Is Cami leaving?
The president of the Newark Teachers Union has sent an e-mail to its membership predicting state-appointed schools superintendent Cami Anderson will soon leave ker position.
Joseph Del Grosso said he and other union officials met earlier this week both with Acting Education Commissioner David Hespe and legislative leaders. He said he came away from those meetings with this conclusion:
“It is my strong belief that based on the discussions I have had to this point, Cami Anderson will not be continuing as Superintendent of the Newark Public Schools.”
In a subsequent conversation with me, Del Gross said he believed Anderson’s departure is “imminent.”
Sources within the union leadership said Anderson’s contract–up at the end of June–would not be renewed and she would leave in a way that suggested her departure was voluntary. Those same sources indicated leadership could be passed over to a cooperative arrangement between a state official and a current high-ranking officer within the Newark Public Schools, with the most obvious candidate Roger Leon, currently an assistant schools superintendent.
None of this has been confirmed by either Anderson or Hespe.
It would not surprise me that Del Grosso’s email is part of an effort, both locally and at the state level, to pressure Anderson into leaving. It also is a difficult time for NTU members who are about to learn whether they will be laid off. Clearly, the message is designed to rally union members to stand behind a concerted effort to pressure Anderson into leaving.
This is the text of Del Grosso’s email to NTU members.
Dear Colleagues:
Over the past months, there have been numerous rumors of layoffs, school closings, and drastic cuts to the Newark Public Schools budget. In preparation for these events, the Newark Teachers Union requested a meeting with Acting Is Cami leaving? | Bob Braun's Ledger: