We Owe Them Honesty

Opinion: I am living proof that education reform has not failed in Newark

Over the next couple months, parents across Newark will choose the school that best fits the needs of their child. And because of their parents' choices, they will have amazing opportunities; they just have to take advantage of them. New Jersey legislators also have an opportunity. The opportunity to build on the success of charters by allowing them to grow and provide children with access to an education that sets them up for success. Being from Newark, I am living proof for them that it can happen.

Taking away school choice goes against Newark's history of improving education | Opinion

The Newark School District has a long history that dates back to 1769 when our school system was founded and the first appropriation of money was made for the education of the poor. But for many of us who were born and raised in Newark, our modern-day school system began on July 12, 1995 the day that the Newark Public Schools district was taken over by the NJ State Department of Education. These drastic actions occurred after a Comprehensive Compliance Investigation showcased a variety of inefficiencies and state violations, including low student achievement, election tampering, nepotism, and fraud.

Christie says NJ charter schools are a 'resounding success'

Gov. Chris Christie wants to make charter schools a priority. In his State of the State address on Tuesday, Christie called on New Jersey to continue to improve its charter school system saying the number of students attending the schools has doubled since he took office.

The Civil Rights Issue of our time

The latest news flash that Rochester is the 5th most impoverished city in the nation is of course not news to those of us living here. We Rochesterians are used to poverty studies that grow more dire every year and it stands to reason that the falling city school system is the catalyst. It is disturbing that so many philanthropic community organizations with the power to affect change have so ignored the school system demise. Given that black and minority children especially have been the victims, where is the rightful outrage?

COMMENTARY: Expand charter schools

Though it isn't dominating news headlines, there is currently legislation in Trenton that would, if passed, halt charter school expansion, potentially affecting thousands of New Jersey families. If charters do make such a strong difference for the families, why do so many of our elected representatives insist on halting charter expansion?

Editorial: Giving Poor Families a Leg Up in Charter Schools

The central critique of charter schools is that they skim more affluent students from district schools, giving themselves an unfair advantage.

School Choice Is the Most Powerful Tool We Can Provide for Newark Students

We are approaching a turning point in the history of the United States and have an opportunity to shift the paradigm and make America a global leader in education. In the midst of public debates from both Democratic and Republican leadership we have heard very little about plans to improve the quality of public education in the K-12 space. The quality of public education within urban and low-income communities has been below standards for decades, yet the voices of leaders have been silent and often non-existent when it comes to changing the status quo.

How a Neward Charter School Transformed My Son's Life

Monday, I am headed to Trenton along with over 100 other charter school parents just like me from all over New Jersey to talk with lawmakers about my child.

Fine Print: Noted Newark Schools Seek State OK to Go Charter Route

What it is: The State Department of Education has advanced a proposal by BRICK Academy, an innovative program within Newark's public school district, to effectively combine its Avon Avenue School and Peshine Avenue School into a single charter school.

Four-state study shows strong support among blacks for school choice

A recent survey by the Black Alliance for Educational Options shows that black voters support school choice by a wide margin. This survey of 2,400 African-American voters in four states found that they support a parent's ability to choose the school that is best for their children - and indicated they are ready to vote those beliefs in some cases

District and Charter School Students Come Together to Learn Coding

A Newark coding program has been bringing together children from a district school and a charter school every weekend this fall, with instructors from a local college, to teach Newark students important 21st Century technology skills.

Cleveland and Dayton are national leaders in charter school enrollment

Cleveland and Dayton are among 14 cities nationwide with 30 percent or more of their public school students attending charter schools, according to a new annual report by the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools.