Will the Newark school board openly confront Christopher Cerf?
At the end of the last Newark school board meeting, the board president quietly mentioned she would introduce a resolution at the next board session, scheduled for Tuesday night, August 25. Ariagna Perello gave no details but did mention it would concern “One Newark,” the state administration’s often cruel dispersal of students throughout Newark’s schools. Perello’s comment creates the strong possibility of a confrontation between the board and the new state-imposed superintendent, Christopher Cerf.
Cerf, a Montclair resident, wasn’t at the first scheduled meeting with the board last week but his spokeswoman, Brittany Parmley, said that, unlike his appointee and predecessor, Cami Anderson, he intended to attend all board meetings from now on—and he has a three-year contract.
The board, individual board members, and Newark Mayor Ras Baraka—who is close to most board members—already have either sharply criticized “One Newark” or demanded it be ended, so it won’t be much of a surprise if Perello’s resolution does call for an end to the enrollment procedure that could, in the few years Cerf has in his contract, radically change the nature of public schooling in the state’s largest city.
“Cerf is the closer,’’ said one source close to the board who asked for anonymity. “Cami Anderson set up the plan and we think Cerf was brought in to close the deal for (Gov. Chris) Christie.”
In fact, the “One Newark” plan was really Cerf’s brainchild when he ran a private consulting firm known as Global Education Advisers that was paid $500,000 to come up with a plan that closed public schools and increased the number of privately-operated charters. Then Christie made Cerf his state education Will the Newark school board openly confront Christopher Cerf? | Bob Braun's Ledger: