Commentary: Reason for optimism among Camden's schoolchildren

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.

In Lanning Square, KIPP Cooper is wrapping up its second year and its first in a new $50 million facility, a building long promised and finally delivered to the community. With a college-prep curriculum, longer school day and school year, technology for the students, science labs, music and art rooms, athletic fields and field trips, enhanced security, and community health programs, this is the future of education in Camden.

While we are still waiting for this year's results, the early returns have been promising. Last year, as outlined in its annual report to the state, the average KIPP kindergarten student improved on the nationally normed Measures of Academic Progress assessment. KIPP kindergarten students significantly improved their scores, from the 37th to the 63rd percentile in reading and from the 25th to the 68th percentile in math.

There are similar signs of early success at Uncommon and Mastery, where, in addition to positive academic results in the first year, both are on track to complete construction of new neighborhood school buildings for the start of the 2017 school year. For the Whitman Park and Cramer Hill neighborhoods, these buildings will finally provide the quality school facilities families deserve and the quality education students need.

It is important to note that these schools are becoming good community partners. The construction projects offer pre-apprentice training programs to support local hiring. Additionally, neighborhood organizations work with the schools to better support students and their families. Each of these schools is making a meaningful difference beyond the walls of classrooms by building strong relationships and neighborhoods.

When we look ahead five years, nearly 8,000 Camden students will be enrolled in an Urban Hope renaissance school. And while the road ahead is not an easy one, there is no denying that for students in all of Camden's schools, for the first time in far too long, things are getting better.

George E. Norcross III is the chairman of the board of Cooper University Health Care. gnorcross@connerstrong.com