From Top-Performing Elementaries to Troubled Middles: Union County School Proficiency Scores Ranked
New Providence and Westfield dominate early grades, while middle schools lag across nearly every district -Written by an Educator in the District Nj.com has published a data table for Union County schools reflecting how well schools performed primarily in academics. Data for any of New Jersey’s other counties can also be found on nj.com. According to the Union County article,...
From Chatham Classroom to Federal Court: The Lesson That Sparked a Legal Battle
In 2017—well before Zoom links and Google Classrooms gave parents a window into what happens during the school day—most families assumed things were fine. Kids went to school, came home, and the details in between were largely invisible. But COVID changed that. We started paying closer attention. And in doing so, many parents found their voices. Libby Hilsenrath found hers...
Scotch Plains-Fanwood: A Look at Student Growth, Proficiency, Aptitude and Environmental Indicators
2018 through 2024 About a month back, someone on the Scotch Plains forum asked about how the school district is doing academically. I finally had a chance to dig into the data—sorry for the delay, it’s been a busy stretch here. A few quick notes before getting into it: There’s no state testing data for the 2019–2020 and 2020–2021 school...
Benefits of a High School American Sign Language Program
Governor Livingston High School offers ASL program that benefits many populations of students -Written by a non-politically connected Educator in the Community Governor Livingston High School (GLHS) offers the rare gem of an American Sign Language (ASL) program that benefits students with both hearing-related and non-hearing related learning differences, as well as an elective course offering. GLHS offers four world...
Community Voices: Mountainside Resident on COPAA’s Advocacy for Students with Disabilities on Capitol Hill
Lisa Hernandez is a resident of Mountainside, NJ and member of the Board of Directors, Council of Parent Attorneys and Advocates (COPAA) There are approximately 240,000 students with disabilities in New Jersey who are eligible for special education and related services under the Individuals with Disabilities in Education Act (IDEA). The Council of Parent Attorneys and Advocates (COPAA) is an...
Extracurriculars: Helping or Harming Our Kids?
As my own family shifts into gear with college lists and visits, the dreaded Naviance questionnaires looming, SAT/ACT exams happening, and the Common App waiting like a stalking butler (thanks, Maynard), extracurricular activities have been popping into mind recently. According to the US Census, roughly 40% of kids participate in sports, with approximately 30% being involved in clubs or lessons outside...
7-District Dashboard Performance on the ACT
Millburn Leads ACT Scores Across All Categories, Berkeley Heights Fares Better -Written by a non-politically connected Educator in the Community After a Berkeley Heights Board of Education (BHBOE) on March 18th where SAT scores were presented (video linked here), we decided to look into the other main postsecondary admissions test: The ACT. The findings were that Governor Livingston High School...
Response to “A Tale of Two Systems: Comparing City and Suburban School Districts in New Jersey”
The following email was received from Fred Buglione, M.A., M.Ed. – CEO for All In for Inclusive Education in response to “A Tale of Two Systems: Comparing City and Suburban School Districts in New Jersey”, and is being published with his permission I run an organization called All In for Inclusive Education (formerly the New Jersey Coalition for Inclusive Education). We...
7-District Dashboard Comparison of SAT Scores
Millburn on top while Berkeley Heights behind neighboring districts in SAT Math, Reading & Writing -Written by a non-politically connected Educator in the Community Following the March 18th Berkeley Heights Board of Education (BHBOE) meeting where SAT scores were presented (video linked here), we would like to conduct a further analysis of SAT scores to the seven-district dashboard typically used...
Correction to BOE presentation: Governor Livingston HS SAT Scores Rank Last of Seven Neighboring Districts
Berkeley Heights BOE presentation contradicts scores reported directly from the state -Written by a non-politically connected Educator in the Community At the March 18th, 2025 Berkeley Heights Board of Education (BOE) meeting, Interim Assistant Superintendent of Schools Mr. Dirk Phillips presented a report on district test scores from the 2023-24 school year including Advanced Placement (AP), PSAT, and SAT. Video...
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