Jersey City charter school approved on second try

by The Jersey Journal
Thursday October 09, 2008, 4:00 AM

The second time proved the charm for an ethics-based charter school slated to open in Jersey City next September.

The Jersey City Ethical Community Charter School was one of 25 charter schools whose applications were approved by the state Department of Education last Friday.

Last year, the DOE rejected all but one of the 22 schools that applied for charters, including the Jersey City school, whose leaders reapplied in March.

"(Getting rejected) gave us greater resolve to try again this year and not leave any questions unanswered," said Ann Wallace, a Jersey City parent and the lead applicant on the charter.

Read more in today's Jersey Journal.

Supports charter school bid

Friday, May 16, 2008

By a 7-1 vote, the Jersey City City Council approved a resolution urging the state Department of Education to grant a charter to the Ethical Community Charter School.

At-large Councilwoman Willie Flood, a former public school administrator and school board member, voted against endorsing the charter school on the grounds charter schools are taking needed money away from the public school system.

An application to open the Ethical Community Charter School was turned down by state officials last year.

Representatives of the proposed school told the council members on Monday they intend to resubmit the application this year.

Downtown Councilman Steve Fulop, a trustee at the Learning Community Charter School in Jersey City, urged colleagues to support the proposal.

Ward C Councilman Steve Lipski, the founder and director of Jersey City's CREATE Charter High School, said he serves on the state committee that approves charters and he promised to hand-deliver the council resolution.

EARL MORGAN

the resolution supporting TECCS was approved last night. perhaps someone who was there can provide some highlights, but I heard that Councilman Lipski came through to get the vote (he founded and works for CREATE Charter School).

this time council supported its constuents, but they never make it easy or straightforward.

kudos to the parents and others involved with trying to move this project forward. think it about it, starting a school from scratch with volunteers......

What is this guy talking about? The charters get less funds per student than the district, for educating students that would otherwise be in the district. If he sees Learning Community as the enemy, he needs to find a new job.


Council backing sought for adding charter school
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
By EARL MORGAN
JERSEY JOURNAL STAFF WRITER

Backed by Downtown Councilman Steven Fulop, proponents of a new elementary charter school for Jersey City attended Monday's council caucus meeting to ask the other council members for their support.

Speaking on behalf of the proposed "Ethical Charter School," Anne Wallace and Edward Goodal told council members the state Department of Education had already given the proposed school a thumbs down, but that they plan to re-submit their application.

Though they have some affiliation with New York City's Ethical Culture Society and the Fieldstone School, which it sponsors, Wallace and Goodal said the proposed school would have no financial ties with either organization.

They said they have already heard from a cross-section of the city's parents who support the concept of an Ethical Charter School.

Jersey City Board of Education President William DeRosa sent the council a letter urging it not to support the new charter school because, he said, the eight existing charter schools in the city are sapping millions of dollars from the school board's budget.

In his letter to the City Council, DeRosa said: "Although it may seem a harmless gesture of good will to give your support to a new charter school, the tax and financial interest of the city are directly at stake."

The final decision on this matter lies with the state.

Fulop is a proponent of charter schools and a trustee of Learning Community Charter School located Downtown.

The resolution is expected to be taken up at tonight's council meeting at 6 p.m. at Middle School 4, 107 Bright St