This blog will provide a forum for those interested in Dr. Petrosino's perspective on education at the local, state and national levels. At all times, the basic premise is that the role of leadership is to create more leaders, not more followers.
The New Jersey Performance Report is released yearly and contains data of every from the New Jersey Department of Education on the latest data from Hoboken High School. Notice the disparity between black and white students and between economically distressed and non-distressed students.
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Specifically, there were 24 students classified as "White", 108 students classified as "Hispanic" and 31 students classified as "Black" according to data by the NJ Department of Education on the NJ Performance Report. Only 36% of ALL students Met or Exceeded Expectations for the entire school. When we look at the subgroups, 62.5 percent (15 students) of the White students Met or Exceeded Expectations, 37.1% (or 40 students) of the Hispanic students Met or Exceeded Expectations, and 12.9% (or 4 students) of the Black students Met or Exceeded Expectations. Most telling, while the percentage of White and Hispanic students Meeting or Exceeding Expectations are roughly on par with State expectations (White: Hoboken: 62.9% vs State: 63.90%--- Hispanic Hoboken: 37.1% vs State: 36.6%) the percentages for Black students are nearly 3X lower (Hoboken: 12.9% vs State: 35.2%).
The proficiency rates based on social economic status are also revealing. An examination of the data indicates that the proficiency rate for economically disadvantaged students is half of the proficiency rate for non-disadvantaged students. When we look at the subgroups, 28.4 percent (34 students) of the Economically Disadvantaged students Met or Exceeded Expectations while 56.9% (25 students) of the Non-Economically Disadvantaged students Met or Exceeded Expectations. Both of these numbers are below State averages meaning BOTH Economically Disadvantaged students and Non-Economically Disadvantaged students at Hoboken High School are performing below State of New Jersey averages in their respective categories. An increasing number of people are beginning to see disparities between Black students and the general population as well as the general overall lack of proficiency across socio economic strata and are raising reasonable concerns.
One of the trappings that our administrators at the Hola Dual Language School in Hoboken, NJ have been receiving over the past few years has been this program by the Relay Graduate School of Education. Both the program and its founder have received national recognition recently. Here is a story many might find interesting concerning Norman Atkins and his recognition as a recipient of the 2018 Heinz Award. -Dr. Petrosino Established by Teresa Heinz to honor the memory of her late husband, U.S. Senator John Heinz, the Heinz Awards celebrates his accomplishments and spirit by recognizing the extraordinary achievements of individuals in the areas of greatest importance to him. Of special note is an award given to an educational reformer: Norman Atkins, education reformer, is recognized for pioneering new education and teacher training models that are affecting dramatic, positive change in educational achievement among low-income student populations, and for co-founding the Relay Graduate School of Education, the first major redesign of teacher preparation in this country in decades. After observing public school and small, community school classrooms in New York City in some of the city’s poorest neighborhoods with the Robin Hood Foundation, Mr. Atkins founded Uncommon Schools (Link 1, Link 2, Link 3) an organization that establishes and manages urban schools that prepare low-income children for college. Seeing a disconnect between how education schools are preparing aspiring teachers, and what teachers need to know to be successful in the classroom, Mr. Atkins went on to co-found the Relay Graduate School of Education, a title that refers to the idea that it takes a relay of highly effective teachers to put a child on a positive academic and life trajectory. The Relay approach differs from traditional teacher education in that it thoughtfully integrates theory and practice, immersing aspiring and early career teachers in PK-12 classrooms, and providing them with intensive feedback. Graduate students engage in teaching sessions that allow them to deliver lessons, receive guidance on how they can improve their approach, then repeat their session, applying what they have learned from faculty master teachers. To graduate, Relay students must deliver measurable results in the classroom and prove they’ve helped their students master the year’s academic content. This past school year, Relay trained 3,000 current and aspiring teachers and 750 school leaders nationwide. On average, the children taught by Relay students average 1.3 years of growth in reading in a single year. At a time when enrollment in teacher preparatory programs is declining — a factor in teacher shortages nationwide — Mr. Atkins ensures that Relay is marking a 40 percent increase year-over-year in its teacher and principal training programs, and attracts a diverse teacher workforce.
00:07 never thought I would stand up here I
00:09 talk to you my name is Alexandra kim and
00:12 i live at 928 willow out my family is
00:16 relatively new to hoboken we moved here
00:18 less than three years ago and we're in
00:19 certain about the reputation of the
00:21 schools but to our delight our boys have
00:24 flourished in the public pre-k in
00:26 district schools we have met the most
00:28 wonderful families and kids along the
00:30 way and as they have moved on to
00:31 different schools we have wish nothing
00:33 but the best for them and their families
00:35 and so we felt very ambivalent about the
00:39 lawsuit between the district and a local
00:41 charter school we fell uncomfortable
00:43 about the political and financial costs
00:45 the silence from civic leaders and the
00:47 impact and local elections but lately I
00:51 have felt troubled by the political
00:52 gaming outside and inside the sport and
00:55 so I decided to read up on the issues
00:57 and here's what I learned at the heart
01:01 of this case a charter school has asked
01:03 the state for permission to renew and
01:05 expand its charter the school has the
01:07 burden to show that this would not
01:09 exacerbate segregation in the district
01:12 segregative effect is essentially a
01:15 civil rights question and it's legal
01:17 question and I believe we need the
01:19 courts to help us figure this out here
01:22 are three reasons why as residents we
01:25 should be interested in whether public
01:27 monies provide equal educational
01:29 opportunities to students regardless of
01:31 race income or status as a former Abbot
01:34 district we cannot enjoy a free public
01:37 pre-k at the same time as preventing
01:40 equal protection questions from going to
01:42 the court hoboken has free public pre-k
01:45 as a result of the abbot lawsuits which
01:48 ask similar questions as this case to
01:51 remedy the segregation that the court
01:53 found it permitted funding for public
01:55 pre-k and certain urban districts
01:57 including ours public pre-k is enjoyed
02:00 by many families in this town including
02:02 the children of non district school
02:05 leaders as parents we are two divided
02:08 and emotionally invested in a certain
02:10 answer
02:11 in our country it is the courts that
02:13 clarify our understanding of civil
02:16 rights and then hoboken we have never
02:18 needed this more than though to be clear
02:21 no one is calling for schools to be
02:23 closed or calling anybody what's it
02:25 rather we are asking for a neutral party
02:28 to answer these hard questions for us
02:32 secondly I wanted to address the
02:34 embarrassing antics at the last board of
02:37 education meeting I expect that there
02:40 will be a difference of opinion and
02:42 values among this board but when the
02:44 interests of this district students
02:46 conflict with outside interests the code
02:48 of ethics makes it clear which takes
02:51 priority the code also dictates that
02:54 board members do not take private
02:56 actions that would compromise the board
02:58 so here's another way of looking at it
03:00 when you play for the Yankees but root
03:02 for the other team and provide them with
03:04 inside strategy then no one will trust
03:07 you will want to play with you will want
03:09 to hire you and certainly no one
03:11 watching the game will like you the code
03:14 of ethics not only exists to protect the
03:17 interests of our district children but
03:19 also to protect your public and
03:21 professional reputation you can advocate
03:24 for any group of children but you cannot
03:26 do so from that chair if this is too
03:28 difficult for you that I know some
03:30 highly qualified people who can serve a
03:32 district children wholeheartedly I want
03:36 to say this as nicely as possible but
03:38 you need to get your act together we are
03:40 talking about the civil rights of
03:42 children and any reasonably intelligent
03:45 person we know that political gaming is
03:47 inappropriate most of us in our family
03:51 histories have experienced being the
03:53 other for many families in hoboken that
03:56 struggle is still very real today I call
03:59 on school leaders to act sensitively and
04:02 model integrity around issues of civil
04:05 rights in our community thank you to the
04:07 majority of the board who have refrained
04:09 from political gaming and who have acted
04:12 at great personal cost to defend the
04:14 civil rights of children in our district
04:16 thank you
04:18 you
The following is the full detailed Agenda for the October 9, 2018 Hoboken Board of Education Meeting. Excerpts from various speakers are also included. The full video of the meeting can be accessed by clicking HERE.
Mayor Ravi Bhalla and Hoboken Public Education Foundation members
October 9, 2018
From Hobokennj.gov: Hoboken Mayor Ravi S. Bhalla announced on Tuesday an agreement with the City of Hoboken and KMS Development Partners regarding plans to develop a hotel in Hoboken.
As part of the agreement, KMS Development Partners will make $4.5 million investments into the Hoboken community and have committed to various pro-Hoboken staffing and operational priorities.
“These community give-backs are real progress for our City,” said Mayor Ravi S. Bhalla. “It is my intention that this agreement shall serve as a model for all future deals. I am putting developers on notice: if you want the opportunity to do business in our City, we expect union labor and we expect generous community give-backs.”
Community givebacks include $1 million in road and infrastructure upgrades, a $1 million endowment for the Hoboken Public Education Foundation to support the public school system, $100,000 to each of Hoboken’s three charter Schools, $200,000 for the Affordable Housing Trust Fund, and $2 million to go towards revitalizing the Hoboken Community Center. The vision for the Center includes re-opening the public pool and providing space to expand the district’s pre-K program, which currently has a wait list, and open the uptown branch of the Hoboken Public Library.
“The Hoboken Board of Education expresses appreciation to the City of Hoboken for keeping our students in mind during the negotiations that resulted in this agreement,” said Board of Education Vice President Sharyn Angley. “We are grateful that the steering committee of the Hoboken Community Center recognizes the long-term significance of early childhood education in our community and we look forward to working together. Lastly, we applaud and thank KMS Development Partners for their generosity towards the Hoboken Public Education Foundation and its long-term commitment to the vitality of our Hoboken Community.”
Furthermore, all hotel jobs, from construction to operation, will be union jobs with Hoboken residents receiving hiring preference. The hotel is projected to employ about 170 people, once operational, create an additional 280 jobs in the community, and add $5 million to the local economy per year.
"As the union for hotel workers, the Hotel Trades Council is extremely proud to support this hotel and this redevelopment plan,” said Rich Maroko, Vice President of the Hotel Trades Union. “This hotel, in addition to being a fantastic new amenity for Hoboken residents and visitors, will be a source of many high quality, permanent jobs in this community.”
“As Mayor, I am committed to economic development that benefits not only the business owners but also provides good, living-wage jobs for all workers,” said Bhalla. “Union labor is the backbone of the nation’s economy, Hoboken’s success was built by union workers, and we will not forget where we come from. As a part of this redevelopment agreement, I have made sure that a portion of future hotel, unionized jobs, be set aside for Hoboken residents because our residents deserve the opportunity to work for wages that can support themselves and their families.”
Additionally, the rooftop bar, with views of the Manhattan skyline, will be open to the public no less than 300 days per year.
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The agreement will now go before the Hoboken City Council for approval on October 17.
“We are happy to see that collaboration with the mayor and the developer has resulted in a 50% increase in the community give back to $4.5 million and that the scope has been expanded to include critical infrastructure, affordable housing, and charter schools. Additionally, KMS also committed today to fund immediately the much needed feasibility study to officially launch the restoration project for the former YMCA so that it can be shovel-ready when the remainder of the give back is paid after the hotel opens. This is what is possible when our city works together.”
Hoboken, NJ (October 8, 2018) – The Hoboken City Council subcommittee, tasked with evaluating the proposed Hilton Hotel project, was briefed for the first time recently with the revised plans for the hotel that have tentatively been agreed by Mayor Bhalla and KMS, the developer. The modifications include changing the overall architectural feel of the project by adding three more stories to the plan that the mayor announced in April and 20% more bulk and square footage than what was previously approved in 2017 by the City Council which the mayor (then councilman) opposed. In exchange for this increase, KMS will provide $3 million in cash to Hoboken for community benefits which currently have been earmarked by the mayor to two, private non-profits. The mayor is expected to ask the City Council to approve these changes at the October 17th meeting. Although the members of the subcommittee each individually support the efforts of the selected non-profits, they are issuing this joint statement in regards to their concerns.
“The City Council subcommittee has long advocated for and remains in support of a hotel development that brings tax revenue, job creation, economic development and vibrancy to Hoboken while respecting neighborhood and community concerns. However, our city’s infrastructure issues are front page news, our main street has suffered from under investment and management, and our low and moderate income residents are being displaced every day. It is critical that major development projects like this are both sensitive to the surrounding environments and provide benefits and relief to these issues which the Mayor’s proposal fails to do. The subcommittee is committed to working together with all stakeholders to address and overcome these challenges.”
Mayor Bhalla’s proposal falls short of these needs by limiting the allocation of the $3 million to two private foundations: $1 million to fund the endowment for the Hoboken Public Education Foundation (“HPEF”) which raises private money to invest in our public schools, and $2 million to the Hoboken Community Center (“HCC”), for the potential restoration of the former YMCA. These are both great organizations that benefit the community, but given the size of the community benefit fee of $3 million, the subcommittee has questions about the narrow focus of these large contributions, the lack of any public process, the fact that the use of the funds will not be directed by any elected officials (mayor, school board or City Council), and that offsets to the myriad of near-term financial commitments to be paid by taxpayers were not considered.
The subcommittee recommends broadening the scope of the $3 million while still including both HPEF and HCC as recipients by: supporting the education mandate but expand to include all public schools including charter schools; allocating a significant amount into the city’s Capital Fund and dedicate those funds specifically for planned infrastructure improvements and other large scale capital projects like the Multi Service Center, Northwest Park and the proposed HCC when their plans are finalized; and contributing to the Affordable Housing Trust Fund which has been underfunded for years. Additionally, the City Council requests KMS to contribute $75,000 directly to HCC at the onset of construction (expected to be in early 2019), as opposed to after the hotel opens in ~2-3 years, so that HCC can fund its much needed feasibility study as soon as possible.
“As many know, the mayor has already communicated with each HPEF and HCC about his proposed contributions which has already made for a strained and divided community dialogue. It is unfortunate that he chose a path of excluding both the governing body, who will need to vote on the proposal, and the public in this critical decision for our community. This is a bad precedent for Hoboken that the City Council hopes to make better by encouraging public input.”
The full City Council will convene on Wednesday October 17th to hear the issue.
Every good deed or intention seems to have unintended consequences. How should development money targeted for educational improvement best be utilized? That is the question quickly developing in Hoboken, NJ as city leaders and developers work together to figure out how to best help the children of this mile square city.
Hoboken Main Post Office- 1933
As part of a major hotel and business construction project near the NY/NJ PATH subway station, there is going to be a community giveback of almost $3 million dollars. These givebacks are not uncommon and is one way that large development projects work with city leaders to improve the community beyond the immediate impact of the specific proposed project. It was recently announced that approximately $1 million of this giveback will be directed toward an endowment managed by the Hoboken Public Education Fund, a non-profit organization for the Hoboken district public school system (see picture below). As currently proposed, it is unclear if charter schools in Hoboken will be included or left out of this generous pool of money for community improvement. Hoboken's three charter schools ARE public schools. However, due to accountability issues established by the New Jersey Department of Education, each charter school is considered its own “district.” For many practical concerns, the three charters function as small sized neighborhood schools.
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Charter students take the same standardized tests as the
district. They follow all of the same educational rules and regulations
set by the New Jersey Department of Education. Their doors are open to
all students who apply, and admission is strictly based on a public
lottery, with a preference for low-income students and English language
learners. Like all public schools in New Jersey, charters serve
students who have learning disabilities and special needs.
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A major disparity is in how these schools are funded. In Hoboken, the traditional public schools are funded primarily via the Board of Education which has the ability to raise needed educational funds via taxation. Charter schools depend on an involved statewide calculation. Importantly, in Hoboken per pupil costs must include rental fees for the use of educational and recreational facilities.
Much of a district's budget is committed to salaries and benefits on a percentage basis than instructional resources and programs. Every non-profit could use extra money in times of fiscal restraint and that includes public schools.
The coming weeks promise to be exciting as education in general and public education specifically will no doubt be part of a wider discussion.
Breaking:Mile Square View reports that the Hoboken City Council Subcommittee Responds to proposed changes on Hotel project and recommends broadening the scope of the $3 million: READ HERE
Some Possible Things to Do in Order to Have Your Voice Heard
1 E-mail your city council members (individual emails here: https://www.hobokennj.gov/departments/city-council) and tell them what you think 2 Come out to the press conference that will be held on Tuesday morning 10/9 at 10:00am at 1300 Washington Street to learn more details 3 Attend the Wednesday, October 17 Council Meeting at 7:00 pm at City Hall (94 Washington Street) to tell your elected officials your thoughts on an endowment for the public schools of Hoboken.
The UTeach Institute has been awarded a $1 million National Science Foundation grant (#1837687)
to improve, in partnership with up to six New York City area school districts (New York and New Jersey),
underrepresented urban students’ learning, participation, and engagement
in computer science through teacher professional development and
classroom implementation of the UTeach CS Principles course.
This project directly addresses the full participation of historically
underrepresented minorities in CS. "This generous grant by the National
Science Foundation will allow researchers to better understand the
organizational conditions, pedagogical strategies, and non-cognitive
approaches associated with improved engagement and success by Black and
Latino/a high school students in computer science specifically and in
STEM more generally,” says Dr. Anthony Petrosino, University of Texas at Austin College of Education professor and Principal Investigator for the
grant.
The project also addresses the significant shortage of qualified CS
teachers by focusing on preparation and support of in-service teachers
who may or may not have a background in the discipline. The project
significantly benefits classroom teachers, schools, and districts, as
their involvement in this research–practice partnership will encourage
the development of the capacity necessary to foster and sustain systemic
change.
“We are excited for the opportunity to work closely with a collection
of NYC schools on the implementation of UTeach CS Principles in order to
improve our support for teachers so that all students are engaged and
successful in computer science coursework,” says Kimberly Hughes, director of the UTeach Institute and co-Principal Investigator.
For two decades, the UTeach
pre-service teacher preparation program at The University of Texas at
Austin has prepared large numbers of STEM majors to enter (and stay in)
secondary classrooms. And since 2007, the UTeach Institute has recruited and supported 44 universities across the U.S. to establish their own UTeach programs.
With support from the National Science Foundation, the UTeach Computer Science
program leverages the teacher development and STEM content expertise
developed through UTeach to scale the UTeach CS Principles curriculum
and teacher support as a College Board-endorsed provider for the AP® Computer Science Principles program.
Dr. Petrosino is a graduate of Columbia University's Teachers College (MA, 1990) and received his PhD from Vanderbilt University (1998). He completed a post-doc at the University of Wisconsin where he was a member of the National Center for Improving Student Learning and Achievement in Mathematics and Science (NCISLA). In 1999 he accepted a Professorship at the University of Texas and received tenure in 2004. He holds the Elizabeth G. Gibb Endowed Fellowship in Mathematics Education. Dr. Petrosino has published over 20 peer reviewed journal articles, made over 100 national and international conference presentations and has supervised a dozen doctoral dissertations. He has received over 30 million dollars in grants from the National Science Foundation, the Department of Education and the McDonnel Foundation for Cognitive Studies. He is a founding professor of the nationally recognized UTeach Natural Sciences preservice teacher education program. From July 2007 to August 2009 he served as the Assistant to the Superintendent in the Hoboken School District.
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