View Resource: Camden Press Release Announcing Restarts Schools in March 2015
The Camden City School District released this press announcement in March 2015 to communicate its decision to “transform” five of its lowest performing schools through restarts with high-performing school operators. The press release is a lengthy document that provides a comprehensive description of the restart process that addresses many of the key process steps in the Guide, including: vision for student success in Camden schools, criteria for identifying schools, highlights of community engagement activities and messages of support from local community leaders, non-negotiables for the restart schools (e.g. student enrollment, new facilities, etc.), brief summaries of the restart operator organizations, and details about plans for the five restart schools.
Outcomes and Lessons Learned: This release was ultimately more of a summary of the decisions themselves, rather than a helpful tool or guide in its own right. It did reflect, however, what was a largely positive community reaction to the changes, however that reaction was likely much more the result of ongoing engagement efforts and clear parent demand for changes.
Related Resources:
Camden Neighborhood Meeting Presentation
Camden Press Release Announcing Community Benefit Agreements in February 2016