The Newark board defies Cerf. Cerf (politely) defies the Newark board. Christie is still the “decider.”

 

An unapologetic Cerf takes control of Newark schools
An unapologetic Cerf takes control of Newark schools

The Newark school board Tuesday night ordered an end to the “One Newark” enrollment plan that has resulted in the dispersal of children throughout the city, the closing of public schools and programs, and a brave new future for charter schools. Of course, the Newark school board doesn’t have the power to do that and the entrepreneurial educator who does–Chris Christie’s former boss, Christopher Cerf–said he would continue “One Newark” despite the board’s action.

Seven steps Christie and Cerf can take today to atone for the hurt done to Newark’s children

Christie and Cerf--a need for atonement
Christie and Cerf–a need for atonement

1) Formally recommend to state Education Commissioner David Hespe that the school board receive a score of 80 on the QSAC accountability score, thereby returning the governance prerogative to the local board. Gov. Chris Christie and Newarsk superintendent Christopher Cerf also should apologize for manipulating past QSAC scores for political reasons to keep Newark schools under state control.

Will the Newark school board openly confront Christopher Cerf?

Cerf: The man who holds the power in Newark schools.
Cerf: The man who holds the power in Newark schools.

At the end of the last Newark school board meeting, the board president quietly mentioned she would introduce a resolution at the next board session, scheduled for Tuesday night, August 25. Ariagna Perello gave no details but did mention it would concern “One Newark,” the state administration’s often cruel dispersal of students throughout Newark’s schools. Perello’s comment creates the strong possibility of a confrontation between the board and the new state-imposed superintendent, Christopher Cerf.

Five steps Cerf can take today to prove he supports local control and public education

Just keep walking, Chris, all the way back to Montclair (without your driver)--and do Newark a favor
Just keep walking, Chris, all the way back to Montclair (without your driver)–and do Newark a favor

The Newark school board has scheduled its regular business meeting at 5:30 pm today. It will be the first meeting the newly-imposed state superintendent of Newark schools, Christopher Cerf, will likely attend. He can take five steps tonight to prove he really is in favor of returning the district to local control and supporting neighborhood public schools. Here are the five steps:

The “turnaround” snafu–deliberately making neighborhood public schools fail?

Turnaround--their latest screw-up
Turnaround–their latest screw-up

The latest round of state-mandated school “reforms” imposed on the children, parents, and employees in the Newark public schools has created a bizarre situation in which virtually the entire staffs of so-called “turnaround” schools will be new and unknown to both neighborhood residents and to each other, many of these new teachers already have signaled their opposition to the changes mandated by the reform, and  faculty will be working two different schedules in the same schools.

The strange case of Newark’s vanishing principal. Who just reappeared.

Hawthorne Avenue School--without a principal for months
Hawthorne Avenue School–without a principal for months

Nothing more dramatically shows the contempt the state-operated school district obviously feels for the residents of Newark than the way its leaders–first Cami Anderson and now Christopher Cerf–keep parents uninformed about even dramatic changes in their schools. Consider the strange case of H. Grady James, the on-again, off-again, vanishing principal of the Hawthorne Avenue School. Who has now reappeared.