From: “Parents Unified for Local School Education (PULSE)”
Date: August 26, 2014, 7:04:33 AM EDT
To: okaikor@me.com
Subject: Statement from PULSE on Newark Boycott
Statement from PULSE
CALL TO ACTION
On December 19, 2013, the Superintendent of Newark Public Schools announced the “One Newark Plan,” which threatens to displace students from their neighborhood schools. In response, Parents Unified for Local School Education (PULSE) is currently working with the Newark community, particularly in the South Ward, to implement a boycott of the Newark Public Schools starting on September 4th, 2014.
The ‘NPS Boycott 4 Freedom’ is an act of resistance and a statement against the One Newark Plan – Governor Christie and Superintendent Cami Anderson’s destructive practices. These practices have consistently worked to tear our communities and schools apart, leaving our schools and students in need of resources, and community driven neighborhood schools that are culturally relevant and responsive to the needs of the students and community. The parents and community members of Newark can no longer allow these practices that are not only lacking research and democratic ideals, but will potentially harm our children, and community. Governor Christie and Superintendent Cami Anderson are not acting upon our concerns, and we have decided to escalate our actions so that they can no longer continue to ignore our concerns. This boycott is a statement to all that the people of Newark demand the right to run and operate the school district through a democratically elected and empowered school board; in other words, local control of schools. We cannot allow Governor Christie, the state appointed Cami Anderson and the One Newark Plan to dictate how we educate our children.
The most recent revelation as written about in Bob Braun’s Ledger on August 13th regarding the long overdue plans for safe transport of our children under the One Newark Plan reveals that Superintendent Cami Anderson is woefully unprepared. The plan is deficient, if not dangerous, and will not even be implemented until well after the school year begins. We will not allow our children’s safety to be jeopardized by a superintendent and plan that does not care about our children. We will not subject our children to the malfeasance of the NPS leadership. We will do what is right for our children.
Starting in August PULSE has organized community canvasses to discuss the boycott with residents, focusing on the South Ward, and to gain support. The response can best be characterized as relief that there is a movement growing to provide an alternative to the One Newark Plan.
We are working with community leaders, clergy, teachers, nurses and elected officials to ensure there is a clear understanding of the purpose and plan for the boycott. We are establishing Freedom School locations that will provide safe educational environments for the children participating in the boycott. This boycott will succeed when our community demonstrates solidarity in the face of Governor Christie’s callous disregard for the people of Newark and the destructive One Newark Plan being implemented by his state appointed Superintendent. We all have important roles to play in the boycott.
We welcome support and look forward to working with all of us who share the vision of ensuring our children have equal access to excellent public education in a Newark Public School district under local leadership.
General Inquiries:
call 973 544-8359
info@npsboycott4freedom.com
What is needed:
Volunteers
Canvassers
Phone bankers
For Freedom Schools
Space
Food Donations
Instructors
Volunteer
For volunteers click here : Help now!
P.O. Box 22645
Newark, New Jersey
Parents Unified for Local School Education | P.O. Box 22645 | Newark | NJ | 07102
Diane Ravitch's blog 
Hallelujah! I have watched in utter disbelief the confusion and disorganization surrounding enrolling students in schools. What a joke! I can’t even imagine how Cami plans to transport children all over the city safely. This whole plan shows a complete lack of regard for the children and their communities.
My husband mentioned this to me; I was floored it even made the local news. I hope this is a hugely successful boycott. What Cami and Christie are doing in Newark is abominable.
Good luck!
The school war has positively escalated as the parents of Newark fight for their kids and their democratic rights. Please call and email to donate resources they need to win. A parents’ boycott against the privatizers and looters is long overdue.
!Que sigue la lucha contra las fuezas edudeformistas!
las fuerzas no las fuezas
Go Newark! Drive that monster out of there, and take back your city!
I pray the residents in Camden, NJ will stand up for their public schools, thus their children. They are being fooled and manipulated into believing Charter Schools are better than Public Schools. Charter Schools start early and end late, they have trips and they feed the students. And these people know these are the things parents are looking for. I support the parents in Newark who are willing to stand up for their rights, their schools and most of all for their children. I appalled the parents because they refuse to allow people to control them and tell them what is best for their child. I will pray for the brave parents, clergy and leaders. The struggle in Newark is the same struggle in Philadelphia, Camden and other urban cities, outsiders want to close public schools and bring in schools of their choice not yours.