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ACNJ Releases 3rd report on Chronic Absenteeism in NJ Schools

Posted on November 20, 2017

8,000 Fewer NJ Students Missing Too Much School, but More Work Needed
Assembly Bill Aims to Help Struggling Schools Address Chronic Absenteeism 

Roughly 8,000 fewer New Jersey students were chronically absent between the 2014-15 and 2015-16 school years, according to a new report released by Advocates for Children of New Jersey (ACNJ). The number of K-12 students identified as missing too much school fell from 136,000 to 129,000 children in total, nudging the statewide chronic absenteeism rate from 10.3 to 9.7 percent.

In its third annual report, Showing Up Matters: The State of Chronic Absenteeism in New Jersey, ACNJ also saw a decrease in the number of high-absentee school districts (districts with 10 percent or more of their students chronically absent) from 216 to 192 school districts. “Chronically absent” is defined as missing 10 percent or more of the school year, or about 18 days of instruction, including excused and unexcused absences and suspensions. Read More

View report. 

Find school districts with high absenteeism rates.

See pics of the press conference.

Read news coverage

About 130,000 kids are chronically absent from NJ schools, NJ 101.5

Daily Number -8,000, NJ Spotlight

Report finds fewer NJ students are chronically absent, NJTV

More South Jersey students chronically absent, new report shows,  Press of Atlantic City

Report: 12 county districts have over 10 percent chronic absenteeism, Burlington County Times

 

ACNJ President/CEO named to Gov.-elect Phil Murphy transition team

Posted on November 15, 2017

Zalkind named to Gov.-elect’s transtion team

Governor-Elect Murphy just announced the members of his transition team and ACNJ President & CEO Cecilia Zalkind is on the team!  She has been named as a co-chair of the Human and Children Services Committee.  Other members include:

  • Zillehuma Hasan, Founding Member and Executive Director, Wafa House, Inc.
  • Trish Morris-Yamba, Executive Director Emerita, Newark Day Center
  • Kevin Ryan, President and CEO, Covenant House International
  • Jennifer Velez, Senior Vice President of Community and Behavioral Health, RWJBarnabas Health
  • Joseph Youngblood II, Ph.D., Vice Provost and Dean, John S. Watson School of Public Service at Thomas Edison State University

ACNJ is excited to have Ceil represent NJ children and families on Governor-elect Phil Murphy’s transition team.

Read more:

Murphy Names Transition Team, Signals His Priorities,  NJ Spotlight

Gov.-elect Phil Murphy just named his transition team. Here’s the full list., NJ.com


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Blog: Setting the Record Straight on Preschool Expansion

Posted on November 10, 2017

ACNJ Blog

Setting the Record Straight on Preschool Expansion

Cynthia Rice, Senior Policy Analyst

No one was more surprised than me when, in early October, I read that Governor Christie was diverting $5.6 million of preschool expansion funds to help combat the opioid epidemic.  His reason was that there was less than $20 million in school district requests for the preschool funding and that the remaining dollars were “funds that districts didn’t want.”

From what I saw, that couldn’t have been further from the truth.

After waiting for nine years for funding to support preschool expansion, thanks to the leadership of Senate President Steve Sweeney and Assembly Speaker Vincent Prieto, $25 million was added to this year’s state budget and signed into law by the Governor to provide an additional 2000 3- and 4-year-olds with what we know will provide them with the skills necessary to be successful in kindergarten and beyond.

And when that money became available in early July, every entity at the state and local level began to move quickly. The Department of Education (DOE) worked swiftly and efficiently to develop and implement a process for eligible school districts to apply for the funding. The DOE’s goal was to make sure the greatest number of preschoolers would benefit from our nationally recognized preschool as soon as possible—and that meant districts had a short time over the summer to develop plans and have them implemented by November 1.

Even with the tight time frame, the district response was incredible. I attended a DOE mandatory meeting in mid-July for all districts interested in the preschool funds—and it was standing room only. While districts differed on how they planned to implement their programs, there was immediate unanimity around need. Over and over, I heard administrators say, “We need this program for our kids,” and “Our preschoolers will really benefit from such a program.”

Demand for preschool went beyond just those who attended that mandatory meeting. The program development and planning took place in the height of the summer when many key school staff were on vacation. Many were unable to attend or had no other alternative staff available to participate. Soon after the meeting, ACNJ received several distressed calls from district administrators who desperately wanted preschool funding for their students, but hadn’t attended the meeting. Their hope was that there would be some leftover funding and as the funding was for the entire year, the DOE might consider a second round. I know that those districts voiced those requests to the DOE.

In just 13 weeks, the DOE released nearly 80 percent of the $25 million to 26 school districts so that they could immediately begin providing their 3-and 4-year-olds with a high-quality preschool experience.  How lucky for those young children.

But before the DOE could plan on how best to distribute the remaining funds to other communities that hoped to expand their preschool programs, Governor Christie took the funding away and dashed the hopes of those districts, and more importantly, of the preschoolers that funding would have served.

It wasn’t that districts didn’t “want” the preschool funding— because they did and continue to want it. District administrators clearly recognize how important it is for children to enter kindergarten with those foundational skills necessary for children’s short-and long-term academic success. But for many children, that foundation can only be acquired if high-quality state-funded preschool is made available to them.  When it is not, many of those children will be at a disadvantage from that first day of kindergarten and beyond.

What a missed opportunity.

But New Jersey has now elected a new Governor and Legislature and we hope new leadership will finally give preschool expansion the funding it critically needs. It’s time to seize the chance to give a strong start to New Jersey’s roughly 40,000 3- and 4-year-olds who have been waiting far too long for preschool.

Sincerely,

Cynthia Rice
Senior Policy Analyst

OP-ED: Ignoring rising child care costs puts infants at risk

Posted on November 10, 2017

Published in The Star-Ledger on Monday, November 6, 2017

It might not happen today, and it might not happen tomorrow, but a baby will face serious harm at a New Jersey child care center. It’s just a question of when and where. And if preventive action isn’t taken quickly, the responsibility, ultimately, will rest with the New Jersey Legislature.

Though New Jersey’s child care system faces many challenges, the most urgent is the inadequacy of the state child care subsidy. Each year, the state provides financial assistance in the form of subsidies to help pay for child care for approximately 80,000 children from low-income families, enabling parents to participate in the workforce.

The Legislature has not increased the subsidy for infant care since 2008, as we have reminded them repeatedly in letters, policy papers and testimony. Today’s infant care subsidy is the same $32.12 a day established nearly a decade ago. But now, that barely covers the costs of keeping the doors open, like staffing, supplies, rent and utilities. And it leaves nothing to cover repairs, let alone invest in quality improvements like facilities upgrades, staff training and professional development or parent engagement initiatives. In fact, New Jersey’s infant care reimbursement is an alarming 40 percent below national standards for quality care.

With that $32.12 stretched thinner and thinner by rising costs, the shortfall has compromised staffing and training, driven up turnover, and begun to undermine providers’ ability to meet critical safety and care standards. A review of recent child care center violations revealed numerous basic safety concerns, like leaving babies unattended or in cribs in unsafe conditions. A shocking 34 percent of centers were cited for not having staff Child Abuse Record Information (CARI) background checks on file, which is required by the State of New Jersey.

Providers understand the stakes and they’ve demonstrated amazing creativity and tenacity to continue serving New Jersey’s working families. They’ve leaned on each other and shared resources and ideas. They’ve built partnerships with community-based organizations and, so far, they – and we – have been lucky.

But eventually, something has to give. And though the reimbursement shortfall affects all children, providers understand that the risks are greater for babies who require more intensive attention and care. Better than most, providers understand that it is now just a question of when our luck will run out. That’s why child care providers are working with us to sound the alarm.

Leadership from Trenton on this important issue is long overdue and the silence has been deafening. Increasing the infant care reimbursement rate must be an urgent priority for the Legislature and New Jersey’s incoming governor. Just one incident resulting in serious harm to a baby would certainly result in a crisis of confidence in our state’s entire child care system. With more than 400,000 children in New Jersey child care centers, the impact on working families and their employers would be alarming.

For a small fraction of the funding earmarked for the State Capitol renovation project, the Legislature could increase the infant care reimbursement rate to a point that would allow providers to meet basic staffing and training standards. That’s not enough to ensure quality care, but it would reduce the likelihood of an avoidable tragedy. And it would serve as an important down payment on quality child care that keeps working parents on the job, keeps kids safe and prepares them for success in school.

Ignoring a problem and hoping for the best is no way to make public policy. Ten years has been more than long enough to wait for action on this life-and-death priority.

Jennifer Santana, President, Coalition of Infant/Toddler Educators
Cecilia Zalkind, President and CEO, Advocates for Children of New Jersey