Letter to the Editor: 'Extreme Concern' About Proposed Virtual Charter School
Proposed virtual charter school would place unfair burden on Teaneck and other districts, letter says.
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My niece is a student at Thomas Jefferson Middle School. I am writing to express my extreme concern regarding the application for charter submitted by the Garden State Virtual Charter School. I am appalled that the New Jersey Department of Education would even consider granting a charter to a group that has submitted an application with a host of unsubstantiated claims that poses a considerable monetary threat to an existing public school system.
Teaneck already has a well established charter school as well as many private schools that serve the needs of those who choose not to utilize the public schools. There is no need for another charter that offers nothing materially differently other than its method of delivery.
A virtual charter school that serves the entire state should not and must not be funded by a single school district. This would be an unfair and undue burden on Teaneck or any other school district.
I urge you to take the fair and reasonable step of denying the charter for the Garden State Virtual Charter School.
-- Michelle D. Grady
Karin Kiesow-Irvine
1:42 pm on Tuesday, December 6, 2011
Really?! I am neither for nor against this Charter School but can we be honest, Teaneck is not required to FUND this new Charter School unless it has students that will be attending it!
Margot Fisher
6:03 pm on Tuesday, December 6, 2011
A link to the DOE letter is posted on the district website. http://teaneckschools.org/cms/lib2/NJ01001582/Centricity/Domain/197/NJDOE-LetterToDistrict.pdf
The district s legally obligated to fund at the level recommended by the state. Since there is no way of knowing until October 2012 exactly where the students are from, the funding has to be put in place using a worst-case scenario in February 2012. By law, the dismissal notices need to go out before the end of the school year, so no matter where the students come from, the damage to Teaneck schools is done. Our only recourse in October will be to send invoices to the districts where the students came from. Plus, who is to say that all 1,000 students will NOT come from Teaneck? The charter says Teaneck students get preferential approval.
Lisa Rhodes
10:21 pm on Tuesday, December 6, 2011
Why would 1,000 students want to leave Teaneck schools to attend this proposed charter school? The founding board member has been clear it is a statewide school. It seems virtually impossible that 1,000 students would come from one district. How do you know the charter application was submitted, "...with a host of unsubstantiated claims?" It seems this school is about CHOICE that parents can make for their child. What if this could help a student be successful? Why would anyone want to stand in the way of that? This continues to feel like it is about politics and now what is best for the children of NJ.
Mark
11:17 pm on Tuesday, December 6, 2011
Lisa - Teaneck Schools should be outraged. The proposed virtual school has made it very clear that they do not anticipate 1,000 students from Teaneck, yet DOE tells them to reserve $15M. What gives?
Mark
11:13 pm on Tuesday, December 6, 2011
Margot - If 1,000 Teaneck students actually CHOOSE to go to actually go to this school, it says something about Teaneck PublicSchools.