The Regressives Ep. 3 | The Most Important Education Story You've Never Heard

Lost Debate

The Branch

News, Politics, Society & Culture

4.6 • 607 Ratings

🗓️ 6 February 2022

⏱️ 50 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Camden, NJ was once among the lowest performing school districts in the country. A system that had thirteen superintendents in twenty years and that routinely ranked in the bottom of New Jersey school districts. That changed in 2013, when an unlikely coalition united behind a different kind of education leader and playbook. We look back to one of the most overlooked and important education stories of the past few decades. Subscribe to The Lost Debate’s YouTube channel: https://bit.ly/3Gs5YTF Sticher: https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/the-lost-debate iheart: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/269-the-lost-debate-88330217/ Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.co.uk/podcasts/752ca262-2801-466d-9654-2024de72bd1f/the-lost-debate LOST DEBATE ON SOCIAL: Follow Lost Debate Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lostdebate/ Follow Lost Debate on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@lostdebate Follow Lost Debate on Twitter: https://twitter.com/thelostdebate

Transcript

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0:00.0	I know this isn't easy.
0:07.3	I believe me, I didn't come to this decision easily.
0:12.0	Governor Christie announced the state is taking over the Camden City schools.
0:16.0	Nearly 90% of Camden schools, 23-26, are in the bottom 5% performance-wise of all in New Jersey,
0:24.3	including the three lowest-performing schools in the state.
0:26.7	Governor Christie was back today, announcing his choice for the city's new superintendent.
0:31.5	Superintendent Payman Rohanahefart.
0:34.8	The new superintendent is Payman-Rohanahefer.
0:37.2	He went through an interview with Christy himself.
0:39.5	He lavished praise on his handpicked superintendent, Payman Rohanahfar.
0:43.5	Rahanafar explained that even after some heavy trimming, the state-run school district still has a $47 million deficit.
0:51.3	He has a compelling personal story that includes his families escaped from Iran
0:55.2	after the revolution and their struggles in America, which included a period of homelessness.
1:04.0	I believe in my bones the American dream can live strongly here in Camden.
1:11.6	And one reason I believe that is because I have lived that dream.
1:14.6	We're not acting because we've got everything perfect and we're not acting because we believe we know better.
1:20.6	We're acting because inaction is immoral.
1:22.6	It's been four years since the state took over Camden schools and Christie praised the results.
1:28.3	49% graduation rate back in 2012, 70% graduation rate in 2016.
1:35.3	I've come here to Camden to do something that might have been unthinkable just a few years ago.
1:50.6	And that's to hold you up as a symbol of promise for the name.
1:59.6	This is Robbie Gupta, and you're listening to The Regressives. This is a narrative podcast series from Lost Debate that examines progressive policies, ideas, and leaders in practice.
	...

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