By SAM PASSOW
COLUMNIST

When the state approved 23 charter school applications Governor Christie said "this should be a moment of extraordinary hope" for the thousands of students trapped in failing schools. He calls charter schools one of the "building blocks toward a solution."

A Hebrew language immersion school for Englewood and Teaneck was one of the approved schools. Let the extraordinary hope begin. After all, the Englewood and Teaneck school districts struggled to improve students' test scores. Some students do achieve high scores and go on to top colleges, but a large portion don't fare that well.

There's no sugarcoating that the two education systems need to find a way to improve. For those unfamiliar with the communities, despite diverse populations, the majority of the students who attend the districts' schools are black and Hispanic and on the mid or lower end of the economic scale. An assortment of factors contribute to this so some type of reform is necessary. But taking money away for a school focusing on Hebrew is not one of the answers.

Hebrew is considered the language of Judaism, although the school's application makes it clear that the curriculum isn't religious. The issue of separation of church and state is perhaps an argument for another day. I'm concerned with separation of funding from schools that sorely need it.

It's hard to believe that the state really thinks this charter school will improve the education of the students stuck in failing schools. The majority, if not all, of the students who will attend don't use the public schools. Englewood Superintendent Richard Segall said when the district did a survey to gage interest in a Hebrew immersion program only 15 families said yes.

There's a reason this charter school's attempt to create a Hebrew immersion program within the Englewood district was rejected multiple times already by the school boards. It just weakens the efforts to improve the district for everyone

Some may argue that parents who send their kids to private schools pay taxes without getting anything since they also pay tuitions. But they choose not to send their kids to their town's public school. No one forces them away. It's their choice.

The school budgets for Englewood and Teaneck were rejected by voters last spring so money is already tight. Add in cuts in state aid and a cap on tax increases, and you have the building blocks for a daunting challenge with no solution in sight, no matter what Christie says. Inspiring speeches about saving students are wasted when the actions don't follow. Just throwing money at the schools won't solve the problems, but a very specialized charter school doesn't help either.

Take away the thousands, if not millions of dollars, and all we have is the extraordinary hope that things won't get any worse.