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Garden State Coalition of Schools . . .
a statewide grassroots advocacy network of parents,
administrators, Board of Education members,
community organizers and friends
Public Support for Public Education
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| GSCS Email-Net
Keeping GSCS Members & Friends Informed
Charter Schools, virtual as well as brick-&-mortar,
dominate summer education news
Also Below:
* GSCS Letter re Virtual Charters
* Charter School Approvals
*NJ Education in the News
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Tell Us Your Concerns
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The GSCS message is stronger when we have your input.
Please email us at gscs2000@gmail .com
to share your concerns regarding state policies and proposed legislation that impact on local education and financial issues.
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GSCS on Virtual Charters: Revise the Charter School Law Now!
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| GSCS July 12th letter to Commissioner Cerf warns of lack of synchronization between unrevised 1995 law and current plans
Dear Commissioner Cerf,
The Board of Trustees of the Garden State Coalition of Schools has a number of concerns about virtual charter schools - how they will actually work, how they may impact New Jersey students, how they may affect traditional public schools - as well as the expedited path currently being pursued to establish them this coming school year in our state. In addition, virtual schools require thoughtful discussion on how to be funded, especially since they are known to be less expensive to run than regular charter schools. Another funding complication is that the regulations - not yet approved - call for open borders for these online schools.
A main concern of GSCS regarding charter school policies in general continues to be the clear lack of synchronization between the unrevised and not updated Charter School Law of 1995 to regulations still being revised that must be framed by such an old law. To proceed in establishing virtual charter schools for this coming year with no relevant regulations in place, with no open analysis on per-pupil costs in said schools, and with no updated and supporting charter school legislation in place appears to be a clear case of putting the cart before the horse.
Just a few of GSCS' concerns and questions are:
· Funding - 1) actual costs per "virtual pupil" need to be determined before proceeding with implementation,
2) per-pupil amounts v. profit percentages, and
3) yet another drain on local taxes (especially a burden in hundreds of communities that currently must support the overwhelming majority of their school budgets via property taxes)
· Home-schooled students - a brand new group that has not been supported by public education funds before may emerge with the implementation of virtual charters. Has this possibility been analyzed and/or reported out?
· Has this approach to teaching and learning been effectively vetted, relevant to New Jersey, to ensure that it will bring added value to student achievement?
· How to account for dropouts
· What, if any, legislative footing secures virtual charter schools?
· How to deal with the franchise effect v local community input: once a charter is granted in one locale it may expand into other localities with no process required for local review and input in those additional communities.
· What legal obligations does a for-profit virtual company avoid, if any, if it is not located in NJ?
GSCS recommends strongly that time be taken to address these issues now and not put them on the side instead, as that will only exacerbate a growing volatile situation. The strong sentiment among the GSCS Board of Trustees is to be very wary of building and flying the plane on the same day. Let's not "go live" with our children's future prior to testing and vetting the program first.
Thank you for your time and for the opportunity to present GSCS' concerns to you.
Lynne Strickland
GSCS Executive Director
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DOE Announces Charter School Approvals & Deferments
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| | For details and full articles, please visit the GSCS website: www.gscschools.org
7-18-12 NJ Spotlight: "The 'Other' Online Charters Get Ready for New School Year in NJ" "Two charters that blend virtual teaching with traditional classroom education have been approved by state DOE . . . "
7-17-12
Star Ledger: "N.J.'s first online charter school delayed a year"
NJ Spotlight: "DOE Grants Final Charters to Just Nine Schools"
"Some of the schools that didn't make the list may be the most interesting of all . . . "
7-16-12
NJ Spotlight, Op-Ed by Commissioner Cerf: "Charter Schools -- A Single Strand in NJ's Tapestry of Great Public Schools" "Charter schools are just one of many ways to avoid the one-size-fits-all approach to education. . . ."
NJ Spotlight: "Teachers' Union Takes Tough Stance on New Charters" "Proposed online charter schools could lead to legal action, NJEA says . . . "
7-12-12 NJ Spotlight: "Debate Swells as Decision Nears on Virtual Charters" "Leading education organizations ask Cerf to hold off final approval until outstanding legal issues can be resolved . . .
". . . the Garden State Coalition of Schools, held its executive board meeting and discussed the letter at length before deciding to send its own. The group is the state's largest organization representing specifically suburban districts.
"Lynne Strickland, the coalition's director, said it also was a matter of different approach to the same ends.
" 'In practice, GSCS is not litigious but rather focuses on policy issues that can impact quality education for all children,' she said. 'Given that our membership comes from the ranks of parents, school board members, and school administrators, GSCS reflects community concerns and speaks with an informed community voice on education issues.' . . . "
NJ Spotlight, Op-Ed by Deborah Cornavaca: "Virtual Charter Schools Raise Real Questions for Education in New Jersey"
" . . . Where's the evidence that virtual charters will out perform their 'brick and mortar' equivalents? . . . "
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More NJ Education News
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| For details and full articles, please visit the GSCS website: www.gscschools.org
7-19-12
The Record: "N.J. comptroller urges towns, school boards to look into costly pension errors"
NJ Spotlight: "Top Democrat Joins Debate Over Outside Money in DOE"
"One of Senator Weinberg's goals, who's paying for what at the Department of Education . . . "
Asbury Park Press:
"Teacher ratings to remain hidden...Bill keeps evaluations shielded from public"
7-18-12 NJ Spotlight: "NJ Adds School Districts to Test New Teacher, Principal Evaluations"
"Pilots are seen as critical test of new tenure standards still unsigned by Gov. Christie . . . "
7-12-12 Press of Atlantic City: "Pleasantville school district gives students a chance - and a summer job"
7-11-12
Star Ledger: "Memo: N.J. revenue for last fiscal year is $200M short of Christie's revised projections"
NJ Spotlight: "Christie Touts Bipartisan Tenure Reform Bill, But Still Hasn't Signed"
"Governor downplays what didn't go his way, teacher seniority and closer ties to student test scores . . . "
NJ Spotlight: "Agenda: State Board of Education"
"School choice is off the docket, but interdistrict choice is up for a hearing . . . "
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