Charter Schools: What's Next?

A forum to tell school districts, including Montclair's, what lies ahead in the world of charter schools will be held tonight.

The meeting is scheduled for 7:45 p.m. at Millburn High School, and will include a panel discussion of the charter school process in New Jersey, including the current legal and , charter school funding and the implications for the school districts. 

The public is encouraged to attend this informational meeting, however a participation portion is not planned. The forum will include school leaders from Princeton, where charter schools have existed for more than a decade.

Locally, founders of Quest Academy have filed an application with the NJ Department of Education for charter approval. The application has created concerns that they will funnel public money away from a high-performing school system.

The New Jersey Charter Schools Association says it asked to be represented at the forum on Monday but was denied a seat. In a by Patch sites in Essex County on Saturday, Carlos Pérez, the group’s President and CEO, says views opposing the charters are misguided::

“Our children need to be challenged so they can compete in a global economy. If charter schools shake up the status quo and force good suburban schools to become great world-class schools, then charter schools are serving their purpose,” Pérez said.

Meanwhile, school districts are educating themselves on the two charters that filed applications with the NJ Department of Education.

Hanyu International Academy in nearby Livingston would be a two-way immersion Mandarin/English public school, according to its application. It identifies an empty office park off Route 10 as the school’s potential site, Regent Park, which is next to a Chinese martial arts center that recently opened on Oknar Parkway.

Millburn’s former mayor, Thomas C. McDermott Jr., signed a petition to support the charter, the application says. The school lists 13 founders altogether with diverse and varied expertise.

If approved, the school would draw students from Livingston and surrounding communities. The application points out that this region has the largest Mandarin Chinese speaking population in Northern Jersey.

Jutta Gassner-Snyder, lead founder of The Hua Mei Charter School, filed the second application. She is a Diplomat of Oriental Medicine practicing acupuncture and Chinese herbology, according to the application. Twelve founders are listed. “We are moms, dads, scientists, artists, actors, teachers, linguists, economists, writers, musicians, medical professionals, and healers,” the application says.

The Hua Mei Charter would be housed in the St. Joseph’s RC Church on Prospect Avenue in Maplewood and draw students from surrounding communities, the application says.

Both schools propose to use a bilingual immersion Mandarin model. If approved, they would open in September 2012 for Grades K-2 and expand over time.

If theses charters are approved by the NJ Department of Education, the school districts would pick up 90 percent of the cost per student. Livingston, for instance, could expect to pay close to $502,000 for estimated enrollment the first year. That figure is based on 122 students in the charter, with one-third coming from Livingston, according to Livingston councilwoman Deborah Shapiro.

The amount is calculated based on the $13,712 per-student cost Livingston schools spend to educate each of nearly 6,000 students, according to Livingston’s budget presentation.

"According to the way charters are set up right now, they will drain money from the school district," said West Orange Superintendent of Schools Anthony Cavanna.

The panel on Monday will include:

• Princeton Regional School District Superintendent, Dr. Judy Wilson and Princeton Board of Education members.
• Lynne Strickland, Executive Director of the Garden State Coalition of Schools.
• Katrina Bulkley, Associate Professor of Educational Leadership, Montclair State University.
• Anthony Sciarrillo, Esq., School Board Attorney.

“Critics are quick to dismiss charter schools that teach languages like Mandarin Chinese, derisively referring to them as ‘boutique schools,’ “ said Pérez, of the Charter Schools Association. “But now, more than ever, the children of today will have to compete in an interconnected world where having language skills and a deep appreciation of culture will be in high demand. New Jersey charter schools are responding to that need now.”

Millburn High School is located at 434 Millburn Ave., Millburn. For questions or more information call (973) 376-3600, ext. 163 or email webmaster@millburn.org.

For more on the charter school effort in Montclair, go here.