Control of Newark Schools Is Back in City Hands After State Board of Ed Vote
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Newark schools will soon be back under local control after more than 20 years of state receivership.
The New Jersey State Board of Education voted Wednesday morning to let the city resume control after a track record of improvements and a long process of approvals for the state鈥檚 largest district.
In May, the board gave the district high marks on governance and instruction, reported, the final two areas where it needed to demonstrate improvement. It had already earned passing scores in personnel, finance, and operations.
In August, New Jersey State Education Commissioner Kimberley Harrington indicated that Newark was ready for local control, according to .
Wednesday鈥檚 vote marks the beginning of a formal transition process. Harrington and the district will create a plan 鈥渄etailing the transfer of power and the process for finding a superintendent,鈥� reported, and once the plan is presented to the state Board of Education, the Newark board will have full control, including the power to choose a new superintendent.
Next, the district will hold a referendum so voters can choose whether they want an elected school board or one appointed by Mayor Ras Baraka.
The takeover was seen as an emergency response to widespread failure in Newark鈥檚 schools, The New York Times . Over the past 22 years, state-appointed superintendents have made decisions for the schools and had veto power over the Newark Public Schools Advisory Board, which had very little control, reported.
Now, the high school is 77 percent, the city has a large charter school sector that has posted impressive scores and works collaboratively with district schools, its low-performing schools have closed, and it ranks in the of comparable urban districts on state tests.
(91涩漫: Analysis: In Newark鈥檚 Election of a New School Board, a Superficial 鈥楿nity鈥�)
Last week, Gov. Chris Christie said in a that there was “undeniable鈥� progress in the Newark schools, citing a 16-point increase in high school graduation rates over the past six years.
Other officials also expressed optimism.
State-appointed schools superintendent Christopher Cerf called the vote a 鈥渉istoric moment,鈥� noting that district students have made 鈥済reat progress,鈥� reported. It is unclear how much longer Cerf will be involved with the district.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a beautiful day for the residents of our city,鈥� said Baraka, according to .
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