TOWNSHIP COMMITTEE VOTES ON POST OFFICE PLAN CHANGES AND MORE TONIGHT

The Township Committee will again consider plan changes to the Maplewood Village Post Office redevelopment plan at tonight's meeting that would allow the building to be bigger and exempt the developers from affordable housing requirements.

The TC will also vote on an ordinance that would pave the way for future tax exemptions for the project and potentially others in the Village.

See background on both HERE.

The board will also give initial votes to ordinances that will allow temporary sports equipments, like basketball hoops, placed in the street right of way during spring and summer months, as well as another setting salaries for Maplewood Pool employees

See the entire agenda HERE.

PARCC TEST OPT OUT POLICY CONSIDERED BY SCHOOL BOARD

A resolution that would allow parents to opt their children out of standardized tests, particularly the controversial multi-week PARCC test, received a vigorous debate at Monday night's Board of Education meeting as students and board members offered differing views on the issue.

In the end, the resolution, found HERE, was introduced, but no action was taken. It will be up for a second reading at the next board meeting later his month.

District officials said students who stayed home from the test under current policy would be considered absent from school with no valid excuse. They also said state policy requires a 95% participation rate in the test for each district by law.

Some offered concerns about the preparation for the state assessment taking students away from necessary learning.

"We've not stopped doing everything else," said Acting Superintendent James Memoli. "I agree we have to look at our whole assessment program throughout the district."

The board, meanwhile, disagreed on whether to allow the opt out.

"The testing is important, it is a new year, a transition year, we the adults can do a lot to ease the stress," said Board Member Beth Daugherty. "We've already said publicly there will be no academic placement based on the PARCC outcomes."

Board Member Stephanie Lawson-Muhammad also offered support for the test and against the opt-out policy.

"I have a concern with putting a policy in place at this time," she said. "We would be putting a policy in place saying it is alright to opt out of standardized tests, why would we do that?"

But Board Member Johanna Wright disagreed, saying, "every parent has a right to make decisions where their children are concerned...I would err on the side of the parents."

Board President Wayne Eastman declined to comment on the issue, saying he would wait for the next reading later this month.

"I don't understand a lot about PARC, I don't understand a lot about it. There is no doubt that students are worried about the test .. I do wonder how this test will affect students," said Maggie Kritzberg, the board's student representative. "We have to take into account are we going to be able to have an equitable fair judgement of our students if some take it and some don't? It is unclear." 

Another student also spoke up during the public comment portion. See his views below:

QUILTS, BABY LIT AND BLACK HISTORY AT THE LIBRARY TODAY

From Maplewood Library:

Community Quilt Project

All Day

Main Library * All ages * Drop in
In history, quilts were often used as a way to tell a story and communicate. Beginning Monday, 2/2, drop in to the main branch and decorate your own quilt square throughout February. Craft your creation and we will add it to others to build our community quilt which we will display in the Children’s Room!

Baby Lit

10:30 am – 11:00 am

Main Library * Ages birth – 2 1/2 * Valid Maplewood Library card required
All children must be accompanied by an adult * No registration required

Black History Month Trivia

3:00 pm – 5:00 pm

Main Library

Each week there will be a new question about the Selma to Montgomery Voting Rights March in 1965 and its participants. Answer the question correctly and win a prize!

DELAYED SCHOOL OPENING ON TUESDAY

The call went out just after 10 p.m. tonight from the school district, announcing that there will be a delayed opening on Tuesday with all schools starting two hours later than usual and Columbia High School opening at 10 a.m.

All due, of course, to the dangerous weather and post-storm slippery roads.

SOUTH MOUNTAIN Y CLOSING EARLY

	Dear Families, Due to the weather conditions, and for the safety of all of our children, parents and staff, the YMCA is closing early this evening. We are asking that you please make every effort to pick up your child from the Early Childhood Learning Center as early as you can. All programs starting at 6pm or later will not be running. Stay safe and we will see you soon!

THEFTS MARK POLICE WEEK: WHO STOLE THAT SNOW SHOVEL?

From Maplewood Police today:

January 27, 2015; Theft; A package containing medication was removed from the front of a home on Richmond Ave.
 
January 27, 2015; Theft; Sometime during the overnight or early morning hours a snow shovel was stolen from the porch of a home on Orchard Rd.
 
January 30, 2015; Burglary; A resident of Dunnell Rd reports that sometime during the day several items were removed from his home. 

SCHOOL BOARD TO OKAY REFUSAL OF PARCC TESTS

The ridiculous state decision to expand standardized testing and launch the first PARCC tests this spring, which can take away two weeks worth of instruction, have prompted the school board to create a resolution declaring parents who refuse to allow their students to take the tests will not be negatively impacted and their children will not be punished.

See the proposed resolution slated for a vote tonight below:

CHRISTIE SUPPORTS "CHOICE" ON VACCINES DESPITE MEASLES OUTBREAK

From The New York Times today:

CAMBRIDGE, England — Amid an outbreak of measles that has spread across 14 states, Gov. Chris Christie of New Jersey on Monday said that parents “need to have some measure of choice” about vaccinating their children against the virus, breaking with President Obama and much of the medical profession. 

In remarks here, Mr. Christie stopped short of recommending that parents immunize their children against measles, or any other illness, calling for “balance” and “choice.”

Mr. Christie, when asked about the connection between the new measles cases and parents who object to the long-recommended vaccine against it, said that he and his wife had vaccinated their four children. He called that “the best expression I can give you of my opinion.”