This is an article from the Asbury Park Press, here is a link to the article:

New Jersey’s chief of schools says the state should be quicker to reconfigure or close failing institutions.

Acting Education Commissioner Christopher Cerf tells The Associated Press that would be one of his top priorities if he had free rein to modify the state’s education system.

Cerf says data show that New Jersey has one of the nation’s top public school systems — but that low-income students do relatively poorly. And he says the gap is bigger than in most states.

He says the New Jersey Education Association does not seem serious enough about addressing that gap. That’s the state’s main teachers union.

Cerf says the goal of the education system should be to give every student an equal opportunity “regardless of birth circumstances.”

One in a periodic series on efforts to remake New Jersey’s education system.

This is an article from the Asbury Park Press, here is a link to the article:

EWING — Corey Goodson had been getting by in his classes at Asbury Park High School, but barely.

Now he’s trying much harder, which started happening when Goodson, getting ready for the football season a year ago, was told he couldn’t play.

“I didn’t have the credits,’’ he said.

Goodson fixed his GPA, something he talked about with pride on Saturday after Asbury Park defeated Florence, 42-18, in the NJSIAA Central Jersey Group I championship game at The College of New Jersey.

Goodson said he regrets missing his junior year of football, especially after being part of the school’s 2009 title team.

“We didn’t have a good season last year and I felt like I owed my team because I wasn’t there,’’ he said.

When turnovers and special teams benefited Florence in the first half, the Flash had three possessions that moved into the red zone, only to be turned away each time, with stops made by Goodwin, defensive back Armond Conover and linebacker Tajier Hammary proving especially significant.

Somehow Asbury Park led 12-0 at halftime. Once at that point, the rest was easy.

“Corey is a beast on defense,’’ said Asbury Park coach Matt Ardizzone. “He gives us full effort on every single play and it‘s going to be real sad to see him go.’’

Asbury Park finished its season at 10-2, rebounding from a less-than-stellar 2010.

This is an article from the Asbury Park Press, here is a link to the article:

JACKSON — The mother of two girls who became separated from them in Tunisia in a marital struggle in August was reunited with them and is back home in New Jersey.

Suzanne Feimster returned with one daughter on Nov. 15. Her husband, Walid Bensayeh, returned on Nov. 23 with their younger daughter and Suzanne’s mother, indicating that, at the very least, the couple had made some progress in attempting to work through their parenting difficulties. They have been separated for two years.

Now, they have begun proceedings to divorce and a hearing is scheduled soon in Ocean County, said Christine Hayes, a spokesperson for Feimster. Hayes is a teacher at Asbury Park Middle School, where Feimster also was employed before going to Tunisia with Bensayeh and the girls, Sumyra, then 4, and Rayhana, 3, for a visit with his parents.

“Now she’s in a secure, safe location with the kids,” Hayes said. “She has no idea where he (husband) is and he has no idea where she is.”

Feimster said in an email this week that she cannot comment at this time because of pending court cases, but added that “Sumyra, Rayhana and I are safe on American soil.”

Walid could not be reached for comment. Before the trip to Tunisia, he was living in the couple’s house that they owned in Pine Hill, Camden County. Feimster and the girls lived with her parents in Jackson.

This is an article from NJ.com, here is a link to the article:

Would streamline firing steps; expand preschool, kindergarten

TRENTON — The state’s largest teachers union said Monday it would support a streamlined process to fire ineffective tenured teachers, but it also unveiled a package of proposals that would require a considerable increase in funding for public schools.

In addition to revamped tenure rules, the New Jersey Education Association called for an increase in preschool programs and full-day kindergarten, smaller class sizes for elementary schools, and new state grants to pay for parental involvement initiatives.

The package comes as state officials have signaled that education reform measures would move through the Legislature this fall. The NJEA lost a key battle over pension and benefit reform legislation in June and is looking to regroup on tenure reform, charter schools and school voucher bills.

Lynne Strickland, director of the Garden State Coalition of Schools, which lobbies for suburban school districts, said she was doubtful the NJEA package would be received enthusiastically while money remains tight.

“It’s positive that they’re talking education issues at the top of the agenda,” Strickland said, and then added: “You’re talking billions of dollars. There are a lot of big ideas. Will there be enough money to support some of them?”

Steve Baker, a spokesman for the NJEA, said the proposals reflect what educational research shows is effective for student learning. The union did not develop a cost estimate for the programs, he added.

“We’re making the argument that, if you’re going to talk about education reform, let us look at the things that are demonstrated to be effective,” Baker said.

This is an article from NJ.com, here is a link to the article:

New Jersey’s bid to waive the requirements of a federal education law includes proposals to reward high-performing schools and force low-performing ones to remove ineffective teachers, according to a draft of the state’s application.

The “No Child Left Behind” law requires all public school students to demonstrate proficiency in math and reading by 2014, but it would be nearly impossible for New Jersey to comply — 55 percent of the state’s public schools have students who do not meet that standard, test data show.

In seeking the waiver from 100 percent compliance, the state’s application proposes a new system for public school accountability that would group schools into three tiers based on students’ performance on standardized tests. The federal law deems any school not in compliance as failing, a penalty that could result in withheld funds after the 2014 deadline.

According to the state’s application, the 5 percent of schools with the lowest test scores would be deemed “priority.” Another group with low graduation rates or wide achievement gaps would be considered “focus.” The state’s best schools would be called “reward.”

Acting Education Commissioner Christopher Cerf said the proposed accountability system would support struggling schools and offer credit for progress toward the “flawed” federal law’s goal of having all students demonstrate proficiency in math and reading.

“There is no one-size-fits-all approach to school improvement, which is why we must focus our resources and most significant interventions on those schools with a longstanding history of low performance,” Cerf said.

This is an article from NJ.com, here is a link to the article:

They’re among the best, but they have a long way to go.

Fourth- and eighth-graders in New Jersey ranked near the top in the 2011 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) tests in math and reading, posting the second-highest reading scores in both grade levels, according to data released today.

The state’s fourth-graders ranked fourth nationally in math — up from fifth in 2009 — while eighth-graders got the third-highest scores, up from fifth two years ago.

Massachusetts students posted the highest scores in all four areas.

But results of the NAEP assessments, often nicknamed the “Nation’s Report Card,” also showed fewer than 40 percent of students nationwide were “proficient” in all of the categories tested.

New Jersey fared somewhat better, with 43 percent of fourth-graders and 45 percent of eighth-graders scoring proficient or better in reading. In math, 51 percent of fourth-graders and 47 percent of eighth-graders were proficient or better.

NAEP defines proficient as “solid academic performance” and “competency over challenging subject matter.”

“Being basic isn’t good enough,” Newark School Superintendent Cami Anderson said. “The NAEP is sort of the gold standard. It’s the best thing we have to measure true proficiency.

“We want highly proficient,” she said. “Obviously, we need to make leaps.”

The NAEP tests were administered between January and March this year to a representative sample of about 200,000 fourth graders and 170,000 eighth-graders across the country. In New Jersey, that included 3,100 fourth-graders and 2,500 eighth-graders.

The tests — which are scored from 0 to 500 — are the only nationally representative assessments given.

Debbie and the Wonder Bar have offered me an opportunity to raise funds for the benefit John Key’s family. John Key was a teacher in the Asbury Park School District since 2000 and most recently, took a position as an assistant football coach for the Blue Bishops in the Fall of 2011. John was a past coach in Ocean Township and Monmouth Regional as well as stand out athlete in the Ocean Township School System as a proud Spartan.

John was tragically taken from us in the early morning of Sunday, October 16, 2011, when he was hit by a car trying to help another individual. John not only left behind his parents, but he also left behind two small children ages 8 and 10.

Function 11, a fantastic band, will be performing the evening of Saturday, November 19, 2011, at 8:00pm. Advance ticket sales are $20.00, with ticket prices of $25.00 at the door. A portion of the door sales will go directly to the benefit of John’s children through his parents. There will also be 50/50 ticket sales as well as other gift prizes, which will benefit the children and also help the APEAPF provide a scholarship in John’s name in the Asbury Park School District to be given out in June.
If you are unable to attend, but would like to donate to this worthy cause, please send a check to:

The Asbury Park Education Association Philanthropic Fund (APEAPF)
658 Cookman Ave. Suite 19
Asbury Park, NJ 07712
(In the memo section, please write: FBO John Key)

We look forward to seeing you at this very worthy cause.

This is an article from the Asbury Park Press, here is a link to the article:

Accident victim’s friends, family fill the Paramount

ASBURY PARK — John U. Key Jr., the 37-year-old middle school teacher and assistant high school football coach who died in a Garden State Parkway accident Oct. 16, was remembered Monday as a quiet man who didn’t try to draw attention to himself, but let his life shine.

The Rev. Byron P. Wess, pastor of Key’s church, Second Baptist, made clear in his eulogy at the Paramount Theatre that Key’s premature death was not God’s doing. Rather, God is one’s strength when such a tragedy happens, Wess said.

Key died after being involved in a minor collision on the northbound lanes of the Parkway in Wall about 2 a.m. on a Sunday morning. He got out of his car and walked across several lanes to check on the occupants of the other car.

Key was killed when a third car struck him as he was making his way back to his own car, authorities have said.

“I’m sure you thought, ‘If only he hadn’t gotten on the Parkway, if only he hadn’t collided with the vehicle, if only he hadn’t gotten out of his car,’ ” Wess said. “But I submit the real tragedy is if John would have been the type of person who didn’t get out of his car.

“John died as he lived … moving beyond his space to see if someone needed something in their space,” the pastor said.

This was an article from the Asbury Park Press written by Nancy Shields:

ASBURY PARK — Assistant Asbury Park football coach John Key was an inspirational teacher during the past decade at Thurgood Marshall Elementary School and then this fall at the city middle school, said John Napolitani, the president of Asbury Park’s Education Association Monday.

Key, 37, died about 2 a.m. Sunday when he was hit by a car on the Garden State Parkway in Wall after getting out of his car to check to see if the occupants of another car he had collided with were unhurt.

“He was just an outstanding employee and had a wonderful rapport with the students,” said Napolitani, 40, who went to Ocean Township High School, where Key was as a star running back and linebacker from 1988 to 1991. “He always had a smile on his face and never had a bad thing to say about anyone.”

Napolitani said Key had just obtained a principal certificate and was looking to move to the next level in his career.

“If he had been given that opportunity, he would truly have been an outstanding adminstrator,” the union president said.

Key, a resident of Long Branch and the father of two children, had been a teacher in the Asbury Park schools since September 2000. He came on the high school coaching staff in June after previously coaching for four seasons at Monmouth Regional High School and before that at Ocean Township High School.

WALL — An Asbury Park Middle School teacher and veteran football coach involved in a two-car crash was struck and killed by a third car as he was crossing the Garden State Parkway early Sunday, officials said.
John Key, 37, who was in his first season as an assistant football coach at Asbury Park High School, was pronounced dead on the scene after being hit by a northbound Mercedes-Benz, Sgt. Brian Polite said. He was returning from checking on occupants of a car that he had collided with, Polite said.
Key, of Long Branch, was driving a black Chevrolet that collided with a white Honda at 2:08 a.m., sending the two cars to oppposite sides of the northern lanes, Polite said. After going to check on the safety of the occupants in the Honda, Key again crossed the four lanes on foot near the 98.4 mile marker and was hit, Polite said.
“At the point that he ran over to see if they were OK, he was not injured,” Polite said. “When he attempted to cross the roadway again, it was at that point that he was struck by a blue Mercedes-Benz.”

No other injuries were reported, and police did not release the identities of the Honda’s occupants.
A father of two young children, Key was a standout running back/linebacker at Ocean Township High School from 1988-91, said George Conti Jr., Key’s high school football head coach.
Key played varsity football his sophomore through senior years and was the Spartans’ team captain his senior year, Conti said

“He was a person everybody looked up to,’’ Conti said.