Saturday, December 21, 2013

Ras Baraka for Mayor of Newark

Another important Mayoral election in the struggle to protect public education- this time in Newark- where Cami Anderson is the Superintendent and former Mayor Corey Booker worked arm in glove with NJ Gov Chris Christie to privatize local schools. The lead Mayoral candidate, Ras Baraka, is a public school principal and the most outspoken opponent of the Christie/Anderson strategy to turn Newark into an all charter district on the model of Detroit and New Orleans. A Baraka victory, coming on top of the DeBlasio victory in New York, will be a powerful sign that that grass roots forces are brewing in the Democratic Party to resist Race to the Top, and challenge the Bi Partisan effort- as enthusiastically supported by Bill Clinton and Barack Obama as George Bush father and son- to privatize America's public schools. Keep your eye on the Newark race. This is another chance for teachers to change the course of history.