The former schools superintendent in Newark has once again stepped into the spotlight after her recent school reform admissions this weekend.
Cami Anderson known for her relentless support for the highly controversial education reform of Newark Schools stated the following at a popular summit session on Saturday that was reported by the Washington Post:
“Here is the inconvenient truth: Education, including education reform, is part of the problem,” said Cami Anderson. “We have not made a dent in the problem, and in some cases we’ve made it worse.”
According to the Washington Post, Anderson, (a former alumna for Teach for America) said the reform movement of TFA has turned a blind eye to constant complaints about schools where they secretly "pushed out" the most difficult kids in the district meting out harsh discipline and high rates of suspensions that saw these kids enter what Anderson described as the "school-to prison pipeline"
"Why has the school reform community been largely silent about the school-to-prison reform?" Anderson said.
According to the Washington Post, the district has nearly seven civil rights violation complaints that are being investigated by The U.S. Department of Education.
"Critics of TFA and corporate school reform have urgently asking for years why is there silence in addressing the school-to-prison pipeline?" Anderson continued.
According to the Washington Post, Anderson't remarks come at a time when TFA itself is said to be rethinking its own tactics.
Founded by Wendy Kopp, it became famous for recruiting new college graduates and giving them five weeks of training in the summer before sending them into high-poverty schools to work as teachers (not interns) The Washington Post noted.
This prompted criticism that corps members were not properly prepared for teaching high-needs students and that they were being recruited by school districts at the expense of veteran teachers and of the teaching profession in general The Washington Post continued.
INFO SOURCE: The Washington Post, February 7, 2016