I received this four color, four page glossy brochure in Friday’s mail. Did you? The leadership of this organization is traveling the state asserting its concern for urban kids. But I wonder… What does this picture say to you? Sure doesn’t look like my granddaughter or most
Read more →“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,” emails Teri Adams of the Independence Hall
Read more →In Friday’s Herald News, Assistant Editorial Page Editor Bruce Lowry vents his displeasure with recent events in Paterson, culminating with call by the investigators for the State Attorney General’s Office to investigate Councilman Benjy Wimberly. See the article here. Lowry says it won’t matter. I respectfully disagree. What
Read more →“Democracy isn’t just for rich people,” said Julia Sass Rubin in Bob Braun’s column about waning support for charters. Our suburban neighbors are proposing that charter schools should have to be approved by the local community. Dr. Rubin leads a coalition called Save Our Schools NJ who has
Read more →Are you sitting in air conditioning to do your work? Can you imagine trying to do your work without airconditioning? I sure can’t. I wilt in the heat. My brain won’t work. How about you? And yet our children and their teachers in sitting in unairconditioned school
Read more →Today we celebrate more than 1,066 young Paterson readers who read 50 books over the course of the year. We will offer games, crafts, face painting, books and a surprise visit from a big red dog [you know who, right?]. Come by the Paterson Public Library and
Read more →This could be the week we hear from the NJ Supreme Court about the School Funding Reform Act of 2008. Is the state required to follow the law? Or can a governor and legislature simply ignore the law? If the governor and legislature don’t agree with the court,
Read more →I’ll tell you a secret. At some point, every parent feels like they are the only one with the problem. You are angry, maybe embarassed. You don’t know what to do. It feels too big to tackle. You get angry at your kid for causing the problem,
Read more →Tonight, PEF will hold its annual School Board Candidate Forum. I’ll be listening for the candidates to talk about the needs of our children. Do we have enough teachers? Are classrooms overcrowded? How do we reduce the use of suspensions? Will every child have access to arts
Read more →It’s budget time for schools across the country. Schools face higher demands and reduced support. And the news in Paterson isn’t any better. While our budget increased by $14 million, its buying power is less. For example, we will lose 250 staff members next year. It’s not
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