New Jersey Globe: New group seeks to promotes Newark public education succeess

By NJ Globe Staff,

A new non-profit organization will look to show Newark as a national model for how a city can move beyond acrimonious us-versus-them education reform politics to allow public and charter schools to work together.

The New Jersey Children’s Foundation plans to focus on finding a consistent, fact-based discussion about student outcomes without avoiding a discussion of successes and failures, a district-charter collaboration, and fair funding for all public schools.

The group has tapped Kyle Rosenkrans, a civil rights attorney and former Seton Hall law professor, as their executive director.

“Children have been the biggest beneficiaries of the improvements to public education in Newark over the last decade,” said Rosenkrans. “But no one should run a victory lap until every child can get into a great public school.”

Leadership of the group in includes Everett Johnson, a partner the Wilentz law form, Mercury Public Affairs partner Mo Butler, and Kevin Shafer, a founding board member of the City Fund.

“That’s why Newark’s next phase of locally-driven leadership is so exciting,” Rosenkrans said. The city can show the nation that it’s possible for a system of district and charter schools to work together and expand educational opportunity.”


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