This actually went up Friday but I’ve been offline for a few days. It starts here:
If Newark Public Schools is a metric for the strength of the education reform movement in New Jersey, call us anemic.
Wednesday local media trumpeted student protests over Superintendent Cami Anderson’s “One Newark” plan, which includes school closings, consolidations, and a universal enrollment system for charters and traditional schools. Mayor-Elect Ras Baraka, who made his antipathy towards school reform the centerpiece of his campaign, has called for Anderson’s resignation and a moratorium on all initiatives…
Down south, Camden City Public Schools faces a similar set of educational and fiscal challenges: decades of poor student outcomes, shrinking enrollment as families continue to choose charter schools over traditional district schools, budget deficits, and staff cuts. Superintendent Paymon Rouhanifard has proffered his own strategic plan, “The Camden Commitment,” and tempers are starting to rise.
For Camden, Newark provides a teachable moment. What lessons can be gleaned from Newark’s missteps? How can the district implement necessary reforms without igniting community ire?
Read the rest here.
