Quality Public Education for All New Jersey Students

 

GSCS Message to State Board...State Board of Education to vote on Publishing New Charter School Regulations August 1, 2012, Wednesday
Excerpt from GSCS Testimony before the State Board on June 6, 2012: Main concerns of GSCS regarding charter school policies is the clear lack of synchronization between the unrevised and not updated Charter School Law of 1995 to regulations being revised that must be framed by such an old law. There are two particular ‘rubs’ for local districts that have evolved over time which are compounded by the growing expansion of charter schools in New Jersey: how charters are funded, and the lack of local input in charter approval process. More than 400 local districts funded the majority of their budgets via local taxes and near 200 districts fund almost their whole budgets via local property taxes without the benefit of state foundation aid. Thus local tax money is a needed base to fund charter schools in GSCS district. To aggravate the situation, local input regarding opening of charters in a local district is treated as just that – input. Yet no effective sense of local control is established in the process and no significant weight is given to local input. Virtual schools, certainly require thoughtful discussion on how to fund, especially since they are known to be far less expensive to run than regular charter schools and the regulations call for open borders for these online schools. GSCS recommends strongly that time is taken to address these two issues now, and not put them on the side instead, as that will only exacerbate an already volatile situation…

On the State Board of Education Agenda at Monthly Public Meeting Aug 1, 2012

    *C. Charter Schools Master Comments Database
(Division of Charter Schools, School Choice, Technology Turnaround)

Proposal Commissioner’s Recommendation: That the State Board approve for publication in the New Jersey Register the amendments to the regulations pertaining to Charter Schools at N.J.A.C. 6A:11, pursuant to N.J.S.A. 18A