Schools

Rallies Aimed at Charter School Reform to be Held Tonight

Three rallies in South Brunswick, Highland Park and Millburn are intended to push the state legislature to pass bills that would allow a local vote before a charter school is approved.

A series of rallies throughout the state will be held on Tuesday by the grassroots organization Save Our Schools to demonstrate bipartisan support for proposed reforms to the charter school law and to push for their adoption by the state legislature.  

One rally will be held in the playground of Bartle Elementary School in Highland Park, with Senator Barbara Buono (D-18), Assembly Education Committee Chairman Patrick Diegnan (D-18) and members of the Middlesex County Board of Chosen Freeholders expected to be in attendance.

Highland Park parent and Save Our Schools members Melanie McDermott said in the past, community members have opposed the approval of a Hebrew language charter school in the borough because of the belief that it would be too expensive for local taxpayers and serve too small a percentage of the community.

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The rally is to support their belief that the process for approving charters needs to be improved upon, and to send a message to legislators to take action on the charter legislation, she said.

In South Brunswick, a rally will be take in front of the Municipal Building at 7 p.m. prior to the Township Council meeting, where the council is expected to vote on a resolution in support of Senate Bill S2243, which would require voter approval before any charter school is approved in a district.

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"We're hoping for a couple hundred people from South Brunswick, Plainsboro, West Windsor, Princeton and Hillsborough to show up and let their voices be heard," said Save Our Schools member Lisa Rodgers, of Monmouth Junction. "We met with (State) Sen. Bateman (R-16) about co-sponsoring the senate bill and he gave us his word that he would.  He won't be in attendance due to a prior commitment, but he did send us a statement to read at the rally."

Rodgers emphasized that Save Our Schools is not anti-charter school, but would like to see local approval as a requirement before a charter is granted.

"It's important for residents to have a say because it's the citizens and taxpayers who are paying for these schools," Rodgers said.  "These bills would give us a voice, because we have no voice as individuals on these schools. The Department of Education has the power to grant a charter school and push it through using our tax dollars, so we're asking for our basic rights as citizens to vote on how our tax dollars are utilized."

At the end of May, the state Assembly Education Committee approved four bills aimed at charter schools.  One of those bills, A3852, sponsored by Diegnan, would require voter or board of education approval before charters could open in any school district. 

The Assembly Education Committee also approved bill A2805, sponsored by Assemblywoman Linda Greenstein (D-14), which would require voter approval prior to the establishment of a new charter school. 

and that voters and school boards should have input into charter school decisions. 

NJSpotlight.comlike those offering language immersion programs, might not be needed in suburban districts that are “humming along.” 

The three Save Our School rallies will be held concurrently at 7 p.m. on Tuesday at:

  1. Highland Park– playground of Bartle Elementary School (435 Mansfield Street).  In case of rain, the rally will be in the school's gym.
  2. South Brunswickin front of the Municipal Building (540 Ridge Road, Monmouth Junction).  The rally will be followed by the Town Council vote on the resolution to require local approval for new charter schools.  In case of rain, the rally will be inside the Municipal Building.
  3. Millburn -- playground of Taylor Park (Main Street).  In case of rain, it will be at the Bauer Center in the park. 


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