Editorial: Aaron Morrill and the Fight for a Free Press in New Jersey
We should all be pulling for Aaron Morrill. He could have done the easy and profitable thing. He could have kept in a mayor’s good graces, taken down or softened critical news, and made sure he had steady access that allowed for the content and clicks that drive revenue for the Jersey City Times. Instead, he chose to do the...
Don’t Worry — Our Substack Is Still Free
A good number of readers subscribe to our Substack so content is delivered directly to their email. The next time you log in, you may see a prompt for a paid subscription. Choosing the free option still gives you the same full access as everyone else. We simply wanted to set up a way for those who can to support...
NJ Education Report Amplifies Call for Clarity on Adaptive Testing
Laura Waters of New Jersey Education Report adds to the questions surrounding New Jersey’s planned adaptive testing rollout. You can Read It Here.
Open Letter to Commissioner Dehmer Regarding Concerns About NJSLA-Adaptive Rollout
Last week, the New Jersey Department of Education announced plans to move to a new kind of state testing called NJSLA-Adaptive. Starting in the 2025–26 school year, students will take computer-based tests that adjust in difficulty as they go. On the surface, this sounds like progress. But as an organization that’s spent years tracking how schools report student outcomes, we...
Debris Chokes Passaic River: Post-Storm Visit Raises Questions for Berkeley Heights Mayor and Council
Debris Chokes Passaic River: Post-Storm Visit Raises Questions for Berkeley Heights Mayor and Council -Michael Leblond Last week’s town council meeting brought renewed attention to debris in the Passaic River, with one resident saying an eight-foot section of fencing was swept away in the July 14 flood. The following day, I visited Passaic River Park at the end of Lawrence...
The Early Start Advantage: Seven Local Schools Beginning Before Labor Day in 2025
Starting school before Labor Day allows for more instructional days when it matters –Written by an Educator in our District School is in session for students as soon as Monday, August 25th in one nearby town, and six others have students begin in August (before Labor Day). The first seven districts listed in the chart at the bottom of this...
Another Berkeley Heights Town Council Meeting, Another Round of Porn – 08/05/2025
-Michael Leblond The zoom meeting opened with a light hearted discussion of grilling and cleaning up from the storm on July 14th. The meeting began promptly at 4:45, official attendance was taken, meeting information was reviewed. Meeting parameters were set and attendees were told if an incident similar to the August 4th meeting occurred, the meeting would be terminated. Within...
NJ21st is now officially operating as a 501(c)(4) nonprofit and we’re accepting Contributions.
This step allows us to grow and make our civic journalism model more sustainable. We aim to support local writers, mentor student contributors, and expand coverage across more towns in our district. Contributions are not tax-deductible, but they directly support accountability reporting, public records work, and the people doing the work — including students learning how to cover civic life...
Chatham, Millburn, and New Providence Schools Lead on NJGPA ….others Struggle
Recent NJGPA Results Highlight Gaps Between Top-Tier Districts and Those Falling Behind –Written by an Educator in our District At the July 24th, 2025 New Providence Board of Education meeting, the district presented their assessment report that included New Jersey Graduation Proficiency Assessment (NJGPA) results from spring 2024. High school students sit for the separate English Language Arts (ELA) and...
Videos and Images of 07/14/2025 Storm Throughout Union County
Residents of various communities in Union County have been sharing pictures and videos of flooding in their communities. You can view them through this link. This post will be updated with additional images and video as we receive them. Consider staying off the Roads as water levels will continue to rise and rain is expected to continue throughout the night.
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