Peer-Reviewed

The first article is very optimistic of Cami Anderson, it talks about how she might just be the right person to fix the problems of the Newark Public Schools. It is important to note that the article was written in the winter of 2013, meaning that superintendent Anderson’s plans had not yet come into effect. Anderson’s methods would be in effect starting fall of 2014. It starts off by stating that fixing Newark will be very difficult since it is the largest district in the state of New Jersey and serves almost 40,000 students but has a graduation rate of about 50%.

“Cami Anderson faces the monumental task of rescuing an urban school system that has long been mired in low achievement, high turnover and a culture of failure, despite decades of state intervention.”

Anderson’s methods resulted in seventeen new principals being hired, closing six schools, reorganizing her administration team, and cut 120 jobs. Despite acknowledging that there have been disputes over the school closings, the article presents Anderson’s prior experiences as reassurance that she is the right person for the job. Prior experiences such as executive director of Teach For America-New York, as well as being a classroom teacher, and chief program officer for New Leaders for New Schools. Anderson states that she is a proponent of reform and her involvement with Teach For America and the actions she has taken imply that she is a proponent of charter schools. School closings and openings of charter schools is part of the controversy regarding Anderson’s time as superintendent.

The second article focuses on charter schools, and although it does not specifically claim to be about Newark charter schools, it was written by someone who taught in a Newark charter school for 10 years. The article is very critical of charter schools and its proponents because charter schools are very critical of public schools in terms of accountability for student achievement results and effectiveness, but charters do not hold themselves to the same standards. Reformers are quick to call for the closing of a public school that is “failing” but are not proactive in the closing of a charter school that is also “failing.” This may be, as the author points out, due to the fact that reformers can make profits from charter schools, regardless of whether the charter school is succeeding or failing. This means that they lose money by closing “failing” charters. Reformers avoid holding charters to the same standards as public schools on purpose. The author believes that more strict regulations on charters could be beneficial to public schools. However, the author notes that the current state of charter schools is more harmful to the people they are intended to serve. Those people are the urban communities with higher rates of poverty, where many schools are being closed and charters are being opened. A community like Newark, New Jersey.

Citations:

Meyer, Peter. “Newark’s Superintendent Rolls Up Her Sleeves and Gets to Work.” Education Next 13.1 (2013)ProQuest. Web. 19 Dec. 2014.

Turnamian, Peter. “What I’Ve LEARNED about CHARTER SCHOOLS After Ten Years on the FRONT LINES.” Kappa Delta Pi Record47.4 (2011): 162-5. ProQuest. Web. 19 Dec. 2014.