parentspotlight

Rutgers has the Answer: Sex Ed online

noreply@blogger.com (Dana Wilson, webmaster) — Mon, 27 Sep 2010 22:36:00 +0000

Is it time for you to have "The Talk" about the Birds and the Bees? Do you think that your child/teen would benefit from having a place to get answers about sex from his/her peer group (moderated by adult experts)? Do you need to refresh yourself on the latest information about Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs)and birth control before talking to your teen? Rutgers University has the Answer.

Answer, formerly known as the Network for Family Life Education, is part of the university's Center for Applied Psychology in Piscataway, NJ. Their mission is to provide and promote comprehensive sexuality education to young people and the adults who teach them.

Answer fulfills its mission through its Sexuality Education Training Initiative, which helps teachers and other youth-serving professionals create dynamic and effective educational experiences for young people, and their Teen-to-Teen Sexuality Education Project, which uses the power of teen-to-teen communication to provide millions of teens with the information they need to make responsible decisions about sex.

Sex, Etc. Web Site

With 22,000 unique visitors per day in 2009, the Sex, Etc. Web site, Sexetc.org, is one of the most popular online sexual health sites for teens. The national site features 16 topic areas plus the following:

* Stories written by Sex, Etc. teen staff writers and national contributors
* Chats and Forums moderated by adult experts (health educators, social workers and medical doctors)
* A Video gallery with more than 15 videos on a variety of sexual health topics
* An Ask the Experts section where teens can receive personal and confidential answers to their questions
* A Take Action section where teens can learn to advocate for comprehensive sexuality education
* Spotlights on teens who are making a difference
* A Sex Terms glossary of more than 400 terms

The Sex, Etc. magazine allows teens to hear directly from other teens about the sexual health issues they face every day. Backed by adult health professionals at Answer, these teen-written stories provide honest, accurate, comprehensive information related to sexual health, body image, relationships and much more. It is published three times a year.

Disclaimer: Parentspotlight is simply sharing this Rutgers University ANSWER program as a resource for sex education. We are NOT suggesting that teens should engage in sex. We believe that if teens/young adults are more informed about the risks/dangers of sex (such as date rape, sexually transmitted diseases, and unwanted pregnancy) they will make better choices throughout their lives. We believe that parents are a students' first teacher and that regardless of what is taught in school (or not taught in school) that sex education is ultimately the parents' responsibility.

Free Refresher courses for third and fourth graders in NJ

noreply@blogger.com (Dana Wilson, webmaster) — Thu, 19 Aug 2010 15:10:00 +0000

See below for Free Refresher courses for third and fourth graders. The church is located in Somerset County, NJ.
Thank you,
Parentspotlight

First Baptist Church of Lincoln Gardens
www.fbcsomerset.com

PRESS RELEASE
For Immediate Release: Contact:
Aug. 17, 2010 Chandra M. Hayslett
FBCLG
(732) 839-2432
(732) 816-4650 cell

FBCLG offers refresher courses for third and fourth graders

Students begin losing content in the first 48 hours of summer vacation

(SOMERSET, NJ) – According to Sylvan Learning Center, loss of content begins within 24 to 48 hours of learning unless new information is reinforced or immediately applied. And after a month, 80 percent of what a student has learned can be lost.

So, with summer vacation being nearly three months, students go back to school struggling to catch up.

First Baptist Church of Lincoln Gardens is offering refresher courses in math and reading this Saturday and Aug. 28 for third and fourth graders. Third graders’ sessions are from 10-11 a.m. and fourth graders will be taught from 11:15 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. All of the session are free and open to the public and will take place in the Fellowship Hall at the church, 771 Somerset St., Somerset, NJ. Students must be registered to attend. Please call Victoria Crawford at (732) 828-2009 to register.

“We will test the children to find out where they are and assign them worksheets so they will know what’s expected when they go back to school. I want the children to go back to school ready,” said Victoria Crawford, who works with the youth ministry at the church.

But according to the National Summer Learning Association, research shows that students aren’t going back to school ready.

“Students typically score lower on standardized tests at the end of summer vacation than they do on the same tests at the beginning of the summer. For students who are already struggling or reading below grade level, this retention gap can be seriously detrimental,” according to the association.
To get parents and students back in the mindset of returning to school, here are some helpful tips by Dr. Richard E. Bavaria, an educator with more than 40 years experience and more than 10 years with Sylvan Learning Center, which offers tutoring and supplemental education services.

Be positive. Show you care by having a positive attitude about the new school year. Talk about your school days, the happy memories (keep the bad ones to yourself, even if they’re now funny), the things you learned, the interests you developed, the friends you made, the teachers you remember fondly, the activities you participated in. You don’t want to make a lecture (or worse, a sermon) about it, so keep the conversation informal.

Set goals. With your child, set realistic goals for what you each want to accomplish this year. Goals should require a bit of a stretch to create a feeling of accomplishment. These goals can range from improved grades to making new friends, from trying out new after-school activities to making the soccer team. Encourage, support, and most important, listen.

Help prepare. When we’re prepared, we feel so much more confident than when we’re just winging it. So, give your child the confidence she needs by helping her prepare for this new adventure. If she’s going to a new school, visit it. Learn where the classrooms are, the bathrooms, the lockers, the cafeteria, and any other places where she’s heading. Get all the materials she’ll need for class. Review the school calendar with her and mark your own kitchen calendar – displayed where everyone can see it – with important dates like report cards, due-dates for projects, PTA meeting, and the like.

Help establish healthy routines. Routines make youngsters feel secure and confident. Reset summer routines for fall ones. Cut way back on TV. Set meal times, study times, homework times, play times, quiet times, bedtimes, wake-up times. Show that you have routines, too, and stick to them. You’re a role model, remember.

First Baptist Church of Lincoln Gardens (FBCLG) was founded in 1937 by a congregation that embraced the black church tradition and doctrinal style, but today is best understood as a multi-cultural church. Over the years, FBCLG has grown from a handful of members to 7,000. Inspired by its senior pastor, the Rev. Dr. DeForest B. Soaries, Jr., who has a history of community activism, FBCLG has become a church without walls by reaching out and impacting the community in areas of housing, employment, health care and youth and economic development. The focus of FBCLG is to provide a three-dimensional ministry that nurtures spiritual growth, supports academic excellence and promotes economic empowerment.

State Restores $3 Million Budget Allocation to New Jersey After 3

noreply@blogger.com (Dana Wilson, webmaster) — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 19:06:00 +0000

We reported in April 2010 about NJ After 3 facing major cuts under Gov. Christie. This posting is an update since that the FY11 state budget passed.

Although $3 million was restored to the budget allocation, the organization is still not anywhere near the previous funding levels.

The current allocation of $3 million is less than one-third of New Jersey After 3’s $10.4 million FY2010 budget allocation, and one-fifth of the amount allocated in FY2009, according to the NJ After 3 website.

Update on Trends in Catholic Schools and Charter Schools

noreply@blogger.com (Dana Wilson, webmaster) — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 18:44:00 +0000

Parentspotlight has been keeping an eye on trends in Catholic Schools and Charter Schools. (also see our related blog postings in Feb 2007 and April 2010).

The Times Magazine and Wall Street Journal articles both cite the Cristo Rey Network, a network of 24 schools in the US, as a model of success. One of which is in Newark, NJ. Christ the King Prep's website is http://www.ctkprep.org/.

What caught our attention about the Cristo Rey Network Model was the innovative Corporate Internship Program. Students go to school for 4 days per week and work for a business one day per week. The money the students earn goes to the school to help underwrite their tuition. This seems to mirror the college work-study approach. The internship program keeps their tuition low (averaging under $2,400 /year), according to the WSJ article.

Times article: http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1929589,00.html
Wall Street Journal Article: http://www.ctkprep.org/newsandcalendar/inthemediapages/wsj20100521.html

Also see below for excerpts from an interesting July 9, 2010 article posted in the Clifton Journal. In the Clifton article, we noticed another mention of another proposal in Paterson for a Diocese to run a charter school. There are also a lot of statistics about declining enrollment at Catholic schools.

Sacred Heart school joins long list of closures
Friday, July 9, 2010
BY TONY GICAS
Clifton Journal
STAFF WRITER

CLIFTON – Sacred Heart is just one among a long line of parochial school closures caused by a steady decline of Catholic school enrollment around the nation.

The Paterson Diocese oversees Catholic schools in Morris, Sussex and Passaic counties but of the 55 elementary schools open in 1981, just 30 diocese facilities remain.

In addition, the diocese closed three other elementary schools this year. The diocese also closed Paterson Catholic Regional High School but proposed a partnership with the Paterson school system to open a public charter school there.

The below statistics, courtesy of Brian Gray, a spokesman for the National Catholic Education Association, depict the plummeting enrollments at parochial schools:

* America's Catholic schools reached its peak in the 1960s with about 5.2 million students. By 1980 that number had dropped to approximately 3.1 million and in 2008 the nationwide enrollment hit 2.19 million.

* There were 12,893 Catholic schools operating around the country during the 1960s apex but by 2008 the NCEA reported just 7,248 schools.

* In 1970, New Jersey had 609 Catholic schools servicing approximately 275,000 students, but in 2005 that number dwindled to 396 schools accommodating 129,000 students.

* In 2008, 162 Catholic schools nationwide either consolidated or closed. Only 31 new schools opened during the 2008-2009 school year. The closings confirm a national trend characterized by shrinking enrollments, higher teacher salaries and the migration of Catholics from the cities to the suburbs, school officials said.

* In September 2000, the Newark Archdiocese had 137 grade schools in Union, Essex, Hudson and Bergen counties. Now, it has just 97. The school population in neighboring Paterson jumped by 1,000 students last year, a 3.5 percent increase in the district that has about 28,000 students, the district reported.

* Four years ago, the Paterson Diocese recorded 50 elementary schools with a total enrollment of 13,753 students. In 2008, the Diocese saw the enrollment drop to 11,177 elementary students, a decrease of nearly 19 percent.

E-mail of Clifton Journal reporter: gicas@northjersey.com

Father's Day BBQ at Prospect Park - NYC

noreply@blogger.com (Dana Wilson, webmaster) — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 21:35:00 +0000

The New York City Human Resources Administration (HRA) is hosting a Father's Day BBQ at Prospect Park . You can find all of the pertinent information on the NYC Dads website: http://www.nyc.gov/html/hra/nycdads/html/home/home.shtml

-----------------------------------

Free Fatherhood Workshops in NYC

noreply@blogger.com (Dana Wilson, webmaster) — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 21:32:00 +0000

The Administration for Children and Families, Region II is

CELEBRATING FATHERHOOD!!

You're Invited -- Tuesday, June 29, 2010 - 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

26 Federal Plaza, 6th floor conference center New York , NY 10278 (Broadway between Duane and Worth Streets)

WORKSHOPS (choice of two)

Parenting Skills for New Dads
Dads: Take Your Child to School!
Managing and Resolving Relationship Conflicts When Parents Live Apart: Communication Matters Test Your CSEQ (Child Support Enforcement Quotient)

Exhibits

This is a FREE program, but you MUST register by Wednesday, June 23!
To register, call Joan Noerling at 212-264-2890 x104 or Email joan.noerling@acf.hhs.gov

Questions? Contact Barbara Andrews at 212-264-2890 x101 or email barbara.andrews@acf.hhs.gov

GEEK SQUAD SUMMER ACADEMY -Girl Scouts Heart of NJ

noreply@blogger.com (Dana Wilson, webmaster) — Mon, 14 Jun 2010 16:32:00 +0000

GEEK SQUAD SUMMER ACADEMY

For: Girls ages 10-17
When: Tuesday, August 3 - Thursday, August 5, 2010
9:00 am - 3:30 pm each day
Where: Mount Saint Mary Academy
1645 Highway 22
Watchung, NJ
What: Three-day program helps girls increase knowledge of and comfort level with technology
Cost: Registered Girl Scouts $38
Non Girl Scouts $38 + $12 membership fee
Cost includes a student kit
Registration: Begin registration here.
(GSHNJ will send you a confirmation packet and payment information by e-mail after you have completed this first step.)
Geek Squad Summer Academy is a national program started by Geek Squad Agents in 2006 and hosted locally by Girl Scouts Heart of New Jersey this summer.

The program will explore a variety of topics, including...

•Digital media
•Internet communications
•Green technology
•Website design
All girls are welcome to participate regardless of their prior knowledge/comfort level with technology.

Questions? Contact Ariel Garfinkel, Program Specialist, (973) 746-8200 ext. 140 or agarfinkel@gshnj.org

Free Child Support Workshop in NJ

noreply@blogger.com (Dana Wilson, webmaster) — Tue, 08 Jun 2010 23:58:00 +0000

Do you or someone you know receive or pay child support?

Come learn about the different aspects of child support within the Probation Division…

– How an order is established

– Wage executions

– How an order is enforced

– Cost of Living Adjustments

– Emancipations……….And more

Local attorneys have volunteered to assist with this workshop.

Because this is an informational workshop only, personal cases cannot be discussed or resolved.

Location: Middlesex County Administration Building

Board of Chosen Freeholders’ Meeting Room

75 Bayard Street (Across from the Post Office)

New Brunswick, NJ 08901

Date: Wednesday – June 16, 2010

Time: 6:00pm to 8:00pm

Juneteenth NJ

noreply@blogger.com (Dana Wilson, webmaster) — Fri, 04 Jun 2010 21:13:00 +0000

6th Annual Juneteenth NJ Festival
Thursday, June 10, 2010 at 7-9 pm
at the Edison Job Corps,
500 Plainfield Avenue,
Edison, NJ
Free and Open to the public.

For more information about other Juneteenth events in other states, go to the national website http://www.juneteenth.com/

NJ After 3 Program in Trouble

noreply@blogger.com (Dana Wilson, webmaster) — Thu, 15 Apr 2010 21:10:00 +0000

On Thursday, February 11th, 2010 half of the New Jersey After 3's budgeted state allocation was eliminated. Compounding this issue is the fact that New Jersey After 3 funding has been omitted from the recently proposed FY2011 State Budget.

The result of this reduction, should it stand, will be the closure of afterschool programs for more than 11,000 students and their families, the loss of over 1,100 full and part-time jobs during a difficult economy, and the loss of significant private and Federal investments that are leveraged against the State's annual investment.

To see if one of these programs is in your neighborhood, go to this link:
http://www.njafter3.org/home/home_programs-sites.php

Non-Profit, For Profit and What's Next?

noreply@blogger.com (Dana Wilson, webmaster) — Thu, 15 Apr 2010 20:49:00 +0000

This is an interesting article in the Chronicle of Philanthropy. This may affect new organizations that want to provide programs and services for communities.

Congress Could Consider Creating New Category of Organization, Expert Says

By Grant Williams

As Congress eventually moves to consider making broad changes to the nation's tax structure, proposals could emerge that would take into account a "blurring of the lines" in recent years between nonprofit organizations and for-profit companies, according to Russell Sullivan, staff director for the Senate Finance Committee.
"We might see the emergence of some proposals to establish what I'll call, for the lack of a better term, a for-benefit corporation -- something that is in-between a private taxable company that's under our rules of C corporations or S corporations and partnerships but also not under our rules having to do with charities," he said.
As an example, Mr. Sullivan pointed to the recent enactment of the new federal health-care law. "As you know, a lot of changes are coming in health care. One of them is we authorized these state-based cooperatives to sell insurance in their states. Not a public option, not pure private sector. So the question is, What is the purpose of that entity and how should it be taxed?"
Mr. Sullivan continued: "Is it really a sort of government-owned entity that is part of the state government? Well, no, not really. Is it really private-sector driven and a corporation? Well, no, not really. It's really kind of in-between."
Federal law already has rules regarding agricultural and other cooperatives, he noted, but Congress may want to look at handling "the advent of some of the new kinds of business entities we're seeing evolve."
Mr. Sullivan spoke at a symposium in Washington held by Catholic University's Columbus School of Law. He emphasized he was speaking only for himself and not for his boss, Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus, the Montana Democrat, or the finance committee.
Mr. Sullivan said that "the history of our tax code is that we basically try to put all entities into one of two buckets. You are either a for-profit entity, in which we try to tax you as a corporation partnership, a proprietorship, or otherwise. Or you are a tax-exempt organization -- you are a charity we are not going to tax at all.
But he said "the reality is every business really has multiple purposes," with many focusing on making charitable contributions to support their communities. Meanwhile, many charities "have some business purpose to them" unrelated to their missions on which they pay income tax.
"But I see even more blurring of the lines over the past decade," Mr. Sullivan said. For example, he said certain green energy companies have a purpose to "actually to develop or promote a cleaner environment -- they are just doing it through a corporate structure."
Similarly, "on the opposite end of the spectrum," Mr. Sullivan said, "we see missionaries today who go overseas and they set up a business, they set up a restaurant, they set up a school where they teach English. Are they doing that because they have a business motive? No, they're really not. They are doing it because that is a way for them to gain access to the people that they want to proselytize."
The Columbus School of Law's symposium, "Philanthropy in the 21st Century: Should All Charities Be Created Equal?", will be available for viewing online at http://video.law.edu/.

Catholic-Run Charter Schools Arouse Church-State Concerns

noreply@blogger.com (Dana Wilson, webmaster) — Thu, 15 Apr 2010 20:40:00 +0000

Highlight from Chronicle of Philanthropy:

Catholic-Run Charter Schools Arouse Church-State Concerns

Church-state watchdog groups say they will closely monitor an Indianapolis project to create what could become the country's first public charter schools run by a Roman Catholic archdiocese, says the Associated Press.
Under a plan approved by the city April 5, St. Anthony's and St. Andrew & St. Rita Academy would become charters under new names and qualify for nearly $1-million in state money in the first year. The proposal was hailed by Mayor Greg Ballard and archdiocese officials as a way to keep the schools open and serving struggling neighborhoods despite a budget deficit.
The schools agreed to end religious education and remove crucifixes, statues of saints, and Bibles from classrooms and other areas. But in a letter to the mayor's office, the advocacy group Americans United for Separation of Church and State questioned whether the archdiocese would fully eliminate religious observances and items.
(Free registration is required to view this article on the New York Times site.)

Zero Tolerance in US Schools- Controversial Stories

noreply@blogger.com (Dana Wilson, webmaster) — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 17:39:00 +0000

Interesting article on CNN...
Parentspotlight wants to know what do you think? If you would like to add a comment, click on the link by the pencil at the bottom of this story. Should the police have been called in to arrest a girl for doodling on her desk? Should students be taken into juvenile court and fined for being late to school?

http://www.cnn.com/2010/CRIME/02/18/new.york.doodle.arrest/index.html?hpt=C1

Highlights:

Alexa Gonzalez, 12, was arrested by NYPD for drawing on her desk
Critics of zero tolerance policies say school officials, police have gone too far
Zero tolerance policies became more popular after Columbine, security experts say
Students in Chicago arrested for food fight; students in L.A. ticketed for tardiness

(CNN) -- There was no profanity, no hate. Just the words, "I love my friends Abby and Faith. Lex was here 2/1/10 :)" scrawled on the classroom desk with a green marker.
Alexa Gonzalez, an outgoing 12-year-old who likes to dance and draw, expected a lecture or maybe detention for her doodles earlier this month. Instead, the principal of the Junior High School in Forest Hills, New York, called police, and the seventh-grader was taken across the street to the police precinct.
Alexa's hands were cuffed behind her back, and tears gushed as she was escorted from school in front of teachers and -- the worst audience of all for a preadolescent girl -- her classmates.
"They put the handcuffs on me, and I couldn't believe it," Alexa recalled. "I didn't want them to see me being handcuffed, thinking I'm a bad person."
Alexa is no longer facing suspension, according a spokeswoman for the New York City Department of Education. Still, the case of the doodling preteen is raising concerns about the use of zero tolerance policies in schools.

I didn't want them to see me being handcuffed, thinking I'm a bad person.
--Alexa Gonzalez

Critics say schools and police have gone too far, overreacting and using well-intended rules for incidents involving nonviolent offenses such as drawing on desks, writing on other school property or talking back to teachers.
"We are arresting them at younger and younger ages [in cases] that used to be covered with a trip to the principal's office, not sending children to jail," said Emma Jordan-Simpson, executive director of the Children's Defense Fund, a national children's advocacy group.
There aren't any national studies documenting how often minors become involved with police for nonviolent crimes in schools. Tracking the incidents depends on how individual schools keep records. Much of the information remains private, since it involves juveniles.
But one thing is sure: Alexa's case isn't the first in the New York area. One of the first cases to gain national notoriety was that of Chelsea Fraser. In 2007, the 13-year-old wrote "Okay" on her desk, and police handcuffed and arrested her. She was one of several students arrested in the class that day; the others were accused of plastering the walls with stickers.
At schools across the country, police are being asked to step in. In November, a food fight at a middle school in Chicago, Illinois, resulted in the arrests of 25 children, some as young as 11, according to the Chicago Police Department.
The Strategy Center, a California-based civil rights group that tracks zero tolerance policies, found that at least 12,000 tickets were issued to tardy or truant students by Los Angeles Police Department and school security officers in 2008. The tickets tarnished students' records and brought them into the juvenile court system, with fines of up to $250 for repeat offenders.
The Strategy Center opposes the system. "The theory is that if we fine them, then they won't be late again," said Manuel Criollo, lead organizer of the "No to Pre-Prison" campaign at The Strategy Center. "But they just end up not going to school at all."
His group is trying to stop the LAPD and the school district from issuing the tickets. The Los Angeles School District says the policy is designed to reduce absenteeism.
And another California school -- Highland High School in Palmdale -- found that issuing tardiness tickets drastically cut the number of pupils being late for class and helped tone down disruptive behavior. The fifth ticket issued landed a student in juvenile traffic court.
In 1998, New York City took its zero tolerance policies to the next level, placing school security officers under the New York City Police Department. Today, there are nearly 5,000 employees in the NYPD School Safety Division. Most are not police officers, but that number exceeds the total police force in Washington, D.C.
In contrast, there are only about 3,000 counselors in New York City's public school system. Critics of zero tolerance policies say more attention should be paid to social work, counseling and therapy.
"Instead of a graduated discipline approach, we see ... expulsions at the drop of a hat," said Donna Lieberman, an attorney with the New York branch of the American Civil Liberties Union.

We see ... expulsions at the drop of a hat.
--Donna Lieberman, ACLU attorney

"If they have been suspended once, their likelihood of being pushed out of the school increases," she said. "They may end up in jail at some point in their life."
One of Lieberman's clients was in sixth grade when police arrested her in 2007 for doodling with her friend in class. The child, called M.M. in court filings to protect her identity, tried to get tissues to remove the marks, a complaint states.
Lieberman says police subjected M.M. to unlawful search and seizure. A class-action lawsuit, filed in January on behalf of five juveniles, is pending. It maintains that inadequately trained and poorly supervised police personnel are aggressive toward students when no criminal activity is taking place.
Several studies have confirmed that the time an expelled child spends away from school increases the chance that child will drop out and wind up in the criminal justice system, according to a January 2010 study from the Advancement Project, a legal action group.
Alexa Gonzalez missed three days of school because of her arrest. She spent those days throwing up, and it was a challenge to catch up on her homework when she returned to school, she said. Her mother says she had never been in trouble before the doodling incident.
New York attorney Joe Rosenthal, who is representing Alexa, plans to file a lawsuit accusing police and school officials of violating Alexa's constitutional rights. New York City Department of Education officials declined to comment specifically on any possible legal matters.
"Our mission is to make sure that public schools are a safe and supportive environment for all students," said Margie Feinberg, an education department spokeswoman.

Our mission is to make sure that public schools are a safe and supportive environment for all students.
--Margie Feinberg, New York City Department of Education spokeswoman

RELATED TOPICS

Several media outlets have reported that school officials admitted the arrest was a "mistake," but when asked by CNN, Feinberg declined to comment specifically on the incident. She referred CNN to the NYPD.
The NYPD did not return CNN's repeated phone calls and e-mails. It is unknown whether charges will be pressed against Alexa.
Kenneth Trump, a security expert who founded the National School Safety and Security Services consulting firm, said focusing on security is essential to the safety of other students. He said zero tolerance policies can work if "common sense is applied."
Michael Soguero recalls being arrested himself in 2005 when, as principal at Bronx Guild School, he tried to stop an officer from handcuffing one of his students. A charge of assault against him was later dropped. He says police working in schools need specific training on how to work with children.
In Clayton County, Georgia, juvenile court judge Steven Teske is working to reshape zero tolerance policies in schools. He wants the courts to be a last resort. In 2003, he created a program in Clayton County's schools that distinguishes felonies from misdemeanors.
The result? The number of students detained by the school fell by 83 percent, his report found. The number of weapons detected on campus declined by 73 percent.
Last week, after hearing about 12-year-old Alexa's arrest in New York, he wasn't shocked.

"There is zero intelligence when you start applying zero tolerance across the board," he said. "Stupid and ridiculous things start happening."

NJ officials request Children's Trust Fund donations

noreply@blogger.com (Dana Wilson, webmaster) — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 17:25:00 +0000

See the state's appeal below for donations to prevention programs.

Dear Colleagues,
We need your help spreading the word that New Jersey residents can help prevent child abuse just by checking the box on Line 58 of their state income tax return. A check on that line means support for the Children's Trust Fund, a fund that supports prevention programs throughout our state. Tax Day is about seven weeks away so we need to act NOW!
Each year, the Children's Trust Fund supports innovative programs in New Jersey that strengthen families and help prevent child maltreatment. The largest source of donations to the Children's Trust Fund comes directly through the check-off box at Line 58 of the New Jersey state income tax return. People can donate any amount they choose.
Last year, approximately $197,000 was donated to the Children's Trust Fund. While we are thankful for those contributions, we know we can do better.
Here's how you can help:

Post the attached icon on your Web site
Send an email to everyone on your outreach list asking them to donate and spread the word
Include information about the Children's Trust Fund in your e-news or newsletters
Remind people they can donate online anytime of the year by visiting www.nj.gov/dcf/home/sponsor.html
Make your own personal donation on your tax form or online

Every dollar we can invest in child abuse prevention will benefit us immeasurably in the long run by making better lives for children and their families. Remember: A Person Who Cares Can Prevent Child Abuse. Be a person who cares – Check Line 58 and urge others to do likewise.
Sincerely,
Janet Rosenzweig
Janet F. Rosenzweig, MS, PhD, MPA
Acting Commissioner
The New Jersey Department of Children and Families

NJ Governor Christie Proposes to Reduce Funding for NJ Family Care and Charity Care

noreply@blogger.com (Dana Wilson, webmaster) — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 16:16:00 +0000

Gov. Christie proposes to balance the budget by slashing funding for key areas of importance to parents and economically disadvantaged families. Examples of some of the programs in danger of major cuts include: NJ Family Care (subsidized health insurance), Charity Care, and aid to state colleges, and the NJ Office of the Child Advocate. To see details on these above programs and other programs in danger of major cuts, see below.

sources:
NJ.com
NJ Citizen Action http://njcitizenaction.org/hcpress20090512a.html

See details below:

TRENTON -- A glance at Gov. Chris Christie’s proposed budget cuts this year:
Education:
• $475 million cut in aid for school districts with budget surpluses.
Treasury:
• Dissolves the untapped $128 million fund controlled by the Board of Public Utilities encouraging companies to use alternative energy.

Pensions:
• Skips $100 million state employee pension contributions. Higher Education:
• $62 million cut to county colleges and four-year public colleges/universities.
Economic Development Authority:
• Dissolves former Gov. Jon Corzine’s $25 million job creation incentive program, InvestNJ.
• Reclaims $25 million unused by the Business Employment Incentive program.
Community Affairs:
• Eliminates the $40 million in funding under the Mortgage Stabilization and Relief Act.
Transportation:
• Reduces NJ Transit’s subsidy by $32.7 million.
Health Care:
• $12.6 million cut from the charity care fund compensating hospitals to treat uninsured patients; all hospitals will lose about 4 percent of their subsidy.
• $8.6 million cut from the NJ FamilyCare health coverage program, eliminating 11,700 legal immigrants and freezing parent enrollment.
Public Advocate:
• $600,000 cut, eliminating the department that also oversees the Office of the Child Advocate

Child Support Payments and Getting a U.S. Passport

noreply@blogger.com (Dana Wilson, webmaster) — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 16:01:00 +0000

Child Support Payments and Getting a U.S. Passport

If you are certified to Passport Services by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to be in arrears of child support payments in excess of $2,500, you are ineligible to receive a U.S. passport . If this applies to you, Passport Services strongly recommends that you contact the appropriate State child support enforcement agency to make payment arrangements before applying for a passport. This is because:

The State agency must certify to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) that acceptable payment arrangements have been made.
Then, HHS must notify Passport Services by the removal of your name from the electronic list HHS gives to Passport Services. (Passport Services cannot issue a passport until your name has been deleted by HHS.)

Please note that it can take 2-3 weeks from the time you make payment arrangements with the State agency until your name is removed from HHS' electronic list. Passport Services has no information concerning individuals' child support obligations and has no authority to take action until HHS removes your name from its list.

Please direct any questions to the appropriate State child support enforcement agency. You may go to the Department of Health and Human Services - State Child Support Enforcement Web Site for a listing of HHS state and local agencies.

COBRA, Unemployment, and First Time Home Buyers Benefits Extended

noreply@blogger.com (Dana Wilson, webmaster) — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 19:17:00 +0000

COBRA and Other Benefits Extended

12/28/2009

As part of the Defense Appropriations bill signed into law on December 19, Recovery Act funds will continue to subsidize 65 percent of COBRA health insurance premiums for certain unemployed individuals. The subsidy program, which originally covered the period between February 17 and November 30, 2009, now runs through February 2010 for people who lost their jobs through no fault of their own between September 1, 2008, and February 28, 2010.
The Department of Labor website has more details.
Also, with enactment on November 6 of the Worker, Homeownership and Business Assistance Act of 2009, three other key provisions of the Recovery Act were either extended or expanded.
Emergency Unemployment Compensation
This legislation added another 14 weeks of unemployment benefits. In states exceeding an 8.5 percent unemployment rate (currently 26 states), an additional six weeks of benefits are available, for a total of 20 weeks. In all cases, the $25 in Recovery funds added to each regular benefit payment also continues.

Contact your state unemployment office for details.

First Time Homebuyer Credit
The original provision – a tax deduction of up to $8,000 – applied only to people buying their first homes between April 8, 2008, and December 1, 2009. The cut-off date has now been extended to April 30, 2010. Also, a similar credit – up to $6,500 – is now available to current homeowners who buy new principal residences in the same time frame. However, those homeowners must have lived in their previous homes for a five-year consecutive period in the previous eight years before the date they buy the new home.

For either credit:
• New home can cost no more than $800,000
• Individual buyers must have income of $125,000 or less
• Joint tax-filers must have combined income of $225,000 or less
The IRS has more information here

Trends in US Education: 4-day school week

noreply@blogger.com (Dana Wilson, webmaster) — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 18:14:00 +0000

The four-day school week is a growing trend during this recession. This controversial format is something to keep an eye on.

Hawaii is one of the most recent states to change to a four-day school week due to budget woes. Children are now off every Friday. Hawaii is already at the bottom when it comes to state test scores, according to an ABC news report. At least 17 other states have districts that have 4-day school weeks, according to an MSNBC report.

Proponents of this format site the ability to salvage more extra curricular and academic programs, avoiding teacher and staff layoffs, and the ability to save on transportation and energy bills.

However, many parents face challenges with this new format including concerns about maintaining academic excellence, additional child care costs, adjusting work schedules, and paying for Friday meals that might have otherwise been covered under free or reduced lunch programs.

It will be interesting to see how this affects the children long-term and how many other cash-strapped states will follow suit. It will also be interesting to see how this affects parents with special needs children who will have a harder time finding adequate child care for one-day a week.

Another related trend to keep an eye out for is the 4-day government work week. Utah, Iowa, Hawaii and many other states have been toying with this concept. How will the four-day government work week affect the welfare of children? The workers in the state departments of education, health and human services, children and families, etc., will have to get everything done with 20 percent less time to do it in. Source: http://www.stateline.org/live/details/story?contentId=446862

Comprehensive studies needs to be done. If you aware of any such study, please inform the Parentspotlight blog.

What do you think? Feel free to post a comment to this blog posting.

sources:
http://abcnews.go.com/WN/hawaii-day-school-week-ease-recession-woes/story?id=8894574
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29664981/
http://www.ncsl.org/IssuesResearch/Education/SchoolCalendarExtendedDayYearFourDaySchoo/tabid/12934/Default.aspx
http://www.radioiowa.com/2009/12/25/a-four-day-work-week-for-state-government/
http://www.stateline.org/live/details/story?contentId=446862

NACCRRA State of Care Study (child care and senior care) available

noreply@blogger.com (Dana Wilson, webmaster) — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 17:02:00 +0000

The National Association for Child Care Resource and Referral Agencies (NACCRRA) recently released the second edition of the State of Care Index- this study outlines the annual cost of child care and senior care,
details families' efforts to save money on care arrangements, and reports on the tie between employment and caregiving. This study can be dowloaded for free and takes a closer look at the pressures facing parents caring for children in the current recession.

State of Care Index - Cost of Child Care and Senior Care on Families -
http://www.naccrra.org/publications/naccrra-publications/parents-and-the-high-price-of-child-care-2009

Thank you to Care.com for informing Parentspotlight of this study. Care.com is a fee-based service that helps families to find child care and senior care. Search listings of child care centers, special needs care, babysitters and nannies.

Parents and the High Price of Child Care: 2009 Update

Parents and the High Price of Child Care: 2009 Update presents 2008 data on child care costs collected through a January 2009 survey of Child Care Resource and Referral (CCR&R) State Networks, which asked for the average prices charged for child care for infants, 4-year-olds, and school-age children in centers and family child care homes in every state. This year's report reveals that child care costs continue to rise with costs often times exceeding monthly food and other household expenses.
According to the report, in 2008, the average price of full-time care for an infant in a center was as high as $15,895 a year. For a 4-year-old in a center, parents paid up to $11,680 a year for full-time care. Parents of school-age children paid up to $10,720 a year for part-time care in a center. Average prices for full-time care in a family child care home were as much as $10,324 for infants, $9,805 for a 4-year-old, and $7,124 for a school-age child. Additionally, the report found that average monthly child care fees for an infant were higher than the amount that families spent on food each month. In every state, monthly child care fees for two children at any age exceeded the median rent cost, and were nearly as high, or even higher than, the average monthly mortgage payment.
To improve access to affordable, high-quality child care for all families, NACCRRA is calling on Congress to reauthorize the Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG), the primary public source of child care funds to states to help pay for child care and improve the quality of care. Additionally, NACCRRA recommends providing resources for planning and developing child care capacity to increase
the availability of child care options for working families; reducing barriers in the subsidy administration process that prevent families from accessing assistance; ensuring that public pre-kindergarten programs are designed to meet the child care needs of working families, and improving federal and state tax codes to help families at all income levels pay for care.

Last Month to file for COBRA Health Insurance Continuation Coverage Assistance Under ARRA

noreply@blogger.com (Dana Wilson, webmaster) — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 06:50:00 +0000

COBRA Continuation Coverage Assistance Under ARRA

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) provides for premium reductions and additional election opportunities for health benefits under the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1985, commonly called COBRA. Eligible individuals pay only 35 percent of their COBRA premiums and the remaining 65 percent is reimbursed to the coverage provider through a tax credit. The premium reduction applies to periods of health coverage beginning on or after February 17, 2009 and lasts for up to nine months for those eligible for COBRA during the period beginning September 1, 2008 and ending December 31, 2009 due to an involuntary termination of employment that occurred during that period. The TAA Health Coverage Improvement Act of 2009, enacted as part of ARRA, also made changes with regard to COBRA continuation coverage.

WARM Advantage Program

noreply@blogger.com (Dana Wilson, webmaster) — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 06:43:00 +0000

WARMAdvantage

Program Overview

The WARMAdvantage Program provides rebates for high efficiency natural gas home heating systems and/or water heaters.
When selecting a contractor, be sure to ask if they are NATE certified. North American Technician Excellence (NATE) is the leading national certification program for technicians. For a list of NATE certified contractors who participate in the WARMAdvantage Program, contact the Eastern Heating & Cooling Council at 800-247-6547, or visit www.eh-cc.org.
Install a gas heating system and/or domestic water heater that meets all applicable efficiency requirements based on the Gas Appliance Manufacturers Association (GAMA) Consumers Directory of Certified Efficiency Ratings.
Qualifying heating systems installed in new homes must be located in “Smart Growth” areas of NJ in order to receive an incentive. To determine if a location is in a designated Smart Growth area, use the Smart Growth Locator located on the HMFA web site and check the State Plan Quad PDF files.

New rebate levels went into effect April 1, 2009.

Equipment Type	Minimum Efficiency Level for units purchased on or after April 1, 2009	Incentive
Gas Furnace	AFUE* 92% or greater, ENERGY STAR	$300
Gas Furnace with ECM*	AFUE 92% or greater, ENERGY STAR	$400
Gas Boiler	AFUE 85% or greater, ENERGY STAR	$300
Domestic Hot Water Heater	EF* .62 or greater	$25
Domestic Hot Water Heater	EF .82 or greater	$300

*AFUE (Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency), ECM (Electronically Commutated Motor), EF (Energy Factor) ENERGY STAR qualified product lists may be found at http://www.energystar.gov.
Opportunity for an Additional Incentive
If you qualify for the WARMAdvantage rebate, and you had the Home Performance with ENERGY STAR assessment done on your home, you may be eligible for an extra $900 rebate from your gas company. Elizabethtown Gas, New Jersey Natural Gas, and South Jersey Gas offer extra incentives on WARMAdvantage qualified furnace and boiler installations. Check their websites for applications and additional information.
Features and Benefits
High-efficiency natural gas furnaces and boilers carry the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) ENERGY STAR label to help consumers distinguish between standard and high-efficiency equipment. To learn more about the benefits of high-efficiency equipment, visit the ENERGY STAR Web site.
Qualifying high-efficiency water heaters have an Energy Factor of .62 or greater.
Eligibility Requirements
This Program targets residential homes that install a new natural gas furnace, boiler and/or water heater. To qualify for a rebate under this Program, you must:

Purchase and install a new natural gas furnace with an AFUE of 92% or greater, a boiler with an AFUE of 85% or greater and/or a natural gas water heater with an Energy Factor of .62 or greater.
Install and operate the furnace, boiler or water heater in a residence that is supplied by natural gas directly from one of the New Jersey gas utilities and has a residential gas account number.

Note: Customers participating in the New Jersey ENERGY STAR Homes new construction program are not eligible for rebates through the WARMAdvantage Program. Installations in newly constructed homes are only eligible for rebates in Smart Growth areas, defined as Planning Areas 1 and 2, as well as Designated Centers, on the State Plan Map.
Please call 866-NJSMART to request a rebate application.

As part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities has submitted a proposal to the federal government to offer New Jersey residents additional incentives on high efficiency heating and cooling equipment. The incentives are tentatively scheduled to be offered in January 2010. Please check back often for details.
Federal Tax Credits are now available for energy efficient home improvements.
The program also offers rebates on the purchase of energy-efficient central air conditioning and heat pumps.
Also, learn about getting a home energy assessment from Home Performance with ENERGY STAR.

Refrigerator/Freezer Recycling Program in NJ

noreply@blogger.com (Dana Wilson, webmaster) — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 06:39:00 +0000

Refrigerator/Freezer Recycling Program

You'd be amazed at what your old refrigerator can save!

The Refrigerator/Freezer Recycling program is a new initiative from New Jersey's Clean Energy Program. This program promotes responsible recycling of refrigerators and freezers in New Jersey and offers a $30 cash incentive.
Recycling your old refrigerator/freezer is easy, and you can earn money too. It's simple. Here's how...

To arrange for a free pick up of your old refrigerator/freezer call 877-270-3520 or schedule online at JACO Environmental.

Get $30 cash back for recycling responsibly once your transaction is processed.

Save up to $150 a year on energy costs by recycling an old fridge.

To Participate in this Initiative:

You must be a New Jersey resident and a customer of Atlantic City Electric, Jersey Central Power & Light, PSE&G, or Rockland Electric Company.
You must own the refrigerator or freezer being recycled.
Your refrigerator or freezer must be between 10 and 30 cubic feet in size.
Refrigerator and freezer must be in working condition.
Limit two units per residential address.
Restrictions may apply.
Incentives are processed within 90-120 days.
Customers of municipal electric utilities do not qualify.

Energy and Environmental Facts:

On average a newer refrigerator or freezer consumes 1,000 fewer kilowatt-hours annually than a refrigerator or freezer manufactured before 1990.
Recycling 20,000 older refrigerators or freezers will result in energy savings equal to the amount of power used in approximately 1,400 homes annually.
Recycling 20,000 older refrigerators or freezers would result in the avoidance of CO₂ emissions equal to removing 40,000 cars from the road for one year.
Learn more about refrigerator/freezer recycling facts.

Background Information:

Downpayment and closing costs assistance for housing in Middlesex Cty, NJ

noreply@blogger.com (Dana Wilson, webmaster) — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 22:36:00 +0000

The Middlesex County Department of Housing and Community Development will award downpayment
and closing cost assistance funds to income eligible first time homebuyers under the US Department
of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) American Dream Downpayment Initiative (ADDI) program.

Basic Program Requirements
1. Applicant must be a first time homebuyer who has completed a one day homebuyer training course
within the past year offered by one of the following:
• Puerto Rican Action Board - Housing Coalition Unit - Phone (732) 249-9700
• Faith Fellowship Community Development Corp. - Phone (732) 727-9500
• Any other HUD certified housing counseling agency
2. Applicants do not apply until they are under contract for a single family property. Eligible properties are
detached homes, townhouses, ·condominiums.,. an.c.:l.gp-ops. The purchase price of the property cannot
exc"€ed four times the certified income level of the household, with an overall maximum of $362;790.
3. Applicants must have a mortgage pre-appmval.
4. Applicant must purchase housing in the following Middlesex County municipalities:
_ Carteret ;.•,' Highland Park'~"=:: North Brunswick South Brunswick
Cranbury Jamesburg Old Bridge South Plainfield
Dunellen Metuchen Piscataway South River
East Brunswick Middlesex Plainsboro Spotswood
Edison Milltown Sayreville Woodbridge
Helmetta Monroe.. _. South Amboy
(Please note that New Brunswick and Perth Amboy are not eligible municipalities)
5. Household income does not exceed the following limits:
One-person - $54,200 /Five-person $83,500
Two-person - $61,900 / Six-person - $89,700
Three-person - $69,600 /Seven-person - $95,900
Four-person - $77,400 / Eight-person - $102,100
6. The property being purchased must pass County's Housing Quality Standards inspection and be certified free of lead based paint hazards.
7. Assistance will be in the form of a deferred repayment mortgage, which doesn't require payment of
principal or interest by the homebuyers provided they own and live in the property for six years.
Homebuyers who sell the property before this time will be required to pay back the full amount of the
ADDI assistance, plus 4% simple interest. Assistance will range from $8,500 - $13,500.
For additional information on the program, please contact Melissa Bellamy
Middlesex County Department of Housing and Community Development
(732) 745-2922 or melissa.bellamy@co.middlesex.nj.us.

1ir EOUAL HOUSING
OPPORTUNITY
Middlesex County Board of Chosen Freeholders
David B.. Crabiel, Freeholder Director
Stephen J. Dalina, Deputy Director
Camille Fernicola
H. James Polos
Christopher D. Rafano
Ronald G. Rios
Blanquita B. Valenti

National Engineers Week

noreply@blogger.com (Dana Wilson, webmaster) — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 17:42:00 +0000

Every day, engineers around the world volunteer an untold number of hours by giving back and reaching out to possible future engineers. National Engineers Week organizers want the world to know and see the collective strength of these efforts and are challenging all engineers to not only contribute to outreach activities, but log their volunteer hours on a newly designed Web site. The goal? To reach one million hours of outreach in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education.
What counts as outreach?
Visiting a classroom;
Participating in an extracurricular or community activity;
Hosting a Design Squad event;
Introducing a Girl to Engineering;
Helping out with National Family Day;
Coaching a Future City Competition Team
Attending or presenting at a Career Fair; or
Volunteering with organizations such as MATHCOUNTS, JETS,
Supporting robotics competitions, or any design or engineering-related competition; or
Many, many other activities
Let's show the world the engineering community's collective strength in protecting the health. safety, and welfare of the public AND encourage future generations by showing how exciting, and sometimes amazing, engineering can be!
Sign-up to log your hours!
Already have an account? Log in (Forgot your password?)

For more info:
http://www.eweek.org/

2009 SPORTS JOURNALISM INSTITUTE

noreply@blogger.com (Dana Wilson, webmaster) — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 17:38:00 +0000

2009 SPORTS JOURNALISM INSTITUTE – APPLICATION DEADLINE: Dec. 5, 2008:
The 2009 Sports Journalism Institute is a nine-week training and internship program for college students interested in sports journalism careers. The Institute is designed to attract talented students to print journalism through opportunities in sports reporting and editing and enhance racial and gender diversity in sports departments of newspapers nationwide. The program will run from May 29 - Aug. 3, 2009.
The Sports Journalism Institute, which works with the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ), the Asian American Journalists Association (AAJA) and the National Association of Hispanic Journalists (NAHJ), is funded by the Tribune Foundation, Hearst Newspapers/Houston Chronicle, Associated Press Sports Editors and the New York Daily News.
For more information, and to access an application, please visit: www.sportsjournalis minstitute. org