What's Wrong With Paterson?
Paterson: home of reformyness, and Lou Costello!
Paterson is the third-largest city in New Jersey. It's one of the poorest cities in America with a nearly 40% child poverty rate. Its schools have been under state control for 22 years.
And Paterson is now, apparently, the new center of reformyness here in New Jersey.
Start with the pressure teachers in Paterson are feeling to accept merit pay. According to the local teachers union, the latest contract offer is unprecedented in that it calls for doing away with all raises except for those tied to performance evaluations (and, inevitably, standardized tests). Incredibly, the president of the board of education doesn't even know the details of this offer, demonstrating just how little control the local citizens actually have over their schools.
Paterson also looks to be on the crest of a new wave of charter
And Paterson is now, apparently, the new center of reformyness here in New Jersey.
Start with the pressure teachers in Paterson are feeling to accept merit pay. According to the local teachers union, the latest contract offer is unprecedented in that it calls for doing away with all raises except for those tied to performance evaluations (and, inevitably, standardized tests). Incredibly, the president of the board of education doesn't even know the details of this offer, demonstrating just how little control the local citizens actually have over their schools.
Paterson also looks to be on the crest of a new wave of charter