School Board Candidate Forum Planned In Newark: 2023 Election

NEWARK, NJ — A pair of nonprofits in Newark will host a public forum on Wednesday, April 12 for Newark Board of Education candidates running in the city’s 2023 school election.

Newark Trust for Education (NTE) and Project Ready recently announced details of the forum, which will take place at 6 p.m. The event will be livestreamed online here and here.

This year, eight candidates will be competing for three school board seats on the nine-member board in the April 25 election. Terms on the Newark Board of Education last for three years.

Josephine Garcia and Hasani Council – both current members of the school board – are running on the “Moving Newark Forward” slate with Allison James-Frison, who ran for the board last year. They will face challenges from the “Newark Kids Forward” slate, featuring Tawana Johnson-Emory, James Wright Jr. and Thomas Luna, who also ran in 2022. The candidates also include Ade’Kamil Kelly, who is running under the “We Deserve Better” slogan, and Latoya Jackson, who didn’t list a slogan as part of the filing paperwork. Read More: 8 Candidates File To Run In Newark School Board Election

Newark voters will also get a chance to cast a ballot for the local school budget in the April 25 election. Read More: Newark Will Vote On School Budget In 2023 Election (What To Know)

According to a news release from organizers:

“NTE’s and Project Ready’s goal for the forum is to bring different perspectives together and engage the community on how to best serve the district’s students. Candidates will share their ideas, values, and visions for Newark and its educational system – and answer questions submitted by community members, including students. They will also be asked to address questions about the $1.3 billion proposed budget for next year’s school budget, which is largely controlled by the Board of Education.”

“Post-pandemic in the state’s largest school system, only 27 percent of Newark students are proficient in English while families continue to face barriers to educational attainment and civic participation,” Project Ready CEO Shennell McCloud said.

“We need to do better for our students which is why Project Ready and Newark Trust are partnering to seize the moment and create this space to educate our community,” McCloud said.

Ronald Chaluisan, executive director of Newark Trust for Education, said local families, educators and community members are becoming more aware of the impact of COVID-19 on students' learning.

“We need to commit to working with parents to develop awareness, practices, and advocacy for addressing literacy development for kids across the city – and to forming strong partnerships between parents, community organizations and the school board,” Chaluisan said. “It is essential for Newark voters to be aware of who the candidates are and what their position is on issues such as literacy proficiency that affect students, educators, and administrators today and into the future.”

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