They all came: students, teachers, union leaders, politicians from across the board, and, of course, the interim president of New Jersey City University. All of them came Monday to a union-sponsored “Fund NJCU” campus rally to plead the case for the survival of NJCU, to demand that Gov. Phil Murphy and state legislators come to […]
Education
Tax Hikes Probable with Cuts to School aid and end to Covid Money
With state aid to Jersey City Schools falling quickly and federal Covid relief to the city ending, further tax hikes are likely. Tucked into Governor Murphy’s $53.1 billion spending plan unveiled on Tuesday was another massive cut in state aid to Jersey City schools. The cuts were not unexpected. “This is close to what I […]
DeGise Suspended from Teaching Post in 2016
In 2016, Councilwoman Amy DeGise was suspended from her teaching position at Hudson County Prep. Six years after the suspension, details remain elusive. Students who may have knowledge of the incident have graduated, and others who currently work at County Prep either said they were unaware that DeGise had been suspended or were unwilling to […]
A Rancorous BOE Meeting Hits Teacher Shortage, Ethics and Threats
A rancorous Board of Education meeting on Thursday night was dominated by the teacher shortage, ethics complaints and talk of threats. Numerous parents and even one student took to the podium to complain about the district’s teacher shortage, which has been going on for months and they say is threatening to prevent the full curriculum […]
BelovED Charter School Senior Offered Full Scholarship to Princeton
Amaya Jiminez, a senior at BelovED Charter School on Grand Street, has been offered a full undergraduate scholarship to Princeton University. The first member of her family to attend college, Jiminez is also a ringing endorsement for BelovED itself, which this year is graduating its first twelth-grade class. Jiminez credits her family for instilling in […]
New Charter School in Journal Square Selected For Federal Funding
Kindle Education Public Charter School, a new school opening in Journal Square this fall, will receive $1.25 million from the U.S. Department of Education thanks to the Charter Schools Program of the New Jersey Public Charter Schools Association. Two charter schools in Trenton will receive funding from the same NJPCSA program as well. “The association is proud […]
Teacher Sentenced for Assaulting Two Female Students
A former Dickinson High School teacher has been sentenced to New Jersey State Prison for sexually assaulting two female students. According to Hudson County Prosecutor Esther Suarez, Francisco Realpe of Hoboken, who pleaded guilty to two counts of Sexual Assault on June 20, 2022, will serve concurrent four year sentences. One victim reported being sexually […]
A Changing of The Guard at the Board of Education
The Board of Education meeting Wednesday, Dec. 21 largely featured farewell speeches of two departing members: board president Gerald Lyons and trustee Alexander Hamilton. During public comment, residents rose to talk about the district’s human resources policy among other topics. Lyons, who has been on the board for nine years, thanked his fellow trustees for […]
Faculty Layoffs Loom at NJCU as it Looks to ‘Rightsize’ to Survive
Financially challenged New Jersey City University has taken another step toward “rightsizing” by sending notices of potential layoffs to 30 tenured faculty whose jobs may be eliminated as of June 28, 2023. About 200 tenured professors are currently on campus. In a post on its website this week, NJCU said it will also end contracts with “up […]
Coding Bootcamp “Campus” Opening in Jersey City
Tech Elevator, a company that offers in-person and online computer technology courses, will be opening a downtown Jersey City “campus” in January 2023 where students taking its coding bootcamps can work on group assignments and meet with the company’s career counselors. No instructors will be at the location, which offers open and enclosed meeting rooms, whiteboards, even […]