jgomez@chalkbeat.org.

New Jersey’s test scores for 2022: See the math and literacy results for your district

2022-12-21T17:01:21+00:00

Significant disparities between New Jersey’s white and Asian American students and their Black and Hispanic peers grew bigger on last spring’s state standardized tests, while proficiency rates among Newark’s relatively young students suffered the biggest declines from pre-pandemic levels, according to a Chalkbeat analysis of the scores.

There were drops in proficiency rates in math and English language arts on the spring tests for all student groups in the state. And Newark’s struggles with achieving math proficiency have only grown more pronounced.

The scores on the New Jersey Student Learning Assessments, known as the NJSLA, were released by the New Jersey Department of Education last week. The tests were taken by students in grades 3-8 in math, English language arts, and science.

Students took the tests, which were created by Pearson Assessments, between April and June of last school year. It was the first time they took the test since 2019, due to disruptions from the COVID-19 pandemic. (In 2021, Newark students took a different exam that also indicated significant learning loss.)

Comparing this year’s test scores to results from pre-pandemic years can give educators and families a clearer look at how the pandemic stalled progress in student learning.

New Jersey also saw a glimpse of this earlier this year on “the nation’s report card,” which showed significant dips in math and reading scores among fourth and eighth graders on the National Assessment of Educational Progress.

On average, the state test results show that students are performing at the same levels of students in the same grades in 2015, undoing years of steady progress before the pandemic.

“The issues we’re seeing — the achievement gap, the lower percentage of students in Newark meeting or exceeding state learning standards — pre-date the pandemic, but have certainly been exacerbated by it,” said Ronald Chaluisán, executive director of the Newark Trust for Education, in a phone interview on Tuesday.

Statewide proficiency rates showed a growing gulf between the highest and lowest performing student demographic groups.

For example, 83.3% of all Asian American students were proficient in English language arts in 2019, compared to 37.9% of all Black students. This year, that gap grew by nearly 3 percentage points. About 78.8% of all Asian American students were proficient on the English language arts exams, while 30.5% of Black students achieved proficiency, according to an analysis by the state education department that was presented earlier this month at a state Board of Education meeting.

Meanwhile, in Newark public schools, proficiency rates in math for third and fourth graders — many of whom were already falling short of achieving proficiency on the test before COVID — fell significantly from their peers’ scores three years ago.

During a school board meeting in September, district leaders shared a first look at these results, which Superintendent Roger León called “horrible” before promising a focus on tutoring this school year.

The share of third graders in the district who met proficiency standards in math decreased from 35.4% in 2019 to 15.1% in 2022. Similarly, fourth graders meeting proficiency standards in math decreased from 32% in 2019 to 12.2% in 2022.

“Pretty consistently across the board a huge percentage of our students have not done well on those exams over many years,” Chaluisán said.

Data from the spring exams should be used to inform district leaders on how to proceed next with students who need the most support, said Steven LoCascio, director of Kean University’s educational leadership program.

“We have to be very careful not to go on business as usual with our students, especially those who aren’t meeting expectations,” LoCascio said. “In math, for example, the concepts build on one another, and if we’re seeing that basic skills aren’t there, then your students will stay at an ongoing deficit, making it more and more difficult for them to succeed in the future.”

Newark’s largest charter school networks were not immune from proficiency declines.

Fifth graders at KIPP schools in Newark went from a 48.2% proficiency rate in English language arts in 2019 to 31% this year. And fifth graders at North Star Academy schools also saw a steep drop in proficiency, going from a 73.8% proficiency rate in 2019 in English language arts to 51.5%.

“Our charter leaders and teachers remain committed to meeting the immense challenges of this moment so that more students can recover socially, emotionally and academically,” said Harry Lee, president of the New Jersey Public Charter Schools Association, in a statement about the test scores.

The Newark Trust for Education has a five-point response to the test scores across the city’s schools, Chaluisán said.

Among the issues the nonprofit education group will focus on in the new year is pushing for an “aggressive timeline” to help students recover lost ground in math and reading, as well as urging a citywide effort to help students through a collaboration between community organizations, families, and schools.

“If we’re not dramatically changing the day-to-day in this collective work of helping our young people, then we are creating barriers for our kids,” he said. “We are really committed to bringing the community together around the urgency to this issue and around the solution to this issue.”

Catherine Carrera is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat Newark, covering the city’s K-12 schools with a focus on English language learners. Contact Catherine at ccarrera@chalkbeat.org.

This Newark social worker’s early struggle with anxiety led her to help other students

2022-12-14T20:54:34+00:00

As a teenager, Sheyla Riaz faced depression and anxiety. But it wasn’t until a writing assignment for an English class that she was able to share her struggles — and that moment changed her life.

Riaz’s teacher connected her with a school counselor and that opened doors to other helpful resources in school and her community, she said. This experience inspired her to pursue a career as a school social worker. Today, she’s the social work director for KIPP NJ schools.

“We spend a good chunk of our lives in a school setting, and so it is imperative that schools be equipped and resourced to support not just with math and English language arts, but with everything else that comes with being a kid and teenager,” Riaz told Chalkbeat.

She counts herself lucky, she added, to have had access to school-based and community mental health resources as a child. Now, she advocates for supporting students across Newark’s 14 KIPP charter schools, where she manages mental health programming.

Riaz recently spoke to Chalkbeat about her work overseeing 32 school social workers, how her team confronts the stigma around mental health, and the advice she gives to students coping with difficult times.

This interview has been lightly edited for length and clarity.

What led you to the field of social work?

From a young age, I was a helper and learned the value of listening to others when it came to figuring out what to help with. My mother would share stories about her upbringing, and I would sit there for hours just listening to these experiences and taking in her learnings and wisdom. It was fascinating. The drive toward the mental health field really took shape in middle and high school when I experienced my own struggles with depression and anxiety. I was fortunate to be surrounded by a supportive village that connected me with social workers and resources that helped me overcome those difficult times. Now, I get to be part of supportive villages that are helping kids and families overcome their difficult times.

What does a typical day look like for you? What do you look forward to the most?

My days are filled with team and community meetings, data review, progress monitoring, and program planning — very different from the days of direct work with students but just as rewarding. I meet with social workers across our 14 K-12 schools, and we talk through items such as implementation, efficacy, and progress of student support plans. We assess data to determine the most appropriate counseling interventions, we celebrate wins, we check in on community and self-care, we manage crises, we plan for school-wide events centering mental health, and the list goes on. Connecting with a social worker or community partner and experiencing their joy when sharing about something amazing that a student accomplished is always the highlight of my day. Good and happy news always fills the tank!

Sheyla Riaz, the director of social work at KIPP NJ, working from her home office as she leads a team of 32 social workers in a virtual professional development session.

Among those you help, what issues have you seen emerge during the pandemic?

We were noticing spikes in depression, anxiety, drug use, and gang involvement pre-pandemic but those numbers have jumped significantly in the last two years. There are so many stressors impacting our families that stem from systems of oppression, and these play out in the classroom. Our young people are experiencing anxiety, depression, grief, and trauma; and when there is isolation, brought by the pandemic, and limited resources, brought by inadequate systems, they sometimes turn to things like self-medication or getting involved in dangerous situations. Now that our schools are fully open, we are bringing kids back in with urgency and connecting them and their families to resources and supports that will alleviate some of those stressors. We are focused on building relationships and offering healing spaces so that kids can be kids again.

How does your team confront the stigma around mental health with the families in your schools?

You know, I am so proud of this generation of kids because they are incredible and open and forward-thinking. They are the ones that push for mental health advocacy, and they join us in talking about mental health to parents and older generations! We all have mental health, and that is the constant message: We do not shy away from talking about the whole person. When we have a parent meeting, for example, we are talking about academics and social and emotional learning. When we have team meetings, we encourage each other to notice and name feelings. When we start the school day, we encourage students to check in with themselves and identify how they are showing up in the classroom. We confront the stigma by normalizing mental health in every interaction and with every stakeholder.

What advice have you offered students as they cope with difficult times, whether it be grief or trauma?

I wouldn’t necessarily call it advice but rather an encouraged offering of a safe and welcoming space to talk about their feelings, to talk about their worries, to talk about the things that scare them, and to simply say the things that ruminate in their minds — to say them out loud in a space that will not judge and in a space that is sturdy enough to hold these big feelings so that students do not need to carry them alone. I encourage students to connect with the helpers, with their families, with their peers, and with their community.

Tell us about your own experience with school and how it affects your work today.

I shared earlier about my own mental health struggles — home and school support was key in my growth and ability to overcome those. I remember writing about my struggles in an English project; that was the catalyst to getting connected to the school counselor who then connected me to the community resources that helped me learn and apply the coping skills I needed at that moment. We spend a good chunk of our lives in a school setting, so it is imperative that schools be equipped and resourced to support not just with math and English language arts, but with everything else that comes with being a kid and teenager. I was lucky to have access to that support. Today I push to ensure that every student in my district has access to that same support.

You spend your days trying to help others. How do you wind down after a stressful day?

This pandemic has pushed me to really take note of how I take care of myself. These days, winding down is turning off the work computer, silencing email notifications, yoga, and being fully present with my two kids. Perhaps we are playing a game of UNO — or perhaps they are playing a game of UNO, while I nap. Ha! Hashtag, winning.

Catherine Carrera is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat Newark, covering the city’s K-12 schools with a focus on English language learners. Contact Catherine at ccarrera@chalkbeat.org.

In COVID grievance case, Newark teachers win $1 million in back pay, sick days, union leaders say

2022-12-01T00:01:30+00:00

A Newark Public Schools directive that required teachers union members, including teachers, aides, and other school staff, to use sick or personal days for COVID-related absences violated a collective bargaining agreement, an arbitrator ruled last week.

Now, more than a year after a grievance was filed by the union, the American Federation of Teachers Local 481, the district will have to pay roughly $1 million in back pay and sick or personal time, said Michael Maillaro, the union’s director of research and communication, in a phone call with Chalkbeat on Tuesday.

Union leaders estimate around 800 of their 4,000 members used sick or personal time when they had to stay home due to COVID exposure or contracting the virus, and those who ran out of days were docked pay for the days they stayed home due to mandated quarantine.

A stipulation in the union’s contract that union leaders say has been in place since the 1970s lists “quarantine as defined by Newark Board of Education’s health services office and the employee’s physician” as a case where “no deduction of salary of a regular employee shall be made for absence.”

The union argued in its grievance filed on Oct. 13, 2021, that the Newark Board of Education violated its collective bargaining agreement by charging union members with sick or personal days while they were in quarantine for COVID-19, according to a copy of the grievance.

The school district countered that teachers and school staff had to stay home due to COVID to “isolate,” not “quarantine,” and, therefore, had to use sick days, according to a copy of the grievance decision.

After the grievance was filed and no resolution could be reached between union representatives and the Newark Board of Education, it was submitted to binding arbitration, Maillaro said. The union and district mutually picked a qualified arbitrator, Robert C. Gifford, who’s been an arbitrator since 2001.

“I conclude that the broader, more commonly accepted meaning of the term ‘quarantine’ must be applied in this instance,” Gifford said in his ruling. He added that the contract’s stipulation on paid leave for quarantines applied to COVID-related absences.

An arbitrator’s decision in these cases is final and binding, and a failure to comply could be seen as an unfair labor practice, according to the U.S. Federal Labor Relations Authority.

The Newark Public Schools spokeswoman did not respond to requests for comment.

School staff and teachers were constantly at risk of being exposed to the virus, especially when schools first returned to fully in-person learning last fall, Maillaro said.

At times, he added, members who ran out of their allotted paid time off would feel stuck choosing between being honest about their COVID exposure and missing out on pay, or not being honest in order to get a full paycheck.

“If you’re telling them they’re going to be docked pay or lose their days, then should I be honest about having COVID?” Maillaro said. “It’s a scary situation when we’re dealing with a pandemic and you don’t want people to feel afraid to be honest about their situation.”

One union member, who asked to be kept anonymous for fear of retaliation, said that losing sick and personal time due to being in quarantine felt like a shot to morale among teachers.

“It just showed us how much value we have in their eyes,” the teacher said in a phone call on Tuesday. “How much of a concern do our higher-ups have for us? We’re still pumping out work, even while we’re sick and you’re saying well you’ve got to use your personal time?”

Newark educators were hoping to return to “normal” last year, not to have to file complaints due to a contract violation, said Donna M. Chiera, president of the American Federation of Teachers New Jersey chapter.

“This decision forcing the administration to honor the written contract is not only a victory for the Newark Teachers Union and their members, it also sends a message throughout New Jersey,” Chiera said in an emailed statement. “That message is collective bargaining contracts are not guidelines school districts can arbitrarily implement when they work to their advantage; they are legal documents that must be followed.”

Union president John Abeigon said the arbitrator’s ruling is a “huge victory” for union members and for the protection of school staff and students’ health and safety.

“Even if staff were exposed to COVID in schools, they were forced to use their sick time, and in many cases, they were threatened with additional negative consequences,” Abeigon said in an emailed statement.

Maillaro said that it could take weeks or months before the district fulfills the arbitrator’s ruling in back pay and sick days. As of Wednesday, the union had not gotten a response at all from the district since the final decision came last week, he added.

Still, there’s a lot to celebrate for teachers who will ultimately get sick and personal time reinstated, said the teacher who asked to be kept anonymous.

“People are feeling excited to have those days back because they did not think it was fair from the beginning,” the teacher said. “When you know the rainbow is coming, you just try to enjoy.”

Catherine Carrera is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat Newark, covering the city’s K-12 schools with a focus on English language learners. Contact Catherine at ccarrera@chalkbeat.org.

New Jersey school counselors say student mental health needs have ‘increased tremendously’

2022-11-22T21:00:33+00:00

An expectation to “return to normal” this school year has exacerbated student anxiety, depression, and other mental health needs that were already on the rise after the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, school counselors said during a virtual panel organized by the Latino Mental Health Association of New Jersey.

Counselors and other mental health professionals who are part of the state’s school-based youth services program — which contracts nonprofits to provide those services in host schools — gathered virtually on Thursday to discuss their efforts and struggles to re-engage students two years after the pandemic began.

Though anxiety and depression have spiked among their students, counselors are finding hope in being in-person with their students, less stigma in school around seeking help, and sharing resources and tips with their colleagues.

Many students, they say, are finding it challenging this school year to follow basic rules and expectations, such as wearing a uniform all day, showing up to class on time, and completing assignments. Behind those behaviors are students grappling with anxiety, chronic stress, and depression.

In 2020 and 2021, students experienced “fight or flight mode” as schools switched to remote learning for 18 months, said Giselle Fontalvo, a school counselor in Passaic Public Schools who led the virtual meeting. Then, the 2021-22 school year became “all about survival” as in-person learning returned with masks and COVID testing in the face of an ongoing pandemic, she added.

But this school year, with limited accommodations and no remote learning option, students are experiencing a shock as they face yet another transition – a “return to normal” – and it’s affecting their mental well-being, Fontalvo said.

“You need to be in school on time every day and you can’t get up five minutes before school starts to log on to a computer,” Fontalvo said. “There’s this sense of shock when students face consequences for consistently showing up late, like, ‘What do you mean I have detention? I didn’t get detention last year.’”

Student mental health needs ‘rapidly increasing’

The pressure for students to perform well academically and socially in school this year has intensified their mental health needs more than at any point during the pandemic, said Nivioska Bruce, the associate vice president of clinical interventions in schools for Care Plus NJ, during the virtual meeting.

Her clinical intervention teams lead “school clearance assessments” on students to evaluate their level of risk to themselves or others before they’re sent to emergency psychiatric services at a hospital, she said.

In the first three months of school, her team has already “seen so many students” go to emergency rooms for having high-risk levels, Bruce said.

“We’re just realizing the level of intensity that they’re presenting with has been something that we haven’t seen,” she said. “Their mental health needs have increased tremendously. All of the stress from the last two years turned into chronic stress, creating this inability to regulate and utilize healthy coping skills. And now, these levels of anxiety and depression are just rapidly increasing.”

Jennesis Quintana, a school-based youth services counselor with the Mental Health Clinic of Passaic, has seen her students struggling with keeping on their uniforms and lanyards that hold student identification cards and completing assignments.

“A lot of them say it’s hard for them to go to sleep at night, and when they wake up they’re drained and can’t get out of bed or make it in on time,” Quintana said at the virtual meeting.

She said she can recognize when her students are going through depression as it often shows up in their appearance, something she would have missed in a virtual setting. They’ll come to school with poor hygiene and a lack of appetite, on top of the sleep deprivation, she said.

“Those factors then impact how they overall perform, how they function throughout the day, and how they interact with one another,” Quintana said.

But, the counselors said, there’s room for hope.

“The students are opening up more and more,” Quintana said. “You can see what they’re not saying through their body language and interactions and you have direct access when they’re having a breakdown.”

In a phone call on Monday, Fontalvo told Chalkbeat that she feels lucky to work in a district that’s predominantly Latinx and Hispanic, where students can see themselves reflected in her.

“When my English language learners come to see me, they say, ‘Oh, thank God, you speak Spanish,’” she said. “The rest of the day, they’re working on acclimating to the school environment and speaking in English, but with that one conversation in Spanish, they get to have a little relief and feel comfortable.”

There’s also “power in being in the moment” with a student when they’re having trouble regulating intense emotions, Fontalvo said.

“You can help them navigate those feelings of anxiety by simply validating their experience and guiding them with helpful steps to take,” she said. “We can say, ‘OK, you’re right, it is a lot. But we still have to work on this and the goal is still to be a great student. How about we take these two minutes to freak out, and then we’ll work on our to-do list together.’”

In the last two years, an open dialogue about mental health in schools has reduced the stigma of visiting a school counselor or psychologist for help, the counselors said.

“The access to immediate, consistent support and care is the best part of being in schools,” Bruce said at the virtual meeting. “We know that school-based mental health for many of the students and families that come through, this may be the first time they have access to this type of service, but it’s in a place that’s familiar and safe and free of stigma.”

When talking with her students about their needs and what would help them address the pressure they feel, Quintana said she learned that they would like to start their day with a “mental health break.”

“When they haven’t had a good night’s rest, or they just had a fight with a parent, to come in and have a test or project or presentation waiting for them can be overwhelming,” Quintana said to her fellow school-based counselors at the virtual meeting.“Maybe we can incorporate the first 15-20 minutes of the day as a break for them to catch their breath and then start the day.”

Azara Santiago Rivera, president of the Latino Mental Health Association of New Jersey, said in a phone call with Chalkbeat on Friday that she aims to continue holding these meetings for school counselors to share their experiences and resources, especially those that work in predominantly Latinx communities and communities of color.

“At a time when we’re seeing a rise in serious mental health needs for students, we’re also seeing a shortage of mental health professionals,” Santiago Rivera said. “This is the time to share ideas, resources, and strategies with each other and create a safe space for our professionals.”

Catherine Carrera is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat Newark, covering the city’s K-12 schools with a focus on English language learners. Contact Catherine at ccarrera@chalkbeat.org.

Newark’s largest charter schools break ties with universal enrollment system ahead of new cycle

2022-11-03T20:40:46+00:00

Seven Newark charter school networks will not be participating in the Newark Enrolls process this school year, a major shift from a near-decade public and charter school agreement to collaborate on one universal enrollment system for the city’s 60,000 students.

The seven charter networks that will break away from the longstanding pact are Newark’s largest ones, such as North Star Academy, KIPP, Great Oaks Legacy, and Marion P. Thomas, and smaller-scale ones including Achieve Community, People’s Preparatory, and Philip’s Academy.

The networks not only ended ties with the district-controlled system, which could have lasting effects, they’ve also signed on to a new third-party platform, the Newark Common App — altering plans for thousands of families accustomed to one application process for traditional public and charter schools.

A history of issues with the Newark Enrolls platform, including the tightening of rules to apply to a charter school, led to the decision, charter school officials said. Charter schools may be met with some backlash from community members who believe that Newark Enrolls, while flawed, could be improved.

The new platform, spearheaded by the New Jersey Children’s Foundation, a nonprofit charter-aligned organization in Newark with deep-pocketed donors, will open its enrollment window Dec. 1.

Families will need to use that platform to enroll in any of 42 schools that fall under the umbrella of the seven charter networks, which, combined, currently enroll about a third of all Newark pre-K-12 students, or 80% of the city’s charter sector. Other schools, including district public schools, were invited to join the new platform, the website states.

Meanwhile, Newark Enrolls, the system controlled by the Newark Board of Education, will open its window Saturday afternoon, after a school fair from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m at Newark Vocational High School. Families who want to enroll in any of the district’s 60-plus public traditional and magnet schools, or other charter schools that are still with Newark Enrolls, will need to continue using that system.

How a new enrollment platform came to be

Most of the Newark Enrolls features will be available on the Newark Common App, such as mobile functionality, one application for multiple schools, a lottery, and waitlist, according to a press release and interviews with the team behind the new tool. The new platform will also provide a quicker application process with the ability to modify a student’s top choices during the open enrollment window, and more transparency, the team said.

Last school year, the charter-aligned nonprofit initiated a new school look-up tool, My Schools Newark, which let families search any school in the city, regardless of whether its application process was under the Newark Enrolls platform or independently run. The Newark Enrolls search feature only has information on schools that take part in the platform.

At that time, Kyle Rosenkrans, the nonprofit’s executive director who’s also behind the new platform, said his group was not interested in creating a new enrollment system. As Chalkbeat Newark previously reported, he said the group saw a need for a third-party school search tool, nothing more than that.

Over the summer, however, priorities for the group changed when issues surfaced with charter schools not being able to move students from waitlists to available seats in their schools, he said.

Those were just the latest hangups in a series of clashes between the charter schools and district on Newark Enrolls. The universal enrollment system has been a point of contention between the two camps since its origins in 2013. By 2018, charter advocates were preparing to possibly leave the system and start one of their own.

But a year later, Rosenkrans started his nonprofit group with the main goal of serving as a peacemaker and liaison between the charter schools and the public school system, keeping them under one enrollment system.

In recent interviews, Rosenkrans recognized the likelihood that the new enrollment platform may cause some tension between charter schools and the district, and, therefore, neglect a key part of the nonprofit’s mission.

“The interests of families to have a better enrollment experience outweigh some of the risks and the relational strain that may result from this move,” Rosenkrans said in a phone interview with Chalkbeat last month. “That collaboration component was a deep mission component for us, but at the end of the day, we think about what matters most and it’s the interest of educators and children.”

Rosenkrans notified Superintendent Roger León on Tuesday about the new platform with an emailed invitation to join, according to a forwarded copy of the email sent to Chalkbeat.

Prior to issues from this past summer with the waitlist holdups, questionable policy changes created hurdles for families to apply to schools. In the 2019-20 school year, the board removed the option to easily switch schools and added restrictions. Families who ended up enrolled at a school that wasn’t one of their top choices would have to request a transfer for the following school year but those would only be granted under limited circumstances.

Last school year, about 4,000 fewer students applied through the Newark Enrolls system, which some charter and education advocates attributed to the district’s added requirement to show proof of residency during the application process instead of at registration.

“As a school system, our priority is families first so that was the most important thing when making this big decision,” said Stephen Demers, the director of enrollment at KIPP Newark schools, which will join the new platform. “There’s been a lot of enrollment shifts everywhere, but those application numbers certainly went down.”

What is Newark Common App?

Though the nonprofit “fundamentally believed in preserving the collaboration, we wanted to be there as a safety net” by creating a contingency plan for an alternative platform, Rosenkrans said in an interview. As it turned out, the new platform had been in the works for 18 months, he said, so when issues sprang up again over the summer, the foundation was ready to move forward with it.

“It was a very delicate operation for us,” he added.

The new tool has the same developer as the My Schools Newark search tool. Avela, the company behind both platforms, has also designed enrollment tools for Philadelphia’s early childhood centers, Seattle Public Schools, and New Orleans Public Schools. The developers say the algorithm for its enrollment platforms is designed to promote equity.

A screenshot of the Newark Common App website, a new enrollment platform launching Dec. 1.

“The most important thing for families to understand is that there’s no reason to overthink the system and there’s no gaming or strategy to it,” said Greg Bybee, the cofounder and chief executive officer of Avela Education and part of the team behind the Newark Common App. “It’s designed to be easier for parents and guardians to enroll in programs for their kids and certainly meant to be more equitable and give everyone an equal chance.”

Sonali Murarka Soi, Avela’s enrollment specialist and client development lead, said the tool will prioritize students with disabilities, individualized education plans, students who are English language learners, low-income, and families who are in transitional housing or who are homeless.

“The goal overall is to have every school for each of those populations come as close to the kind of community level percentage as possible,” she said. In other words, she said, “the algorithm” will work to have each school representative of the community.

“So a school that was, let’s say, over-represented, compared to the general population, in one subcategory, such as English language learners, wouldn’t necessarily be prioritizing more English language learners,” Murarka Soi said. “But another school that is far below the representative percentage for the category would prioritize that group of students.”

As the new enrollment cycle kicks off this fall and early winter, charter schools under the new platform will plan in-person enrollment events to help answer families’ questions and guide them through the process, said Sarah Yan, New Jersey Children’s Foundation executive director-in-residence. She added that the total time for the new application process will be about 10 minutes.

“You don’t need anything really. You can sit down at a computer or use your mobile device and complete the application in one sitting,” Yan said, adding that it will be available in the top 20 languages spoken in Newark, including Portuguese and Spanish.

“The user experience is what tilted the scale toward joining the Newark Common App,” Demers said. “If we’re doing this change, we want to make sure this process goes smoothly for prospective families.”

The foundation also promises to publicly issue reports with analytics about outcomes from the platform and to have ongoing feedback sessions with families to improve it, according to a press release.

The cost for the new system was not disclosed, only that the marketing campaign for its launch was in the “low six-figure” range. But long term, schools that are part of the new platform will need to pay $8 to $10 per student in order to keep it sustainable, and in addition to philanthropic donations through the foundation, Rosenkrans said. If the district and other schools join the platform, that cost per student would drop, he said.

Last year, under Newark Enrolls, 82% of kindergarten families were matched with their first choice schools, the website states. In 2018-2019, a parent survey published by the district showed that most parents found the system easy to navigate. But more recent parent feedback, which would reflect changes since that survey was taken, either has not been collected or made publicly available.

Questions to the district’s spokeswoman were not immediately answered.

At a school board meeting last month, León listed the deadlines coming up for Newark Enrolls, which uses SchoolMint to run the application process.

“This is the fairest way to determine where children get their choices of instructional program in this city,” León said at the Oct. 27 meeting.

Catherine Carrera is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat Newark, covering the city’s K-12 schools with a focus on English language learners. Contact Catherine at ccarrera@chalkbeat.org.

Newark board approves $5 million contract to purchase, install touchless water fountains

2022-10-28T20:49:10+00:00

Newark school board members have approved a nearly $5 million contract to purchase and install touchless water fountains across all district schools. At least half of water fountains have been inoperable in some buildings since the start of the school year, prompting students to carry jugs from home or go to teachers lounges in search of water.

The two-year contract was approved by district leaders during last night’s board of education meeting and comes after district plumbers tested water fountains across Newark schools and found some inoperable due to leaks from old ring filters and dry rotting, said board member Flohisha Johnson during the meeting.

“Water dispensers, coolers, and cups have been placed at locations where fountains require extensive repairs,” Johnson said, while giving an operations committee report during Thursday’s meeting. “Contactless water fountains continue to be installed districtwide.”

Last school year, Newark Public Schools said it kept all water fountains shut off as a way to curb the spread of the coronavirus when students returned to in-person learning. But Chalkbeat Newark found that the district shut off water fountains in the 2021-2022 academic year due to a delay in testing water sources for lead and getting water filters replaced. In March, Superintendent Roger León promised touchless water fountains would be installed by the time school started this fall but district officials on Thursday said the installations are ongoing.

The district’s school business administrator Valerie Wilson and district spokesperson Nancy Deering did not respond to questions about the number of touchless water fountains purchased and installed so far this year.

The contract approved by board members allows Ringwood-based company, Peter Hywel Plumbing & Heating, to supply and install touchless water fountains across the district. The $4,497,000 contract begins on Oct. 27 and ends on Oct. 26, 2024.

As of mid-August, the district had completed testing for lead at 57 schools, and planned to test 12 remaining schools before the start of the school year, meeting minutes show.

In September, Wilson said that more than 3,000 drinking water fountains had been tested for lead and back in use in September. But during the first month of school, some students said they still didn’t have access to functioning water fountains. Parents say they send their children to school with bottles of water for the day.

“I send my child with a big gallon to lug around with her so she can have water,” said Nadirah Brown, mom of a student at Harriet Tubman Elementary School. “There’s no bottled water provided nor water fountains for our children to drink from.”

At Newark Vocational, water fountains on the upper floors of the building were still turned off with missing filters as of Thursday, while fountains on the main level of the building were functioning properly, said an employee at the school who asked to remain anonymous for fear of retribution.

The school keeps water bottles in administrative offices for students, they said, but it causes disruptions during class time when a student needs to go in search of a water bottle.

“The school has been good about providing water bottles this school year, but having a water fountain in the hallway is very different than having to go wait on somebody or interrupt someone’s meeting so they can hand you a couple of bottles of water,” the source said.

But the lack of functioning water fountains isn’t an issue across the district.

Water fountains were turned back on in the spring at New Jersey Regional Day, a district school for students with severe disabilities, and new contactless fountains can be seen throughout the building, said a staff member at the school who asked to remain anonymous. The school, which has an enrollment under 200, provided students with refillable water bottles over the summer, the staff member said.

At Science Park High School, only about half of the water fountains are functional, according to a source at the school who asked to remain anonymous. And those that are turned on have low water pressure where water “tends to trickle out,” the source said.

The lack of easily accessible water can at times be dire at the school.

A teacher started to sell bottles of water from her classroom due to the water fountains being unreliable, the Science Park source said. There is also a vending machine that has water bottles for sale, but not all students can afford to pay for water, they said.

Recently, when a student visited one of the teachers’ lounges saying she had a headache and needed a drink of water, the teachers provided her with a cup of water from their water cooler, the source said. The lounges are usually equipped with water coolers but the jugs for the coolers aren’t always replaced immediately, they added.

“The fact that some kids are still buying water is definitely problematic and it’s something they shouldn’t have to do,” the source said. “It sort of becomes this situation where people have to scrounge around to look for water.”

Jessie Gomez is a reporter for Chalkbeat Newark, covering public education in the city. Contact Jessie at jgomez@chalkbeat.org.

Catherine Carrera is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat Newark, covering the city’s K-12 schools with a focus on English language learners. Contact Catherine at ccarrera@chalkbeat.org.

New Jersey students did better than country’s average on NAEP math, reading tests despite dismal drops

2022-10-24T04:01:00+00:00

New Jersey students fell behind on math and reading tests known as the “nation’s report card” but continued to score higher than the national average despite dismal results laid bare after the pandemic.

Nationally, fourth and eighth grade students who took the National Assessment of Educational Progress, or NAEP, last year saw the largest dips in math scores since 1990, when the exams were first given.

In New Jersey, eighth grade math scores dropped 11 points between 2019 and 2022, while fourth grade scores in the same subject dropped 7 points during the same time frame.

A representative sample of fourth and eighth graders across the state took the exams between January and March, during a school year that saw a continuation of COVID-related disruptions — temporary school closures due to positive cases and students who had to stay home because of quarantine rules — as well as staff and teacher shortages.

Historically, New Jersey students’ average performance in math and reading has been higher than national averages among fourth and eighth graders, according to state data provided by NAEP. But research has already shown that academic progress was derailed between 2019 and 2022.

The NAEP exams, administered periodically by the National Center for Education Statistics, came just weeks after an uptick in positive COVID-19 cases statewide caused by the omicron variant, which prompted some schools to switch to remote learning.

The results from the closely watched NAEP are important because the exams offer a critical snapshot of how students in the Garden State performed in math and reading after the start of the pandemic. The learning disruptions caused by the pandemic affected students in virtually every state and region of the country.

Despite the declines, 38% of fourth grade students in New Jersey scored at or above proficiency level in reading this year, a notable difference from the national average of 32% for fourth graders in the same subject. Similarly, 42% of eighth graders in the state scored at or above proficiency in reading compared to the national average of 29%.

A closer look at New Jersey test scores shows fourth grade reading scores dropped from 227 to 223 between 2019 and 2022. Eighth grade reading scores were flat between 2019 and 2022 staying at 270.

In math, 39% of New Jersey fourth graders scored at the proficient level, compared to 35% of their peers nationally. About one-third — 33% — of eighth graders in the state scored proficient in math compared to 26% of eighth graders nationally.

Fourth grade math scores in the Garden State also dropped from 246 to 239 between 2019 and 2022. Eighth graders saw a bigger dip as math scores declined from 292 to 281 between the same time frame.

Despite averaging higher overall scores compared to other states prior to the pandemic, New Jersey’s scores have shown consistent disparities between rich and poor students, and white and Black or Hispanic students. White students scored higher than Black and Hispanic students this year in math.

“Far too many students in vulnerable communities don’t have access to the education they deserve,” Patricia Morgan, the former executive director of education advocacy nonprofit JerseyCAN said in 2019. “Equity in education must be a primary goal for all of us.”

In 2019, prior to the pandemic, fourth and eighth grade low-income students across the state scored between 26 to 38 points lower than wealthy students in those grades in math and reading, NAEP data show. That year, fourth and eighth grade white students scored 24 to 38 points higher than Black students in math and reading, and 21 to 35 points higher than Hispanic students in those subjects.

Eighth grade Hispanic students in New Jersey scored higher in math this year than Black eighth graders, but lower than their white counterparts. In reading, the state’s eighth grade Hispanic students scored higher — at 254 this year — than their white counterparts at 249. But white fourth graders scored higher than both Black and Hispanic fourth grade students.

Districts look for solutions to learning loss

The national assessments along with state test scores are used to inform education policy and could greatly influence how remaining federal COVID relief money is spent at the state and local level.

With grim results nationwide, district officials across the state say they’re using federal relief money to fund tutoring programs, increase hiring of teachers, and other efforts to address learning loss. But a shallow pool of teacher applicants remains an issue this academic year, said Millville Superintendent Tony Trongone, who spoke at a state Assembly education committee meeting on Oct. 17 about the impact the pandemic and interrupted learning had on student performance academically and behaviorally.

“We have a tutoring program,” Trongone said. “Our issue is getting people to facilitate that program. Teachers are tired.”

Newark Public Schools Superintendent Roger León is also focusing on tutoring for its 38,000 students this year along with Saturday tutoring sessions, SAT prep classes, and after-school programs to help students’ recovery.

Paula White, the executive director for JerseyCAN, said allocating funds to correct services or resources for students is crucial to supporting student recovery.

But as some federal funds may not be distributed on a regular basis, education leaders must think smarter about spending their funds, White said. Districts could resort to contracting consultants or bringing other resources in-house to think creatively about their educational future, she added.

“So, how do we use the funds in ways that set us up for future success, knowing that this is a one time disbursement?” White said. “At this time, it might make sense to engage with providers on a contractual basis, to set systems up that will be sustainable in the long term.”

Parents can also play a role in supporting teachers in school districts during the recovery period by drawing on what worked during remote learning. White said it could be as simple as making sure their child has time to read a book and has a space to do school work. But ultimately, communication between parents and teachers is critical to improving home-school connections.

“Well, I know my child is supposed to be reading 20 minutes every day, so let me make sure they’ve got this blanket, a nice pillow,” White said. “A lot of parents don’t even know what it is that their school expects, because the school has not laid out that expectation.”

Catherine Carrera is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat Newark, covering the city’s K-12 schools with a focus on English language learners. Contact Catherine at ccarrera@chalkbeat.org.

Jessie Gomez is a reporter for Chalkbeat Newark, covering public education in the city. Contact Jessie at jgomez@chalkbeat.org.

Newark students, teachers: Help us examine access to water in your school

2022-10-07T10:46:57+00:00

Newark Public Schools kept all water fountains shut off last school year, as a way to curb spreading the coronavirus when students returned to in-person learning.

Teachers, staff, and at times, the district, bought cases of water for classrooms, and students would bring water bottles from home or buy some from vending machines. Sometimes, the teachers and students said, they refilled bottles at bathroom sinks, the only source of water they could find in their school buildings.

District officials promised this school year would be different.

But one month in, some students say they still don’t have access to functioning water fountains. Parents say they send their children to school with bottles of water for the day.

At a school board meeting in March, Superintendent Roger León’s presentation included a slide that stated the district would “continue installation of contactless water fountains with a completion date by start of next school year.”

Five months later, at an August meeting, board member Josephine Garcia said the district hadn’t yet started installing the contactless water fountains.

“The district will begin the installation of contactless water fountains shortly,” Garcia said, reading from the minutes of an Aug. 17 operations committee meeting.

Those minutes also stated that “all school drinking sources will be turned on in time for school opening.”

State rules require school districts to ensure students have access to safe drinking water.

León said last year the district kept the water fountains off as a COVID-19 precautionary measure to prevent spread of the virus. However, state and federal guidelines did not mention turning off water fountains when schools resumed in-person learning.

Part of the reason the water fountains remained shut off, it turned out, was a delay in testing water sources for lead and getting water filters replaced, Chalkbeat Newark reported last year.

As of mid-August, the district had completed testing for lead at 57 schools, and planned to test 12 remaining schools before the start of the school year, meeting minutes show.

School Business Administrator Valerie Wilson said Sept. 27 that more than 3,000 drinking water outlets had been tested for lead and turned back on.

But, she added, “As we turned them on we found out that certain components of our plumbing system caused the fountains to fail or be inoperable,” she told the school board.

The district fixed those problems, retested the fountains, and put them back into service, she said.

“There are no schools with fountains inoperable at this point in time,” she said. “All schools have fountains on.”

However, that is not what students, parents and staff have told Chalkbeat.

As the school year gets underway, help us tell this story accurately and thoroughly by sharing what you’re experiencing in your schools when it comes to access to water by filling out the form below.

If you are having trouble viewing this form, please go here.

Catherine Carrera is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat Newark, covering the city’s K-12 schools with a focus on English language learners. Contact Catherine at ccarrera@chalkbeat.org.

Sign up for Chalkbeat’s monthly text updates on the Newark Board of Education

2023-09-12T22:15:26+00:00

Want to stay up to date on the latest news from the Newark Board of Education while also having a way to text your school board questions to Chalkbeat’s journalists? Sign up for Chalkbeat Newark’s texting service.

Each month, Jessie Gomez, who writes about Newark public schools for us, sifts through agendas and documents, attends board meetings, and interviews Newark leaders, attendees, and others before and after the meetings. She reports the decisions made by the school board, and tells the stories of the people who will be affected by those decisions.

And with our texting service, you’ll stay in the loop on the latest Newark school board news, regardless of whether you’re able to attend board meetings.

Here’s how it works:

To sign up to receive monthly text message updates on Newark school board meetings, text SCHOOL to 973-315-6768 or type your phone number into the box below.

Once you sign up, you’ll get a reminder text before each meeting, as well as a text after the meeting to tell you the news, and a text on occasion when there is additional important Newark school board news.

Plus, the texts are a direct line to Chalkbeat Newark, so if you have questions you don’t see the answers to, you can text back and ask us. We hope this texting service will make it easier for Newark families to stay plugged into the school board’s decisions.

The Newark Board of Education typically meets at 6 p.m. on the fourth Tuesday and Thursday of the month. Since the pandemic, the meetings have also been held virtually and livestreamed on the district’s Facebook page. But usually, the board meets in person at its headquarters at 765 Broad Street in Newark or at various school locations throughout the district.

Find this year’s board meeting schedule here.

Catherine Carrera is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat Newark, covering the city’s K-12 schools with a focus on English language learners. Contact Catherine at ccarrera@chalkbeat.org.

Newark Public Schools drop mask requirement starting Sept. 12

2022-09-11T16:27:08+00:00

Newark Public Schools will go mask optional starting Monday, the district announced after the conclusion of the first week of school and following opposition from some families who became impatient with the ongoing mandate.

“Given our review of multiple indicators and with the advice of the Newark Health Department and our healthcare partners this evening, the mask mandate is lifted beginning Monday,” the district announced in a post on Friday evening on its Facebook page. “Masks are now optional in our schools and facilities.”

The district of 38,000 students was likely one of the last in New Jersey to start the new academic year with the mandate in place after most districts went optional in the spring, when Gov. Phil Murphy ended the school and daycare mask requirement.

Superintendent Roger León and school board members previously said the district’s mandate had stayed in place due to advice from the city’s health department that took into account COVID-19 trends and immunizations in the city.

On Saturday, Newark had 119 new COVID-19 cases, the Essex County dashboard showed. That was more than two times the number of cases the city reported on Sept. 1, before the school year began.

Meanwhile, the rate for at least one dose of the vaccine among 5- to 11-year-olds in the city went up in the last week from 37% to 38%, according to the state’s COVID dashboard. The rate stayed the same at 38% for 12- to 17-year-olds, the state’s dashboard shows.

“The NTU is cautiously optimistic about the lifting of the mask mandate,” said John Abeigon, president of the Newark Teachers Union, in a statement on Sunday. “As long as the health officials believe it is safe to do so, we welcome the decision.”

District staff and teachers, as well as students, can still opt to wear face masks.

“We are reminding our members that optional means common sense decision-making,” Abeigon said. “We are not all the same and we’re advising them to make the decision to wear a mask or not upon their personal health and comfort level.”

Communication about the change to mask rules seemed to be scant as of Sunday morning.

The district had posted the announcement on its Instagram page, but not on Twitter. On the district’s main website, as of Sunday morning, there were no clear announcements or banners about the change in face mask rules. In a search through district school websites, no communication to families via letters seemed to be available.

Families received a robo-call with the announcement from the district Friday evening, a few parents said.

For some families, the news of the switch to an optional approach was too little, too late.

Anna Da Silva removed her six-year-old daughter from Ironbound Academy Elementary School, a new K-4 school in the East Ward, after learning she wouldn’t be exempted from the mask mandate even though masks trigger a skin infection on her face. On the second day of school last week, Da Silva filed official forms to disenroll her child, saying she wouldn’t put up with another school year of her daughter being uncomfortable.

“My daughter already lost four days of school,” Da Silva said on Sunday. “On Friday, all of a sudden, nobody has to wear a mask? What changed in four days? This is reactive from the superintendent and an injustice.”

The district kept face mask rules in place through summer programming and into the first week of school, which started Sept. 6. The ongoing mask rules made Newark an outlier in the state and nationwide, as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention had eased most of its recommended school protocols to prevent the spread of the virus, including masking in low-risk communities.

On Sunday, Essex County was still considered a low-risk area for COVID-19 transmission, according to the federal county tracker.

Catherine Carrera is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat Newark, covering the city’s K-12 schools with a focus on English language learners. Contact Catherine at ccarrera@chalkbeat.org.

New Jersey’s Black, Latinx students face shrinking access to school mental health staff, report says

2022-09-09T18:17:40+00:00

Black and Latinx students in New Jersey have less access to school mental health staff today than they did a decade ago, a troubling trend found in a study released this week as the need for such services intensified after the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.

In the last 10 years, as access to mental health staff in schools declined for Black and Latinx students, it increased for white and Asian American students across the state, according to the analysis of state data from New Jersey Policy Perspective, a progressive think tank.

The opposing trends highlight the inequity of access to these school-based resources as Black and Latinx children have a higher chance of living in poverty, going to schools that impose disciplinary actions such as suspensions, and experiencing disproportionate negative effects from the pandemic.

The decline in access to mental health school staff for students of color could be a consequence of years of school underfunding in New Jersey and can’t solely rely on the influx of federal COVID relief money that’s set to dry up by 2024 for a fix, said Mark Weber, author of the report and an education policy analyst.

School leaders and policymakers taking a heightened interest in addressing student mental health issues should be looking at school funding to ensure districts with students of color have the money to get mental health staff in the long term, the report suggests.

“We need to be looking at these things within the racial equity framework that we’re proposing in this report,” Weber said. “It is important to think about how these resources are being distributed unequally among students with different races and different ethnicities.”

The study analyzed state Department of Education school staffing and student enrollment data, looking at the number of nurses, counselors, psychologists, social workers, anti-bullying specialists, and substance use coordinators per 1,000 students by race or ethnicity.

In 2008, public schools across the state had 8.2 mental health staff per 1,000 students on average, which increased to 8.6 staff per 1,000 students in 2020. In that period, mental health staff per 1,000 white students increased from 7.4 to 8.5.

Meanwhile, mental health staff went from 10.3 to 8.5 per 1,000 Black students in that time period. For Latinx students, the ratio also declined from 9 to 8.4 per 1,000.

Access to school mental health staff now hovers around the same ratio of 8.5 staff members per 1,000 students for students across races. But the slump in this ratio for Black and Latinx students is occurring amid a greater need for mental health support.

State health assessment data show that about 25% of Black children under age 5 and 23% of Hispanic children were living in poverty in New Jersey between 2016 and 2020. During that time period, 11.4% of white children and 4.5% of Asian American children were living in poverty, the statistics show.

Living in poverty can lead to a higher risk of mental health illnesses, chronic diseases, and other developmental setbacks in children, according to research on the impact of poverty on health.

The NJPP study on mental health staffing trends also showed that school counselor staffing increased for white students, going from 2.7 per 1,000 white students in 2008 to 3.2 per 1,000 in 2020. But there was a steep drop for Black students, going from 4 counselors per 1,000 Black students in 2008 to 2.6 per 1,000 in 2020.

In Newark Public Schools, the board of education passed a budget for 2022-23 that included an increase in staffing social workers and counselors for the district’s 38,000 students. For this new school year, the budget covers salaries for 45 new social worker positions, for a total of 164 social workers, and one new counselor position, for a total of 89 counselors.

If those positions are filled, the current ratio of 483 students to one counselor, which is far above the American School Counselor Association’s recommended 250 students to one counselor, could be slightly improved.

Cultural perspectives are often overlooked

Another component of addressing students’ mental health needs is the stigma that still persists in some communities today, said Kirk Johnson, assistant professor of justice studies and medical humanities at Montclair State University.

“Religion and spirituality are still very important in people’s lives, especially in Black and Latinx communities,” Johnson said. “Some families feel that if they have mental health issues, they should leave it to God, pray about it, and use spiritual and religious practices to reconcile those issues.”

There may be hesitation among Black and Latinx students to go to a school counselor and open up about issues going on internally or at home, Johnson said, adding that addressing the stigma with students and their families is key.

“That cultural and religious dynamic is a big one that I think we often overlook but adds more to this conversation about mental health access and actually using those available resources,” he said.

Weber said that underfunded school districts have a more difficult time getting the necessary staff to provide students with mental health resources they need.

“When you have an underfunded school, you have fewer music teachers, art teachers, gym teachers, nurses, science teachers,” Weber said in a virtual news conference on Wednesday. “There’s no reason to believe that that isn’t the case with school guidance counselors.”

He added that policymakers should be focusing on adequately funding school districts such as Newark.

“This has been a problem that has been occurring over a decade and a half, and if we have a long-term problem, we have to have a long-term solution,” said Weber. “While it’s very useful to have federal funds, we cannot rely on them to be the sole solution for this problem.”

Catherine Carrera is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat Newark, covering the city’s K-12 schools with a focus on English language learners. Contact Catherine at ccarrera@chalkbeat.org.

Newark Public Schools’ face mask rules will stay in place, but some parents are frustrated

2022-09-01T21:00:52+00:00

When Gov. Phil Murphy ended the statewide school mask mandate in March, Newark and several other large districts across New Jersey kept one in place, keeping watch on local COVID-19 trends.

As positive cases began to climb after spring break in April, Newark, the state’s largest district with 38,000 students, still maintained its mask mandate, though other large school systems transitioned to an optional measure.

Even through summer programs, during which Newark Public Schools reported 82 total COVID cases among staff and students from July 4 through Aug. 7, the district’s mask rules didn’t budge.

Now, as students gear up to start a new school year on Sept. 6, the district mandate will remain – a recommendation that NPS officials say comes from the city’s health department — leaving face masks as a back-to-school item many parents would rather do without.

Many families are growing impatient with the district’s wait-and-see approach, saying they feel “ignored” by the district about their concerns.

“My child cannot start yet another school year wearing masks when the majority of children throughout New Jersey and the country are returning to school with some kind of normalcy,” said Anna Da Silva, as she watched her 6-year-old daughter run around without a mask among other kids at a Newark park on Wednesday.

“I feel frustrated and in disbelief that we’re here once again,” said Da Silva, whose first grader attends the new Ironbound Academy Elementary School.

At a recent school board meeting, Superintendent Roger León and school board members announced that most of the district’s remaining COVID-19 preventative measures, including temperature checks, health screenings, and weekly testing for the virus, would be dropped this school year.

León also said the water fountains would be turned on this school year, as contactless water fountains are in the process of being installed throughout the district.

Newark kept water fountains shut off last school year, a measure that León had attributed to preventing the spread of the virus, even though it wasn’t included in federal or state health department guidance.

Records showed that lead testing had not been completed before buildings reopened last year. As of late August, León said most water fountains had already undergone lead testing and that “a number of schools” would be completing that process “prior to students and all staff returning back to their schools.”

Mask mandate spurs frustration, disappointment

The continued mask rules make Newark an outlier in the state and nationwide, as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has eased most of its recommended school protocols to prevent the spread of the virus. Face masks are still recommended in high-risk level communities.

As of Thursday, Essex County was in a low-risk level category on the federal COVID tracker. That day, the county reported 50 new cases in Newark out of 143 cases countywide. New Jersey reported 1,815 new cases on Sept. 1, compared to 904 on March 7, when the state ended the face mask mandate.

Among the nation’s largest school districts, Newark is one of four to continue the mask mandate, including Philadelphia City School District, Jefferson County school district in Kentucky, and Prince George’s County Public Schools in Maryland, according to Burbio, a data service platform mask policy tracker.

Newark school board member Crystal Williams said she was “disappointed” to hear that mask rules will continue for staff and students on the first day of the new school year.

“I can see the frustration of parents or even the students,” Williams said during a board meeting last month, adding that school staff might have the flexibility to step outside for mask breaks but students “don’t get that type of freedom.”

Board officials said the recommendation for the mask mandate came from the city health department.

“This is based on our numbers and how they rise and fall, as well as immunizations,” board president Dawn Haynes said.

In Newark, the vaccination rate among school-age children hasn’t changed much over the last month, according to the state’s COVID-19 dashboard.

Thirty-seven percent of 5- to 11-year-olds and 87% of 12- to 17-year-olds have received at least one dose, the same rate of vaccination as four weeks ago, the dashboard shows.

The rates back in February, according to Newark Mayor Ras Baraka at the time, were 27% of 5- to 11-year-olds and 76% of 12- to 17-year-olds who had received at least one dose.

Da Silva said she received a letter in late August informing her of the continued mask mandate. As a parent and taxpayer, she says, she feels excluded from the district’s decision-making process.

“We’re never asked how we feel,” she said. “I feel so ignored and disrespected.”

Da Silva’s daughter has a recurring skin infection that’s triggered by rubbing from the mask, she said. Though she’s sought out a mask exemption for her daughter before, she’s been denied, she said. She’s again attempting to secure an exemption for this school year.

This time, she said, she won’t accept a denial.

“It will be a very serious family decision, but I would rather homeschool my daughter than force her to wear a mask for hours a day again if rates are low in the city,” Da Silva said, adding that she’s not against wearing masks when the city is at an elevated risk of transmission.

For Megan Matos, a different and more common health risk makes her uneasy about having her East Ward Elementary third grader wear a mask again this school year.

Her son has asthma that gets triggered “when he’s running around” or isn’t in a well-ventilated area, she said.

“Between his asthma and his allergies, his face will turn a bright red when he’s wearing a mask,” she said, adding that she’s concerned that the fear building up in those moments when breathing gets difficult will also have an effect on his mental health.

Matos says she’s also “annoyed” with the district for informing parents of the decision regarding masks in the last two weeks of August.

“Everything always feels last-minute here,” she said.

Matos hopes the district will move to an optional mandate soon.

“If someone feels safer wearing a mask, then wear a mask. If you don’t want to send your child to school wearing a mask for six hours a day, then you shouldn’t have to,” Matos said. “I hope they listen to families.”

Catherine Carrera is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat Newark, covering the city’s K-12 schools with a focus on English language learners. Contact Catherine at ccarrera@chalkbeat.org.

How New Jersey and Newark plan to beef up school security this academic year

2022-08-30T23:50:00+00:00

In an effort to keep students safe, New Jersey will direct $6.5 million to have school districts digitize building maps for use in emergency situations and Newark plans to hire more security guards, launch a new student identification system, and use updated software to track incidents.

The state and local efforts to ramp up school security come months after a mass shooting in Uvalde, Texas that left 19 students and two teachers dead. Districts nationwide have invested significant portions of their budgets and federal relief funds to upgrade school security measures in the months prior to and following the massacre, as school shootings hit a 20-year high in the 2020-21 school year.

“Ensuring school safety is among my, and I think, our collective, most sacred obligations,” Gov. Phil Murphy said on Tuesday at a news conference the week before the new school year starts for most districts in the state. “An important part of school safety is ensuring that first responders have the tools they need to answer any emergency of any size and at any time.”

Money for the digital school mapping effort will come from the state’s American Rescue Plan funds, Murphy said. The announcement follows a directive from Murphy earlier this month for school districts to create threat assessment teams by next school year, who will be tasked with identifying students who might be a threat to school safety.

About half of all 3,000 public and private schools throughout the state have already created the digital school building blueprints, known as “Collaborative Response Graphics” and created by Hamilton company Critical Response Group.

The digital maps allow police to easily pinpoint key access points, stairwells, and other locations, which could be useful if, for example, a school is under threat of a shooting.

The funds for this initiative will be used to support the creation of the digital maps for the remaining 1,500 schools, Murphy said. The governor’s office did not share which school districts already have the digital building maps.

Critical Response Group, run by former and current members of New Jersey state and local police departments, has been providing the digital blueprint service to hundreds of schools across the country for years, according to trade magazine articles about the company.

Governors and school district leaders in other parts of the country have also been announcing plans to invest in digital school maps, including in Iowa and Virginia.

“When every second matters, the first and perhaps most important tool is the ability to know without delay not just where an emergency is within a building, but also the fastest and safest route to get there,” Murphy said at the news conference, which was held in the East Brook Middle School of Paramus.

The renderings combine aerial imagery, floor plans, and other features into a gridded graphic, which allows various agencies to better communicate on strategy both inside and outside of a building in emergency situations, the company says.

“I think it’s a pretty good strategy to have and a step in the right direction,” said Mo Canady, executive director of the National Association of School Resource Officers, in an interview on Tuesday. “But as we talk more about technology, we cannot dismiss the human element of this whole piece of school safety.”

Canady said he urges law enforcement and public safety officials to visit schools in their regions, getting familiar with the physical layout of the buildings and the people who run the schools.

“This cannot be overlooked, it’s critical and makes all the difference in the world,” Canady said.

He also suggests that while districts invest in upgraded technology and cameras, they should also consider basic maintenance of doors and reporting systems when there are malfunctions.

Last school year, Newark schools faced multiple bomb threats and saw an uptick of disruptive behavior.

Newark has earmarked $2.8 million from its second coronavirus federal relief package for security measures, including about 5,000 new security cameras, six new patrol cars for school safety officers, and equipment at high school entrances to scan students for contraband and weapons.

Some education experts are critical of districts using federal relief money for school security measures, arguing the money was intended to address academic recovery and mental health support after students experienced months of disrupted learning.

For the upcoming school year, the district’s Office of Safety has hired 40 permanent security guards and is looking to hire an additional 50 guards on a per diem basis, according to a board operation committee report.

At a school board meeting last week, Superintendent Roger León said there will also be a new student identification system.

The district will be using a newly upgraded command center in the Office of Safety this coming school year to monitor the district “with our remote surveillance system while dispatchers utilize our new incident tracking CAD (computer-aided dispatch) system,” the operation report stated.

“We will continue to resource all security staff with superior training for the ever changing security threats we face in public education,” the report said. “All implemented security upgrades will benefit NBOE students, staff, and community.”

Catherine Carrera is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat Newark, covering the city’s K-12 schools with a focus on English language learners. Contact Catherine at ccarrera@chalkbeat.org.

Newark water emergency prompts district to cancel summer school for thousands of students

2022-08-09T15:58:07+00:00

The Newark Board of Education canceled summer school Tuesday because of a “city-wide water emergency” stemming from a major water main break at Branch Brook Park, near the city’s border with Belleville.

Residents and establishments throughout Newark and parts of neighboring Belleville, Bloomfield, and Nutley — which all get water from the Newark water supply line — were experiencing low water pressure, discolored water, or had no running water, town officials said.

City health officials advised all residents to boil water before using it.

The summer school cancellation forced thousands of students enrolled in summer school and extended school year programs to stay home on another day of extreme heat.

At the start of summer programming in July, the district said 20,000 Newark students were enrolled in one or more activities. It was unclear how many students were still participating in programs, including extended school year which runs through Aug. 12 for students with a range of special needs.

Around 4,000 Newark students were signed up for mandatory summer school, Superintendent Roger León said at a school board meeting in May.

District officials did not immediately respond to questions.

The city had already activated a “code red” for Tuesday, as temperatures hit the mid-90s that morning and the heat index was expected to reach 101 degrees later that day.

Meanwhile, the state Department of Environmental Protection issued a statewide drought watch that day due to persistent low rainfall this summer on top of record-high temperatures that “continue to stress water supplies throughout the state.”

Families in the North, West, Central, and South wards were all affected by the main break on Clinton and Mill streets in Belleville, Newark city officials said in a statement.

Jasmin Lee Phillips, a resident in the city’s Central Ward, still has water in her home but said the water pressure has been low since early Tuesday morning. Her son Elijah, an autistic 14-year-old, attends the Nassan’s Place summer camp held at George Washington Carver Elementary School, which was also canceled due to the city emergency.

Some residents had their water fully restored on Tuesday, Mayor Ras Baraka said in a statement. However, he did not say how many residents were still without water or provide an estimated time for full restoration.

“Crews are on the scene trying to abate the issue,” posted Council President LaMonica McIver on her Facebook page.

Belleville Mayor Michael Melham said the township’s fire department was working to pump water to Clara Maass Medical Center, which is less than 2 miles from the main break and serves residents from the area.

University Hospital, another hospital near the water supply line, implemented an emergency water conservation plan, canceling clinic visits and elective procedures for the day with limited bottled waters for patients and visitors.

Melham posted a video on Facebook from the scene Tuesday morning which showed water flooding Branch Brook Park Drive, where a river runs parallel.

Newark city officials said in a statement they would be going door-to-door to give out water.

City officials also said residents experiencing a water emergency should call the city’s Division of Water Supply at 973-733-3654. But the influx of calls caused that number to give a busy signal throughout the day.

Some charter schools, including KIPP Newark schools, had professional development sessions scheduled for teachers on Tuesday as they prepare for the new school year starting next week. The schools pivoted to virtual sessions for the day, KIPP NJ spokeswoman Jessica Shearer said in an email.

Many residents took to social media to share their experiences with the water outage during another hot day.

Some commented on the city’s Facebook updates about their elderly parents who were in need of water. Others said that bottled water delivered by city representatives to multi-family households was not sufficient. One woman said she was in need of clean water to make her baby’s formula.

And some residents were able to find a way to cope with the water emergency. Lee Phillips said she and other parents in her son’s summer camp decided to treat their kids to an outing instead of staying home.

“I had to tell my son summer camp was canceled, he was like, ‘but why?’ “ Lee Phillips said. “But then one of the other parents say ‘hey, what about we take the kids to Chuck E. Cheese?’ So, that’s the plan.”

Catherine Carrera is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat Newark, covering the city’s K-12 schools. Contact Catherine at ccarrera@chalkbeat.org.

NJ children facing anxiety, depression ‘at unprecedented levels,’ new report finds

2022-08-08T08:14:00+00:00

As Newark and other school districts prepare for another school year marked by an urgent need to expand and enhance mental health services for students, a new report shows how dire the crisis is among children in New Jersey and across the country.

Children in the state and nationally are in the midst of a mental health crisis, “struggling with anxiety and depression at unprecedented levels,” according to the 2022 KIDS COUNT Data Book released Monday by Annie E. Casey Foundation, a national nonprofit.

In New Jersey, 10.7% of children struggled with anxiety and depression in 2020 — up from 7.6% in 2016, the report found. Similarly, on the national level, that number went from roughly 9% in 2016 to 12% in 2020, the report stated.

The annual study also considered state and national data related to economic well-being, education, health, and family and community factors, such as children living in high-poverty areas.

Though the COVID-19 pandemic had a profound effect on all communities, early research, including this report, is showing disparities with mental health challenges based on those varying factors.

“It’s very hard for a person, especially a child, to engage in counseling or other mental health services if they don’t know if they have a place to live or if they have enough food,” said Mary Coogan, vice president of Advocate for Children of New Jersey. The nonprofit partners with the national foundation in releasing the annual data.

One of the report’s recommendations for policymakers to address the youth mental health pandemic is to use federal pandemic relief money to help give children better access to mental health service providers.

The state’s 2023 budget allocates more than $50 million in American Rescue Plan funding to “strengthen youth mental health supports” by improving access to services, increasing awareness and resilience-building, and providing support and professional development in communities, schools, and college campuses.

The budget also increases the pipeline for behavioral health care workers, a press release from the governor’s office states, though details on that effort were sparse.

“Though we are encouraged to see that the state’s budget has allocated federal dollars toward strengthening youth mental health programs, more must be done,” said Cecilia Zalkind, president and CEO of Advocates for Children of New Jersey. “Programs such as mental health services play a critical role in moving the state forward past COVID-19, but we need to do more to address the shortage of providers for mental health services.”

In the 2020-21 school year, the average student-to-counselor ratio in the state was 339 students to one counselor — above the recommended ratio of 250 to one, the report stated.

In Newark, the average that school year was 483 students to one counselor.

“It’s a nearly impossible task for that one school counselor,” Coogan said. “That means an unknown number of students’ needs are getting missed and the anxiety or depression they have can get exacerbated.”

Catherine Carrera is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat Newark, covering the city’s K-12 schools with a focus on English language learners. Contact Catherine at ccarrera@chalkbeat.org.

State shutdown of Newark charter school leaves families in financial lurch

2022-07-21T20:19:36+00:00

The recent state closure of University Heights Charter School, a network of three Newark schools that enrolled about 600 students, upended short- and long-term plans for hundreds of families.

Now, it’s costing them.

Closing the school shortly after the end of another unprecedented school year has led to unforeseen financial burdens, parents said. Unbudgeted expenses, like summer camp and new school uniforms, are quickly adding up.

And midway through summer break, some anxious parents still don’t know where their children will go to school in the fall.

“There was no regard for parents or children,” said Tanysha Flood, a parent of a rising third grader who had attended University Heights since kindergarten. “The timing of this was inconsiderate and it could be detrimental to my child.”

While school closures often occur because of poor academic performance and under-enrollment, research has shown they can be emotionally disruptive for students. A 2018 study noted that some students have faced “lasting negative impacts on socio-emotional health and long-term declines in academic performance.”

The state Department of Education revoked University Heights’ charter June 30. It informed the pre-K-8 network of its decision in a letter dated June 1.

The school, which has been on probation since 2019, struggled to improve students’ academic performance, faced declining enrollment, and had an unstable leadership team. All those factors contributed to its closure, acting Education Commissioner Angelica Allen-McMillan said in the letter.

Even so, parents say, the decision was ill-timed.

Open enrollment for district schools closed in February. Students received notice of their placements in April. And registration for Newark Public Schools’ free summer program ended in May.

Although the district reopened the enrollment window for families of University Heights students, parents say they’re finding their preferred choices are already at capacity for the 2022-23 school year.

With just weeks to go before the start of school, their students are getting waitlisted, they said.

“Our students already experienced so much trauma during the pandemic,” said Christy Oliver-Hawley, who became head of schools at University Heights in August 2020. “Ninety-five percent receive free lunch and have challenges at home. Now, they have yet another life-altering experience they’re forced to go through.”

About 400 families who signed up for University Heights’ free summer enrichment program also had to suddenly seek alternative plans and, in some cases, face late registration fees they weren’t prepared to pay.

“Now I’m scrambling to try to pay a few hundred dollars for something I thought my children were going to get for free this summer,” said Ashley Goins, a parent of two children who had attended University Heights since preschool. Goins sat on the network’s board of trustees as a parent representative this past year.

Goins will also have to pay for new school uniforms, but can’t buy them just yet for one of her children since she is on a waitlist. “School starts in a few weeks and I still have to get uniforms, and the closer to school starting, the more expensive they get,” she said. “I’m very anxious and frustrated.”

Declining enrollment, low test scores, instability

Though families and school officials say the state’s decision felt abrupt, it was years in the making.

When the state put the school on probation in May 2019, the sanction required the network to make drastic improvements to address exceptionally low test scores and chaotic classroom environments.

In 2019, the school’s state test scores fell to the bottom 5% of high-poverty schools in the state. And classrooms “were not conducive to student achievement” due to unsafe, disruptive student behavior, “with limited evidence of staff intervention,” Allen-McMillan said of the state’s observations of the school from three years ago.

School officials say progress was ongoing, but more time was needed to see the fruits of those changes.

“It’s been a Herculean task to turn this around and get us on the right path,” Oliver-Hawley said. “Our goal was to move from probationary status to a National Blue Ribbon School, and I believe we could’ve gotten there.”

Under Oliver-Hawley’s leadership, the charter school conducted an audit to ensure every teacher was certified and qualified to teach, and hired school counselors, attendance officers, and a parent coordinator. The charter also implemented a one-to-one Chromebook program and free tutoring programs before and after school, she said.

But state education department officials determined the progress so far has not been enough, and more red flags cropped up after a site visit this past spring.

Though class sizes were smaller and behavior was “less disruptive” during an unannounced visit by the state on March 14, officials observed “low-level” instruction and student engagement, Allen-McMillan said.

“However, the maximum number of students in each observed classroom was 12, which may have minimized potential disruptive behaviors with considerably smaller class sizes than previously observed,” she added.

That number, in turn, raised questions about the school’s enrollment.

The charter network’s enrollment dropped to 566 students last school year, compared to 742 during 2020-21. The school has a maximum approved enrollment of 1,005 students, but only enrolls 56% of that limit, department officials said.

And concerns about enrollment are related to another problem: the network’s troubled finances.

University Heights faced the threat of foreclosure or a management takeover earlier this year after it defaulted on the terms of a $14.72 million loan agreement. The charter network used that loan to purchase and renovate a building for its elementary school.

UMB Bank, which represents the bondholders, noted the school’s declining enrollment was cause for alarm and threatened its ability to repay its debt. However, Allen-McMillan did not raise that issue in the state’s letter.

During the state’s site visit in March, education department officials also observed students with individual education plans, known as IEPs. Those students, Allen-McMillan wrote in the letter, received instruction “in a small room that was not conducive to learning.”

Further, a properly certified staff member was not delivering instruction and services, “revealing additional non-compliance” with state special education statutes and codes, she said.

The education department also evaluated the charter network’s assessment scores when deciding whether to shut down University Heights.

Since 2019-20 and 2020-21 statewide assessments were canceled, the state reviewed the school’s benchmark assessments from 2020-21, which showed marginal growth, Allen-McMillan said.

“Absent systemic academic growth suggests University Heights lacks the organizational capacity to provide high-quality education,” she said.

Additionally, the state noted the charter has had two executive directors and three school business administrators since February 2020. The school also hired three new principals in 2020-21, but one of them was set to retire this year. Constant changes in leadership roles “has failed to correct organizational instability,” the state said.

‘Blindsided’ by the state’s decision

University Heights has appealed the state’s decision in Superior Court of New Jersey. The school, which is represented by the Johnston Law Firm of Montclair, argues that the timing of the closure “irreparably harmed students who experienced undeniable COVID-19 related learning loss and trauma,” and violated workers’ rights to fair notice of an employer’s closure.

As for the timing of the charter’s revocation, state regulations allow the education commissioner to revoke a school’s charter “at any time” following a review by the department, said Laura Fredrick, the department’s communications director, in an email.

Oliver-Hawley said the school held a job fair for teachers and staff before shutting its doors for good last month.

“We were blindsided,” she said, adding that state officials gave her positive oral feedback after the site visit in March. “We’re still experiencing that sense of shock.”

While Goins awaits for her daughter’s name to move off a school waitlist, she’s concerned about students who might be discouraged because of all the uncertainty.

“I think a lot of students are just not going to start right away because they don’t know where they’re going next,” Goins said.

Catherine Carrera is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat Newark, covering the city’s K-12 schools with a focus on English language learners. Contact Catherine at ccarrera@chalkbeat.org.

Ten new principals to take the helm at Newark schools

2022-07-01T19:38:38+00:00

The Newark school board recently approved 13 internal leadership promotions, two outside appointments for vice principal positions, and four resignations of top administrators in the latest staffing shake-up for the district.

It’s unclear if the shuffling of school leaders will pay off as the district heads into another unprecedented year that will focus attention on how Newark helps students and educators recover from the learning disruptions of the last three academic years.

The departure of vice principals of color runs contrary to district officials’ repeated goal of elevating people of color to leadership positions, especially men.

And after the recent ousting of two first-year principals, the promotion of 10 first-time principals could cause some concern or, at the least, hint to district officials that support is greatly needed during that transition.

School board president Dawn Haynes said in an email this week that the district would provide that necessary support.

Ten of the 13 promotions are for principal positions at elementary and high schools, mostly going to educators who have worked their way up through the ranks in the district. Two promotions are for vice principal positions at elementary schools and one promotion is for a special assistant to the student leadership team.

The district announced the 10 new principals in an email this week, which, notably, did not include the replacements for the principals at Science Park and Newark Vocational high schools who were removed after one year.

“I am thrilled to announce one of the most diverse group of principal candidates to be named principal for school year 2022-23,” Superintendent Roger León said in the email.

León called the promotions “a shining example of internal mobility at its best” and said that school leadership teams helped with the hiring process.

All candidates for the principal positions met with community members, students, staff, and León as part of the interview process, district spokeswoman Nancy Deering wrote in the announcement.

“Being a principal is the most important leadership role in our schools and we look forward to providing the support needed to be successful,” Haynes said.

A study released in June suggests principal turnover can lead to teacher turnover, and at a time when schools are facing a detrimental teacher shortage, it could cause serious strains on students and educators.

“Principals hire significantly more teachers who persist after they have led their first school for five or more years,” read the findings of the study, which followed 11,717 Texas principals from 1999 to 2017.

The study also showed that principals who enter an “unstable school,” or a school with less than 69% retention in the two years prior to the principal’s arrival, and stay for five years, can counteract prior instability.

Data from the New Jersey Department of Education shows that 87.5% of Newark administrators stayed in their role between the 2019-20 and 2020-21 school years, a lower retention rate than the statewide average of 89.7%.

Here’s a list of leadership changes taking effect ahead of the 2022-23 school year, including resignations, that the school board approved at recent meetings.

Promotions

Vice principals

Kishanda Montes, one of two vice principals at South 17th Street School, was promoted to the student leadership team as special assistant at a salary of $125,000.

Denise Rawding, a math teacher coach in the district, was promoted to a vice principal position at Roberto Clemente Elementary with a salary of $103,763.

Sandy Ferreira, a teacher coach in the district, was promoted to a vice principal position at Benjamin Franklin School with a salary of $95,319.

Principals

Margaret Murray, who was most recently a vice principal at East Side High School and held other positions in the school throughout her 20-year tenure, was promoted to principal of American History High School with a salary of $134,100 effective July 1. She studied at the University of Illinois, Columbia University’s Teachers College, and University of Phoenix.

Krishna Dalal Barroso was most recently vice principal at Avon Avenue School for eight years. Barroso was promoted to principal of Avon Avenue with a salary of $134,100 starting July 1. Barroso studied at Seton Hall University and Rutgers University.

Filipa Alexandra Silva was most recently vice principal of Salomé Ureña Elementary School. She was promoted to principal of Dr. E. Alma Flagg Elementary School with a salary of $134,100 starting July 1. Silva studied at Drew University, St. Elizabeth College, and Grand Canyon University.

Carlos M. Rodriguez, who was most recently a vice principal at East Side High School, was promoted to principal of East Side with a salary of $134,100 starting July 1. He studied at Kean University and Saint Peter’s University.

Andres Barquin was most recently special assistant to the North Ward Leadership Team and previously served as an after school programs director. He was promoted to principal of Elliot Street School with a salary of $134,100 starting July 1. Barquin studied at Thomas Edison State College, Grand Canyon University, and Caldwell College.

Erica L. Paich most recently served as director of enrollment for the district for two years. She was promoted to principal of Ironbound Academy Elementary School, a new school opening this fall, with a salary of $134,100 starting July 1. Paich studied at Rutgers University, Kean University, and Rowan University.

Daniel Guerra, who most recently served as a vice principal at Elliot Street School, was promoted to principal of Luis Muñoz Marin School with a salary of $134,100 starting July 1. Guerra studied at Essex County College, Montclair State University, and John Hopkins University.

Lynnette Dortrait has served as a vice principal at Dr. William H. Horton Elementary School for the last three years. She was promoted to principal of McKinley Elementary School with a salary of $134,100 starting July 1. Dortrait studied at Rider University and St. Peter’s University.

Courtney R. Johnson, who most recently served as special assistant of the high school leadership team, was promoted to principal of Quitman Community School with a salary of $134,100 starting July 1. Johnson studied at the College of New Jersey, Capella University, and New Jersey City University.

Tiffany Wicks, who most recently served as a vice principal at Sir Isaac Newton Elementary School, was promoted to principal of that school with a salary of $134,100 starting July 1. Wicks studied at Caldwell University, Montclair State University, and Seton Hall University.

Appointments

Roberta Washington, who was an assistant principal in the Orange Public Schools district, was appointed to a vice principal position at Belmont Runyon School with a salary of $120,651 effective Aug. 30.

Kevin Williams, who was an assistant principal at Irvington High School this past school year, was appointed to vice principal of Central High School with a salary of $133,000 effective Aug. 30 .

Resignations

Norma Diaz, who was one of four vice principals at Barringer High School, resigned from her position effective June 24, the last day of school.

Mariama Sesay-St.Paul, who was the vice principal of curriculum and instructions, the autism program, and the health and physical education program at American History High School, resigned from her position effective June 30.

Shannon Crowell-Edghill, one of four vice principals at Lafayette Street School, resigned effective June 30.

Krystal Allbright, one of three vice principals at Peshine Avenue School, resigned effective June 30.

Catherine Carrera is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat Newark, covering the city’s K-12 schools with a focus on English language learners. Contact Catherine at ccarrera@chalkbeat.org.

Newark’s 2022 Teacher of the Year says kids strive when they feel accepted

2022-06-30T21:52:46+00:00

When Newark’s 2022 Teacher of the Year reflects on her personal experiences with school, she recalls having educators who established warm and inviting classroom environments that she eagerly anticipated.

And others who made their classes feel like a dreaded task.

So, when Jessica Tavares began teaching for Newark Public Schools eight years ago, she prioritized setting an example in her classroom of acceptance and kindness. From her firsthand experience, she knew those qualities were key to inspiring students to learn.

“When you actually want to be in school and feel like you are accepted, you are more willing to try your best,” Tavares said.

The eighth grade science teacher at Lafayette Street School was recently named the district’s teacher of the year, a recognition she was surprised and honored to receive.

“She was nominated and selected based on her interdisciplinary approach to teaching that centers on student growth, which is both challenging and engaging,” said Nancy Deering, district spokeswoman, in an email about the announcement earlier this month. “Tavares has compassion and sensitivity that allows her to connect with her students and others on a personal level.”

Tavares’ approach to modeling acceptance in her classroom as a way to promote learning is also supported by research.

“Students who learn in positive learning environments that are safe, supportive, and engaging are more likely to improve academically, participate more fully in the classroom, and develop skills that will help them be successful in school and in life,” according to the National Center on Safe Supportive Learning Environments.

Tavares spoke recently with Chalkbeat.

This interview has been lightly edited for length and clarity.

Why did you want to become a teacher? Did you always want to teach middle school science?

As far back as I can remember, I have always wanted to be a teacher, and I have always loved science. Blending the two just made sense. But I wasn’t always sure about what grade I wanted to focus on. When I was younger, my first job was covering the after-school and summer programs for a community center in the Newark area. I was able to experience working with all different grade levels. I found that I was able to connect and make the most impact with the middle school students. When it was time to become a teacher, I decided my best fit would be as a middle school science teacher.

How do you feel about being named the 2022 Teacher of the Year?

I feel honored. I was very surprised by the award. I never thought I would be chosen above all the other great educators in the district.

What’s the best advice you’ve ever received, and how have you put it into practice?

The best advice I have ever received is to be kind to everyone and treat people as you would like to be treated. Most teachers see their students as kids and not always as people. But just like adults, our students have good days and bad days. The toughest student is usually just having a bad day or a hard time and they feel defeated. Most students just need someone to be kind and understanding. You can’t learn and be successful if you are in a negative mindset.

Teaching and showing kindness, compassion, and life lessons are sometimes more important than the curriculum we teach in the classroom. Encouraging my students to be nice people and to show kindness in everything they do is sometimes the best lesson I can teach them.

Tell us about your own experience with school and how it affects your work today.

I have had many different experiences in school. I attended Ann Street School here in Newark from kindergarten through eighth grade. For high school, I attended a small private Catholic school. I was exposed to different teaching styles and environments. Throughout my schooling, I have had some great teachers that made me love going to school and some that made going to school feel like the worst chore. I learned a lot from both experiences and they have definitely all had an effect on my teaching.

Taking in all these different experiences, I have learned that having an inclusive, encouraging, and positive environment in the classroom helps students learn and persevere. When you actually want to be in school and feel like you are accepted you are more willing to try your best. I try to make sure that all my students feel like they can be themselves and not worry about struggling in my classroom. We all need a little extra help from time to time, and it is okay to ask for it. I try to make sure all of my students feel comfortable coming to me for help, whether it is help for something in school or outside of school.

What’s your favorite lesson to teach, and why?

I think my favorite lesson to teach my students isn’t one specific science lesson but something that is taught throughout the school year. I try to teach my students to persevere, whether that be in life or in science. Many students tend to give up when something seems hard, but I try to encourage them to keep pushing forward.

One of my favorite moments as a teacher is when I see a student who once struggled and would give up start to persevere and become the one to help others in the classroom. They have become more confident and have learned to work through difficult tasks. Perseverance and never giving up is a lesson I hope they carry with them throughout their lives.

Catherine Carrera is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat Newark, covering the city’s K-12 schools with a focus on English language learners. Contact Catherine at ccarrera@chalkbeat.org.

Newark school board approves changes to attendance, discipline, graduation policies

2022-06-22T22:37:07+00:00

The Newark Board of Education approved updates to several policies Tuesday that will, among other changes, modify the way absences are tracked and suspensions are imposed.

Certain rules embedded in the old policies contributed to an unclear number of retentions and suspensions. For example, a clause in the previous attendance policy would keep a student in the same grade due to chronic absenteeism without considering the cause of the absences.

New language in the policies aims to keep students in school and on track, Superintendent Roger León said.

The updated attendance policy and guidance will give attendance monitors and teachers codes to mark if an absence is due to trauma, crisis, bereavement, or health conditions, or if a tardy is because of bus and public transportation issues.

Absences can also be due to out-of-school suspensions, and so, board member A’Dorian Murray-Thomas, pushed on Tuesday to amend the guidance further to add disciplinary actions as a reason for absences.

“I think we really risk funneling that school-to-prison pipeline and creating these spaces where kids who are suspended are also more likely to be chronically absent because they have no choice but to not be in school,” Murray-Thomas said.

Leòn agreed to add a marker to indicate if a student is out of school due to suspension.

Black students in the district have historically been suspended at a higher rate than students of any other race, the latest federal data from 2017 shows. In a district where 16% of students were chronically absent in 2020-21, a significant number of students were penalized — in some cases even held back a grade — under the previous policy.

The amended discipline policy adds therapeutic interventions for level three conduct offenses, which include a wide range of disruptions from excessive tardiness and chronic absences to fighting and trespassing.

An amendment to the graduation requirement policy removes the June 1 deadline for seniors to submit a waiver to opt out of filing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, known as the FAFSA. The form helps students determine how much money they can get from federal financial aid to cover the cost of higher education, which can help students make an informed decision on college.

That requirement was imposed this school year for the first time but proved to be a challenge for the Class of 2022.

As of May, León said last month, 75% of seniors had either submitted the FAFSA, or the New Jersey Alternate Financial Aid Application for undocumented students, or the required exemption form to their counselors. That meant that about a quarter of students were at risk of not fulfilling this graduation requirement. An updated number was not shared on Tuesday.

The amended co-curricular activities policy will require all students participating in activities to abide by a code of conduct that will be developed with input from student leaders and presented for approval by the board.

Lastly, the amended dress and grooming policy and guidance will remove hooded sweaters from a list of prohibited items and encourage schools to include students when developing uniform codes.

Catherine Carrera is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat Newark, covering the city’s K-12 schools with a focus on English language learners. Contact Catherine at ccarrera@chalkbeat.org.

Newark board considers changes to discipline, absence policies

2022-06-17T14:51:44+00:00

The Newark Board of Education has been reviewing policy changes that could change the way administrators and teachers approach discipline, attendance, dress codes, and retention.

From removing an 18-day absence retention clause to including therapeutic interventions as part of disciplinary measures, policy amendments that could see a vote at a Tuesday board meeting would significantly affect students’ educational experiences.

Under current policies, Black students in the district are suspended at a far higher rate than students of any other race, according to federal data from 2017 that is limited by state reporting lapses. Students were penalized for absences — sometimes even held back a grade — in a district that had a 16% chronic absenteeism rate in 2020-21.

Proposed changes to disciplinary measures, highlighted below, would add more restorative responses for students who might have previously faced disciplinary action, such as in- and out-of-school suspensions.

“Policies are not supposed to be designed to punish students,” Superintendent Roger León said. “We want to educate our students.”

Teams of administrators, teachers, parents, and students met multiple times over the last two years to review decade-old policies, León said during a board retreat meeting last month where he presented recommendations to amend certain policies and guidance.

Many of the revisions, León said, aim to keep students on track and in school.

The amended policies were introduced at a May school board meeting.

Board committees have been meeting throughout June to discuss and make adjustments to the policies that were recommended. According to León’s timeline at the meeting last month, the policies will likely be up for a vote at the June 21 meeting, before taking effect for next school year. The agenda for the Tuesday meeting was not yet available on the board website.

If approved at that meeting, the updated policies will be added to student and parent handbooks, and shared with families before the start of next school year, León said.

Here are some of the recommended policy changes the board is considering.

Discouraging retention

The board will consider removing a clause in the policy that penalizes students with 18 or more absences, or chronic absenteeism, with being held back a grade.

“It shouldn’t be a sole determining factor” for retention, León said at the May board meeting.

There would also be guidance added to indicate if an absence is due to trauma or crisis, bereavement, or a health condition or concern, or if a tardy is due to school bus or public transportation issues, he said.

On the district’s promotion and intervention policy, there would be guidance added to “focus on promotion with intervention for students who are not meeting benchmarks.”

Therapeutic interventions

The amended discipline policy would include school-based and therapeutic interventions, as well as restorative circle time, for students who commit “level three” offenses. Level three offenses, the current policy stipulates, can include excessive tardiness and chronic absences.

Board member A’Dorian Murray-Thomas has advocated for a restorative justice program in the district and to formally include trauma-informed, restorative-based interventions in policies.

Updated guidance would include sending students home with educational packets if they face suspension and to add a post-suspension conference meeting with students.

“This is not the criminal justice system, this is education,” León said. “Our job is to create pathways of success for students and these policy recommendations do that.”

Removing FAFSA deadline

The current graduation requirement policy, instituted last summer, requires seniors to either submit a Free Application for Federal Student Aid, known by the acronym FAFSA, an alternate financial aid form, or a waiver by June 1.

The application for current and prospective college students helps them determine their eligibility for federal financial aid.

León shared that as of last month 75% of seniors have either submitted the FAFSA, or the New Jersey Alternate Financial Aid Application for undocumented students, or the required exemption form to their counselors. The remaining 25% of seniors may be at risk for not completing this graduation requirement.

“We’re at crunch time,” he said. León recommended eliminating the deadline.

There would also be guidance to add FAFSA workshops for parents and seniors throughout the school year and training for parents on how to use the federal financial aid website.

Student life

The amended co-curricular activities policy would require all students participating in activities abide by a code of conduct to be developed with input from student leaders and presented for approval by the board.

Students would also have to sign a memorandum of understanding before being considered eligible to participate in activities.

The board will also consider an amended dress and grooming policy that would add student input, remove hooded sweaters from the list of prohibited items, and align with the updated disciplinary policy to remove suspensions as a consequence.

Catherine Carrera is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat Newark, covering the city’s K-12 schools with a focus on English language learners. Contact Catherine at ccarrera@chalkbeat.org.

Newark raises pay for veteran and rookie teachers amid staffing crunch

2022-06-03T00:14:06+00:00

The Newark Board of Education and the district teachers union agreed to raise the starting salary for new teachers to $62,000 starting next school year, as part of a deal that includes across-the-board teacher pay increases amid staffing struggles linked to COVID.

Raising the starting salary for new teachers with a bachelor’s degree by $6,500, and by $4,500 for new teachers with a master’s degree, will make the district “one of the most competitive urban school systems in the northeast,” Superintendent Roger León said in a Thursday email announcing the increases.

Meanwhile, more experienced teachers making under $62,000 will get pay increases to match the new starting salary for first-time teachers. Teachers making over $62,000 will receive pay increases of $1,000 over the next two years, according to the new agreement.

“These new salaries will attract fresh talent and at the same time foster retention by increasing the salaries of experienced teachers,” León said in the email.

Due to a “reopening provision” in the Newark Teachers Union contract that allows for the union and district to renegotiate salaries in emergencies, the two parties were able to discuss increasing the starting salary for new teachers as a recruitment strategy. An already small pool of teaching candidates that dwindled further during the pandemic, and the more-competitive salaries offered by other districts, created an emergency situation under the terms of the contract.

The current contract runs through the 2023-24 school year, and negotiations over a new deal are set to begin in January.

For months, the district has had trouble filling vacant teaching positions. It started the school year with 120 instructional vacancies, and began the final month of the school year with 95. A number of teachers also left the district for better paying positions, said John Abeigon, president of the Newark Teachers Union.

“We would see three, four, sometimes five resignations in a single week throughout the year,” Abeigon said, though he couldn’t provide an exact number of resignations. “At that rate, we weren’t going to have any teachers left.”

The increases across the board would bump up Newark Public Schools’ median salary for teachers. As of the 2019-20 school year, the median teacher salary was $65,618 for Newark, which is lower than nearby districts in Essex County, including $72,631 for Belleville, $86,944 for East Orange, $73,085 for Irvington, and $77,368 for Montclair, state data show.

Newark’s new hires in critical areas — such as science, math, special education, bilingual education, and English as a second language — will also be eligible for a $4,000 signing bonus, León said. District employees can also get a $1,000 bonus for referring a new teacher that is successfully on-boarded.

The decision to bump up the pay for Newark teachers follows the district’s plan to hire retired teachers to help fill open positions. In April, the state approved the district’s request to hire retired teachers under a new state law. More than 40 retired teachers had expressed interest in returning to the district at the time.

Newark has also started a teacher pipeline program that encourages high school students to pursue a teaching career and promises a teaching contract with the district after graduating with their bachelor’s degrees.

Newark’s difficulty with attracting and retaining teachers is not new, Abeigon said.

“Our warnings to the district to raise the starting salary pre-date COVID, but the pandemic made it abundantly clear that it was needed,” he said. “Other districts have better salaries and less burdensome conditions than Newark. We have to make it competitive.”

Abeigon said León has also agreed to meet with union members to discuss other ways to boost morale among teachers, and reduce their workload.

Shrinking hiring pool

Earlier this week, the state Board of Education unanimously approved policies that could help widen the pool of prospective teachers by providing an alternate route for those whose grade point averages or standardized test scores fall short of the requirement. Under the new policies, those candidates would receive mentoring and take courses in teaching to earn a standard teaching certificate.

Several staffing problems are growing in the state’s schools. A new report released Thursday shows New Jersey has a shrinking hiring pool, a surge in retirements, and fewer teachers available as substitutes.

“The number of those completing teacher preparation has declined sharply in New Jersey,” according to the report by New Jersey Policy Perspective, a nonpartisan think tank.

The group recommends increasing compensation for teachers, streamlining the process to obtain a teacher certification, and working with teacher preparation programs to attract more candidates of color, among other things.

“If New Jersey does not act soon, there will not be enough qualified candidates to replace teachers leaving the profession,” the report states.

Catherine Carrera is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat Newark, covering the city’s K-12 schools with a focus on English language learners. Contact Catherine at ccarrera@chalkbeat.org.

Helping students rebound after pandemic is top of mind for new Newark board member

2022-05-13T10:00:00+00:00

Crystal Williams, the newly elected member of the Newark Board of Education, has safety, school culture, and academic recovery at the forefront of her agenda as she takes office.

Williams, who accrued the most votes in the April 19 school board election, was sworn into a three-year term — and her first elected position — at last week’s virtual reorganization meeting. Reelected board members A’Dorian Murray-Thomas and Daniel Gonzalez also took the oath of office. The three ran on a slate backed by powerful politicians including Mayor Ras Baraka, who won reelection to a third term on Tuesday.

Williams said at the meeting that she knows there is a lot of work to be done to help students rebound from the pandemic. “I am just here ready to serve, ready to do what’s necessary to make sure the kids get what they need. We need to emerge from this pandemic not the same, but stronger and smarter and kinder, with the commitment to do what’s right for the kids.”

Williams, a network technician at Verizon for more than 20 years, sees her role on the board like that of a customer service representative.

“If you don’t give your customers a quality product, then your customer service is lacking, and a competitor steps in and takes your customer,” she said during a recent interview. “It’s the same way for the students and parents of the Newark Public Schools system. They are our customers and we should be providing them with high quality service and education.”

And, in those terms, she says she deeply understands what her new “customers” want from the board.

As a single mom of seven children who currently attend or have attended public and charter schools in Newark, Williams has seen deteriorating school buildings, lunches that make her kids lose their appetites, a lack of classroom resources, and low test scores.

She’s also seen the unsafe routes children take to and from schools and she hopes to address them, though she wasn’t sure how exactly. “This is all new to me, but I’m going to be asking a lot of questions,” she said. She also said the pandemic’s toll on students’ academic progress is a huge concern as is school culture, with low teacher morale affecting students’ motivation.

“I want students’ quality of life while they’re in our schools to improve, making sure that they want to be there and have pride in their school and feel welcomed and loved and valued,” she said.

While juggling full-time work and her children’s needs over the years, Williams found time to volunteer on parent teacher associations and advocacy groups such as Unapologetic Parents, a group of parents who are proponents of school choice.

She met Jasmine Morrison, a fellow parent and the group’s leader, on a school bus to Trenton. Morrison said they were heading to the state capital along with other group members to rally against a decision to block the expansion of some charter schools in Newark.

“Crystal has been instrumental in the group, whether it be for going to rallies or helping to run coat drives and book bag giveaways,” Morrison said in a recent interview. “She has so much energy and you see that energy in her interactions with her kids, and I think she’s going to bring that to the board.”

Board co-vice president Asia Norton said she looks forward to the fresh outlook Williams will bring to the board and its monthly committee meetings.

“Although she is new to politics, she’s not new to motherhood or to the workforce,” Norton said. “Ms. Williams exudes pride in being a mother and making sure that her children have everything that they need whether it be in the classroom or on the football field or applying to colleges. And I think she’s going to do the same for children across the district.”

Williams’ children range in ages from 3 to 23. Her oldest, Brooklyn, graduated from Rutgers-Newark in May 2020 and struggled with the switch to remote learning during that time.

Her son Jayson, 16, did well with remote learning but had serious difficulties returning to school in person, she said. After considering several options, Williams transferred him to Leaders for Life Academy in the South Ward, a school that helps students earn a high school equivalency diploma. He graduated in December and now attends Universal Technical Institute, a trade school campus in Bloomfield.

“He took a different path,” Williams said. “I’m not going to make him fit into anything he’s not. Now, he comes home excited from school and makes money at his part-time job.”

With seven kids, Williams said, it becomes quickly apparent that all children learn differently and require different supports.

During a recent phone call as Williams drove her second oldest, Autumn, 17, to Temple University in Philadelphia for a campus visit, she shared some advice that she often gives her children.

“Sometimes, we have to detour and a detour is not necessarily a bad thing — you might find where you want to live along the way,” she said. “Sometimes a detour works in your favor. Keeping an open mind and a positive attitude is key.”

Williams said she never imagined running for any public office, especially because she doesn’t enjoy public speaking and would rather stay away from the limelight.

But after getting COVID early in the pandemic and seeing her children persevere through their struggles, she decided she didn’t want to “hide” anymore. When she was approached by other parent advocates and community members to run for the open Newark school board seat, she decided to go for it. Having guaranteed support from influential political players, including state Sen. M. Teresa Ruiz, and the money that comes with that backing, played an integral role in her successful campaign.

“I’ve never been on the board so I don’t know a lot of stuff and I’m going to look to my board members for help,” Williams said. “But I do know I want a better quality of life for the children, and I’m going to stand true to my promise.”

Catherine Carrera is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat Newark, covering the city’s K-12 schools with a focus on English language learners. Contact Catherine at ccarrera@chalkbeat.org.

NJ school officials reject call to reevaluate sex ed standards passed in 2020

2022-05-04T23:16:16+00:00

The majority of state school board members and Acting Education Commissioner Angelica Allen-McMillan Wednesday defended a nearly two-year-old decision to include controversial topics, such as gender identity and abortion, in the state’s new sex education standards.

The discussion on the 2020 revision of state learning standards for comprehensive health and physical education came up during the board’s virtual monthly meeting, a month after a social media post sparked a national firestorm of scrutiny from Republican elected officials.

The post in early April from Republican state Sen. Holly Schepisi, who represents a cluster of affluent towns in northern Bergen County, led Gov. Phil Murphy to ask the state education department for clarity on age-appropriate guidelines.

Four state school board members — Andrew Mulvihill, Jack Fornaro, Mary Beth Gazi, and Mary Beth Berry — voted against the revised sex education standards in 2020 and wrote a letter to Allen-McMillan Tuesday ahead of the board meeting. The letter requested a reexamination of the standards, removal of “some of the more controversial and graphic language,” and to delay implementation of the standards.

But, during the Wednesday meeting, Board President Kathy Goldenberg said there would not be a vote to postpone the implementation of the new standards, set to begin in September.

“At this point there will be no votes taken today,” Goldenberg said. “It’s not on the agenda. We won’t be doing it. It won’t happen.”

Allen-McMillan released a memo mid-April addressed to local district leaders that explained the “intent and spirit” of the sex education standards that were revised in June 2020, during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. The previous standards were set in 2014. The 13-member New Jersey State Board of Education voted 9-4 to update the standards in a resolution after five months of discussion, public comment, and revisions.

“I firmly support the 2020 New Jersey Student Learning Standards in comprehensive health and physical education,” Allen-McMillan said at the meeting. “I recognize that the department can strengthen our efforts to clarify the meaning and scope of the standards for educators.”

She also said she “wholeheartedly disagrees” with critics of the revised standards. One of the guidelines that concerns critics requires second-graders to learn about the “range of ways people express their gender and how gender-role stereotypes may limit behavior.”

“These standards are designed to ensure that children understand that everyone has the ability to live their life in the way that suits them, no matter their gender,” Allen-McMillan said in her memo last month. “They should also help children to understand that every person deserves respect, no matter their identity or expression.”

Local school districts must align sex education curriculum with the revised New Jersey Student Learning Standards for comprehensive health and physical education by September.

Here are some highlights of learning expectations that were added in 2020 by the state school board:

Second graders should learn the medically accurate names for body parts, including genitals, and the range of ways people express their gender. They should also learn how gender-role stereotypes may limit behavior.
Fifth graders should learn about sexual development and the role of hormones when it comes to romantic and sexual feelings, masturbation, mood swings, and the timing of the onset of puberty. Fifth graders should also learn how to differentiate between sexual orientation and gender identity.
By eighth grade, students should be able to define vaginal, oral, and anal sex, and develop a plan to eliminate or reduce risk of unintended pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections, including HIV. Eighth-graders should also learn about pregnancy testing, the signs of pregnancy, and pregnancy options, including parenting, abortion, and adoption.
By 12th grade, students should be able to analyze the influences of peers, family, media, social norms, and culture on the expression of gender, sexual orientation, and identity. Students should also learn to advocate for school and community policies and programs that promote dignity and respect for people of all genders, gender expressions, gender identities, and sexual orientations.

Catherine Carrera is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat Newark, covering the city’s K-12 schools with a focus on English language learners. Contact Catherine at ccarrera@chalkbeat.org.

Newark keeps face mask requirement in schools

2022-05-02T20:26:00+00:00

Newark Public Schools will keep its mask requirement, temperature checks, and other COVID preventative measures in place as the infection rate climbs across the city.

The district was set to end the measures this week. But an increase in the city’s COVID infection rate last week stopped any changes to protocols.

“In Newark, our numbers are starting to grow,” said Mayor Ras Baraka on Friday during a live Facebook update. “The numbers are still relatively low but they are growing, so we have to be cautious.”

Meanwhile, cases among students and staff dropped last week, according to the district’s most recent data posted Monday.

Baraka did not mention the district’s mask mandate during that update. The district did not respond to requests for comment.

John Abeigon, the Newark Teachers Union president, said the district’s decision to keep the COVID protocols in place came after the city’s health department advised Superintendent Roger León against making any changes.

Newark, the state’s largest school district, is one of the last in New Jersey to keep the mask mandate in place across its 65 schools and 38,000 students. Gov. Phil Murphy ended the statewide mask mandate in March, but school leaders were able to keep the rules in place for their districts. Paterson and New Brunswick are among the other districts to keep the rules in place.

Of the 500 largest school districts across the country, only 2% still require masks, including Newark, according to a school mask policy tracker from Burbio.

The city’s infection rate climbed in the last few weeks. On Friday, the seven-day rolling average was 5.31%, up from 3.25% two weeks earlier.

In the district, there were 49 positive cases among staff the week of April 18, when schools were closed for spring break. That was an uptick from 15 cases among staff the week prior.

“The slight bump was expected due to travel during the break,” Abeigon said.

But when the district updated its COVID dashboard Monday, it showed 16 positive cases among staff and 18 among students last week, a return to case counts seen before the break.

The district did not respond to a question about when it plans to revisit the mask requirement.

Catherine Carrera is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat Newark, covering the city’s K-12 schools with a focus on English language learners. Contact Catherine at ccarrera@chalkbeat.org.

Newark schools may go mask-optional in May if COVID case numbers remain low

2022-04-22T19:53:32+00:00

Newark Public Schools students and staff might be allowed to drop their face masks starting May 2, if the COVID infection rate in the district remains low, the teachers union president said.

The decision to ease the district’s face mask mandate and other COVID-related rules will depend on results from at-home rapid tests students and staff must take on Sunday, the day before they return to school from this week’s spring break. The district distributed the test kits to families and staff members before spring break began April 18.

“If the numbers continue to hold, we’ll be mask optional by the first week of May,” John Abeigon, the Newark Teachers Union president, said on Thursday. Citywide and districtwide positive test numbers were relatively low the week before spring break, according to the latest data available.

Staff members will need to upload their rapid-test results to the employee portal, Abeigon said. Parents and caregivers will need to reach their child’s school nurse to report a positive result. Another round of rapid tests will be administered in schools during the week, Abeigon added.

Abeigon said Superintendent Roger León briefed union leaders earlier this week on plans to roll back some COVID mitigation policies if results from the at-home tests show a “low number” of positive cases. A district spokesperson did not respond to emails asking for more details on these plans.

The district would also end temperature checks and the symptom screening questionnaire on May 2, he said. León shared those plans at a school board meeting last month.

The statewide mask mandate for schools and childcare centers dropped March 7, but district leaders were able to keep requiring masks in their schools. Newark, the state’s largest district, with 37,000 students, kept its mask rules in place, as did Paterson, New Brunswick, and Trenton.

León started easing other mitigation rules by removing desk shields and footwear sanitizing stations. State and federal guidance did not include either of those measures at the start of this school year.

And at the board meeting last month, León said water fountains would be turned back on for the first time this school year. León has said the fountains were shut off as a COVID mitigation effort, even though that step was not recommended in any state or federal guidelines either.

Chalkbeat found the district did not complete lead testing before buildings reopened in September.

The district’s COVID-19 dashboard shows positive tests were low across schools in the weeks leading up to spring break.

The week before break, the district reported 18 positive cases among students and 15 among staff. Those numbers were slightly up from the previous week, but still significantly lower than the hundreds of positive cases the district saw before winter break.

Citywide, too, confirmed cases of COVID-19 have remained low for a few weeks, according to figures city officials shared on Facebook this week. The city’s seven-day rolling average showed a 3.25% rate of positive tests on April 15, slightly up from 2.72% on April 11, but well below the 38% rate in late December, before students were to return from winter break. At that time, the district decided to switch to remote learning for two weeks after the break ended.

Catherine Carrera is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat Newark, covering the city’s K-12 schools with a focus on English language learners. Contact Catherine at ccarrera@chalkbeat.org.

In Newark school board race, voters pick slate backed by political heavyweights

2022-04-19T17:00:00+00:00

Newark voters on Tuesday picked a slate of candidates endorsed by politicians and charter school advocates to fill three seats on the district’s nine-member school board, preliminary results show.

Newcomer Crystal Williams and incumbents Daniel Gonzalez and A’Dorian Murray-Thomas, who ran together on a slate called Moving Newark Schools Forward, were far ahead of the other four candidates, though not all votes had been counted as of Wednesday afternoon.

Voters also overwhelmingly approved the district’s $138 million tax levy, the amount of money raised through Newark property taxes to fund schools, which will remain the same as the current year. Preliminary results showed 2,792 votes in its favor and 417 votes against it.

The unofficial vote count showed Williams garnered the most votes at 2,600, while her slate mates were close behind, with 2,559 votes for Murray-Thomas and 2,475 votes for Gonzalez.

The other four candidates on the ballot were Thomas Luna, with 1,087 votes; Maggie Freeman, with 1,027 votes; Phillip Wilson, with 807 votes; and Allison K. James-Frison, with 679 votes.

Williams is a graduate of Chad Science Academy, an Afrocentric private high school in Newark that has since closed, and has worked at Verizon for more than 25 years.

Murray-Thomas will now serve her second full term on the board. Murray-Thomas, who attended the Chad School, a KIPP charter school, and a boarding school in Massachusetts through the support of the Wight Foundation, is the founder of a nonprofit mentoring program for girls in Newark. She’s also an English teacher and associate director of the diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging at Morristown Beard School, a private school in Morristown.

Gonzalez, who graduated from East Side High School, previously served as the city’s chief financial officer under former Newark Mayor Sharpe James. He was elected last year to serve a one-year term, and this would be his first full term.

“I’m looking forward to the opportunity to continue what I started,” Gonzalez said Wednesday afternoon. “Using my experiences in finance, I’m going to keep advocating for our students and make sure that we’re giving them the tools necessary to learn.”

The slate had support from influential politicians, including state Sen. M. Teresa Ruiz, the state senate majority leader; Assemblywoman Eliana Pintor Marin, who chairs the Assembly budget committee; Mayor Ras Baraka; and eight out of nine city council members.

Low turnout and timing of election draw scrutiny

Vote totals so far signaled another year of very low turnout in the Newark school board April election.

Fifteen out of 95 precincts in Newark still had not reported any results as of Wednesday afternoon, while many others reported low numbers. One precinct in the north ward stood out with 1,529 ballots cast out of 2,036 registered voters in that precinct, for a significant turnout of roughly 75%. But the largest precinct in the city, located in the west ward, reported 7 votes cast out of 20,398 registered voters in that precinct, a turnout of .03%.

Around 5 p.m. on Tuesday, poll workers at West Side High School said they had just eight voters in the 10 hours that the polls had been open.

Newark has mayoral and council elections on May 10. Some candidates and campaign officials said voters might have tuned out the school board race, as more advertisements pop up around the city that are focused on the upcoming municipal elections.

Some candidates said it didn’t help that the election fell the same week as Newark Public Schools’ spring break, which could mean some families were out of town.

“It’s not surprising that we have low voter turnout, but it did seem even lower than normal,” said Luna, a math teacher at a KIPP charter school in the city. He added that his team worked all day Tuesday to call supporters and remind them to go vote.

Luna’s campaign had reported spending close to $9,000 as of the April 8 filing deadline. Meanwhile, a charter school-aligned special interest group spent $22,000 and Williams’ campaign committee spent about $3,000 to support the Moving Newark Schools Forward slate as of the filing deadline.

“There’s no way possible that I or local community members or parents can go up against that amount of money,” said Freeman, a longtime community volunteer who did not spend any money in the race. “The only measure we have is word of mouth, getting to know our neighbors, and making sure they know the work that is being done and who is doing it.”

Catherine Carrera is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat Newark, covering the city’s K-12 schools with a focus on English language learners. Contact Catherine at ccarrera@chalkbeat.org.

Newark school board race draws money from out-of-state, charter school supporters

2022-04-19T14:26:25+00:00

The Newark school board race has attracted nearly $94,000 so far, largely from a charter-aligned political action committee and a few out-of-state supporters from Texas and California, according to the latest campaign filings.

Seven candidates are vying for three seats on the nine-member board on Tuesday, but campaign reports show only four of them are benefitting from the infusion of contributions as of the latest filing deadline of April 8.

Three candidates — incumbents Daniel Gonzalez, A’Dorian Murray-Thomas, and Crystal Williams — are running on one slate, Moving Newark Schools Forward. Since 2016, the slate has consisted of a group of candidates jointly endorsed by city politicians and charter school advocates who were once at odds. The slate has also won every election since the alliance formed.

Joint committee filings for that slate don’t show any contributions or spending so far. But the slate has the backing of charter school-aligned Great Schools for All, a political action committee chaired by Kyle Rosenkrans, executive director of New Jersey Children’s Foundation.

The special interest group reported $75,000 in contributions, the largest amount by far in this race. It has spent $22,000 so far on digital advertisements and other promotions on behalf of its three preferred candidates.

By contrast, Thomas Luna, one of the four non-slate candidates, reported the second largest fundraising totals, with $11,355 in contributions and $8,781 in spending on campaign mailers, consulting, and other promotions.

The Texas native and math teacher at a KIPP school in Newark has thousands of dollars coming in from supporters in Texas, California, and New York, including Leadership for Educational Equity, a PAC tied to Teach for America.

One of the three candidates on the mayor’s slate, Crystal Williams, also has benefitted from local charter school interest groups contributing directly to her campaign committee. She received $2,600 from the New Jersey Public Charter Schools Action Fund and $2,600 from a group with the same address as Uncommon Schools in New York City. Uncommon runs North Star Academy in Newark, a charter school system with 14 schools in the city.

For the reporting period ending April 8, the state’s elections watchdog website did not list campaign finance reports for the other two candidates on the mayor’s slate, who can have their own committees.

If voters reject the proposed tax levy, the budget is sent to the city council to vote on reductions.

The vote comes as the district receives a historic infusion of federal money. Board members will be making high-stakes decisions about policies to address severe learning loss in the district and a mental health crisis among young people seen throughout the state.

School board members develop district policy and participate with district officials in monthly committee meetings on programs and instruction, personnel and policy, and finance, among other topics. The board also picks the superintendent and holds this official accountable.

Voter turnout at the annual Newark school board race has been low for years, hovering around 3-4% of registered voters. The Essex County Board of Elections posted an updated list of voting sites, which will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Tuesday. A sample ballot is also available on the county board website.

Chalkbeat asked each candidate the same seven questions about why voters should consider them for office, the challenges the district faces today, and more. Readers can find the candidates’ answers using the interactive feature below. Responses have been edited lightly for clarity.

In Newark school board candidate forum, learning loss among top issues

2022-04-06T23:43:11+00:00

Seven candidates vying for three seats on the Newark Board of Education in the upcoming April 19 election talked about their views on learning loss, mental health, and school budget priorities at a candidate forum Tuesday night.

The two-hour forum, organized by Newark Trust for Education, Project Ready, and Rutgers School of Public Affairs and Administration, gave candidates an opportunity to answer questions related to the pandemic’s effect on students’ learning, policy that governs social and emotional learning, and the $1.2 billion school budget.

Incumbents Daniel Gonzalez and A’Dorian Murray-Thomas are running for reelection, along with newcomer Crystal Williams, on a slate backed by Mayor Ras Baraka and other local and state politicians. Gonzalez is running for his first three-year term after being elected last year to fill a one-year term.

The other candidates are Maggie Freeman, Allison K. James-Frison, Thomas Luna, and Phillip Wilson.

Voter turnout has historically been low for the annual Newark school board election. Over the last few years, turnout has hovered around 3% to 4% of registered voters.

The three organizations and institutions collaborated to host the forum in hopes of increasing voter turnout in this year’s election, said Shennell McCloud, chief executive officer of the nonprofit Project Ready, during her opening remarks at the event held in the Newark Museum of Art. The forum was live streamed online.

“School board members have the opportunity to do three very important things: They set the vision and goals for the district, they approve the Newark Public Schools budget, and they choose the superintendent and hold the superintendent accountable,” McCloud said.

Organizers reached out to community members for input on the questions, said Ronald Chaluisán, executive director of Newark Trust for Education.

One of the first questions posed asked candidates if they believe the district has an adequate plan to address the alarming learning loss evident in recent state assessment data.

The question focused specifically on mid-year assessments that showed no more than 6% of students in grades 3-7 are expected to reach proficiency levels in state math testing slated to begin later this month. Prior to the pandemic, 27% of students in grades 3-8 met the state’s benchmarks on the annual math standardized tests.

“I do believe the district has a strong plan in place to address not necessarily just learning loss, but some of the achievement gaps that exist because of the historic disinvestment from this district,” said Murray-Thomas, referring to the district being underfunded by about $140 million based on the state funding formula.

Williams, Murray-Thomas’ running mate, said she found the latest learning loss data to be “horrific,” “terrible,” and “unacceptable.” Her plan, she said, is to evaluate the areas in the district that are doing well and “mimic” those plans “in the pockets of the city that are doing bad.”

Other candidates talked more specifically about various policies and plans they would want to help implement, including more professional development and tutoring.

“We can’t concentrate on learning loss until we provide educators with the tools they need,” said James-Frison, the founder of Girls; Live, Laugh, Love, Inc., a mentoring program for girls in the city. James-Frison said she would push for more professional development for teachers.

Luna, a teacher at a KIPP charter school in the city, said he believes the district’s current plans for dealing with learning loss need to be updated and include more emphasis on tutoring.

Candidates were also asked about policy to ensure social and emotional learning for staff, teachers, students, and families.

Wilson, who helps lead a Head Start Policy Council in the district, said more community organizations should help with social and emotional learning.

Freeman, a longtime volunteer who helps lead the Weequahic Park Sports Authority Conservancy, said she believes schools need more social workers and counselors, and more emphasis on life skills. She said that when schools shut down, many students didn’t know how to do chores at home, such as laundry, or handle the food they received from food distribution sites.

“When you build up the students in that way, you see a turnaround that is beyond measure,” she said.

When asked about budget priorities, Gonzalez said he would push for a capital improvement evaluation and plan. “The majority of our facilities are very old,” he said. “We’ve not been taking a comprehensive approach in renovating. Because of the lack of dollars, we’ve just been doing enough repairs to teach, but putting bandages on the facilities.”

Candidates were also asked how they would hold the superintendent accountable for executing budget priorities. Wilson said she would ask teachers and administrators for their feedback.

Registered voters have until April 12 to apply by mail for a vote-by-mail ballot in the April 19 election.

Newark will vote on $1.2 billion district budget on April 19

2022-03-29T22:42:25+00:00

In three weeks, Newark residents will head to the polls to vote on a $1.2 billion district budget for the 2022-23 school year.

With an increase of $146 million over this school year’s $1.08 billion budget, the spending plan would cover hiring new teachers and mental health support staff, expanding and upgrading facilities and technology, new education initiatives, and an increase in funding to charter schools. School board members unanimously approved the budget Friday night at a virtual meeting.

The spending plan is supported in large part by a potential $120 million boost in state aid, for a total of $1.04 billion, which was part of Gov. Phil Murphy’s budget proposal released earlier this month. State lawmakers have through the end of June to approve the governor’s budget. There’s also about $38 million in revenue from an excess fund balance and a mix of local and federal aid.

The spending plan also is propped up by a $138.3 million local tax levy, the amount of money raised through Newark property taxes to fund schools, which is remaining flat over the current school year.

The surge in state aid for the next school year would still leave the district underfunded by $140 million, based on the School Funding Reform Act, said school business administrator Valerie Wilson. Even so, the state aid and other revenue would be enough to keep the district from raising property taxes next year, she added.

Newark’s $1.2 billion budget for the 2022-23 school year is largely supported by state aid.

In fact, Wilson said, property taxes will get cut by $8.75 annually for the homeowner of a property assessed at the average of $175,000. This can be attributed to new commercial property and economic development, she said.

School officials did not provide the current property tax rate during the presentation, but the most recent state records show the average homeowner pays about $6,800 in total property taxes in Newark, including the municipal and school tax burden.

The proposed budget is separate from the $282 million total in federal COVID relief aid earmarked for Newark schools. Spending plans for that aid get approved by the federal government. The district got approval in late February for the final round of this aid at about $182 million, the largest chunk of funding from the three rounds.

More money, more teachers

How does the district plan to spend $1.2 billion? Salaries, charter schools, facilities upgrades, and education initiatives are among the top investments.

The largest bucket of $432.3 million is set aside for salaries, including the hiring of new teachers and staff. Next school year, the district plans on filling 2,943 teacher positions, 269 positions for aides, 372 administrative positions, and 755 positions for school support, with an overall increase of 222 new full-time employee positions, of which 121 will be teachers. Around 75 of those teacher positions will be for bilingual and English as a second language teachers.

Though there was also an increase in some of those positions for the current school year over the previous, the district will still be increasing teaching positions for next year, despite having many seats left unfilled in the current school year due to the ongoing teacher shortage. As of February, there were still 110 vacant teacher positions, down from 120 unfilled roles at the start of the school year.

Other new positions will include 45 school social workers for a total of 164 and one more school counselor for a total of 89, based on figures provided during the presentation.

There are 85 positions for academic interventionists in the budget, an increase of 14 over this school year.

“Academic interventionists are needed at some of our most needy schools,” Wilson said. “All of them asked for that in the budget review. We thought we would not be able to do it, but because we got additional (state) aid and are moving closer to being properly funded, we can now make these kinds of actual investments.”

The budget includes $149 million to cover benefits.

More for charter schools

The second largest bucket of spending is $342 million for charter schools, an increase of $42 million over the current school year, Wilson said.

More than 20,000 students attend Newark charter schools, independently operated institutions funded by taxpayers. The increase in funding is due to enrollment projections, even though the state denied some charter schools’ expansion plans for next school year.

The district is prepared to cover a $42 million increase, though the funding may exceed that, Wilson said, if enrollment exceeds projections.

“We would have to address it as the year continues,” Wilson said. To put more money into that bucket at this point, would “create undue stress on the district’s budget and require us to make unnecessary cuts.”

Facilities upgrades, school expansions

The pandemic has led to the district prioritizing a few technological upgrades, including the continuation of a one-to-one Chromebook initiative, updating its electronic health records system, and installing contactless water fountains at every school, Superintendent Roger León said.

About $6 million will go toward surveillance cameras, security radios, magnetic door locks, metal detectors, and scanning devices.

Another $8 million will cover repairs to the University High School gymnasium, which was damaged after Hurricane Ida hit the city at the start of the school year, along with other improvements.

León said the district plans to open up the pool at the Chancellor Avenue annex, across the street from Weequahic High School — an opportunity to start a swim team for the high school and offer swimming lessons for preschool students.

The district will be starting preschool programs at Chancellor Avenue, Dr. E. Alma Flagg, Ridge Street, South 17th Street, and Speedway Avenue schools next school year, León said. Current programs at several schools will also be expanded.

Several schools the district opened in recent years will continue adding new grades, including third grade at Michelle Obama Elementary, and tenth grade at Newark School of Data Science and Information Technology and Newark School of Fashion and Design.

The district also plans to create an alternative education office and has already identified around 2,000 students that would benefit from those services, León said. Alternative education allows students to earn a high school diploma outside of a traditional setting.

“We will be providing children an incredible opportunity to meet them where they are,” León said.

Newark residents will also be voting on three school board seats. Two of the three incumbents, A’Dorian Murray-Thomas and Daniel Gonzalez, are running for reelection on a slate with newcomer Crystal D. Williams. Board member Shayvonne Anderson is not running for a second term. Also running for the three-year terms are Maggie Freeman, Allison K. James-Frison, Thomas Luna, and Phillip Wilson.

Catherine Carrera is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat Newark, covering the city’s K-12 schools with a focus on English language learners. Contact Catherine at ccarrera@chalkbeat.org.

N.J. immigrant students face barriers to mental health aid. What needs to change?

2022-03-24T20:10:09+00:00

Immigrant students in New Jersey need more support in schools to address their unique mental health needs, a new report from immigrant youth advocates states.

A child’s experience migrating to a new country can be traumatic, isolating, and distressing — on top of that, the pandemic has caused significant loss and grief for immigrant and refugee communities.

The New Jersey Consortium for Immigrant Children, a coalition of legal advocates for immigrant youth, released a report last week detailing these and other findings, and focused on highlighting children’s personal experiences during the pandemic that affected their mental health.

Many schools don’t have enough bilingual mental health staff to work with English learners and their families, counselors tend to lack an understanding of an immigrant student’s experiences, and there aren’t enough programs to help immigrant students who recently arrived adjust to their new life, the report outlines.

“The unique and complex experiences of immigrant youth, as well as their limited access to mental health care, mean schools must offer culturally mindful mental health services that are more accessible to students than outside resources,” the report states.

Among the recommendations the report makes are to hire bilingual mental health professionals; create student-led, teacher-facilitated community groups to help new immigrant students adjust; and require training for all staff to learn how to be sensitive to the needs of immigrant students.

Created in part by youth leaders from the organization’s mental health advocates program, the report draws on interviews with immigrant students across the state, their caregivers, mental health professionals, and school staff. These interviews took place last summer in Elizabeth, Passaic, and Perth Amboy.

“I don’t think most people realize that student issues and immigrant issues are intertwined,” said Lady Jimenez Torres, policy director at the consortium. “If you have a student population whose needs when it comes to mental health aren’t being met in school, then you’re going to have issues with their entire schooling experience.”

Last year, the coalition released a report that highlighted how students learning English in New Jersey were often “ignored” during virtual learning, with schools routinely failing to provide information in home languages and bilingual aides to assist with virtual assignments.

In Newark, immigrants make up about a third of the population, with the majority coming from Latin American countries. Statewide, there are about 115,400 immigrant children, a significant number of students who face these difficult experiences.

Immigrant and refugee communities have a high prevalence of post traumatic stress disorder, and often face barriers related to language, technology, and access to basic health resources. They, along with communities of color, were disproportionately affected by the pandemic.

One parent, quoted anonymously from an interview last summer in the new report, said her family had recently arrived in New Jersey when the pandemic forced schools to switch to remote learning in March 2020.

“My son is alone. We don’t have a lot of family, only a nephew, but he is older,” the parent said. “He spent a lot of time locked up taking online classes and it affected him a lot.”

In New Jersey and nationwide, there was also an existing shortage of bilingual mental health professionals before the pandemic. Immigrant students in New Jersey interviewed in the report said that even in cities with large immigrant populations, there aren’t enough counselors who speak their home language.

Danna Chacon, a formerly undocumented student at Elizabeth High School, said that some of her peers who migrated from Latin American countries have shared with her their close encounters with violence and abuse that have driven their families to leave their home countries.

Despite being in Elizabeth, one of the state’s largest districts with an overwhelming majority of Hispanic students, there was only one counselor at her school who spoke Spanish, she said.

“Coming to the U.S. was a very hard transition, in the sense that I really didn’t have any support in the school,” Chacon said. “I didn’t have a counselor who guided me through what was happening. At the time there was just one counselor speaking Spanish, but I would rarely see her. She wouldn’t be available.”

Students also said there aren’t enough counselors — or any, in some cases — who understand the issues undocumented students face. This problem can deter them from seeking help again.

“I have friends that are undocumented. Even when they do get counseling, they don’t get the help they need,” one student said. “They’re educating the counselor on what it means to be undocumented. (Counselors) can’t help until they understand the issue and the student’s experiences.”

Last year, the American Academy of Pediatrics, along with other national organizations, declared a national emergency in children and adolescent mental health last fall. The organizations have pressed policymakers to increase federal funding to ensure access to mental health services and support school-based mental health care, among other initiatives.

This effort has also taken place in New Jersey, where at a meeting last week mental health advocates, professionals, and experts urged the state Senate education committee to take action.

As the push for mental health resources in schools continues to grow, Jimenez Torres hopes policymakers consider the unique needs of immigrant children in New Jersey.

“When we think about the wellbeing of a child, regardless of their immigration status, they need to have access to healthcare, a good education, and mental health support,” Jimenez Torres said. “If a child doesn’t have access to health care, then a common cold can leave them out of school for days, contributing to learning loss. If a child’s mental health needs go unaddressed, then they’re not going to be able to perform what’s expected of them in the classroom.”

Catherine Carrera is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat Newark, covering the city’s K-12 schools with a focus on English language learners. Contact Catherine at ccarrera@chalkbeat.org.

‘Love first, then school’: Amid traumas, this N.J. teacher fosters a supportive classroom

2022-03-16T10:05:00+00:00

Talena Lachelle Queen focuses on creating an atmosphere of love in her English writing class at Eastside High School Academy of Culinary Arts, Hospitality and Tourism in Paterson.

The teacher and poet says love looks like understanding, kindness, and support in the classroom, especially as her students returned to full-day, in-person instruction this academic year.

By establishing a welcoming environment, students feel comfortable “to confide in me and want to get higher grades because they know they are valuable,” said Queen, a Paterson native who attended a local performing arts high school.

“I got to see dancers have recitals, actors have plays, musicians have shows, and artists have exhibits,” Queen said. “The writers did not have that kind of public showcase of their talent like the other disciplines.”

So when in 2018 she was named the city’s first poet laureate by Mayor Andre Sayegh, she started the first annual Paterson Poetry Festival. The festival is intended to serve and support young emerging poets, she said.

Poetry vibrates throughout Paterson, the hometown of poet Allen Ginsberg and the setting of Williams Carlos Williams’ epic poem named after the city. The city was even at the center of the 2016 movie with its namesake, which followed the life of a fictional bus driver and poet named Paterson.

While the city is brimming with arts and culture, incidents of gun violence and homicides are also a reality. There was a record number of homicides in the city last year and the year before.

The educator didn’t have a straight path to teaching. She started out working in broadcast journalism until she took on her first teaching role in 1998 to run a grant-funded videography class at Passaic County Community College. After that, she ran a preschool and daycare in Seattle, earned her teaching certificate, returned to her hometown, and began teaching at Paterson Public Schools in 2016.

Queen shared with Chalkbeat how she helps her students heal from the last two years, why she loves teaching “science of writing,” and the advice she follows to this day.

This interview has been lightly edited for length and clarity.

Was there a moment when you decided to become a teacher?

I decided I wanted to be a teacher in kindergarten, but I forgot about that dream while pursuing a career as a writer and journalist. I got back to my dream in time.

How do you bring your poetry background into your classroom?

I bring my poetry background into the whole district. Our superintendent has been supportive in a variety of ways. I host a poetry contest open to grades 3-12. The district is the primary contest source, though it’s open to all students. I host workshops for free. I visit campsites and afterschool programs. It is true that my favorite way is right in my own classroom. I tell the scholars to “make clay.” When they make clay, I can help them to mold their creations. A great thing happens: a scholar will “trust their pen and just write,” they’ll use a style that they think they’ve invented because they haven’t had intentional exposure to poetry, then I show them published poems in the style of their natural inclinations. I tell them the name of what they’ve made. It is incredibly empowering.

Sometimes what happens is the scholar is writing on a topic that makes me think of a published poet who writes on the same topic. I introduce them to the poet’s writing and, whenever possible, the poet.

We also write poetic responses to texts that are assigned, and we find ways to infuse poetry into the lessons. It helps that I teach language arts.

Following years of disrupted learning, is there anything you’re doing differently this school year to help students catch up and heal?

I am teaching with love. Love first, then school. Love looks like understanding, kind words, praise for even the smallest things. Addressing scholars as scholars and adding “Sir” and “Ma’am” to that address. Love creates sincere feelings of safety. It prompts scholars to confide in me and want to get higher grades because they know they are valuable. Healing, I think, starts with love.

What’s your favorite lesson to teach and why?

The science of writing — that is my favorite lesson to teach. I made up the title. Basically, I’m teaching the scholars that they ought to memorize, I mean really know, the parts of an essay, the parts of a paragraph, and what kind of paragraph goes where. If we can get that part, the science of it, out of the way, then we can have space to write our ideas without angst. I want them to know the parts like they know their math facts. I start the lesson out with math facts that everyone knows: What’s three times three? What’s eight times one? Of course, everyone knows, but they’re confused about why I am asking that question in my class. I acknowledge that there is a part of the writing process that makes them want to cry. The hands fly up. The heads nod in agreement and some even blurt out, “That’s me!” I love this lesson because it is validating and helps to grow scholars into writers.

What’s something happening in the community that affects what goes on inside your classroom?

You know, we are all suffering from a list of traumas. I can barely talk about it without clearing the tears from my cheeks. I think we share these traumas with the nation, but it seems to me that the violence in our communities, that some people only read about, is in our neighborhoods. Our scholars see the street memorials every day. They know the people who are shot. They know the shooters. They see the stains on the grounds, they hear the stories, they know the stories and they carry the stories around with them inside their bodies. I think our scholars are becoming numb. They are escaping to handheld devices and virtual locations.

Let’s add on to the gun violence, the bomb threats, COVID-19, food insecurity, poverty, and the list goes on. The most important thing that I do in my classroom is give scholars a reason to smile and make them feel loved. Love makes the lessons possible.

Tell us about your own experience with school and how it affects your work today.

I had all the best teachers. They were creative, parental, really amazing teachers. I guess, I hadn’t thought of this before now, that my relationship with my teachers is the model for how I teach. They are grand-teachers now.

How do you approach news events in your classroom?

I often use a daily prompt that allows me to introduce news events. Some news events are imperative because we are all human and sharing the planet with each other. Some stories are worth the time. I don’t mind pausing the lesson plan to have a valuable discussion about the world we live in.

What’s the best advice you’ve ever received and how have you put it into practice?

The best advice I ever received was from my mom. She said, “Well, you don’t know before you try.” I try. I try to make a difference. I try things that I haven’t tried before. I try things that have never been tried by anyone before. I have adopted the belief that “I don’t know yet.”

My classroom is better because of the “yet” mindset. It allows me to look at every problem as a puzzle that I am capable of solving.

Catherine Carrera is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat Newark, covering the city’s K-12 schools with a focus on English language learners. Contact Catherine at ccarrera@chalkbeat.org.

Newark schools would get $120 million increase in 2023 in governor’s budget

2022-03-11T00:03:18+00:00

Newark schools would receive more than $1 billion in state aid next year, an increase of about 13% from this year, under a budget blueprint Gov. Phil Murphy detailed Thursday.

The $120 million boost for Newark is part of the governor’s pitch to increase K-12 school funding by $650 million in 2023. Overall, Murphy’s budget provides $19.2 billion to support schools, which includes $9.9 billion in school aid, $80 million to cover capital projects, and $350 million for school facilities projects. Roughly $5.6 billion would go toward funding teachers pensions, according to a press release from Murphy’s office.

The proposed budget also includes $68 million for preschool aid.

“We place great value on providing all students with access to a world-class education, and this budget continues to support students and school districts,” said Murphy, who detailed the proposal at James Monroe Elementary School in Edison alongside acting Education Commissioner Angelica Allen-McMillan and other state officials. “By adequately funding our public schools, we are allowing towns to maintain high-quality educational programs without passing the additional cost on to property taxpayers.”

This year, Newark is receiving about $915 million in state aid, which was a bump from last year. The proposed budget increase would dovetail with significant federal COVID relief funds Newark schools are getting. The district has received $282 million in federal COVID aid.

Though the governor is proposing an increase in state aid, the school state aid formula has not been fully funded for years. Murphy’s office said in a statement that the budget proposal continues a seven-year plan — ending in 2025 — to give underfunded districts, such as Newark, the state aid they’re entitled to.

Not all of New Jersey’s other large school districts will see a boost in funding next year if state lawmakers approve Murphy’s budget. About $185 million is proposed for Jersey City schools, which would be a decrease of about 27% from this year.

The state must adopt next year’s budget by the end of June. Newark plans to propose its budget for next school year on March 23.

Newark would see an increase in school aid next year in Gov. Phil Murphy’s budget, while Jersey City would face a cut in funding. Use the tool below to look up the proposed aid for other districts in New Jersey.

District	County	FY2023 K–12 Aid
Newark Public School District	Essex	$1.0B
Jersey City Public Schools	Hudson	$184.7M
Elizabeth Public Schools	Union	$486.7M
Paterson Public School District	Passaic	$494.9M
Edison Township School District	Middlesex	$47.6M
Toms River Regional School District	Ocean	$45.4M
Trenton Public Schools	Mercer	$310.4M
Woodbridge Township School District	Middlesex	$83.4M
Passaic City School District	Passaic	$272.1M
Union City School District	Hudson	$213.8M
Hamilton Township Public School District	Mercer	$94.6M
Perth Amboy Public School District	Middlesex	$191.4M
Cherry Hill School District	Camden	$29.6M
Clifton Public School District	Passaic	$67.7M
Vineland Public School District	Cumberland	$139.4M
Freehold Regional High School District	Monmouth	$30.6M
New Brunswick School District	Middlesex	$173.1M
East Orange School District	Essex	$175.1M
Bayonne School District	Hudson	$92.3M
Plainfield Public School District	Union	$212.5M
West Windsor-Plainsboro Regional School District	Mercer	$13.0M
Middletown Township Public School District	Monmouth	$13.5M
Bridgewater-Raritan Regional School District	Somerset	$12.5M
South Brunswick School District	Middlesex	$19.7M
Brick Township Public School District	Ocean	$17.2M
West New York School District	Hudson	$118.1M
Old Bridge Township School District	Middlesex	$28.9M
East Brunswick Township School District	Middlesex	$33.3M
Jackson Township School District	Ocean	$34.1M
Irvington Public School District	Essex	$130.9M
Wayne Township Public School District	Passaic	$8.8M
North Bergen School District	Hudson	$63.0M
Hillsborough Township Public School District	Somerset	$21.6M
Egg Harbor Township School District	Atlantic	$70.2M
Washington Township School District	Gloucester	$43.6M
Parsippany-Troy Hills Township School District	Morris	$9.2M
South Orange-Maplewood School District	Essex	$8.3M
Township of Union School District	Union	$38.5M
Piscataway Township School District	Middlesex	$22.4M
Franklin Township Public School District	Somerset	$15.6M
Camden City School District	Camden	$312.1M
Monroe Township School District	Middlesex	$9.6M
Atlantic City School District	Atlantic	$96.1M
Lenape Regional High School District	Burlington	$24.8M
West Orange Public Schools	Essex	$29.4M
Montclair Public School District	Essex	$8.4M
Gloucester Township Public Schools	Camden	$57.7M
Bridgeton City School District	Cumberland	$117.1M
Bloomfield Township School District	Essex	$45.6M
Linden Public School District	Union	$46.4M
Sayreville School District	Middlesex	$35.8M
Westfield Public School District	Union	$6.6M
Livingston Board of Education School District	Essex	$7.4M
North Brunswick Township School District	Middlesex	$39.3M
LONG BRANCH PUBLIC SCHOOL District	Monmouth	$53.6M
Monroe Township Public School District	Gloucester	$49.3M
ORANGE BOARD OF EDUCATION School District	Essex	$102.5M
Ridgewood Public School District	Bergen	$6.0M
Howell Township Public School District	Monmouth	$22.3M
Hackensack School District	Bergen	$36.4M
Lakewood Township School District	Ocean	$24.7M
Scotch Plains-Fanwood School District	Union	$6.3M
Kearny	Hudson	$55.9M
Morris School District	Morris	$8.0M
Fair Lawn Public School District	Bergen	$16.8M
Bernards Township School District	Somerset	$6.5M
East Windsor Regional School District	Mercer	$41.5M
Millville School District	Cumberland	$68.6M
Manalapan-Englishtown Regional Schools School District	Monmouth	$9.4M
Garfield Public School District	Bergen	$63.5M
Millburn Township School District	Essex	$5.5M
Marlboro Township School District	Monmouth	$7.7M
Winslow Township School District	Camden	$44.7M
Pennsauken Township Board of Education School District	Camden	$69.0M
Montgomery Township School District	Somerset	$6.8M
Mount Olive Township School District	Morris	$26.9M
Pemberton Township School District	Burlington	$70.3M
Belleville Public School District	Essex	$44.0M
Randolph Township School District	Morris	$7.6M
Evesham Township School District	Burlington	$7.5M
Mount Laurel Township School District	Burlington	$6.5M
Fort Lee School District	Bergen	$4.7M
School District of the Chathams	Morris	$4.3M
Rahway Public School District	Union	$34.9M
Deptford Township Public School District	Gloucester	$27.0M
Nutley Public School District	Essex	$8.0M
Summit Public School District	Union	$4.0M
Moorestown Township Public School District	Burlington	$4.9M
Phillipsburg School District	Warren	$43.9M
Lacey Township School District	Ocean	$14.4M
Passaic County Vocational School District	Passaic	$57.3M
Carteret Public School District	Middlesex	$43.8M
Neptune Township School District	Monmouth	$17.0M
Princeton Public Schools	Mercer	$4.9M
Lawrence Township Public School District	Mercer	$5.6M
Paramus Public School District	Bergen	$4.4M
Matawan-Aberdeen Regional School District	Monmouth	$12.9M
Cranford Public School District	Union	$4.0M
Teaneck School District	Bergen	$6.7M
Burlington Township School District	Burlington	$26.0M
Freehold Township School District	Monmouth	$5.0M
Pleasantville Public School District	Atlantic	$70.8M
Bergenfield Borough School District	Bergen	$19.2M
Tenafly Public School District	Bergen	$3.8M
Montville Township School District	Morris	$4.5M
Black Horse Pike Regional School District	Camden	$36.9M
Hammonton School District	Atlantic	$28.7M
Roxbury Township School District	Morris	$9.4M
Barnegat Township School District	Ocean	$22.9M
North Plainfield School District	Somerset	$46.4M
Hopewell Valley Regional School District	Mercer	$5.0M
Willingboro Public School District	Burlington	$45.0M
Galloway Township Public School District	Atlantic	$26.5M
Ewing Township School District	Mercer	$19.5M
Wall Township Public School District	Monmouth	$5.0M
South Plainfield School District	Middlesex	$9.9M
Dover Public School District	Morris	$45.9M
Township of Ocean School District	Monmouth	$5.6M
Cliffside Park School District	Bergen	$6.0M
Robbinsville Public Schools	Mercer	$10.1M
Sparta Township Public School District	Sussex	$5.1M
Hillside Public School District	Union	$29.7M
West Milford Township Public School District	Passaic	$6.8M
Flemington-Raritan Regional School District	Hunterdon	$5.7M
Hoboken Public School District	Hudson	$7.5M
Hamilton Township School District	Atlantic	$27.7M
Lodi School District	Bergen	$29.4M
Englewood Public School District	Bergen	$9.3M
Greater Egg Harbor Regional High School District	Atlantic	$36.8M
Delran Township School District	Burlington	$23.1M
Holmdel Township School District	Monmouth	$4.1M
Vernon Township School District	Sussex	$16.8M
Voorhees Township School District	Camden	$6.0M
West Deptford Township School District	Gloucester	$14.4M
Lindenwold Public School District	Camden	$48.9M
Roselle Public Schools	Union	$35.3M
Manchester Township School District	Ocean	$5.1M
Mahwah Township Public School District	Bergen	$3.8M
Southern Regional School District	Ocean	$3.6M
Westwood Regional School District	Bergen	$3.1M
Kingsway Regional School District	Gloucester	$20.2M
Point Pleasant Borough School District	Ocean	$3.8M
Hazlet Township Public School District	Monmouth	$8.4M
Jefferson Township Public School District	Morris	$6.6M
Morris Hills Regional School District	Morris	$9.1M
Haddonfield School District	Camden	$2.6M
Hudson County Schools of Technology School District	Hudson	$23.1M
Cinnaminson Township School District	Burlington	$15.4M
Caldwell-West School District	Essex	$2.9M
Ramsey School District	Bergen	$2.7M
Medford Township School District	Burlington	$4.1M
Hunterdon Central Regional High School District	Hunterdon	$4.7M
Rutherford School District	Bergen	$2.9M
Madison Public School District	Morris	$2.7M
Berkeley Heights School District	Union	$2.6M
Elmwood Park School District	Bergen	$16.6M
Lyndhurst School District	Bergen	$4.7M
Dumont Public School District	Bergen	$11.0M
Glen Rock Public School District	Bergen	$2.7M
Middle Township Public School District	Cape May	$12.6M
Berkeley Township School District	Ocean	$3.2M
Bordentown Regional School District	Burlington	$10.5M
New Providence School District	Union	$2.5M
Rockaway Township School District	Morris	$3.4M
Bergen County Vocational Technical School District	Bergen	$5.7M
Maple Shade School District	Burlington	$18.7M
West Morris Regional High School District	Morris	$3.9M
Essex County Schools of Technology	Essex	$29.6M
Hawthorne Public School District	Passaic	$4.4M
Northern Valley Regional High School District	Bergen	$2.4M
South River Public School District	Middlesex	$22.1M
North Hunterdon-Voorhees Regional High School District	Hunterdon	$3.9M
Somerville Public School District	Somerset	$9.3M
Metuchen Public School District	Middlesex	$2.5M
Harrison Public Schools	Hudson	$26.0M
Central Regional School District	Ocean	$5.4M
Secaucus School District	Hudson	$2.8M
Verona Public School District	Essex	$2.3M
Clearview Regional High School District	Gloucester	$13.4M
Gloucester City Public School District	Camden	$33.7M
Ramapo Indian Hills Regional High School District	Bergen	$2.9M
Ridgefield Park Public School District	Bergen	$13.5M
Collingswood Public School District	Camden	$11.0M
Clark Township Public School District	Union	$2.4M
Springfield Public School District	Union	$3.0M
Penns Grove-Carneys Point Regional School District	Salem	$32.0M
Stafford Township School District	Ocean	$7.7M
Monmouth County Vocational School District	Monmouth	$8.1M
Northern Burlington County Regional School District	Burlington	$21.5M
Upper Freehold Regional School District	Monmouth	$4.3M
Ocean City School District	Cape May	$4.3M
Middlesex County Vocational and Technical School District	Middlesex	$17.4M
Roselle Park Public School District	Union	$17.2M
Middlesex Borough School District	Middlesex	$12.7M
Burlington County Institute of Technology School District	Burlington	$16.4M
Pequannock Township School District	Morris	$2.4M
Haddon Township School District	Camden	$8.5M
Camden County Technical School District	Camden	$29.5M
Leonia Public School District	Bergen	$5.6M
Washington Township School District	Morris	$4.2M
New Milford Public School District	Bergen	$4.7M
Rancocas Valley Regional High School District	Burlington	$16.2M
Bound Brook School District	Somerset	$24.9M
Pascack Valley Regional High School District	Bergen	$2.3M
Hackettstown Public School District	Warren	$12.4M
Union County Vocational-Technical School District	Union	$15.7M
Watchung Hills Regional High School District	Somerset	$2.3M
Eastern Camden County Regional School District	Camden	$10.0M
Glassboro School District	Gloucester	$13.6M
Asbury Park School District	Monmouth	$29.3M
Wyckoff Township Public School District	Bergen	$2.2M
Somerset Hills Regional School District	Somerset	$2.1M
Pine Hill School District	Camden	$21.3M
Glen Ridge Public School District	Essex	$1.9M
North Arlington School District	Bergen	$6.7M
Cresskill Public School District	Bergen	$1.8M
Pennsville School District	Salem	$14.5M
Palisades Park School District	Bergen	$2.3M
Hasbrouck Heights School District	Bergen	$3.3M
Warren Hills Regional School District	Warren	$10.2M
Pompton Lakes School District	Passaic	$8.5M
Kinnelon School District	Morris	$2.5M
Saddle Brook School District	Bergen	$2.0M
Burlington City Public School District	Burlington	$20.2M
Pittsgrove Township School District	Salem	$16.9M
Atlantic County Vocational School District	Atlantic	$19.0M
Buena Regional School District	Atlantic	$17.6M
Ridgefield School District	Bergen	$3.2M
Spotswood Public School District	Middlesex	$6.3M
Freehold Borough School District	Monmouth	$22.3M
Denville Township K-8 School District	Morris	$2.4M
West Essex Regional School District	Essex	$2.3M
Woodbury City Public School District	Gloucester	$21.0M
Little Egg Harbor Township School District	Ocean	$9.3M
Waldwick School District	Bergen	$2.6M
Keansburg School District	Monmouth	$24.9M
River Dell Regional School District	Bergen	$2.3M
Swedesboro-Woolwich School District	Gloucester	$10.1M
Newton Public School District	Sussex	$10.7M
Delsea Regional High School District	Gloucester	$14.9M
Warren Township School District	Somerset	$2.2M
Cedar Grove Township School District	Essex	$1.8M
Manville School District	Somerset	$16.9M
Lower Township Elementary School District	Cape May	$4.7M
Highland Park Boro School District	Middlesex	$4.8M
Florence Township School District	Burlington	$11.2M
Fairview Public School District	Bergen	$25.8M
Woodstown-Pilesgrove Regional School District	Salem	$8.4M
HADDON HEIGHTS School District	Camden	$2.0M
Gloucester County Vocational-Technical School District	Gloucester	$13.0M
Hopatcong Borough School District	Sussex	$3.8M
Pinelands Regional School District	Ocean	$11.9M
Readington Township School District	Hunterdon	$2.1M
Clayton Public School District	Gloucester	$16.5M
Audubon Public School District	Camden	$9.6M
Manasquan School District	Monmouth	$0.9M
Mountain Lakes Public School District	Morris	$1.2M
Upper Township School District	Cape May	$6.0M
Red Bank Borough Public School District	Monmouth	$9.3M
Boonton Town School District	Morris	$2.9M
Riverside Township School District	Burlington	$17.3M
Tinton Falls School District	Monmouth	$2.6M
Kenilworth School District	Union	$7.7M
Township of Franklin School District	Gloucester	$8.6M
Hanover Park Regional High School District	Morris	$2.1M
Harrison Township School District	Gloucester	$5.4M
Northern Highlands Regional High School District	Bergen	$1.3M
Branchburg Township School District	Somerset	$3.1M
Morris County Vocational School District	Morris	$1.6M
Weehawken Public School District	Hudson	$1.8M
Oakland Public School District	Bergen	$1.5M
Ocean County Vocational Technical School District	Ocean	$5.6M
Hanover Township School District	Morris	$1.5M
East Greenwich Township School District	Gloucester	$7.2M
Mantua Township School District	Gloucester	$5.6M
Dunellen Public School District	Middlesex	$12.8M
River Edge School District	Bergen	$3.4M
Lower Cape May Regional School District	Cape May	$4.6M
Mainland Regional High School	Atlantic	$8.2M
Red Bank Regional School District	Monmouth	$1.6M
Park Ridge School District	Bergen	$1.3M
Pitman Boro School District	Gloucester	$7.0M
Salem City School District	Salem	$19.3M
Clinton Township School District	Hunterdon	$2.0M
Wood-Ridge School District	Bergen	$1.3M
Bellmawr Public School District	Camden	$9.0M
Closter Public School District	Bergen	$1.2M
Bogota Public School District	Bergen	$10.1M
North Hanover Township School District	Burlington	$14.2M
Lumberton Township Board of Education	Burlington	$4.9M
Plumsted Township School District	Ocean	$5.8M
Franklin Lakes School District	Bergen	$1.4M
Paulsboro School District	Gloucester	$16.4M
Butler Public School District	Morris	$2.6M
South Amboy School District	Middlesex	$7.2M
Woodland Park School District	Passaic	$1.6M
Wallington Boro School District	Bergen	$6.6M
Ringwood School District	Passaic	$1.9M
Passaic Valley Regional High School District #1	Passaic	$1.5M
Hillsdale School District	Bergen	$1.2M
Upper Saddle River School District	Bergen	$1.2M
Millstone Township School District	Monmouth	$3.1M
Emerson Public School District	Bergen	$1.2M
River Vale Public School District	Bergen	$1.1M
Mount Holly Township Public School District	Burlington	$12.2M
Chester Township School District	Morris	$1.6M
Sussex-Wantage Regional School District	Sussex	$5.3M
Westampton Township Public School District	Burlington	$5.0M
Haledon Public School District	Passaic	$11.8M
Keyport School District	Monmouth	$4.9M
Rumson Borough School District	Monmouth	$1.0M
Northfield City School District	Atlantic	$5.2M
Colts Neck Township School District	Monmouth	$2.6M
Fair Haven School District	Monmouth	$1.0M
Rumson-Fair Haven Regional High School District	Monmouth	$1.2M
Florham Park School District	Morris	$1.1M
Maywood School District	Bergen	$1.6M
Montvale Board of Education School District	Bergen	$1.1M
Guttenberg School District	Hudson	$11.7M
Cumberland Regional School District	Cumberland	$14.5M
Eatontown Public School District	Monmouth	$1.9M
Edgewater Park Township School District	Burlington	$11.3M
Totowa Public School District	Passaic	$1.0M
Cumberland County Board of Vocational Education	Cumberland	$16.7M
East Hanover Township School District	Morris	$1.1M
Lakeland Regional High School District	Passaic	$2.4M
Lincoln Park School District	Morris	$1.9M
Absecon Public Schools District	Atlantic	$5.8M
Palmyra Public School District	Burlington	$6.5M
Monmouth Regional High School	Monmouth	$1.9M
South Hunterdon Regional School District	Hunterdon	$2.7M
Sterling Regional School District	Camden	$9.5M
Wanaque School District	Passaic	$1.4M
Kittatinny Regional School District	Sussex	$2.7M
Waterford Township School District	Camden	$12.2M
Long Hill Township School District	Morris	$1.1M
Little Falls Township Public School District	Passaic	$1.1M
Gateway Regional High School District	Gloucester	$9.5M
Midland Park School District	Bergen	$1.0M
Wildwood City School District	Cape May	$4.1M
Edgewater School District	Bergen	$1.9M
Runnemede Public School District	Camden	$6.5M
Stratford School District	Camden	$7.1M
Allendale Public School District	Bergen	$0.9M
Little Ferry Public School District	Bergen	$3.9M
High Point Regional High School District	Sussex	$3.5M
Prospect Park Public School District	Passaic	$11.3M
Upper Deerfield Township School District	Cumberland	$8.7M
Somers Point School District	Atlantic	$4.4M
Logan Township School District	Gloucester	$2.3M
Little Silver Boro School District	Monmouth	$0.8M
Byram Township School District	Sussex	$2.4M
Linwood City School District	Atlantic	$1.0M
Berlin Borough School District	Camden	$5.1M
Passaic County Manchester Regional High School District	Passaic	$12.2M
Milltown School District	Middlesex	$4.1M
Green Brook Township Public School District	Somerset	$1.6M
Chesterfield Township School District	Burlington	$3.6M
Wharton Borough School District	Morris	$6.1M
East Rutherford School District	Bergen	$0.9M
Sussex County Technical School District	Sussex	$4.2M
Oradell Public School District	Bergen	$0.8M
North Warren Regional School District	Warren	$1.8M
Point Pleasant Beach School District	Ocean	$0.6M
Salem County Vocational Technical School District	Salem	$8.1M
Mountainside School District	Union	$1.3M
Lopatcong Township School District	Warren	$3.6M
Mendham Township School District	Morris	$1.1M
Shamong Township School District	Burlington	$3.1M
Mullica Township School District	Atlantic	$4.9M
Woodcliff Lake School District	Bergen	$0.7M
Greenwich Township School District	Warren	$5.3M
Jamesburg Public School District	Middlesex	$9.3M
Demarest School District	Bergen	$0.7M
Southampton Township School District	Burlington	$1.3M
Fairfield Public School District	Essex	$0.8M
North Caldwell School District	Essex	$0.8M
Delaware Valley Regional High School District	Hunterdon	$1.9M
Tabernacle Township School District	Burlington	$3.1M
Area Vocational Technical Schools of Mercer County	Mercer	$4.7M
Hardyston Township School District	Sussex	$1.3M
Old Tappan Public School District	Bergen	$0.7M
Belvidere School District	Warren	$2.7M
Great Meadows Regional School District	Warren	$2.3M
Berlin Township School District	Camden	$5.5M
Lenape Valley Regional High School District	Sussex	$4.7M
Ventnor City School District	Atlantic	$1.3M
Lebanon Township School District	Hunterdon	$1.4M
North Haledon School District	Passaic	$0.6M
Union Beach Public School District	Monmouth	$5.2M
Barrington School District	Camden	$4.5M
Shore Regional High School District	Monmouth	$0.8M
Oceanport School District	Monmouth	$0.7M
Watchung Borough School District	Somerset	$0.9M
Harrington Park School District	Bergen	$0.7M
Norwood Public School District	Bergen	$0.7M
Dennis Township School District	Cape May	$2.1M
Ho-Ho-Kus School District	Bergen	$1.0M
Morris Plains School District	Morris	$1.2M
Mansfield Township Elementary School District	Warren	$3.8M
West Long Branch School District	Monmouth	$0.6M
Cape May County Technical High School District	Cape May	$1.4M
Hainesport Township School District	Burlington	$0.8M
Wallkill Valley Regional High School	Sussex	$3.3M
Eastampton Township School District	Burlington	$3.8M
Rockaway Borough School District	Morris	$1.8M
Carlstadt PublicSchool District	Bergen	$0.6M
Mansfield Township School District	Burlington	$0.7M
Bloomingdale School District	Passaic	$1.3M
Fairfield Township School District	Cumberland	$5.3M
Medford Lakes School District	Burlington	$1.7M
Holland Township School District	Hunterdon	$1.2M
Northvale Public School District	Bergen	$0.6M
Bedminster Township Public School District	Somerset	$1.1M
Tewksbury Township School District	Hunterdon	$1.2M
Ocean Township School District	Ocean	$2.4M
Carlstadt-East Rutherford Regional High School District	Bergen	$0.7M
Brielle Boro School District	Monmouth	$0.8M
Clementon Elementary School District	Camden	$9.1M
Somerset County Vocational and Technical School District	Somerset	$1.4M
Frankford Township Consolidated School District	Sussex	$1.0M
Brigantine Public School District	Atlantic	$1.1M
Rochelle Park School District	Bergen	$0.8M
Hopewell Township School District	Cumberland	$3.7M
Lawrence Township School District	Cumberland	$5.9M
Mendham Borough School District	Morris	$0.5M
Egg Harbor City School District	Atlantic	$7.8M
Commercial Township School District	Cumberland	$8.9M
Cranbury Township School District	Middlesex	$0.9M
Englewood Cliffs School District	Bergen	$0.6M
Shrewsbury Borough School District	Monmouth	$0.5M
Washington Borough School District	Warren	$3.4M
Somerdale School District	Camden	$4.7M
Alexandria Township School District	Hunterdon	$1.1M
Belmar Elementary School District	Monmouth	$0.8M
Blairstown Elementary Township School District	Warren	$1.0M
Franklin Borough School District	Sussex	$3.4M
Roseland School District	Essex	$0.6M
South Bound Brook Public School District	Somerset	$5.0M
Andover Regional School District	Sussex	$1.4M
Warren County Vocational Technical School	Warren	$3.6M
Clinton-Glen Gardner School District	Hunterdon	$1.0M
Hunterdon County Vocational School District	Hunterdon	$0.9M
Union Township School District	Hunterdon	$0.6M
Merchantville School District	Camden	$5.1M
Greenwich Township School District	Gloucester	$0.8M
Allamuchy Township School District	Warren	$0.9M
Mt. Ephraim School District	Camden	$4.0M
Maurice River Township School District	Cumberland	$5.1M
Washington Township School District	Warren	$1.1M
Delanco Township School District	Burlington	$2.6M
Boonton Township School District	Morris	$0.8M
Green Township School District	Sussex	$2.4M
Lakehurst School District	Ocean	$6.7M
Magnolia School District	Camden	$3.4M
Woodlynne School District	Camden	$10.6M
Folsom Borough School District	Atlantic	$5.7M
Haworth Public School District	Bergen	$0.4M
Delaware Township School District	Hunterdon	$0.9M
High Bridge Borough School District	Hunterdon	$1.1M
Garwood Boro	Union	$0.6M
Margate City School District	Atlantic	$0.5M
Mount Arlington Public School District	Morris	$0.8M
East Amwell Township School District	Hunterdon	$0.8M
Kingwood Township School District	Hunterdon	$0.8M
Westville Boro Public School District	Gloucester	$3.6M
Bethlehem Township School District	Hunterdon	$0.8M
Moonachie School District	Bergen	$0.6M
Mine Hill Township School District	Morris	$3.3M
Alloway Twp School District	Salem	$3.0M
South Harrison Township School District	Gloucester	$1.2M
Riverdale School District	Morris	$0.5M
Henry Hudson Regional School District	Monmouth	$0.6M
Hampton Township School District	Sussex	$0.6M
Elk Township School District	Gloucester	$2.3M
Stanhope School District	Sussex	$1.0M
Tuckerton Borough School District	Ocean	$2.2M
Beverly City School District	Burlington	$5.7M
Pohatcong Township School District	Warren	$2.2M
UPPER PITTSGROVE TWP School District	Salem	$2.7M
Lawnside School Distric	Camden	$5.3M
Riverton School District	Burlington	$1.0M
Neptune City School District	Monmouth	$0.9M
Atlantic Highlands School District	Monmouth	$0.3M
Spring Lake Heights School District	Monmouth	$0.5M
Brooklawn Public School District	Camden	$5.1M
National Park Boro School District	Gloucester	$2.9M
Netcong School District	Morris	$2.0M
Oaklyn Public School District	Camden	$3.0M
Oldmans Township School District	Salem	$2.2M
South Hackensack School District	Bergen	$0.5M
Harding Township School District	Morris	$0.6M
Franklin Township School District	Hunterdon	$0.5M
Wildwood Crest Borough School District	Cape May	$0.6M
Bradley Beach School District	Monmouth	$0.6M
Quinton Township School District	Salem	$3.3M
Oxford Township School District	Warren	$2.4M
Gibbsboro Elementary School District	Camden	$1.8M
Deerfield Township School District	Cumberland	$2.4M
White Township Consolidated School District	Warren	$0.8M
Ogdensburg Borough School District	Sussex	$1.8M
Essex Fells School District	Essex	$0.2M
Hamburg School District	Sussex	$1.3M
Stillwater Township School District	Sussex	$0.7M
Montague Township School District	Sussex	$1.8M
Springfield Township School District	Burlington	$0.6M
Harmony Township School District	Warren	$0.4M
Monmouth Beach School District	Monmouth	$0.2M
East Newark School District	Hudson	$4.4M
Long Beach Island Consolidated School District	Ocean	$0.8M
Woodbine School District	Cape May	$3.1M
Woodbury Heights Public School District	Gloucester	$1.4M
Seaside Heights School District	Ocean	$0.7M
Franklin Township School District	Warren	$0.4M
Alpha Borough School District	Warren	$1.9M
North Wildwood School District	Cape May	$0.4M
Lafayette Township School District	Sussex	$0.8M
Estell Manor School District	Atlantic	$1.8M
Fredon Township School District	Sussex	$0.3M
Mannington Township School District	Salem	$0.3M
Laurel Springs School District	Camden	$2.9M
Highlands Borough School District	Monmouth	$0.3M
Downe Township School District	Cumberland	$1.4M
New Hanover Township	Burlington	$2.0M
Weymouth Township School District	Atlantic	$0.8M
Farmingdale Public School District	Monmouth	$0.6M
Wenonah Boro School District	Gloucester	$0.2M
The Lower Alloways Creek School District	Salem	$0.4M
Knowlton Township School District	Warren	$0.5M
Deal Boro School District	Monmouth	$2.3M
Sea Girt Borough School District	Monmouth	$0.1M
Lavallette Borough School District	Ocean	$0.2M
Alpine School District	Bergen	$0.2M
Spring Lake Borough	Monmouth	$0.3M
Saddle River School District	Bergen	$0.5M
Winfield Township	Union	$1.7M
Cape May City School District	Cape May	$3.8M
Ocean Gate School District	Ocean	$0.6M
Frelinghuysen Township School District	Warren	$0.3M
Woodland Township School District	Burlington	$0.6M
Eagleswood Township School District	Ocean	$0.6M
Hope Township School District	Warren	$0.4M
Stow Creek Township School District	Cumberland	$0.5M
Frenchtown Borough School District	Hunterdon	$0.4M
Avon Boro School District	Monmouth	$0.2M
Bay Head Borough School District	Ocean	$0.1M
Sandyston-Walpack Consolidated School District	Sussex	$0.3M
Island Heights School District	Ocean	$0.3M
Elsinboro Township School District	Salem	$1.3M
Port Republic School District	Atlantic	$0.9M
Lebanon Borough School District	Hunterdon	$0.1M
Bass River Township Board of Education	Burlington	$0.5M
Hampton Borough School District	Hunterdon	$0.7M
Bloomsbury Borough School District	Hunterdon	$0.9M
West Cape May School District	Cape May	$0.6M
Avalon School District	Cape May	$0.1M
Stone Harbor School District	Cape May	$0.0M
Greenwich Township School District	Cumberland	$0.5M
Roosevelt Borough Public School District	Monmouth	$0.8M
Califon Borough School District	Hunterdon	$0.1M
Milford Borough School District	Hunterdon	$0.3M
Beach Haven School District	Ocean	$0.3M
Corbin City School District	Atlantic	$0.5M
Longport Board Of Education	Atlantic	$0.1M
Rockleigh School District	Bergen	$0.0M
Washington Township School District	Burlington	$0.2M
Chesilhurst Board Of Education	Camden	$1.6M
Hi Nella	Camden	$1.5M
Cape May Point School District	Cape May	$0.0M
Sea Isle City Board of Education	Cape May	$0.2M
West Wildwood School District	Cape May	$0.0M
Newfield Boro School District	Gloucester	$2.5M
Allenhurst School District	Monmouth	$0.0M
Interlaken School District	Monmouth	$0.1M
Lake Como School District	Monmouth	$0.3M
Loch Arbour School District	Monmouth	$0.0M
Seaside Park Borough School District	Ocean	$0.1M

Proposed school aid for 2023 by district

New Jersey Department of Education

Catherine Carrera is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat Newark, covering the city’s K-12 schools with a focus on English language learners. Contact Catherine at ccarrera@chalkbeat.org.

Newark students in teacher training program to receive $3,700 stipends from union

2022-02-15T00:30:04+00:00

“What makes my favorite teachers so amazing?” Aniya Mahfood Shockness, 15, wondered aloud to herself in a multipurpose room full of other high school students chattering among themselves.

“It’s how they interact and connect with us, and try to understand us,” the East Side High School ninth grader said. “You can teach wonderful lessons, but they’re not wonderful if you don’t know how to connect with us.”

That’s what the teacher-in-training hopes to do in several more years: teach wonderful lessons.

Mahfood Shockness is in her first year at The Teacher Academy at East Side High School, Newark’s four-year teacher training program aimed at recruiting and preparing students to enter the teaching profession and return to their communities.

She and roughly 34 other students currently enrolled in the program will be receiving a $1,200 stipend this spring and another $2,500 in the summer from the American Federation of Teachers, the union’s president Randi Weingarten announced at a news conference on Monday.

“We want to make sure that you can dream your dreams and achieve them,” Weingarten said to that same room with Mahfood Shockness, her classmates, and teachers. “We need to help create those conditions so that it becomes doable and workable for you to do this kind of work.”

Weingarten said the one-time donation for student stipends will total $125,000. She hopes that the state, district, and other community organizations can step in going forward to fund semester stipends for students in the program.

The academy, which kicked off in 2020, partners with Montclair State University in a dual enrollment portion of the program for juniors and seniors to earn up to 30 college credits. The program’s Class of 2023 will be the first to graduate from the academy.

Some students in the program, Weingarten said, have been overwhelmed with other responsibilities.

“We had people who actually said I can’t do this program any more because I have to work,” she said. “We saw in the work we’ve done in the teacher academy that this piece was missing. A stipend for kids is missing. And instead of waiting for other people to solve it, we said, `let’s give the seed money now.’”

Brianna McClave, who teaches ninth graders in the program, said she was excited to see her students’ faces light up when they heard the announcement.

“I think this pandemic has impacted a lot of people, especially our students,” McClave said. “I’m so happy my kids will be able to take advantage of this opportunity. It’s really going to help them in the long run.”

Rayssa Fernandes, a junior in the program, hopes one day to be a psychology teacher.

“My goal is always to learn as much as I can,” Fernandes, 16, said. “In the future, I really hope that what I learn can help and benefit future generations.”

Superintendent Roger León recommitted to the promise he made when the program was first announced in 2019 and said a teaching contract will be waiting for graduates of the program.

“Not only will they graduate in June of 2023, but I will issue all of them teaching contracts in Newark,” he said. “In 2027, I expect to see all of you back here in Newark.”

As of now, it’s a $65,000 annual salary contract, he added.

At the end of the event, the juniors in the program invited Weingarten and Montclair State University President Jonathan Koppell to attend their graduation in June of 2023.

The investment in the teacher academy comes amid a national teacher shortage that has rippled across the state, including Newark schools.

In the district, León said, there are currently 110 teacher vacancies. When the school year started, there were 120 instructional positions unfilled in the district.

Earlier this school year, after Mahfood Shockness learned about the teacher shortage, she started to research articles about the shortage of Black teachers. Growing up in Brooklyn, she had many Black teachers. But when she moved to Newark, she had fewer teachers who looked like her, she said.

“I know how it feels to feel isolated in a classroom you’re going through a school day and none of my teachers are Black,” she said. “I find that to be kind of sad. This class definitely feels like a good option and good opportunity for me.”

Catherine Carrera is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat Newark, covering the city’s K-12 schools with a focus on English language learners. Contact Catherine at ccarrera@gmail.com.

N.J.’s school mask mandate will be lifted in March. What will happen in Newark?

2022-02-07T22:55:54+00:00

Face masks in New Jersey schools will no longer be a statewide mandate starting next month, but as of now, Newark Public Schools’ masking rules will remain in place and families will be notified if there are any changes, the district said Monday.

As new COVID cases and hospitalizations decline from the omicron surge in early January, Gov. Phil Murphy announced Monday the state would be lifting its mask mandate for schools and day care centers beginning March 7. Districts and private child care providers will still have the ability to implement face mask rules in their buildings, the governor said.

“We’re announcing this with plenty of advance notice for our schools and child care settings, for our students and their families, our educators, and support staff, to determine how this will impact them and to finalize any steps they may need to make in preparation,” Murphy said at a news conference in Trenton.

The state Department of Health has not issued any guidance for school districts, but that’s expected to be released in the coming weeks, Murphy said.

State health commissioner Judith Persichilli said school districts should work with local health departments to determine whether to keep mask mandates in their buildings.

“I must thank the overwhelming majority of students, parents, administrators, educators, and support staffers who stood tall as role models ever since our schools returned to in-person instruction by wearing your masks day in and day out without problem or protest,” Murphy said.

Newark’s safe return plan requires face masks in all school buildings and vehicles with limited exemptions.

“The mask is a part of the district’s protocols and we will notify families of any changes,” a district spokesperson said in a statement.

Murphy is not alone in this decision. Delaware also announced its school mask mandate will be lifted by the end of March and Pennsylvania’s mandate for K-12 schools ended last month.

“This is a huge step back to normalcy for our kids,” Murphy said.

Though new COVID cases have taken a plunge, the vaccination rate among children remains low in the state. Only 1 in 3 New Jersey children ages 5 to 11 have received at least one shot of the vaccine, NorthJersey.com reported this week. Nationally, the vaccination rate among children also remains low.

In Newark Public Schools, roughly 18% of students have reported receiving the vaccine, according to the district. However, that number could be an undercount as it only includes students who have reported their vaccination status to the district.

Mayor Ras Baraka said Monday that 27% of 5- to 11-year-olds in Newark have gotten at least one vaccine dose along with 76% of 12- to 17-year-olds.

The district has a weekly COVID testing program for students and staff, though only 13,454 students — or 35% of the student population — have opted into the program.

Patrick Wall contributed to this story.

Majority Black, Latinx school districts in N.J. are the most underfunded, report says

2022-02-02T23:35:00+00:00

Newark and other large New Jersey school systems with majority Black and Hispanic or Latinx students from low-income neighborhoods are the most underfunded districts in the state, which leaves educators struggling to provide quality education, according to a new report.

The report, “New Jersey School Funding: The Higher the Goals, the Higher the Costs,” released Wednesday by the nonpartisan think tank New Jersey Policy Perspective, shows how the state has failed to fully fund its current school-aid formula. It also recommends that the state update its decade-old formula, which was passed in 2008 under the School Funding Reform Act, to account for the needs of today’s students and school standards.

“Put simply, it costs more to achieve more,” said Bruce Baker, a co-author of the report and professor at Rutgers University Graduate School of Education. “It’s time to revisit the formula and recalibrate it for modern times and modern goals.”

The state’s school funding formula determines how state aid is allocated across districts statewide, with the objective being to equalize spending across rich and poor districts. The school funding law says districts with more high-needs students should get more money through a mix of state aid and local revenue.

Since that law was passed in 2008, school standards have become more rigorous and state assessments have become more difficult to pass, the report says. “Yet, many schools are not receiving the level of funding needed to teach to these more demanding standards,” the report says.

Without adequate funding, students have an increasingly difficult time achieving educational success, according to the report.

“New Jersey’s most affluent school districts have the resources they need — and more — to provide a rigorous education,” the report says. “The state’s large, high-poverty districts, however, have far less funding than needed to meet the same exacting standards.”

Without fully funding the school-aid formula, Newark could be getting shortchanged by about $15,650 per student, based on statistical data, the report says. The spending gap per student ranges across the large districts from $2,275 in Clifton to nearly $22,000 in Trenton the report shows.

“We know that students in poverty and students with limited English proficiency need more resources to equalize their educational opportunity,” said Mark Weber, a co-author of the report and education policy special analyst at the think tank. “You’ve got kids who need more resources and communities that are less able to provide them through local revenue — that’s when the state must step in.”

He added that the state is “demanding a higher level of performance from its students and its teachers. But schools can’t meet high standards if they don’t have the necessary resources.”

More funding could result in smaller class sizes, more individualized instruction, better remediation for struggling students, and the latest technology — “all the things necessary for students to meet more ambitious goals,” Weber said.

Newark outlines promises to English learners who struggled during the pandemic

2022-01-31T10:45:00+00:00

The Newark Board of Education approved a resolution that outlined the district’s obligations to meet the needs of students who are learning English, including a commitment to give those students priority for in-person instruction when the district switches to remote or hybrid learning.

The district also promised to implement “steps to find and engage” English learners “who lost contact with district schools during the pandemic,” especially its youngest students, those who lacked internet access, and older students who are at risk of dropping out, the resolution states.

The 15-point resolution, approved at a board meeting last week, restates responsibilities the district is required to meet by state and federal law, such as screening students to identify English learners and providing teachers of English learners with relevant professional development opportunities. The responsibilities of the district to that group of students, who make up one-fifth of the student population, have also been outlined in a settlement agreement with the U.S. Department of Justice, which the board approved in the fall.

“This resolution is really intended as a reaffirmation of the value of the great diversity that we have in our schools and the importance of equity, specifically here with respect to our English language learners,” said board co-vice president Vereliz Santana before the vote on the resolution.

Santana added that the resolution models a recommendation from the Education Law Center, the N.J. Consortium for Immigrant Children, and the N.J. Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages/N.J. Bilingual Educators.

Those three groups jointly published a report in November that highlighted the ways districts throughout New Jersey, including Newark, routinely failed to meet state regulations for educating students with limited English proficiency, especially during the pandemic and remote learning.

Affirming the rights of English learners in the district “is a great first step,” but it’s crucial for the school board to also enact policies that will ensure the district follows through on the commitments made in the resolution, said Lady Jimenez Torres, policy director for New Jersey Consortium for Immigrant Children, in a statement emailed Sunday.

Newark Public Schools was recently the subject of a four-year investigation by the U.S. Justice Department, which uncovered wide-ranging failures to properly serve English learners, a violation of the Equal Educational Opportunities Act of 1974. That federal law states that schools must remove any language barriers that limit students’ access to instruction.

The investigation found, among other violations, that the district under-identified students who required language support, placed English learners in schools without adequate services, and failed to hire and retain enough qualified teachers. The justice department will be monitoring the district at least through 2024 to ensure it complies with the obligations summarized in the agreement.

At the board meeting, Santana spoke about her experience when she was a young English learner struggling to learn the language and almost held back as a first grader.

“My mom did everything possible to make sure that I made it to the finish line that year,” Santana said. “I can’t imagine how difficult it would have been if we were in a pandemic at that time. I doubt I would even be here if that were the case.”

Here are a few more obligations outlined in the resolution:

To continue recruiting bilingual and/or Black, Indigenous, and people of color throughout the school workforce to ensure a reflection of Newark’s diverse student population.
To ensure that parents and caregivers whose primary language is not English receive communication in a language they understand.
To foster the involvement of parents of English learners in the development and review of school programs, and to share information to their communities, including through a parent advisory committee.
To avoid any practices that could stop undocumented students from enrolling, and to refrain from requesting immigration-related documents in order for a child to enroll or stay in school.
To follow principles that minimize the risk of families coming into contact with the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. These principles include prohibiting ICE agents from entering school grounds or accessing school records unless absolutely required by law.

Newark COVID cases decline as students settle back into in-person learning

2022-01-25T00:22:29+00:00

Newark Public Schools saw a decline in coronavirus cases last week as the district reopened its doors for in-person instruction after two weeks of remote learning, according to the district’s dashboard.

Superintendent Roger León, speaking at a virtual school board retreat on Saturday, said the two-week remote learning period was “extremely successful” in helping to slow the spread of the virus in schools.

The district had pivoted to remote instruction on Jan. 3 as cases surged across the district, city, and state. Last week, Newark families felt a mix of emotions as students went back to in-person learning.

There were 88 staff cases reported the week of Jan. 17, according to the district’s COVID-19 dashboard, which was updated on Monday. Staff cases took a significant plunge from the 566 cases reported the week of Dec. 27.

Last week, there were 48 student cases, the dashboard shows. Ann Street Elementary School reported 13 student cases, the highest number across the district for one school. Other schools were reporting between one to six cases last week.

León said that fewer than 15 classroom teachers tested positive last week, a stark difference from the hundreds that were testing positive just a few weeks ago.

León added that all staff were required to get tested in the days after the holidays. The week of Jan. 3, 338 staff cases were reported, which dropped to 186 the following week.

“That strategy enabled us to identify, isolate, and begin to quarantine before anyone was back,” León said of the decision to switch to remote learning after the break.

On Friday, 10 district employees tested positive, of which three were classroom teachers, he said. That same day, eight students tested positive, he added. Those numbers were a dramatic decrease from the numbers the district saw mid-December.

It’s unclear how many students are participating in the district’s weekly COVID testing program. As of Dec. 21, there were around 12,000 students, or just over a third of the district student population, who opted in.

At the virtual retreat meeting on Saturday, district officials did not give an update on the testing program. Several emails to the district requesting an update on the number of students who have submitted consent forms have gone unanswered.

Gov. Phil Murphy, at a coronavirus briefing in Trenton on Monday, said the state was seeing a downward trend of cases. State officials said cases and hospitalizations likely peaked two weeks ago.

Newark students share mixed feelings about being in-person amid COVID surge

2022-01-14T14:52:46+00:00

When Maryam Agboola, a student at Washington Park High School in Newark, returned to in-person learning in the fall after 15 months of remote instruction, she felt a sense of relief and a bit of concern.

With COVID still spreading in her community, she worried about contracting the virus at school. But the junior has four advanced placement classes plus an internship and a class on coding this year — a demanding course load. She felt more confident and motivated to take on that load with the resources her school offers in-person, not remotely.

During winter break, when Newark Public Schools and other large charter school networks began announcing they would pivot to virtual learning in January as the city faced a surge in positive cases, she again had mixed feelings about her school continuing in-person instruction.

“I mean, there’s something so stressful about being in-person because of COVID,” Agboola said. “But at the same time, I like being able to see my friends and teachers.”

She’s more likely to finish her work on time, she says, when she’s surrounded by friends and has dedicated study hall time with the watchful eye of a teacher.

Agboola’s high school is part of North Star Academy, run by Uncommon Schools, and one of the city’s largest charter school networks. While most city schools delayed the return to in-person instruction by a week or two, the charter system comprising 14 schools took just one extra day off to allow for testing of staff and students.

North Star students were back in the buildings on Jan. 4, as the rest of the city schools went remote.

“We are committed to in-person learning because we believe it’s what is best for students, and keeping our community safe and healthy while we learn in school is our first priority,” said Barbara Martinez, spokesperson for North Star Academy.

Newark’s seven-day rolling average of positive COVID tests reached 39.15% on Jan. 4, up from 38% a few days earlier, according to Newark Mayor Ras Baraka’s COVID briefing that week.

That week, the city was averaging nearly 1,000 positive tests daily.

This week, the seven-day average was 32.03%, beginning to show signs of trending down, the mayor said Wednesday. Those estimates don’t always include positive at-home COVID tests.

Martinez said the charter school has preventative measures in place to mitigate the risk of spread, including mandatory daily health surveys and pooled PCR testing of staff and students. The school also encourages students and families to get vaccinated through school-based vaccine clinics, she added.

While Agboola and some students say they were both concerned and relieved about returning to in-person instruction immediately following the break, other students say they didn’t feel comfortable.

“When all the other schools are pretty much closed and you’re one of the only schools open, it feels unsafe and worrisome,” said Dashawn Sheffield, a junior at Washington Park High School. “I just wish the school would’ve closed for a week or two to allow things to calm down.”

Sheffield said he noticed some of his classes had roughly half the students in attendance last week. A class that typically had around 24 students had about 12 to 15, he said.

Not all students had the same experience, even at the same school. Agboola said she noticed around four to five students at most absent from some classes last week.

Another student, who asked not to be identified, said she was too worried about going in-person, so she provided false information on her daily health screening so that she could stay at home. Other students said they prefer being in-person and have difficulty learning at home with connectivity issues often leading to distractions.

North Star Academy’s COVID dashboard shows there were 18 positive cases among students and staff the week of Jan. 3, including one at Washington Park High School. The week of Dec. 6, there were 31 cases listed on the dashboard.

“Attendance has been strong, and getting stronger every day, and numerous families have expressed their relief and gratitude for keeping our students in school with all of these additional safety measures,” Martinez said.

Nationwide, the debate over keeping students in-person or at home escalated the first two weeks of January as cities across the country faced record-breaking positive cases.

Detroit schools extended remote learning until late January, and families were given until Jan. 31 to submit students’ testing consent forms. Chicago students headed back to their classrooms on Wednesday after a contentious standoff between the city and its teachers union over COVID safety concerns. New York City schools returned to in-person instruction after break, which led some students to organize a walkout in demand of a remote option.

Some Newark parents and students also feel there should be a remote option.

Lauren Yeboah, a senior at Lincoln Park High School, says she likes some benefits of being in-person, such as the resources her school offers. But she feels she’s not in the right headspace to be going to school in-person. “I’m just too stressed,” she said.

Rachel Lopez, a resident of nine years, has two children in two different charter schools. Her 14-year-old son attends Link Community Charter School, which has been remote since mid-December. Her son, whose name she asked not to publish, excels with remote learning, she said.

Her 8-year-old daughter attends a North Star Academy elementary school. Lopez decided to keep her home the first week of January, despite the school being in-person. Her daughter’s teacher provided the family with a take-home learning packet. A remote instruction option is not offered in New Jersey, but some districts have temporarily given families the option.

Her daughter returned to school this week so that she wouldn’t miss out on exams. But Lopez says the third grader spends the day telling her classmates to wear their masks properly, and sometimes “panics” when too many people aren’t following masking rules.

“How can a child learn like that?” Lopez said.

Newark’s return to remote learning comes with some challenges for teachers, students

2022-01-05T11:00:00+00:00

Classes starting late due to technical issues.

Confusion among teachers about whether to work from home or at school.

Spotty attendance in classes, in some cases due to a lack of devices or internet connection.

As Newark Public Schools returned to remote learning for the first time this school year following a recent surge in positive COVID cases across the community, recurrent issues from the previous time the district went virtual cropped up once again.

Overall, however, teachers and students say the first two days back on a remote learning schedule have been better than they expected because they were able to plan ahead.

Teachers were given three days before the winter break to prepare their students for the possible pivot to remote, giving them the chance to review virtual classroom links and codes and provide learning packets. The district is expected to return to in-person learning on Jan. 18.

“It’s actually going better than I anticipated,” said Alyson Hairston Beresford, who teaches fifth grade students on the autism spectrum at Camden Street Elementary School. “My students who have been able to log on are logging on and I’m getting a lot of positive support from my administrators.”

Beresford said she remembers last school year when a majority of her students initially struggled to log on. But after Superintendent Roger León’s letter went out Dec. 20, she had enough time to add key links to their computer “favorites,” making it easier for students who struggle with reading to find the right link.

“A few days to prepare makes a huge difference when it comes to my students who have reading difficulties, trouble holding a mouse, and other challenges,” Beresford said. “I was able to show them to ensure that they were able to log on to the programs, and it’s working so far.”

On Tuesday, the second day of the remote learning plan, some classes were delayed due to technical issues. Abington Avenue School posted on its Instagram account that there were some “internet interruptions due to technical issues.”

Science Park High School student Ashley Lourenco said some classmates weren’t able to enter their virtual classes for 10 to 20 minutes. She added that students have also been having issues with their Chromebooks.

Despite those hiccups, Lourenco said, “remote has definitely been a more smooth transition since it was expected” after the notice to families on Dec. 20 and a follow-up on Dec. 30.

León sent a notice to families Thursday informing them that the district planned to go remote starting Monday due to the surge of COVID cases among students and staff before winter break, which began Dec. 23.

There has also been a huge citywide increase in positive cases. Mayor Ras Baraka said Monday there were 3,895 new cases reported in the city since Thursday. The city’s seven-day rolling average of positive COVID tests soared above 44%, compared with just 2% in mid-October.

Some teachers said attendance was low in some classes, mostly due to students who didn’t pick up their devices before winter break.

“The attendance wasn’t great,” said a Newark high school teacher who asked to remain anonymous to avoid retaliation. “I was missing a few students because a lot of them either still don’t have a Chromebook or they have one but there was something wrong with it, or the internet was lagging.”

Students stopped attending school in the days before winter break, she said, because they were testing positive for the coronavirus or they were identified as close contacts. Because of that, they were absent on the days devices were being distributed, she added.

A high school teacher of English as a second language said her students had some issues navigating the device applications at first but once they were logged on, they were engaged in the lesson.

“I feel it was pretty successful,” said the ESL teacher who asked to remain anonymous. “I was able to get my lesson across and the students asked questions.”

But not all teachers have been having a positive experience.

Some were asked to show up to work in person, even though the rest of the district is working remotely. The Newark Teachers Union issued a statement on its social media accounts that teachers can work remotely, despite what their principals have told them.

Still, those teachers were warned by their school administrators that they would lose personal time if they don’t show in person.

Teachers at one elementary school have had to work from their school building instead of remotely so far this week, said one teacher who asked to remain anonymous to avoid retaliation.

“Pretty much every teacher in my building has expressed extreme frustration with the situation,” that teacher said. “I thought morale couldn’t be lower heading into our winter break, but I can now say that it is indeed lower.”

Most charter school students throughout the city also are doing remote learning for the first two weeks of the year. However, North Star Academy, a charter school system with 14 schools, returned to in-person instruction Tuesday.

In a letter to families, the charter school said families were “encouraged” to get their children tested before returning to school and that free rapid tests would be provided to families who need them.

KIPP, which operates 14 schools including two high schools, sent a letter to families Dec. 31 informing them that students would switch to virtual learning only for the first week of the month with an expected return to in-person learning Jan. 10.

Great Oaks Legacy Charter School and Marion P. Thomas Charter School students are all on remote learning schedules until Jan. 18. In a letter to families, Marion P. Thomas Charter School Superintendent Angela Mincy said the school will test students prior to their return to in-person learning.

Patrick Wall contributed reporting.

Newark schools will start 2022 remote as COVID cases rise

2021-12-30T23:46:03+00:00

Updated 12/31/21: Newark schools will switch to fully remote learning after the holiday recess ends Jan. 3 and keep students home for at least two weeks as COVID cases continue to climb in the city, officials said Thursday evening.

Superintendent Roger León said the district made the decision after consulting with the city health department about the recent surge in infections. Students were told to prepare for the possibility of remote learning before leaving for winter break and are expected to return to classrooms on Jan. 18.

“This is not the news I want to be sharing with students and their families at this time because we need to continue in-person instruction,” León said in a statement, “but the health and safety of students and staff remains the top priority.”

In the week before winter break, Newark Public Schools reported that more than 200 students and 230 employees tested positive for COVID, according to the district’s online database.

Newark became the largest school district in New Jersey to announce the shift to a fully remote plan for students, a consequential decision likely to affect attendance, learning loss, and student mental health. It joins several other districts that recently decided to revert to at-home learning, including Paterson, East Orange, and Jersey City.

Districts across the country are considering a return to remote instruction as the omicron variant of the coronavirus fuels the latest surge in cases, causing more students and staff to quarantine as schools struggle with teacher shortages.

New Jersey reported nearly 28,000 new COVID cases on Thursday, the highest single-day number of positive tests since the pandemic began nearly two years ago. The mounting case count is partly due to an increase in testing, as well as the highly contagious omicron variant.

Newark reported 1,162 new cases and one death from Monday to Wednesday, according to Mayor Ras Baraka, who himself recently tested positive for COVID. The city’s seven-day rolling average of positive COVID tests has soared above 38%, compared to just 2% in mid-October.

“Our test positivity rate is extremely high,” Baraka said Wednesday. “This thing is very, very contagious.”

The city recently reinstated an indoor mask mandate, and Baraka signed an executive order on Monday requiring anyone age 5 and up to show proof of vaccination before entering businesses or public facilities beginning Jan. 10.

While Newark classrooms are closed, students can pick up a week’s supply of meals at select schools on Mondays from 8 to 11 a.m. District officials said they expect the city will reopen sites where working parents can drop off their children, who will do online learning under adult supervision.

“We will do everything to protect our children in this fight against this horrible virus and we will get back to in-person instruction as soon as possible,” said Newark school board president Dawn Haynes in a statement.

Newark’s winter recess was originally scheduled to begin Christmas Eve, with early dismissal the day before, but was moved up to start a day earlier in light of a sharp uptick of positive cases among staff and students districtwide.

Just before the break started, at least 90 classrooms were following a fully remote schedule due to quarantines and positive cases. Similar trends were also occurring at charter schools throughout the city. There were at least two full school closures and increases of positive cases recorded on some school COVID dashboards.

In a letter to the school community on Dec. 20, León said families should be prepared for a “potential pivot to remote instruction” after the winter break. He asked staff and teachers to confirm families had internet access, devices, school materials, and links or codes for virtual classrooms.

During a Facebook live event on Dec. 22, Dr. Mark Wade, Newark’s health department director, urged city schools to go remote as COVID vaccination rates among children remained relatively low and transmission was sharply rising. He noted at the time that 50% of all positive COVID cases in Newark in recent weeks were coming from school-aged children.

In Newark, about 56% of children ages 12-17 are fully vaccinated, according to the state’s dashboard. The dashboard doesn’t provide data for fully vaccinated children between 5 and 11 years old in the city, but it does show that about 2.3% of children in that age group statewide have had at least one dose of the COVID vaccine.

“I cannot stress it enough — vaccinate, get the booster if it’s your time to do so, wear a mask, wash your hands, and practice social distancing,” León said during a school board meeting on Dec. 21.

The Newark public school district recently launched an online COVID dashboard for community members to keep track of positive cases in the district. From Dec. 20 to 26, 202 students and 233 district employees tested positive, according to the district data. Though classes were in session only three days that week, some schools reported a cluster of cases, including 25 students at Central High School, 16 students at Malcolm X Shabazz High School, and 13 employees at University High School.

District officials previously said that when staff and students return to in-person instruction, weekly COVID testing would resume. However, only about 30% of the 37,000-plus students in the district have submitted consent forms to get tested, leaving out the vast majority of students from receiving in-school testing.

León also previously said he was considering a “test-to-stay” program that would keep students in school if they are close contacts and have a negative test result, instead of having them quarantined at home for seven days, as New Jersey’s Department of Health recommends.

Correction: This story has been updated to note that Newark Public Schools launched an online database of COVID cases in the district.

What happens if Newark pivots to remote learning in January? Here’s what we know.

2021-12-23T00:00:20+00:00

Over the last month, positive COVID cases among Newark public school students more than tripled — with the highest spike of 321 cases seen in the days before winter break, according to figures the district shared this week.

The state’s largest school district went from having only four classes doing remote instruction as of Dec. 15 to 90 classes on a fully remote plan less than a week later. The shift came ahead of the winter break that was rescheduled to start a day earlier due to the increase in COVID positive cases in the district.

“Had it not been for the winter break, there would be entire schools shutting down,” said John Abeigon, the teachers union president, on Dec. 22.

Some districts in New Jersey, including Irvington and Paterson, have already announced they would not return to in-person classes after the holiday recess. Irvington, which neighbors Newark, plans to do remote instruction through Jan. 10. Paterson said it would keep students remote for the first two weeks of January.

But Superintendent Roger León said at a school board meeting on Dec. 21 that he hopes not to move in that direction after break. Gov. Phil Murphy also said this week that state officials would try to keep students in person.

“We’re hoping not to go into remote instruction in January,” León said at the meeting.

Still, students, families, and staff were told in a letter from the district on Dec. 20 to prepare for the possibility of going remote should high COVID positive cases warrant that shift.

Newark health department director Dr. Mark Wade strongly advised city schools go remote in light of recent data that showed half of new COVID cases in the city were from school-aged children. The recommendation came the Wednesday before break during a coronavirus update on Facebook with Mayor Ras Baraka.

“We do seriously have to look at going back to remote learning and minimizing the interaction that kids have — to protect them and to protect the rest of the family, particularly our elderly and those of us with underlying chronic conditions,” Wade said.

During the winter break, district officials said there would be deep cleaning throughout the 60-plus school buildings and teachers would be asked to present negative tests before returning in January.

Here’s what else we know:

How bad are COVID cases in the district?

Since July 1, there have been 750 positive COVID cases among students, with the overwhelming majority of those recorded after Nov. 23, León said. Prior to Thanksgiving, the district had less than 200 positive cases among students, he said.

Between Dec. 15 and Dec. 21, there were around 321 cases reported among students, according to data shared by the district in emails.

Among staff members, 507 have tested positive this school year and a similar increase was seen after the November holiday break. León noted that 578 positives were recorded among staff during the first 15 months of the pandemic, while the latest figure is just from the last five months.

“We must remain vigilant in all of our efforts,” he said. “I cannot stress it enough — vaccinate, get the booster if it’s your time to do so, wear a mask, wash your hands, and practice social distancing.”

In Newark, 56% of children ages 12-17 are fully vaccinated, according to the state’s dashboard.

Are schools testing students and staff?

Though it took weeks after the first day of school to implement weekly COVID testing, district and union officials said testing is now in full swing at all district schools for staff and for students whose families have completed consent forms.

In October, only about 9,000 students — or 24% of the student body — had opted in to get tested. As of Dec. 21, more than 12,000 students had opted in, León said at the school board meeting. That number is still fairly low considering there are more than 37,000 students in the district.

Board co-vice president Vereliz Santana asked the district to find ways to incentivize families to fill out the consent forms for testing and to post regular reminders.

“I’m really honing in on the testing piece because we know the omicron [variant] is spreading and COVID testing is a critical piece in terms of containment,” she said at the board meeting Dec. 21.

Some parents say, however, that despite submitting consent forms, there has not been consistent testing of their children. District officials said parents should reach out to their child’s homeroom teacher or school principal to make sure testing is going on.

Prior to returning to classroom January, teachers will need to get tested.

“We need testing during the holiday,” Abeigon said. “We need to know what’s going on in terms of staff numbers, how many are testing positive and how many are close contacts. That will determine whether we can open up a school or a district.”

District officials said some schools might pivot to remote instruction, while the rest of the district remains in-person and that these decisions would be made on a classroom or school basis.

Recently, state officials said they were considering piloting a “test to stay” program that would allow close contacts to test negative and avoid quarantining. León said he was also considering that for the district.

“The test to stay option is something that we don’t have in play but we will definitely be looking at that very carefully,” León said.

What happens if schools go remote?

Staff and teachers reached out to families to make sure they had internet access and urged students to take home district-provided devices prior to the break. They also made sure links and virtual classroom codes were working, Abeigon said.

Virtual instruction would be synchronous and students will be marked present for a full day “if they participate in all of the synchronous, live learning periods scheduled for that school day,” the district’s amended remote instruction plan states.

León said he confirmed with the city that learning pods would reopen for children whose parents have to go to work while they’re remote learning, similar to the ones that were opened throughout the city last year.

“If the entire district is to go remote, we will open meal distribution sites at the same locations from last school year,” León said. That information would be posted on the district website, he added.

After schools shut down in March of 2020, the district opened food distribution sites throughout the city for families of students to pick up grab-and-go meals.

Any decisions about pivoting to remote instruction would be communicated to parents and posted on the district or school’s website, León said.

COVID uptick prompts Newark schools to prep for potential shift to remote after break

2021-12-20T23:22:53+00:00

As COVID cases continue to rise, Newark schools are preparing to potentially switch to remote learning after winter break, which will start a day early for students, Superintendent Roger León announced Monday.

“With the number of positive cases on the upswing, we cannot let our guard down,” León said in a letter to the school community. “We are redoubling our efforts to be prepared for any necessary changes and a potential pivot to remote instruction.”

Schools throughout the city and state have seen a rise in the number of positive cases among staff and students in the weeks after the Thanksgiving break. Cases among staff and students throughout New Jersey schools sharply rose the week of Dec. 12 to 6,947, an increase of 79% from two weeks prior, NJ.com reported.

Entire classrooms and grades in Newark have already switched to remote learning ahead of the winter break, which for most schools is scheduled to start on Friday with a return on Jan. 3.

Newark Public Schools had an early dismissal scheduled for Thursday, but now students will have that day off, León said. A staff development day originally scheduled for January will be moved to Thursday, he added.

Before the break starts, school leaders and staff will help students and families with a remote instruction plan, including confirming the availability of technology, internet connectivity, materials, and all necessary links and codes to access virtual learning, Leon said in his letter.

“All students should be reminded to take their Chromebooks home this week,” he said.

When it comes to a potential shift to remote instruction, León said, “some may move to that point sooner than others, but we all will be prepared if and when necessary.”

There are plans to deep clean the school buildings during the break, he said.

In-person instruction and tutoring will resume after the break “unless circumstances warrant remote instruction for specific classes, groups, or schools,” León said, adding that weekly rapid testing would also resume in schools.

Newark Mayor Ras Baraka urged school staff and students to get tested before returning to school after winter break.

“The state, the superintendent, should make sure that every kid, every adult is tested before they’re allowed to come back to school in January after the holidays,” Baraka said during a coronavirus briefing on Monday.

Baraka reinstated a mask mandate for residents and visitors in all indoor public spaces, such as supermarkets and gyms, and said more restrictions would return if the city’s positivity rate continued to rise. There were 1,682 new positive cases in the city since Friday, averaging about 561 cases per day, he said.

“These numbers are jumping badly, not just here but all over the state,” Baraka said.

Gov. Phil Murphy and New Jersey Health Commissioner Judith Persichelli said at a news conference Monday that they were considering a “test to stay” program for after the holiday break that would allow students who are close contacts to stay in school during their quarantine period by testing negative.

Some Newark students switch to remote learning as COVID cases rise

2021-12-17T21:25:00+00:00

With winter break just days away, Newark schools are seeing a sharp spike in positive COVID-19 cases as the omicron and delta variants continue to fuel the latest surge, causing hundreds of students to switch to remote learning.

Throughout the city, entire classrooms have switched to remote learning in recent days, though an exact number is unknown, due to an increase in positive cases among staff and students. Even more schools are bracing for a possible return to remote learning if the latest COVID wave continues into next year.

COVID cases are on a drastic upswing across schools statewide, with staff rates trending higher than student rates, the state COVID-19 dashboard shows.

“Our numbers are growing exponentially and we have to keep an eye on that,” Mayor Ras Baraka said Wednesday, referring to cases citywide.

Traditional public schools and charter schools citywide are reporting more positive cases in the two to three weeks after Thanksgiving than they had in the first few months of school.

Nearly half of the 723 total positive cases among students and staff in Newark Public Schools were reported in the first two weeks of December. About 40% of the 66 total positive cases at Great Oaks Legacy Charter School also surfaced during that time frame. And more than half of the total positive cases at Marion P. Thomas Charter School emerged in a single week of December.

The city’s seven-day rolling average of positive COVID tests reached 9.01%, Baraka said during a coronavirus update on Facebook this week. That rate is more than four times higher than in mid-October, when only about 2% of tests were positive.

“This is growing and it’s growing fast,” Baraka said.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said this week that the omicron variant — which spreads more easily than the original strain of the coronavirus — accounts for 13% of new positive cases in New York and in New Jersey. The first case of the omicron variant in New Jersey surfaced on Nov. 28.

The New Jersey Department of Health released updated guidelines on Wednesday for schools that say students and staff who are considered close contacts only need to quarantine for seven days if they have a negative test result or 10 days without a test, instead of the previous 14-day recommendation.

“While a 14-day quarantine period is optimal, the CDC and [state] Department of Health recognizes the value of shortening quarantine in certain circumstances,” Health Commissioner Judith Persichilli said.

Among the Newark students who switched to virtual learning this week were those from People’s Prep, a charter high school, as well as two KIPP high schools — Newark Collegiate Academy and Newark Lab High School — and multiple classes from across Newark Public Schools, Marion P. Thomas Charter School’s three campuses, and other charter schools.

Newark Public Schools and Newark KIPP schools, which together teach the overwhelming majority of Newark students, still don’t provide a dashboard to show current positive cases, making them outliers in the city and state among other large school systems.

KIPP spokesperson Jessica Shearer declined in an email to provide COVID data for its Newark schools.

There were 35 positive cases among Newark public school staff the week of Dec. 6 — that number more than tripled this week to 108, said district spokesperson Nancy Deering, who provided the data in an email.

In the same time period, cases among students grew from 72 to 117, Deering said

Four classrooms across Newark Public Schools had switched to remote learning ahead of winter break, Deering said, though she did not specify from which schools.

Parents and staff members from Malcolm X Shabazz High School expressed concern this week over rising positive cases and a lack of communication from the district.

Parent Yvonne Davis told Chalkbeat that the school did not notify her when someone in her child’s classroom tested positive for COVID; she only learned about the exposure by word of mouth. Davis immediately took her child to get tested, and the results were positive.

“Shabazz high school should be ashamed of themselves,” she wrote on Facebook this week. “I’m very pissed right now.”

On Thursday, Shabazz students told Chalkbeat that the school had notified them of a single COVID case. However, a school employee, who requested anonymity to avoid retaliation, said staffers have heard the actual case count is much higher and includes both adults and students.

“This is being covered up,” the employee said. “There’s no transparency.”

The school held an emergency staff meeting Thursday afternoon where teachers were told to prepare for a possible return to remote learning, the employee said.

The employee added that the school has become more lax about COVID precautions, with many students and even some teachers declining to wear masks inside classrooms.

“I would say about 50% of the school population is not wearing masks,” the employee said. “These kids intermix, everyone is in each other’s face, nothing is social distanced.”

When asked about parent and staff concerns at Shabazz, Deering said concerns should be brought to the principal, the school’s pandemic response team, or the district. She said that masking and social distancing guidelines have not changed.

‘Bracing ourselves’

“We’ve seen an uptick as all the schools in the state have been seeing immediately after Thanksgiving,” said Pramod Shankar, managing director of operations and performance at Marion P. Thomas Charter School, which has a population of about 1,400 students across its three Newark campuses.

Twenty-nine cases, more than half of the K-12 charter school system’s 56 total positive cases this year, were reported the week of Dec. 13. Most of those cases came from Marion P. Thomas Charter High School and PAC Academy, a pre-K-8 school, according to the system’s dashboard. Prior to that week, the highest number of cases reported in a single week this school year was six.

Overall, 10% of students are currently doing synchronous virtual instruction across the charter school’s three campuses, while the rest are in person, Shankar said.

Principals of all three Marion P. Thomas campuses will hold emergency virtual town hall meetings on Monday to address families’ concerns prior to winter break that begins Dec. 24. There will be mandatory testing of vaccinated and unvaccinated Marion P. Thomas Charter School staff during and after the break.

“We’re expecting a spike,” Shankar said, referring to the return of students and staff on Jan. 3. “We’re bracing ourselves and instituting layered preventative methods, and doing everything in our power to lower how much of a hit we’re going to take immediately after winter break.”

At Great Oaks Legacy Charter Schools, there were 26 cases among students and staff in the first two weeks of December. In total, there are 66 total positive cases, the charter school’s dashboard shows. During the week of Nov. 29, there was an outbreak in one classroom of an elementary school, which caused seven students to quarantine.

About 31 cases were reported across North Star Academy schools during the week of Dec. 6, according to the charter school’s dashboard.

Extend winter break?

Districts across the country have decided to extend winter break by a few days, citing various ongoing issues seen so far this school year, including positive cases, low attendance, and staffing shortages.

Schools throughout Newark have had to tap administrative leaders to teach classes because of substitute shortages.

“It’s rough,” Shankar said, but there have not been any closures or switches to remote learning due to the shortage. “We are getting creative with our scheduling to accommodate any shortages while also having our administrators and other certified personnel in classrooms on days when many teachers are out due to illness.”

In New Jersey, schools would need to get the OK from the New Jersey Department of Education or Gov. Phil Murphy if they wanted to extend break with remote learning days.

Patrick Wall contributed reporting.

‘Concerning’ test results in Newark give insight into pandemic learning loss

2021-12-10T22:58:16+00:00

Eighty-seven percent of Newark fifth graders are in need of “strong support” in math, according to a recent standardized test that offers a window into how much the COVID pandemic has harmed their learning.

Overall, the vast majority of Newark students are struggling with grade-level instruction in math, science, and English language arts, the statewide tests showed.

Start Strong assessments, created by test design and development company New Meridian, were administered to students statewide between Sept. 13 and Oct. 22 in place of state exams that were canceled last school year. The test uses students’ scores to place them into three categories: either they’re in need of “strong support,” “some support,” or “less support.”

Students in grades 4-10 took the English language arts assessments. In addition, grades 4-8 took math assessments, and students in algebra 1, geometry, and algebra 2 classes also took their respective math exams. Grades six, nine, and 12 took the science assessment.

In the math test, the overwhelming majority of fifth graders, or 87%, fell in the lowest score range, or in the “strong support” category, while only 3.9% fell in the “less support” category, or the highest score range.

The “less support” category is equivalent to scoring high on the typical state standardized tests, such as achieving a proficient or an above proficiency score, said Lu Han, the director of strategic and academic data for Newark Public Schools. Han presented the Start Strong results at a recent Newark Board of Education meeting. She added that the “strong support” category would be on par with the lowest score, not meeting grade expectations.

Overall, the trends in Newark showed upper grades outperformed lower grades in math and English language arts, and students on average had better results in English language arts than they did in math or science, Han said.

A closer look at the data from Han’s presentation shows that over 80% of students in grade levels four, five, and six are in need of strong support in math. About 73% of students who took the geometry test and 72.5% of students who took algebra 1 are also in need of strong support.

Newark Public Schools officials shared results from a statewide test administered this fall that found the majority of district students need “strong support” in math and English language arts.

“I’ll be the first one to let everybody know we have a lot of work to do,” Superintendent Roger León said at that meeting.

Many of the trends in Newark, such as students scoring lower in math than English language arts, run parallel to trends seen nationally as students return to in-person school this academic year. National trends also suggest that fewer low-income students are starting at grade level than their higher-income counterparts.

School board co-vice president Vereliz Santana asked district leadership about how federal stimulus funds would be used to employ strategies to “remediate and hopefully address some of these concerning test results.” But León said the district’s “strategy is not to remediate students. Our strategy is to give them algebra, give them calculus, and to make sure they have a teacher worthy of the students that are in front of them.”

The Start Stong test results also mirror test results from standardized tests Newark students took in the spring, which showed extensive learning loss.

Han said the scores from the spring exams should be used along with the fall test results and other data points for analysis of where students stand this school year.

The results from the beginning-of-year tests, which took 45-60 minutes for each subject area, are meant to help educators establish interventions for students based on the data collected and conversations with parents, according to the New Jersey Department of Education.

Assessment scores have been shared with students’ parents at this point, the district confirmed Thursday by email.

The state Department of Education said parents will receive an “individual student report” for each subject their child was tested on, which includes a description of the major concepts that were tested and a starting point for discussions with their child and their child’s teachers.

“What additional supports are available to help my child during the school day and beyond regular school hours?” and “How will I know if my child is improving?” are some of the questions the state education department suggests parents might want to ask after reviewing the scores.

This Newark high school counselor was discouraged from applying to college. She’s determined to help her students ‘achieve their dreams’

2021-12-01T15:00:00+00:00

As application deadlines for colleges and universities creep closer, the office of Newark high school counselor Stephanie Rivera-Beltre bustles with students seeking her advice on their essays and applications.

During this season, her workload can be overwhelming, and her days especially long. But walking her students through the college admissions process and encouraging them to pursue the futures they want is what brings happiness to Rivera-Beltre — and it’s what motivates her to keep going.

“It really does bring me so much joy,” said Rivera-Beltre, college and career match counselor at KIPP Newark Collegiate Academy. “It is so awesome to see how excited they are about applying to schools and programs.”

Perhaps her students’ excitement comes from having a counselor whom they can relate to and who understands them. Rivera-Beltre is a Brooklyn-native Afro-Latina with a Dominican and Puerto Rican background. She often tells her students about her own experience applying to colleges when she was in high school. Her guidance counselor’s discouraging feedback nearly crushed her dreams of pursuing higher education.

That experience, although devastating at the time, led her to the role she has today — her dream job. After getting her bachelor’s and master's degrees, she became a college preparatory counselor in Brooklyn, later moving into a teaching position for nearly 11 years. A few months ago, she joined the KIPP NJ team at Newark Collegiate Academy.

Rivera-Beltre recently shared with Chalkbeat how she overcame adversity, the advice she gives to her students, and what gives her hope at this moment.

This interview has been lightly edited for length and clarity.

What was your experience with school, and how does it affect your work today?

One of the reasons I decided to become a counselor was so that what happened to me in my senior year of high school would not happen to any of my students. While I was at John Dewey High School in Brooklyn, I maintained an 85 average. When it came time to apply to colleges, my guidance counselor told me that average wouldn’t be good enough to get into a four-year university. She looked at me and said, “Sweetie, you are not getting into a four-year school.” I can’t even tell you how much I cried. I couldn’t believe that someone in her position would say that to a student.

Still determined, I decided to go to my best friend’s guidance counselor to work with him. His opinion was that an 85 average could get me places. I applied to 17 colleges and universities and got into 14. I went to Binghamton University, a State University of New York. I got my bachelor’s degree in sociology and master’s degree in social sciences with a concentration in student affairs administration.

I have never and will never discourage a student from applying to a school that they think they might not be able to get into. I share my story with them, so they know that it is possible to achieve their dreams.

What led you to become a college and career match counselor?

While at Binghamton, I joined the executive board of a program that mentored inner-city eighth graders and provided them with support needed to get into higher education or a promising path after high school. Making sure those students were able to see brown and Black people from the same places as them in leadership roles and environments like college campuses is what led me to this role in life. In all honesty, I know I was made for this. Helping people is my passion and helping to lead kids in a direction they never envisioned for themselves or thought they could even achieve is the fuel that makes me do what I do.

Among those you counsel, what issues do you see emerging after months of remote learning, social distancing, and social isolation?

The biggest issue I see is kids being able to focus, sit down, and actually get work done. Students were remote for 18 months, and you can see how It has affected them. They became used to not having people tell them what to do and when to do it. Most of the time, they were on their own schedule and did their own thing. I’ve noticed many students are behind in certain subjects. They’ve mentioned it’s not the same learning via computer as learning one-on-one or in front of a teacher. Many students needed that human interaction to learn and get through the day, but some definitely excelled during remote learning and taking classes at their own pace.

Students also seem to be using cell phones and mobile devices even more than they used to. During lunch, they’re spending more time on their phones instead of interacting with each other.

Several of my students are also seeking a virtual option for college. They tell me they like the flexibility that a virtual option could offer, allowing them to work and make money to provide for themselves and for their families.

What advice do you give to students to help them cope during this period? What about their parents?

The advice I can give students during this time is to keep pushing forward. None of us adults know what it’s like to be in high school during a pandemic, let alone everything else that’s going on in their neighborhoods and in their lives. I tell my kids that they are some of the strongest people I have ever met. I let them know that there is nothing they can’t do if they put their minds to it.

As for parents, as cliché as it may sound, I tell them that patience is key. They need to make sure that they have grace with themselves as well as grace with the children. Sit down with your children, ask them how their day went, how they’re doing, and just to share what’s going on in their lives. It’s important for families to know what’s going on so they can support each other in the best ways possible.

You spend your days trying to help your students. How do you wind down after a stressful day?

I begin every day with a 30-minute meditation at 5:30 a.m. It helps to balance me out and focus better throughout my day. I try my best not to bring any work home with me unless it’s absolutely necessary. This is why I get to work early, just after 7 a.m., and sometimes stay late after the day is over. With 70 students on my caseload, I meet with 10 daily — though it’s usually a lot more than that. When I get home, I relax by listening to music, cooking a nice dinner, and finding something good to watch on Netflix or Hulu. Sometimes I go to the gym for Zumba or spinning class or meet with friends for dinner and drinks. My absolute favorite day is Friday. I go home, put on my pajamas, and watch my favorite shows until about 10 p.m., when I go to sleep. It’s the best way to end a stressful week.

What gives you hope at this moment?

What gives me hope at this moment is seeing the faces of my students as they apply to colleges. The love and motivation that they give each other and the smiles on their faces after they submit their applications gives me hope today. This job is not easy by any means, but it is so rewarding. What gives me hope is these children living in the middle of a global pandemic and still wanting to make a difference in their lives. I’m living my dream right now. I get to help students see their potential and worth in a world that sometimes dismisses them. I know my kids will succeed because they have a strong support system at school.

New Jersey sends $6.5 million to Newark for school repairs, renovations

2021-11-20T00:15:00+00:00

New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy announced $75 million was released Friday to districts statewide for capital maintenance and infrastructure projects, including roughly $6.5 million for Newark Public Schools.

The money could help pay for some repairs and new building construction, but districts such as Newark, with deepening needs to update aging facilities, will need larger investments to truly defray those costs.

“Every dollar is going to be put to work on projects large and small to ensure our school buildings can meet the needs of the future,” Murphy said at a news conference Friday next to Christopher Columbus School #8 in Garfield.

COVID-19 raised concerns about ventilation across Newark’s 65 public school buildings, which average more than 90 years old. A massive storm before the 2021-2022 school year began also caused at least $5 million in damage to some school buildings due to flooding and a fire.

This district, which was closed Friday, did not immediately respond to an email for comment on the $6.5 million allocation from the state’s budget and how it plans to spend it.

Of the $75 million, about $50 million will go to the 31 districts — classified as the state’s neediest — that the New Jersey Schools Development Authority is responsible for, while $25 million will go to all other regular operating school districts. New Jersey has more than 600 public school districts.

The SDA has been at the center of scandals and short on funds, leaving district leaders looking for other ways to pay for expensive capital projects.

“We still have students going to class in schools that were built in the late 18th and early 19th centuries,” said state Sen. Nellie Pou (D-North Haledon) at the news conference, referencing Paterson schools. Paterson, an SDA district, is slated to receive $4.5 million.

Garfield Superintendent Anna Sciacca also spoke at the news conference and said that the city, like many districts throughout the state, “is plagued with issues that relate to aging schools.” She said that six of seven elementary schools are more than 100 years old. About $850,000 will go to that district.

“Despite the deteriorating physical conditions of our schools, our biggest challenge is overcrowdedness and insufficient space for instruction,” Sciacca said. ”We are hopeful that funding will increase and we will see the day when our students are out of the trailers and basement classrooms, and learning in bright and well designed learning spaces that facilitate creativity, critical thinking, collaboration, and communication.”

N.J. students learning English are being ‘ignored,’ report finds

2021-11-17T22:25:00+00:00

Many New Jersey public schools have routinely failed to meet state regulations for educating students learning English, a practice that heightened during the pandemic and remote learning, according to a new report released this week.

As a result, students with limited English, who make up about 7% of all public school students in New Jersey, are often “ignored” or treated as “invisible,” educators said.

Among the shortcomings found in the report: Important notices weren’t communicated in families’ home languages, at times causing students to go hungry during the pandemic. Bilingual aides weren’t available to help with virtual assignments, according to teachers, students, and families. Technology access and reliability limited participation in class. English learners dropped out at alarming rates in some districts due to too many absences.

But because the New Jersey bilingual education code lacks an accountability process and doesn’t have a complaint system in place that would help trigger an investigation into violations, English learners and their families “will continue to be underserved by districts that are not fulfilling their legal obligations,” the report states.

Release of the report findings, which highlight wide-ranging lapses across New Jersey districts in meeting the needs of English language learners, comes as the state Board of Education is reviewing proposed amendments to the code, which expires early next year. The report includes recommendations to update the code in ways that would force districts to be more transparent and accountable.

“Our report makes clear that we are far from doing all we can to provide ELs with the supports they need to be successful in school,” said Emily Chertoff, director of N.J. Consortium for Immigrant Children, one of three organizations behind the report. “The pandemic has shined a bright light on that while also making the situation worse.”

The N.J. Consortium for Immigrant Children released the report Tuesday in partnership with the Education Law Center and the N.J. Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages/N.J. Bilingual Educators.

When schools were forced to close in the spring of 2020, many failed to communicate important updates to English learners’ families in their home language, including that free and reduced lunch would continue and needed to be picked up. “Students would tell me they were hungry and had not eaten enough,” said one teacher quoted in the report.

Using in-depth surveys and interviews of 80 educators, counselors, and administrators who work with students learning English, as well as interviews and listening sessions with English learners and their families, the report found eight major ways that districts aren’t meeting state standards.

Among the findings were that English learners don’t always receive language accommodations when they’re in English-only classrooms, many schools don’t provide bilingual mental health services, and some districts neglect to create attendance recovery policies.

The report also comes on the heels of a four-year investigation by the U.S. Department of Justice that alleged Newark Public Schools violated federal law by failing to properly educate many of its students learning English. That investigation found the district under-identified students who required language support, placed English learners in schools without adequate services, and failed to hire and retain enough qualified teachers.

Many of the Newark findings were similar to the findings that researchers described in the new statewide report.

“We saw that everything that’s happening in Newark is really what’s happening everywhere, throughout New Jersey, just on a smaller scale,” said Kathleen Fernandez, executive director of NJTESOL/NJBE.

Eight major findings from the report:

Many schools fail to meet the standards of the New Jersey bilingual education code.
Nearly 1/3 of survey respondents reported no language accommodations for English learners in English-only classrooms.
Technology problems and access severely impeded English learners’ ability to participate in their education.
Many schools failed to communicate information to families of English learners in a language they could understand and format they could access.
At some schools, English learners are dropping out in high numbers. Many schools don’t have an attendance recovery policy.
Many schools don’t offer bilingual mental health services.
Some English learners with disabilities did not receive appropriate services and accommodations during the pandemic.
Teachers feel their English learners are “ignored” or “forgotten.”

One bilingual teacher from an urban district in south Jersey was quoted in the report saying that English learners in her school “are being ignored by many teachers, failing or just passing them through to get them out of their classes.” Researchers kept the interviewees anonymous in the report and didn’t name specific districts.

“English learners have become invisible in a system that is supposed to support them,” said a former bilingual counselor from a large suburban district in north Jersey.

That former bilingual counselor also said that she saw 180 English learners — about half of the English learner population in her district — drop out in the 2020-2021 school year. Those students were “coded” by school administration as students who transferred out “even though all the teachers and administrators know they’re not transferring to a different school,” she said.

In the 2020-2021 school year, more than 1.28 million students were enrolled in New Jersey public schools, including 93,000 — or 7% — who are English learners. Many English learners come from immigrant families and tend to live in low-income communities. As of March 2021, the top ten languages spoken at home by English learners in New Jersey were Spanish, Arabic, Portuguese, Haitian Creole, Chinese, Korean, Gujarati, Urdu, Bengali, and Russian, according to the report.

Many caregivers of English learners in New Jersey were employed in frontline jobs and often lacked health insurance, exposing them to increased risk of COVID-19 and contributing to huge racial disparities in positive cases and deaths, the report shows.

Some students who faced grief over the loss of parents or whose parents were frontline workers either had to stop attending virtual classes to take care of younger siblings or to start working full-time, said Fernandez, a former bilingual teacher of 20-plus years at a south Jersey district, in a phone interview.

“Because of state laws regarding attendance, some districts offer a way to remediate a high number of absences, but not all do,” Fernandez said. “If you’ve missed so many days, then you have to repeat the entire grade. But when you’re talking about students who had to take on a job during the pandemic or watch their siblings, that’s a very harsh kind of punishment and many students just opted to leave and stop going to school.”

Instead of districts looking into the high number of absences and disappearance of students from classes, “the districts just make them disappear from their rolls by mislabeling them, and that leads to a lack of accountability because there’s no record of the student dropping out,” Fernandez said.

“Right now there’s no consequence for a district that does that,” she added. “Even if I know, as the teacher, that a student should be attending classes and I personally can reach out to the family, if the district doesn’t want to investigate, there’s no mechanism to push them to do so and no way to make an anonymous complaint.”

Here are a few of the recommendations listed in the report:

Develop and institute a formal and transparent compliance and accountability process to ensure that every school district follows the standards in the New Jersey Bilingual Education Code.
Establish a “complaint investigation” system for violations of laws protecting English learners.
Establish a clear and comprehensive definition of language accommodations, and require those accommodations in every classroom with English learners.
Help students and families access technology and Internet services with training that is accessible, linguistically and logistically.

Where can children under 12 get a COVID vaccine in Newark? Here are 7 sites.

2021-11-05T16:27:19+00:00

At least seven locations in Newark began offering the pediatric COVID vaccine this week for children as young as 5 and city schools worked to set up vaccination events, steps that state health officials say will help keep classrooms safe.

The New Jersey Department of Health announced Wednesday that about 760,000 5- to 11-year-olds in the state became eligible to receive the lower dose Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine, after it was greenlit by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

“We want children to remain in their classrooms this year, learning, sharing, and socializing with their friends but doing it safely,” said State Health Commissioner Judith Persichilli earlier this week at a coronavirus news conference. “The best way to ensure that that continues is to have as many individuals as possible vaccinated, including those 5 years of age and older.”

The pediatric vaccine is administered in two doses three weeks apart, and is a lower dosage than the one for ages 12 and up, according to the CDC. Clinical data has shown the vaccine is 90.7% effective in preventing COVID among 5- to 11-year-olds, similar to the effectiveness in adults.

About 203,800 doses of the pediatric vaccine began arriving in New Jersey this week, and were being distributed to more than 230 sites across the state, Persichilli said. Those sites include primary care practices, independent and chain pharmacies, county and local sites, federally qualified health centers, acute care hospitals, urgent care, and university sites.

Ongoing weekly shipments of the children’s vaccine from the federal government are expected, the state health department said in a statement.

Persichilli also said the health department is working with the New Jersey Department of Education to support school vaccination events, adding that at least 28 schools are planning to hold events this month.

Newark public and charter schools, in partnership with community organizations, have been offering the vaccine to eligible students, their families, and school staff, at various pop-up sites on their campuses since the school year began, officials said. Plans are in the works, they said, to set up vaccination clinics targeting the youngest eligible age group at some schools.

Newark Public Schools’ weekly COVID testing program for students and staff finally kicked off this week — two months into the school year.

District spokesperson Nancy Deering said that about 10,000 students, out of roughly 37,000 total students, have submitted consent forms to get tested on a weekly basis by Saint James Health, a community health center, and JL Hudson Holdings, a provider with locations in South Orange and New York City.

In addition to regular testing, Deering said, students are currently offered the vaccine at “any school offering the program,” which varies according to the posted schedule. On Friday, vaccines for ages 12 and up were being offered at East Side High School until 4 p.m., the schedule showed.

Deering added that the vaccine clinics will also offer the pediatric shots but that she didn’t know when that would start.

Great Oaks Legacy Charter School also plans to hold vaccine sites at its schools so that families who are interested can have easier access for their elementary school-aged kids. The charter school system of six schools will hold a virtual town hall next week with health professionals so that students’ families can ask questions they might have about the vaccine for children.

“The purpose of this town hall is to share resources with our families, so that they can make an informed decision regarding the vaccine for their children,” said Dominick DiFalco, chief strategy officer for the charter school system.

KIPP has also offered vaccine clinics at many of its schools throughout the city for staff, students, and their families, said KIPP NJ spokesperson Jessica Shearer. The charter school system hopes to hold more clinics in the future for eligible students, including 5- to 11-year-olds, she added.

North Star Academy, a charter system with 14 schools throughout the city, said it plans to hold weekly vaccine clinics for 5- to 11-year-olds in the coming weeks.

Sites across the state’s 21 counties are already offering the pediatric COVID vaccine for kids ages 5 and up, Persichilli said. Some of those include the following sites in Newark:

City of Newark Department of Health, 394 University Ave., Newark.
University Hospital, 150 Bergen St., Newark.
Guardy’s Pharmacy, 403-409 Bloomfield Ave., Newark.
Komishane’s Pharmacy, 199 Stuyvesant Ave., Newark.
Newark Community Health Center- Ferry Street, 92 Ferry St., Newark.
Saint James Health Adult Clinic, 228 Lafayette St., Newark.
Newark Beth Israel Medical Center, 201 Lyons Ave., Newark.

More vaccination sites can be found using the state’s vaccine appointment finder website.

Newark’s COVID testing program stalls, lacking consent from majority of students

2021-10-26T10:10:00+00:00

Newark Public Schools has yet to launch a COVID testing program for students and teachers nearly a week after the state’s “vaccine or test” mandate went into effect, and nearly two months after the academic year began.

The lack of a testing program and a consent form that asked for insurance information could have possibly discouraged families and students from submitting required consent forms, union officials and a school board trustee say. As of Oct. 21, only 24% of the student population had signed up for COVID testing, the district said in an email last week.

State Health Department Commissioner Judith Persichilli has said testing strategies in schools can help detect new cases to prevent outbreaks, in addition to prevention strategies such as masking, physical distancing, and hand washing. However, results can be skewed if only a small portion of the larger student body is being tested.

There’s a relatively low opt-in rate for student COVID testing in some other major cities, including in New York City, with only 35% of eligible students consenting to get tested and Chicago, with a mere 7% of students signing up for regular testing.

The district said in the email that it was “waiting for approval to start” the testing program for students, but did not respond to a follow-up question requesting further details, such as which entity was providing that approval.

Meanwhile, the Newark Teachers Union says 90% of its approximate 4,000 members are vaccinated. But only 2,556 teachers, or 64%, have uploaded their vaccination proof into the employee portal, the district says. That would mean around 1,400 or so teachers will need to get tested weekly under the state mandate.

As for the COVID testing program for school personnel, the district said it’s “in contact with several vendors” but did not give a date when testing would begin.

“Testing will begin soon,” said district spokesperson Nancy Deering.

Newark isn’t the only district without a testing program in place for teachers.

According to an NJ Spotlight article, the Murphy administration has granted an extension with no deadline to 375 school districts to get their testing programs started. The state Department of Education did not answer several calls and an email requesting more information about the extension and whether Newark was among those districts who were granted one. An email Monday afternoon to the governor’s office was also not answered.

New Jersey said last month it would provide schools about $267 million in federal funds to cover the cost of routine testing. About 625 districts chose the option to use a state-contracted vendor for an end-to-end testing program, including test kits, staff, and diagnostic lab services. Another 125 districts chose to use the funding to contract with a vendor of their own choice, Persichilli said during a COVID news conference last week. It’s unclear which option Newark opted.

Newark Teachers Union President John Abeigon said that despite the lack of testing provided by the district, teachers have been following the governor’s mandate since the first day of school by getting tested at local sites.

Why the low number of student consent forms?

Newark’s youth vaccine rate nearly doubled between mid-July and September, from 30% to 55% of 12- to 17-year-olds who had received at least one dose. As of Monday, 63% of children eligible for the vaccine had at least one dose, an increase of 13 percentage points. About 51% of that age group in Newark are fully vaccinated, the state COVID dashboard shows.

The district has said it would provide testing for all students.

A copy of the student consent form obtained by Chalkbeat shows that a parent, guardian, or student signature is needed to sign off on a statement giving consent to weekly testing until June 30, 2022.

The agreement, which was provided by the district, also states that by signing the form, they are authorizing “JL Hudson Holdings LLC, Saint James Health, Inc. or its assignee” to bill their insurance or health coverage for that service “when available.”

Saint James Health, a community health center with locations in the East and West wards, has been working with the district this academic year to provide vaccines for students and the school community.

School board member Josephine Garcia previously said at a board meeting that several parents were concerned about being required to complete insurance information before submitting the form, which is available on SchoolMint, the district portal.

“It becomes like a hard stop for the parents when they try to finish completing the forms,” Garcia said at the Sept. 30 board meeting.

The form provided by the district shows that student and guardians’ basic contact information is required, as well as the student’s medical allergies and other information, but insurance information isn’t required.

Abeigon said teachers ran a “campaign” in the first few weeks of school urging students and parents to submit the forms. But now teachers and families are upset, he says, because seven weeks into the school year, there’s no testing in sight.

“Teachers worked over time to get those forms signed, but the end result is there’s no testing happening,” Abeigon said. “The next time we explain the urgency of getting something signed by the parents, the parents are going to be like, ‘you were urging about getting the consent forms signed but you never did the testing.’”

The teachers’ efforts seem to have garnered 8,891 students to submit completed forms as of Oct. 21, out of about 37,000 total students.

“They promised us that they would have student and staff testing in the schools upon opening the schools in September and to date, that has not happened,” Abeigon said.

Abeigon says he anticipates more families will submit forms once they see a testing program in place. “A lot of our parents are ‘wait and see,’” he said.

When asked how the district is addressing any hurdles with getting more consent forms signed, Deering said in an email, “The district continues to maximize strategies to increase the number of signed consent forms received.”

Durante el Mes de la Herencia Hispana, los estudiantes y educadores reflexionaron sobre su identidad y resiliencia.

2021-10-15T17:24:29+00:00

Read in English.

Durante este Mes de la Herencia Hispana, los salones de clase de Alicia Jones-Lumbuz en Houston se avivaron con canciones folklóricas de Nicaragua y canciones del musical In the Heights, cuya historia gira en torno a una comunidad Dominicana en el barrio Washington Heights de Nueva York.

Las interpretaciones en persona y con mascarilla fueron más dulces, aunque un poco más tranquilas, que las interpretaciones en Zoom en los últimos dos años.

“Todavía estamos aprendiendo a hablar más fuerte,” Jones-Lumbuz le dijo a Chalkbeat. “Esta ha sido una temporada muy difícil para todos, y en especial para los niños. Ellos están ahora regresando a la escuela más callados y con más inseguridad. Yo quiero que ellos canten fuerte y se sientan orgullosos de quienes son. Quiero que se vean representados en nuestras canciones.”

Chalkbeat habló este mes con maestros y estudiantes hispanos y latinos de todo el país acerca de cómo están celebrando sus culturas y navegando esta época de pérdida. Las poblaciones hispanas y latinas de todo el país representan una cifra desproporcionada de muertes por COVID-19, y la pandemia exacerbó las desigualdades ya existentes para los estudiantes hispanos y latinos — ampliando las brechas en educación y causando bajas drásticas en la matrícula universitaria.

Para estudiantes como Inés Adriana Martínez, la pandemia puso su carrera universitaria de cabeza por tener nuevas responsabilidades en el hogar.

“Me aceptaron en UC Davis, pero por COVID, decidí matricularme en una universidad comunitaria local para luego transferirme,” dijo Inés, que ahora cursa su segundo año en el Cabrillo College en California. “Debido a la pandemia, ahora soy más responsable financieramente no solo por mí misma, sino también por mi familia. Y me di cuenta de lo poco que sabía. Yo quería saber mucho más.”

Las historias de Inés y de otros estudiantes a continuación están salpicadas con poesía y obras de arte de estudiantes de todo el país. Sus ensayos fueron levemente editados para acortarlos y que fueran más claros.

En Chalkbeat sabemos que las historias de estudiantes y educadores hispanos y latinos se deben contar todo el año, no solamente durante este mes. ¿Tienes una idea de reportaje para nosotros? ¿Algún estudiante o educador que deberíamos entrevistar? Envíanos un email a community@chalkbeat.org.

Alexa Maqueo-Toledo, 21, Maryville, Tennessee

Senior, Maryville College

Alexa Maqueo-Toledo

Nací en la Ciudad de México y me mudé a Tennessee cuando estaba en escuela primaria. Desde que tengo uso de razón, éramos solamente mi mamá y yo. Cuando mi abuelita se enfermó en marzo de 2020, mi mamá era la única que podía fácilmente regresar a México para cuidarla. Sabíamos que iba a ser difícil separarnos — pero no teníamos idea de lo que la pandemia iba a hacer en el mundo. Usamos Zoom todo el tiempo para conversar y reunir a la familia, y estamos tratando de lograr que pueda venir a mi graduación en mayo, pero parece que no será posible.

Gran parte de mi vida y mis decisiones han estado atadas a mi estatus migratorio, ya que soy parte de DACA. Me enteré de mi estatus a los 14 años, cuando traté de conseguir licencia de manejar como el resto de mis amigos. Fue entonces que mi familia me contó. Yo crecí en la comunidad de inmigrantes, mi tía era muy activa y mi mamá daba clases de inglés. Yo fui testigo de familias destrozadas por deportaciones. Siempre quise ir a la universidad, pero al enterarme de mi estatus, el sueño se empañó un poco.

No fue hasta mi último año de secundaria que realmente ‘me cayó el veinte’. Tuve que solicitar a las universidades como estudiante internacional, y no califiqué para programas de becas ni para pagar matrícula de residente del estado. Afortunadamente, tuve un consejero académico excelente que no permitió que me rindiera — y solicité admisión a Maryville, que en ese momento se había unido a Equal Chance for Education [una organización de Tennessee que les brinda becas a los Dreamers].

Cuando llegué a Maryville, que es una pequeña universidad especializada en artes liberales, el primer estudiante abiertamente indocumentado de la universidad ya estaba en su año senior. Él fue mi mentor, y puedo decir orgullosamente que 15 estudiantes nos graduaremos este año. Todos vamos a usar la misma estola en la graduación. Y estamos esforzándonos para que el camino sea más fácil para los próximos estudiantes. Una de las misiones de mi vida es que haya igualdad en el precio de la matrícula. Mi pasión se enfoca en particular en estudiantes inmigrantes e indocumentados, para que puedan pagar el precio de matrícula de un residente del estado y obtener ayudas igual que cualquier otro estudiante de secundaria en Tennessee. Ellos no deberían tener que hacer tantas maromas ni enfrentar los retos que yo tuve, pero que pude navegar gracias a mi orientador académico de secundaria.

Cuando mucha gente piensa en “indocumentados,” la imagen que tienen es de criminales. No piensan en la niña que llevaron a la práctica de fútbol cuando sus hijos eran pequeños. No piensan en la gente con que creció su familia. No piensan en una chica que está moviendo montañas para educarse más, para contribuir a la sociedad. Yo quiero que me vean a mí.

Alicia Jones-Lumbuz, Houston, Texas

Directora de coro y líder de contenido del distrito escolar KIPP Texas Public Schools: Houston

Alicia Jones-Lumbuz es la directora de coro y líder de contenido del distrito escolar KIPP Texas Public Schools.

He sido maestra de coro por más de 23 años — y estoy acostumbrada a que mis estudiantes de quinto a octavo grado entren al salón entusiasmados y listos para cantar, y con frecuencia me dejan exhausta después de haber tenido que contener su fantástica pero caótica energía. Pero este año no fue así. Muchos de mis estudiantes han tenido que sobrellevar esta pandemia desde tercer grado, y su nivel de energía es poco.

Apenas sonríen, hablan y cantan bajito, y cuando trabajamos en coreografías, sus movimientos son letárgicos. Varios estudiantes están contentos de haber regresado en persona — su energía es intensa y es difícil calmarlos después de completar actividades divertidas o cantar. Por supuesto, yo le doy la bienvenida a ese entusiasmo y alegría para contrarrestar el silencio.

Yo sé que mis estudiantes necesitan que mi salón sea un lugar seguro para procesar este año — para procesar el duelo de haber perdido seres queridos durante la pandemia o para estar en persona en ambientes que parecen nuevos o les causan temor. Pero desde antes de la pandemia yo sabía cómo crear en mi salón un ambiente en el que los estudiantes pudieran procesar interrogantes grandes en torno a su identidad. Yo recuerdo cómo se sentía estar en escuela primaria y que otro estudiante me preguntara, “¿Y tú qué eres?” Yo no me veía como los demás niños hispanos en Florida, donde pasé parte de mi niñez, y tampoco me veía suficientemente negra. Y definitivamente no era blanca. Entonces, ¿qué era? Mis padres — de Puerto Rico y Jamaica — me brindaron un espacio sumamente acogedor y de mucho apoyo para que procesara esas preguntas, y ahora yo les ofrezco lo mismo a mis estudiantes.

Nuestros sistemas y líderes escolares necesitan entender que los hispanos no somos un monolito. Yo me siento orgullosa de mis raíces y les transmito lo mismo especialmente a los estudiantes afrolatinos, que quizás no se sientan vistos o aceptados. Para celebrar el Mes de la Herencia Hispana este año, me puse una camiseta que decía: Taína, Africana y Española. Les expliqué a mis estudiantes que los taínos fueron los indígenas de Puerto Rico y el Caribe, que los africanos fueron traídos a Latinoamérica para ser esclavos (igual que ocurrió en Estados Unidos), y cómo España y otros países europeos colonizaron a Latinoamérica. Les dije a mis estudiantes que, sin estas tres culturas, yo no sería quien soy ahora.

De mis ancestros indígenas heredé el carácter para ser humilde, creativa, amorosa, generosa, paciente y sabia, y la habilidad musical. De mis ancestros africanos heredé fuerza, sabiduría espiritual, persistencia, y mi amor por el ritmo. Y de mis ancestros españoles heredé visión y aprendí cómo se puede destruir una vida si permito que la avaricia y el egoísmo me dominen. De mis ancestros españoles también heredé el amor por la melodía. Sin estos ancestros, las culturas hispanas y latinas no existirían. Sin estas culturas, no existiría la infecciosa música latina y tampoco el hip-hop. El objetivo de estas lecciones es que todos mis estudiantes, pero en especial mis estudiantes latinos y negros, se sientan orgullosos de sus raíces y de sus ancestros, y que amen su identidad.

Inés Adriana Martínez, 19, Santa Cruz, California

Estudiante de segundo año de universidad, Cabrillo College

Antes del COVID, yo bailaba muchos bailes folklóricos. Me encantaba aprender más sobre mi herencia, mi trasfondo, y de la historia de México, mi país de procedencia. Me daba una sensación de empoderamiento. Hay un evento local llamado La Guelaguetza, y es una celebración indígena de Oaxaca, México. Con la música y los bailes, es un evento hermoso.

Me aceptaron en UC Davis, pero por COVID, decidí matricularme en una universidad comunitaria local para luego transferirme. Preferí quedarme en la casa y ayudar.

Ines Adriana Martinez es un estudiante de segundo año de universidad.

Soy la mayor de la casa, y tenía que cuidar a mi hermana menor. Eso requirió mucha coordinación. Tanto ella como yo estábamos asistiendo a clases en línea, y tuve que acomodar mis clases alrededor de las de ella. Ella se distraía, y yo tenía que decirle que prestara atención y se asegurara de estar en la cámara. Yo hacía mi tarea en las tardes, y también trataba de sacarla al parque para caminar. La realidad es que todos lo necesitábamos. En la escuela virtual, ella era más sensitiva, se enojaba más, y era más tímida. Buscamos consejería en la escuela, y eso la ayudó.

Cuando yo empecé mis clases virtuales de universidad, me sentí un poco perdida. Descubrí rápidamente que no me gusta estar en una computadora por mucho tiempo. Me cansaba, y no tenía energía para hacer nada. Hubiese sido útil que ellos ofrecieran más recursos de salud mental, como por ejemplo acceso gratuito para hablar con alguien. Eso me hubiese ayudado, porque estaba bien estresada.

Mi mamá trabajó todo el tiempo durante la pandemia; de hecho, creo que trabajó mucho más [de lo normal]. Ella trabaja en una fábrica de té. Mi papá trabaja en construcción y no tuvo trabajo por un tiempo, por lo que todo el sustento provenía de mi mamá. Noté que ella estaba realmente estresada. Cuando se iba en la mañana, mi hermana y yo estábamos todavía durmiendo. Yo hacía todo el trabajo del hogar, como limpiar, cocinar, y cuidar a mi hermana, pero nunca lo hice pensando ‘Ay dios mío, tengo que hacer esto. No quiero, pero lo tengo que hacer’. No fue así. Mi actitud era: ‘Voy a hacerlo porque es mi trabajo nuevo. Estoy ayudando a mi mamá, estoy ayudando a mi papá, y soy miembro de este equipo’.

Creo que hay algo muy bonito en el esfuerzo, ya que uno llega a apreciar más lo que tiene, y también se enfoca más — es como tener un plan para lograr lo que uno quiere. Y no solo eso, sino también tener un plan de respaldo, porque nunca se sabe.

Ahora estoy estudiando administración de empresas. Debido a la pandemia, ahora soy más responsable financieramente no solo por mí misma, sino también por mi familia. Y me di cuenta de lo poco que sabía. Yo quería saber mucho más. Tengo una tía que tiene su propio negocio. Es una guardería, y a mí me parece que es una idea genial. Siempre me ha gustado la idea de ser mi propio jefe, una girl boss.

Dennis Martin, Newark, Nueva Jersey

Maestro de Kinder en la KIPP Spark Academy

Una de las cosas más duras que vi como estudiante de maestro el último año fue cómo los padres con barreras de idioma tenían dificultad para ayudar a sus hijos a entrar a las clases remotas. Hubo frustración, desesperación y preocupación. Todo lo que ellos querían era que sus hijos de Kinder pudieran recibir cada minuto posible de la clase, aunque fuera a través de una pantalla de computadora.

Dennis Martin es un maestro de Kinder en la KIPP Spark Academy.

Como el único maestro que hablaba español en un salón cuya mayoría de los estudiantes eran latinos, con mucho orgullo ayudé a esas familias durante esa época de mucha ansiedad mientras ellos pasaban por los estragos del COVID-19. Ya fuera ayudándolos a entrar a la clase virtual y a desactivar los pop-ups para que sus hijos pudieran tomar un examen, o sirviendo como intérprete durante las conferencias con los maestros, los pude ayudar bastante.

Pero mi apoyo más significativo fue crear un espacio seguro para que los estudiantes se sintieran orgullosos de su identidad y sus culturas.

Ese espacio seguro se puede lograr de diferentes maneras, según las herramientas y recursos disponibles. En las conversaciones en video del año pasado, invité a los estudiantes a hablar conmigo en ambos idiomas si eso les hacía sentir más cómodos al expresarse. Este año, como maestro de Kinder presencial en la KIPP Spark Academy, he incorporado en el salón mi amor por la música de bachata y merengue.

Mostrar estos elementos de mi identidad, y mi orgullo como cubano y nicaragüense nacido y criado en Newark, sirve para crear un ambiente en el que los estudiantes latinos pueden también sentir orgullo por esa herencia que les hace sentir alegría.

Los estudiantes latinos no siempre tienen la oportunidad de verse representados en sus maestros. Nacionalmente, solo un 9% de los maestros de escuela pública son hispanos. Yo sé lo importante que es para estos estudiantes tener un maestro que también abogue por ellos, hable como ellos, y vea las cosas de manera similar.

Ahora que el Mes de la Herencia Hispana se acerca a su fin, he estado alentando a mis estudiantes a mostrar orgullo por sus culturas, aunque no sean si son latinos o hispanos. El 1 de octubre la KIPP Spark Academy tuvo un desfile para celebrar el Mes de la Herencia Hispana, y los estudiantes participaron haciendo sus propias maracas, tocándolas, y bailando al son de música. Mientras los observaba, sentí un gran orgullo otra vez mientras ellos reían y bailaban. En ese momento supe que esta también es una experiencia valiosa para mí, porque me veo reflejado en los estudiantes. Verlos expresar su orgullo hispano y latino significó mucho para mí, aunque ellos no lo sepan.

As Hispanic Heritage Month wraps up, students and teachers reflect on resilience

2021-10-15T17:08:26+00:00

Leer en español.

During this Hispanic Heritage Month, Alicia Jones-Lumbuz’s Houston classrooms came alive with folk songs from Nicaragua and renditions from the musical, “In the Heights,” set in Washington Heights, a New York City neighborhood home to many Dominican Americans.

The masked, in-person performances were sweeter, albeit quieter, than the Zoom performances of the previous two years.

“We’re still learning to get loud,” Jones-Lumbuz told Chalkbeat. “This has been such a difficult season for everyone, especially our children. They are coming back into schools now quiet, unsure of themselves. I want them to sing out and be proud of who they are. I want them to see themselves in our songs.”

Oct. 15 marks the end of Hispanic Heritage Month. Chalkbeat spoke to Hispanic and Latino teachers and students around the nation about how they are celebrating their cultures and navigating this season of loss. Hispanic and Latino populations across the nation have made up a disproportionate number of deaths from COVID-19, and the pandemic exacerbated existing inequities for Hispanic and Latino students — widening education gaps and spurring drops in college enrollment.

For students like Ines Adriana Martinez, the pandemic upended college plans due to new caregiving responsibilities.

“I got accepted into UC Davis, but I decided to stay local and do community college, and then transfer,” said Ines, now a sophomore at Cabrillo College in California. “Because of this whole pandemic, I became more financially responsible, not only for myself but also for my family. And I realized how much I knew nothing. I wanted to know more.”

Below, Ines’ story and others’ are interspersed with poetry and artwork from students across the country. These excerpts have been lightly edited for length and clarity.

At Chalkbeat, we know the stories of Hispanic and Latino students and educators should be told all year long, not just during Hispanic Heritage Month. Do you have a story idea for us? A student or educator that should be highlighted? Email us anytime at community@chalkbeat.org.

Alexa Maqueo-Toledo, 21, Maryville, Tennessee

Senior, Maryville College

Alexa Maqueo-Toledo attended a November 2019 support rally for Dreamers in Washington, D.C. She is a Tennessee college student fighting for tuition equality.

I was born in Mexico City and moved to Tennessee when I was in elementary school. For as long as I can remember, it was me and my mom. When my grandmother got sick in March 2020, my mom was the only one who could easily move back to Mexico and care for her. We knew being apart would be difficult — but we didn’t fully understand then what the pandemic was going to do to the world. We use Zoom all the time for conversations and family gatherings, and we’re trying to get her set up to come for my graduation in May, but that feels like slim chances.

So much of my life and my choices have been tied with my [immigration] status as a DACA recipient. I found out about my status when I was 14 and tried to get a driver’s permit with all of my friends. That’s when my family told me. I grew up in the immigrant community, my aunt was involved, my mom taught English classes. I watched firsthand families being torn apart through deportation. I always wanted to go to college, but with the news of my status dimmed that dream.

My senior year of high school is when it really hit. I had to apply to some colleges as an international student, and I didn’t qualify for significant state scholarship programs or in-state tuition. Thankfully, I had a great guidance counselor who didn’t let me give up — and I applied to Maryville, which at the time had recently partnered with [a scholarship organization for Dreamers], Equal Chance for Education.

Alexa Maqueo-Toledo poses with a sign answering the question, “Why did you apply to college?”

When I arrived at Maryville, a small liberal arts college, the school’s first openly undocumented student was in his senior year. He served as a mentor to me, and I’m proud to say 15 of us will be graduating this year. We’re getting matching stoles for graduation. And we’re working hard to make the path easier for those who come after us. Tuition equity is one of my missions in life. My passion lies in immigrant, and undocumented youth, in particular, being able to obtain state tuition and state aid as any other Tennessee high school senior. They shouldn’t have to jump through the hoops that I had to or face the challenges that I was able to navigate thanks to my high school guidance counselor.

When many people picture “undocumented,” they think of criminals. They don’t think of the girl you took to soccer practice when your kids were young. They don’t think it’s the people your family grew up with. They don’t think of a girl moving mountains to try to further her education, to contribute. I want them to see me.

For Hispanic Heritage Month, seventh grade students at SENSE Charter School in Indianapolis did an author study on the writer Sandra Cisneros. The students, who speak English as a second language, used her writings as inspiration for their own. They researched their names and discussed where their names came from. They created collages that included emotions, colors, and metaphors associated with their names.

Alicia Jones-Lumbuz, Houston, Texas

Choir director and district content lead, KIPP Texas Public Schools: Houston

Alicia Jones-Lumbuz says her parents — from Puerto Rico and Jamaica — created a safe space for her to process her own identity. She strives to create that for her students in Texas.

I have taught choir for over 23 years — and I’m used to my fifth through eighth graders bounding into class, ready to sing, and often leaving me exhausted after corralling their incredible, chaotic energy. Not this year. Many of my students have been going through this pandemic since they were in third grade, and their energy is low.

They barely smile, their speaking and singing voices are very soft, and when we work on choreography, their movements are very lethargic. I have a few students who are happy to be in person — their energy is high, and they have difficulty calming down after completing fun activities or singing. I welcome their excitement and joy to surpass the quiet.

I know my students need my classrooms to be a safe place to process this year — to process the grief of losing loved ones during the pandemic or to navigate in-person environments that feel new and scary. But even before the pandemic, I knew how to create an environment in my classroom where students could process big questions around their identity. I remember what it was like to be in elementary school and have other students ask me, “What are you?” I didn’t look like the Hispanic kids in Florida, where I spent part of my childhood, and I didn’t look Black enough. I certainly didn’t look white. So, what was I? My parents — from Puerto Rico and Jamaica — provided a very encouraging space for me to process these questions, and I now offer that same encouragement to my students.

Our school systems and leaders need to understand that Hispanics are not monoliths. I bring the pride of my roots, especially for Afro-Latino students who may not feel seen or accepted. To celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month this year, I wore a shirt that read: Taino, African, and Spanish. I explained to my students that the Taino are the Indigenous people of Puerto Rico and the Caribbean, that Africans were taken to Latin America to be slaves, like what happened in the United States, and how Spain and other European countries colonized Latin America. I told my students that without these three cultures, I would not be the person I am today.

Alicia Jones-Lumbuz’s choir of students pose for a photo after a performance, which took place prior to the pandemic.

You see, my Indigenous ancestors gave me the character to be humble, creative, loving, giving, patient, wise, and able to make music. My African ancestors gave me strength, spiritual wisdom, persistence, and a love of rhythm. My Spanish ancestors gave me vision and taught me how I could destroy lives when I let greed and selfish ambitions drive me. My Spanish ancestors also gave me the love of flowing melodies. Without any of these ancestors, the Hispanic and Latino cultures would not exist. Without any of these cultures, infectious Latin American music and hip-hop would not exist. The aim of these lessons was for all of my students, especially my brown and Black students, to stand proud of all their roots, be proud of their ancestors, and love who they are.

Students at Brighton Elementary school in Brighton, Tennessee created a collaborative project to honor artists Frida Kahlo and Diego Riviera.

Ines Adriana Martinez, 19, Santa Cruz, California

Sophomore, Cabrillo College

Ines Adriana Martinez poses for a photo wearing a shirt with her college’s logo.

Before COVID, I used to do a lot of folkloric dancing. It was very exciting to learn more about my heritage, my background, and the history of Mexico, where I’m from. It just felt empowering. There’s one local event called the Guelaguetza; it’s more like a Oaxacan, Indigenous-type of performance. With the music and with the dancing, it all just looked so beautiful.

Because of the pandemic, a lot has changed. I got accepted into UC Davis, but I decided to stay local and do community college, and then transfer. I wanted to stay home and help out.

I’m the oldest and I had to look after my younger sister. That was a lot to balance. Not only was she attending online school, but so was I. I kind of had to make my schedule around hers. She’d get distracted, and I’d have to tell her to pay attention or make sure she was on camera. I would do my homework in the afternoon, and I’d try to take her outside to the park to get a walk. We all kind of needed that. She would just be more sensitive, angrier, shyer in virtual school. We sought counseling from the school for her, and it helped.

When I started college virtually, I felt a little lost. I quickly discovered that I did not like being on a computer for very long. I just felt tired and had no energy to do anything. It would have been very helpful for them to provide more mental health resources, like free access to someone to talk to. That would have helped me because I was very stressed.

My mom worked all throughout the pandemic; in fact, I think she worked a lot more [than usual]. She works at a tea factory. My dad works in construction, and he didn’t work for a while, so my mom was like the full provider. I noticed she was really stressed. She would leave, and my sister and I would still be sleeping. I would do all of the extra work at home, like chores, cook, and look after my sister, but not like in an ‘Ugh, my god, I have to do this. I don’t want to but I have to.’ Not really. It was more like: ‘I’m going to do this because that’s my new job. I’m helping my mom, I’m helping my dad, and I’m a member of this whole team.’

I think that there is a beauty in the struggle because you’re able to appreciate what you have a lot more and also focus — like have a plan to achieve what it is that you want. Not only that but to have backups, because you never know.

Right now, I’m studying business administration. Because of this whole pandemic, I became more financially responsible, not only for myself but also for my family. And I realized how much I knew nothing. I wanted to know more. I have an aunt, and she has her own business. It’s a daycare program that she runs, and I think that’s such an amazing idea. I’ve always liked the idea of being my own boss, a girl boss.

Dennis Martin, Newark, New Jersey

Kindergarten teacher at KIPP Spark Academy

Dennis Martin (left) poses with his brother during his college graduation ceremony.

One of the hardest things I witnessed as a student-teacher last school year was parents with language barriers having a hard time logging on their children for remote learning. There was frustration, desperation, and concern. All they wanted was for their kindergarteners to get every minute of instruction they could, even if it had to be through a screen.

As the only Spanish-speaking teacher in a classroom of mostly Latinx students, I was proud to be there for these families during a time of high anxiety as many of them were experiencing the relentlessness of COVID-19. Whether it was guidance with logging on and disabling pop-up blockers so that their students could take a test, or interpreting during parent-teacher conferences, I was able to help in a big way.

But the most meaningful way I was able to support my students was by creating a safe space for them to embrace their identity and cultural backgrounds.

That safe space comes in different forms, given the tools and resources you have. Last year, through those video conversations, I welcomed students to speak to me with both languages if that was how they felt comfortable expressing themselves. This year, as a first-time kindergarten teacher in person at KIPP Spark Academy, I’ve brought my love of bachata and merengue music and dancing to the classroom.

Showing these elements of my identity and pride in my background as a Cuban and Nicaraguan born and raised in Newark, fosters an environment where Latinx students can also embrace the parts of themselves that bring them joy.

Latinx students don’t often get the chance to see themselves reflected in their teachers. Nationally, only 9% of public school teachers are Hispanic. I know how important it is for these students to have a teacher who’s also their advocate, speaks like them, and sees through a familiar lens.

As we wrap up the celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month, I’ve been encouraging my students to display pride in their own cultures, even if they are not Hispanic or Latinx. On Oct. 1, KIPP Spark Academy held a parade to honor Hispanic Heritage Month, and students participated by making homemade maracas, shaking them, and dancing to music. As I looked on, I felt a wave of pride all over again as my youngest students laughed and danced along. In that moment, I knew that it’s also a valuable experience for me to see myself reflected in my students. Watching them express this Hispanic and Latinx pride, they may not know it now, but it meant a lot to me.

Writing about Newark is a ‘privilege and responsibility’ for me. Here’s why.

2021-10-15T15:11:33+00:00

In my first job as a professional journalist nearly a decade ago, I was assigned to cover schools in wealthy North Jersey towns that looked little like the diverse, working-class cities I grew up in just 20 miles down the road.

I was born and raised in Passaic and Clifton, smaller, somewhat overcrowded cities brimming with vibrant culture, lively and loud. For a few years, I attended parochial and charter schools. But most of my education came from public schools.

In those schools, being Mexican American was nothing out of the ordinary. Both Passaic and Clifton boasted — and still do — rich cultural diversity, with many of the cities’ residents identifying as Hispanic or Latino. There were occasional blips of racism and prejudice, but a multicultural tapestry was part of my upbringing.

So, when I began covering the affluent, predominantly white suburban towns of northern Bergen County, I felt somewhat out of place. I had just graduated with my bachelor’s degree from Rutgers University in New Brunswick, another city where I felt at home and the Hispanic and Latino population make up nearly half of all residents. That was where I first dipped my toe in the education world, mentoring and tutoring young English Language Learners weekly through the “RU Pilot Me” program.

But soon, I found myself in school board meetings where I was the lone person of color, the only Latina in the room. Despite that discomfort, one that would ebb and flow, my mom — who had plenty of experience being the only Latina in her workplace — reminded me that I was there to do a job.

And it was one I was passionate about. I wrote about new curriculum and classes, school enrollment and pricey campus expansions, and more. I’d hear my coverage cited by parents, students, teachers, and board trustees during public meetings, reassuring me that the coverage was helping inform their decisions.

As a rookie reporter, it was a valuable learning experience that taught me the basics of how school districts operate, the crucial role of school board trustees, and the importance of public participation at meetings.

Yet, what I saw and understood more clearly than ever before, was that some of our children’s futures seem to be determined by ZIP code and that deeply rooted systemic educational inequities exist across the cities and small towns of New Jersey and beyond. I’ve repeatedly learned this in various roles since that first job, as a Trenton statehouse reporter, a higher education reporter, and a K-12 journalist in New York during the first year of the pandemic.

Back when Chalkbeat opened a Newark bureau in the spring of 2018, I remember feeling hopeful for the city where my friends are raising their kids and my family members have worked in the schools. A city where there were so few dedicated reporters to cover the happenings of the state’s largest public school system. Chalkbeat began planting roots just as residents were learning how dangerous the drinking water was in schools and their homes, and the state had just restored the district school board’s authority.

I remember thinking to myself, I want to be part of that — a team committed to covering this city full of spirit and diversity, where I can personally relate to the stories of its residents. To be part of the team that helps inform caregivers who want to be advocates for their children’s education and future. To help shed light on the stories of English Language Learners and students with disabilities whose voices might get drowned out by other issues. And to be there for families as they celebrate their successes, in the many ways those manifest.

Chalkbeat Newark Bureau Chief Catherine Carrera, posing for a selfie during Chalkbeat’s 2021 virtual retreat, says she feels a “sense of duty” in covering education.

When I became the Newark bureau’s first bureau chief this spring, it felt like a triumph for my family. I don’t come from a family of professional journalists, though I’d argue that my abuelas and tías are some of the best oral storytellers around. And as a first-generation college graduate, I don’t come from a family of academic degrees, though my relatives work harder and more diligently than anyone I know.

It was through my family’s support, encouragement, and constant nudging from my mom — “ponte las pilas, mija” she still tells me almost daily — that I was able to get to where I am now. So, a decade into my career as a journalist, this job and what it entails has brought with it a sense of duty. In my eyes, writing, reporting, interviewing, and connecting with the community of Newark is not just my job — it’s a personal privilege and responsibility.

I hope our readers see this column as an invitation to reach out and connect. As I settle more into this role, I would love to hear from you. Email me with your tips, community event announcements, story ideas, suggestions for our newsletter or for more Chalkbeat Newark events, or just to say hi. We’re always eager to hear you in your own voice in our First Person and How I Teach series. This year we’re piloting our first ever Student Voices fellowship, where we’ll feature personal essays from two Newark high school students who applied for the semester-long program.

As we look ahead, our mission is to tell the story of Newark’s comeback and show how the school community is fighting to rebuild after losing so much during the pandemic, from loved ones to time in the classroom. We hope you help us tell that story, because without you, there is no story to tell.

Bus driver shortage leaves some Newark students with disabilities behind

2021-09-28T20:26:22+00:00

Maryah Santos, 14, listened as her mom tried to explain why she was stuck at home once again last week. School had started in early September and still no bus was headed to their home in Newark’s east ward.

Maryah Santos, 14, in her backyard.

“I love school so much, mommy,” Maryah said.

“I know, you love school,” Shannon Lutz told her daughter, whose intellectual disability makes it difficult to grasp why the bus hasn’t come and why she’s been home instead of reconnecting with teachers and classmates at school.

Maryah, who enjoys riding on the school bus with her headphones on while listening to hit music radio stations such as z100, is one of the hundreds of students statewide who still do not have a bus assignment as of Tuesday — the fourth week of school.

In New Jersey, where no virtual learning option was offered this year, 7,000 students were either left without bus service or affected by last-minute changes to transportation caused by a shortage of school bus drivers that hit its peak this month, just as schools were reopening, Gov. Phil Murphy said Monday.

A national bus driver shortage, exacerbated in part by the pandemic, has affected hundreds of thousands of students across the country as they returned to school this year.

Particularly hard hit are students with disabilities who have bus transportation included in their individualized educational programs. Adding onto a year of disruptions to their education, they started this academic year with confusion over how to get to school. Their families, devastated from the pandemic, were forced to come up with last-minute solutions to get their children to school.

Beyond the challenges of understanding why they’re not in school, students such as Maryah are also missing out on vital individualized services, such as speech, occupational, and physical therapies. Lutz says her daughter has lost out on at least 30 hours of these services, plus many more hours of academic and life skills learning.

Without district bus transportation and without a car, Lutz hasn’t been able to find an alternative way to get her daughter to her out-of-district placement in Fairfield that specializes in special education. The Newark Board of Education has offered her tickets for public bus transportation, Lutz says, but it would take nearly two hours to travel the 20 miles from Newark to Fairfield. Her daughter, she fears, might not respond positively to the stress of that commute.

“This is supposed to be ninth grade for her. Her first year in high school,” Lutz said. “She loves school but she’s getting the short end of the stick here.”

Districts throughout the state have been scrambling for ways to temporarily address the bus driver shortage. Camden City Schools said it would give parents $1,000 to drive their children to and from school. Many districts, including Newark, are consolidating bus stops, merging bus routes, and offering bus tickets for public transportation.

Of Newark’s 40,000-plus students, just 9% of students, or about 3,574, were eligible for busing during the first week of school, said Quanika Dukes-Spruill, executive director of the pupil transportation department for Newark Public Schools. Dukes-Spruill shared the status of the bus shortage impact in Newark at a public meeting mid-September for parents of students who need special services.

About 85% of the eligible students received bus assignments, she said, which left nearly 536 students, either who have IEPs or who qualify for busing based on distance from school, without transportation.

Questions sent to the Newark spokesperson and pupil transportation department requesting up-to-date figures of students without bus assignments went unanswered over the last five days.

Dukes-Spruill said at the parent meeting the district expected to have every eligible student assigned to a bus by Sept. 27.

However, as of Tuesday, Maryah was still without a bus assignment. It’s likely she’s not the only one in Newark, and far from the only one in the state.

Maryah holds onto Marshall, her Paw Patrol plush toy.

“The national bus driver shortage and response to this crisis has also impacted us in Newark,” district spokeswoman Nancy Deering said in a statement emailed on Friday. She added that Newark has also offered parental contracts to families with out-of-district placements, a per diem agreement to reimburse them for driving them to school.

State code puts the responsibility on the student’s home district to provide transportation to an out-of-district placement for students with disabilities.

“We’ve always had bus shortage issues in this state, but I have never seen it to the extent that it is this year and for this long lasting,” said Peg Kinsell, director of public policy at SPAN, a statewide advocacy network that assists parents of children with disabilities. “It’s not like we’re just shaking out the cobwebs, it’s that a lot of school districts don’t have an answer to this and that makes it a crisis.”

Kinsell says direction needs to come from leadership at the state Department of Education. An email and three phone calls to the DOE went unanswered.

At a news conference on Monday, Murphy said the state is working on “matchmaking” between the state Department of Labor, “where folks are looking for jobs,” and districts that need to fill positions like bus drivers.

“This is a profession and occupation that is far more complicated due to the very specific licensing requirements,” Murphy said. “No question it’s an issue but we are directly involved in matchmaking trying to get this solved as fast as possible.”

Several factors have contributed to the shortage, including fears over health and safety with transporting students, including some who are unvaccinated against COVID-19, as well as pay gaps that have existed for years.

Financial, academic impact

The lack of busing has impacted families financially as well as students academically, socially, and emotionally.

Sharline Samuel had to find a way to drive her son, Kellan Lewis, who has autism and is non-verbal, to McKinley Elementary School for nearly two weeks before a van started picking him up, she said.

On the days she had to drive him 20 minutes to school, she worried about the time she was taking away from work.

“I’m putting my job on the line every time I leave the house to take him to school and back,” Samuel said. Some mornings, she didn’t have gas, she said.

“I have one income,” Samuel said. “I cannot afford anything outside of the necessities.”

During the public parent meeting with the district transportation department, one parent said she spent $50 to accompany her son on a public transit bus over the course of several days. At that point, the district was only offering free bus tickets to students but has since changed that policy and started offering tickets to caregivers.

“I’ve spent approximately $50 that I really could use on something else, like a bill — the bus should not be a bill for me,” that parent said.

In Lutz’s case, Maryah being at home has made a dent in her weekly budget as she’s had to spend more money on groceries.

Shannon Lutz hugs her daughter Maryah, 14.

“When she’s in school, they’re feeding her breakfast and lunch,” Lutz said. “It’s affected us financially. It’s affecting my child behaviorally and in other ways I probably don’t even know of yet.”

Lutz said her daughter is fed up with staying at home and has been refusing to follow instructions, which is unlike her usual demeanor.

“Considering we’re already coming off of a year of virtual instruction and virtual therapies — the impact of missing out on in-person services is huge for students with special needs,” Kinsell said.

She recommended that caregivers log every hour of missed therapy and instruction time in case they want to file a complaint. Compensatory education would attempt to make up for the failure of providing services to a student with an IEP.

“My daughter is being punished and not for anything that is her fault,” Lutz said. “To someone else, maybe this doesn’t seem like a long time. But to my daughter, it’s been a very long time. It could feel like a year from her perspective.”

‘Left in the dark’: Newark schools won’t share COVID data with families and teachers

2021-09-23T17:47:33+00:00

School had been in session less than a week when first graders at McKinley Elementary School were sent home. Someone in their classroom had tested positive for COVID.

They were among the first students at their Newark school ordered to quarantine, but they wouldn’t be the last. Since classes started Sept. 7, dozens of students across multiple grade levels have had to quarantine for 10 days at a time, according to parents and staffers.

But rather than inform families, the school appears to have kept that information under wraps. As a result, some families said this week they weren’t aware of any quarantined students or COVID cases at McKinley.

“We’re not allowed to tell other parents about it,” said a McKinley parent whose children in first and fourth grade had to quarantine this month. She declined to give her name for fear of angering administrators. “The first thing they tell you is: Don’t tell anybody, don’t speak to nobody.”

McKinley, whose principal did not respond to email or phone messages, isn’t the only school in Newark with a don’t-tell policy.

The city school district and most charter schools have not publicly released their COVID case counts or quarantine numbers since classes started. Like McKinley, some schools don’t even inform everyone in the building, instead only notifying families and employees about cases in their particular classrooms. Adding to the uncertainty, the Newark school district has yet to launch the weekly COVID testing it planned to offer students this fall.

Why the secrecy around case counts?

Local officials note that student-privacy laws limit what information they can share. However, the U.S. education department has made clear that schools can inform families and employees, the public, and media about COVID cases as long as individual students are not identified. In fact, many of the school districts surrounding Newark list COVID case counts on their websites.

Officials also have said sharing school COVID numbers could provoke unnecessary alarm. However, the lack of testing and transparency appears to have done just that — fueling rumors and fraying nerves as parents and school staffers are left to speculate about COVID’s spread within the city’s newly reopened classrooms.

“It leaves people feeling uneasy,” said Nadirah Brown, whose daughter is in the seventh grade at a district school. “We’re left in the dark.”

Transparency varies by state, district

The limited disclosure starts at the top.

Unlike some states, including Connecticut and North Carolina, New Jersey does not share school-level COVID case counts. While New Jersey says schools “should be encouraged” to report case counts to the state health department, the state does not release that data. Instead, it lists the number of “school outbreaks” — three or more linked COVID cases — per county.

Across New Jersey, children 17 and under account for about 13% of COVID cases, according to state data.

Newark Superintendent Roger León has not said how many people have tested positive for COVID since school started Sept. 7.

Some school districts have opted for greater transparency. Newark’s neighbors, including the Jersey City, Elizabeth, East Orange, and South Orange & Maplewood districts, all publish online the number of COVID cases by school and district-wide.

But Newark, the state’s largest school system with some 37,000 students, has withheld that information from the public. Staffers at five different Newark public schools told Chalkbeat they suspect COVID cases have cropped up at their schools but have no way of knowing for sure.

“Teachers are really working in fear,” said an employee at McKinley.

New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy has ordered school employees to get vaccinated or tested weekly, but students face no such mandate. Newark has encouraged eligible students to get the vaccine, and the district had planned to provide weekly COVID testing with the help of state funding. But nearly three weeks after students returned to school, the district still hasn’t started weekly testing.

“It would help if they got tested week to week,” said Veronica Gillon, a teacher’s aide at Thirteenth Avenue School. “The unknown is what stresses you out the most.”

A city spokesperson referred questions about the number of COVID cases in Newark schools to the school district. A district spokesperson and Superintendent Roger León did not respond to emails.

Dr. Mark Wade, director of the Newark health department, told Chalkbeat that schools will start weekly COVID testing in the coming days. On a WBGO radio segment last week, he said a team of roughly 50 contact tracers in his department investigates all COVID cases, including those in schools. However, he suggested that families will only be notified if there is a positive case in their child’s class.

“We always want to make sure that all of the parents in the classroom know that there was a positive child,” he said.

In some districts, teachers unions have demanded more transparency about school COVID cases. In Philadelphia, the district responded by launching a public COVID tracker.

However, the head of the Newark Teachers Union said he is fine with the district only informing people of cases in their classrooms.

“I have no problem with a need-to-know basis,” said union President John Abeigon. “We’re not a fan of yelling ‘fire’ where there is none.”

For now, teachers are left guessing.

“Our administration doesn’t tell us anything,” said a staffer at East Side High School, who has heard rumors about two COVID cases at her school. “Nothing, nothing, nothing.”

No public tally of charter school COVID cases

Newark’s charter schools, which enroll more than 20,000 students, also have been tightlipped about COVID cases.

Shortly after KIPP TEAM Academy started classes in August, the school informed Anita Crawford that her son Carlton had to quarantine because he was in “close contact” with someone who tested positive for COVID in his sixth grade class. For students, close contact is defined as spending 15 minutes or more within 3 feet of someone.

Federal guidance only says schools should notify close contacts about positive cases, though it doesn’t prohibit schools from wider disclosure. KIPP chose only to inform close contacts about the positive case in Carlton’s class; the families of other students in the classroom were not notified. In fact, Crawford said, the school even advised her against telling the parents of the children in Carlton’s carpool.

“What I have experienced is, if it’s not your child who’s a close contact, then you don’t know,” Crawford said. “We have to go through word of mouth.”

KIPP New Jersey will not say how many COVID cases have been reported in each school or across the charter school network.

Spokesperson Jessica Shearer said KIPP New Jersey investigates all suspected COVID cases in its schools. The charter operator has not found any “widespread outbreaks” or had to close any buildings, she added.

KIPP New Jersey has also started to inform all families and employees when there is a COVID case in their school, in addition to notifying close contacts about possible exposure. However, KIPP still will not say how many cases have been reported in each school or across the charter network.

“We know transparently sharing this information is key, but can also be anxiety-producing for families,” Shearer said in an email last month.

Other schools have been more forthcoming.

A spokesperson for Great Oaks Legacy, which operates six Newark charter schools, said it briefly closed its high school and middle school last month to allow for COVID contact tracing. Legacy, one of the network’s elementary schools, had to close a classroom this week due to a positive case.

In total, six students and six staffers have tested positive for COVID since classes started Aug. 9, the spokesperson said. With more than 2,000 students and 400 employees, the positive cases represent 0.5% of the Great Oaks Legacy community, he added.

“We’re proud of all of the steps we’ve taken thus far to ensure we are keeping our students and staff safe amid ever-changing circumstances,” said a statement from the network’s executive director, Jared Taillefer, who added that 80% of staffers are vaccinated.

A spokesperson for North Star Academy, Newark’s largest charter operator, would not share the schools’ case count. Jada Lee, who has two children at North Star schools, said the schools should inform families about any positive cases.

“They should let people know,” she said.

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New vaccine and masking rules for N.J. daycares could be a ‘very difficult task’

2021-09-20T23:00:33+00:00

All child care center workers in New Jersey have five weeks to get fully vaccinated against COVID-19 or face weekly testing after Nov. 1, Gov. Phil Murphy announced Monday.

In this latest executive order, Murphy also clarified the state’s masking rule, requiring all employees, visitors, students, and children 2 and up in child care centers to wear face masks indoors. The face mask policy is effective starting Friday.

“We know there are already many child care providers who are doing their utmost to protect the children in their care, their employees, and their communities, and we thank them,” Murphy said Monday during a weekly COVID-19 news conference in Trenton. “This order ensures that everyone is abiding by the same strong standards.”

The announcement comes almost a month after the state ordered all preschool to grade 12 workers to be fully vaccinated by Oct. 18 or be subject to weekly COVID testing. School workers must have their second dose by Oct. 4 in order to meet that deadline, as it takes two weeks to be fully inoculated. Murphy has also issued similar mandates for all healthcare and state employees.

Daycare personnel will need to have their final dose by Oct. 18 in order to be fully vaccinated by the Nov. 1 deadline. Free vaccination sites are set up throughout the state, including several pop-up locations in Newark.

Child care center advocates say they’re willing to do what’s necessary to keep the children they serve and their families safe. But the mandate might cause another hurdle for many daycare centers that are already facing staffing shortages or don’t have the funds to provide weekly testing.

“I would say the majority of staff members in child care centers statewide are vaccinated or have expressed interest in getting vaccinated, but there are still a lot of members who are resistant,” said Lynette Galante, vice president of the New Jersey Child Care Association. The non-profit organization advocates for private child care centers in the state and provides them with professional development training and guidance.

Galante is the executive director of Future Generation Early Learning Centers in Bloomfield and Colts Neck, where she’s had a mandatory COVID vaccine policy in place since April for all her staff. The Bloomfield facility also serves families from Newark, Glen Ridge, Montclair, East Orange, and Cedar Grove.

Though her facilities have had strict protocols in place for months and have been able to remain fully staffed, she says many other centers have had difficulty filling vacant staffing positions caused by closures during the pandemic. Potential candidates might not feel comfortable showing proof of vaccination, she added.

“We’ve already been struggling with staffing in crazy ways,” Galante said. “We’ve been doing whatever we can – raising our pay scales significantly, sign-on bonuses, whatever we could possibly think of – to attract employees who have experience and are eager to implement curriculum.”

“It’s always been a challenge” to keep centers fully staffed, Galante added, “but now it’s like a challenge times 10,000 because of the pandemic. And this mandate is adding another layer.”

The association is also concerned about funding for weekly testing, Galante said. When her centers reopened last summer, she purchased 24 rapid COVID-19 tests to have on hand “just in case,” which costed her around $800 to $1,000, she said.

“It’s one thing when you’re requiring school districts to follow this mandate and districts have the staffing and the funds to administer tests,” she said. “But you’re talking about some child care centers that are mom-and-pop operations and don’t have the money to buy hundreds of dollars worth of tests.”

A press release from the governor’s office stated that employers can provide on-site access to testing or require employees to submit proof of a COVID-19 test; either antigen or molecular tests will be acceptable. The state has a COVID-19 test site finder to help residents find free testing locations.

For Esther Maldonado, director of Our Small World Daycare on Summer Avenue in Newark, the vaccine and testing requirement won’t be an issue. Her staff has been fully vaccinated since the spring, she said.

But the masking requirement for two-year-olds at her daycare center, a small establishment that accommodates up to 24 children, will be a real challenge, she said.

“As much as we encourage them to wear their masks, the 2-year-olds, they just get tired and take them off,” Maldonado said. “Once they take them off, it’s on the floor and we have to replace them. How do we force a 2- or a 2-and-a-half-year-old to keep a mask on? It’s going to be a very difficult task.”

Newark parents worried their kids might get COVID in school, poll says

2021-09-13T09:45:00+00:00

An overwhelming majority of Newark parents are worried about their child contracting COVID-19 this school year, and some say they aren’t sending their kids back at all, according to a new online poll published Monday.

The Project Ready poll, conducted by Change Research the week leading up to the first day of school for Newark, found that 49% of Newark parents would have opted for a fully remote learning option this fall if it had been offered.

Newark students returned to full-time in-person instruction last week, joining charter and parochial school students who returned to classes last month, after 18 months of remote or hybrid learning. Some families, concerned about the highly contagious delta variant, have said they planned to keep their children at home.

With no remote-learning option on the table for the 2021-22 school year, districts were ordered to open full-time and in-person, leaving families to either send their kids back to school or opt for homeschooling.

Seventy-two percent of Newark parents said they’re sending their kids back to school for in-person learning this fall, but about 10% said they weren’t planning on it and 18% said they weren’t sure, according to the poll.

That could mean hundreds of students starting the school year off at home.

“That is a significant number of parents in the district who are so worried about COVID-19 that they won’t send their kids back at all,” said Shennell McCloud, CEO at Project Ready, a social justice nonprofit in Newark. “It’s not that they’re still thinking about it. They decided against it completely.”

Parents are concerned about the virus spreading at school, with about 87% saying they’re worried their child might get the virus.

Many parents also are concerned about the way the virus has affected their kids socially, emotionally, and academically. Eighty percent said they’re worried about their children’s social and emotional well-being and 79% said their child falling behind on learning is a concern.

McCloud said the data prompts her to think about how the hundreds of kids whose parents decided to keep them at home may not get to work on social and emotional development that schools might be able to offer.

“You could understand why a decision like that would be made, to keep their families safe,” McCloud said, “but you still have to ask, how are they going to address learning loss and social-emotional development? Because those two issues will continue to exist even if they stay home.”

The district and charter schools have said they plan to prioritize social and emotional learning this school year.

When asked about the layers of precautions being taken in schools to reduce the spread of the virus, most parents were on board. About 86% said they support the mask mandate for students and 68% said they favored the vaccine mandate for teachers. Support for a student vaccine mandate was at 54%.

“Overall, leaders should know that when it comes to public health measures, parents have their backs,” McCloud said. “I think there’s a lot of speculation about whether or not families are supportive of some of these mandates but based on our poll, they are mostly supportive.”

The Project Ready poll was conducted among 301 parents of school-aged children in Newark between Aug. 27 and Sept. 7, with a margin of error of 5.66 percentage points.

Newark’s first day of school is Sept. 7. Here’s what you need to know.

2021-09-03T19:24:24+00:00

As Newark Public Schools students and staff re-enter brick and mortar schools on Tuesday for the first time after 17 months of virtual and hybrid learning, some classroom routines and procedures might feel familiar while others will be new.

COVID-19 has changed the school experience in myriad ways, from face masks to social distancing. It’s also reshaped the lives of students and educators beyond the classroom, with many directly impacted by the virus.

Unlike previous school years, educators say there will be a strong emphasis on developing and nurturing social and emotional skills and fostering supportive environments for staff and students. There will also be efforts to help students who lost ground academically during the ongoing pandemic.

Other classroom features will be new for students who didn’t opt for hybrid learning last spring. For starters, in Newark, classrooms will be equipped with “PPE kits,” or personal protective equipment, such as hand sanitizer, face masks, disinfectant sprays, and paper towels, and more tools meant to keep hands and surfaces clean. Desks will also have sneeze guards to serve as a protective barrier, and students will eat lunch in their rooms instead of cafeterias.

Here’s what else you need to know:

Fully in-person

Gov. Phil Murphy did not renew his executive order allowing virtual instruction during the pandemic. Once last school year ended, districts were told that students would be required to be fully in-person for the 2021-22 year, even if certain guidelines – such as social distancing – could not be followed.

New Jersey Parents for Virtual Choice, a parent group formed following Murphy’s announcement last spring, is pressuring the governor for the option to keep their students learning remotely. Karen Strauss, one of the group’s founding members, has said some parents in the group with children who are immunocompromised are concerned about the delta variant, while others say their children did better academically and in terms of their mental health by learning remotely. An online petition asking for a virtual learning option has more than 25,000 signatures.

In the event of an outbreak or other emergency, however, districts are allowed to switch to remote learning, the governor’s office said.

It’s unclear if the district will have at least three feet of social distance between students and staff in every classroom when at full capacity this fall. State guidelines don’t mandate physical distancing but strongly encourage it “where possible.”

Universal masking

Murphy issued an executive order in August mandating universal maskings in schools for the start of the 2021-2022 school year. Students, educators, staff, and visitors must wear face masks inside all public, private, and parochial preschool, elementary, middle, and high school buildings, including charter and renaissance schools, the order states. Newark’s reopening plan, posted in June as a requirement for applying to federal funding, had already required universal masking for the fall.

Murphy also said written notice from a doctor will be required from anyone seeking an exemption from wearing a mask. He added that a parent request will not be enough to grant an exemption.

Vaccines

In the wake of rising COVID cases related to the highly contagious delta variant, Murphy also issued a mandate last month requiring all school employees to be fully vaccinated against the coronavirus by Oct. 18. By that time, if an employee has not submitted vaccination proof, they will be required to submit to weekly testing, the executive order states.

Newark’s plan states that employees can upload their proof of vaccination cards on the district’s employee platform.

During a virtual staff convocation in late August, Newark Superintendent Roger León said that the exact number of employees who have been vaccinated is unknown because they have not all uploaded their vaccine cards to the employee portal. He said around 60% of teaching staff have been vaccinated but did not provide exact figures.

Though at least one district in New Jersey has mandated vaccines for eligible students, Newark has not moved in that direction. The district has vaccination sites set up at various school buildings to encourage more teens to get vaccinated. About 45% of eligible Newark students — those ages 12 and up — have been vaccinated, León said last week.

Weekly testing and other safety measures

There will be weekly COVID testing available in school for students and staff members when class resumes, according to the teachers union and school administrators, though the district has not publicly announced its testing plan. Guardians will need to sign a consent form in order for students to be cleared for testing and the free tests will be optional for vaccinated employees.

Under Murphy’s new mandate, unvaccinated employees must be tested weekly. The state will provide funding to help districts pay for weekly testing of unvaccinated students and staff.

How will Newark combat learning loss? Schools chief outlines strategies, but gives few details

2021-09-02T17:24:32+00:00

Just days away from a new school year where students will be attending class fully in-person for the first time in 17 months, Newark Superintendent Roger León gave teachers a glimpse at how severely the pandemic affected students’ academic progress.

During a virtual staff convocation this week, Leon shared student performance data showing a significant percentage of students lost ground in math, reading, and other areas based on standardized tests used to measure student progress throughout the year. Students also struggled with SATs, PSATs, and AP exams, scoring below average benchmarks.

The event featured several student performances, well wishes to the staff from state Sen. M. Teresa Ruiz and Mayor Ras Baraka, and even a simulated mic drop from the superintendent after mention of a new elementary school named after former First Lady Michelle Obama. León also previewed strategies the district will employ to help close achievement gaps widened during the pandemic: More tutoring, math initiatives, new textbooks, expanded partnerships with higher education institutions.

But he stopped short of offering details about how some programs would be implemented or paid for. Some will be funded through pandemic relief money the district has received, he said while not specifying which ones, and others have financial support from donations.

“We understand that these are trying times,” León said, “but we also understand that when this pandemic passes – and it will, my good people – our students need to be ready to compete with their counterparts.”

Newark Superintendent Roger León previewed some strategies for addressing learning loss at the 2021 staff convocation, which was held virtually.

New Jersey, like many other states, canceled state standardized tests last year. To measure student performance, Newark used MAP Growth Assessments, created by nonprofit testmaker NWEA, to measure math, reading, language usage, and science. The vast majority of K-8 students took the exams, data shows.

Kindergarteners took the assessment in the winter and spring, students in grades 1-8 took the exam in the fall, winter, and spring, and grades 9-11 only took them in the fall but took college-readiness exams later in the year. The district publicly released data on learning loss in August, months after fall results had shown troubling signs.

Newark students in grades 2-8 struggled especially with math and reading, based on spring 2021 test score data that Chalkbeat obtained through a public records request. Only 9% met state expectations in math and 11% met state expectations in reading, Chalkbeat reported.

The results are only estimates and based on pre-pandemic benchmarks that don’t account for the disruptions to learning that Newark students faced last year.

A district analysis shared at the convocation compared students’ fall 2020 and spring 2021 results, identifying which percentage of students maintained proficiency (as in, they met state standards), improved or declined over the last year.

In math, 14.7% of students improved their score from fall to the spring. Meanwhile, 47.3% of students maintained the same level they had in the fall and 38.1% of students moved down a level, showing a decline in academic progress for those students over the last year.

Similarly in reading assessments, 47.8% of students maintained the same score level, while 34.4% declined and only 17.8% improved.

“We clearly know that we have the work cut out for us,” León said at the convocation. “We’ve outlined what the problem is, so what is the solution?”

Tutoring and more

This year, León said, the district will be updating and “strengthening” curriculum and using data to drive improvement efforts instead of “using data on the edges of our efforts.”

The district is offering 21 Advanced Placement programs this year, college-level courses and exams offered in high school that grant students college credit if they pass a rigorous test at the end of the year. Few students opted to take the test at the end of last school year; of those who did, only one in four passed the exam.

Over the summer, León said the district provided teachers opportunities “to learn this course better” by offering “Summer AP Institutes,” a professional learning course for educators.

León also announced there will be an “Above 1,000 Campaign” this coming year to encourage students to score high in the SATs, but he didn’t explain how this would roll out.

Last school year, the average SAT math score was 472 out of a possible 800 in Newark, 60 points below the college-readiness benchmark. For English, the score was 469, or 11 points below the college-readiness benchmark.

“We’re going to work really, really hard to make sure that they are provided [with] the most incredible, instructional program to get them [to 1,000],” he said.

The district will also continue dual enrollment programs, which allow high school students to take college courses at Essex County College, Rutgers University, and New Jersey Institute of Technology. New this year, University and Central high schools will offer a dual enrollment program with Howard University, a historically Black research university.

There will also be more opportunities for tutoring this year for all students, the district chief said.

Teachers have been allocated an hour every day for tutoring, he added.

The Lafayette Street School for grades pre-K-8 also trained a group of students in the National Junior Honor Society with skills to provide tutoring support for their peers, said León, who indicated this program would start at other schools.

“This is not something that would be a hard lift for schools to do but we’ve dedicated dollars to accomplish this goal,” he said, not specifying how much funding this would receive.

This coming year, algebra will be offered for eighth-graders at 14 schools for the first time in years, León said. The district plans to expand the offering to all district schools that have eighth graders next September as part of its “All Kids to Calculus” program, he added.

The district purchased new textbooks for this school year in math, science, health, and more, and adopted new curriculums across subjects and grades, including theater and music for grades pre-K-2.

“Our strategy is to focus on really good instruction,” he said.

Though there will be no remote or hybrid options this school year, teachers should be prepared to transition to remote instruction if their classroom has to be quarantined, the superintendent said.

“It’s extremely important that we stay focused on the work, that we stay calm as it relates to the realities of the moment and that we just are mindful that the health and safety of our students and staff will always be the priority over everything else,” León said. “That gets us into this new normal.”

Newark students may get ‘a seat at the table’ this year

2021-08-25T22:42:06+00:00

Newark high school students could get a seat at the table starting this fall thanks to a policy amendment written by Arts High School Class of 2020 graduate David Daughety.

On Thursday, the Board of Education will take a final vote on that amendment which, if passed, will establish the district’s first Student Governance Committee. The advisory committee would “give students an institutionalized role in shaping decisions that directly affect their education and educational experiences,” the policy reads.

“To some this might be a small thing, but to me and the students of Newark, this is monumental,” said Daughety, 19, a sophomore at Rutgers University-Newark studying political science and public affairs administration.

The proposed policy states that an elected district representative from each of the district’s 17 high schools and each grade level will comprise the committee. Some newer high schools only have a ninth grade at the moment, and so they would have one representative on the committee, while others have grades 9-12, which will allow them four representatives.

The representatives will meet to discuss, among other issues, policies and actions that directly impact their peers, including student transportation, food vendor transactions, curriculum amendments, disciplinary code modifications and more, according to the policy.

Daughety first wrote the policy as a senior in high school when he was a member of the Newark Students Union. The student-run organization, which has been in existence since 2012, hoped the school board would enact the policy but it was tabled at the time, he said.

David Daughety, 19, of Newark

Recently, school board members reached out to him to see if he could update the policy he wrote two years ago and, on Tuesday, he witnessed the board unanimously pass it on first reading. It was the first time a measure he authored was voted on by a governing body, the aspiring public servant said.

“The way we help students is by listening to students,” Daughety said in a phone call on Wednesday.

As Newark students prepare to start a third school year in the pandemic, he said he feels it’s a pivotal moment to give them a voice as the school board makes major decisions on how to spend millions of federal relief dollars and help students transition to in-person learning full-time.

“This will not only give students a voice but empower them to take back their power as they come back from a year of virtual learning, some falling behind academically, and returning to school at 100% full capacity,” Daughety said. “Students who have been affected by the circumstances of the pandemic will have a seat at the table where they’re planning how we can go forward.”

At Tuesday’s board meeting, trustee A’Dorian Murray-Thomas, along with other trustees, acknowledged the efforts by Daughety and other students to push the policy. Murray Thomas recommended further discussion on Thursday to provide guidance on implementing the policy and elections for the district representatives in the fall.

“It’s clear that this policy is long overdue,” Murray-Thomas said. “It’s important that this committee is actually holding us as board members accountable to what they want.”

Daughety said he’s holding off on celebrating the milestone until after the second vote at Thursday’s meeting.

“The biggest celebration will be when this passes and that empowerment that students across the city will now have,” he said. “It’ll be a win for the students of Newark.”

‘Spirit loss’: How K-5 teachers prep for a class shaped by COVID

2021-08-23T14:45:00+00:00

The Newark elementary school teachers gathered in a large circle at the center of a classroom, where student desks lined the perimeter and a makeshift sign on one wall read, in part, “Step up, step back and create a safe space.”

It was time for “morning check-in.”

One by one, on this Friday morning in August, they shared their feelings.

Some were happy to be wrapping up a second week of professional development. Others were excited for the weekend. A few were feeling tense from a difficult morning at home. Between each turn, the rest of the group would share words of encouragement or validation.

“We’re happy for you.”

“Thank you for sharing and being here with us.”

“We see you. We hear you.”

The ritual was part of a day of professional development for the teachers of KIPP Truth Academy, the charter school system’s newest K-4 school in Newark.

The morning check-in, which the teachers plan to incorporate in their classroom routines this year, is meant to create an intentional safe space and time to share feelings, offer compassion, and establish a welcoming environment.

In Newark, as in schools across the country, elementary school educators have been preparing for how to best help their youngest students transition to being in the classroom on a full-time basis for the very first time or first time in 17 months. While the pandemic continues to be a threat to their own health and that of their families, many students are carrying into the classroom the experience of facing a crisis at home spurred by COVID and other traumatic events.

As back to school season gets underway, a rise in the highly contagious Delta variant has caused more anxiety and fear in school communities. Gov. Phil Murphy has mandated universal masking in schools, as has Newark Superintendent Roger León for the city’s schools, and a state order requiring vaccinations for educators is expected to be announced soon.

Most charter school students in the city returned to school this month, while Newark public school students await their first day of school on Sept. 7.

For the first time in nearly a year and a half, students in New Jersey won’t have a remote or hybrid option for instruction, and they’ll need to be in school full-time, under Murphy’s orders. In the midst of an ongoing health crisis, elementary school educators plan to focus on addressing the social and emotional needs of their students.

“We need to give kids a chance — even though they’re young and may not be able to articulate fully — to share their feelings and their stories,” said Maurice Elias, a psychology professor at Rutgers University who directs the Rutgers Social-Emotional and Character Development Lab.

The first few days and weeks of school should prioritize social and emotional learning over academic instruction, he said.

“Getting kids back into the academic routine is not as important as them feeling comfortable,” Elias said. “This is a process. It’s not a moment.”

Conversations before learning

KIPP Truth Academy School Leader Princess Fils-Aime co-led the professional development session that Friday morning in August with a focus on “educating the whole child,” which drew strategies from the book “The Whole-Brain Child,” by Daniel J. Siegel and Tina Payne Bryson. The book explains how children are ruled by “the right brain and its emotions” over the “logic of the left brain” and offers ways to share healthy emotional skills so that kids can feel better able to cope with their feelings.

In their experiences, the teachers in the room shared, children don’t tend to wait for the most convenient or appropriate time before they feel an urgency to share or express their feelings, which can manifest in different ways.

Rachel Fergusen, a third-grade teacher, asked, “When more than one kid in a classroom is feeling pain or hurt or strong emotions, how do we then manage the prioritization of the pain? Whose feelings get addressed first?”

Fils-Aime suggested leaning on the help of the teacher assistant in the room. She emphasized that students will need to feel heard before they can begin to fully absorb academic instruction.

“They’re going to need us to be understanding, to show them grace and patience,” Fils-Aime said. “You have to make the time for the conversations because the learning won’t happen if the conversations don’t happen first.”

Sheyla Riaz, director of social work at KIPP New Jersey, said the school system has incorporated social and emotional learning into the academic curriculum so that feelings don’t get compartmentalized into just one part of the day.

“If we’re reading a story, we’re asking our kids to reflect on the characters’ experiences, how the characters engage with others, and how the characters manage their stress,” Riaz said. “It’s part of the daily conversation which makes it less compartmentalized and more fluid throughout the entire day.”

Professional development this summer aimed to ensure the teachers have the skillset to address the emotional needs of students this year, Riaz said. She said teachers can also refer students to a social worker if needed. Each of the system’s 14 Newark schools have two to four social workers.

León has also said the district is committed to prioritizing the social and emotional needs of students this upcoming year. During a Board of Education retreat on Saturday, he said school administrators underwent professional development over the summer that focused on social and emotional learning.

‘Spirit loss’

In Newark, 1,021 people have died from COVID, accounting for nearly half of all deaths from the virus in Essex County alone, according to county data. There were 80 new positive cases reported on Friday. The vaccination rate in the city was 45% as of Aug. 20, up from 43% a month ago, according to the state vaccination dashboard.

In a recent nationwide survey, roughly 80 percent of parents had some level of concern about their child’s mental health or social and emotional health and development since the pandemic began. Black and Hispanic parents are seven to nine percentage points more likely than white parents to report higher levels of concern, the survey reported.

“Unaddressed mental-health challenges will likely have a knock-on effect on academics going forward as well,” read the McKinsey and Company report. “Research shows that trauma and other mental-health issues can influence children’s attendance, their ability to complete schoolwork in and out of class, and even the way they learn.”

Because Newark was one of the hardest hit by the coronavirus in terms of deaths and positive rates, “it’s so much more likely that the kids in Newark have experienced some negative consequences of COVID,” Elias said.

“The challenge is that people are worried about learning loss and I think that’s a misplaced concern right now because I think we have to be concerned about spirit loss,” he added.

Riaz said teachers will find opportunities for breaks between academic lessons to teach mindfulness activities such as breathing exercises and yoga poses.

“This is not business as usual or as it was before,” she said.

Yun Shin, the early childhood division director at La Casa de Don Pedro, a community-based social service organization based in Newark, said her teachers are preparing to start with teaching 3- and 4-year-old students about the basics of mask-wearing and procedures with hand washing and hand sanitizing.

“We will talk about it, ask questions and share feelings,” said Shin, who runs the organization’s Head Start, Early Head Start, and district preschool programs. “Our teachers not only get training on how to address mental health needs, but also recognizing child abuse and other trauma.”

‘It’s Friday’

After sharing their feelings during the morning check-in, the group of teachers in the professional development session began clapping to a song Fils-Aime, the school leader, said was her favorite Friday tradition.

For this one, they took turns sharing their weekend plans. The mask-wearing teachers, whose smiles came through their eyes, chanted together in an upbeat tune:

“It’s Friday!

It’s Friday!

It’s the end of the week!

It’s Friday!

So what you gonna do?”

“I’m gonna get my nails done!” Fils-Aime sang.

“She’s gonna get her nails done all weekend long!” they sang in unison, before repeating the refrain for the next educator. This year, the teachers plan to make the sing-along a part of their Friday classroom routines.

Only a third of NJ teachers pass licensing exams the first time around. Does that reflect teacher prep programs?

2021-08-09T19:08:08+00:00

About a decade ago, Essex County College of New Jersey restructured its education program to be more hands-on and geared toward the strengths of its students, who are predominantly Black and Latino and from underserved communities.

The community college in Newark pushed its students who aspired to earn bachelor’s degrees and become teachers to attain a 3.8 grade point average and take the Praxis, a test for a license and certificate to teach in New Jersey.

The approach seems to be working.

Of about 26 teacher prep programs in the state, the two-year college had the fourth-highest pass rate among test-takers of color — 40% of them passed the licensure exam on their first attempt, according to new data released this week. That’s well above the average pass rate for first-time test-takers across the state: 34%.

Though teacher prep programs are most common in four-year institutions and most of the data highlights the pass rate of students from those programs, students from two-year programs can also take the licensure exams.

“Our courses are tailored for students of color and underprivileged backgrounds so that they can relate their personal experiences to the material,” said Mamie Bridgeforth, chair of Essex County College’s division of social sciences. “I think all of that, and the fact that our program is grounded in liberal arts, has contributed highly to our passing rate.”

Many aspiring teachers in the state and nationally don’t pass their license exam on the first attempt, according to the data published by the National Council on Teacher Quality, a think tank that advocates for higher teacher preparation standards. It can take several tries and hundreds of dollars in exam fees for some test-takers to earn their teaching license, the group says.

Nationally, 45% of all aspiring teachers pass on their first attempt, the data shows.

But critics of the study argue that focusing on the pass rate on the first attempt is not a valid indicator of the quality of a teacher prep program or a good predictor of classroom performance.

Many factors can contribute to failing the standardized test on the first go-around, such as test anxiety, a stressful environment, or the exam’s cultural bias, which can lead to disparate test outcomes, said Jennifer Robinson, executive director at the Center for Pedagogy at Montclair State University.

“There are many variables over which the teacher preparation program has little control, such as when the candidate takes the test and how much preparation time was taken before the test was taken,” Robinson said.

The pass-rate study is based on data collected in 38 states and Washington, D.C., from 2015 to 2018, said Hannah Putman, managing director of research and lead author on the study. The study follows a report the group published in 2013 that ranked teacher prep programs and that critics said lacked meaningful analysis.

Some of the information in the report released this week came directly from states through public records requests. Other data points were provided by the testing companies, such as the Educational Testing Service, or ETS, which administers the Praxis exam, Putman said.

For test takers of color in New Jersey, the pass rate on their first attempt ranged from 0% to 56%, depending on which institution they attended, the report shows. For example, none of the 11 students of color from Thomas Edison State University nor the 19 students of color from Caldwell University who took the license exam passed on their first attempt, according to the data. However, 56% of the 102 students of color from The College of New Jersey and 54% of the 59 students of color from Rutgers University-New Brunswick passed on their first attempts, the report said.

Tara Kent, associate dean and director of undergraduate studies at Thomas Edison State University, said that the university doesn’t offer a teacher prep program to train students taking the licensure exam that’s at the center of this study. The study notes that most states, including New Jersey, allow anyone to take a licensure test and individuals who are not enrolled in a teacher prep program may report an affiliation with an institution.

“We think that this data really should be a compass to guide further investigation,” Putman said. “This really points to the need for more support from preparation programs to really do the work that needs to be done to help make up for these inequities in education.”

On the other hand, this data could hurt teacher preparation programs that actively address barriers to entry for diverse teacher candidates, said Robinson, an expert on the recruitment and retention of education students and teachers of color.

“We do believe the reporting of these scores could stigmatize institutions that serve first-generation and underserved college students,” said Robinson, an executive committee member of the New Jersey Association of Colleges for Teacher Education.

Bridgeforth noted that many of her students aren’t comfortable with standardized testing, so professors in her program begin discussing the license exam process from the first week of classes in the two-year education program.

“It’s a lot of hand-holding in the beginning,” Bridgeforth said. “How do you take what they bring to the table and use their life experiences when talking about theories? Teaching in our urban community is very challenging when many of your aspiring teachers are dealing with homelessness and other issues. It’s not easy, but at the same time, you have to have standards.”

Editor’s Note: This article was updated to include a point from Thomas Edison State University that the institution does not offer a teacher prep program. The update also mentions the study’s use of pass-rate data for individuals taking the licensure exam who are not enrolled in a teacher prep program.

This Newark educator returned ‘home’ to teach Deaf students. Now she’s the district’s Teacher of the Year.

2021-07-08T18:15:00+00:00

DeJanee Martinez has loved reading for as long as she can remember. And every school day, whether through a computer screen or in person, she tries to instill that love in her students at Bruce Street School for the Deaf.

The 110-year-old school on Clinton Place in Newark is one of the oldest day programs in the country for Deaf and hard of hearing students ages 3-15. Yet many Newarkers — and even teachers in the district — learned about it only in June, when Martinez was named Newark Public Schools’ Teacher of the Year.

“The award was definitely an eye-opener for so many people,” Martinez, who teaches third, fourth, and fifth graders in American Sign Language, or ASL.

“They said, ‘What? There’s a school for the Deaf in Newark?’ Yes, we’re here.”

About 58 students are enrolled in the school, which shares a building with the district’s George Washington Carver Elementary School and KIPP Seek Academy, a charter school. Students from Newark and surrounding communities who are Deaf or hard of hearing attend the school.

District schools, including Bruce Street School, began the academic year fully remote and transitioned to a hybrid of in person and online instruction in April.

There was no doubt that Martinez’s students were proud of their teacher’s accomplishment and recognition by the district. “We love you, Ms. Martinez,” was written three times on the whiteboard at the front of her classroom, alongside drawings of hearts and other congratulatory messages.

During a recent interview with Chalkbeat, Martinez spoke about the challenges of teaching Deaf students during the pandemic, what practices she hopes will continue in the fall, and how she reacted to the news that she had been named Teacher of the Year.

This interview has been lightly edited for length and clarity.

Why did you want to become a teacher of the Deaf?

I’ve wanted to teach since I was about 5 or 6. When I was in high school, my mother had a Deaf friend, and I just thought sign language was so beautiful. I love to dance and it reminded me of interpretive dancing.

Kean University had a teacher of the Deaf program that I enrolled in right after graduating Science High School in Newark. For student teaching, they placed me here at Bruce Street School, and I never looked back. This is where I wanted to stay. When I was growing up here, I never knew this school existed and I was amazed at what the teachers here do. I wanted to be part of it.

I have to say, no one else in my graduating class at Kean University wanted to work in Newark. But I was definitely passionate about coming back to the district that’s home to me. I understand the fear and stigmas and reputation of Newark, but I never had that feeling. This is home. There were no negatives I could think of at the time and, 16 years later, I still haven’t found a negative. This is a great school.

What were some challenges you faced teaching during the pandemic?

It was one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to do, mostly because a lot of the students don’t have the support they need at home and don’t have family members who are fluent in sign language. It went from language deprivation to extreme language deprivation. Parents would tell me to tell their kids that they need to do ‘X, Y, and Z’ at home and before virtual school, because they don’t have that ability to communicate clearly with their child. It was left up to us to make sure that they understood the routines at home as opposed to the parent taking on that responsibility. Some parents get through the language barrier by writing; some might know basic ASL). But none of my parents are fluent in signing.

On top of that, many students had unstable Wi-Fi, which caused lagging videos and being unable to clearly see signing on their screens. Some students used that as an excuse to not participate.

How did you try to keep them engaged?

It was challenging to come up with different ways to try to keep them engaged. A lot of schools said they didn’t require the camera-on rule and just asked their students to participate in the chat — that wasn’t enough for us. We needed their cameras on in order for any teaching to really happen. Some students in our classes are Deaf while others have varying degrees of deafness. So it’s essential that cameras are turned on so that they can give their responses using ASL as well as verbally. We had to really emphasize that to parents who didn’t enforce cameras-on at home.

We learned a lot in trying to make every aspect of the curriculum accessible to every student.

I was up all night signing videos so that they can have access to readings we would work on the next day. That was very difficult, but we did it.

Some of our students actually did extremely well with technology. One student started his own Zoom class where he would meet up with classmates. It was great because they didn’t have anyone to talk to at home, but they figured out a way to Zoom so they can have each other to sign with and play games virtually.

Was there anything from the virtual classroom experience that you would want to continue next school year when all students are back in the classroom?

The parents being on board and overall parental involvement — I hope that stays. During our remote classes, if I told the class, `Five of you didn’t do your homework today,’ almost instantly I’d have a mom interrupt and ask ‘Is my son one of those five?’ We didn’t have that before. Even if we sent a note home to the parents, it didn’t mean anything. But in that moment of live classes from home, where a parent is listening in, they would get involved and hold their students accountable for their assignments. I’d love for that to stay once we return to school.

What do you want people to know about Bruce Street School for the Deaf?

A benefit of Bruce Street School is having Carver Elementary School students in the same building. That is a huge benefit for us because we have so many children that aren’t fully deaf who can be part of inclusion classes with general education students. They have a teacher of Deaf (or TOD) for support. They can be in both worlds. Having them right next door is one thing you won’t see at many Deaf schools around the country. We have the benefit of having those hearing classes, which means students can go to specials together, they can have lunch together — pre-COVID, at least — so they can create bonds with the hearing population.

How do you feel about being named Newark’s Teacher of the Year?

The day I found out, there were tears. Lots and lots of tears. I did not think it was going to be that big of a deal. When I saw the outpouring of emails, congratulations, and well wishes from people who I’ve never even met before, people from the Deaf community that I didn’t know, it was amazing. It was definitely humbling. It makes me want to do more because I feel like everyone’s watching. I need to step my game up next year. It was definitely a moment that I will not forget. I’ve been here a long time and it was such an honor to just have my name considered. Even having people from the Deaf community that didn’t know our school was here to now know about us. I’m sure there are Deaf children that probably go to outside district schools because their families don’t know about Bruce Street School. But, hopefully, they’ll be here now.

As college enrollment declines, New Jersey promises to help students with tuition

2021-06-30T21:15:00+00:00

New Jersey promises to help thousands of students from low-income backgrounds cover the cost of four years of college tuition under a new state budget that begins July 1.

The $46.4 billion spending plan, signed into law by Gov. Phil Murphy this week, also includes initiatives to help families save for college and repay student loans.

Financial aid programs such as these could help address a downward trend, triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic, in college enrollment and applications for federal financial aid among Newark students.

“The opportunity for students to receive a bachelor’s degree tuition-free, will be nothing less than a game-changer for them and their future and our state’s economic future,” Murphy said this week prior to enacting the legislative spending bill.

In the new budget, the state expands the Community College Opportunity Grant — which helps low-income students cover tuition for two years of community college — by instituting a follow-up initiative to cover an additional two years at a state college or university.

Similar to the community college grant, the Garden State Guarantee is a last-dollar program that will pay for the balance of tuition and fees that remains after eligible students’ financial aid, needs-based grants, and scholarships are applied to the total bill.

Students with household earnings of $65,000 or less are eligible for the higher education programs. Starting fall of 2022, students in their third or fourth year of college can qualify for the Garden State Guarantee, according to the governor’s office.

“We will be working to ensure eligible students are aware of the program, which is one of many initiatives aimed at addressing enrollment declines posed by the pandemic,” the state Office of Higher Education said in an email.

In effect, a student benefiting from both programs could have help from the state to cover four years of tuition and fees.

The approved spending plan allocates $27 million to continue the community college grant and infuses $50 million to jump-start the initiative that will help pay for two years at a state college and university.

The programs don’t cover books, room and board, and other expenses associated with attending college classes such as transportation, which can often double the total cost of college.

The average cost for tuition and fees at a public community college in New Jersey is $4,715, according to federal data.

Meanwhile, the cost of attending Rutgers University, the state’s largest university, went up after its Board of Governors hiked tuition for the upcoming academic year. Rutgers-Newark tuition and fees for a full-time undergraduate student will be about $15,208.

The budget includes other initiatives to help save for college and repay college loans, including offering matching payments up to $750 for taxpayers with incomes below $75,000 who contribute to their New Jersey Better Education Savings Trust (NJBEST) account, the state’s 529 college savings plan.

For taxpayers making up to $200,000, the budget also includes new deductions for:

Contributions up to $10,000 into an NJBEST account
Payments up to $10,000 for in-state tuition
Payments up to $2,500 for the New Jersey College Loans to Assist State Students (NJCLASS)

N.J. will not require universal masking in schools this fall — but Newark will

2021-06-28T21:48:54+00:00

New Jersey will not require students to wear masks when they return to school this fall, though masks are “encouraged” for unvaccinated people, according to guidelines released Monday.

The new state guidelines offer suggestions for how schools can safely reopen this fall, when Gov. Phil Murphy has ordered all schools to resume full-time in-person learning. In addition to urging non-vaccinated people to keep wearing masks, the guidelines also suggest that students stay physically distanced inside classrooms and districts track which employees and students have been vaccinated.

But officials emphasized Monday that the safety protocols issued by the state health and education departments are recommended but not mandatory, leaving districts to create their own policies based on local conditions. While the recommendations offer districts flexibility, they also shift the burden of assessing health conditions to local officials. The state was criticized for this kind of decentralized approach this past school year, when districts devised their own reopening plans.

In Newark, officials have already said they will require universal masking this fall.

Murphy added that schools must physically reopen even if they can’t follow every suggested protocol.

“If you can’t meet the recommendation, we still need you to open,” he said during a Monday press briefing.

The state guidelines say:

Masks are recommended for non-vaccinated people inside schools, but are mandatory on school buses.
Districts should promote vaccination for staff and eligible students (currently, those age 12 and up), and are “encouraged” to track each person’s vaccination status.
Schools should try to keep students 3 feet apart in classrooms “to the extent possible.”
Schools should consider ways to reduce group sizes at lunch, such as having students eat at staggered times, outdoors, or in classrooms.
Schools should disinfect daily high-touch surfaces, including desks, doorknobs, and computer keyboards.

Districts were required to post fall reopening plans this month to access federal funding. Newark’s plan is similar to the one it released last school year, with the major exception that remote learning is no longer an option for students unless there is a COVID outbreak.

Newark’s plan for the 2021-22 school year says:

School employees, students, and visitors will continue wearing masks.
Students will be “encouraged” to socially distance in classrooms, and sneeze guards will remain on desks.
Students will be allowed to move between classrooms, which the district prohibited this spring.
Staff members must submit a negative COVID test before returning to work, but the district did not say it will provide weekly COVID testing for all students and employees as it did this spring.

At a school board meeting last week, district officials said parts of the plan might change.

“As we go through the month of September and we monitor conditions, we may loosen up on some of those,” said Newark Public Schools Deputy Superintendent Nicole T. Johnson, who was the co-chairperson of the district’s reopening task force.

The district also plans to continue its arrival protocols for students and staff, aincluding screening for symptoms, which can be done on paper or via an app; temperature checks; and hand sanitization.

“The safe return plan outlines what is our best understanding given what we know today of what school will look like in September,” Superintendent Roger León said at the meeting.

In an effort to increase vaccination rates in the city and across schools, the district began holding weekly vaccination clinics at some schools, including Malcolm X Shabazz High School (on Fridays) and East Side High School (Mondays and Tuesdays). RWJ Barnabas Health also set up a weekly vaccination clinic, specifically for teens ages 12-19, at Clara Maass Medical Center in Belleville, the district said.

“We don’t know what’s going to occur during the summer months but we’re hopeful that the trends we have [this summer] are better than what they were last school year,” León said

State officials said their guidelines could also change as the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issue new recommendations, particularly around masking, for the coming school year.

“This is our best sense of what back-to-school looks like,” Murphy said, adding that officials “reserve the right to revisit some of this” based on CDC guidance and the trajectory of the pandemic.

The state also released a self-assessment tool that districts can use to determine whether they’re ready for full-time in-person learning, and strategies to address pandemic-related learning gaps.

Newark plans to spend most of pandemic relief aid to improve aging facilities

2021-06-25T23:32:42+00:00

Newark plans to spend the bulk of $177 million in American Rescue Plan money on upgrades to 100-year-old school buildings, but officials say much more is needed to fix facilities that have been neglected for years.

For the first time since the historic windfall for the district was announced, school officials offered a glimpse this week into how the latest round of federal coronavirus relief aid will be spent.

The district projects to spend 51% of the aid on facility upgrades and maintenance, said School Business Administrator Valerie Wilson at a virtual school board meeting this week.

About 34% would go toward teaching and learning while 15% would be spent on technology, she added.

“There is a focus to address indoor air quality,” Wilson said. “There’s a focus to address HVAC conditions in schools — all of which significantly impact the learning environment.”

The district is also due $84 million from an earlier round of pandemic relief funds, which brings the total to about $262 million in new federal aid.

The district is spending 51% of that earlier allotment on teaching and learning and 15% on technology, Wilson said.

“Students have returned to that in-person, physical environment so there’s a need for more materials to support the student,” she said referring to the bulk of that aid going toward support for teaching and learning.

Thirty-four percent, or roughly $28.6 million, of the earlier round of federal aid will go to facilities — not enough, Wilson said, to cover the needs of the 65 school buildings in the district.

“That 34% is scraping the first layer of paint off of a wall,” Wilson said. “It does not come close to the amount of money that is going to be needed to make our facilities effective.”

But neither does the $90 million earmarked for facilities from the bigger pot of federal aid.

“It barely scrapes the surface,” Wilson said.

Many district schools have been in serious disrepair, with falling roofs, faulty heating and cooling systems, and broken windows and doors.

“Fifty-one percent of $177 million sounds like a lot of money,” Wilson said, “but when we talk about our schools that are at an average age of 98 years old, schools that have had deferred maintenance for the last 15 to 20 years, and schools that are way past their useful life ... That’s not a large number.”

She estimates the district will “probably need about a billion worth of bonding” to address all the existing issues and upgrades at its facilities.

“This money should go toward some of that but no one should anticipate or expect that the schools are going to look smashing and beautiful and gorgeous with the monies that are being invested through these three areas,” she said, including last year’s first round of federal COVID relief money.

How should the district spend this money?

The district reached out to constituent groups made up of students, parent organizations, board members, teachers, administrators, school staff, community members, and labor groups for feedback on how to spend the millions of dollars in new federal aid, said Anzella Nelms, a former district official who assisted the district in its return to local control.

“Each of them had their own personal story to tell about what they wanted to consider,” Nelms said at the board meeting of the various groups.

In her presentation, Nelms listed the input from feedback surveys the district collected. Suggestions ranged from redesigning existing stadiums at Malcolm X Shabazz and Weequahic high schools to creating “learning pods” for English Language Learners.

Other suggestions included:

Recruiting multilingual teachers
Increasing mental health services and support for students and staff
Personalizing instruction plans for each student
Offering extended learning time (Saturdays, before and after school)
Teaching about cultural racism and instructional racism in schools
Improving internet access
Offering and expanding resource centers, wraparound services, and parent rooms
Installing new boilers
Addressing plumbing issues

“Fue un caos”: Una madre de Newark reflexiona acerca de sobrevivir COVID, el aprendizaje virtual y mucho más

2021-06-24T14:18:17+00:00

Una lluviosa y húmeda mañana de junio, Brandy (de 10 años) y su hermano pequeño, Noel, se sentaron en sofás separados de su sala, vestidos con las camisetas de uniforme verde oscuro de la Roseville Community Charter School.

Con Chromebooks abiertas, se podían escuchar las voces de sus maestros y compañeros de clase. Como si estuvieran compitiendo por ser los más ruidosos, sus tres periquitos -Colores, Señorita y Sorpresa- estaban también piando y revoloteando en una jaula blanca. De vez en cuando, Brandy o Noel encendían el micrófono de la computadora para contestar la pregunta de un maestro.

La escena durante la última semana de clase fue organizada y relajada, aunque a veces cacofónica (muy diferente a los primeros días de aprendizaje virtual hace 15 meses para esta familia de cinco en Newark).

“Bueno, todo fue literalmente un caos”, dijo su mamá, Patricia Coyotecatl, recordando las primeras semanas de instrucción a distancia la primavera pasada.

Tras enfermar de COVID-19 y aislarse en casa con sus hijos durante semanas, Coyotecatl dice que el “apoyo, la paciencia y la compasión” de los maestros de la escuela chárter Roseville ayudaron a aliviar la ansiedad y los temores de sus hijos. La experiencia de su familia es un ejemplo de cómo los maestros de la escuela Roseville guiaron a los estudiantes y a sus padres esa primavera mientras las familias navegaban por el aprendizaje virtual y también enfrentaban enfermedad, pérdida de trabajo y otros obstáculos.

“Fue como si estuvieses en el mar y de repente una poderosa ola se te acercara y tuvieras que correr y agarrar a tus hijos y abrazarlos fuerte”, dijo. “En mi casa, lo que mayormente hizo esta pandemia fue afectarnos emocionalmente”

“Fue una situación en la que no sentía esperanza”

El virus afectó de forma desproporcionada a Newark y a sus residentes, predominantemente negros e hispanos.

La familia de Coyotecatl vive en la comunidad de Roseville, al noroeste de Newark, en una tranquila calle de casas con múltiples unidades familias. A unos tres bloques al sur se encuentra la escuela chárter de K-4, a la que sus dos hijos mayores han asistido desde el Kinder; y a unos tres bloques al norte está el programa Early Head Start al que su hija de 4 años, Evelyn, asiste desde los seis meses.

Coyotecatl, de 46 años, emigró de México hace 17 años y conoció a su marido, Rosendo, en Nueva York. Habla un inglés limitado y mayormente habla español en casa con sus hijos. En la escuela, ambos están inscritos en el programa para aprender inglés (English Language Learners, o ELL).

En marzo de 2020, las escuelas y centros de educación temprana tuvieron de todo el estado se vieron obligados a cerrar en un esfuerzo por evitar la propagación del virus.

El virus afectó de forma desproporcionada a Newark y a sus residentes, predominantemente negros e hispanos.

En total, hasta la fecha ha habido 36,958 casos positivos en Newark. Esto significa que aproximadamente 1 de cada 7.5 residentes de Newark ha dado positivo para el virus, en comparación con 1 de cada 9 residentes de todo el estado. En términos de pérdida, casi 360 de cada 100,000 habitantes de Newark han muerto por COVID, el doble del promedio nacional.

Con una fuerza laboral que mayormente trabaja en negocios esenciales, desde hogares de ancianos hasta supermercados, y como el centro principal de transporte del norte de Nueva Jersey, la ciudad se convirtió en un epicentro del virus desde el principio.

En términos de pérdida, casi 360 de cada 100,000 habitantes de Newark han muerto por COVID, el doble del promedio nacional.

Y Coyotecatl, que trabaja como niñera y vende joyería y cosméticos para empresas de venta directa, fue uno de los muchos residentes que se infectaron con el virus en esos primeros días de cuarentena.

“Fue una situación en la que no sentía esperanza””, dijo, recordando los síntomas que empezó a sentir apenas unos días después de que le dijeran a sus hijos que ya no podrían ir a la escuela en persona.

Por semanas, Coyotecatl tuvo fiebre, tos persistente, cansancio extremo, y pérdida del sentido del gusto y del olfato, dijo. También desarrolló una erupción persistente en los pies, las manos y los antebrazos, pero nunca pudo determinar la causa, dijo.

“Nunca fui al médico ni al hospital porque no tengo seguro ni dinero para eso”, dijo Coyotecatl. “Cuando me sentía realmente mal, decía: ‘Señor, ¿qué me está pasando?”

A través de llamadas telefónicas con amigos y cartas en español enviadas por las escuelas de sus hijos, Coyotecatl aprendió más sobre el virus. Sus amigos compartieron con ella varios remedios caseros. Dijo que para suprimir la tos, bebía tés de hierbas, añadiéndoles limón y ajo pelado a algunos, y medicamentos de venta libre. Al cabo de tres semanas, algunos síntomas empezaron a desaparecer. Finalmente le tomó dos meses para sentirse completamente recuperada.

Durante ese tiempo, ella y los niños se quedaron en casa mientras su esposo seguía trabajando como preparador de comidas para un restaurante de Nueva York y le ayudaba a hacer la compra cuando ella se sentía demasiado enferma para salir. Noel, de 9 años, inicialmente ayudaba a sus padres sacando la basura, pero incluso eso se volvió demasiado peligroso durante el pico de la primera ola de la pandemia.

“Las personas que vivían en el sótano tenían el virus y la familia del segundo piso también”, dijo. “No permitímos que los niños siquiera se acercaran a la puerta. Por meses estuvieron en esas cuatro paredes y solamente con sus computadoras.”

También le temían a lo desconocido.

“Estaba muy asustado porque no sabía si lo que estaba ocurriendo era realmente malo o si había una cura”, dijo Noel, que terminó el tercer grado este mes. “Me asusté mucho cuando mi mamá se enfermó porque había escuchado que mucha gente se estaba muriendo por el virus”

Antes de la pandemia, la familia de Coyotecatl no tenía acceso a Internet en su apartamento. Y cuando empezaron las clases a distancia, les dijeron que lo necesitarían para que los niños siguieran aprendiendo.

Aprendiendo a usar ‘Zoom’

Además de sus temores sobre el virus, la familia también tuvo problemas para adaptarse al aprendizaje a distancia. Antes de la pandemia, la familia de Coyotecatl no tenía acceso a Internet en su apartamento. Y cuando empezaron las clases a distancia, les dijeron que lo necesitarían para que los niños siguieran aprendiendo. Coyotecatl se inscribió en el servicio más económico que encontró, pero la conexión WiFi sigue siendo débil cuando se conectan varios equipos a la vez para tomar las clases en vivo.

“Tuve que aprender a conectarlos por Zoom, y aprender a checar las computadoras y a usar Google Classroom, y asegurar que tuvieran el enlace y la ID correcta, y cómo enviar un email”, dijo sobre los primeros días de escuela a distancia, cuando ayudaba a sus hijos mientras luchaba contra el cansancio y otros síntomas del COVID.

Todo el día, recordó Coyotecatl, escuchaba lo mismo:

“Mami, mira, la computadora no está funcionando.” “Mami, ahora que hago?” “Mami, la maestra dice que no me escucha bien.”

Era agotador.

Los estudios realizados en el último año han mostrado cómo la pandemia ha afectado drásticamente a las madres trabajadoras, desde tener que hacer “doble turno de trabajo” por las responsabilidades del hogar, hasta problemas de salud mental y preocupación por el aumento en el desempleo, especialmente entre las madres de minorías.

“Las madres latinas tienen 1.6 veces más probabilid que las blancas de encargarse de todo el cuidado de los niños y las tareas del hogar, y las madres negras tienen el doble de probabilidades de encargarse de estas tareas en la familia”, según un análisis de McKinsey and Company publicado en mayo.

´Estamos en esto juntos’

Para los niños de Coyotecatl, los maestros de Roseville fueron un salvavidas.

“No puedo decir cuántas veces tuve que decir: ‘Discúlpeme, pero no pudimos encontrar el enlace para conectarnos.’ Y me contestaban: ‘No hay ningún problema, estamos todos juntos en esto’, dijo Coyotecatl.

Añadió que los maestros le explicaban en español lo que no podía entender en inglés.

Después de más de un año en un modelo de enseñanza totalmente a distancia, Roseville comenzó a impartir clases presenciales en abril. Los estudiantes se dividieron en dos grupos. Hasta el último día de clase el 18 de junio, los estudiantes podían acudir en persona dos veces por semana.

La Dra. Dionne Ledford, principal y directora ejecutiva de la escuela, dijo que la asociación de la escuela con los padres fue esencial para mantener a los estudiantes encaminados en los últimos 15 meses.

“Siempre decimos: No podemos hacerlo sin ustedes”, dijo, refiriéndose a los padres.

Aunque algunos padres han dudado en dejar que sus hijos vuelvan a las clases presenciales — más o menos un tercio de los estudiantes se han mantenido en aprendizaje totalmente virtual — otros, como Coyotecatl, estaban ansiosos por ver cómo volvían a “una nueva normalidad.”

Después de más de un año en un modelo de enseñanza totalmente a distancia, Roseville comenzó a impartir clases presenciales en abril.

Desde abril, sus hijos de tercero y cuarto grado van a la escuela en persona dos veces por semana y los otros tres días toman clases en línea desde la casa. La más chiquita asiste a un centro de educación temprana de lunes a viernes.

“En términos de actividad física, apoyo emocional y apoyo académico, lo mejor para ellos es ir a la escuela” dijo ella.

Ella espera que el apoyo integral que sus hijos recibieron durante la pandemia (por ejemplo, clases de aprendizaje socio-emocional y tutorías extraescolares) se profundice más el próximo año académico, cuando las escuelas de todo el estado volverán a un programa de clases totalmente presencial.

Yo también prefiero estar en la escuela, dijo Noel.

“En las clases virtuales, a veces me distraigo durante la clase o el Internet deja de funcionar y me desconecto de la clase”, dijo en español. “En persona, los maestros pueden explicar la tarea, haya o no haya Internet. Y me gusta que podemos hacer muchas más cosas que no podemos hacer en casa”

Coyotecatl espera que el apoyo integral que sus hijos recibieron durante la pandemia (por ejemplo, clases de aprendizaje socio-emocional y tutorías extraescolares) se profundice más el próximo año académico, cuando las escuelas de todo el estado volverán a un programa de clases totalmente presencial.

Al pensar sobre el último año, Coyotecatl dice que el único aspecto positivo fue todo lo que ella y la familia aprendieron sobre tecnología y educación.

“Esta pandemia fue dura y nos dejó mucha tristeza, pero también nos dejó muchas lecciones”, dijo. “Sabemos un poco más de computadoras, de Google Classroom, de lo que nuestros hijos están aprendiendo y de cómo contestar el mensaje de un maestro por email. Fue a la fuerza, pero creo que resultó ser una de las mejores partes de esta experiencia”

Noel tenía cosas más importantes en la mente. Como lo difícil que será el cuarto grado. Y lo que se avecina para este verano.

“Estoy un poco nervioso porque no sé si va a ser muy duro, pero primero, este verano tenemos pensado ir a la playa”, dijo. “Eso es mejor que el verano pasado y me alegra.”

Este artículo es parte de nuestra asociación con Univision 41.

‘Literally chaos’: A Newark mom reflects on surviving COVID, virtual learning and more

2021-06-24T14:15:00+00:00

On a rainy and humid morning in June, 10-year-old Brandy and her younger brother, Noel, sat at separate couches in their living room, dressed in their dark-green Roseville Community Charter School uniform shirts.

Chromebooks were opened on their laps, the sounds of their teachers’ and classmates’ voices pouring out. As if vying to be the loudest, their three parakeets — Colores, Señorita, and Sorpresa — were busy nearby, chirping and fluttering about in a white birdcage. Every so often, Brandy or Noel would unmute their device and answer a teacher’s question.

The scene during the last week of school was organized and relaxed, albeit cacophonous at times — a far cry from the early days of virtual learning 15 months ago for the Newark family of five.

“Well, that was literally chaos,” said their mother, Patricia Coyotecatl, recalling the first weeks of remote instruction last spring.

After falling ill with COVID-19 and isolating indoors with her children for weeks, Coyotecatl says the “support, patience, and compassion” from Roseville charter school teachers helped ease her children’s anxieties and fears. Her family’s experience exemplifies how Roseville educators guided students and their parents that spring as families navigated virtual learning while grappling with illness, unreliable Internet access, and other obstacles.

“It was as if they were in the ocean when suddenly this powerful wave was coming at them, so you had to run and grab your kids and hug them tight,” she said. “In my house, what this pandemic primarily did was affect us emotionally.”

‘A completely hopeless situation’

Roseville Community Charter School stands about three blocks south of the Coyotecatl family’s home, where her two eldest children, Brandy and Noel, attend.

Coyotecatl’s family lives in the Roseville neighborhood of northwest Newark, on a quiet street of multi-family homes. About three blocks south stands the K-4 charter school, where her two eldest children have been enrolled since kindergarten; and about three blocks north is the Early Head Start program that her 4-year-old, Evelyn, has attended since she was six months old.

Coyotecatl, 46, migrated from Mexico 17 years ago and met her husband, Rosendo, in New York. She speaks limited English and primarily uses Spanish at home with her kids. At school, they’re enrolled in an English Language Learners program.

In March of 2020, school buildings and early childhood education centers across the state were forced to close in an effort to keep the virus from spreading.

In myriad ways, the virus disproportionately impacted Newark and its predominantly Black and Hispanic residents.

Overall, there have been 36,958 total positive cases in Newark. That translates to roughly 1 in 7.5 Newark residents who have tested positive for the virus, compared to 1 in 9 residents statewide. In terms of loss, nearly 360 out of every 100,000 Newark residents have died from COVID — twice the national average.

With a workforce largely employed at essential businesses, from nursing homes to grocery stores, and as north Jersey’s hub of transportation, the city became an epicenter for the virus early on.

There have been 36,958 total positive COVID cases in Newark, with nearly 360 out of 100,000 residents dying from the virus.

And Coyotecatl, who earns money as a babysitter and from selling jewelry and cosmetics for direct sales companies, was one of the many residents who got infected with the virus in those early days of quarantine.

“It was a completely hopeless situation,” she said, recalling the symptoms she began feeling just days after her kids were told they would no longer be able to go to their brick-and-mortar schools.

For weeks, Coyotecatl had a fever, persistent cough, extreme fatigue, and lost her sense of taste and smell, she said. She also developed a relentless rash on her feet, hands, and forearms, but was never able to determine the cause, she said.

“I never went to the doctor or hospital because I don’t have insurance or money for that,” Coyotecatl said. “When it got really terrible, I would say, ‘Lord, what is happening to me?’ ”

Through phone calls with friends and letters sent home from her children’s schools written in Spanish, Coyotecatl learned more about the virus. Friends shared with her various home remedies. She said she drank herbal teas, adding lemon and peeled garlic to some, and over-the-counter medication to suppress her cough. After three weeks, some symptoms began to subside. It would take two months before she felt completely better.

During that time, she and her kids stayed home while her husband continued working as a food prepper for a New York City restaurant and helped with grocery runs when she felt too sick to go out. Noel, 9, initially would help his parents by taking out the garbage but even that became too dangerous during the peak of the first wave.

“The people that lived in the basement had the virus and the family on the second floor had it as well,” she said. “We didn’t even let the kids go near the door. They were in those four walls and with just their computers for months.”

And they feared the unknown.

“I was really scared because I didn’t know if it was really bad or if there was a cure,” said Noel, who completed the third grade this month. “It scared me a lot when my mom got sick because I heard that a lot of people were dying from the virus.”

Before the pandemic, the Coyotecatl family didn’t have access to the Internet in their apartment, and have struggled with connectivity issues throughout the pandemic due to having multiple remote learners.

Learning how to ‘Zoom’

On top of their fears about the virus, the family also struggled to adjust to remote learning. Before the pandemic, Coyotecatl’s family didn’t have Internet access in their apartment. After remote classes started, they were told they’d need it to keep the kids learning. Coyotecatl signed up for the most affordable service she could find, but the WiFi connection continues to be weak when multiple devices are trying to access live instruction at the same time.

“It was learning how to put them on Zoom, and learning how to check their computers and how to use Google Classroom, and make sure they have the right link and ID, and how to send an email,” she said of the early remote schooling days when she was helping her kids while battling fatigue and other COVID symptoms.

All day long, Coyotecatl recalled, she would hear the same thing:

“Mami, mira, la computadora no está funcionando.”

“Mami, ahora que hago?”

“Mami, la maestra dice que no me escucha bien.”

The computer’s not working. What do I do now? The teacher can’t hear me.

It was exhausting.

Studies over the last year have shown how the pandemic has dramatically affected working mothers, from struggling with a “double shift” of household responsibilities to mental health challenges and concerns about higher rates of unemployment, especially among mothers of color.

“Latina moms are 1.6 times more likely than white mothers to be responsible for all childcare and housework, and Black mothers are twice as likely to be handling these duties for their families,” according to a McKinsey and Company analysis published in May.

‘In this together’

For Coyotecatl’s kids, Roseville teachers were a lifeline.

“I can’t tell you how many times I had to say, ‘I’m sorry, but we couldn’t find the link.’ They would say, ‘There’s no problem, we’re all in this together right now,’ ” Coyotecatl said.

She added that the teachers would explain to her in Spanish what she couldn’t understand in English.

After more than a year under a fully remote instruction model, Roseville began holding in-person classes for students in April. Students were split into two cohorts. Through the last day of school on June 18, students were able to go in-person twice a week.

Dr. Dionne Ledford, the school principal and executive director, said the school’s partnership with parents was essential to keeping students on track over the last 15 months.

“We always say: We can’t do it without you guys,” she said, referring to the parents.

Though some parents have been hesitant to let their kids return to in-person lessons — about a third of students have remained fully virtual – others, like Coyotecatl, were eager to see some return to “a new normal.”

In-person learning offered some students a reprieve from crowded homes, technology issues and the opportunity to see friends and teachers twice a week.

Since April, her third- and fourth-graders have been going to school in person twice a week and doing online classes from home the other three days. Her youngest attends an early childhood learning center Monday through Friday.

“It’s better for them to be in school in terms of physical activity, and emotional and academic support,” she said.

She hopes the holistic support her children received during the pandemic, such as social-emotional learning classes and after-school tutoring, deepens in the upcoming academic year when schools statewide return to fully in-person instruction.

Noel also prefers to be in school, he said.

“In virtual classes, I sometimes get distracted during class or the Internet stops working and drops me from the class,” he said in Spanish. “In person, the teachers can just explain the assignment, with or without the Internet. And I like that there are a lot more activities we can do that we can’t do at home.”

Coyotecatl hopes that the holistic support her family received from the school during the pandemic deepens as schools return to in-person classes this year.

When looking back over the last year, Coyotecatl said the only silver lining was all that she and the family learned about technology and education.

“This pandemic was hard and there’s so much sadness that it left us, but it also left us with many lessons,” she said. “We know a little bit more about computers, about Google Classroom, about what our children are learning, and how to respond to a teacher via email. It was by force, but I feel that turned out to be one of the better parts of this experience.”

Noel had more important things on his mind. Like how tough fourth grade will be. And what’s next for this summer.

“I’m a little nervous because I don’t know if it’s going to be very hard, but first, this summer we’re planning to go to the beach,” he said. “That’s better than last summer and I’m happy about that.”

Chalkbeat produced this Pandemic 360 series in partnership with Univision 41.

Newark’s Class of 2022 will have to apply for financial aid to graduate

2021-06-24T10:05:00+00:00

Starting next school year, Newark’s rising seniors will have to apply for federal or state financial aid to graduate.

High school seniors in Newark public schools will be required to complete the federal financial aid form, known as the FAFSA, or, for those who are undocumented, the New Jersey Alternative Financial Aid Application, a new rule mandates. Newark’s school board adopted the measure Tuesday.

Alternately, parents or guardians can submit an exemption form to their child’s school counselor by June 1 of their senior year, the policy states.

The FAFSA unlocks access to federal grants, including Pell grants, as well as work-study programs and loans to pay for college. Data suggests that students, especially those from low-income backgrounds, are more likely to enroll in college after high school graduation when they complete the federal aid forms.

Superintendent Roger León initially proposed the measure at a school board retreat last summer, and the school board quickly approved it. But days later, the board rescinded that decision for lack of community input, consideration for students who might be exempt, and written plans for implementation.

Over the past few months, a 13-member committee that included principals, vice principals, school counselors, students, board members, and community partners reviewed FAFSA mandates that have been implemented in other states, said Mary Harvey, the district’s director of student life.

She added that the Newark committee used Texas’ mandate as a template.

Other states, including Louisiana and Illinois, also have similar requirements. New Jersey, California, and Hawaii, among other states, have proposed bills to make filling out financial aid applications a statewide mandate for high school graduation.

The push to tie FAFSA completion to graduation comes as college enrollment and FAFSA applications have taken a dip nationwide during the pandemic. Through June 11, 51.6% of U.S. high school seniors have completed the aid application, a 5.3% decline compared to last academic year.

Newark has previously made efforts to encourage students to fill out the FAFSA. A citywide coalition sponsored workshops and outreach to increase the percentage of Newark students applying for aid.

The district has previously added graduation requirements that the state does not need, Harvey said. For example, she said, Newark requires four years of math and science, while the district requires three years of those subjects. Newark Public Schools also has seniors complete a thesis and 18 hours of community service.

A “critical component of implementation” of the new rule includes training staff, parents, and students on the application process, the policy states.

The district will also start informing students in the eighth grade about the FAFSA mandate, Harvey said.

At least one parent who spoke during the public comments portion of the meeting said she doesn’t support the new mandate.

“I was glad to see you had that waiver up there because you know what? We’re going to all sign it,” said Cassandra Dock.

Board Co-Vice President Vereliz Santana said the district could be a model for the state as it’s the first to implement this graduation requirement.

“I think I would have benefitted from this policy because I had to fill it out myself,” said Santana, who attended Stockton University after high school. “It is critical. We are trying to remove barriers for our children, and we know that higher education is not for every student but for those who do choose to pursue higher education, this is a tool and resource that could help them achieve those higher education goals.”

As college enrollment drops, a proposed free tuition program in New Jersey could be ‘life-changing’

2021-06-14T21:02:32+00:00

New Jersey could be on the cusp of widening an initiative that would help cover the cost of attaining a post-secondary degree, a step several states and individual higher education institutions have taken in recent years to make college more affordable.

The measure has the potential to change the lives of thousands of low-income students across the state, especially as families continue to cope with financial strains caused or exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.

A proposal in the governor’s 2022 budget would help pay for tuition and fees for two years at any of New Jersey’s four-year public colleges or universities for students with household incomes of $65,000 or less. The average annual tuition at a public four-year institution in New Jersey is $13,963 for an in-state full-time student, according to the U.S. Department of Education.

Gov. Phil Murphy would allocate $50 million of taxpayer money to fund the program, but that could change as lawmakers have until July 1 to approve or amend the proposed spending plan.

The financial aid program, officially called the Garden State Guarantee, would expand on the state’s Community College Opportunity Grant, and similar to that program, pay for the balance of tuition and fees that remains after eligible students’ needs-based grants and scholarships are applied.

The community college program, which was implemented in 2019 and signed into law earlier this year, is also open to students with household earnings of $65,000 or less. Murphy’s proposed spending plan would allocate $27 million to continue that program.

The average cost for tuition and fees at a public two-year college in New Jersey is $4,715, according to federal data.

Students could potentially qualify for both programs and have four years of college paid off.

“This is a life-changing opportunity,” said state Higher Education Secretary Brian Bridges, “particularly as our economy rebounds and we look to our students to help grow our workforce.”

Bridges discussed the proposed initiative with current college students at Montclair State University last week as part of a series of roundtable discussions he’s hosting to promote the program.

“I, like many other New Jersey students, was a first-generation college student,” Bridges said. “Through the Garden State Guarantee, we want all students across the state to know that they can afford college.”

College enrollment declined nationally last year and fewer students have applied for federal financial aid this year, signalling a continued decline in enrollment since the pandemic emerged. Some graduating seniors are opting for a gap year or putting college on hold, discouraged by the high cost of tuition, fees, books, and campus housing.

“A lot of us are scared to even apply for college, not because we don’t think we’re going to be successful or that we don’t deserve a higher education. But because it’s not affordable,” said Elizabeth Moyeno, an incoming graduate student at Montclair State University who spoke during the live-streamed discussion. “Though we’ve been resilient through a pandemic...what deters us and what turns people away is whether or not it’s actually accessible.”

The enrollment decline has disproportionately affected students of color and low-income students. In Newark, where most students are Black and Hispanic from low-income families, college enrollment among graduating seniors dropped 9 percentage points last fall from the year before, compared to a drop of 5 percentage points statewide, state data shows.

But last-dollar programs like the Garden State Guarantee and Community College Opportunity Grant could help reverse that trend. Enrollment through the Community College Opportunity Grant has increased by more than 140% since spring of 2019, according to Murphy’s budget statement.

About 13,000 students statewide could qualify for the Garden State Guarantee, Bridges said. If the allocation gets approved by lawmakers later this month, the program would take effect in the fall of 2022.

The Garden State Guarantee was previously recommended in the 2021 budget before the pandemic threat surfaced. Murphy’s office cut the program from the revised budget last year because of the “fiscal uncertainty posed by the pandemic,” according to an email from the Office of the Secretary of Higher Education.

At the roundtable, when asked what it would personally mean to have two years of tuition and fees covered at a four-year state institution, some students said it would give them more time to study instead of trying to make ends meet.

“I worked two jobs that summer to make sure I had the finances to go to school in the fall. And then, I worked in the fall to make sure that I had enough money to go to school in the spring,” said Karla Farfan Miguel, a Lakewood native and senior at Montclair State University. “And that’s the way I’ve been working at it since I’ve been here.”

Transparency and tutoring: poll shows what Newark parents want from COVID relief

2021-06-04T10:58:00+00:00

When it comes to the $262 million coronavirus relief money earmarked for Newark schools, city parents are clear: They want to know exactly where the money goes and they want a say in how it is spent.

That comes from an online poll commissioned by Newark-based voting advocacy group Project Ready and conducted by polling firm Change Research of 346 Newark voters, a third of whom have school-age children. The poll, administered from May 15 to May 20, also found that city parents strongly agree with spending the money on tutoring services, a $500 educational stipend for every student, and other programs such as expanding pre-K and mental health services.

“Parents don’t just want a seat, they want to be a decision-maker in how this funding is used and make sure the process to provide that input is accessible to all,” said Nayibe Capellan, chief of staff at Project Ready.

About 85% of Newark parents said they agree that “it’s important that parents, teachers, employers, and non-profit leaders have a seat at the table and a voice in how this funding is used,” the survey said.

Forty-six percent want the district to “create a commission of employers, non-profit leaders, teachers, and parents to have a voice in how funding is used,” according to the survey. About 45% said they want transparency and another 45% said they want accountability when it comes to how the district spends the funding.

New Jersey’s public schools are set to receive $2.7 billion, with $177 million slated for Newark, from the latest round of COVID-19 relief funding approved by President Joe Biden and Congress earlier this year. In addition to $84 million in relief funds already allocated for Newark schools, the total due to the district amounts to $262 million in new federal aid, or nearly $7,300 extra per student.

“This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity,” Capellan said. “Newark voters and parents see this as our one big opportunity to make things equitable and to shift education in Newark for everyone for years to come.”

The survey, which was also administered to 1,215 voters statewide, found that two-thirds of all New Jersey parents would take advantage of tutoring services if offered. That jumped to 83% for low-income parents. In Newark, 92% of parents said they would use tutoring services.

“To have access to high-quality tutoring service for free can be really life-changing for some students,” Capellan said.

Another 85% of the Newark respondents said that a one-time $500 grant for their child’s education would make an impact on their academic success, the survey said.

When asked about the types of academic and social emotional services the district should invest the money into, the top five priorities of survey respondents were:

Providing teachers with better instructional materials and digital resources;
Developing tools to help teachers with student academic and mental health needs;
Providing tools and support for students’ emotional and mental health needs;
Providing special funding for students with greater learning needs;
Expanding broadband access to underserved areas and upgrading technology.

“Parents were at their child’s side for the last year watching them struggle academically and they know what’s missing from their education,” Capellon said. “Policymakers should take into account the suggestions that parents are offering and show them how they’re being implemented and executed.”