Award-winning, multimedia journalist with experience in digital first and print-media. Daniel has covered local, state and regional issues, and utilized photography, social media and has written in-depth articles to produce high-quality work.
NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ—Amid an emotional farewell to graduating students, retiring teachers, and the district's top administrator, the New Brunswick Board of Education confirmed Aubrey Johnson to be the district's next Supeintendent at their meeting on June 16.
Johnson, an administrator in the Paterson school district, will start his new job on July 1, where he will be paid a $177,500 annual salary.
TRENTON, NJ—The state government could expand its recovery high school program under a bill which cleared the General Assembly on June 11 and the Senate on May 18.
The recovery high school pilot program was established on Kean University's campus under Senate Bill 2058, passed in 2014. The law created the first school in the state that focused on recovery from drug and alcohol addiction.
TRENTON, NJ—A new teacher evaluation system for New Jersey put into place during the 2013-2014 academic year found that 97% of teachers were performing as "effective" or better.
The new set of standards are part of the State Education Department's implementation of a tenure reform law passed in 2012 that "defines certain requirements and structures for the new evaluation system in New Jersey."
NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ—66 students in the New Brunswick public school district opted out of the controversial PARCC standardized testing in May, according to New Brunswick Superintendent Richard Kaplan.
The May opt-out rate is more than three times higher than the 19 students who opted out of PARCC testing when it was first administered in March.
NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ—Rutgers officials have been silent on whether the school will continue to use the student-monitoring, anti-cheating software known as "ProctorTrack" for the summer and fall 2015 semesters.
Thousands of students paid a $32 fee to download the software during the spring semester despite the university having no contract with the provider, Verificient Technologies.
NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ—On May 20, the New Brunswick City Council reauthorized the city's participation in the U.S Department of Defense's 1033 program, which provides surplus military equipment to state, county and local police agencies.
The measure, R-051567, was unlike most resolutions in that all five members of the Council did not agree on it.
NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ—Student athletes and fans of the New Brunswick High School Zebras can expect to have a new athletics field at Memorial Stadium around the beginning of the school year.
In March, the New Brunswick Board of Education and the city government approved a shared services agreement, splitting the $1.03 million costs of renovating the facility on Joyce Kilmer Avenue.
New Brunswick Today is an independent, print and digital newspaper founded in 2011. Our mission is to improve the level of civic discourse in the City of New Brunswick by accurately covering local government and demanding transparency and accountability from those in authority.
