Two more charter schools could open in Newark next year, providing more than 760 additional public classroom seats for children seeking an alternative to struggling city schools.
The state Department of Education on January 20 announced the approval of eight public charter schools for the 2012-13 school year from among a pool of 42 applicants. The schools must clear one last hurdle, a "readiness review" before they are allowed to open in September.
The other six public charter schools will open in Jersey City, Trenton, Camden the districts of Millville, Vineland and Pittsgrove.
"The applications we approved have demonstrated a strong educational program and the capacity to implement that program, in addition to articulating a clearly defined need for the school in their specific community," acting state Education Commissioner Christopher Cerf said.
Newark currently has 18 charter schools in operation, educating nearly 8,000 students.
"We welcome another two charter schools to the Newark community," said Mashea Ashton, CEO of the Newark Charter School Fund. "Newark is home to some of the most innovative and high-performing charter schools in the state. We're excited about the opportunity this creates for more high-quality public school options for Newark children."
The city's newly approved schools are Newark Prep Charter School, which will serve 446 students in grades 6-12 and Paulo Freire Charter School, which will serve 320 high school students.
Cerf said the data shows over the past several years, charter schools on average across the state are outperforming other district options for students in high-need communities.
But Cerf stressed that just as some district schools are failing students, some charter schools in New Jersey are also not performing at the level their students deserve.
"Charter schools are granted autonomy in exchange for accountability, and we will continue to hold all charter schools accountable for results as we did last year when we closed two struggling charter schools," Cerf said.
Cerf said the state will continue to hold charters schools accountable to ensure that they offer all students a high-quality education. He praised the effort of the Newark Charter School Fund to step forward through a charter compact that calls for schools to commit to equal access both in terms of recruitment, selection, and retention.
In his State of the State address, Gov. Chris Christie reaffirmed his commitment to charter schools, calling for changes in the law to ensure charters continue to thrive in the state.
"We should reform our process for authorizing charter schools to attract the best operators to New Jersey, to streamline the process for the best performers, to focus on our failing school districts and to encourage innovation," Chistie said.
"We must give parents and children in failing schools an alternative."
Carlos Perez, the president and CEO of the New Jersey Charter Schools Association, said the organization is looking forward to working with lawmakers and the Christie administration to ensure New Jersey's 15-year old law is strengthened. The National Alliance for Public Charter Schools recently released a report showing New Jersey slipped from 26 to 31 in a national ranking of charter school laws.
"With thousands of children on waiting lists, there is clearly a demand for more public charter schools in New Jersey," said Carlos Perez, President and CEO of the New Jersey Charter School Association. "Every child in New Jersey deserves a chance to attend a high-quality public school that is right for them."
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