Month: May 2014
…Assembly gets an earful on improving public higher education
By Jonathan Lai, Inquirer Staff Writer
Public higher education in New Jersey badly needs changes to become more affordable, accessible, and successful, legislators were told Wednesday during a hearing at Rowan University.
[…] Ten students were the last to testify on a series of issues.“Right now, New Jersey is in a higher-education crisis.,” said Jalina Wayser, a Rowan student studying political science and sociology.…
Read MoreFate Uncertain for Bills Aimed at Slowing Down Switch to New State Testing
By John Mooney
The administration is moving ahead with its implementation of PARCC, but may be open to a change in how it’s used
It’s a big question in New Jersey education circles these days: What is happening with legislation and other efforts to slow down the full implementation of new online testing and the attendant educator evaluations.…
Read MoreThe Newark School Reform Wars
The city has a new mayor with a progressive mandate, but its schools are reeling from the market-based reforms Cory Booker introduced.
By Owen Davis
Every time Newark shows up on the national radar—from Cory Booker’s celebrity turn to Mark Zuckerberg’s $100 million gift to Ras Baraka’s victory in the mayoral race earlier this month—its schools have been in the spotlight.…
Read MoreNewark enrollment: Charter schools popular for elementary, district for high school
By Peggy McGlone/The Star-Ledger
In the first round of the universal enrollment program, Newark parents preferred charter schools for their elementary students, but they favored the district high schools over charters for grades 9 through 12, according to new information from the district.
School officials notified parents earlier this month of the decisions in the universal enrollment program, a key piece of the controversial One Newark school reorganization plan.…
Read MoreCollege costs addressed at N.J. Higher Education Committee meeting held at Rowan
By Andy Polhamus/South Jersey Times
GLASSBORO — Members of the state assembly’s Higher Education Committee visited Rowan Wednesday morning to confer with administrators and students about a legislative package of 20 bills aimed at overhauling college costs and access to college education.
“Students are being shut out of higher education,” said Jalina Wayser, a Rowan student and member of the student advocacy group NJ United Students before the hearing.…
Read More$25,000 for a graduation speaker, no joke; but many schools get bang without bucks
By Patricia Alex, staff writer, The Record
The graduating class of Kean University heard Darrell Hammond, a former “Saturday Night Live” cast member, serve up jokes on Thursday about his less-than-stellar grade-point average and boozing during his college days in Florida.
The price tag for his message: $25,000.
On Friday, graduates at Montclair State University will be treated to a commencement address by prolific and best-selling author James Patterson.…
Read MoreRutgers trustees call emergency meeting on bill to expand board of governors
By Kelly Heyboer/ The Star-Ledger
NEW BRUNSWICK — The Rutgers Board of Trustees will hold a special meeting to discuss proposed legislation that would give Trenton lawmakers more power in selecting members of the university’s board of governors.
University officials sent out a public notice today announcing the hastily-convened trustees meeting will be held at noon Friday in Winants Hall on the New Brunswick campus.…
Read MoreTake Action to Save Your Pension
When Gov. Christie announced his illegal plan to slash pension funding, the unions representing public employees vowed to sue to protect our members’ rights. Together, we are moving forward to file that suit quickly.
A collation of unions, including the New Jersey State AFL-CIO, are jointly working together to make this campaign a success. All of the unions represented here are participating in this joint campaign.…
Read MoreColleges Are Buying Stuff They Can’t Afford and Making Students Pay For It
By Michelle Chen
With tuition costs more than doubling over the past generation, and student debt now exceeding $1 trillion, everyone knows the cost of college is too damn high. About 40 million people nationwide are weighed down by education debts that often reach into the tens of thousands. But those numbers are just a sliver of the bleak shadow that Wall Street casts over higher education.…
Read MoreIs College Worth It? Clearly, New Data Say
By David Leonhardt
Some newly minted college graduates struggle to find work. Others accept jobs for which they feel overqualified. Student debt, meanwhile, has topped $1 trillion.
It’s enough to create a wave of questions about whether a college education is still worth it.
A new set of income statistics answers those questions quite clearly: Yes, college is worth it, and it’s not even close.…
Read MoreThe Ripple Effects of Rising Student Debt
By Phyllis Korkkimay
What are the roads not taken because students must take out loans for college? A collection of studies shows that the burden of student debt may well cause people to make different decisions than they would otherwise — affecting not just individual lives but also the entire economy.
For one thing, it appears that people with student loans are less likely to start businesses of their own.…
Read MoreRutgers employee, recent grad offered new job amid allegations she was fired for union work
By Hannan Adely, staff writer, The Record
A Rutgers University employee who claimed she lost her job because of her union organizing efforts on campus has been offered a new position at the school.
Christine O’Donnell will start work June 2 as an administrative assistant in the Rutgers Cooperative Extension and will make $31,675 a year.…
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