Can anyone help this victim of Cami’s “On Newark” plan?
I know there are many such stories but this story struck a nerve because I knew a young man named Michael Davis who worked at St. Benedict’s Prep. He lived in the South Ward and walked through Weequahic Park twice a day–in the morning on his way to work and in the evening on his way home.
On winter evening, when the sun had gone down early, he was walking through the park when someone stepped from behind a tree and shot him. The bullet severed his spine, turning this athletic young man into a quadriplegic. He was not robbed and his assailant was never found. The police assumed Michael Davis was the price of some young man’s entry into a gang.
I wrote about him for The Star-Ledger and got to know him well. He become a symbol of courage in the face of absolute horror and adversity–both for me and the students and employees at St. Benedict’s.
Knowing that story, read the note sent to me by a frightened mother of a Newark Public School student. If you know a way of helping her, contact me and I will put you in touch with her.
“I just received a letter 8/27/14 stating that my child is eligible for shuttle bus service. The issue is: We live on Dayton Street by Dayton Street School and her pick up location is Maple Ave Annex. She needs to be there by 7:20am to get dropped off at Weequahic high School where she will attend Girls Academy Of Newark. This is not safe for my 12 year old. This means that she will have to leave at 5:15am to get to that bus stop because I have to be to work at 6am in JC. Or she can leave at 6am and walk through OUR SAFE STREETS OF NEWARK through WEEQUAHIC PARK… The jerks who came up with this plan have no idea of these routes that they chose. I think I will be pulling my child from the NPS system soon. Can you please guide me in what should I do?”
Please help.
And yet, if this woman does not have her children enrolled in a school, she could probably have them taken away for not ensuring they are in school everyday. I guess that’s not really a problem because I have been told all attendance officers downtown had been fired in the spring, along with NPS plumbers this summer, the list goes on and on. I guess they don’t have to show proof that criminal background checks have been completed. I don’t know how this whole bus system could have evolved in so short a time if they had been done. I just wonder to what level in government this corruption goes.
I am sorry you and your family were treated with such disrespect by Superintendent Anderson. Please take the opportunity to testify before Senator Rice’s Committee Tuesday night. The Committee Hearing will take place at Newark City Hall.
Her is information on Senator Rice’s and Assemblywoman Jasey’s Committee Hearing:
http://patch.com/new-jersey/newark/sentaor-rice-announces-hearing-newark-public-schools-enrollment-problems#.VAGpl5K9KSM
There is also a shuttle at hawthorne elementary for students assigned to Girls and Eagle. Can she get her there? There will be quite a few kids out there for Girls and Eagle. Its safe and in front of a school.
Although there is a shuttle in front of Hawthorne Elementary, there is no one from the school there watching over these children outside. Being in front of a school doesn’t matter. Why on earth is this woman trying to figure out how her child will get all the way to West Side High? This One Newark plan is such a waste of time and money. God forbid something, anything, happens to just one of these children during this 10 day trial period Mr. Baraka agreed to, then what. Then- the powers that be will say, oh yeah, let’s take another look at this. I am sure Cami’s child is not riding across town, and if he takes transportation to school, I am sure it is not done this way!!! What a disaster.
First this is exactly why the Mayor must use his powers to protect the health and safety of his residents by canceling One Newark. Let her take him to court. The testimony will be damning and it will take time.
Second, ask the author of the truly offensive ‘Confessions if a Cami Supporter’ to read this and the defend how he can say parents do not care about their children in Newark.
Third, we need a plan of a private means of transportation that will agree to volunteer transport and send the bill to Cami. Do you think Prudential’s cadre of cars and drivers would avail themselves to the job?
We cannot have our families do this. If there is an appropriate school closer, show up there.
What school would you like your child to attend? Cami is handing out pardons to friends.
Even if the child walked a few blocks n took the #24 bus…she would still have to get the 27 to get to the bus that will take her to school…thats over an hour n half…a lot if time…y didn’t she get a school close by…?
Girls Academy has been resited to Weequahic, not West Side. I was simply just trying to help. I only suggested it so her daughter would not be alone waiting on the shuttle. There will be many parents out there. The neighborhood has come together and decided to help as much as we can. This may not be the best situation, but bottom line is our kids have to get to school and we want them there and home safe. And the neighborhood is willing to do whatever to make that happen. The time is over for being mad. We just need creative ideas and solutions to get through this.
Shame to hear this, hopefully it never happens again after this post.