By Nahlee Smith | Insider NJ
“Last November I joined five other Newark women in a fight for our kids’ education. While we all come from different backgrounds and families, we have two important things in common – we are not satisfied with our City’s public schools and we are tired of being ignored.
I know that there are caring and effective teachers in Newark public schools, but for me, their hard work was overshadowed after an incident involving my youngest son. One day, he ran home after school, burst into the house and was in tears about six words that would forever change me. He showed me a picture he drew in class and said, “my teacher said this looked stupid.” While I would later learn that I was not alone – that many Newarkers share heartbreaking stories like this – I will never forget the pain, frustration, and loneliness I felt listening to my child.”