4. In Newark, Students Walk Out on Christie
On November 4, the Newark Student Union organized a boycott of school to protest the lack of funding and respect given to students by Chris Christie and state-appointed superintendent Cami Anderson. Students from across the district converged at two locations, Christie’s office downtown and Anderson’s home. We attempted to deliver three packages: for Christie, a petition and letter demanding proper funding; for education commissioner Chris Cerf, a sock puppet and letter explaining that we disapprove of his role as a puppet in Christie’s administration; and, for Anderson, a sock puppet and petition demanding that she donate her recent $50,000 bonus to the Newark Public School District. Although the process was peaceful, each delivery attempt was thwarted by police or security. Still, we showed that we are not just a throwaway district or a bunch of statistics. We have voices, and we will use them.
—Kristin Towkaniuk
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