I just wanted to share with you this press release on public meetings to discuss struggling schools. The Courier-Post picked up highlights and ran an article about this yesterday. More thoughts to come.

PRESS RELEASE

Superintendent Rouhanifard and Mayor Redd announce community meetings to discuss opportunities to better serve students in most-struggling schools

Conversations to explore how to overcome challenges around academics, enrollment, and facilities to better serve students

March 3, 2015 — Camden, NJ – As the School District continues to explore ways to better support students and provide high-quality schools in every part of the City, Superintendent Paymon Rouhanifard and Mayor Dana L. Redd today announced a series of neighborhood conversations focused on determining the next steps for its lowest-performing schools. The School District is working urgently to dramatically improve each of its schools, but for students who attend school each day in learning environments that are not yet making the progress the children deserve, time is especially of the essence.

Providing all students with an excellent education has been a topic of conversation since Superintendent Rouhanifard’s 100-day listening tour in Fall 2013. Feedback from the community led to the creation of the Camden Commitment, the District’s strategic plan that specifically calls out the need to improve the lowest-performing schools. Last summer, more than 475 people shared their input as part of the Let’s Talk About Great Schools campaign. Most recently, in November and December 2014, each family school hosted a community conversation about its students’ reading and math performance and what it was doing to improve.

“This next round of neighborhood meetings is another opportunity to talk honestly about the hard choices we need to make to give every student the excellent education he or she deserves,” said Superintendent Rouhanifard. “Across the District, we have schools making a good deal of progress, and we have schools that still have a long way still to go. I appreciate community leaders stepping up to host these conversations, and I look forward to engaging with our families, students, and educators.”

“Camden families want and deserve excellent schools for their children,” said Mayor Redd. “We need to replicate what’s working and stop what’s not working. To do anything else would not be worthy of the trust our families place in us as leaders of the City. I look forward working with Superintendent Rouhanifard as we continue to have discussions with our parents regarding improving educational outcomes for our children.”

“One thing is clear: the status quo is not serving all of our students,” said City Council President Frank Moran. “Where there are opportunities to improve the level of education our students are receiving, we have an obligation to explore them and to talk about them with the community, and that’s what we intend to do.”

The conversations will focus on each neighborhood’s most-struggling schools, identified through a comprehensive analysis of academic performance, building quality, and enrollment trends. Meetings will be hosted by community partners and will be held in each ward of the City. Dinner will be served, and interpretation services will be available.

Date and Time

Neighborhood(s)

Location

Monday, March 9, 5:30-7:30 p.m.

Lanning Square, Cooper Plaza

Charles “Poppy” Sharp Community Center, 713 Broadway

Tuesday, March 10, 6:30-8:30 p.m.

Whitman Park, Centerville, Liberty Park

Virtua Hospital Cafeteria, 1000 Atlantic Avenue

Wednesday, March 11, 5:30-7:30 p.m.

East Camden, Cramer Hill

Cramer Hill Community Center, 1035 Reeves Avenue

Thursday, March 12, 5:30-7:30 p.m.

North Camden

North Camden Community Center, 6th and Erie

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To RSVP or learn more, please contact Maita Soukup from the Camden City School District Office of Communications at msoukup@camden.k12.nj.us<mailto:msoukup@camden.k12.nj.us> or 856-375-4737.