Mayor Ras Baraka, citing “chaos, graft, miseducation,” demands people take back Newark schools
Baraka: Time for the people to take back their schools.
Newark Mayor Ras Baraka, saying the state administration of the city’s schools is operating “outside the rule of law,” has called on the people of his city to follow the example of thousands of protesting students and “use all possible avenues” to rid the school system of its state masters.
He stopped just short of using the iconic phrase “any means necessary” to eliminate the state school regime–but “all possible avenues” is close enough.
Baraka, citing instances of what he called “chaos, graft and mis-education,” repeatedly attacked Cami Anderson, the state-appointed superintendent of the city’s schools.
But he only mentioned her name once, referring to her subsequently only as the SAS–state-appointed superintendent. In 2011, Gov. Chris Christie appointed Anderson, a former political operative for past Newark Mayor–now US Sen.–Cory Booker. Booker brought in Anderson and formed an alliance with Christie to make Newark a model charter school district for the state–and, perhaps, for the nation. Christie has repeatedly praised her. Christie’s state education commissioner, David Hespe, while assuring critics he is trying to curtail her abuses, has repeatedly praised her, awarded her bonuses, and extended her contract.
In response to demands from Baraka and others that Anderson be fired, Christie has rebuffed the city’s religious, political, governmental, and civil rights leaders, calling himself the “decider” who has decided to keep Anderson at the helm of a state-operated system that first came under Trenton control in 1995.
Although Baraka has repeatedly called for Anderson’s ouster, his letter bore new urgency–both because of events in the city and because of its tone and timing.
The letter follows a march by more than 2,000 high school students from City Hall to the ramp that connects Route 21 to all the major highways in the northeast part of the state–1 and 9, 22, 78, and the NJ Turnpike. The students could have Mayor Ras Baraka, citing “chaos, graft, miseducation,” demands people take back Newark schools | Bob Braun's Ledger:
