New Jersey

News, analysis, and opinion about K-12 education in New Jersey
Richard Tomko, Superintendent of Belleville Public Schools in Belleville, N.J., visits Mrs. Gras’ pre-K class and participates in a dancing activity to enrich gross motor skills on Tuesday, January 10, 2023. One of Dr. Tomko’s main initiatives as superintendent has been to grow Belleville Public School’s “Preschool Universe,” which has been largely successful since the opening of the Hornblower Early Childhood Center in 2020. District enrollment in the “Preschool Universe” was at 7.8% in the 2018-19 school year, and is now at 86.7% for the 2022-23 school year.
Richard Tomko, superintendent of Belleville public schools in Belleville, N.J., has deepened community trust while improving the district's financial footing and expanding academic programs.
Sam Mallon/Education Week
School & District Management Leader To Learn From Transforming a School District, One Relationship at a Time
Richard Tomko of Belleville, N.J., schools wants to build an early foundation for students and help those with disabilities flourish.
Sarah D. Sparks, February 6, 2023
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8 min read
Dr. Richard Tomko, Superintendent of Belleville Public Schools in Belleville, N.J., visits science teacher Paul Aiello’s Medical Academy Field Experience class on Tuesday, January 10, 2023. The Medical Academy’s class uses Anatamoge tables, an anatomy visualization system that allows students to garner a deeper, comprehensive understanding of the human body and medical tools to prepare them for careers in the medical field.
Richard Tomko, superintendent of Belleville Public Schools in Belleville, N.J., has expanded academic programs while restoring trust in the school system.
Sam Mallon/Education Week
Early Childhood Q&A An Investment in Early-Childhood Education Is Paying Off Big
Richard Tomko believes that expanding the early education pipeline buffers schools against enrollment loss and academic struggles.
Sarah D. Sparks, February 6, 2023
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2 min read
During a visit to the new Belleville Indoor Training Facility, Richard Tomko, Superintendent of Belleville Public Schools, speaks with Carolyn Guancione, Indoor Training Facility Support Staff, about how the space continues to transform, in Belleville, N.J., on Tuesday, January 10, 2023. The new training facility was built to facilitate and accommodate general physical activity and training for sports teams within the school system and the greater Belleville community.
Richard Tomko, the superintendent of Belleville public schools, speaks with Carolyn Gancione during a visit to the district's new indoor training facility, which is shared with the community.
Sam Mallon/Education Week
School & District Management Photo Essay PHOTOS: A Superintendent Who Exudes Joy in All Things
EdWeek photographer Sam Mallon reflects on her day with Richard Tomko, a 2023 Leaders to Learn From honoree.
Sam Mallon, February 5, 2023
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2 min read
David Sciarra, executive director of the Newark-based Education Law Center, an advocacy group for children in low-income cities, looks at paperwork during a hearing in a school funding case before the New Jersey Supreme Court in Trenton, Wednesday, April 20, 2011.
David Sciarra, executive director of the Newark-based Education Law Center, an advocacy group for children in low-income cities, looks at paperwork during a hearing in a school funding case before the New Jersey Supreme Court in Trenton, Wednesday, April 20, 2011.
John O'Boyle/AP/Pool
Education Funding Education Equity Expert: 'We've Gotta Give Up the Notion of Local Control'
David Sciarra, stepping down as head of the Education Law Center, says states have been let off the hook in the push for education equity.
Mark Lieberman, January 23, 2023
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8 min read
New Mexico educator Christopher Nunez receives a Milken Educator Award on Oct. 21, 2022 in Las Cruces, NM.
New Mexico educator Christopher Nunez receives a Milken Educator Award on Oct. 21in Las Cruces.
Milken Family Foundation
Science How These Teachers Center Student Voice in Science Class
Three award-winning teachers discuss connecting curricula to students’ lives and helping kids see themselves as scientists.
Sarah Schwartz, December 27, 2022
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6 min read
Fake News concept with gray words 'fact' in row and single bold word 'fake' highlighted by black magnifying glass on blue background
Firn/iStock/Getty
Curriculum A Media Literacy Requirement That Starts in Kindergarten? New Jersey May Start the Trend
New Jersey lawmakers want to require school districts to include media literacy for every grade.
Lauraine Langreo, November 23, 2022
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3 min read
Black teen, female student fixing a poster about environmental issues on a wall. The poster reads - There is no planet B
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Science Teens Know Climate Change Is Real. They Want Schools to Teach More About It
Most high school students say climate change is real, but are iffy on the science behind global warming, a survey finds.
Madeline Will & Arianna Prothero, November 18, 2022
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9 min read
Special education teacher assisting a diverse group of elementary students in art class.
E+/Getty
Special Education Young Children Were Massively Overlooked for Special Education. How Will Schools Respond?
Forty percent fewer preschoolers received special education services during the pandemic. Schools deal with the fallout.
Sarah D. Sparks, October 17, 2022
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6 min read
Teacher Lauren Cheney talks with a student in a T.E.A.M. Day School (Targeting Emotional Aptitude Mindfully) classroom at Westwood Regional High School in Washington Township, New Jersey on October 4, 2022.
Teacher Lauren Cheney talks with a teenager in a school program for students with severe anxiety and school avoidance at Westwood Regional High School in Washington Township, N.J.
Eric Sucar for Education Week
Student Well-Being & Movement Addressing the Link Between Anxiety, Depression, and Student Attendance
Issues such as severe anxiety and depression can have a direct effect on school avoidance and attendance issues.
Sarah D. Sparks, October 17, 2022
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7 min read
A young woman wearing a pale purple headband and a matching t-shirt cuts a piece of pale blue paper into strips while she sits at a sunlit table.
Rebecca Newlon, 19, who has Down syndrome, participates in an internship job at her former elementary school in McHenry, Ill.
Taylor Glascock for Education Week
Special Education Older Students Face Time Crunch in Getting Crucial Special Education Services
Many students with disabilities missed out on key transition services during the pandemic. Advocates are pushing schools to make up for lost time.
Evie Blad, October 14, 2022
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10 min read
Doctor putting a band aid on woman's arm.
E+
Student Well-Being & Movement Goodbye to COVID Vaccine, Testing Mandates. What That Means for Schools
The changes come after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention relaxed its COVID-19 guidance for schools.
Lauraine Langreo, September 16, 2022
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3 min read
Daylight pours in through the damaged roof of a classroom at Springfield Elementary School which has remained closed since Hurricane Michael hit Panama City, Fla, Thursday, Jan. 24, 2019. Bay District Schools Superintendent Bill Husfelt said the county's student population has decreased by 14 percent since the storm, with some individual schools down by more than 40 percent.
Daylight pours in through the damaged roof of a classroom at Springfield Elementary School which has remained closed since Hurricane Michael hit Panama City, Fla, Thursday, Jan. 24, 2019. Bay District Schools Superintendent Bill Husfelt said the county's student population has decreased by 14 percent since the storm, with some individual schools down by more than 40 percent.
David Goldman/AP
School & District Management Video Climate Disasters: Hear From School Leaders Who Lived Through Them
Climate disasters continue to impact schools and their communities. Here is advice from school leaders on how to prepare for, and recover from, the destruction and disruption.
Lilia Geho, September 1, 2022
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5:06
Illustration of contraceptives and anatomical diagrams of internal reproductive organs and cells
Alisa Potapovich/iStock/Getty
Standards & Accountability The Sex Ed. Battleground Heats Up (Again). Here's What's Actually in New Standards
Vocal opposition from some conservative groups has put a spotlight on schools’ instructional choices.
Sarah Schwartz, August 22, 2022
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11 min read
Teacher Lauren DeNicola talks about the structure of water and the water cycle during a freshman biology class held at Scotch Plains-Fanwood High School in Scotch Plains, N.J., on March 10, 2022.
Teacher Lauren DeNicola talks about the structure of water and the water cycle during a freshman biology class at Scotch Plains-Fanwood High School in Scotch Plains, N.J., in March.
Eric Sucar for Education Week
Teaching How Schools Survived Two Years of COVID-19
Survey data and one school district's story highlight public education's resilience amid extraordinary loss and change.
Benjamin Herold, March 15, 2022
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19 min read
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