Newark’s Baraka to launch “community schools” in South Ward–with Cerf’s blessing | Bob Braun's Ledger

Newark’s Baraka to launch “community schools” in South Ward–with Cerf’s blessing | Bob Braun's Ledger:

Newark’s Baraka to launch “community schools” in South Ward–with Cerf’s blessing

Baraka meets with Christie. shortly after the mayor’s election.

Newark Mayor Ras Baraka and Christopher Cerf, the state-appointed superintendent of the city schools,  are soon expected to launch a “community schools initiative” that would, if successful, create a network of up to 10 schools that offer health and other services as well as enhanced educational programs.  The initiative, aimed primarily at the city’s impoverished South Ward, could be announced as early as next week.

The plan is based on the “global village” plan Baraka pursued with support from educators at New York University while he was principal of Newark’s Central High School. A new version of the proposal was recently produced by Lauren Wells, the mayor’s chief academic officer, who also worked with Baraka while he was at Central.

Thousands of students at City Hall last May when protesters almost shut the city–and part of the state–down.

In her proposal, dated in September, Wells wrote that a city hall-based office of comprehensive community education (OCCE) “seeks to launch and support 10 full-service community schools.

“OCCE will identify the 10 community schools through competitive request for proposals process to all eligible district schools demonstrating a substantive interest and readiness to implement evidence-based approaches to creating community schools.”

She described community schools as a model that “organizes the resources of the Newark’s Baraka to launch “community schools” in South Ward–with Cerf’s blessing | Bob Braun's Ledger: