The Newark School Reform Wars

[eridani]

http://www.thenation.com/article/180044/newark-school-reform-wars

Every time Newark shows up on the national radar—from Cory Booker’s celebrity turn to Mark Zuckerberg’s $100 million gift to Ras Baraka’s victory in the mayoral race earlier this month—its schools have been in the spotlight. In Mayor-elect Baraka, the school reform project inaugurated under Booker and Governor Chris Christie has met its most formidable opponent yet. But despite Baraka’s win, not to mention a flurry of sit-ins, walk-outs, protests and pickets, the transformation of the school system into a showcase of neoliberal ideas about education is unlikely to stop anytime soon.

That’s troubling news for students in the district schools, such as those at the Hawthorne Avenue School.

Hawthorne could have been a model for urban education. The Newark, New Jersey, K–8 school has raised its test scores in each of the last three years. The hallways that teachers describe as “chaos” four years ago are now quiet, save occasional bursts of laughter. Its performance on last year’s tests, on which it met all state benchmarks, compelled an assistant superintendent to make a personal visit to congratulate the faculty.

[madfloridian]

1. Be sure to read the guest post from a valedictorian in Newark Schools at Bob Braun's Ledger...

http://bobbraunsledger.com/guest-top-newark-student-says-time-to-speak-is-now/

Candidly, I admit that I have been one so guilty of remaining reserved and civil in both action and speech through the duration of the struggle that has occurred in the Newark Public Schools system these months past, blinded by a false sense of hope, a chimerical sense of promise, and a foolish belief that my words and admonitions would be heeded if conducted in a manner that coupled professionalism with discretion.

Unfortunately, an unspeakable decision that has been unveiled last week has revealed that approach to be ineffective, and, as stated by our founding fathers, there comes a time in which one must no longer hold his tongue or contain his extreme dissatisfaction.

That time is now.

Last week, a decision by the district was revealed to restructure the administrative body of University High School. Consequently, Principal (Regina) Sharpe and seven vice principals were notified that they would be losing their jobs. Sadly, and quite typically, little explanation was given to the students of the building as to why their beloved administration was being released except for a plethora of rumors that can scarcely be determined as true or false.

As a student of University High School since 7th grade, I can assure you that, had the courtesy of an explanation been granted, it would matter little as there is no valid reason for the termination of an administrative body that had developed a strong rapport with the students and that was doing a phenomenal job of managing issues caused primarily by previous inefficient policies of the district.

[eridani]

2. Appalling that the futures of students like this young man are being destroyed for profit n/t