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NJ21st
@bhcw.bsky.social
16 followers 28 following 470 posts
NJ21st (formerly Berkeley Heights Community Watch) is an independent, non-profit platform committed to increasing transparency and accountability within local government, focusing on the 21st District in New Jersey.
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What NJ Loses if S4924 passes...sign opposition here: form.jotform.com/253316057627...

youtu.be/ZlOzMWaf9Jw?...
What NJ Loses if S4294 Passes- see comments for form
YouTube video by NJ21st
youtu.be
November 29, 2025 at 9:29 PM
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This Week at NJ21st: Protecting the Comptroller, Unpacking OPRA & Referendum Updates

nj21st.com/2025/11/29/t...
This Week at NJ21st: Protecting the Comptroller, Unpacking OPRA & Referendum Updates - nj21st
NJ21st Weekly Newsletter This Week at NJ21st: Protecting the Comptroller, Unpacking OPRA & Referendum Updates Week of November 24–30, 2025 This week’s coverage focuses on efforts to protect one of New...
nj21st.com
November 29, 2025 at 1:06 PM
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How to Make Your Voice Heard on Protecting the @NJComptroller's Independence- Includes an easy to use form to voice your opposition.

nj21st.com/2025/11/28/h...
How to Make Your Voice Heard on Protecting the NJ Comptroller’s Independence - nj21st
S4924 is scheduled for a hearing on Monday, December 1 before the Senate State Government, Wagering, Tourism and Historic Preservation Committee. NJ21st strongly opposes this bill because it compromis...
nj21st.com
November 28, 2025 at 9:49 PM
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Understanding Your NJ Government: OPRA| New Jersey’s Public Records Law

nj21st.com/2025/11/28/u...
Understanding Your NJ Government: OPRA| New Jersey’s Public Records Law - nj21st
New Jersey’s Open Public Records Act (OPRA) allows the NJ residents access to important documents and is the backbone of public accountability in NJ. Through OPRA residents can access vendor agreement...
nj21st.com
November 28, 2025 at 2:56 PM
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At NJ21st we are grateful that, despite the threat it presents, another “Scutari Special” united people in NJ across the political spectrum to stand up for transparency & accountability in government. This Thanksgiving stand up for something we can all be thankful for - an independent Comptroller.
November 27, 2025 at 4:36 PM
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Read full letter here...
nj21st.com/2025/11/26/o...
November 27, 2025 at 5:36 AM
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Open Letter to NJ State Senator Nicholas Scutari Requesting the Immediate Withdrawal of S-4924

nj21st.com/2025/11/26/o...
Open Letter to NJ State Senator Nicholas Scutari Requesting the Immediate Withdrawal of S-4924 - nj21st
The following email was sent to State Senator Nicholas Scutari, along with other government representatives and press outlets, by NJ21st. Senator Scutari, We are writing this to fulfill a civic and mo...
nj21st.com
November 26, 2025 at 5:15 PM
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Beyond the Referendum – Special Education Challenges, and Tensions Mark Marathon BHPSNJ Meeting

nj21st.com/2025/11/26/b...
Beyond the Referendum - Special Education Challenges, and Tensions Mark Marathon BHPSNJ Meeting - nj21st
Laura’s Notes on the BHPSNJ BOE Meeting – Part II Following the town-hall-style Referendum session, the regular Board meeting continued. My final thought on the Referendum, after watching and re-watch...
nj21st.com
November 26, 2025 at 1:33 PM
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Laura’s Notes on the Referendum Portion of the BOE Meeting: What the Board’s Decision Means for March 10

nj21st.com/2025/11/24/l...
Laura’s Notes on the Referendum Portion of the BOE Meeting: What the Board’s Decision Means for March 10 - nj21st
“This was a really terrible decision.”  That was one of the many comments made by residents with concerns about the referendum passed by the Board of Education. The Referendum presentation offered a v...
nj21st.com
November 24, 2025 at 4:29 PM
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This Week’s NJ Legislative Preview: Mental-Health Access, Public-Works Transparency, Farmland Use, and Worker Safety

nj21st.com/2025/11/23/t...
This Week’s NJ Legislative Preview: Mental-Health Access, Public-Works Transparency, Farmland Use, and Worker Safety - nj21st
A rundown of six of the most potentially impactful items scheduled for committee hearings this week. Psilocybin Behavioral Health Access & Services Act (A3852)Committee: Assembly Health, Nov. 24 @ 10:...
nj21st.com
November 23, 2025 at 5:05 PM
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Student Testimony While Supportive Underscores Challenges Within BHPSNJ Referendum Structure

nj21st.com/2025/11/22/s...
Student Testimony While Supportive Underscores Challenges Within BHPSNJ Referendum Structure - nj21st
GL Student Representatives offered strong insight as to how the referendum questions match up to their reality during the 11/20/2025 BOE Meeting. One student representative described the impact of det...
nj21st.com
November 23, 2025 at 2:16 AM
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This week at NJ21st: DOE Accountability, Civic Education and Referendum Coverage
nj21st.com/2025/11/22/t...
This week at NJ21st: DOE Accountability, Civic Education and Referendum Coverage - nj21st
This Week at NJ21st: DOE Accountability, Civic Education and Referendum Coverage NJ21st Weekly Newsletter This week at NJ21st: DOE Accountability, Civic Education and Referendum Coverage A look at sta...
nj21st.com
November 22, 2025 at 5:28 PM
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Understanding Your NJ Government: OPMA| New Jersey’s Public Meeting Law

nj21st.com/2025/11/21/u...
Understanding Your NJ Government: OPMA| New Jersey’s Public Meeting Law - nj21st
The seventh article in an ongoing series intended to help NJ residents, especially students, understand their local and state government. OPMA is one very important element of transparency in a tandem...
nj21st.com
November 21, 2025 at 1:40 PM
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Community Voices: Berkeley Heights Deserves Clear Answers Before the Referendum Vote

nj21st.com/2025/11/20/c...
Community Voices: Berkeley Heights Deserves Clear Answers Before the Referendum Vote - nj21st
-Darciena Christel Hello! Thank you NJ 21st for all you are doing for transparency in New Jersey. I greatly appreciate your articles and posts!!! As a long term resident and parent in Berkeley Heights...
nj21st.com
November 20, 2025 at 10:45 PM
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November 20, 2025 at 7:54 PM
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From ‘Street Cop’ to State Oversight- NJ Launches Centralized Police Training Institute

nj21st.com/2025/11/20/f...
From 'Street Cop' to State Oversight- NJ Launches Centralized Police Training Institute - nj21st
Starting January 1, 2026, a new directive from the New Jersey Attorney General’s Office will overhaul professional development for police and prosecutors. The directive, issued on November 5, 2025, cr...
nj21st.com
November 20, 2025 at 12:44 PM
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BOE Representative Sai Akiri Responds to Questions on Referendum

nj21st.com/2025/11/19/b...
BOE Representative Sai Akiri Responds to Questions on Referendum - nj21st
Background to Questions Question 1 In the updated version of Question 1, the projects have been generalized and are ambiguous leaving voters to ponder what,  specifically, will be completed if there i...
nj21st.com
November 20, 2025 at 12:05 AM
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Dr. Feltre Responds to Questions on Referendum

nj21st.com/2025/11/19/d...
Dr. Feltre Responds to Questions on Referendum - nj21st
Background to Questions Question 1 In the updated version of Question 1, the projects have been generalized and are ambiguous leaving voters to ponder what,  specifically, will be completed if there i...
nj21st.com
November 19, 2025 at 5:39 PM
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John’s Notes on the rest of the 11/20/2025 BHPSNJ BOE Meeting Agenda
nj21st.com/2025/11/19/j...
John's Notes on the rest of the 11/20/2025 BHPSNJ BOE Meeting Agenda - nj21st
Laura will be providing an update on the update referendum questions later in the day as some of the language has changed- but maybe not in the way residents might think. Until then, If you want to ca...
nj21st.com
November 19, 2025 at 2:01 PM
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Summary of article published earlier today - the second in a series on the BHPSNJ referendum. Full Article: nj21st.com/2025/11/18/t...
November 18, 2025 at 9:43 PM
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The Berkeley Heights Public School Referendum Explained -Part Two

nj21st.com/2025/11/18/t...
The Berkeley Heights Public School Referendum Explained -Part Two - nj21st
The second in a Series intended to help Berkeley Heights Residents unpack the referendum In this 2nd part of our series on the BHPSNJ referendum, we take a deeper look at the two questions that will a...
nj21st.com
November 18, 2025 at 2:06 PM
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NJ Education Report - one of the state’s most widely read education platforms - highlighted our recent analysis on the DOE’s proposed changes to statewide testing and reporting.

njedreport.com/unanswered-q...
Unanswered Questions Persist in NJ's Proposed Testing And Reporting Changes - NJ Education Report
Changes to baselines, performance levels, or scoring methods could make stagnant/declining performance look like progress.
njedreport.com
November 17, 2025 at 7:26 PM
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We are happy to announce that Viswa Reddy has joined our team as a contributor.
November 17, 2025 at 1:46 PM
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This Week’s NJ Legislative Preview – University Merger, PFAS Bans and Consumer Protections

nj21st.com/2025/11/16/t...
This Week’s NJ Legislative Preview – University Merger, PFAS Bans and Consumer Protections - nj21st
S4881 – Merger of New Jersey City University With Kean University | Senate Higher Education CommitteeMonday, 11/17/2025 @ 11am NJCU’s collapse caused some deep damage and the state is looking to addre...
nj21st.com
November 16, 2025 at 7:17 PM
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New Jersey is changing both the state tests and the accountability system at the same time.

These combined changes could make it much harder to tell whether schools are improving, stagnant, or declining.

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New NJ School Tests + New Scoring System: Will This Hide Declining Performance?
YouTube video by NJ21st
youtu.be
November 16, 2025 at 12:13 AM