December 17- Wearing of Blue for Det. Joseph Seals

Perhaps in addition to school staff-- if possible-- students can also wear blue in a sign of support and appreciation for Detective Seals on Tuesday, December 17th. -Dr. Petrosino  

Stanford Study Indicates Hoboken District Students Completing Grades 3 to 8 Are FAR BELOW Grade Level Compared to All Hudson County Public School Districts from Similar Socio-Economic Background

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An 8th grader educated in the Hoboken Pubic Schools has acquired the education of a student in roughly March of the 6th Grade, 1.27 grade levels below the 8th grade level of students from similar socioeconomic strata. An 8th grader educated in the Union City Public Schools has acquired the education of a student roughly in December of the 10th grade, roughly 1.24 grade levels above the 8th grade for students from similar socioeconomic status. 

I recently created a post centered around a Stanford University report which showed that students educated in the Hoboken Public School completing Grades 3 to Grades 8 are now 1.27 grade level lower than students from similar socioeconomic backgrounds. Note, it is important to remember that this is an "apples to apples" comparison since the students come from similar socioeconomic status.

Thanks to a couple of regular followers, I was asked basically how does the 1.27 grade level lower then students from similar socioeconomic backgrounds compare to other districts in Hudson County?

I thought that was a reasonable question and so I had some colleagues explore the data in greater depth and compiled similar data for Hudson County Public Schools Districts. The results indicate a few things- for instance, a majority of Hudson County School District are doing quite well and their students completing Grades 3 to 8 are scoring well above grade level when compared to students from similar socioeconomic backgrounds.

Unfortunately, the data also indicates just how poor of an education the students completing Grades 3 to 8 in the Hoboken School District are receiving. I presented the data in both tase form as well as in chart form. It is in chart form where we see the extent of how poorly the results are when compared with students from similar socioeconomic backgrounds.

DISTRICT	GRADE LEVELS
BAYONNE	0.67	Higher
GUTTENBERG	0.06	Higher
HARRISON/E. NEWARK	-0.09	Lower
HOBOKEN	-1.27	Lower
JERSEY CITY	-0.24	Lower
KEARNY	0.21	Higher
NORTH BERGEN	0.54	Higher
SECAUCUS	-0.03	Lower
UNION CITY	1.24	Higher
WEEHAWKEN	0.6	Higher
WEST NEW YORK	0.87	Higher

These results seem to fly in the face of various declaration and pronouncements of how well the Hoboken Public Schools are doing. These results indicate that there is a systemic problem in the Hoboken Public Schools in the elementary and middle school grade levels. These results seem to indicate that despite one of the highest per pupil expenditures in the State of New Jersey, results lag significantly behind every pubic school district in Hudson County. 

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 What is especially surprising is look at the comparison between Hoboken and Union City. The Union City District has students who are completing Grades 3 to Grade 8 at 1.24 grade levels ABOVE students from districts with similar socioeconomic status. Placed in common terms, an 8th grader educated in the Hoboken Pubic Schools has acquired the education of a student in roughly March of the 6th Grade. An 8th grader educated in the Union City Public Schools has acquired the education of a student roughly in December of the 10th grade. 

The following is the raw data which helped prepare this report: 

  Hudson County- Educational Opportunity Project by Tony Petrosino on Scribd

Stanford University Report Shows Hoboken School District Students Completing Grades 3 to 8 Are Now 1.27 Grade Levels LOWER than Students with Similar Socioeconomic Status

The Hoboken Public Schools are not improving substantively despite a long term coordinated effort on social media to communicate such a message. In fact, the current data indicates that an 8th grade student educated in the Hoboken Public Schools will be 1.27 grades behind an 8th grader from a similar socioeconomic level school. Put another way, 8th graders in the Hoboken Public Schools are leaving with an education equivalent of that of a 6th grader in the month of March from the same socioeconomic strata. 



The Educational Opportunity Project at Stanford University has built the first national database of academic performance. As the project states,  "the educational opportunities available in a community, both in and out of school, are reflected in students’ average test scores. They are influenced by opportunities to learn at home, in neighborhoods, in child-care, preschool, and after-school programs, from peers and friends, and at school." 

Recall, last year, the analysis by researchers at Stanford University showed Hoboken had the lowest growth rate in Hudson County and was among the lowest growth rather in the State of NJ and the nation. Simply put, for the 2018 report, in the 5 years between Grades 3 to 8, students in the Hoboken School district were advancing only 4.1 grade years. 

The 2019 report indicates that for the years between Grades 3 to 8, students in the Hoboken School district are now advancing 1.27 grades LOWER than districts with similar socioeconomic status. This indicates results have not improved over last year and, in fact have shown decline. 

  Hoboken Schools Stanford 2019 by Tony Petrosino on Scribd

Steven Van Zandt Honored at the First Annual Rock and Roll Forever Foundation Gala on Nov 23, 2019

St. Louis Meeting with Rock and
Roll Forever Foundation-2008

Guitarist Little Steven Van Zandt, a New Jersey native, will be honored for his commitment to arts education at the First Annual Rock and Roll Forever Foundation Gala on Saturday, Nov. 23, at the Hard Rock Cafe in New York. 

The award recognizes Van Zandt’s founding of TeachRock, which provides a free, interdisciplinary, arts-driven curriculum for students from kindergarten through 12th grade. The TeachRock lesson plans are used by more than 20,000 registered teachers in all 50 states, including in Middletown.

It was back in August of 2008 when I met with Steven Van Zandth in St. Louis about the Rock and Roll Forever organization. Read more about that meeting by clicking HERE. 

The initial hope that the Hoboken School District would be able to incorporate some of the foundation's curricula materials and course guides into the district's K-12 Arts/Music curriculum material was explored extensively but apparently was never followed up upon after I left the district. 

Bruce Springsteen at the Stone Pony 11/16/19 - Thunder Road

Hoboken Educator Elizabeth Allen Posthumously Named To NJ Hall Of Fame

Former Hoboken Teacher- Elizabeth Allen 

HOBOKEN, NJ — A leader of teacher's rights in the late 19th century was recently honored with an induction into the New Jersey Hall of Fame.

The NJHOF paid tribute to Elizabeth Allen, a longtime educator in Hoboken who rose to become the first woman president of the New Jersey Education Association, naming her posthumously to its ranks as a "Public Service" awardee.

"We are thrilled to see Elizabeth Allen, a fierce, lifelong advocate of public education, recognized for her part in shaping our history," NJEA president Marie Blistan said. "Thanks to her foresight and unrelenting insistence on providing educators with job protection and a pension plan that prevented poverty after retirement, New Jersey has been able to build the best public education system in this county. It is an honor to follow in her footsteps."

According to njwomenshistory.org:

"Allen began her 48-year-long teaching career in the Hoboken School District as principal of the elementary school; she held the same role at Hoboken High School. Eventually, Allen transitioned into a position as supervisor of the education of teachers at the Hoboken Normal and Training School. At the age of 28, Allen was named vice-president of the New Jersey Teachers' Association. In this role, she gained recognition as an advocate for the teachers' retirement fund and issues related to teacher tenure. As a result, Allen was often thrust into the public eye and attracted a great deal of controversy because of her persistent and outspoken views."

The website continues:

"In 1896, Allen's hard work reached a pivotal climax when Senator John B. Vreeland of Morristown introduced a bill that provided half-pay annuity to teachers with 20 years of service who were no longer able to fulfill their roles as educators. The fund was to be financed by a one percent pay stoppage from the monthly salary of all those who elected to be considered under the law. Although the bill passed to become the first statewide teacher retirement law, there was more work to be done. Membership for the bill was voluntary, and consequently Allen set out through flyers, speeches and newspaper campaigns to recruit as many members as possible. Ultimately, at the end of three months, Allen and her dedicated team managed to enroll more than half of the state's teachers. She served as secretary of the Teachers' Retirement Fund."

2019 Hoboken Board of Education Results

Proposed PSE&G Substation- Hoboken, NJ 

HOBOKEN, NJ — Hoboken residents headed to the polls for the 2019 general election on Tuesday, Nov. 5. In addition to statehouse and county races, voters chose representatives on the local board of education.
There were five candidates competing for three seats on the Hoboken Board of Education in 2019. Each term last for three years.
With 98 percent of the districts reported, it appears that - pending official certification - Sheillah Dallara, Alex De La Torre and Joyce Simons have emerged victorious.
According to the Hudson County Clerk's Office, the unofficial results are:

2019 Hoboken Board of Ed Results (99.34% reporting)

303 Willow Avenue- Nov 8, 2019

The terms of current school board members Dallara, De La Torre and Jennifer Evans are expiring. Evans withdrew from the 2019 race after previously filing a petition to run.

De La Torre, Simons and Dallara ran together on the "3-4-5 For Hoboken School Board" slate, which gained the endorsement of Mayor Ravi Bhalla.

Gursahani ran as an independent candidate, aligning her campaign with Bautista's.
Waiters previously competed for a seat on the Hoboken Board of Education, running with the slogan "Education Before Politics" in 2018.

Hoboken Middle School Falls to Lowest 5% of All Public Schools in New Jersey - Lowest NJ Department of Education Rated School in Hoboken

Hoboken Middle School, Hoboken NJ 

How low can Hoboken Middle School NJDOE ratings plummet until they are discussed openly and publicly ? Is this what the community receives for $27,899 per student? Is this what is meant by "continued improvement" or in "moving the public schools forward"? 

Numerous administrative turnover, inept district leadership, and failed instructional strategies have led to the Hoboken Middle School not only scoring the lowest in Hoboken but scoring among the lowest NJDOE rated schools in the State of New Jersey (including charter schools- see list below). 

Is there a plan for Hoboken Middle School other than making Brandt a second middle school for Hoboken and making it the "white" middle school? Why does Hoboken Middle School continue to fail to adequately educate Hoboken's poor, minority, and black and brown populations? (see Chart 1 and Chart 2 below)

Here are NJDOE scores (0-100) that were reported in March of 2019. The NJDOE ratings were established to comply with the federal Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). 

How the NJDOE Ratings are calculated: Elementary and middle schools: English language arts growth (20 percent), math growth (20 percent), progress toward English language proficiency (20 percent), English language arts proficiency (15 percent), math proficiency (15 percent), chronic absenteeism (10 percent)

NJDOE Rating for Hoboken Middle School- March 2019 

NJDOE Ratings for all of Hoboken Public Schools: 

• HOBOKEN DUAL LANGUAGE CHARTER SCHOOL, HOLA HOBOKEN DUAL LANG CS, CHARTERS 70.63
• HOBOKEN CHARTER SCHOOL, HOBOKEN CS, CHARTERS 64.25
• ELYSIAN CHARTER SCHOOL OF HOBOKEN, ELYSIAN CS OF HOBOKEN, CHARTERS 61.86
• THOMAS G. CONNORS, HOBOKEN CITY, HUDSON 41.85
• HOBOKEN HIGH SCHOOL, HOBOKEN CITY, HUDSON 38.78
• WALLACE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, HOBOKEN CITY, HUDSON 35.79
• HOBOKEN MIDDLE SCHOOL, HOBOKEN CITY, HUDSON 15.89

Chart 1: 2018-19 Percentage of White Students- Hoboken Public Schools 

Chart 2: 2018-19 Percentage of FRL Students- Hoboken Public Schools 

WALLACE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL Drops - Now Among the Lowest Performing Public Schools in Hoboken, Hudson County, and New Jersey on NJDOE Educational Quality Metrics- "requiring targeted support"

Wallace School Drops in NJDOE Scores and Percentiles for 2017-18

Elementary school is critical to student success in middle school and high school. Research shows conclusively that 3rd grade reading scores correlate with later school success. It is the period where the basic foundation of reading and mathematics are first established. That being said, recent independent, third party evaluations of the Wallace Elementary School shows there is cause for concern for the educational future of the students attending this school.

Wallace Elementary School in Hoboken, NJ scores are once again among the lowest scores in the State of New Jersey (last year the NJDOE ranked the school in the 37th percentile-- this year the NJDOE ranked the school below the 27th percentile). 73% of New Jersey Public Schools do better than Wallace Elementary School on the NJDOE 0-100 scale score. 

 The New Jersey Department of Education scores are graded on a scale of 0-100 and consider standardized test results, graduation rates and other factors. For elementary and middle schools like Wallace School, the following criteria are used for score calculation:

NJDOE Elementary and middle schools scoring criteria:English language arts growth (20 percent), math growth (20 percent), progress toward English language proficiency (20 percent), English language arts proficiency (15 percent), math proficiency (15 percent), chronic absenteeism (10 percent). A 50th percentile rating is considered average.

The NJDOE has ranked Wallace Elementary in the 27th percentile-- 10 percentile points below last year's incredibly low 37th percentile score. This with an 8:1 teacher ratio, 64% of students that are NOT economically disadvantaged, an average of 9.5 years of experience for a teacher, and around $30,000 per pupil spending. 

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2016-17 Cost per Pupil- Hoboken City District

The NJDOE reports that there are approximately 687 students in Wallace Elementary School, 64% of which are NOT economically disadvantaged. Wallace is a majority non-poverty school. PK-06 grades are housed in the school. 

The Wallace Elementary School student to teacher ratio is 8:1 according to the NJDOE - while the average class size for a New Jersey elementary school is around 19 to 1 according to the US Department of Education. 

2018-19 Great Schools Rating- Wallace Elementary

Moreover, according to the NJDOE the average Wallace teacher has 9.5 years of experience and the district's per pupil spending is around $30,000 per pupil. To be clear, these are not novice instructors teaching economically disadvantaged students in an underfunded school. Rather, these are experienced, well paid tenured teachers teaching in high resourced classrooms with low student-teacher ratios in a school that is majority non-poverty.

One would think that the instructional and administrative staff would have better results in reading and mathematics. These results are inconsistent with what we expect from well funded, medium/high socioeconomic status (SES) schools.  

Unfortunately, the Wallace results as well as similar results from the Hoboken Middle School should come as no surprise. It was about 1 year ago when I posted that an analysis by researchers at Stanford University showed Hoboken has the lowest growth rate in Hudson County and among the lowest growth rates in NJ and the entire nation (see Figure 1). 

Figure 1- Effective School Districts (Stanford University)

The result is that the New Jersey Department of Education has currently classified Wallace Elementary School as "requiring targeted support."

Find out more about Wallace Middle School by clicking HERE.  

Contact the Wallace PTO at: wallaceschoolpto@gmail.com

2018 Performance Report- Wallace School

Commentary: Perhaps Board Members, administrators and instructional staff involved with Wallace Elementary School in Hoboken should consider concentrating their efforts more on student achievement in reading and mathematics rather than obsessively posting on social media with students as props about participation "accomplishments."

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Dual Language School of the Month: Hoboken Dual Language Charter School (HoLA)

The Hola Dual Language School in Hoboken, NJ is recognized this month by "Dual Language Schools.org" for its ground breaking work in dual language instruction. What follows in information from the DUALLANGUAGESCHOOLS.ORG website.  I am a founding member of the Hola Dual Language School and the school continues to be a regional and national leader in dual language instruction. -Dr. Anthony Petrosino 

This month, we are honoring the Hoboken Dual Language Charter School, for their excellence, perseverance, and dedication to bilingual education. They began their dual language school as a result of their conviction that bilingualism is both a critical 21st century skill, and a means of cultivating empathy and building bridges across cultures. 

Their planning process began with the formation of a founding team that included a range of skill sets in order to tackle the enormous task of building a school from scratch most effectively and efficiently. They each took on a different piece of the process according to experience and expertise. One important element of their planning process was reaching out to successful existing schools for feedback on established best practices, as well as what they had learned along the way—or even wished they had done differently. 

It was incredibly helpful to have a full year dedicated to planning before opening our doors. This allowed us to think through and plan every aspect of the program and, importantly, to put together a team of experts currently working in the field, along with local community leaders, to provide input every step of the way. We learned quickly to work nimbly to learn from both research data and from history to weave together effective aspects of successful programs, and really make them our own.

The beauty of a charter school in New Jersey is that the New Jersey Department of Education holds the schools to high standards, but then, also, allows them to innovate, which in turn allows them to be more effective in their mission. The flexibility they had in their implementation phase allowed them to choose the dual-language program that, through their research, they found most effective—the 90/10 model of immersion. They became the first school in New Jersey to run a dual-language program that way, then began to pave the way for other dual language programs in New Jersey 

We became the first and only charter school to be designated a “Model Program” by the New Jersey Department of Education, a distinction that we’ve enjoyed for 6 years in a row now, and that has led to other dual language schools from all over the country to visit us and learn from us. We are also very proud to have become the first charter school in New Jersey to implement a low-income preference in the lottery, and then the first to create a preference for English language learners. Now, 30% of charters in New Jersey have implemented a lottery preference, following our lead. 

Because successful immersion programs require a very specialized set of skills among teachers, HoLa has found it challenging to ensure that they have a pipeline of excellent teachers with both strong bilingual skills and academic content skills, as well as a passion for immersion. They have learned that it is critical to seek out teachers with a growth mindset and to develop skills internally. They invest a great deal of time and energy into developing their teachers, and then working to retain them. They insist on cultivating a deep knowledge of immersion practices and strategies, as well as expertise in current best practices in general education, such as data driven instruction.

Their coaching system is critical to supporting their school’s success. Each teacher has a designated instructional coach who works with him or her to provide targeted feedback and support in ongoing skills development. This relationship is intrinsic to their model, and therefore, to their academic and linguistic outcomes.

Our best advice is to seek out excellence in teaching and learning from those who have achieved the best outcomes for students. Our greatest success has come from understanding the best practices that are leading to great achievement results for kids across the country and ensuring that we are implementing those practices at our school. Among those best practices is a focus on data-driven instruction and giving teachers the resources and tools they need to carry out lessons that are rigorous and language-rich in a multitude of subjects.

They use writers and readers workshops in the early elementary grades, and implement it in both English and Spanish, so that students have authentic experiences reading and writing in both languages. The one period per day that students in grades K-2 spend learning in English is English Language Arts, and there is also a separate Spanish Language Arts class daily. In each of these classes, students develop strong literacy skills in the designated language through guided reading, phonics and grammar instruction, context-based vocabulary development, and a cross-curricular approach to reading analysis and purpose-driven writing.

Of all their successes, they are most proud of HoLa’s emphasis on multiculturalism. They tell students that “bilingualism is their superpower”, and believe this superpower transcends just by being able to speak another language. Because their staff is over 84% Latinx and hail from over a dozen countries, their students are constantly learning about different cultures and learning about a larger, interconnected world.

At HoLa, they are always thinking about innovative learning opportunities. Earlier in the year, they visited with the Education Office of Spain to look at potential partnerships in curriculum, activities as well as teaching partnerships. They were delighted when the Education Office of Spain toured their school and decided HoLa was a great fit for their visiting teachers’ program.

This program allows highly qualified and experienced teachers to teach in classrooms in partnership between the Spanish government and the local American school. They were the first school in New Jersey to form this partnership with the Education Office of Spain and are excited for future collaborations.

Bilingualism isn’t an extra for HoLa, it’s the core of our mission. Our school was created around a mission of dual language education and that mission shapes everything we do. From our executive director, to our teaching staff to our board of directors, everyone is mission aligned and focused on growing the next generation of global citizens in Hoboken.

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All Schools Open House- Thursday October 3 5-8PM - Hoboken HS

Over 30 schools attending All Schools Open House!

Over 20 elementary schools, 17 middle schools, and 4 high schools. Come check them all out tonight!!

Body of Woman Believed to be 35 to 50 Found in Hudson River in Hoboken

Hoboken Train Station- Hoboken, NJ 

A woman’s body was pulled from the Hudson River near the Hoboken train station, authorities said on Wednesday, October 2, 2019.

The body of the unidentified woman, who is believed to be 35 to 50 years old, was spotted in the water by a citizen on Tuesday around 3 p.m. near the Lackawanna Terminal, authorities said.

The Regional Medical Examiner’s Office is investigating the cause of death, and the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Homicide Unit is looking into how the woman ended up in the water.

Although a medical examination is still pending, the prosecutor's office believes the woman to be between 35 and 50 years old. Anyone with information about a missing person within the last 30 days should contact authorities, the statement says.

Anyone with information is asked to call the prosecutor's office at 201-915-1345 or to leave an anonymous tip at hudsoncountyprosecutorsofficenj.org/homicide-tip.

Full Story: Click Here 

Hoboken Train Station- Bird's Eye View, Hoboken, NJ