Parents and advocates gather at Newark City Hall after U.S. Department of Education opened a civil rights investigation into the city’s school reorganization plan.

By Peggy McGlone | Originally Published at New Jersey Dot Com. – The Star-Ledger. July 24, 2014 at 6:00 AM, updated July 24, 2014 at 6:58 AM

NEWARK — The U.S. Department of Education is investigating whether Newark’s school reorganization plan discriminates against African-American students after people opposed to the plan filed a federal complaint about it.

The investigation by the department’s Office of Civil Rights comes after parents and a local education advocacy organization filed a civil rights complaint in May charging that the One Newark plan — set to begin in September — unfairly harms African-American children and their families. The controversial plan consolidates or relocates one-quarter of the schools in the state-run district. It also allows charter schools to operate in three city-owned facilities.

A U.S. Department of Education spokesman confirmed the investigation was opened this month by the Office of Civil Rights.

“OCR is currently investigating whether Newark Public Schools’ enactment of the ‘One Newark’ plan discriminated against black students on the basis of race,” the spokesman said. “As it is an open investigation, we cannot share any further information.”

Newark parents opposed to the proposed school reorganization hailed the decision Wednesday.

Leaders of the Newark branch of Parents Unified for Local School Education, or PULSE, joined Newark parents and members of a national civil rights advocacy organization at City Hall Wednesday to pledge to continue pushing for a halt to Newark Superintendent Cami Anderson’s plan.

“Closing the doors of public schools is not the way to improve public schools,” PULSE founder Sharon Smith said.

Unveiled in December, One Newark will consolidate and relocate one-quarter of the schools in the state-run district. The plan also calls for three charter schools to open in neighborhood schools. A fourth, Hawthorne Avenue School, will remain a traditional district school.

Smith said African-American students make up about half of the district’s population but comprise 86 percent of the students affected by the reorganization plan.

Smith stood with advocates from Baltimore, New Orleans and Chicago and with officials for Journey for Justice, a national civil rights group that filed the Title VI Civil Rights complaint in May on behalf of the Newark families affected by the proposed changes.

‘Failed’ Policies

Jitu Brown, Journey For Justice’s national director, framed the school battle as a human rights issue that disproportionately affects African-American families “You will not force failed education policies on our children any longer,” Brown said. “We want sustainable community schools, and a world class education for our children regardless of race or economic status.”

The Newark district said it will cooperate with the investigation.

“While the initiation of an investigation is a routine matter, we take all allegations seriously,” Charlotte Hitchcock, chief of staff and general counsel for Newark Public Schools, said in a statement. “We remain steadfast in our belief that the One Newark plan is not discriminatory and is, in fact, predicated on the goals of equity and excellent educational options for all of our students regardless of race, socioeconomic status or learning ability.”

The reorganization has been under fire since it was first presented. Community pushback led to some changes, including a reversal on the decision to convert Weequahic High School to single-sex academies. Hawthorne Avenue, which was supposed to be turned over to a charter, will remain a K-8 district school.

State officials responded to the outcry, too. When announcing a new three-year contract with Anderson, acting Education Commissioner David Hespe announced the formation of a group that would seek community involvement to work on the plan.

PULSE and several Newark parents acknowledged the investigation is a symbolic victory. Smith and other members of PULSE filed a similar complaint in 2012 and that investigation has yet to be completed. More importantly, the decision comes six weeks before Newark’s 38,000 students return to class under the reorganized system.

A Call To Continue

Tawanda Sheard, one of the parents named in the current complaint, said the community needs to continue to protest even if the plan becomes a reality.

“We must continue to have rallies, to try to meet with Anderson and try to get the word out,” Sheard said, adding that the goal is to stop the reorganization from going forward.

“If it doesn’t happen this year, it might happen the following year.”