Wednesday, October 9, 2013

De Blasio plan could close some charter schools: advocates


Some of the city’s best and brightest students would be left out in the cold under Bill de Blasio’s plan to charge rent to charter schools, educators and advocates said Wednesday.


Despite achievements that would make the most skeptical parents proud, high-level schools across the city could shut down in the wake of what administrators say would be a paralyzing financial burden.


“With 50,000 families on waiting lists for charter schools, we should be looking for ways to expand, not limit, quality school options,” said Jenny Sedlis, executive director of StudentsFirstNY.


De Blasio, who is leading in the race to become New York City’s next mayor, claims that only wealthier schools would have to pay, but that’s small comfort to some of the most vulnerable schools in the city.


That list includes:


• Harlem Link Charter School in Manhattan, which has had a perfect passing rate on the fourth-grade New York State Science Test for the past two years.


• Renaissance Charter School in Jackson Heights, where 100 percent of its graduates were accepted to college.


• Coney Island Prep in Brooklyn, where teachers who work from 7:15am to 5:15 and eighth graders outperformed eighth graders at other schools in the neighborhood.


“We could not exist if rent was charged,” said Renaissance principal Stacy Gauthier. “We would be closed down.”


“It’s hard not to feel that this is an attempt to close charter schools,” Evangelista told the Post.


“This will really hurt our mission. But we’re ready to fight back. Having a large presence at the marches shows how passionate parents are about their children’s education. We get a good sense that people will move heaven and earth to guarantee a good education for their children.”



Dan Shapiro of Coney Island Prep.Photo: Gabriella Bass



Dan Shapiro, Coney Island Prep’s chief operating officer, said the school’s financial flexibility has been one of the ingredients of their success.


“College readiness is a big part of our mission,” Shapiro said. “It plants that seed early in them that college is a part of their future.


“It’s quite possible these are trips we wouldn’t be able to afford.”


Gauthier said the school has an $ 8.5 million budget, and rent would eat up more than a third of it.

Gauthier didn’t attend Tuesday’s massive charter school support rally at City Hall, but she insisted she’s not afraid to get on the front lines if she has to.


“We have not been afraid to rally before,” Gauthier said “I’m not afraid to march.. We probably would have to chain ourselves to a pole and not pay the rent bill. They’ll have to evict us.”


Gauthier is among a growing number of charter school administrators who are hoping it doesn’t come to that.


De Blasio, meanwhile, ducked questions about his charter schools stance during an online forum that was billed as an “Ask Me Anything” on Reddit.


“If charters are unable to afford rent, will there be plans for a location or would your hope be that they close?” ask one charter supporter.


Evangelista had an answer.


“This will really hurt our mission,” Evangelista said.”But we’re ready to fight back. Having a large presence at the marches shows how passionate parents are about their children’s education. We get a good sense that people will move heaven and earth to guarantee a good education for their children.”


Additional reporting by Leonard Greene and Yoav Gonen





Yahoo Local News – New York Post




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