By Bill Wichert, NJ Advance Media for NJ.com
NEWARK — Fighting back tears, Newark student Tanaisa Brown leaned into the microphone and urged the more than 100 community members before her to “stand up, fight back” against the One Newark school reorganization plan.
“It’s clear that the community isn’t taken into consideration and chaos is happening,” said Brown, a junior at Science Park High School and the secretary of the Newark Students Union.
“Don’t let anyone tell you that One Newark isn’t discriminatory,” said Brown, adding that the plan furthers the “systematic oppression of blacks and Latinos.”
Brown, along with fellow students, parents and other community activists, blasted the One Newark plan during a town hall meeting on Monday afternoon at the Clear View Baptist Church in the city’s South Ward.
The criticism centered in large part on transportation issues, class scheduling problems and a lack of teachers. The One Newark plan also came under attack for its enrollment process, and for how some students must travel longer distances to go to school.
Some parents also used the forum to issue a rallying cry for returning local control to the school district, which has operated under state governance since 1993.
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