Two New Jersey districts ready to regain some local control

After more than a decade under the control of the state of New Jersey, the Newark and Jersey City public schools have improved enough to be allowed to take back some of their fiscal and management operations as a first step toward regaining local control. The state education commissioner, Lucille E. Davy, says she will recommend that Newark be given control over such day-to-day operations as maintaining its buildings and addressing student conduct, health and safety issues, areas in which it showed the most improvement. She also will recommend that Jersey City get control over its budget and that its elected school board, which serves in an advisory role, be allowed to take on more responsibilities.
Click here to read The New York Times article.

RELATED: The Camden (N.J.) district is lagging behind most of the districts in the state in solving its problems, according to the state Department of Education report. Camden came in last on all the indicators studied by the New Jersey Quality Single Accountability Continuum. It was found more lacking than any of the others in instruction and program areas as well as personnel, operations and fiscal management.
Click here to read The Philadelphia Inquirer article.