frogman68

TRENTON, N.J. - Revamped school funding, new taxes and several anti-crime measures were among new laws signed Sunday by Gov. Jon S. Corzine.

The measures, approved last week as the legislative session ended, will:

_ Redo how the state allocates money to public schools.

Under the law, aid is partly tied to the number of low-income students in each district. Suburban districts with enrollment increases and large numbers of low-income students could see annual aid increases as big as 20 percent.

However, advocates for 31 poor urban districts _ which have received heavy state aid for about 20 years under a Supreme Court ruling _ contend the new law will mean less support for those schools.

Those districts are expected to ask the state Supreme Court to overturn the law, but state Attorney General Anne Milgram has declared it constitutional.

Revamped school funding, new taxes among many new laws -- Newsday.com

I normally dont agree with pouring more money into programs this is one I firmly agree with . Our Children are our future and in todays world education is key.

Moni

While the school system in New Jersey goes down, the funding goes up. This makes no sense. Where are they really putting this "funding" into?

3hatsperez

That's why my name is 3hatsperez: teacher, realtor, web developer.

I wish we would teach people how to be better parents b/c I used to teach in Newark and the kids are great; they just have too much going on at home to stay focused or even have pride in themselves.

Obviously, not all parents are inconsistent. The schools in Newark are old; the buildings are falling apart. . .I don't know what the money goes to. I use to have to make copies at staples and buy my own materials. My starting salary back then was $38, 500. How does a person live on that?

I went a full year without working computers. . .it's crazy out there, especially in urban areas.

Moni

My neighbor is a Newark school teacher and as long as I've known her she's been buying and copying her own materials. Now her DD is a teacher and she said it's a little better than what her mom had to go through some years back. Hey, Union's school system isn't all that great either. My oldest will be going to high school in two years and I'm thinking about not putting her in Union High or whatever the school is called. I've started looking at Benedictine Academy in Elizabeth.

I don't know.

3hatsperez

I hear that Union high School is a big school. Lots of kids to influence your daughter, but my coworker's daughter graduated last year and she's fantastic. she's going to kean, working locally.

Does your daughter talk to you? Keep the lines of communication free. . .they start asking interesting questions right about this age.

palito

If your friend's daughter turned out fine, it was mostly due to the set of values she was taught at home (as well as good parental communication, trust, positive influences and other such "old-fashioned" stuff most "modern" parents tend to forget are their responsibilities).

I don't want to get on a soapbox here so suffice to say: Show your daughter you mean business and that you are there for her and be ready to intervene correctly whenever necessary (there is no such thing as "private life" for a child and a parent has the obligation -- not just the right -- to ensure its kids are doing everything correctly and staying off bad stuff and bad company, "friends" included. Respect is another thing, so dont confuse private life and respect).

Moni

I get lots of good questions from my DD, but not often. I find myself doing a lot of freestyle talking and just being open about everything when she's around me.

Also Kean Univ. has turned into quite a good school. I think that's where I'm going to send my DD if she doesn't go to my school, Rutgers. She can live on campus there and be close to home. Plus, I'll get to see her often and won't have to travel far to reach her. This is IF she chooses to stay in Jersey. I sure hope so.

3hatsperez

Keeping them in Jersey is a great option since they would get the most financial aid that way. I went to Drew and it wasn't too far from home nor too far from my parents. It was kind of just right.

rachard1583

We could go on and on but I think the point is that our children are passing through our school system without receiving instructions on practical living and hence failing in life. A lot of what's taught in schools has little or no relevance to living a successful life today.


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