Great op ed about Cami Anderson

A great op ed about Cami Anderson:

Newark has a strong superintendent who will bring unique and admirable qualities to the challenge of reforming our city's schools.

"So what does this woman know about our children?" I was asked. "Shouldn't we have a superintendent who can serve as a role model? Why haven't we had a Hispanic superintendent?" These are understandable questions in a city where more than 90 percent of the school children are black or Hispanic.

But I would argue those questions are neither timely nor right, given the enormous hurdles we face in reconstructing a system that has tolerated too much failure for far too long.

…The imperative for Newark now is to have the best superintendent we can find. I wish there could have been more minority choices in the pool, but there were not. Anderson and one other candidate stood clearly at the head of the pack. Anderson captured my attention not because she lives in Harlem. I was impressed with her knowledge, experience working with disadvantaged populations and her spunk, particularly when she said, "One thousand parents are showing up for meetings? That's the kind of place I want to work." I feel confident the right candidate was selected.

Newark is poised for an important spurt of change. Making the most of this opportunity will require all parties to work together and look to the future.

Discussion now needs to turn to how do we best provide a system that truly works for all the children of Newark

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Cami Anderson is the white girl from Harlem

Published: Sunday, May 08, 2011, 5:44 AM

by Star-Ledger Guest Columnist The Star-Ledger

http://blog.nj.com/njv_guest_blog/2011/05/cami_anderson_is_the_white_gir.html