Guest blog: America’s free public libraries should not be for sale

Morristown and Morris Twp. Public LIbrary
Morristown and Morris Twp. Public LIbrary

By Linda Stamato

Linda Stamato
Linda Stamato

The Free Public Library in America:

 “For Robert Frost, home was the place ‘where, when you have to go, they have to take you in.’ For me, the library is the place that wants to take you in—where the weary find rest and the restless find stimulation; where ideas come alive, discoveries are made, where imaginations take flight; and, too, where jobs are located, prices determined, trips planned, languages learned; where friends gather and strangers meet.” 

Will the last student to leave Newark’s public schools please turn out the lights? The plan to charterize NJ’s largest district.

camichristieThe state-operated administration of the Newark Public Schools is developing a plan—called “One Newark”—to close many conventional public schools in the city’s poorest sections and expand charter school enrollment. It is a Great Escape plan for parents who want to leave traditional schools for what the district’s state masters say are better charter schools.

Anderson pays no price for letter about Newark’s children and crime

Photo by Steve  Sandberg/1010 news
Photo by Steve Sandberg/1010 news

Cami Anderson, the Christie-appointed Newark schools superintendent, apparently will pay no price for sending out a letter to Newark families contending that, when their children are home from school, they get into trouble, crime goes up, and the city is ”less safe.”  She will not lose her $240,000-a-year job or her $50,000 bonus, she will not have to apologize, and she won’t even have to admit she sent out the letter.  Teachers, however, who have made less inflammatory comments have paid with their tenured jobs.

Guest blog: Councilman James “appalled” by Anderson’s “degrading” comments, wants apology

johnsharpejamesBy John Sharpe James

As the recently elected Councilman At Large, I was inclined to meet with all who impact our quality of lives here in the City of Newark and give them the benefit of doubt for moving our city forward.  Unfortunately, in terms of education, I was greeted with a letter sent out by current Newark Superintendent Cami Anderson, who only 11 years ago, was merely Cory Booker’s campaign manager. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nW7zm0BLhsk&list=PLorBRaoEC9gTrpRKV1JNIECZrFTxtjjEC)

Should you work in the Newark schools if you think the children are potential criminals?

camiletter                The central administration of the Newark Public Schools sent out a letter last week to “families”–a letter over the signature of state-appointed superintendent Cami Anderson –that displayed unforgivable insensitivity by suggesting crime would go up because Newark’s children  were not confined to their schools for the two days of the New Jersey Education Association convention. It posted the same letter on its website.

I don’t want to see parades or sales on Veterans Day

  

Richard S. "Dickie" Riley
Richard S. “Dickie” Riley

Before New Jersey bought the property in Union as the site for Newark State Teachers College, the land was a farm owned by the Kean family. The Keans were from South Carolina but, in the 18th Century,  one of them married a Livingston– Livingston, as in Robert Livingston, the first governor of New Jersey.  All of that is unimportant except for this: I met Dickie Riley on what we called Kean’s Farm and he became my friend. He was my friend until he was killed in a helicopter crash in Vietnam  45 years ago.