Category Archives: News
Out of the mouths of babes…
Last night the Paterson Board of Education and the community members wrestled with the latest version of Paterson’s school transformation plan. Of the more than three hours of comment and debate, the contribution of the children stands out for me. Faced … Continue reading
Read your minutes!
Last night we shared PEF’s latest edition of the Educated Voters Guide to the School Board Elections with the School Board members. As usual, the Commissioners immediately turned to our report on their attendance. And as usual, they were surprised … Continue reading
Would twice as much income make an educational difference?
Do you know that families with children made nearly twice as much income in Passaic County than in Paterson? The new census shows that the median income [the mid point: half make more; half make less] for a Paterson family with children was … Continue reading
How many NJ kids in private schools? Check this map.
There is so much debate on education issues, sometimes an interesting tool gets lost. Take today’s story on NJ Spotlight about private school participation in NJ. It’s lost behind the stories about charters and teacher tenure. Click here to go … Continue reading
Paterson Kids Count Full Report
How are the children? Stuggling. We all know that. However, Paterson Kids Count shows us a detailed, rounded picture of our children’s conditions over the past five years. For us at PEF, the critical point is the low literacy achievement by … Continue reading
Help Paterson children with Donors Choose
I love putting a smile on children’s faces. Their joy in simple things is so uplifting. Yesterday, on Halloween, we took pop-up cards to Napier Academy/School 4′s middle school students. Their smiles spread from ear to ear. Today, we have … Continue reading
It’s the Law, isn’t it?
I’m scratching my head about this question: don’t we have to follow the law? We pride ourselves in this country about being a nation of laws, not men. But it doesn’t seem as if New Jersey is paying much attention. … Continue reading
Twenty years and counting
We’ve past a milestone that I hoped we’d never see. August 7 was the 20th anniversary of state takeover of the Paterson Public Schools. Will we ever return? We could. NJ QSAC [Quality Single Accountability Continuum] finally provided the roadmap. Our state … Continue reading
Save Our Schools!
Linda and I had an exhilarating experience at the Save Our Schools March in Washington DC this Saturday! 5,000 people gathered at the Ellipse Park behind the White House and rallied for more resources for public schools. Rally speakers included … Continue reading
Public Schools Should Go Away
“Public schools should go away.” I’ve always thought that such charges were just rhetorical, part of the rant in debate. But no, Monday’s Star Ledger features a Bob Braun column that turns my blood cold. “Public schools should go away,” … Continue reading