New Jersey Schools

New Jersey is failing miserably at educating poor urban students, the state Supreme Court ruled Tuesday in a decision that declared unconstitutional the way aid is distributed to public schools. The high court ruled, in effect, that determining school funding based on property tax revenues is unfair. "The evidence compels but one conclusion: the poorer the district and the greater its need, the less the money available, and the worse the education," Chief Justice Robert N. Wilentz wrote.

Sen. Frank R. Lautenberg called on a National Guard unit Friday to halt all training flights over New Jersey until it determined why an F-16 fighter pilot strafed a school with cannon fire during a night mission. The New Jersey Democrat called the pilot's actions "totally incomprehensible" and demanded a "guarantee that nothing like this can ever happen again."

I am concerned, even distressed, with the proposal to limit Irvine Unified School District seniors to a five-period day. I understand the magnitude of the financial crisis facing the district, but this particular cut strikes at the very heart of our educational mission and is, therefore, unacceptable. The $90,000 that such a cut would save is insignificant in light of the sacrifice of students and programs, especially because there is no possible alternative funding for the six-period day. My first question is: "Why seniors?"

A federal judge issued a temporary injunction Thursday barring school officials from naming more than one valedictorian in a bitter dispute that has divided a suburban New Jersey high school. Judge Freda L. Wolfson ruled that Blair L. Hornstine, who is taught at home part of the day because she suffers from an immune disorder with chronic fatigue symptoms, should not have to share the honor.

An eighth-grade science teacher puts buckets on the floor to catch the rain leaking into her classroom. The buckets soon overflow. In the confusion and mess, a student refuses to work. She tells him to leave, and he stands, takes off his coat and threatens to hit her. "Is that really what you want to do?" she asks, her voice shaking. "Will that make you feel better?" As he raises his fist, a security guard bursts into the room.

Controversial principal Joe Clark, who roams the hallways of Eastside High School in Paterson, N.J., armed with a baseball bat and bullhorn, said he has changed his mind and plans to stay on rather than accept a job offer from Gary L. Bauer, head of President Reagan's office of policy development. Clark, 50, came to national attention after Reagan and Education Secretary William J. Bennett praised his stern approach to dealing with chronic truancy and failure among students.

The Piscataway school district should not have laid off a white teacher over an equally qualified black teacher for the sake of racial diversity, a divided federal court ruled. The U.S. 3rd Circuit Court of Appeals in Philadelphia said the district's affirmative-action policy was not designed to remedy past discrimination and violated the rights of nonminority employees.

In another setback for those trying to bring prayer back to the public schools, the Supreme Court Tuesday rejected an attempt by New Jersey legislators to require a "moment of silence" at the beginning of each school day. The justices ruled unanimously that the two legislators who once headed the state Assembly and Senate had no legal standing to bring an appeal to the high court.

New Jersey's method of financing its public schools unconstitutionally favors wealthy suburban districts over poor urban schools, an administrative law judge ruled Thursday. Judge Steven Lefelt, in an opinion that could lead to changes in the state's tax and educational systems, ruled that school funding procedures remain unfair to poor communities despite imposition of a state income tax and other changes made after a 1973 state Supreme Court ruling on the same issue.

Two second-graders playing cops and robbers with a paper gun were charged with making terrorist threats. The boys' parents said the situation should have been resolved in the principal's office, but Police Chief Steven Palamara on Wednesday defended school officials and the district's zero-tolerance policy.

An eighth-grade science teacher puts buckets on the floor to catch the rain leaking into her classroom. The buckets soon overflow. In the confusion and mess, a student refuses to work. She tells him to leave, and he stands, takes off his coat and threatens to hit her. "Is that really what you want to do?" she asks, her voice shaking. "Will that make you feel better?" As he raises his fist, a security guard bursts into the room.

A federal judge's ruling that school officials acted properly in barring a first-grader from reading a Bible story to his classmates is being appealed. Nearly two years ago, when Zachary Hood was in first grade at the Maurice and Everett Haines School in Medford, N.J., he and other children were rewarded for good reading performances by being allowed to read a story of their choice. Zachary chose a story about Jacob and Esau from the Beginner's Bible. He initially selected Dr.

The Piscataway school district should not have laid off a white teacher over an equally qualified black teacher for the sake of racial diversity, a divided federal court ruled. The U.S. 3rd Circuit Court of Appeals in Philadelphia said the district's affirmative-action policy was not designed to remedy past discrimination and violated the rights of nonminority employees.

Minnie Nesmith's 28-year-old daughter is out there somewhere in this fifth poorest city in America, "in the street, mostly," and on drugs. "Yeah, you bet." And so, rather than see her six grandchildren scattered in foster homes, Nesmith has taken over. At a time when generations are telescoping as maternal ages plummet, it's not an uncommon saga.

I am concerned, even distressed, with the proposal to limit Irvine Unified School District seniors to a five-period day. I understand the magnitude of the financial crisis facing the district, but this particular cut strikes at the very heart of our educational mission and is, therefore, unacceptable. The $90,000 that such a cut would save is insignificant in light of the sacrifice of students and programs, especially because there is no possible alternative funding for the six-period day. My first question is: "Why seniors?"

The state Education Department, with a consent order from the education commissioner, moved a step closer to taking over the foundering Paterson, N.J., school district. If the takeover is approved, Paterson would become the second district to be seized by the state under a three-year-old law. Jersey City schools were taken over by the state after officials uncovered widespread corruption and abuse of patronage. Officials have accused Paterson of substandard education and mismanagement.

A year and a half ago, this city's public school students were performing so poorly on statewide basic proficiency tests that the state of New Jersey decided to take an unprecedented step: In the largest state takeover of a school district in the nation, the state fired the district superintendent, dismissed the local school board and replaced them with state-appointed officials who were given five years to bring the district up to academic par.