UPDATE: Parents and staff members throughout Newark received “robo-calls” Monday night about new contaminated sites. More than 12 hours later, the NPS administration admits it was all a “software” mistake. But, as reader Lori Silva Costa points out, because the call “correcting” the previous call was sent to ALL parents at ALL schools, the information was still mistaken for the 17,000 students actually affected. The district is obviously incompetently led by a fool and is running off the rails. Time for Christopher Cerf and his band of happy clueless to leave.
Month: March 2016
The political obsession with standards is setting up children for failure

This guest contribution was written by a veteran New Jersey educator who wishes to be known simply as “a counselor.” He works as a guidance counselor in a public high school and last wrote for this site on February 12, 2016.
NEWARK SCHOOLS: Incidence of contamination was a lot higher last year than this year
Newark: Baraka’s allies criticize the mayor for supporting charters

Newark Mayor Ras Baraka’s allies criticize him for supporting charter schools just a week after Gov. Chris Christie threatens to “run him over” for not supporting them. It’s complicated–and the mayor has been wildly inconsistent. He declines a request to respond.
Newark’s Cerf goes a little nuts–says the water crisis is worse than first thought

First he won’t let the press into a public meeting–or take pictures close to him. Then he threatens not to talk about the water crisis. Finally, he admits the problem is worse than anyone thought but he can’t find a lot of records showing how the district handled contamination that may be 12 years old.
Hey, Newark—Where’s your pride? Where’s your dignity? Where’s your outrage?

Christie humiliates Baraka in a Newark school filled with African-American students. Christie’s appointees who run the schools preside over the lead poisoning of Newark school children. A letter to Christie from Baraka begging for money for the public schools results in a paltry $2 million for public school children—but $24 million going to mostly white-operated charters. The response? An embarrassing silence. What the hell has happened to the people of Newark?
POISONING NEWARK’S SCHOOLS–Did children drink lead-tainted water for “years”?

“Quite possible,” says City Hall aide.
Newark Mayor Ras Baraka’s chief spokesman blamed the state administration for the contamination of water in city schools and said it was “quite possible” children have been exposed to the poisoned water for “years.” He called the lead crisis ” yet one more example of how state control has neglected and failed Newark’s children.”
POISONING NEWARK SCHOOL CHILDREN: Ten questions that were not asked and answered
Newark school children were drinking lead contaminated water–but for how long?
This was reported first by Bob Braun’s Ledger. Thanks to all sources among the residents and employees of Newark. The people of the city care about the city and they let me help:
The drinking water in 30 Newark public schools enrolling tens of thousands of students is not safe, according to state-appointed schools superintendent Christopher Cerf who told principals this morning to use bottled drinking water instead.