- Education Week – Despite Calls for Resignation, Newark Superintendent Vows to Stay
- Education Week – Newark’s New Mayor Demands Return of Schools to Local Control
The two articles talk about two important figures in Newark Public Schools, Mayor Ras Baraka and superintendent Cami Anderson. The first article talks about Cami Anderson’s resilience, or refusal to leave, despite many asking for her resignation. Anderson was determined to stay even after her contract expired, if the state renewed it that is. [UPDATE: the state renewed her contract] Adding more opposition is the newly elected Mayor of Newark, Ras Baraka, whose campaign centered largely around opposition to her plan and tenure. The superintendent was quoted as saying she was
“committed to staying the course and to keeping kids at the core of every decision.”
This seems ironic since the main backlash against the superintendent and her plan, One Newark, comes from students and the local community wanting local control of their schools because they currently do not have a say in the decision process. The state took over control of Newark Public Schools in 1995. There have been protests from many, including the Newark Students Union, who have asked for her resignation, and newly appointed Mayor Ras Baraka. Baraka has aligned himself with teachers’ union leaders and community members with hopes of having control of Newark Public schools returned to the city, as opposed to being controlled by the state. This comes from years of frustration stemming from state-control not yielding positive results as well as Anderson’s plan that calls for the closings and restructuring of many low-performing schools and the increase of charter schools. Baraka does not shy away from criticizing Anderson or Governor Christie, who put Anderson in charge. The Mayor of Newark was quoted as saying that Newark schools
“have been continually undermined by a long line of education policymakers.”
If given control of the Newark Public Schools, Ras Baraka and the Newark Teachers’ Union plan to use new approaches to school discipline that minimize school suspensions and expulsions. Among other goals, they will implement professional development for teachers to improve their instruction skills, as well as increased support for English-language learners.
Citations: