By Adrienne Lu
Inquirer Trenton Bureau
Phillynews.com

A bill authorizing a pilot program of scholarships to allow low-income children to attend private or out-of-district public schools cleared its first step in the state legislature yesterday.

Sponsored by Sen. Raymond Lesniak (D., Union), the bill would establish a five-year program to help students in eight urban school districts, including Camden. - read on

By GREGORY J. VOLPE
GANNETT STATE BUREAU
The Asbury Park Press

The battle over a plan to provide scholarships in eight New Jersey cities so parents can choose their child’s school had its first public skirmish on Thursday and was approved by a legislative panel before an overflow crowd that filled three rooms. - read on

NJ Business Matters

Earlier today, the Senate Economic Growth Committee voted to pass S-1607, the Urban Enterprise Zone Jobs Scholarship Act. The bill, long-supported by CIANJ, would allow corporations to make tax-deductible contributions to scholarship organizations. The dollars would be used by children in Newark, Camden, Trenton, Elizabeth, Lakewood, Paterson, Orange and (as of this morning) Jersey City to attend participating public or non-public schools of a student’s choice. - read on

by Trish G. Graber
The Express-Times

Bill, opposed by teacher unions, would allow low-income pupils to attend school of their choice.

TRENTON | A bill that would give poor students in eight New Jersey municipalities the option to attend private schools or another public school cleared a legislative hurdle Thursday.

The proposal was approved by the Senate Economic Growth Committee by a 3 to 1 vote, despite intense opposition from teacher unions. Union officials said the measure, if it became law, would have a devastating impact on public education. - read on

By MATT KATZ
Courier-Post Staff

Camden’s school board feels vindicated by a state investigative report that found a black administrator was not racist when she forced 15 Hispanic students to eat on the floor, the board’s president said Thursday.

“Despite claims by local community activists to the contrary, this was an isolated incident which will not be repeated nor tolerated by us,” read the statement from Sara Davis. - read on

New York’s Coveted Public Schools Face Pupil Jam
By ELISSA GOOTMAN

Of all the draws of 200 Chambers Street, a luxury TriBeCa condo with floor-to-ceiling windows and a swimming pool, Sherry Hsiung was particularly attracted by Public School 234, the celebrated elementary school next door. - read on

MyCentralJersey.com

More than one way to build a school — maybe

“Desperation is the raw material of drastic change.” The originator of that statement, prominent American novelist William S. Burroughs, was referring to anyone who is forced to leave everything behind in order to escape despair. - read on

The Record

North Jersey charter public school students do better on standard tests than students in traditional public schools in their communities. But they don’t do as well as their peers in traditional public schools statewide. Here’s how they fared in the 2006-07 school year. - read on