School Board Casts No Confidence Vote Against Superintendent

The recently reorganized Newark Public School Advisory Board Tuesday unanimously cast a no-confidence vote against state-appointed Superintendent Cami Anderson, Nj.com and other sources reported.

"The vote is intended to send a message to the superintendent that we’re not satisfied with her work," board chair Antoinette Baskerville-Richardson was quoted saying. "When we request important information from her, we don’t get it, and she refuses to compromise on her version of reform."

The vote is non-binding. The school advisory board cannot select the superintendent or make decisions on most administrative issues while the Newark Public Schools remain under state control. The state took over New Jersey’s largest public school system in 1995. 

There has been friction between the board and Anderson since not long after she was appointed by the state Department of Education in 2011. Anderson came to Newark just as momentum was building for control to be restored to local elected officials.A lawsuit is currently making its way through the courts regarding the restortion of local control.

Last month, in another unprecedented move, the board also unanimously rejected Anderson’s proposed $950 million budget, although board approval is not required for its passage.

During a forum for advisory board candidates last month, all six of those seeking a seat on the board likewise panned Anderson’s performance as superintendent, giving her a “failing grade.”