To the Editor:
Cami Anderson’s Jan. 27 Commentary, “The Third Way: A Mixed-Market Approach to Schooling,” did not include a word about the controversy behind her departure as the superintendent of Newark’s public school system.
Anderson was essentially forced out of her high-paying job because of what were seen as failures in her restructuring plan for the district. Professional educator Ras Baraka’s successful campaign for mayor of Newark won largely because he campaigned on a promise to return control of the public schools to the city itself after 20 years of state control. He entered office calling for Anderson’s resignation.
The whole sad story of the Newark school mess is detailed in journalist Dale Russakoff’s incisive, well-researched, behind-the-scenes book The Prize: Who’s in Charge of America’s Schools? (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2015).
Edd Doerr
President
Americans for Religious Liberty
Silver Spring, Md.