Teachers, students, parents and community leaders will march to the school district’s central offices this afternoon to protest the “One Newark” school reorganization plan.
Representatives from the People’s Organization for Progress and the Newark Students Union will address the crowd, as will the parent-teacher organization president who has been banned from his child’s school. Councilman and mayoral candidate Ras Baraka, who is on leave from his job as principal of Central High School, is also scheduled to speak.
Superintendent Cami Anderson unveiled the plan in December that would relocate and consolidate almost a quarter of the district’s school, and will turn four neighborhood schools over to charter schools already operating in the city. It has been roundly criticized by parents, lawmakers and the teachers union.
School officials said last week that more than 12,000 students have registered for next fall, when the re-organization will be rolled out.
The rally is scheduled to begin at 4 p.m. at the corner of Broad and Market streets and then around 5 it will move to 2 Cedar St., where the School Advisory Board is holding a business meeting.