Are Camden Residents to Blame for Norcross & State Intervention?
By Rann Miller | AC JosepH Media Guest Blogger
Over the last few weeks, numerous reports and story have come out about George Norcross and his oversight of in facilitating tax breaks for himself and those connected to him professionally. The other day while on Facebook, I read a comment from a Camden resident, who is African-American, saying that “Norcross isn’t the problem. Parents are the problem.”
That comment made me reflect on the current education landscape in Camden and the influence of George Norcross on it.
His role, in addition to the role of the Chris Christie in the state legislature, which at the time included brother Donald Norcross and childhood friend Steve Sweeney, shaped the way education in Camden looks today. However are Camden residents to blame for the change in education policy in Camden? Or, have political actors taken things upon themselves to do what they think is best for Black and Brown people in an impoverished area? I argue that it is the latter.
I understand the argument citing self-determination. I also understand the argument for respectability politics (while I don’t agree with it). However, neither course (civic engagement or assimilating behavior) could have prevented what happened in Camden. Rutgers University professor Domingo Morel laid out the blueprint for how Camden, and other cities like it in New Jersey, reach where Camden currently is. Morel’s research shows that school districts controlled by Black residence are subject to a takeover by state government more than school districts controlled by non-Blacks. Using Newark as a case study, Morel discovered the timeline of events that precipitates a state takeover of a school district.
A school district’s leadership, predominantly White, is challenged by Black parents who cite their lack of representation in the classroom, principal’s office and school governance. Such advocacy could involve a lawsuit. In the case of Newark, Black people sued and the courts ruled in their favor. Black representation increases on school boards and Black educators are hired. Once they arrive, they see how injustice i.e. racism has impacted school funding or the lack of it. Where Black and Brown people are marginalized from employment and housing opportunities, you’ll find people with limited socioeconomic mobility concentrated together – where schools lack in fair funding.
In New Jersey, The residents in such areas i.e. Newark, Camden, Atlantic City, Jersey City, Paterson, Trenton and etc. sued the state of New Jersey for equitable funding. Five major court cases later (see Abbott), the state has to ensure that low income municipalities are funded equitably to non-low income municipalities. Essentially, tax dollars are re-distributed so that low income municipalities are able to adequately educate students. Now, not only are black parents electing themselves to the school board and thus securing positions within the school district, but they are in charge fiscally appropriating that money – monies coming from all over the state. That may not sit well with suburban resident who believe that Black and Brown people to be incompetent.
Students in these municipalities who perform poorly according to state benchmarks provide just enough fodder for politicians to cry foul and say that these districts, who now have more money at their disposal, are mismanaging education funding. Thus, politicians, influenced by lobbyists and power brokers, work to pass legislation that enables them the control to intervene in the affairs of said school district. In other words, they can take control of the administrative, educational and fiscal affairs of the school district. That’s exactly what happened in Newark, Jersey City, and Paterson. It happened to Camden in 2013.
Under a state takeover, the school board is just
an advisory group. Any decisions made on behalf of the district are made by the
governor’s office. The governor installs a CEO or superintendent of his or her
choosing to carry out the governor’s decisions. A governor with the support and
collaboration of the state legislature can get almost any piece of legislation passed
to help further their agenda concerning the district that they are in control
of. Governor Christie elected to take over the fiscal, educational, and
administrative affairs of the Camden City Schools District in 2013.
He installed his own superintendent, an individual who had little to no experience in the classroom. Christie’s plan for addressing education in Camden City was to hand over schools that were underperforming academically according to state benchmarks to charter school operators. In order to do that, he needed legislation to solidify his authority to do so. Working with him to make that happen was senate president Steve Sweeney and South Jersey Democratic Party boss George Norcross.
What is important to note is that Norcross’ brother was a member of the state Senate as well; sponsoring the bill. The Urban Hope Act was passed which gave Governor Christie the authority to appropriate control of select Camden schools to charter management organizations; those schools were labeled “renaissance schools.†Cut out of the process were parents – whether they disagreed or agreed with the plan, they had little to no say so.
Parents who could afford to leave Camden left
and put their kids in different school districts. Other parents had their children
in other charter schools unaffiliated with approved renaissance schools. The
remaining parents made peace with the circumstances and chose to either keep
their kid(s) in district schools or put their child(ren) in a renaissance school.
Parents whose neighborhood schools turned over to a renaissance school enrolled
their child(ren) there.
Not loss in this changing of the guard was the closure of Lanning Square Family School. It was replaced by a brand new building operated by KIPP under the name the Cooper Norcross KIPP Academy. The sponsor organization of that renaissance school is Cooper Hospital; the chairman of that hospital is George Norcross. You don’t have to be in investigative reporter to connect the dots, although they are starting to. Clearly, there are stakeholders that play politics with the lives and futures of the people who’ve have their power taken from them. Pathologies and tropes aimed at POC aren’t to blame here. Racial paternalism and power are.
Bio: Rann Miller directs the 21st Century Community Learning Center, a federally funded after-school program located in southern New Jersey. He spent years teaching in charter schools in Camden, New Jersey. He is the creator, writer, and editor of the Official Urban Education Mixtape Blog. Follow him on Twitter: @UrbanEdDJ.
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I’m not sure I understanding the reason for assigning a blame to either parent’s or a certain political party when the problems of educationing the STATE remains. The reason I mentioned state education, is your associating Norcross as Southern New Jersey Democrat Boss and believe its a State wide education funding problem that should start at the local funding first.
I ran against the corruption in Camden as the Republican Candidate with Ali Sloan El in 2003. We ran because of the 6 Billion Dollar Settlement from Abbott vs Burke filed on behalf of the students that netted 430 Million Dollars for Camden and before one shovel went into the ground all the money has disappeared in a Bankruptcy Proceeding by the School Construction Corporation. The State took over the Camden School Board with a fake Dropout Report of 70%. The Stat promise to expedite Construction but only Delayed approval for School to be built until all the money was gone. The parents went silent and stopped participating in the Process from disgust. Glad you mentioned the choosing of the Superintendent by Gov. Christie. I was there when the School Board announced the 3 Candidates that would be voted on. One Candidate a Hispanic Female who graduated from Harvard and was working in Washington DC and he came Christie the next day to announce a new Takeover during the day at Woodrow Wilson disrupting the children while taking State Test. George Norcross lll had Lanning Square School Condemned so he could use the land to store material for the Construction of the Medical School and savw millions on construction without a functioning school next to the construction. Remember the First State takeover and Camden City Government in 1997 when Camden got 70 Million. I worked with Ali Sloan and Re Quamina commissioned by then Mayor Fiason to create a 35 Million Dollar Apprenticeship Training Facility and Program but then Council President Angel Fuentes and current Mayor Maron rejected the proposal and gave the money to Cooper Hospital to build the Joe Robets Pavilion, Our Lady of Lourdes Wound Center, and Camcare new building. George Norcross and his brother Donald Norcross have a special place in hell for their HOPE Act that directly favored Private Schools over Public Schools.