Camden Parents Look for Answers at School Board Meeting as Students Return
EDITOR’S NOTE: This story is part of the NJ 2025 Reporting Fellowship, in collaboration with 15 local and community news organizations, the Center for Cooperative Media at Montclair State University and NJ Spotlight News. The stories in this collaboration focus on immigration, education, healthcare, the economy and environment from the perspectives of diverse communities in New Jersey.
BY CHARLES CURTIS III | For AC JosepH Media
CAMDEN — The Camden City board meeting held on Tuesday, Aug. 26, was the last meeting to take place before the start of the upcoming school year.
The start of this school year is notably different as a $91 million deficit looms over the district. With over 300 employees cut, concerns are mounting for the future of public schools.
Many have concerns that the schools are not equipped to handle the influx of relocated students coupled with the loss of social-emotional learning, behavior services, and family operations coordinators.
“I’m proud to have been educated in the Camden public system so much so that I volunteer at schools when I can,” Tamara Reddick said. “The changes to the district have forced me to move my grandson out of the public schools. I’m concerned about the safety of the children -having the bigger kids with the younger ones.”
Reddick made her concerns heard at the board meeting.
“We still have no answers on what the school year will look like, not even classroom sizes,” a frustrated Reddick said. “Parents don’t have the right information.”
Karen Borrelli-Luke expressed concerns about teacher burnout and the need for teachers to have input in planning.
“I have leadership concerns,” Borrelli-Luke said. “Teachers are not included in the decision-making and there is a lack of communication.”
Borrelli-Luke made mention of the bell schedule as an example.
“[Physical education] spaces are shared between schools with different bell schedules, she said.
Borrelli-Luke noted that the schedule is particularly concerning for gym teachers as the bell schedule leaves little time for lunch. An issue she feels could have been avoided with teacher input.
While the meeting did little to answer the most pressing concerns of the public, some updates for the year ahead were announced. This includes the transfer of multiple departments to Morgan Village, a recently closed middle school.
The teams moving to Morgan Village include the superintendent’s office, data and enrollment, and business office.
Early childhood, equity and engagement solution center, and special services at 1033 Cambridge Street.
Ebony Hinson’s deputy assistant superintendent report focused on new testing features and updates to professional development days.
“NJSLA will begin incorporating adaptive testing, changing questions in real time, adjusting itself as students answer questions,” Hinson said.
Legacy tests where all students receive the same questions and field tests which are not recorded will continue in the district as well, albeit to a different degree.
“The state’s transition to adaptive reduces confusion and ensures every senior has a clear and equitable pathway to graduate,” Hinson said.
“I don’t have all the facts,” said Dr. Davida Coe-Brockington, the acting state superintendent for Camden City School District. “I want to refrain from answering before I do. I’m giving the community the respect they deserve when asking a question, they deserve the right answers.
“Additionally Professional Development days have been reduced from 5 to 3 to reflect current teacher contracts,” Hinson said.
Coe-Brockington assumed responsibility for the district in June. Brockington promised to follow up with the concerns of individuals directly.
“I’m calling on transparency, accountability, and collaboration,” Coe-Brockington said. “I want the community to feel heard.”
N’namdee Nelson explained the paradox Coe-Brockington finds herself in running a district under control by the State of New Jersey.
“The superintendent has a lot of great ideas and plans but she is limited by the state,” Nelson said.
While many are not satisfied with the lack of updates regarding the district’s support system, many said they are hopeful that the meeting’s efficiency is a sign that the district is at least moving in the right direction.
“This meeting is important because it’s a cultural shift,” Ronsha Dickerson, one of Camden’s most prominent community activists, said.
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