The 4th Ward Gazette: An Englewood, NJ Newsletter focusing on the events impacting the 4th ward, its residents and the family and friends who care about the traditions and welfare of Englewood residents. Members of our "Neighborhood Watch Program" do not carry guns. We carry telephones and cameras. The 4th Ward Gazette is dedicated to uplifting the hearts & minds of a people long overdue for some success & recognition. It is a warm friendly bear hug for a Community.
Always
Vote like the lives of your children depend on your doing so!
Tuesday, March 26, 2013
Wednesday, March 20, 2013
How Do We Build a Great School Board?
How do we build a successful School Board that interprets to the staff the aspirations of the community for its school? How do we build a School Board that responds to the needs of the "People" and holds the "Achievement of ALL students" as priority above all else?
2. Learn and use the OPRA PROCESS. (Open Public Records Act)
3. Learn and use the Open Public Meetings Act law.
4. Read and Learn about THE SCHOOL ETHICS COMMISSION and the School Ethics Act.
5. Learn to write and to file ETHICS VIOLATIONS using the official School Ethics Complaint forms from the New Jersey State Department of Education.
6. Make sure that the Board appoints a Delegate and an Alternate to the New Jersey School Boards Association during reorganization. (Reorganization meeting is held after the School Board election.)
7. Make sure the Superintendent is evaluated on a yearly basis, in writing, in a public meeting, based on whether the Goals and Objectives the Board and the Superintendent set together are met.
8. Demand to see this written evaluation form. If you must, OPRA (request in writing) the evaluation form in the finished version.
9. Write and file ETHICS VIOLATIONS on Board Members when they are seen involved in activities that are outlined as infractions by the School Ethics Commission. Read the frequently asked questions and answers about filing ethics violations.
10. Support the teachers, principals and Superintendents when they are hard working professionals and the results of their hard work is evident in the success of the students.
11. Make sure that all School Board Members get the training that is mandated and required. Praise them when they go beyond the requirement and positive results in student achievement are evident.
12. Read and understand the role of the New Jersey School Boards Association. If a School Board shuts out this organization, it is very suspicious and against the law. Taxpayers pay over $26,000.00 per year for the serices of the New Jersey School Boards Association. This is the organization that trains the School Board Members in the state of New Jersey after we elect them. When more of the community understands what the School Board is supposed to do, we will have a better school system, with more effective employees and smarter more well trained children.
Education Matters: Legal Aspects of Board Service
Open Public Meetings Act or Sunshine Law
Open Public Meetings Act..What Boards should know about Education.
Education Matters: Annual Goal Setting
Education Matters: Legal Aspects of Board Service
The Chief School Administrator Evaluation Process
or
The Process of Evaluating the School Superintendent
Tuesday, March 19, 2013
The People's Town Hall Meeting on Public Education Issues & Solutions
February 23, 2013 at Community Baptist Church in Englewood, NJ
The videos.....Beginning with the Introduction. The entire Town Hall was videotaped and will be available on this blog and on Facebook for those who were not in attendance. This People's Town Hall did not focus on Englewood. It had a State and National focus, because the subject matter is bigger than our City. Other sections will be added in digestible pieces as it is digitally prepared for publication.
The Introduction: Lorenzo Richardson, Concerned Citizens Coalition of Jersey City, New Jersey
Keynote Speaker: Stan Karp, Director of the Secondary Reform Project for the Education Law Center
More to come...
Monday, March 18, 2013
Pop Up Master Plan Meetings and School Budgets for a Fee?
The email below was sent to select City Residents earlier today. Thursday will be a busy day. As you can see the meeting begins in the middle of the work day and continues until 8 pm. As if that was not bad enough, Thursday is also the day the School Board has scheduled a Budget/State of the District Presentation. Perhaps the Budget Meeting has been pushed up since the 21st was the original date. Who knows?
The School Budget, that we must vote on was left at the library and we were required to pay for a copy of the 20 page document. Why was it not put on the district website as well? One should never vote yes on something that one has never seen.
The School Budget, that we must vote on was left at the library and we were required to pay for a copy of the 20 page document. Why was it not put on the district website as well? One should never vote yes on something that one has never seen.
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As you probably have heard, the City of Englewood is updating its Master Plan for 2013 which will set objectives and the policies that will shape Englewood's future. After a series of general public meetings and meetings with specific constituencies, the professional project team (Brown & Keener and Regional Plan Association) has been hard at work developing the vision and finer points of the Master Plan.
On March 21, 2013, from 1PM to 8PM, the project team will host a Pop-Up Workshop to present the Englewood Vision and Master Plan to be held at 14 West Palisade Avenue (formerly Chico's clothing store) in downtown Englewood. At the storefront, visitors will be able to stop by any time during "shop hours" and take part in hands-on exercises to weigh-in on the Plan. Materials and presentations will showcase what a future Englewood could look like under the recommendations of the Master Plan.
The Plan places particular emphasis on creating an even more lively downtown; a reimagined industrial district in South Englewood; enhanced neighborhoods whose character is preserved; improved access to community amenities; and better transportation connections throughout the city and to the region beyond. In addition to hands-on exercises, residents will be able to provide feedback in comment booklets provided on site.
The Vision and Master Plan was developed over a 9-month process through which nearly 600 Englewood residents and stakeholders participated in two public workshops to shape the recommendations found in the plan. Following the pop-up workshop, the Project Team will incorporate feedback into the Plan and present it to the city in April.
Many of you have been active participants in this process and I thank you for it. We would urge you to join us at this Pop Up Workshop as your voice should be heard. Please click here to see a copy of the invitation for the Workshop.
If you should have any questions regarding the event or the Master Plan please feel free to contact me at City Hall at 201-871-6666 or by email at frankhuttle@englewoodmayor.com.
Sincerely,
Mayor Frank Huttle III
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Projected School Board Meetings. http://www.epsd.org/www/epsd/site/hosting/BOE%20CALENDAR%202012-2013%20-%20BOARD%20MEETINGS.pdf
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