OP-ED: NEWARK CLERGY COULD HOLD KEY TO EDUCATION REFORM
By calling for moratorium, clergy could afford One Newark much-needed time and space
The essence of the unprecedented letter from the clergy is their call for thoughtful engagement on an issue -- educational reform -- that they support. Both their plea for engagement and their support for reform comes from their experiences administering to a restive Newark community.
Few, if any of us, see Newark through as personal a lens. I think this is useful to note because I assume that it was not a simple task to bring these men and women together for this purpose. Each of them, I am sure, brought his or her own anecdotes, perspectives, and biases to the process.
The letter also includes a formal request for a moratorium to allow civic engagement to proceed. I'm not surprised by this, as some are, since the timeline imperatives of One Newark are not widely known, and a request for abeyance would seem both logical and practical to those not fully knowledgeable of its details.
Additionally, while a moratorium may be late in its timing, the thinking is not new. Cautions regarding the pace of the introduction of the more delicate elements of "One Newark," such as the “transportation“ challenge, have been expressed by small groups and responsible individuals over the past year.
It is possible that the die has been cast too far down the table to delay implementation of One Newark in all apects. That's reality, and even this group, close as it may be to divine air support , would likely concede that some actions cannot be undone. The more important point is to begin productive dialogue on what remains to be done, to work together to improve what is underway, and to temper the divisive emotion in the community.
From a higher altitude, it would be difficult for me to reconcile on the one hand, electing not to engage at the advisory board meetings because of the lack of civility and then, on the other hand, when responsible parties with standing come together and ask for an opportunity to discuss the issues in a civil manner, to fail to engage Op-Ed: Newark Clergy Could Hold Key to Education Reform - NJ Spotlight: