Governor's Education Task Force Holds Hearing at Seton Hall Today

New Jersey Governor Christie's Education Transformation Task Force will hold a public hearing on Tuesday, July 12 in order "to solicit input for its review of the state’s education regulations," and local proponents of charter school reform are putting out the word.

"We've had excellent momentum for getting the local control charter bill on the docket for the Assembly and Senate and it's been introduced and passed — along with other ed reform bills— in the Assembly," wrote Alle Ries, volunteer with the Maplewood chapter of New Jersey Save Our Schools, a charter reform group. "Unfortunately, it is currently stalled in the Senate. Senate President Steve Sweeney said yesterday that he is not planning to introduce this bill and he is the gatekeeper for legislation."

Ries and other members of SOS are hoping to bring the charter school discussion to the task force at the public hearing, which is scheduled for Tuesday, July 12 at 3:30 p.m. at Seton Hall's McNulty Hall, Amphitheater SC101, 400 South Orange Avenue in South Orange.

As advertised by the Governor's office, the hearing is open to all members of the public.  

Several locally proposed charter schools have been the focus of much debate across South Orange, Maplewood, West Orange, Livingston and Millburn in recent months.

 have applied for approval in local school districts (including one that would be located in Maplewood and draw from the South Orange-Maplewood School District):

• Hanyu International Academy Charter in Livingston, which would offer Mandarin immersion to students in Livingston, Millburn and Short Hills.

• Hua Mei Charter School, would also offer Mandarin immersion. It would be based in Maplewood and serve students from the Livingston, Millburn, South Orange/Maplewood, West Orange, and Union school districts.  anticipates using the former St. Joseph's School on Franklin Street in Maplewood.

In addition, South Orange-Maplewood could also be impacted by the proposed , which would be a "paperless" middle school located in Irvington.

New Jersey Interim Commissioner of Education Christopher Cerf is expected to rule on the proposals in September. If approved, the charters would open in September 2012.

Proponents of the charters say they offer  for groundbreaking educational practices that are not available in local school districts. Opponents contend that the  from districts that are performing well but could be diminished by the diversion of funds to charters.

Cerf has indicated that "boutique" charters such as Mandarin immersion may not be suited for districts that are  A number of school board have  to Cerf asking him to deny the charter proposals. The Maplewood Township Committee also supporting the charter reform bills in the state assembly and senate and expressing its lack of support for the two charters proposed for South Orange-Maplewood. In addition,  was held in Millburn in June.

The Governor's task force was not designed for the discussion of charter schools exclusively, but such a debate does come under its purview. According to the task force's own press release, the Education Transformation Task Force was established by the Governor in April 2011 to address two issues:

• to review all statutes and regulations that affect public education; and
• to recommend a new accountability system that grants more autonomy to schools while maintaining strict accountability for student performance, safety and fiscal responsibility.

The task force is looking for input from members of the community beyond educators — meaning parents, students, residents or anyone interested in education is welcome to attend.

The Task Force is to submit a interim report with its recommendation to the Governor by August 15, 2011 and a final report by December 31, 2011. For those, who cannot attend the hearing, suggestions and thoughts can also be provided to the task force via email (regreform@doe.state.nj.us) or postal mail (Education Transformation Task Force, c/o Department of Education, 100 Riverview Plaza, PO Box 500, Trenton, NJ 08625).

Save Our Schools is hoping to have voices supporting the at the hearing. Like the Assembly bills before, the Senate legislation would give voters local control over charter schools approval in their districts and assurances that charters are more transparent and accountable to local residents.

Wrote Ries, "We need voices and bodies there to ensure that this issue remains on the front burner. Our local districts have been very vocal on this issue and we cannot let up now. If you have some time tomorrow and can go by the hearing, sign in, try to get on the list of speakers or even register your concern with the aides who will be staffing the event — it would make a HUGE impact."