by Common Ground | Apr 20, 2021 | Capitols
The proposed FY2022 New Jersey State budget includes $578 million in additional K-12 school aid and nearly $50 million in additional preschool funding. School districts will be able to use state funds, in conjunction with federal resources, to address COVID-19-related...
by Common Ground | Apr 20, 2021 | Capitols
While only 43% of NJ students are white, 67% of our state’s public school teachers are white. A package of nine bills has been introduced in the New Jersey Senate to address the lack of teacher diversity in the Garden State. In addition, the Governor’s 2022 budget...
by Common Ground | Feb 2, 2021 | Capitols
NJ Senate Bill S3214, introduced by Senators Ruiz and Turner, requires the NJ Commissioner of Education to collect data on student academic outcomes from all school districts to asses the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on learning and achievement. The commissioner...
by Common Ground | Feb 2, 2021 | Capitols
NJ Senate Bill S1020, sponsored by Senators Ruiz (D-29) and Gopal (D-11), requires school districts to report detailed demographic information regarding students receiving disciplinary actions. The information must include race, gender, disability, grade level, and...
by Common Ground | Feb 2, 2021 | Capitols
New Jersey Department of Health has released new COVID-19 Public Health Recommendations for Local Health Departments for K-12 Schools. Previous guidance called for schools in areas with high virus levels to quarantine entire classrooms or even close schools if...
by Common Ground | Feb 2, 2021 | Capitols
The safe re-opening of schools features significantly in the White House’s newly released plan, National Strategy for the COVID-19 Response and Pandemic Preparedness. The plan provides a national response framework addressing the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic....
by Common Ground | Feb 2, 2021 | Capitols
Gov. Phil Murphy signed Executive Order No. 214 implementing three new policies for the 2020-2021 academic year. The policies allow for more flexibility and understanding due to the unprecedented effects of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, particularly for high school...
by Common Ground | Aug 5, 2020 | Capitols
U.S. Senators Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA) and Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) introduced a bipartisan bill in June to help schools and colleges cover the costs of protecting students and educators from COVID-19. The Reopen Schools Safely Act (S.4081) establishes a federal grant...
by Common Ground | Aug 5, 2020 | Capitols
The Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) at U.S. Department of Education (USDOE) has issued a Q&A document in response to inquiries concerning implementation of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) Part B dispute resolution procedures in...
by Common Ground | Aug 5, 2020 | Capitols
In a report issued in June, the US Department of Education found that less than half of states are doing what they should to serve students with disabilities in compliance with federal special education law. Just 21 states, including New Jersey, satisfied the “meets...
by Common Ground | May 5, 2020 | Capitols
On April 30, 2020, the New Jersey Department of Education (NJDOE) issued a memo to New Jersey Directors of Special Education responding to instances in which school districts sought to require parents or guardians to waive certain legal rights or give written consent...
by Common Ground | May 5, 2020 | Capitols
The $2 trillion coronavirus relief bill passed in March charged US Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos to consider waiving key special education rules as school districts struggle to teach students online. The Secretary was required to report back to Congress by late...
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