Civics in Action

PS #5 PTA Fall 2019 Email Campaign: No more “efficiency cuts” – What’s the long-term plan to fund our schools?

Why do the class sizes keep growing? Why did my child's "special" - art - get cut? Why aren't there any working fountains with potable water? Why did the BOE cut my math support teacher? Because: these are examples of ...

October 12, 2019 / Civics in Action

Jersey City Public Schools Funding Crisis – A CivicParent Timeline

This is a timeline of stories published or shared on CivicParent as it relates to funding of Jersey City Public Schools: Civic Parent TimelineSorry,You have not added any story yet ...

September 28, 2019 / Civics in Action

The Clock is Ticking…What’s the Plan to #FundOurSchools?

Sharing...from the Dr. Michael Conti School PS #5 PTA Advocacy Team It's July and the Clock is Ticking...What's the Plan to #FundOurSchools? July 2019...School is less than 2 months away. Tell City Council: The Clock is Ticking...What's the Plan to ...

July 16, 2019 / Civics in Action

PS #5 Advocacy Campaign -Jersey City’s school funding crisis is NOT resolved. City Council — #FundOurSchools!!

Sharing...from the Dr. Michael Conti School PS #5 PTA Advocacy Team Jersey City's school funding crisis is NOT resolved. City Council -- #FundOurSchools!! Keep the pressure on City Hall. Demand that Mayor Fulop & City Council: FUND OUR SCHOOLS!! Jersey ...

June 24, 2019 / #FundOurSchools, Board of Education, Civics in Action, Jersey City Public Schools, Jersey City Public Schools Funding Crisis, N.J.S.A 40:48-17.1, PS #5 PTA, Public Budget, School Funding Advocacy

June 26th: Tell the Jersey City City Council to #FundOurSchools

Jersey City Public Schools are $100 million underfunded and the stories we’ve heard about how this underfunding is impacting students are real. Join us as we press the City Council to put $16 million towards the schools budget. This will ...

June 7, 2019 / #FundOurSchools, Board of Education, Civics in Action, Jersey City Public Schools, Jersey City Public Schools Funding Crisis, N.J.S.A 40:48-17.1, Public Budget, School Funding Advocacy

PS #5 Advocacy Campaign: Not Good Enough – Better Leadership Needed.

Tell Jersey City's elected: we need you to provide better leadership. Fund Our Schools. How you can help. Keep the pressure on the City and Board of Education. We elect members of our community to govern on our behalf. It ...

May 30, 2019 / #FundOurSchools, Board of Education, Civics in Action, Jersey City Public Schools, Jersey City Public Schools Funding Crisis, PS #5 PTA, Public Budget, School Funding Advocacy

PS #5 PTA School Funding Advocacy Action: Keep the pressure on the BOE & City Leadership: No Pink Slips!

Jersey City is not properly funding its public schools. Hundreds of JCPS employees have received layoff notices aka "pink slips" due to systemic underfunding. The time to act is NOW. How you can help. Contact your Board of Education & ...

May 16, 2019 / #FundOurSchools, Board of Education, Civics in Action, Jersey City Public Schools, Jersey City Public Schools Funding Crisis, PS #5 PTA, Public Budget, School Funding Advocacy

Accountability Checkpoint: Parent FAQs for May 13th BOE Meeting to Finalize the Budget

I’ve been getting some questions in advance of the Board of Education meeting tonight, and thought I’d share via a post, so everyone has access. This is all public data, and we can endeavor to understand it in community. If ...

May 13, 2019 / #FundOurSchools, Board of Education, Civics in Action, Jersey City Public Schools, Jersey City Public Schools Funding Crisis, Public Budget, Public Scholarship: School Funding, School Funding Advocacy, School Tax Levy, Tax Base

Tips for Public Comment at City Council Meetings

I’ve been asked more than a few times: “Do you have any tips for going in front of the City Council for public comment?” So I figured I’d write up a post about it. There are actually two opportunities to ...

May 6, 2019 / City Council, City Hall Clerk, Civic Advocacy, Civics in Action, Public Comment, Public Meeting

PS #5 PTA School Funding Advocacy Action!

Jersey City is not properly funding its public schools. Our public schools are $100+ million underfunded and it's about to grow much worse. The time to act is NOW. How you can help. Contact your city representatives. We elect members ...

April 22, 2019 / #FundOurSchools, Board of Education, Civics in Action, Jersey City Public Schools, Jersey City Public Schools Funding Crisis, Public Budget, School Funding Advocacy

“Do Not Stand Idly By” Campaign Inspired Me to Add Gun Control Activist Investing to My Equities Lecture

Reverend Perry of New Hope Missionary Baptist Church opening Governor Murphy’s press conference announcing the commitment to the “Do Not Stand Idly By” campaign. Today I attended a press conference with New Jersey Together where Governor Murphy signed on with ...

March 12, 2019 / Civics in Action, Do Not Stand Idly By, Governor Murphy, Gun Control, Saint Peter's University

NJ Property Tax Dashboard: Updated for 2018 w/ Jersey City Highlights

NJ Property Tax Dashboard Follow the money ... and better understand your community's priorities. Every year, the state of NJ publishes property tax data on the Department of Community Affairs website. I have combined all the available data, for tax ...

March 6, 2019 / #DataViz, #GetCivic, #JCCityBudget, #openData, Civics in Action, equalization ratio, Property Tax, Public Scholarship: Local Budgets, Tableau, Tax Base, Tax levy

NJ Public Schools – Diversity Dashboard Using Income, Race, & ESL Data

I was prompted by this tweet by Alpha Sigma Nu to celebrate Martin Luther King, Jr. Day (Jan 21, 2019). When I saw the tweet, the first thought that popped into my head was “better understand and share about school diversity.” ...

January 21, 2019 / #DataViz, #GetCivic, #openData, Civics in Action, Enrollment, JCPS Funding: #OpenData, JCPS Funding: Big Picture, Jersey City Public Schools, Jersey City Public Schools Funding Crisis, NJ Department of Education, Public Scholarship: School Funding, Tableau

#PayrollTax Ordinance: Public Testimonials About Our Public Schools

Since launching CivicParent five years ago, I've attended countless public meetings about issues related to property taxes, abatements, and public schools. And one thing that I've learned and that increasingly informs me at each meeting: the wisdom and pluralism of ...

November 27, 2018 / Civics in Action

Street Safety – PS #3 Parent Concerns Survey (Responses)

In October 2017 I created a bi-lingual survey with my friend and fellow PS #3 parent, Catalina Aranguren. We shared it with the school community and asked for feedback. This post summarizes the responses. Our goals with this survey are ...

December 6, 2017 / #SafeStreets, Civics in Action, Frank R Conwell PS #3, Traffic

Love, Hope, & Dignity: A Summit on Immigrant Justice, Advocacy, & Solidarity

On Saturday September 30th from 10am to 2pm St. Aedan’s – The Saint Peter’s University Church sponsored an event on immigration titled “Love, Hope, and Dignity: A Summit on Immigration Justice, Advocacy, and Solidarity”. Our goals for the Summit included sharing information, ...

October 25, 2017 / #AMDG, Civics in Action, daca, immigration, Refugees, Saint Peter's University, St. Aedan's

An Interview with Heather Darcy Bhandari: The Artist’s Contract for Jersey City’s Mural Program

Jersey City’s “Monopoly Mural” on Newark Avenue serves as a lens into Jersey City’s mural program, a fusion of private art and public space. The 33-square foot mural was the work of local artist Mr. Abillity. Mr. Abillity began painting the ...

August 4, 2016 / #JcMakeItYours, Amy Wilson, Civics in Action, Heather Darcy Bhandari, Jersey City Mural Program, Monopoly, VARA Rights

Civic & Education Awesomeness in Jersey City: PS #5’s “Air Fresheners”

I’m taking my kids out of school early tomorrow so they can go into NYC and witness some stellar role models in action. These role models are Inventors. Technologists. Scientists. Civic Pioneers. They are the Air Fresheners of PS #5, and ...

March 14, 2016 / #SamsungSolve, #SamsungSolvePS5, airfresheners1, Civics in Action, Dr. Michael Conti School PS #5, HEPA filter, Jersey City Public Schools

Mayor Fulop: Please Stop Politicizing Our Public Schools

I emailed this letter to Mayor Fulop on September 24th. Dear Mayor Fulop, After reading this article in today’s Jersey Journal, I’m asking you, as a parent of two children in the Jersey City Public School (JCPS) system: Please stop politicizing ...

September 24, 2015 / Civics in Action, Eid Al-Adha, Jersey City Public Schools, Steven Fulop

Press Releases, Property Taxes, and the Value of Spin

Mayor Fulop announced last week the hiring of a new communications director for Jersey City, 26-year old Ryan Jacobs, at a salary of $110,000. The current communications director, Jennifer Morrill, earns $100,614 and will remain as press secretary “to assist…with day to ...

August 16, 2015 / City Council, Civics in Action, Opinion, Public Budget, Steven Fulop, tax abatements, Tax Base

Civics in Action.