Local Knowledge Blog

Congrats to Newark Mayor Ras Baraka (and what his victory means for Camden)

Yesterday Ras Baraka won a resounding victory in Newark. The election clearly hinged on education, and was a direct repudiation of the state takeover of the district. Unfortunately, while a mayor’s race appears to be a turning point in education policy in both New York and Newark, Camden’s complicated electoral history means Mayor Baraka’s win … Continue reading Congrats to Newark Mayor Ras Baraka (and what his victory means for Camden)…

Posted by Stephen Danley in Camden, education.

Community Voice: A Seat at the Grown-Up’s Table

This week has rightfully focused on teachers, as massive layoffs have taken center stage in Camden. Lost amid that struggle has been the voice of students. That’s why I’m particularly pleased to share this guest post, the first piece I’ve seen that highlights a student from a school slated to be closed. The post is co-authored … Continue reading Community Voice: A Seat at the Grown-Up’s Table…

Posted by Stephen Danley in Community Voice, education, Guest Post, Local Knowledge.

Community Voice: Charter School Closed Based on One Year of Test Scores

This is a guest post from Randy Ribay who describes himself as “a Camden resident who teaches in Philly and serves as the Vice President on the Board of Trustees for City Invincible Charter School.” The story broke yesterday that City Invincible Charter School will be closed: I’m on the Board of Trustees for City … Continue reading Community Voice: Charter School Closed Based on One Year of Test Scores…

Posted by Stephen Danley in Camden, Community Voice, education, Guest Post.

How do we talk about Camden?

One of the biggest themes here at the Local Knowledge Blog is how we talk about Camden. Does talking about the good mean we’re “ignoring” the bad? Is the ever-present focus on “poorest” and “most violent” poverty porn or an accurate description? That’s a topic that the Courier-Post addressed directly, and that I was proud … Continue reading How do we talk about Camden?…

Posted by Stephen Danley in Camden.

Made in Camden

Last week, my students and I were lucky enough to have a host of community members join us for small group discussions. There were current politicians, non-profit leaders, religious leaders, community stakeholders, Rutgers reps and residents. But perhaps my favorite guests were Anthony Dillard and AJ Riggs from Made in Camden.  One of my students … Continue reading Made in Camden…

Posted by Stephen Danley in Camden.