State Takeovers of Other Districts Have Had Mixed Results
By WINNIE HU
Published: December 11, 2011
A state takeover can bring additional resources and expertise to a troubled district, allow for more radical changes, and help deter nepotism, bickering and personal agendas among school board members. But it is usually a last resort because of staunch local opposition.
Related
Growing Push in Newark to Retake School Reins (December 12, 2011)
A new Web venture featuring news, data and conversation about schools in New York City.
“Schools districts are best served by members of the local community who know their unique needs,” said Reginald Felton, assistant executive director of the National School Board Association. “We believe that operating from a federal or state level is too far removed from where the action needs to take place.”
Moreover, state takeovers have produced mixed results: Emery, Calif., ended a decade of state control in September
Growing Push in Newark to Retake School Reins
By WINNIE HU
Published: December 11, 2011
NEWARK — For a generation of Newark students, every education decision, including choices on curriculum, spending and superintendent, has been made by state officials in Trenton.
Aaron Houston for The New York Times
Parents of children in Newark schools sign a petition to wrest control from the state and give the school board a more active role.
Related
State Takeovers of Other Districts Have Had Mixed Results (December 12, 2011)
A new Web venture featuring news, data and conversation about schools in New York City.
That level of state involvement has made the 39,000-student district an attractive laboratory for Gov. Chris Christie, a Republican seen as a national leader on education reform, and for prominent donors, including Mark Zuckerberg of Facebook, who have pledged $148 million to remake this city’s failing schools.
But the influx of money, and the attendant national spotlight, has galvanized a growing movement of parents, educators and elected officials who want the schools