SOUTH ORANGE / MAPLEWOOD, NJ — The South Orange–Maplewood Education Association, the district’s teacher’s union, has reached an impasse in its negotiations for a new contract with the school district and Board of Education, and all involved parties will be meeting with mediators at the beginning of the year. The union has been working under […]
MAPLEWOOD, NJ — The South Orange–Maplewood School District is investigating a discrimination allegation at Seth Boyden Elementary School, in which a second-grade teacher allegedly forcibly removed a hijab from a student’s head. The incident first gained publicity in a Facebook post written by Ibtihaj Muhammad, a former Olympic fencer and SOMSD graduate. In a statement […]
SOUTH ORANGE / MAPLEWOOD, NJ — Parents in the South Orange–Maplewood School District asked the Board of Education at its meeting on Monday, Sept. 20, to decrease the 14-day quarantine requirement for students who have been exposed to COVID-19, asking the district to prioritize in-person learning by whatever means necessary. Before the meeting, the district […]
SOUTH ORANGE / MAPLEWOOD, NJ — South Orange–Maplewood Board of Education President Thair Joshua released a statement regarding the new contract for Superintendent of Schools Ronald G. Taylor on Aug. 27, in which he details the board’s new agreement with Taylor. “When Dr. Taylor came to our district with previous experience as a superintendent leading […]
SOUTH ORANGE / MAPLEWOOD, NJ — The South Orange–Maplewood School District’s curriculum and instruction department announced Aug. 10 that the district’s entire K-12 curriculum will now be available online at https://bit.ly/SOMSDAtlas. The district has partnered with Rubicon Atlas to build out a digital public-facing platform for the K-12 curriculum, which is now open to SOMSD […]
MAPLEWOOD, NJ — The Essex County Prosecutor’s Office announced on Aug. 6 that a 20-year-old Newark man had been arrested and charged with the June 6 murder of Moussa Fofana, an 18-year-old Maplewood resident and Columbia High School junior. Yohan Hernandez was charged with murder, aggravated assault, unlawful possession of a weapon and possession of […]
MAPLEWOOD, NJ — South Orange–Maplewood Superintendent of Schools Ronald G. Taylor announced July 7 that — after many conversations and assessments of the current security infrastructure at the Underhill facility with our Maplewood Township officials, Maplewood Police Chief Jimmy DeVaul, Board of Education President Thair Joshua and Columbia High School Principal Frank Sanchez — the […]
SOUTH ORANGE / MAPLEWOOD, NJ — Eleven middle school students in the South Orange–Maplewood School District are a part of the first group of scholars accepted into the Kean University Scholar Academy, a dual-enrollment initiative that will prepare selected students for college by bringing them on campus to earn college credits and take part in […]
MAPLEWOOD, NJ — A Columbia High School student died following a shooting on June 6 at Underhill Field and another was injured, according to the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office on June 7. Moussa Fofana, 18, a CHS junior and star soccer player, was pronounced dead at the scene at 10:24 p.m., after Maplewood Police Department […]
SOUTH ORANGE / MAPLEWOOD, NJ — As part of annual June Pride Month celebrations across SOMA and Essex County, Maplewood and South Orange are again partnering with the South Orange–Maplewood School District and others in the community to present SOMA Lavender Graduation 2021, to be held in person and virtually on Thursday, June 3, at […]