The superintendent of schools in New Jersey's largest district is defending the changes she is trying to implement and discouraging families from participating in a planned boycott.
Newark schools superintendent Cami Anderson tells The Associated Press that missing class hurts students.
She said she will find other ways to hear concerns from parents over changes in the way students are enrolled and other educational issues.
Her remarks came as some parents plan to hold their children out of classes in the public school system Thursday to protest the direction of the district and issues with a new enrollment system.
The most recent anger was set off by problems with a new "One Newark" enrollment system, which has families rank their preferences for public or private schools across the city rather than just attending the nearest school.
