Three years ago, the State Board determined that Newark Public Schools had made sustained progress in all five functional areas, and in 2018 the Department collaborated with the district to implement a two-year transition plan to local control. The Department enlisted...
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In the News
The “Hot Mess” of New Jersey’s election ballots
New Jersey is holding its first statewide vote-by-mail primary on July 7th. Even though COVID-19 has made 2020 a difficult and unusual election year all over the country, the Garden State has its own unique problems that predate the pandemic. A coalition...
Balancing New Jersey’s budget with bonds will leave negative impact for years
Selling bonds for operating purposes must be avoided — not only because it has been deemed unconstitutional by the New Jersey Supreme Court — but much more importantly, because it is very bad public policy. By definition, the amount is a one-time revenue source. What...
Let’s go beyond the conflict and talk
Linda Stamato and Sandy Jaffe, co-directors of the Center for Negotiation and Conflict Resolution, offer their opinions as to why the May incident in Central Park, when a white woman ignited a race firestorm across the country after footage of her encounter with a...
Can Progressives Change New Jersey?
Frustrated with the stalemate in Washington, many progressives have set their sights on the 15 states where Democrats control both houses of the legislature and the governorship. New Jersey is one of those 15: Democrats have virtually veto-proof legislative...
Pandemic Travel Patterns Hint at Our Urban Future
Especially for people of color, the enforcement of new public health requirements on transit systems and other spaces presents an additional safety risk. For two weeks in March, Black people accounted for 35 of 40 NYPD arrests for breaking “social distancing”...
Undocumented Workers Contributed $1.2 Billion To Unemployment Funds, Report Says
Undocumented workers have contributed $1.2 billion dollars into federal and state unemployment insurance over the last 10 years. They just don't benefit from it. That's according to a new report by New Jersey Policy Perspective. "Not providing for folks that have lost...
Amid Skepticism, Minnesota Banks Respond to Calls for Change
Racial disparities in Minnesota were getting more focus before the police killing of George Floyd. Black entrepreneurs hope the increased awareness raised by national and worldwide protests will turn the heads of larger banks so communities of color will see more...
Kudlow says extra $600 for unemployment benefits will end in July
Bill Rodgers, chief economist, Heldrich Center for Workforce Development at Rutgers: “There is economic literature that shows when non-labor income (in this case UI Benefits) go up, the likelihood of searching for work goes down. The research also shows that when the...
Balancing the budget with bonds is a bad idea: Comments before NJ Senate Budget Committee
On June 11, Richard Keevey was invited to provide testimony to the NJ State Budget Committee on the upcoming budget decisions to be made. He noted that "This is, in my view, a critical time for the state -- we should not borrow large sums of money to balance the...