Shavar Jeffries will take over as the head of Democrats for Education Reform, according to multiple media reports
In an interview with NJ Advance Media on Friday, the 40-year-old Jeffries said he will take over as national president of Democrats For Education Reform later this month. The organization pushes members of the party to support charter schools, merit-based teacher pay, expansion of school choice programs and other changes to public education.
A city native raised by his grandmother after his single mother's murder, he spent time in Newark schools before earning a scholarship to Seton Hall Prep, he graduated from Columbia University's law school, and served as assistant state attorney under Attorney General Anne Milgram from 2008 to 2010.
The first member of his family to graduate college, he said his path toward higher education helped shape his views on providing greater opportunities for children in Newark and other poor, urban communities.
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"It is disproportionately poor people of color who have been stuck with whatever school is up the bock, regardless of whether it's preparing kids for a global economy," he said.
"If schools year after year, decade after decade, don't perform, there has to be accountability."
As he hopes to advance education reforms, Jeffries need not look any further than his own city to see many of the pitfalls those who share his vision often face.
A former president of Newark's TEAM Academy, a charter school. He won a seat on the city's School Advisory Board and took over as chair in 2010, but often clashed with other members who opposed the proliferation of charters.
In 2011, he had a public falling out with Newark North Ward power broker Steve Adubato, after he accused his former ally of manipulating other board members into voting against the creation of alternative schools.
Reforms backed by the state have drawn a mixed response from the community. Nearly 40 percent of all Newark students now attend charters, but declining enrollment in district schools has forced closures, layoffs and budget cuts, spurring criticism and widespread mistrust of those implementing the systemic changes.
Jeffries said he agrees with other reform proponents that better outreach and communications strategies can help inner-city parents the benefits of breaking away from tradition, but also said he hopes to work with teachers unions and other groups that have historically opposed reforms.
"We have to be clear, and we have to change things. And change isn't easy," he said. "We have to be smarter and more effective."
Jeffries' stance on education often took center stage during his heated race against current Mayor Ras Baraka, a noted opponent of the state's moves to encourage charters, an open enrollment system and other reforms in Newark.
However, Jeffries said he believes the Democratic party as a whole has begun to embrace changes to public education, citing President Barack Obama and U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan's competitive grant program, Race to the Top, introduced in 2009.
"We're optimistic that the next, hopefully Democratic administration, will continue and build upon the legacy of the president," he said.
In a statement issued by DFER, former U.S. Senator from Louisiana Mary Landrieu said she believed Jeffries had the "vision, drive and limitless potential" to help the organization advance its mission nationwide.
"His commitment to the students of Newark and his genuine passion for helping all kids get the educational opportunities that allow them the chance to succeed is infectious," she said.
Along with his work at DFER, Jeffries is working with the New Jersey law firm Lowenstein Sandler, where he was hired as a partner in November.
Dan Ivers may be reached at divers@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter at @DanIversNJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
