Teaneck Forum to Explore Charter School Funding

A panel discussion scheduled for Sunday at the will explore the impact of charter schools, including how the often-debated schools are funded in New Jersey.

The diverse panel will include Teaneck school board member Margot Embree Fisher, Seton Hall Law Professor and Newark charter school Founding Board President Shavar D. Jeffries, and Education Law Center Founder Paul L. Tractenberg.

“The administration of Gov. Chris Christie promotes charter schools, but the research on their effectiveness is mixed, and the public is divided, with strong opinions on both sides,” an Ethical Culture Society press release said.

In Teaneck, two proposals to open new charter schools have proven especially contentious. One plan to launch a virtual school was rejected by state officials after a public outcry. The state had initially sent the township school district a letter saying the online program .

Another charter application, for a Hebrew immersion school called Shalom Academy, has met with objections from school officials in Englewood and Teaneck. The school would draw students from both communities and offer a Hebrew language immersion program, along with state-mandated core curriculum.

Shalom Academy first planned to open in 2011, but could not secure a location in time. The school is now seeking approval to open in an industrial building on Galway Place in Teaneck.

The Ethical Culture Society panel will begin at 3 p.m. and is free.