News & Stories

In 2012, the Camden City School District was in a crisis. Twenty-three of 26 district schools were performing in the bottom 5 percent in the state, and many of the schools were in need of significant renovations. Fewer than half of Camden’s students were graduating from high school on time, and those who did graduate were far too often underprepared for the challenges of college, employment, and life.

As chairman of Cooper University Health Care, the largest employer in the city and the county, it was clear to me that students in Camden were being shortchanged and fundamentally needed more from their education system. A transformation was needed in Camden’s education system, and the Urban Hope Act helped make that change possible.

Thanks to the leadership of Gov. Christie, Mayor Dana L. Redd, the district school board and superintendent, the New Jersey Education Association, and religious and community leaders, there are now signs of real progress. When I look across Camden today, for the first time in years, I find myself optimistic about what the future holds for Camden’s children.

For the fourth year in a row, the graduation rate in Camden has increased and is now up to 64 percent. But it’s especially exciting that educational reform, thanks to new legislation, has given thousands of students the opportunity to attend Renaissance schools that have the potential to give them the world-class education they deserve. Renaissance schools are neighborhood schools, not charter schools. That means every student in the school’s catchment area is entitled to attend a local renaissance school.

Made possible through the Urban Hope Act, three new Renaissance projects have opened in Camden. Led by KIPP Cooper, Uncommon, and Mastery – three organizations with long track records of improving academic results – each of these projects represents expanded opportunities and renewed hope for young students and their families.