Newark School Board Members Have It Backwards. Here’s How To Get Democracy Back.

After a quarter-century of state control, in 2017 Newark Public Schools finally got the green light to get our district back. This was cause for great celebration as now the School Board, elected by voters, is no longer “advisory” but has full power to make decisions that are in the best interests of our students, parents, and community.

How’s that working out?

It’s not. 

Why? Because school board members defer to Superintendent Roger Leon on every decision, we’ve sacrificed the balance of power that is so fundamental to democratic functions. The school board doesn’t run the district: Leon does. That’s a dictatorship, not a democracy. 

After all, isn’t it the job of a school board to hold the superintendent accountable for student learning, school climate, and, in Newark’s case, wisely managing a $1.3 billion budget? 

Let’s take three examples.

When anti-Black racism erupted at Global Studies High School, the board commissioned a report paid for by the taxpayers. We all assumed we’d have access to the report; so did board members. But Leon wants to keep it private, releasing only an exceedingly vague overview. If Newark Public Schools had proper governance, a healthy balance of power, this report would be public. But it’s not because that’s how Leon wants it. 

Another example: Back in January the school board extended Leon’s contract an additional five years, until June 30, 2028. This extension occurred during a sparsely-attended meeting where the formal agenda made no note of this intended action.It also happened without any community input or even prior public notice, even though state regulations say the board has to tell the public 30 days before taking such action in order to allow public comment. 

This extension occurred during a sparsely-attended meeting where the formal agenda made no note of this intended action, even though board members still had two full years to evaluate Leon’s performance before the contract’s renewal date. It also happened without prior public notice, even though state regulations say the board has to tell the public 30 days before taking such action in order to allow public comment. 

The New Jersey School Boards Association says the role of the school board is “to represent the concerns of the citizens, taxpayers, and parents.” 

How can the board represent the public’s concerns when it doesn’t even give them notice of what’s happening?

Finally, several members of the board have expressed reservations about having one lawyer represent both Leon and board members. They have spoken about the conflict of interest inherent in this arrangement, especially after that secret renewal of Leon’s contract when some members of the public threatened legal action. After all, how can the board be represented by a lawyer who is a district employee and whose boss is the superintendent?  How is that not the same as a pro athlete being represented by an agent who is paid by the team with whom he is negotiating a new contract?

Where are the checks and balances for this odd arrangement? They don’t exist. We didn’t get local control back, we just got a takeover by a single person instead of the state. 

Right now Newark voices are muffled by the same conditions we had under state control. We’re also well on our way to recreating the same set of circumstances (overspending, basement-level student achievement, corruption) that led to state control in the first place. 

I call upon the newly-elected School Board President Hasani Council and the rest of the board to step up and run a democratic organization with a proper separation and balance of powers. The people of Newark, especially students and parents, need their interests protected. Right now, the only person the Board is protecting is Roger Leon.