Schools
Legislature approves bills to address school staffing issues
Lawmakers approved two bills Monday intended to help schools struggling with continuing staffing issues amid a new, highly-transmissible coronavirus variant. One bill (A5576), passed unanimously by both chambers Monday, would allow retired teachers to return to the classroom through the 2022-2023 school year and still collect their pensions. Another measure (S4203) would eliminate the requirement […]
Senate passes bill requiring schools to teach history of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders
Students in New Jersey schools next year will learn about the history and contributions of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, if Gov. Phil Murphy signs a bill the Senate passed unanimously Monday. Activists who have pushed for such representation in school curriculum applauded the Legislature for its “bold and timely leadership” at a time when New […]
Teachers, school officials plead for solutions for schools during COVID
Teachers, school nurses, principals, and their advocates vented for nearly two hours to the Senate Education Committee Thursday, saying they are stretched beyond their limit because of COVID-19. Teachers are taking on the responsibilities of cafeteria workers and custodians. Schools can’t retain educators. And everyone is growing more worried about remote schooling’s impact on learning […]
Parents confused, angry over school disruptions
Since returning from winter break Monday, North Plainfield students have attended school on a half-day schedule. Steven Rudyz’s son — who tested positive for COVID-19 and is quarantining — gets one hour of online schooling daily. Arlene Chuisano has three children in Sayreville schools, and kept her two sons home after they tested positive. But […]
Special education advocates seek court order to keep N.J. schools open
A New York-based group representing special education students has asked a federal judge for an emergency order to prevent any New Jersey schools from switching to virtual learning. The Brain Injury Rights Group filed a motion Monday in U.S. District Court in Newark seeking a temporary restraining order to ensure the 237,000 students ages 3 […]
Lawmakers turn to retired teachers as remote learning returns to some schools
An Assembly panel unanimously advanced a measure Monday that would allow retired teachers and some professional educational staff to temporarily return to work without impacting the status of their pensions. The panel’s action comes as school districts nationwide are facing a return to remote learning because of staffing issues related to COVID-19 infections. A surge […]
Bill would increase penalties, require reporting on school bullying
A bipartisan bill to toughen New Jersey’s anti-bullying law has won final legislative approval and awaits Gov. Phil Murphy’s signature. The bill would require school superintendents to report bullying incidents to school boards and direct school districts to spell out in anti-bullying policies the consequences a student faces for harassing, intimidating, or bullying a classmate. It would also […]
Legislation creating school bus safety watchdog advances
New Jersey lawmakers advanced a bill Thursday that would create a school bus safety watchdog to ensure drivers are qualified and buses are safe. The legislation is the last of several measures — already enacted into law — that lawmakers introduced in response to the 2018 crash of a Paramus school bus that killed a […]
Bill expanding SNAP to more college students advances
Assembly lawmakers took another step toward loosening work requirements for college students in need of nutritional assistance Monday. In a near unanimous vote Monday, the Assembly Appropriations Committee advanced a bill that would allow students at higher education institutions, including community colleges, to qualify for the Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program (SNAP) without meeting a 20-hour […]
N.J. audit slams Norcross-headed insurance broker for school contract
The insurance brokerage helmed by Democratic power broker George Norcross erred in its analysis of health insurance plans for Pennsauken Public Schools employees, costing the district $1.6 million in potential savings, according to an audit released Friday by the New Jersey State Comptroller’s Office. The 4,700-student school district in Camden County relied on an analysis done […]
Bill to measure students’ pandemic learning loss advances in N.J. Legislature
New Jersey lawmakers advanced a bill Thursday that would require the state Department of Education to measure any learning loss during the pandemic and report its findings by the end of May. The bill, introduced last December by Assemblywoman Angela McKnight (D-Hudson), requires state education officials to examine student achievement from March 2020 through June […]
Students push for bills to expand transparency on school security, discipline
Awwal Lawal’s high school has only three guidance counselors for 1,200 students, no air conditioning in most areas, and school meals so meager students sometimes leave their lunch break hungry. But the district spends plenty of money on security, he said. “I used to think it was normal to have guards in schools,” said Lawal, […]