In a letter to the editor, Jersey City resident Robert Knapp expresses why he feels the local board of education should fully support Superintendent of Schools Franklin Walker and his administration.
Dear Members of the Jersey City Board of Education,
I am respectfully submitting this communication to the Trustees of the Jersey City Board of Education in support of our Superintendent of Schools, the Honorable Franklin Walker.
I have researched the following and to the best of my knowledge this information is accurate. If I am inaccurate in any way, I offer my apology.
Our Superintendent of Schools has achieved:
• Balanced the 2020-2021 budget with deficit without a single lay off
• Relaunching the A Harry Moore School program in the AHM building by fixing the building and ensuring a five year contract with New Jersey City University with stability to the program serving eighty of the most vulnerable children
• Committing to the launch of a VO TECH middle school that will assist our children on pathways to career and higher education
• Legal action involving over two billion dollars in funds owed to the Jersey City Schools since the issues with the Christie administration
• Overseeing a complete overhaul of the education and curriculum across the school district with the launch of project “turn around”
•Comprehensive and caring leadership through this pandemic managing the education of over 30,000 children virtually over the last ten months
•Ensuring that 10,000 children who did not possess laptops were provided chrome books
Free Wi-Fi hot spots for children without Wi Fi at home
•Ensuring the daily delivery of food to 20,000 households with the innovative Meals on Wheels bus program
•Maintaining the CDC guideline for staff and training
•Fully engaged the community by seeking parent/community surveys and shaping COVID 19 policy in accordance with community and parents involvement
We request the Jersey City Board of Education to place children first and fully support Superintendent Walker and his administration which is in the best interest of our children.
We request the board to ensure Superintendent Walker receive the resources and support to effectuate through the demands of education for our children during this most horrific to times.
Respectfully submitted,
Robert B. Knapp
Jersey City resident
