PATERSON, N.J. – Gov. Chris Christie announced Wednesday that Paterson will be the first New Jersey city to try a community-based approach to education inspired by New York education reformer Geoffrey Canada.
Canada considers a child’s home life, neighborhood and nutritional needs part of the learning environment. His nonprofit Harlem Children’s Zone engages community partners to develop a holistic, or comprehensive, approach to K-12 education that emphasizes college graduation as the students’ long-term goal.
“The Harlem Children’s Zone is a great idea,” Christie said of the holistic education program Canada founded. “Good ideas are rare. Great ideas are a miracle. What Geoff Canada is doing for the children of his community every day represents a miracle, a miracle we’d like to replicate in New Jersey for the children of Paterson. And, once we show we have success here in Paterson, to extend it to other communities throughout New Jersey.”
Christie said the state Education Department is working with Canada to develop a similar program in Paterson.
The governor said the northern New Jersey city of 146,000 was selected as the model because it already had willing political and education partners in place and a robust nonprofit partner in the New Jersey Community Development Corp., a private community development and social services agency that runs a charter school.
“We are going to realize this goal because of community leadership at NJCDC and their passion for the children of this community,” Christie said.
About 30,000 students attend Paterson schools. Half graduate from high school in four years.
