Bob Braun has been writing about the abusiveness and insensitivity of Cami Anderson’s “One Newark” plan. He has written that it has disrupted the lives of children and families, with no goal other than to sweep away neighborhood schools and impose charter schools. Newark has been under state control for nearly 20 years. In short, the people of Newark have had no say in the governance of their city’s schools, and now Chris Christie and Cami Anderson have decided to turn them over to private management.
Braun reports that the real heroes in this struggle for democracy are the high school students of Newark. While most of the adults seemed resigned and ready to bow to authority, the high school students went into the streets to protest. A group of them chained themselves together, sat down in the city’s main thoroughfare, and blocked traffic. The newly elected Mayor Ras Baraka tried to protect the students. He ran for office as an opponent of Cami and “One Newark,” but he has no power to stop her.
Braun wrote:
“Newark’s public schools will be saved from privatization only if supporters are willing to take risks. Yesterday, Newark finally saw some risk takers–the high school students and handful of adults who blocked Broad Street for eight hours, refusing in a very adult way to give up their lines despite an effort by police to plow through, and a mayor who risked criticism for not arresting the students.
“The children are doing what the adults are not doing because the adults are too scared to do it,” said Antoinette Baskerville-Richardson about the siege of board headquarters at 2 Cedar Street organized by the Newark Students Union. The school board member spent most of the day monitoring the protest.
“But did it make a difference? Will the risks taken by the students and Mayor Ras Baraka–the courageous actions taken yesterday by both –hasten the end of Anderson’s tenure? Will it quickly end the “One Newark” plan that has brought so much pain to so many city families?
“Maybe not. But this is what they will do: They will keep the fight alive, keep the light shining, in the face of the inertial forces that would try to gloss over the pain Anderson is causing and bring on a complacent, apathetic business-as-usual attitude that will allow Anderson to continue her plans unimpeded. Without the students, Anderson would be free to act without, not just restraint, but even without notice.”
Braun wrote:
“They’re coming for you.
“They’re coming for you in Wisconsin. In California. In New York–and, yes, in New Jersey. In places like Newark and Paterson–ask Paterson teachers about the great contract they “won” from the state-operated district. And. remember, the Democrats for Education Reform (DFER), the people who almost made Shavar Jeffries mayor, believe tenure and other protections are the dam that “must be burst” to reform education.
“Think about it. Those are Democrats. They might eat your rights elegantly with some fava beans and a little Malbec–but they will do it every bit as effectively as the Koch Brothers who would just as soon have public employee union leaders jailed and shot.”
The kids were heroes. It is a very small gesture on my part to add them to the honor roll as heroes of American education. They are standing up for public education. They are standing up for democracy.
Diane Ravitch's blog 
Yes, the students are heroes…and that poor student who had her arm broken and bruised for standing up for her beliefs. God help us all. The children shall lead the way.
“Rev. Martin Luther King stood right beside me,” remembers Goolsby, 66. “He said, ‘I think it’s a mighty fine thing for children, what you’re doing because when you march, you’re really standing up; because a man can’t ride your back unless it is bent.’
http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2013/05/02/how-the-children-of-birmingham-changed-the-civil-rights-movement.html
I went down there at lunch time. There were lots of cops. Lots. It looked at that time like about 75 kids. The kids were quiet and seemed introspective, and no one was whipping them into a lather. Certainly, while there were adults, these adults were there to ensure the kids were safe…they were not urging them on. Many, perhaps all, had backpacks with them. Lots were in uniform. They were quite orderly – and that is my personal observation.
Police had sectioned off 1 block long of Broad Street, in one direction. Drivers could easily go around. There is a wide median separating the opposite side of the street’s traffic which flowed freely, so these students did not cause commotion and stir. What went bad happened later in the day/early evening.
Various internet coverage/reports on this have a few horrendous comments from idiots who believe Newark should just be swallowed up; or that Cami is these kids’ saviour and they should succumb to her will. Fortunately, people who know what is going on around the nation and in Newark are able to counter with knowledgeable comments.
NJ is in a financial pickle; it has been so for years, Chris Christie tops the cake. However, when it comes to education, the reforms don’t seem to change anything for the masses. Do they change anything for the few besides a new venue and, silence overall, punitive punishments for minor infractions, high teacher turnover/inconsistency and, of course, profits for the charter admins/owners?
Anyhow, I’m very proud of these kids for taking a stand. Sadly, they, too, have received a big “eff you” snubbing from Cami Anderson. She is a disrespectful megalomaniac who is in bed with like-minded evil selfish people who don’t care who gets slighted, so long as their bank accounts grow.
We ask who will speak for the kids? No one in power is listening, not even to the kids themselves. What more will it take? It really is heart breaking. I’m incredibly proud of these kids.
Cami Anderson is feeling the heat. She was a guest on the Brian Lehrer show yesterday defending her actions against surprisingly good questions by Brian Lehrer. Too bad that Diane wasn’t on to counteract Anderson’s disingenuous spin.
I liked this quote from another page by Bob Braun: “They’re coming for you……..They’re coming for you in Wisconsin. In California. ….Think about … [in some cases] it’s the Democrats. They might eat your rights elegantly with some fava beans and a little Malbec–but they will do it every bit as effectively as the Koch Brothers who would just as soon have public employee union leaders jailed and shot.”
When I learned school psychology we were taught to say to the child “we are going to play some games” and instead it was an IQ test; for years we have used tests to help improve student programs, to build IEPS that were sensible for individual students…. But not now, I refuse to “trick” or “lie ” to a student because these tests are being used for quintiles and quartiles to tell the parent “Your kid can’t cut the mustard” or “your child is not something enough!!!!!” I totally resent this approach to the students. They are building computerized tests now for special needs students….. which could help us to move forward in our understanding of different abilities but the students are being used as guinea pigs — the federal government is giving out R&D money for experimental ventures that prove to be very expensive. If you cheek into “innovative” districts in your cities you will see this same investment of R&D …. it is like sending rocket ships to the moon but in the case of the students we put the kids on half-built , rickety rockets with no safety factors built in. In Boston the Gate$ money funded Fordham Institute to try out experimental questionnaires on the child’s personality. I would tell parents NO — do not subject your child to this. The pipeline for the $$$study is from Gates to Fordham Instiute / Education Next (their address s Harvard ) , they get one MIT prof and one Brown U. prof to sign off on the cover page but it is still supersanctimoniouos unscientific bull$$$…..@@# The pipeline goes right to David Driscoll of the NAEP Governing Board; watch for the new personality tests to come out soon.
I will do everything i can to help Newark, to further the work of Bob Braun, Jonathan Pelto, jersey jazzman up and down the east coast… and I send it to my nephews in Seattle and Los Angeles and Houston ….
Did any major media outlet report on this—anywhere?
Bottom line: Obama was a MAJOR enabler of the privatization of public education. He was/is a supporter of charter schools and RttP is the vehicle. The business class saw an opportunity and went for it. I don’t blame business. I blame Obama/Duncan.
Michael,
True. I talked to two neighbors who work in the private sector—one is an independent contractor and the other owns his own small business. Both shrugged when I told them what was happening to the public schools and they said this is how the private sector works—this is nothing new. Then they lost interest. To them, this is how the world works, and they don’t see the ramifications of corporations take over teaching our children.
Obama and his hardcore cult of followers from the neo-liberal camp in the Democratic Party opened the flood gates and let the private sector through the door and into the room with democratic public education and then the mass rape and feeding frenzy started while Obama, Duncan and Bill Gates make sure to keep the door from being closed and the invaders forced out of the room.
This is why I think this privatization may slow down after Obama is out of office. He will not admit defeat and will stay the course, more or less, until the end. Hopefully the next president will have more respect and understand the importance of a good public education system for our society
Michael,
The only way we will see a change in the White House is if we get a real choice. It’s possible that the BIG money will work hard to make sure that both major candidates support them and it won’t matter who wins the election.
Both the DEMs and REPs are corrupt to the core. Can’t depend on this totally corrupt two-dysfunctional-party system. Obama is quite shallow.
As I often stated in previous posts, the problems in public education are just a symptom of a much bigger problem that is the extreme concentration of wealth & income in our society. The top 1% or 1/10th of 1% are controlling our politicians. Obama is the perfect example. How many banksters have been indicted for the catastrophic meltdown in 2008 that was ultimately borne by everyone but the wealthiest? Even under Bush II top management paid a price for a MUCH smaller financial fiasco such as Enron and other companies.
I blame business. We have a corrupt business culture that is bent on destroying democracy in the name of personal profit.
Business’ role is to sell products and generate profits. It is the government’s role to regulate and prevent abuse. Obama has not only failed in that but enabled abusive practices. The second to worst president in my memory. Bush 2 was the worst in my opinion.
Meant Race to the top (RttT).
Major? Doubtful. If you google Newark student protests September, you’ll get hits. New Jersey News 12 and NJ.com, and blogs. This is small beans in the press.
Too bad we aren’t organized to the point where we could take this to Twitter and make it go viral. If tens of thousands of people tweeted about this for a week, every day, every hour, it would go viral.
Who wins the press?
Reblogged this on Crazy Normal – the Classroom Exposé and commented:
Has any major media outlet reported on this act of civil disobedience by children that is similar to the Boston Tea Party in 1773 that launched a revolution against the most powerful empire of the time, the British Empire? Maybe it’s time for another revolution against the empire if wealth.
Cami Anderson and the rest of the educrat enablers and edubully enforcers and edupreneurs of the self-styled “new civil rights movement of our time” — as if those in mad dog pursuit of $tudent $ucce$$ aka ROI aka monetizing children don’t have enough privilege and advantage as it is.
The subjects of this posting: they are the new civil rights movement of our time. No quotation marks needed because they’re the real thing.
😎
P.S. From 50 years ago:
“There’s a time when the operation of the machine becomes so odious—makes you so sick at heart—that you can’t take part. You can’t even passively take part. And you’ve got to put your bodies upon the gears and upon the wheels, upon the levers, upon all the apparatus, and you’ve got to make it stop. And you’ve got to indicate to the people who run it, to the people who own it that unless you’re free, the machine will be prevented from working at all.” [Mario Savio]
“A little child shall lead them”. How very tragic that it takes children to have the courage to stand against tyranny. Yes, they are the ones most at risk but still, where is the backbone and understanding of adults who should be leading?
I applaud these brave students. Blocking traffic is one way to bring attention to the cause. Philly teachers are doing it on a regular basis on Broad St. Chaining yourself to one another takes it up a notch. How can we support these students?
up to Lloyd & Yvonne & to all readers here: & this is why the FCC, et. al. (ALEC, again?) is/are trying to control the internet–to stop the flow of information & discourse on blogs such as Diane’s. The press? Major media reporting? No–get all your info. here, on Jersey Jazzman, Edushyster, NYC Ed., Fred Klonsky….
Make sure you ALL sign those petitions coming your way to stop the internet slowdown, & alert everyone you know to do the same.
I wonder if the people have any say about the end to Net Neutrality if the Bill Gates, Waltons, and Kochs of the world have already made that decision and the orders have been given to their puppets in Congress and the White House.