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Randi Weingarten, who as the president of the American Federation of Teachers personally oversaw negotiations over the Newark contract in 2012 and hailed it at the time, on Monday called Ms. Anderson’s departure 'an opportunity to undo the many mistakes made under her leadership.'”
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Mark Biedron, president of the state board, said he hopes the change in superintendents can help Newark children. 'If this leads to the people of Newark having local control over the school district, then I think it's a good thing.'"
Assemblyman Patrick Diegnan: "I think it's a positive step. Regardless of Cami's motivation, she was a divisive factor in Newark," Diegnan said. "Everybody's got to get back on the same page."
Senator Teresa Ruiz: "It's been a troubling and difficult last several years under Cami Anderson for families, students and faculty."
New Jersey Communities United: "The community of students, parents, teachers and concerned residents has never been about the narrow goal of Cami’s resignation," Trina Scordo, the organization's executive director, said in a press release. "The movement in Newark to reclaim our public schools has been about local democratic control, increasing the resources and funding needed to strengthen Newark’s public schools, developing community schools and ensuring a strong future for our children. Unless her permanent replacement is selected by the Newark community, and until Newark’s schools are properly funded, the movement to reclaim our public schools will continue," Scordo added.
Noble Milton, a father of a graduating senior at Newark's Science Park High School, a selective magnet school, referring to Anderson's One Newark plan that offered universal school choice: "She was disrupting schools that are working. Especially schools like Science. I think you should pair kids who want to work hard with kids who want to work hard," he said. "You're trying to disrupt something that's working — if it's not broke, don't try to fix it.
Lucious Jones, "outspoken parent activist and frequent thorn in Anderson's side": “They gave us back the keys to the community." When asked whether Cerf was seen as a more promising than Anderson, he said, “We’re willing to start somewhere. If that means starting again with Cerf, I think he at least has some sensitivity.”
Donald Jackson, Newark Advisory School Board member: "That's not a good replacement."
John Mooney: "Anderson’s departure was long rumored." And, 'I think there was a sense that she was not going to last out her full contract and it was a matter of some timing. I think the surprise to it was that it germinated very quickly over the last week or so and the fact that Chris Cerf is going to be coming in to replace her. I mean, he was very closely aligned to her,' Mooney said. 'He appointed her to this job and had been one of her strongest cheerleaders and now is coming in and it’s an interesting choice. Her big issue had been her relationship with the community. Whether he can calm those concerns, we’ll see. That’s going to be the big question going forward.'”