New Jersey Unilaterally Taking Control of Camden’s Schools

“Desperate times” is the thinking here. Chris Christie has decided to placing Camden’s school district–the worst performing in New Jersey–under state control, like Newark, Paterson, and Jersey City before it. It seems like precisely the sort of brash ed reform move Christie’s gotten attention for in the past three years, but this is in fact his first schools takeover. Camden is also in the process of replacing its police force with a county-wide squad. Camden, which receives 86% of its schools budget from the state, better get used to taking orders from Trenton. As the Newark example shows, even if a school district makes progress, the state has been loath to give up control. [Inquirer]