It’s 2016 and we are looking forward to working with all of you throughout the year!  Here is our latest installment of the Newark Trust’s Newswire- a weekly roundup of educational related news and events happening throughout the city. 

Here’s what’s happening both locally and nationally!

LOCAL

Baraka Decries Latest Charter School Spat as 'Organized Campaign' to Divide Parents
Amidst growing concerns over the fiscal state of the district, Mayor Ras Baraka and his administration continue the call for a three-year moratorium on charter schools in the city. 

Top Newark Schools Official Announces Exit from District
The District’s Chief Talent Officer, Vanessa Rodriguez has announced that she will leave her position later this month.

Newark’s Top High School Students Who Choose New Jersey Colleges to Receive Scholarships and Internships
For those students who choose to attend a college or university in New Jersey, Choose New Jersey has announced a new scholarship which will reward the highest academically ranked graduating senior at each of Newark’s high schools.

Impressive New Scores for Newark Charters Raise an Awkward Question: Did City Pick the Wrong Strategy?
Author Richard Whitmare provides his perspective on the impact that charter schools have had on the city.

How to Fix the Country’s Failing Schools. And How Not To.
A tale of two cities: A new article takes a comparative look at two nearby school districts in New Jersey, Union City and Newark who have taken very radically different paths towards educational reform.

Governor Christie Calls Newark Teacher "Inspiring" in State of the State Address 
In his recent State of the State Address, Governor Chris Christie praises a local teacher on her demonstration of innovation and creativity in the classroom.

Opportunities: How to Get Computer Coding Skills for Cheap (or free) Right Here in Newark
Brickcitylive has released a new ‘opportunities’ series, which offers information on programs and initiatives for Newarkers to increase their skills. This week’s feature focuses on the growing importance of coding in education. 

REGIONAL

Gov. Christie Champions Charter Schools, But Will Talk Lead to Action? 
In his State of the State address, Governor Chris Christie made big promises towards prioritizing regulatory relief for charter schools.

New Proposal Would Put Armed, Retired Cops in N.J. Schools
A proposed bill calls for the creation of a new category of armed, police officers to provide security at both public and private schools in New Jersey. The group would include retired officers under the age of 65 who left the department in good standing.

Looking Ahead, Unresolved Matters and New Issues Will Mark Year in Education
NJSpotlight shares their predictions for education in 2016. Topics range from the PAARC assessments to Preschool.

Will a Longer School Day be Beneficial for Students?
If signed, a new bill would provide extra funding to extend the school day for kindergarten through third grade in districts where the majority of schools have high numbers of students scoring “below proficient” in language arts.

Check out articles on this topic here and here.
 

N.J. Should Keep PARCC, Take it Mandatory for Graduation, Task Force Says
This week, the Study Commission on the Use of Student Assessments in New Jersey issued 49 recommendations on the PARCC exams. Most notably, the group has called on the State to continue with the exams and require high school students to pass the tests beginning in 2021.

Paterson Educator Gives Testimony of Education Reform Impact
The group Montclair Cares About Schools organization hosted education forum on January 9th to discuss issues related to educational inequity. Dr. Lauren Wells, Chief Education Officer for the city was a featured speaker.

NATIONAL

State Of The Union: President Obama Takes One More Crack At His Education Agenda
In his last State of the Union, President Obama shares highlights on key reforms that the administration has championed over the past few years. Read more about the President’s address at edSurge, Huffington Post and  Forbes.

SOTU 2016: President Obama's Education Legacy 
Former Newark Mayoral candidate Shavar Jeffries shares his thoughts on the impact of the Obama’s administration on education

The Superintendent Who Turned Around a School District 
By focusing on ‘the whole child’ and leveraging community resources to strengthen student learning, Superintendent Tiffany Anderson improved graduation rates and transformed  a district.

A Primer on the Damaging Movement to Privatize Public Schools
Veteran educator, Marion Brady, provides his perspective on the movement for public school privatization.

Minority Students With Disabilities Fast-Tracked to Prison: Activist Leroy Moore, Jr. Talks Solutions
In a two-part Q&A series, Leroy Moore, Jr., founder of the  Krip-Hop Movement discusses the relationship between minority special education students and the school-to-prison- pipeline.

First-Time Principal Will Lead D.C.’s First All-Male Public High School
As part of a $20 Million city-wide “Empowering Males of Color” initiative D.C is slated to open its first all male public high school specialized for young men of color.  

DPS Teachers at Rally: Sick-Outs a Demand to be Heard 
A group of teachers in Detroit who organized a recent 'sickout' resulting in a shut down of 64 schools led a rally to address their ongoing health and safety concerns as well as poor working conditions.