Charter school leaders, teachers, administrators, board members, parents and interested members of the community are invited to attend the NJCPSA Conference, "Cultivating Quality Education," in Trenton beginning the afternoon of March 31 and continuing all day April 1. This is the only statewide professional development conference for all New Jersey charter schools, so don't miss this fantastic networking and learning opportunity! The program will include:

Registration is now open for individuals and groups from the charter school community. This will be the best (and only) statewide professional development conference for all New Jersey charter schools, so you'll want to bring the entire school staff and make it a professional development day! Registration fees begin at $90 each for a group of four or more. See our website for the complete fee structure and downloadable form (online registration will be up shortly).

 

Individuals are invited to submit proposals to present breakout sessions on April 1. This is a wonderful chance to share and discuss best practices, lessons learned and other ideas for educational excellence. The four content strands are: Governance, Leadership, Instruction and Operations. Lead presenters and one co-presenter will receive free registration to the conference. Submit session proposals online or download a Word version of the application. Accepted presenters will be notified by February 20. For more information, contact Gayle Horvath at 609-989-9700, ext. 4413, or ghorvath@njcharters.org.

 

Does your school have teachers, administrators, trustees, parents or other friends who have made significant contributions toward cultivating quality education? Take this opportunity to recognize their accomplishments by nominating them for a Cultivating Quality Education Award! These awards will be given to individuals or organizations that exemplify the commitment and practices that define a quality school and will be presented at an awards banquet during the conference kick-off on March 31. Please send completed nomination forms to ghorvath@njcharters.org or fax to 609-989-9745. Contact Gayle Horvath at 609-989-9700, ext. 4413, with any questions.

 

Education suppliers and service providers: Don't miss out on the first statewide charter schools conference in three years. Numerous outreach opportunities are available. Download the Exhibitor and Sponsor Prospectus today.

The U.S. House of Representatives' Appropriations Committee just released a federal economic stimulus proposal referred to as the "2009 American Recovery and Reinvestment Plan." This massive national spending bill includes an additional $141 billion for education-related purposes (both K-12 and higher education combined). Of significant note to charter schools is $13 billion for Part A of Title I, $13 billion for the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, and $14 billion for school modernization, renovation and repairs (not new construction). The bill also sets aside an additional $25 million for credit enhancement for charter schools facilities. Several community development financial institutions serving NJ charter schools have received credit enhancement grants and have leveraged financing for nearly one dozen NJ charter schools.

 

The funding for these programs will flow based off of the Title I participation rates of SEAs and LEAs. To make sure the money flows quickly to LEAs, the new funding will be distributed in proportion to the amount of funding they receive under Title I. There will be at least 60 days before funding reaches schools after this bill is passed. Additionally, the allowable uses of the programs' funding have not been finalized.

 

This package is not yet a "done deal." This is the first version of the House bill; it will be amended, then a Senate version of the bill will be introduced, and finally the bills will have to be conferenced/reconciled. We understand the Congress is hoping to get a package to the President by mid-February. NJCPSA will keep schools updated as more details emerge.

Kids and Parents Share Inauguration at Elysian Charter School
According to an article that appeared in the Hudson Reporter, more than 400 children, parents and staff members from Elysian Charter School (Hoboken) gathered to watch the inauguration of President Barack Obama on a big screen TV in the hall of Our Lady of Grace with food, song and a general sense of change in the air. Principal Carol Stock said the event was organized after a parent asked if the school could take the children to Washington, D.C. "It was a wonderful thing to share," Stock said. (Hudson Reporter, Jan. 26)

 

North Star Academy Charter High School Wins National Parents' Choice Award
BusinessWeek.com worked with GreatSchools, a San-Francisco-based nonprofit organization that rates schools and provides an online community for parents, and came up with the best high schools in each state in several different categories. North Star Academy Charter High School (Newark) won recognition in the parents' choice category. The survey identifies the top performing public high schools in terms of test scores, the best public high school with an economically disadvantaged population, the most improved public high school, and schools that parents rated the highest. (Business Week, Jan. 15)

 

Union County TEAMS Charter School Holds Inaugural Ball
Students at Union County TEAMS Charter School (Plainfield) took part in an inauguration viewing and celebratory ball on Tuesday, within an atmosphere of both celebration and solemn reflection. In a story posted on MyCentralJersey.com, school founder and executive director Sheila Thorpe expressed her views of the historic moment. "I think it is absolutely perfect. It is the most pertinent statement he could have made, because (today) will define this generation. These young children will grow up with a different mindset than children in previous eras...they're not going to be concerned with what they don't have, they're going to be looking forward to what they do have." (MyCentralJersey.com, Jan. 20)

 

Vineland Public Charter School Works to Build Enrollment
Now that the pre-operational Vineland Public Charter School has a lease in place for its facility, the next order of business is building its enrollment. In a story posted on line by the Courier Post, the school has been approved to serve 108 Vineland students in kindergarten through second grade. It currently has a committed enrollment of 20 students. The school has until mid-April to meet the enrollment benchmark set forth in its approved charter. (Courier Post, Jan. 19)

 

Learning Community Charter School Lottery Announced
Learning Community Charter School (Jersey City) announced its lottery, scheduled for January 13, noting the school received a total of 400 applications. Only 22 spots in the kindergarten class are guaranteed available. Applications have gone up 77 percent over the last three years, which the school credits to its quality educational program and strong test scores. (NJ.com, Jan. 12)

NJCPSA Seminar "Paving the Way" Set for Feb. 4

New Jersey Community Capital facilitates the flow of money and knowledge to create wealth and well-being in underserved communities. Since its founding in 1987, it has committed financing for nearly 550 projects totaling approximately $150 million in the housing, community services and business sectors, including charter school facilities. For further information, please contact Joe Palazzolo, Associate, at jpalazzolo@njclf.com or 609-989-7766, ext. 202.

NJCPSA's Associate Member program welcomes businesses and organizations who wish to support New Jersey's charter public schools.

Star-Ledger Scholarship
The Star-Ledger sponsors an annual scholarship program to recognize and provide financial support to outstanding students in northern and central New Jersey. Public, nonpublic and private high schools located in the counties within the paper's circulation area are each invited to nominate one high school senior as a candidate for The Star-Ledger Scholars Program. The nominees must be graduating seniors, residents of New Jersey and citizens of the United States. Nominations are based solely on academic merit; financial need is not a factor. The awards committee will select 11 winners, one from each of the paper's geographic areas. Winners will receive an annual scholarship award of $3,000 for each of four years to help defray costs at an accredited college or university anywhere in the U.S. In addition, one scholar will be selected to receive a four-year, full tuition scholarship. To request an application, contact Nancy Besant at NJDOE nancy.besant@doe.state.nj.us. The application deadline is Feb. 23, 2009.

 

Bank of America Provides Leadership Opportunity for Juniors and Seniors
High school juniors and seniors are invited to apply for an eight-week paid summer internship with a local not-for-profit to learn how the nonprofit community, government and businesses can partner to create a positive impact in our communities. The internship will also include an all-expense-paid week in Washington, D.C., for a Student Leadership Summit to meet hundreds of other community-minded students from the U.S. and U.K. Click here to apply. All applications must be received by Feb. 20, 2009.

How can public charter schools best survive the current financial crisis?
That's the question many in the charter school movement are asking themselves these days. It's also the question that three experts addressed in a teleconference hosted by the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools. Read a summary of the event or listen to the teleconference.

 

School Watch Releases Comprehensive Study of Newark Public School System
School Watch, the policy and finance arm of Excellent Education for Everyone, recently released a comprehensive study of the Newark Public School (NPS) system, "Money for Nothing: We Owe Our Children Better." The study analyzes the true cost of educating students in NPS; offers cross-sector comparisons of NPS, the Newark charter school network, and local non-public school capacity; and proposes recommendations to spur reform. The report notes that Newark currently spends more per-pupil than almost any public school district in the country.

 

National Report Examines Urban Charter Schools
Charter schools are much more likely than their standard public school counterparts to bring a college-prep focus to inner-city kids, a trend with potentially important implications for minority students, according to an analysis published by the National Charter School Research Project (NCSRP) at the Center for Reinventing Public Education. "Hopes, Fears, & Reality: A Balanced Look at American Charter Schools in 2008" reports that urban charter schools are more apt to teach what college-bound students are expected to know, provide a focused instructional design as well as smaller classes, spend greater time on educational concerns, and offer customized support for struggling students.

 

USDOE Releases Guidance on Implementing Public School Choice and Supplemental Educational Services
The U.S. Department of Education has released guidance to assist states and local educators in implementing the public school choice and supplemental educational services (SES) provisions of the No Child Left Behind Act. These provisions are intended to help increase academic achievement by giving parents of eligible students (in Title I schools identified for improvement) the options to transfer to another better public school in the district or to receive free tutoring.

 

Improved Training for Charter School Leaders and Teachers
A new report recommends that governors and states support university-based leadership training programs as well as non-traditional organizations that help develop public charter school leaders. Produced by the Center for Best Practices at the National Governors Association, the report examines recruitment and training of public charter school leaders and board members, as well as the issues they face in developing the skills needed to run charter schools.

 

Charter School Leadership Report
The National Alliance for Public Charter Schools recently released "Charter School Executive: Toward a New Generation of Leadership." The report looks at leadership challenges facing charter schools and suggests strategies to provide an adequate supply of high-quality leaders as the movement grows. According to the report, more than half of current charter school leaders are projected to leave the industry within the next five to ten years, primarily for retirement, leaving the movement with a need for 6,000 to 21,000 new leaders.

New Charter School Application Now Online
The new charter school application is now available on the web from the New Jersey Department of Education. The submission deadline is 4:15 p.m. on March 31, 2009, at the DOE building off Rte. 29 -- right down the street from the Trenton Marriott, where our Charter Public Schools conference gets underway at 4 p.m. For assistance in completing the application, contact Heather Ngoma at the Charter School Resource Center, Rutgers University, at 732-564-9087, ext. 14.

After watching the presidential inauguration on a flat-screen television, Discovery Charter School welcomed our new President with a special inaugural luncheon. The students and staff approximated the festive menu as closely as possible, and though they didn't dine on pheasant, they did enjoy a delicious dessert of fresh-baked apple sponge cake!

Charter schools: This is your space for sharing good news! Please e-mail your Charter Chatter blurb (100-word maximum) to Debbie. Photos or images must be JPG files (72 dpi), no larger than 150 pixels wide and submitted electronically or uploaded on your web server (send us the link). Items may be edited for content or space.