This morning, Teach for America New Jersey will convene Newark education leaders, policymakers, advocates, and community members for an event entitled “From Literacy To Livelihood: Linking Arms For New Jersey’s Kids,” focused on the urgent need to ensure every child reads on grade level. The event highlights a sobering reality: fewer than half of Newark students are reading proficiently by fourth grade.

The following is a statement from Assemblyman Alex Sauickie:

“Every child in New Jersey deserves the opportunity to read at grade level and receive a quality education, regardless of zip code, and I commend Teach for America New Jersey and the many teachers, parents, advocates, and community leaders fighting every day to improve literacy outcomes and create real opportunity for Newark’s children.

But while we recognize those who are promoting solutions, we cannot ignore the catastrophic academic failures happening inside Newark Public Schools under Superintendent Roger Leon.

The facts are undeniable: Just 34% of Newark Public Schools students are meeting basic state requirements in English Language Arts, and in many schools fewer than 20% of third graders are reading at grade level. This isn’t a partisan issue, it’s a moral one.

Despite record amounts of funding courtesy of New Jersey taxpayers, academic performance in Newark continues to collapse.  And instead of doing something to change course, taxpayers are forced to endure self-promotional public events (Facebook Video), embarrassing national media appearances (Fox Business Interview), contract controversies (Chalkbeat Reporting), and a bloated administration drunk on highly paid patronage jobs (NJ.com Reporting) and an offensive amount of taxpayer-funded travel (NJ Ed Report).

Enough is enough.  Taxpayers deserve complete transparency on where this money is going, why it is producing such poor academic outcomes, and whether reported graduation rates truly reflect students being prepared for success.

Last, but not least, taxpayers deserve answers on why Roger Leon’s contract was extended for two more years – without public comment – despite his obvious failures.  If this were a private company he would have been fired for cause years ago.  It begs the question – who is protecting this man and why? Is it Mayor Baraka?  Is it Senator Ruiz?  No more should any of these folks be able to duck accountability for what is transpiring on their watch.

If they won’t fight to get Newark students and parents the answers they deserve, I will.