Looking for a high caliber K-12 public school choice with fiscal and academic accountability, autonomy and local control in Merchantville? Tired of the sending-receiving nightmare and undercurrent of town consolidation? Why not harness all the concern, interest, intellect and energy in Merchantville to undertake a serious investigation of the charter school option. http://www.njcharterschools.org. Parents, community leaders, businesses, teachers, school districts, educational entrepreneurs, and municipalities like Merchantville can submit a charter school proposal to their state's charter authorizing entity. A charter school is an independent public school that operates independently of the district board of education. In effect, a charter school is a one-school public school district. There are thousands of charter schools across the United States-each created with their unique mission and purpose. With an environment that is so customized and specialized toward the population it serves. A group of people - educators, parents, community leaders, educational entrepreneurs or others - write the charter plan describing the school's guiding principles, governance structure, and applicable accountability measures. If the state approves the charter, the state funds the charter on a per pupil basis. In most cases charter schools operate under a clear agreement between the state and the school: increased autonomy in exchange for increased accountability. Because they are schools of choice, they are held to the highest level of accountability - consumer demand. For additional information on how to start a charter school http://www.uscharterschools.org/pub/uscs_docs/r/startup.htm

Following up on his remarks earlier this week at the National Charter Schools Conference in Washington D.C., U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan issued the following statement urging states to work with charter school operators to turn around struggling schools and provide innovation and choice to students and parents: "States need to have a plan to turn around their lowest-performing schools. I'm an advocate of using whatever model works for children and I want charter schools to join that work. But they won't be able to get into the turnaround business in states that restrict the growth of charters. States that slow innovation are limiting opportunities for students and placing themselves at a competitive disadvantage for $4 billion in Race to the Top Fund grants. "For example, in Indiana and Maine, state legislatures must act in the best interest of students and open doors to education entrepreneurs, like those running charter schools. While some states limit the number of charter schools, others like Louisiana and Tennessee, have lifted their caps on charters, giving more students the opportunity to attend higher performing schools. "Let me be clear, I am not simply advocating for more charter schools. We need more good charter schools. There needs to be a high bar set for entry during the charter application process, and accountability systems need to link student achievement to instruction." "Many charter school operators are today's top education innovators and entrepreneurs. Children need more high-quality educational options, and charter schools have an important role to play in the school turnaround business.http://www.njcharterschools.org/

Some state lawmakers are beginning a push for a bill that could expand the alternative public schools' movement in New Jersey. The proposal would permit Rutgers University to approve charter schools, in addition to the Department of Education. http://www.courierpostonline.com/article/20100718/NEWS01/7180338/Bill-fosters-charter-school-growth 6/18/10

Can public schools convert to public charter schools?
Yes. Existing public schools can convert to public charter schools. http://www.marylandpublicschools.org/MSDE/programs/charter_schools/docs/cs_q-a

Why are charter schools so popular?
Proponents believe charter schools provide better opportunities for child-centered education and more educational choices for their children. Operators have the opportunity and the incentive to create schools that provide new and better services to students. And charters, bound by the high standards they have set for themselves, inspire the rest of the system to work harder and be more responsive to the needs of the children.

How do charter schools perform against public schools?
Here is a database of reports released since 2001 that assess the achievement of charter school students. These listings include numerous details about each study, including a brief summary of findings, a description of the data and methodology, grade levels included in the analysis, and a rating of the quality of evidence each study provides on charter school student achievement.
http://www.crpe.org/cs/crpe/view/projects/1?page=yes&id=3&parent=
http://www.mathematica-mpr.com/publications/pdfs/education/charter_school_impacts.pdf
http://peabody.vanderbilt.edu/x7909.xml
http://peabody.vanderbilt.edu/x7909.xml

How do charter schools differ from traditional district public schools?
Charter schools operate from 3 basic principles:

Accountability: Charter schools are held accountable for how well they educate children in a safe and responsible environment, not for compliance with district and state regulations. They are judged on how well they meet the student achievement goals established by their charter, and how well they manage the fiscal and operational responsibilities entrusted to them. Charter schools must operate lawfully and responsibly, with the highest regard for equity and excellence. If they fail to deliver, they are closed.

Choice: Parents, teachers, community groups, organizations, or individuals interested in creating a additional educational opportunities for children can start charter schools. Local and state school boards, colleges and universities, and other community agencies can sponsor them. Students choose to attend, and teachers choose to teach at charter schools.

Autonomy: Charter schools are freed from the traditional bureaucracy and regulations that some feel divert a school's energy and resources toward compliance rather than excellence. Proponents of charter schools argue that instead of jumping through procedural hoops and over paperwork hurdles, educators can focus on setting and reaching high academic standards for their students.

Do charter schools have admission policies? Can they "pick" who attends?
By law, charter schools must have a fair and open admission process, conducting outreach and recruitment to all segments of the community they serve. They are public schools and therefore cannot "choose" which students attend. Like other public schools, charter schools are nonsectarian and nondiscriminatory in admission and employment practices. Charter school students are admitted on a first-come, first served basis, or by lottery when applicants exceed available slots. No tuition may be charged.

Who authorizes charter schools?
This varies from state to state, depending on the state's charter law. In California, for example, there are three types of authorizers: the governing board of the school districts, county boards of education, or the state board. In Pennsylvania, individuals or groups seeking to establish a charter public school must apply to the local school board of the district in which the school will be located. Generally there are four types of entities allowed to authorize charter schools: the local school board, state universities, community colleges, and the state board of education.

How are charter schools funded?
Charter schools are public schools and like district public schools, they are funded according to enrollment (also called average daily attendance, or ADA), and receive funding from the district and the state according to the number of students attending. However, in a number of states, they do not receive the full equivalent of their district counterparts: Minnesota charters only receive the state portion (about 75% of a district school's total per-pupil allocation); charters in New Jersey and Colorado also receive less than 100% of the per-pupil funding. In other states, charters must negotiate their funding in their charter contract, often below the level of funding of their district counterparts, and then make up the difference through grants and donations. In addition, unlike traditional district schools, most charter schools do not receive funding to cover the cost of securing a facility. Conversion schools (charter schools that were once public or private schools) begin with established capital, namely the school and its facilities. A few states provide capital funding to start-up schools, and some start-up schools are able to take over available unused district space, but most must rely on other, independent means. Recent federal legislation provides funding to help charters with start-up costs, but the task remains imposing.

Do charter schools take money from public schools?
Charter schools are public schools. When a child leaves for a charter school the money follows that child. Proponents say this benefits the public school system by instilling a sense of accountability into the system regarding its services to the student and parents and its fiscal obligations. For more information on common misconceptions surrounding charter schools, see CHARTER SCHOOLS: Six Common Criticisms from Opponents-and Proof That They are Unfounded.

What is the difference between charter schools and private school vouchers?
Voucher plans allow parents to use their tax dollars that would otherwise be used toe educate their child in a public school and apply those dollars towards tuition at a private or religious school. These schools may charge some amount beyond the voucher and may not have to accept all applicants, depending on the voucher program guidelines. Charter schools, on the other hand, are public schools that allow parents to exercise an option to have their child educated at a school outside of the traditional district system. Charter schools must accept all students on first come-first served basis or by lottery and cannot charge tuition.

How do charter schools impact the public school system?
Charter schools provide a variety of services to children that arguably place healthy pressure on the district to provide equal or better services. In 2001 the U.S. Department of Education released a major study called The Impact of Charter Schools on School Districts. They reported that more than half of traditional districts created new educational programs in response to charter schools. Proponents maintain that charters schools also increase accountability in many districts.

Do charter schools work?
Every charter is different, and may of them are new. But their general success is consistent. An August 2001 report from the Center for Education Reform found that in 65 research studies done on charter schools, 61 found that charters overall provided innovative, accountable and successful. To read CER's 2003 summary of charter school research findings-overwhelmingly supporting the viability and success of charters-see What the Research Reveals About Charter Schools.

What if a charter school fails?
If a charter school doesn't live up to the terms of its charter, it's closed. Proponents site this as proof of charter schools' accountability. Poor academic performance can be a factor, as can financial and management issues. Only 47 or 1.5% of all charter schools in operation last year were closed.¹

When and where did the first charter school open?
The charter school movement has roots in a number of other education reform ideas, from alternative schools, to site-based management, magnet schools, public school choice, privatization, and community-parental empowerment. The term "charter" may have originated in the 1970s when New England educator Ray Budde suggested that small groups of teachers be given contracts or "charters" by their local school boards to explore new approaches. Albert Shanker, former president of the AFT, then publicized the idea, suggesting that local boards could charter an entire school with union and teacher approval. In the late 1980s Philadelphia started a number of schools-within-schools and called them "charters." Some of them were schools of choice. The idea was further refined in Minnesota where charter schools were developed according to three basic values: opportunity, choice, and responsibility for results.

In 1991 Minnesota passed the first charter school law, with California following suit in 1992. By 1995, 19 states had signed laws allowing for the creation of charter schools, and by 2003 that number increased to 40 states, Puerto Rico, and the District of Columbia. Charter schools are one of the fastest growing innovations in education policy, enjoying broad bipartisan support from governors, state legislators, and past and present secretaries of education. In his 1997 State of the Union Address, former President Clinton called for the creation of 3,000 charter schools by the year 2002. In 2002, President Bush called for $200 million to support charter schools. His proposed budget called for another $100 million for a new Credit Enhancement for Charter Schools Facilities Program. Since 1994, the U.S. Department of Education has provided grants to support states' charter school efforts, starting with $6 million in fiscal year 1995.

The 2009-10 school year is about to begin with nearly 4,700 charter schools across our nation, most of which are not unionized. Just the mere mentioning of unions and charter schools in the same sentence raise the heart rate of many. As someone who is more intrigued than opinionated about the hotly debated topic of unions and charter schools, I am hoping to present a few arguments from both perspectives.

Let's begin with some of the reasons a charter school may opt not to unionize:
Money: Organized teacher labor costs more than dues. It may affect costs such as retirement and health plans which the charter school may otherwise have more freedom to choose. Scheduling: Charter schools have the freedom to set the length of school days and often calendar. The unions are not usually crazy about the idea of teachers working ten plus hours per day and six day workweeks. Not that this is custom at every charter school, but different teachers are hired under different contract agreements. That brings us to teacher contracts: Charter schools without union agreements have more freedom in human resources decisions, can hire highly qualified teachers with different education background than those in the non-charter public school environment-- and most debatably-release a poorly performing teacher from his/her duties at will.

On the flip side, why do some charter schools unionize?
Some charter schools, like Green Dot, were designed from day one with union agreements in place for its teachers. It's what I'd refer to as union-lite or thin-contract union agreements. Steve Barr, founder of Green Dot, desires to explore education innovation practices that once proven successful can be replicated in the non-charter public school environment. Since non-charter public schools are dominantly represented with union labor, Barr reasons this culture should be a part of Green Dot schools as well. The United Federation of Teachers (UFT) has created its own charter school chain. Whether this is to serve the community as alternative education to traditional public schools in those areas, or to prove that union charters as a concept can work, is also argued. Then, we have the charter schools which did not begin as unionized, but at some point had enough teacher solicitation of organized labor that the school went through a conversion if you will. The last union/charter marriage is likely the most controversial type of charter school/union relationship and the very type referred to in the New York Times piece above. Why? Because teachers who hire on with charter schools often seek the charter environment as an alternative to teaching in the non-charter public schools and to separate themselves from some of the practices which frustrated them with that system. It is then baffling for many charter school families and operators when that same staff invite that culture into the charter school. Charter school teachers are also not hired against their will, but sign hiring contracts with the charter school agreeing with the terms of the contract.

So let's discuss some of what the union/charter merger may solve and what could be a pitfall:
Hiring decisions. Depending on the state, many charter schools have increased freedom in who they hire to teach. A charter school may, for example hire a former University Professor, whereas that individual's higher education qualifications may not be enough to teach non-charter public school K-12. If a union stepped into a charter school, would the charter need to let go of veteran staff or require seasoned teachers to go back to school, just to please the union? What role would the union play in new staffing decisions? The teachers' voice. The unions want to give the teachers a greater presence in the education decision process. While many will argue that how the charter school is designed to naturally provide this, others express that is not enough. The worry of union opponents is not so much over the teacher voices, but the union voices, and whether or not these will sound over the voices of the students and families. Money. There it is again. Lower pay for a teacher may (or may not) be a part of a charter school hiring agreement. Charter school budgets are generally much smaller than the greater district ones, so unfortunately lower salaries can be somewhat expected. The reason why teacher salaries isn't listed under "money" above as a reason to not invite the unions, is simply because most charter schools budget teacher salaries as a top priority after facility payments and other required regular expenses. It's a matter of how much money a school has, and not a lack of desire to pay staff what they deserve. Another interesting question is how much more a charter school teacher would actually financially gain through a union relationship. A charter school often pays according to performance, where a union uses a tenure system. A charter school teacher is often deemed "highly qualified" under the rules of No Child Left Behind (NCLB), but the teacher's union pays for different professional qualifications. Charter school culture. There are thousands of charter schools across the United States-each created with their unique mission and purpose. With an environment that is so customized and specialized toward the population it serves, would a union be able to be adaptable to become part of each education culture's nuance? Length of school day. Argue away, but it is proven that more instruction more knowledge makes. There are many charter schools who have been effective in closing the achievement gaps with the tool of longer school days, six day school weeks, longer school year, and required summer school. The union, although often vowing not to interfere with this, is now beginning to make its changes in some of the charter schools which were unionized. By making teacher accommodations in a successful alternative learning environment are we throwing the students out with the bathwater? What about the above mentioned turn-over? Whether this is referring to the number of teachers who are excused from teaching at a charter school when it seems not to be a perfect fit, or teachers who choose to leave because they are unhappy, is not mentioned. Let's assume it's some of both. The practice of being able to let go of a teacher who is not good at their job is controversial, a freedom available to charter schools but not usually favored by teachers' unions. Sure, there may also be a case of an ineffective administrator who is too trigger happy with the catapult button and letting go of effective staff for the wrong reasons. This would not only affect the axed teachers, but the charter school, as it would be hemorrhaging talent. However, it isn't just the principal in a charter school who can let go of a hired employee at will, but also the governing council--which is the administrators' boss. Without tenure agreements, the charter school board could rectify the situation by excusing a reigning administrator who is less than stellar. Similarly should turn-over be due to teacher morale. If a director and a board are operating effectively in their roles, much morale issues can be prevented. If there is an ineffective director or willy-nilly board who is overstepping their boundaries, a charter school may lose staff as a symptom. Most charter schools eventually fix this internally through proper board trainings, consulting with state charter school organizations, or have a come-to-Jesus moment with their authorizer, instead of becoming BFFs with the nearest teacher's union. Typically the presence of a teachers' union only fixes one of these two turn-overs-hindering the administrator's ability of letting go of staff. As we have learned in the non-charter public school environment, that may come with its own set of problems. The question the unions must be asking themselves is if getting involved in the charter school business will be worth it in the end. That every charter school in America will be won over by the teachers unions is unlikely, and participating in public school innovation comes with risks that charter school operators are willing to accept-but are the unions ready for it? For example, charter schools close if they do not show appropriate academic progress or financial stability. It is a delicate process, which is part of the charter school design, and very much for the benefit of both the taxpayers and the students. But unions represent teachers, and are they willing to deal with the prospect of having an entire school workforce being released for those reasons?  On that note, one of the challenges facing union-converted charter schools is that the added expense of organized labor could be too much to handle for some of the smaller charter schools. It would not be a positive reflection for the union if prior fiscally healthy charter schools begun closing due to money problems post-unionizing. The same goes if test-scores crashed due to less instruction time in the classroom. Would the unions be left with the blame, or would the message sent be "See, charter schools are not sustainable after all?" Whether or not a charter/union matrimony is wise, is not just a question for reformers to ponder, but for the teachers' unions as well.

http://www.njcharters.org/docs/am_app.pdf
http://www.pbs.org/closingtheachievementgap/faq.html

Charter school budgets are normally very tight and require far more trade-offs than in a non-charter district school. However, here are seven basic steps to go through in developing an initial budget.

Determine the per pupil revenue amount.

Make a conservative estimate of the number of full time equivalent students. Determine NJ funding rate per pupil.

Estimate other revenue sources such as interest and grants. Some charter schools receive special education funding from their districts and some do not. If you do, check with your district or authorizer to see if they have an estimate of the new funding rates.

List all of your fixed or mandatory expenses next. This includes rent or bond payments, utilities, insurance, and worker's compensation premiums. Notice that I did not include salaries here. Consume between 15 and 25% of a charter school's budget. These mandatory items will normally While you have to pay salaries, how much and how many people is a variable. This comes next.

The largest item in a charter school's budget is salary and benefits. A charter school business manager will need to be very careful at this point. If too large of an increase in pay is budgeted or too many positions are added, these are often considered fixed by boards. It is difficult to lay people off and even worse to make a mid-year pay cut. In addition, the employer portion of the Public Employee's Retirement Association contributions increases each year. Depending on your situation Healthcare premiums may be increasing significantly. Make sure you get bids early if you supply benefits yourself. If you buy benefits through your district, get those numbers as early as possible.

Everything else. This sounds oversimplified, and it is, but the fact is that everything else will only comprise about 10 to 15% of the average charter school's budget. On the other hand, this is where your school has the most discretion over spending. This includes IT, repairs and maintenance, curriculum materials, and professional development. Because you have more discretion, you often spend more time here working with the principal, teachers and facilities people because you have to set priorities.

Go back and re-balance. Do you need more computers than your discretionary budget allows? Can you reduce the payroll somehow? Can you bid out insurance to save some money? There are many creative ways to save money. I've seen one school that went through a huge safety campaign and reduced their worker's compensation premium by over 30%.

Perhaps that seems easy to you. I can assure you that it's not. Especially in the current economic situation, schools are tightening their belts and charter schools have been hit hard. Recessions to both per pupil revenue and charter school capital construction funding in 2008-09 hit many charter schools hard. It appears that there will be another recession in 2010.

Still the same steps apply. It may mean that in step five, positions have to be cut or salaries reduced or both. That's why the steps are easy, but the actual decision making is difficult. That's why often charter school business managers need to focus on the numbers and often not the feelings. Sometimes they are looked at as the bad guys or girls, but they are the ones that often keep the charter school operating. It's time like this that the easy steps are not always so easy.

According to state statistics, the average per-pupil spending in charter schools is $12,018, compared with $13,539 for students in traditional public schools.

http://www.state.nj.us/education/chartsch/app/ta.pdf

18A:36A-4. Establishment of charter school

a. A charter school may be established by teaching staff members, parents with children attending the schools of the district, or a combination of teaching staff members and parents. A charter school may also be established by an institution of higher education or a private entity located within the State in conjunction with teaching staff members and parents of children attending the schools of the district. If the charter school is established by a private entity, representatives of the private entity shall not constitute a majority of the trustees of the school, and the charter shall specify the extent to which the private entity shall be involved in the operation of the school. The name of the charter school shall not include the name or identification of the private entity, and the private entity shall not realize a net profit from its operation of a charter school. A private or parochial school shall not be eligible for charter school status.

b. A currently existing public school is eligible to become a charter school if the following criteria are met:

(1) At least 51% of the teaching staff in the school shall have signed a petition in support of the school becoming a charter school; and

(2) At least 51% of the parents or guardians of pupils attending that public school shall have signed a petition in support of the school becoming a charter school.

c. An application to establish a charter school shall be submitted to the commissioner and the local board of education or State superintendent, in the case of a State-operated school district, in the school year preceding the school year in which the charter school will be established. The board of education or State superintendent shall review the application and forward a recommendation to the commissioner within 60 days of receipt of the application. The commissioner shall have final authority to grant or reject a charter application.

d. The local board of education or a charter school applicant may appeal the decision of the commissioner to the State Board of Education. The State board shall render a decision within 30 days of the date of the receipt of the appeal. If the State board does not render a decision within 30 days, the decision of the commissioner shall be deemed final.

e. A charter school established during the 48 months following the effective date of this act, other than a currently existing public school which becomes a charter school pursuant to the provisions of subsection b. of section 4 of this act, shall not have an enrollment in excess of 500 students or greater than 25% of the student body of the school district in which the charter school is established, whichever is less.

Any two charter schools within the same public school district that are not operating the same grade levels may petition the commissioner to amend their charters and consolidate into one school. The commissioner may approve an amendment to consolidate, provided that the basis for consolidation is to accommodate the transfer of students who would otherwise be subject to the random selection process pursuant to section 8 of P.L.1995, c.426 (C.18A:36A-8).

L.1995,c.426,s.4; amended 2000,c.142,s.1.

http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2010/04/nj_education_dept_receives_36.html

The state Education Department received 36 applications proposing to start up a charter school for the fall of 2011, up from 27 last year, a report on NorthJersey.com said.

Currently, 68 charter schools are open in the state, according to the report. Gov. Chris Christie said at a conference in March that charter schools play a crucial role in proving districts don’t need to be heavily subsidized by the state to provide quality education for their students. Details on the applicants would be released next week, the report said.