By John Mooney, May 10 in Education

How much should local school districts have a say about the presence of charter schools in their midst?

It was a topic that dominated the Senate budget hearing yesterday, where acting Education Commissioner Chris Cerf testified as to the growing tensions that have surfaced -- especially in suburban communities -- over the new schools.

To him, it was unequivocal that local districts and their voters not have a direct say in the alternative schools, which operate under state charter.

"If it were up to local municipalities, it would essentially kill charter schools," Cerf said.

Those tensions were very much in evidence yesterday, as Democratic leaders quizzed Cerf on where charters are needed and where they are mostly causing resentment. Residents of Milburn at a meeting last night could speak to the latter, with some asking why in a time of tight budgets they should be paying for two charter schools proposed for their students.

"There is a fair amount of tension about this in a place like Millburn," superintendent James Crisfield said.

"The online community is especially abuzz, with a lot of talk about duplicating costs," he added. "At a time of austere budgets and trying to cut costs and save money, this would be just adding to our costs."

Millburn is not alone. The same issues have been playing out across the state as Gov. Chris Christie has pushed to expand charter schools as a central piece of his reform agenda. His administration this year approved 23 new charters, bringing to 97 the total number statewide.

"Growing Outrage"

Those tensions are also reflected in the legislature, as Monday's hearing made clear.

The first question to Cerf from state Sen. Barbara Buono (D-Middlesex) asked if he believed that local districts should be able to vote on whether charter schools are to open in a district.

"There is a growing outrage about charter schools being forced in communities where they don’t want them," Buono said.

"There is no opportunity, none whatsoever, for local taxpayers to have a say whether they want one or not," she said. "There needs to be broad community support or input as to whether there is a need."

Buono said a new charter school in her own legislative district in East Brunswick has drawn funds from local school districts, forcing them to make cuts while the charter school maintains its budget.

East Brunswick now "can’t afford full-day kindergarten, while the charter school can afford full-day kindergarten," Buono said. "That makes a lot of people very unhappy and leads to needless resentments."

Cerf was adamant against a local vote, pointing out there is no such requirement in any state, but he did offer some concessions. He said in the state’s review of charter school applications, it could be more cognizant of local needs, academic and financial.

"We should be asking ourselves, does it fit a need in a community like East Brunswick or is it something that is just complicating," he said.

Later, he added: "I do believe a focus on need is a very appropriate litmus test."

But he also said it with some caution. "All of these are legitimate and fair considerations," he commented, "but also legitimate and fair when you have thousands of parents clamoring for a school, we might agree they should have a voice, too."

The Millburn Meeting

The issue played out in stark form at the Millburn meeting later in the day, where more than 100 people filled the auditorium to hear from several experts on the topic.

Millburn, long considered one of the highest-performing districts in the state, faces the possibility of two new charter schools opening up in Essex County. Both are Mandarin language immersion elementary schools, that would draw students from Millburn, as well as other neighboring districts. The two schools have applied to the state, with a decision still several months away.

Among the experts were officials from Princeton Regional Schools district, one of the districts in the state to host a charter school when the alternative schools first opened more than a decade ago. Next year, it will pay more than $4 million to send its students to that and another charter school.

"That’s why I’m here, because that’s a sizable part of our budget," said Rebecca Cox, president of the Princeton school board.

And many of the questions centered on the budget, whether districts had a choice in how much they send and how much they save in not serving those students. No, they have no choice, the officials said, and they estimated that charters saved only about a third of that amount.

But Crisfield also agreed that there should be some consideration in approving a charter as to whether its host district needs an alternative school -- although admitting it's difficult to draw that line.

"It depends on how you define need," he said. "Maybe I can walk in some districts and eyeball the need immediately. But in a place like Millburn or Livingston, it’s a bit harder to define what you would say is a real need."

 

Star Ledger - N.J. Education Commissioner Christopher Cerf, state Dems discuss education reform

Published: Monday, May 09, 2011, 4:33 PM     Updated: Monday, May 09, 2011, 4:36 PM

By Jarrett Renshaw/Statehouse Bureau The Star-Ledger

TRENTON — Acting New Jersey Education Commissioner Christopher Cerf said he is personally working on making changes to the school funding formula, but stopped short of saying the issue is under official review by his department.

The comments came during today’s Senate Budget Committee hearing on the Education Department after State Sen. Paul Sarlo (D-Bergen) expressed frustration that the Christie administration was criticizing the funding formula, even though it had bipartisan support when it was passed in 2008 and blessed by the state Supreme Court.

Sarlo said if Cerf was not happy with the formula, then he should come up with a new way to allocate state aid and bring it before the Legislature.

“I am working on it now,” Cerf responded. He said he is looking at changes “that might be effective and make sense.’’

Later in the hearing, Cerf corrected himself. He said the department is not formally reviewing the funding formula and that no proposed changes are on the horizon. Instead, he has taken a personal interest in the issue.

The current state push for more charter schools was front and center today.

Cerf said he believes charter school teachers should be hired based on some standards, but does not believe that they need to be certified like traditional public school teachers.

“I don’t care if the teacher is certified if they can produce results,” Cerf said.

State Sen. Barbara Buono (D-Middlesex) said the state is looking to grow the number of charter schools in the state, even in communities that don’t want or need them. She asked Cerf whether the department has considered seeking voter approval before opening charter schools.

Cerf said no, saying the policy behind the growth is sound.

At a town hall meeting last week, Gov. Chris Christie was asked whether creationism should be taught in public schools.

He said local school boards “should be making those decisions about what curriculum is being taught in your schools.”

Cerf agreed with Christie, but not before adding his two cents: “I don’t think creationism has any place in a science course.”

Trenton Times - Trenton charter high school is under State Police investigation over financial problems

Published: Tuesday, May 10, 2011, 11:55 AM     Updated: Tuesday, May 10, 2011, 12:16 PM

By Carmen Cusido/The Times The Times, Trenton
TRENTON — Capital Preparatory Charter High School has surrendered its charter and is under investigation for financial mismanagement and a range of violations by the New Jersey State Police, a state Department of Education spokesman said yesterday.

The Grand Street school had been placed on two consecutive 90-day probationary periods before it gave up its charter May 2. It will close at the end of the school year. Because Capital Prep chose to surrender its charter rather than have it revoked, it cannot appeal, DOE spokesman Alan Guenther said.

In addition to the financial problems, visits to the 329-student school by DOE staff “revealed a weak educational program, lacking in rigor and not meeting the goals set forth in the school’s charter,” Guenther said.

The school is separate from Trenton Community Charter School, which was placed on probation in March and ordered to submit a plan for corrective action. The school repeatedly failed to make Adequate Yearly Progress, a measurement of academic performance under federal testing standards.

The decision to push for Capital Prep’s closure demonstrates the state’s commitment to high quality in charter schools, Guenther said.

“While the Christie administration strongly supports charter schools, we will continue to demand that every charter both provide a rigorous educational program to its students and faithfully adhere to state laws and regulations on finance, management, and governance,” he said. “We will close charter schools that fail to live up to our highest expectations.”

Interim chief school administrator David Bilenker declined on the comment on the events that led to the finding of financial mismanagement.

E-mail circulated

An e-mail circulated by a group of Capital Prep teachers claimed the school has repaid some of its debt and achieved academic successes, and said the staff was “extremely disappointed” by the closing.

“Unfortunately, the DOE has disregarded the improvements made and stands firm in its decision,” the e-mail sai

The DOE’s Office of Fiscal Accountability and Compliance (OFAC) had found problems including a $300,000 deficit, improper expenditure of funds, severe cash-flow problems, and violation of state travel policies, Guenther said.

The agency also found Capital Prep lacked a certified school business administrator and committed “gross mismanagement of public funds,” including bid violations, payments without adequate documentation, overpayment to consultants and employees being paid as vendors, Guenther said.

The investigation was spurred by an audit revealing the deficit, said Carly Bolger, director of the DOE’s Office of Charter Schools. Charter schools must have a balanced budget.

Travel policy violations

Bolger said the school violated travel policies last year and this year by spending $46,000 to stay at The Chelsea Hotel in Atlantic City for several meetings and retreats without obtaining a waiver from the DOE.

Additionally, some employees who were given $1,500 annual travel stipends to attend conferences spent more than they were allotted, she said.

Capital Prep’s former chief administrator, Shenette Gray, said yesterday that she became aware of financial management issues last August and notified the board of trustees.

She said the school business administrator at the time, who was not certified, was removed and a month later the school was put under probation.

Gray said she left the school in January, not because of the financial or other problems but because she and the board “just didn’t see eye to eye” on how to move forward.

“When I left, it was looking good. I’m not really sure what’s happened since then,” said Gray, calling it a shame that the school is closing. “The kids are wonderful, the staff is great. It’s an unfortunate circumstance.”

Outside the school yesterday afternoon, parent Frances Holman was waiting to pick up her daughter, a freshman. Told that the school will close, she said, “Oh, wow,” and repeated it several times.

“I have to try to figure out where to put her now,” Holman said. She is considering sending the teen back to Catholic school, but said, “it’s so expensive, and Trenton Central is not a good option.”

Capital Preparatory Charter High School was approved in 2007 and opened its doors to Ewing and Trenton students in August 2008. Its two buildings are at 20 and 22 Grand St. Graduation is scheduled for June 24 at the New Jersey State Museum.