Did you hear about last Monday’s “National Day of Action to Reclaim the Promise of Public Education?” Maybe not. Despite a media blitz from the American Federation of Teachers and the National Education Association, despite allocations of $1.2 million of teachers’ union dues, despite organized protests in 90 cities across the country, this event had little impact.
For New Jersey, the more meaningful signal was sent by the AFT’s decision to hold its “Day of Action” in Newark. (Pennsylvanians headed over to Gov. Corbett’s Philly office on Broad Street.)
Newark, after all, is the heart of N.J. education reform territory and boasts the state’s most progressive teacher contract (signed last year with great acclaim), an extensive and successful cadre of charter schools that educates one in four public school students, and a superintendent whose latest initiative embraces parental empowerment through a universal enrollment plan. Some of that progress is at stake as Newark residents get ready to pick a replacement for Senator Cory Booker.
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I have to take issue with your characterization of me as “virulently anti-school reform.”
While you are entitled to your opinion, you made this assertion as a statement of fact with absolutely no supporting evidence.
So let me set the record straight. I am not virulently anti-school reform.
I have been a supporter of Newark Public Schools Superintendent Cami Anderson on many of her initiatives. I worked closely with her on reorganizing Barringer High School, one of the comprehensive high schools in Newark that was failing. I have also supported her initiative to co-locate charter schools with district schools and as councilman, I have championed the selling of underused city property to charter schools and the development of game changing development projects such as Teacher's Village.
Charter schools are here to stay in Newark. Even if the state doesn’t approve another charter school in Newark, more than 36 percent of our students will be enrolled in charters by the 2016-17 school year. I fully support the right of parents to exercise their choice. I even served on the board of a charter school.
We have a tough road ahead of us to address the rapidly plummeting student population in Newark Public Schools. Tough decisions will have to be made in the coming years. I will not always agree with every proposal made by Superintendent Anderson about the future course of the district, but that doesn’t mean I am anti-school reform.
The superintendent and I have a good working relationship and we both want the same for the children of Newark – excellent schools with great teachers and strong leadership that prepare our youngsters for college, career and a successful life.
-Newark North Ward Councilman Anibal Ramos Jr., Candidate for mayor of Newark
Thanks for writing, Councilman Ramos. I characterized your agenda as "anti-school reform" (the "virulent" part is perhaps more apt for your colleague Ras Baraka)because just this past May you voted in favor of a resolution placing a moratorium on all public school initiatives. Your reason for this, you told the Star-Ledger, was to protect the jobs of adults employed by Newark Public Schools.
For me, a true public school advocate values children over grown-ups.
True public school advocates should heed Hippocrates' admonition to "first, do no harm."