License to Experiment on Low Income & Minority Children?
John Mooney at NJ Spotlight provided a reasonable overview of the NJDOE waiver proposal to “reward” successful schools and sanction and/or takeover “failing” ones.
The NJDOE waiver proposal includes explanation of a new classification system for identifying which schools should be subject to state intervention, ultimately to be managed by regional offices throughout the state. This new targeted intervention system classifies districts in need of intervention as “priority” districts, with specific emphasis on “focus” districts. Mooney explains:
In all, 177 schools — known as Focus Schools — fell into this category, largely defined as the