Here’s what’s happening in education news both locally and nationally!

LOCAL

Pre-K School Fair
The Newark Public Schools will be hosting its annual Pre-K school fair for parents on February 16^th at University Heights Charter School from 5:00PM – 7:00PM. Learn more here.

‘Civic Challenge’ Launch in Newark Seeks to Give Residents the Tools to Solve Local Issues They Care About
The Citizen's Campaign, a 15-year-old training program designed to help citizens generate and implement solutions on local issues, is slated to launch its Civic Challenge campaign in Newark, Trenton, and Perth Amboy as a supplement to existing Civic Trusts.

Learn more about the Citizens Campaign here. 

Newark Housing Authority Announces College Scholarships for High School Students
The Newark Housing Authority Scholarship Foundation and Newark College Promise program are currently accepting applications from seniors graduating high school in 2016.

Newark Public Schools Reports on Strategic Planning Efforts
Newark Public Schools will hold its final strategic planning development meeting on Thursday, February 25, from 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM, at Central High School. This meeting will include a report on strategic planning meetings held in each ward.

REGIONAL

NJ's Middle Class Schools Are Underperforming, Report States 
A recent study released by The Pacific Research Institute finds that a significant number of schools in New Jersey’s middle-class communities are underperforming. Read the full report here.

Paterson District Regains Some Fiscal Control, as $45M Shortfall Looms
In the face of significant budget cuts, the State Board of Education voted to return fiscal control to the district, raising questions on the limits of local control within a district that faces fiscal challenges.  

Bill to Put Armed, Retired Cops in Schools Clears N.J. Senate
The Senate approved amendments to a bill that would allow New Jersey Schools to hire retired police officers as security guards. The position would be open to officers who retired in good standing from local or county departments, or the State Police.

Advocates for Expanded Preschool Gather to Rally Support for More Funding
A new Assembly bill that would allocate $110 million to expand preschool to another 20-plus school districts was introduced last Tuesday. The new bill would give priority to middle-class and working-class districts with high numbers of students from low-income communities.

Proposal Tying Graduation to PARCC Exams Met With Skepticism, Hesitancy
This past Wednesday, close to 50 people testified before the State Board of Education on a new proposal that would require high school students to pass the PARCC tests for Algebra I and 10th-grade language arts in order to graduate.

The proposal, which received little support, will be voted on later in May.

Jersey City Launching Mentoring Program for Middle and High School Students
In collaboration with local volunteers and community organizations, the Department of Recreation in Jersey City will launch a new mentoring program for middle and high school students.

NATIONAL

The Costs of Inequality: Education Is the Key to It All
Using a historical lens, USA columnist Corydon Ireland shares his analysis on the importance of providing equitable education as a key way to solving America’s broader inequality problems.

Billionaire-funded Charter School Juggernaut Hits Roadblock in Los Angeles
The recent commitment of $1 billion from the Walton Family Foundation to the charter school movement has prompted questions of the financial motives of the growing education philanthropy movement, and has raised concerns of the school models used by the different charter chain operators.

Program Aims to Keep Schools Diverse as New York Neighborhoods Gentrify
As part of a new initiative for fostering greater diversity in schools, the New York City Department of Education will allow principals at 7 schools to set aside seats for low income and minority communities.

What Kids Need From Grown-ups (But Aren't Getting)
In a sit down interview with NPR, Erika Christakis, author of the new book The Importance of Being Little, shares her perspective on the importance of playful learning and peer-relationships in early childhood education.

An Astonishing Admission from a Controversial School Reformer
Reflecting on her experience in the Newark Public Schools district, Cami Anderson, former school superintendent of Newark, shares her takeaways and criticisms on the school reform movement and its future.

D.C. Public Schools, Closely Watched For its Reform Efforts, is Overhauling Teacher Evaluation and Training
In an effort to improve teaching and learning, D.C public schools has announced that it will be making significant changes to its teacher evaluation and training models.

The "No Teacher Left Behind Act"
Tom Ostapchuk, a staff member at Chalk.com, offers his analysis on the ways the Every Student Succeeds Act may help to assist and strengthen teaching in public schools.

Obama Announces His Intent to Nominate John B. King Jr. to Officially Take the Role of Education Secretary
Encouraged by the bipartisan support of King, President Obama has nominated John B. King Jr., to officially lead the Department of Education. King has been serving as acting Secretary of Education since the start of this year.