Special Topics Education in Newark examines the history of education in Newark, New Jersey from the 1950s to the present in the larger context of the history, sociology and politics of urban education and urban educational policy and reform in the United States, New Jersey and Newark. Among the topics to be discussed are the limits and possibilities of urban educational reform; the relationship between poverty and schooling; and a number of policies and reforms that have affected education in Newark. These include: 1. Deindustrialization, white flight, housing policies and the decline of Newark in the 1950s; 2. The decline of the Newark Public Schools in the 1960s; 3.The 1987 State Takeover Law and state takeover in 1995; 4. School Finance Reform: Robinson v. Cahill and Abbott v. Burke; 5. The Effects of a Superintendent: Clifford Janey (2008-2011) and Cami Anderson (2011-2015); 6. The $100 million gift from Mark Zuckerberg, and its processes and effects; 7.  The rise of the charter school sector in Newark: are they more effective?; 8. Postsecondary education and the attempt to raise college attendance and graduation of Newark High School graduates; 9. The return to local control (2017-2018): has the district made progress? Through readings of books, journal articles, and research reports and guest lectures by a number of individuals who have been a major part of the history of education in Newark, students will understand what has happened to education in Newark over the last 70 years and the limits and possibilities of educational reforms in the city.