Charter Schools, Future of Public Education to be Discussed at Forum

The League of Women Voters of Northern Valley will host a forum on charter schools and the future of public education tonight at Englewood Hospital and Medical Center.

Stan Karp, director of the Secondary Reform Project at the Education Law Center, will speak on current issues in education, the impact of charter schools on public education, and the history of charter and voucher proposals, a LWV press release said.

The free event starts at 7:30 p.m. in the medical center’s auditorium. Guests should enter through the main entrance.

The Christie Administration has made charter schools a key component of the state’s education reform plan, but the schools have sparked controversy locally.

, a planned Hebrew immersion school for students in Teaneck and Englewood, was met with opposition and had its opening delayed a year.  questioned if the school would attract a diverse range of students and said the money should stay with local districts.

Last week, the state Department of Education told Teaneck public school officials that the proposed Garden State Virtual Charter School . were shocked by the potential price tag, but state officials said the amount was only a guide. The virtual school’s founder has also said he didn’t anticipate most students would come from Teaneck.

The Teaneck situation renewed calls for reforms to charter school laws and state Assemblywoman Mila Jasey (D-Essex) has as brick-and-mortar charters.

Charter schools are independently run but receive public funds based on the amount of students who attend from each local school district.