Hey… did you know TEST don’t TEACH?
Ready for Workshops…?
2018 -2019 Workshop Pre-Registration
Please click >HERE< to access the Google form listing the available 2018 – 2019 workshops for Mercer County EA members. You may pre-register to reserve your seat. Seats are reserved only for members who remit payment in advance. Payment will be reimbursed after attendance to the workshop if you opt to pay online. Paper checks will be held (not cashed) until attendance is complete at final workshop on your list.
All workshops are held at the Mercer County EA office based on the following schedule: Registration/buffet dinner 4:00 – 5:00 PM Workshop 5:00 – 7:00 PM Location: 3131 Princeton Pike Office Park, Building 4A, Suite 201, Lawrenceville, NJ 08648.
Cost per member: $15.00
Please send payment to: MCEA 3131 Princeton Pike Office Park, Building 4A, Suite 201 Lawrenceville, NJ 08648 (Please send your cash/check/money order – NO Purchase Orders)
Workshops Include:
09/26/18 School Preparedness/Emergency Workshop
10/10/18 Mindfulness in the Classroom
10/16/18 Supporting Transgender Students
10/17/18 Google Drive for Beginners
11/14/18 Stress and Time Management for ESPs
12/12/18 Applied Behavior Analysis(ABA)
01/09/19 XYZ’s of Retirement
01/16/19 Digital Citizenship for Students
01/23/19 LGBTQ Curriculum Inclusion
02/20/19 How to Resolve Team Conflicts
02/27/19 Digital Citizenship for Educators
03/06/19 Succeeding with Challenging Students For All Educators
03/20/19 Building Positive School, Family, and Community Relationships Workshop
04/10/19 Autism Workshop
05/01/19 Google Open Forum Workshop
05/08/19 XYZ’s of Retirement Workshop
05/22/19 XYZ’s of Retirement Workshop
#RedForEd
As school starts up again, public education remains under attack across the nation. In Arizona, for example, the State Supreme Court has taken the unprecedented step of removing an Invest In ED ballot measure from the November ballot. Invest In ED would have provided millions of Arizona students with a sustainable revenue source that would provide resources students need to learn. This measure would have provided crucial education funding that everyone in Arizona agrees is needed.
In order to qualify for the ballot, thousands of educators across the state worked tirelessly all summer to collect 270,000 signatures to qualify the Invest In ED act to the ballot. In a purely political move the Arizona Supreme Court overturned the lower court decision. The Arizona Supreme Court is stacked with anti-public education justice appointees doing the bidding of Governor Doug Ducey who has failed to take action to increase needed education funding in Arizona for years.
In solidarity, AEA is requesting state affiliates and other national labor allies that Tuesday, Sept. 4 be observed as a national #RedForEd day. This day of solidarity is in reaction to the unprecedented decision by the Arizona supreme court robbing Arizonans of the opportunity to vote for critical funding for our classrooms and investing in our educators. AEA is asking everyone to wear red and post pictures to social media with a simple “We stand in solidarity with Arizona educators” and #RedForEd and #InvestInEd hashtags.
Please join AEA and NJEA in standing in solidarity for educators in Arizona and everywhere because our students and educators deserve better.
Shared from: NJEA.org
In Today’s News…
Sen. Ruiz “disappointed” in Murphy’s decision on PARCC for teacher evals
The governor announced Friday that his Department of Education reduced the PARCC assessment to count for only five percent of a teacher’s evaluation — a move supported by the New Jersey Education Association, which endorsed Murphy during the election.
Ruiz, in a joint statement with Senate President Steve Sweeney, said the Murphy administration is “walking away” from New Jersey’s students.
“We know teacher quality is the most impactful in-school factor affecting student achievement. That is why we were clear when developing TEACHNJ and working with all education stakeholders that student growth would have a meaningful place within evaluations,” the lawmakers said in the statement.
Ruiz, who represents the 29th Legislative District, which includes portions of Newark and all of Belleville, is the chair of the Senate Education Committee.
“Reducing the use of Student Growth Percentile to five percent essentially eliminates its impact. It abandons the mission of TEACHNJ without replacing it with a substantive alternative. In fact, a 2018, a Rand study concluded that, ‘Teaching is a complex activity that should be measured with multiple methods.’ These include: student test scores, classroom observation, surveys and other methods,” they said.
The PARCC test has been controversial since it was first introduced into New Jersey in 2014. Murphy has signaled his intention to move away from the PARCC tests and move to a “new generation” of standardized tests, though nothing has been proposed as of yet.
The New Jersey Education Association, which represents the state’s teachers, called Murphy’s decision a “win.” The NJEA said there is no evidence standardized test scores serve a valid purpose in teacher evaluation.
“Today’s announcement is another step by Gov. Murphy toward keeping a campaign promise to rid New Jersey’s public schools of the scourge of high-stakes testing,” the NJEA said in a statement. “While tens of thousands of families across the state have already refused to subject their children to PARCC, schools are still required to administer it and educators are still subject to its arbitrary effects on their evaluation. By dramatically lowering the stakes for the test, Murphy is making it possible for educators and students alike to focus more time and attention on real teaching and learning.”
Sweeney and Ruiz said Murphy’s announcement should not be viewed as a win. They pointed out that this is the second time Murphy has lowered standards for education professionals and students.
“This is a victory for special interests and a huge step backward towards a better public education in New Jersey,” the lawmakers said.
“We look forward to the department providing data as to why these decisions are being made and how they will benefit our children,” the lawmakers said. “Every child deserves a teacher who advances their academic progress and prepares them for college and career readiness. We must provide the data and resources for all our teachers to excel and ensure every student has the opportunity to realize their fullest potential.”
Shared from: Tapinto.net