On the evening of April 5, Camden residents, students, state and local education officials, community and business leaders gathered at Brimm Medical Arts High School to participate in a forum to address the challenges facing Camden’s public school system. The discussion topics included the importance of implementing Abbott requirements, improving fiscal operations, restoring proper testing procedures, increasing student achievement, school security, infrastructure development, and promoting community/school interaction. With 180 attendees, the forum provided a platform for an exchange of diverse ideas that underscore the need for a dialogue between the community members in Special Needs Districts such as Camden and the state officials who oversee the reform efforts in those districts.

The idea for a community forum originated with members of the advisory council of the Education Law Center’s Camden Initiative, who wanted to engage the disparate actors involved in the fight for Camden’s public schools and bring specific concerns to the State’s attention. The Camden Initiative’s advisory council wrote two letters asking the State Education Commissioner Lucille Davy to report to the community on the status of the State’s intervention team, comprehensive fiscal audit, corrective action plans for testing, and fiscal monitor performance benchmarks. The Commissioner’s failure to respond to those letters spurred the group to action.

In January of 2007, the advisory council set the groundwork for the first Camden Community Forum in an effort to amplify and integrate the voices of those invested in improving Camden’s public school system. In partnership with the Camden Education Association (CEA), the New Jersey Education Association (NJEA), and the Camden City Public Schools (CCPS), the first Camden Community Forum encouraged state education officials, activists, local school officials, and community members to open the lines of communication to strengthen Camden’s public schools.

The forum concentrated on proposed school reforms, historical challenges facing the district, and potential remedies to those challenges. Panelists at the event were: David Sciarra, Esq., Executive Director, Education Law Center; Dr. Leonard Fitts, Interim Superintendent; Mr. Philip Freeman, Former President, Camden City Board of Education; Dr. Penelope Lattimer, Assistant Commissioner, Division of District & School Improvement (and Director, Camden Intervention Team) New Jersey Department of Education; Dr. Walter C. Farrell, Jr., Associate Director of the Urban Investment Strategies Center, University of North Caroline at Chapel Hill; Mr. Kenneth McIntosh, President, Camden Education Association; Ms. Carmen Stokes, Resident, parent, and Special Investigator for the CCPS Solution Center; and Ms. Jocelyn Toledo, Student, Creative Arts High School.

The panel suggested that while progress is being made on some fronts, the community continues to have several pressing concerns. The audience also raised questions about the State’s role in addressing the practical needs of Camden’s students and schools. Salient local issues emerged within the larger context of New Jersey’s Abbott court rulings.. The Forum provided an opportunity to inform community members about the State’s constitutional obligations under the Abbott rulings.

According to the evaluation forms distributed at the event, participants in the first Camden Community Forum were overwhelmingly pleased with the discussion; 87% of survey respondents recorded their overall satisfaction with the forum and 91% expressed interest in attending future meetings. A majority found the panelist presentations and the question-and-answer session helpful, and learned something new during the program. The positive response highlights importance of broad stakeholder dialogue in addressing public school challenges, informing the community about their rights and responsibilities under law, and building consensus for reform around local concerns. It also sends a message to State officials that local concerns are paramount to the implementation of school reform. The Camden Initiative is currently planning follow-up discussions on topics raised at the First Camden Community Forum.

For more information, contact Lauren Hill, Project Director at lhill@edlawcenter.org .

Prepared: May 8, 2007