After two decades under state control, the Newark district in New Jersey will return to local governance by the end of the 2015-16 school year.
The announcement by Gov. Chris Christie and Newark Mayor Ras Baraka came late last month, a week after state education officials announced that Newark Superintendent Cami Anderson was stepping down by July 8. Her replacement is Christopher Cerf, a former state education commissioner.
The troubled Newark school system has been under state control since 1995, with the community agitating in recent years for the right to run the school system. Ms. Anderson, who led the district since 2011, was the target of many critics. Some parents and students boycotted the first week of school last year, largely a protest against her school reform plan and other concerns. And this year, student protesters camped out in a district building asking both for Ms. Anderson to meet with them and for her to resign.
