Newark is another “ground zero” for corporate style reform. Test scores are low, poverty rates are high, but remember there are No Excuses!
Cami Anderson was hired by the state to lead the turnaround. Mark Zuckerberg put up $100 million. A turnaround firm was hired to do the turnaround. Cory Booker says that Newark will be a national model.
But when a reporter asked for basic information about the turnaround, he got evasive answers.
Of course, Newark has been under state control since 1995, so don ‘t blame the local school board. Now we know that the state doesn’t know how to solve the problem.
And Bruce Baker has studied Newark’s charters and found that the successful ones screen out the ELLs and kids with disabilities.
Diane Ravitch's blog 
Cory Booker is an elitist Ivy League graduate who has the backing of previous colleagues at hedge fund who are profiting hugely from corporate education reform. If the common man in New Jersey is happy being taken advantage of for the benefit of Wall Street operators, Cory Booker is their man.
What I have seen of those folks who speak-out in criticism of any Black leader is a smack back that is so hard as to destroy the person or persons. It does not matter if they are Black or any other color. The move to power is all encompassing and if the pool is small for the number of candidates that can move into position of power, like a mayor or governor, and most especially a President, you won’t hear anything or nearly anything. I get that desire for advancement (not the destroying the other party part). But if the candidate and their message is going to be to the detriment of the masses it will come back to haunt those same supporters.
Cory Booker is an accomplished young mover and shaker but I am reminded of the Star Ship Enterprise. If what matters on the bridge and the ship are only the elite, no matter the race, religion, origin, nation or planet, gender, but only the brain matter, then it is elitist by definition. It does not take into account all of those left behind stranded on a struggling planet. It is off into new conquests and seats of power. If that is the mission those same leaders will have lost their opportunity for a legacy of true leader of people. Maybe they should consider that before they move on. Getting there is only the first leg of the trip (especially if it is fueled by outside financial power because those same people can kick that person back to the rear of the bus and not think a thing about it). Potential to greatness is not enough. The right path for the right reasons for the greater whole and the greater good is worthy of the effort. The inherited opportunities given to only a few should not be taken for grant-it or squandered. Live long and prosper and
Do No Harm.