This is the Final Charter Application for the Elysian
Charter School of Hoboken.
For other ECS documents goto http://www.hoboken.net/ecs/docs
.
Elysian
Final
Application
Mile
Square Families, Inc.
Contact
Person:
Thomas
Kluepfel
---
201-XXX-XXXX
(H)
212-XXX-XXXX
(O)
Executive Summary
The Elysian Charter School of Hoboken
provides its students with a thorough understanding of an appreciation for the
world’s human and natural environments through a unique, and continuous in-depth
study of their most immediate environment - the people, resources, and history
of
Description of Founders
The Elysian Charter School of Hoboken has been conceived
and developed by a broad-based
Although Mile Square Families is primarily comprised of
parents with young children, outreach efforts over the past eighteen months has
brought a wide array of people and talents to the group. (Active members of
Mile Square Families represent a range of professional competencies-fund
raising, education, fine arts, publishing, communications, and business-all of
which have been, and will continue to be brought to bear on behalf of the
Elysian Charter School.) Today, Mile
Square Families is a non-political grassroots organization and is in the
process of becoming a non-profit corporation with tax-exempt status in order to
facilitate future fund raising efforts on behalf of the charter school.
It should be pointed out that Mile Square Families
currently represents more than 150 young children whose parents have voiced a
concern about public school options in
The leadership group of Mile
Square Families constitutes the founding members of the Elysian Charter
School. They are:
Carlos Azaceta was born in
Carlos and Susan
live in Hoboken with their two young children, both of whom attend Calabro
School, one of
Diane Davidson is a designer specializing in corporate
communications and packaging design, and is currently establishing her own
graphic design consultancy in
Diane is married, and is the mother of four-year-old
twins.
Virginia Dooley has been involved with educational publishing for
ten years, and is currently an editor at Scholastic Professional Books in
Virginia and her
husband have three young sons, one of whom attends Calabro School in Hoboken.
Michael Evers is a professional fund raising consultant, with a
special focus on managing fund raising campaigns in the $1 million to $5
million range for a variety of non-profit organizations in the New York/New
Jersey metropolitan area.
Michael is married, and is the father of two young sons.
Lynn Kluepfel earned her Master’s degree in Early Childhood
Education from Bank Street College of Education in 1993 and taught kindergarten
at The Cornerstone School in
Her husband, Tom
Kluepfel, is also a founding member.
He is a partner and creative director in an award winning design and
communication firm in
Lynn and Tom live in
Deb Mercora is a resident of
Frank Rosner is marketing director for Starlog Group, a
publishing concern in
Frank is married
and his daughter attends pre-kindergarten at Wallace School, another of
Jeanne Rotunda is a
Jeanne lives in
John Salak is journalist and editor who has been widely
published in business and travel publications, and is the author of Violence in America (Millbrook Press, 1995),
Drugs in Society (Henry Holt &
Co., 1993), and The Los Angeles Riots:
America’s Cities in Crisis (Millbrook Press, 1993).
John and his wife live in
Melissa Starrett is a resident of
Georgia Diehl van Ryzin is a fine artist whose
drawings, paintings, sculptures and furniture design has been widely exhibited
in one-person and group exhibitions in
Georgia and her husband live in
Cynthia Tavlin is a writer whose work appears in The New York Times and the Philadelphia Inquirer. She has also been heard on the “Marketplace” segment
on National Public Radio.
Cindy is married and is the mother of two young sons.
Michael Weinberg has twenty-five years experience as a public
school teacher, supervisor and school district administrator in
Michael and his wife, Jeanne Rotunda (above) live in
Prologue
It is Friday morning.
In Miss Manning’s kindergarten class,
the man whom all the children know as Tony has arrived to lead the class in the
Pledge of Allegiance. The children all
know Tony because he drives the ice cream truck, and after the Pledge of
Allegiance he will use a large map of
(The children know that Friday’s Pledge of Allegiance is
always a little special. Last week, for
instance, four members of the
In Mister Baker’s first grade
class, the children are meeting to continue their counting exercise. Each child keeps a picture log of how many
kinds of vehicles they have seen on their block (buses, cars, tow trucks, fire
engines, taxis) and have been graphing their observations. Today, Mr. Baker is going to ask them to
think about and discuss what time of day they are most likely to see different
kinds of vehicles.
Upstairs, in Mrs. Guillan’s
fifth grade class, the kids are learning about
And in Miss Ruttigliano’s
eighth grade class, Professor Lin Qin Fu from the local Steven’s
This is the Elysian Charter
School of Hoboken, New Jersey.
About the name of our school:
As this proposal demonstrates, the Elysian Charter School
of Hoboken takes unique advantage of the very particular people, resources,
location, and history of
The name of the school, then, like the experience of
In the early 1800s,
Of course, the name Elysian Fields is drawn from
classical Greek mythology. Elysium, was
home to the virtuous after death - it was paradise - and the term elysian, has come to mean a place of complete happiness.
Introduction
For the past six months, leaders of a group representing
more than one hundred
Mile Square Families developed a unique focus for the proposed
school, one that will center on the social, economic, and ecological character
of this city on the
Starting with a kindergarten through second-grade program[1] and expanding to include the eighth grade, this
highly innovative school will be housed in a section of one of
Section 1 -
a. Identify
and describe any specific area of concentration or theme in which your charter
school may be focused.
The Elysian Charter School of Hoboken, New Jersey will be
a K through 8 elementary school with a special focus on human and natural
environments. Located along the
The school will also have a focus on critical thinking,
interdisciplinary learning and specifically on the relationships between the
environment and the well-being of people.
Children in the Elysian Charter School will examine firsthand some of
the choices people make in determining how to use resources.
The charter school curriculum will utilize the New Jersey
Core Curriculum Content Standards as a framework to guide curriculum
development and implementation and to “describe what students should know and
be able to do in specific academic areas and disciplines.”*
The mission of the school will feature an active learning
approach to understanding human society and its impact on both man-made
societal institutions and natural environments. Such a focus will lend itself
to an effective utilization of state core content standards in each grade level
and subject. Learning in these areas
will be measured in a uniform manner utilizing both standardized and
custom-designed assessment instruments.
Beyond these areas, students will be expected to understand the
importance of the affective domain including the values represented by specific
human actions on these environments.
High student achievement will be promoted by the
participation of parents working collaboratively with teachers in the
development, delivery and refinement of the curriculum. Parents will be expected to assist in their
child’s education as a part of an enrollment contract. High achievement will also be fostered by a
curriculum which highlights active inductive on-site learning and critical
thinking. Students will be encouraged to
take responsibility for their learning.
This mission is based on the following principles
which are shared by the school’s founders:
• Active
Learning / Critical Thinking
Students
should be active learners who utilize critical thinking skills to study and
solve real human and natural environmental issues. The surrounding environs will be utilized
fully in planning for active student learning.
• Core
Content Curriculum
Students
will experience and master the essentials of learning in a core content
curriculum. The curriculum will reflect
all New Jersey Core Curriculum Content standards and will also reflect national
goals and standards.
• Inquiry
(Inductive) Learning
The
curriculum will be focused on discovery and inductive learning
experiences. This will feature key
questions and the exploration of various answers and solutions.
• The
Community and Region as Learning Sites
Although
the school will be housed in a now existing school building, the curriculum
will also feature extensive use of the human and natural environments of
• Interrelationship
of Environment and the Economy
Students
will be encouraged to explore the important interrelationship between economic development and environmental
policies. The environmental aspects will
deal with human resources and productivity as well as ecological issues related
to the natural world around them.
• Academic
Standards
Students
will be expected to achieve at a high level.
The curriculum will utilize each student’s interest(s) in order to
challenge him/her to the fullest.
Initial learning targets will be set at a point higher than anticipated
state minimum levels.
• Personal
Responsibility
Students
will, through the problem-solving curriculum and active learning modules and
units, take personal responsibility for their own learning and for the
development of creative solutions to environmental issues.
b. Describe
the basic mission of your charter school.
The Elysian Charter School of Hoboken will be a parent,
teacher and community collaborative designed for children of grades K through
eight. The school will create a
reflective, child-centered community of active learners who explore their
natural and human environments through inquiry-based instruction in
interdisciplinary projects that nurture the development of basic skills, active
learning and critical thinking. The
school will encourage children to learn how to learn, and to ask essential
questions as tools to understand and influence the changing world around them.
c. Based
on your mission, describe the overarching goals which your charter school will
seek to attain.
The Elysian Charter School of Hoboken has the following
overall goals which it will seek to attain:
• To effectively prepare students to
utilize critical thinking and problem solving techniques in their learning.
• To offer a challenging curriculum
based upon key environmental issues and questions.
• To create small communities for
learning by utilizing cooperative learning strategies.
• To utilize parent-teacher-community
partnerships to maximize program effectiveness and to connect the school and
the community.
• To promote student enthusiasm for
learning and for reaching personal potential.
• To foster high student achievement
through active learning.
Section 2 - Goals and Objectives
a. Describe the broad academic/educational
goals and objectives of your charter school which will promote high student
achievement.
By employing the human and natural
environments as the context for student learning, this charter school will be
able to focus on the critical connections between each student’s learning, the
curriculum, and the wider community, region, and world. All learning activities will be designed to
highlight these interrelationships and the unifying idea that people can have
an impact on their human and natural environs.
Major academic goals for the
1. Students will develop their ethical,
intellectual, social, aesthetic, and physical abilities.
2. Students will demonstrate an
understanding of technology, and ability to, use technology to solve meaningful
problems.
3. Students
will develop and utilize critical thinking skills.
4. Students will be able to set personal
learning goals, monitor their own progress, and assess their achievement of
these goals.
5. Students will understand and appreciate
the school, and community, as consisting of many races, cultures, and
religions. The school’s curriculum will
celebrate this diversity as a great strength of the community and region.
6. Students will learn key concepts in an
elementary core content curriculum utilizing state standards and be able to
apply this learning to the community and region.
Specific corresponding objectives
are as follows:
1. For
Goal #1 - Students will develop their
ethical, intellectual, social, aesthetic, and physical abilities.
(a) Students will develop ethical positions
and arguments on the impact of human interaction with the environment as
measured by successful performance in discussion and debate.
(b) Students will express their thoughts and
feelings orally and in writing with a high level of proficiency, and will be
encouraged to communicate and evolve as individuals through the arts.
(c) Students will demonstrate social skills
by successful completion of projects and activities utilizing cooperative
learning and peer mentoring techniques.
(d) Students will engage in the design of
community art projects, theatre performances, and art exhibitions which will be
evaluated by staff and parents.
(e) Students will perform physical education
activities at an acceptable level with an emphasis on the development of
lifetime fitness skills.
2. For
Goal #2: Students will demonstrate an understanding of technology, and ability
to, use technology to solve meaningful problems.
(a) Students will be able to utilize
computers in problem solving as measured by program operation and simulation.
(b) Students will understand the impact of technology
in basic research by successfully utilizing computers to secure information for
class projects.
3. For
Goal #3: Students will develop and utilize critical thinking skills.
(a) Students will utilize critical thinking
skills to design projects which focus on an analysis of man’s impact on
man-made and natural environments as measured by scientific experiments
measuring pollutions.
(b) Students will utilize intellectual and
critical thinking skills in creating music, dance, theater and the visual arts
as measured by performances and exhibitions.
4. For
Goal #4: Students will be able to set personal learning goals, monitor their own
progress, and assess their achievement of these goals.
(a) Students will demonstrate self-management
skills by their performance as team members in cooperative learning projects.
(b) Students will monitor their own progress
in attaining school goals and objectives by maintaining a daily log of
activities and projects.
5. For Goal #5: Students
will understand and appreciate the school, and community, as consisting of many
races, cultures, and religions. The
school’s curriculum will celebrate this diversity as a great strength of the
community and region.
(a) Students will understand and appreciate
the cultural diversity of the school and their community by learning about
Latino culture and the Spanish language.
6. For
Goal #6: Students will learn key concepts in an elementary core content
curriculum utilizing state standards and be able to apply this learning to the
community and region.
(a) Students will develop the basic skills of
reading, writing, mathematics, speaking and listening as measured by successful
performance on statewide assessments, charter school assessment instruments,
teacher evaluations, and portfolio assessments.
(b) Students will achieve a high level of
proficiency - at or above grade level - on standardized tests in reading and
mathematics. Initial target: 90% of students will attain this goal by
grade 4.
Other specific highlights of the
academic program will be as indicated below:
The school will:
• Provide a focus on human and natural
environments in order to create a structure in which to organize a student’s
understanding of the world. A study of
the natural environment will enable students to investigate the biological and
physical worlds surrounding them. The
study of the human environment will focus on human societies and their
cultures, including how they provide for their material needs and express their
aesthetic and ethical values.
• Create active learners who will solve
meaningful problems as individuals and in groups through experimenting,
researching, manipulating materials, observing and reasoning. Through creating, building, performing and reflecting,
students will also be expected to develop and explain their personal points of
view.
• Utilize basic skills in order to
enable students to read with understanding for information and for pleasure, and
to write cogently in order to express their thoughts and feelings. They will also manipulate mathematical
symbols to deal with the needs of everyday life, as well as explore science and
technology. Basic to our world and to
contemporary education is a thorough exploration of the use of technology as a
tool of learning.
• Essential to the creation of an
intellectually curious student is the development of critical thinking
skills. These skills include the ability
to evaluate and critique ideas, explore alternatives, ask relevant questions,
and make meaningful choices.
b. Describe
non-academic goals and objectives which will promote high academic achievement.
The non-academic goals of this charter school will
feature the development of student self-esteem, cooperative peer relations, and
effective decision-making skills. A
special focus will also be placed on the importance of ethically based
decisions and their application and relevance to human and natural
environments. These goals are consistent
with the cross content workplace standards of the New Jersey Core Content
Standards.
Specific non-academic goals are as follows:
• Students will develop learning and
collaboration skills. These skills will
be measured by specific applications and simulations.
• Students will be able to learn
effectively in an environment wherein parents and community members play an
important role in instruction and learning as measured by testing achievement
and portfolio assessment.
• Students will develop respect for
each other and for people of diverse backgrounds as measured by the results of
cooperative learning strategies and
portfolio results.
• Students will understand the
diversity of opinions on controversial issues relating to human and natural
environments and be able to analyze the values inherent in each position as
measured by simulations, demonstrations and debate.
Section 3 - Description of Founders
a. Provide information on the founders,
including their names, background, experiences, relevant
certifications/licenses and corporate/business affiliations.
The Elysian Charter School of
Hoboken has been conceived and developed by a broad-based
Although Mile Square Families is
primarily comprised of parents with young children, outreach efforts over the
past eighteen months have brought a wide array of people and talents to the
group. (Active members of Mile Square
Families represent a range of professional competencies - fund raising,
education, fine arts, publishing, communications, and business - all of which
have been, and will continue to be, brought to bear on behalf of the Elysian
Charter School.) Today, Mile Square
Families is a non-political grass roots organization and is in the process of
becoming a non-profit corporation with tax-exempt status in order to facilitate
future fund raising efforts on behalf of the charter school.
It should be pointed out that Mile Square
Families currently represents more than 150 young children whose parents have
voiced a concern about public school options in
The leadership group of Mile Square
Families constitutes the founding members of the Elysian Charter School. They are:
Carlos Azaceta was
born in
Carlos and Susan live in Hoboken with their two young children, both of
whom attend Calabro School, one of
Diane Davidson is a
designer specializing in corporate communications and packaging design and is
currently establishing her own graphic design consultancy in
Diane is married, and is the mother of four-year-old twins.
Virginia Dooley has
been involved with educational publishing for ten years, and is currently an
editor at Scholastic Professional Books in
Virginia and her husband have three young sons, one of whom attends
Calabro School in Hoboken.
Michael Evers has
operated his own fund-raising consulting business for ten years, and has focused
on the creation and management of volunteer organizations for the purpose of
executing fund-raising campaigns in the $1 million to $5 million range for
nonprofit organizations ranging from internationally-known institutions to
small grass roots organizations. He
received his MBA from
Mike lives in
Peter Hsu was
born in
Peter and his wife, Kim Jin, live in
Lynn Kluepfel earned
her Master’s degree in Early Childhood Education from Bank Street College of
Education in 1993 and taught kindergarten at The Cornerstone School in
Her husband, Tom Kluepfel, is also a founding
member. He is a partner and creative
director in an award-winning design and communication firm in
Lynn and Tom live in
Deb Mercora is a
resident of
Frank Rosner is
marketing director for Starlog Group, a publishing concern in
Frank is married and his daughter attends pre-kindergarten at Wallace
School, another of
Jeanne Rotunda is a
Jeanne lives in
John Salak is a
journalist and editor who has been widely published in business and travel
publications, and is the author of Violence
in America (Millbrook Press, 1995), Drugs
in Society (Henry Holt & Co., 1993), and The Los Angeles Riots: America’s
Cities in Crisis (Millbrook Press, 1993).
John and his wife live in
Melissa Starrett is a
resident of
Georgia Diehl van Ryzin is a
fine artist whose drawings, paintings, sculptures and furniture design have been
widely exhibited in one-person and group exhibitions in
Georgia and her husband live in
Cynthia Tavlin is a
writer whose work appears in The New York
Times and the Philadelphia Inquirer. She has also been heard on the “Marketplace”
segment on National Public Radio.
Cindy is married and is the mother of two young sons.
Michael Weinberg has
twenty-five years experience as a public school teacher, supervisor and school
district administrator in
Michael and his wife, Jeanne Rotunda (above), live in
b. Describe any partnerships with existing
public schools, institutions of higher education, private entities and/or
community groups. If none, please so
state.
Partnerships have been created with
several educational and professional organizations in order to maximize program
effectiveness and to establish strong links to the community.
Public Institutions:
The charter school will
be housed in a public school in
Higher Education Institutions:
In October, 1996 the
Elysian Charter School founders established a partnership with a sponsoring
public institution of higher education:
Kean College of New Jersey,
The Center for
Educational Innovation of the Manhattan Institute,
In addition to these
two primary affiliations, discussions - in various stages - are underway with
the following public and private institutions to provide the specific services
indicated:
•
• Stevens
Institute,
•
Section 4 - Governance
Structure
a. Describe how the Board of Trustees will
be chosen.
It is the goal of this charter school
to maintain a proactive Board of integrity, whose members are committed to the
public education and well-being of children in
To create and maintain such a board,
the process by which members are appointed is intended to preclude any
individual with a financial conflict of interest from serving on the board, and
is designed to prevent any outside special interest or political groups from
gaining inappropriate leverage on the board.
In general, the process for
appointment to the nine-member board of trustees will be as follows:
The initial Board of Trustees will
be selected by the current officers and members of Mile Square Families and
appointed to serve staggered four-year terms.
Three members of this initial board will be appointed to three-year
terms, three will be appointed to four-year terms, and three will be appointed
to five-year terms. Prospective trustees
will submit resumes and letters of recommendation, and all finalists will be
interviewed.
A minimum of three (33%) and no more
than four (44%) seats on the initial nine voting member Board of Trustees will
be reserved for members of Mile Square Families, assuring continuous oversight
by the sponsoring organization. The
Superintendent of the
Subsequent trustees will be elected
by a vote of families with students enrolled in the charter school and
employees of the charter school, with each family and employee casting one
vote. Seats vacated prior to the end of
a term will be filled by individuals appointed by an affirmative vote of no
less than six of the remaining trustees.
No trustee may serve more than two
consecutive four-year terms without stepping down for a least a two-year
period. Such trustees may, however,
serve on the Advisory Board during this interim period in order to preserve
their expertise.
Any seat vacated prior to the end of
a term will be filled by an individual appointed by an affirmative vote of no
less than six of the remaining trustees.
Should a seat remain vacant for more than forty-five days, or should the
number of trustees fall to less than six, a special election will be called to
fill the vacant seat, with each family with students enrolled in the school and
each employee of the school casting one vote each.
All candidates for the Board of Trustees will be required
to make full, written disclosures of any existing business relationships - or
business relationships occurring in the preceding three years - between the
candidate (and/or the candidate’s spouse or children) and any other board
member (and/or any other board member’s spouse or children). Such disclosures must be made no less than
thirty days prior to a regularly-scheduled election, or ten days prior to an
interim election, and failure to make such disclosures will disqualify
individuals from serving as board members.
In addition, no more than two voting seats on the Board
of Trustees can be occupied by individuals (or spouses and children of such
individuals) from any of the following groups:
• Officials or
employees of the Hoboken Board of Education;
• Employees of the
• Employees of the City of
• Local, state or federal elected officials;
• Officials or employees of any union
under contract with either the
• Owners or employees of any enterprise
receiving more than $100 in annual revenue from any of the above-named
entities;
• Employees of the charter school
Furthermore, no more than one voting seat on the board
can be occupied by an employee, a trustee, or a holder of more than 2% interest
of any organization (for-profit or otherwise) in which another board member has
substantial influence on the hiring, firing, promotion or compensation
decisions. Voting board members whose
circumstances change during their term and who are no longer in compliance with
this stipulation will be required to resign their board position.
Finally, no board member (or spouse or child of a board
member) will derive income or profit from the operation of the charter
school. Additionally, Board members are
expected to hold themselves to the same code of conduct which governs student
behavior (see Section 8 of this proposal) and any board member indicted on
criminal charges will be required to resign immediately. Also, any trustee indicted or convicted of a
criminal offense will be required to resign their board position, effective the
date any such indictment is handed down.
b. Specify
the extent to which any private entity will be involved in the operation of
your charter school and the percentage of the Board of Trustees that are
members of that entity.
Private and public institutions of higher education will
provide curricular services, but will not be involved in the governance of the
charter school (except for a non-voting Ex-Officio Trustee). Higher education representatives and
corporate sponsors will be appointed to an Advisory Board created to assist the
Board of Trustees in program implementation and evaluation. Teachers and staff of the charter school will
also be eligible for appointment to the Advisory Board.
The specific role of Mile Square Families, Inc. in
establishing the charter school will include, but not be limited to, these
functions:
• Selection and appointment of initial
Board of Trustee members.
• Selection and appointment of
chairperson of Board of Trustees.
• Selecting and negotiating an initial
lease for a charter school site.
• Providing some of the funds for
start-up costs; fund raising for the charter school; creating a working capital
fund.
• Holding community meetings to discuss
the establishment of the charter school.
• Designing the basic mission and
curricular focus of the charter school prior to the appointment of the Board of
Trustees.
• Initial hiring of charter school
personnel. Authority for this will shift
to the Board of Trustees, once the board and the school are formally created.
c. Describe
the selection process whereby an advisory grievance committee, consisting of
both parents and teachers, will be established, as well as the procedures for
complaint review.
The processing of formal complaints will be based upon
alleged violations of the charter school law and/or other laws and regulations
- including those procedures established by the Board of Trustees for the
operation of the school.
A complaint will first be sent to the Chairperson of the
Board of Trustees who will forward it to the Grievance Committee. The Grievance Committee, consisting of
parents and teachers appointed by the Board of Trustees, will have the following
responsibilities:
• Basic research on the nature and
substance of the complaint.
• Interviews (if necessary) of
concerned parties.
• Development of a recommendation to
the Board of Trustees.
The Board of Trustees will consider the Grievance
Committee recommendation as a non-binding one.
The Board of Trustees will review the recommendation and then make a
decision which will be binding on all parties.
Appeals of the board’s decision can be made under the Charter School
Program Act of 1995 (section 15) which allows for appeals to the Commissioner
of Education.
d. Describe
the role of the board of trustees, including the involvement of teachers,
parents and students in the governance of your school
The charter school Board of Trustees will be the official
governing body for the school. The Board
will be responsible for ensuring that the school operates efficiently and in
compliance with the Charter School Program Act of 1995 and all other applicable
laws and regulations.
The Charter School Program Act of 1995 (section 6)
specifies the powers of the Board of Trustees as :
“a body corporate and politic with all powers
necessary or desirable for carrying out its charter program, including, but not
limited to, the power to:
a.
Adopt a name and corporate seal; however, any name selected shall include the
words “charter school;”
b.
Sue and be sued, but only to the same extent and upon the same conditions that
a public entity can be sued;
c.
Acquire real property from public or private sources, by purchase, lease, lease
with an option to purchase or by gift, for use as a school facility;
d.
Receive and disburse funds for school purposes;
e.
Make contracts and leases for the procurement of services, equipment and
supplies;
f.
Incur temporary debts in anticipation of the receipt of funds;
g.
Solicit and accept any gifts or grants for school purposes; and
h.
Have such other powers as are necessary to fulfill its charter and which are
not consistent with this act or the requirements of the commissioner.
The
board of trustees of a charter school shall comply with the provisions of the
“Open Public Meetings Act,” P.L.1975, c.231 (C.10:4-6 et seq.)
In addition, The Board of Trustees will have authority
for:
• The creation of charter school
advisory committees as needed,
• Developing a fund-raising campaign to
support a working capital in conjunction with Mile Square Families, Inc.,
• Approval of all academic programs
implemented in charter schools,
• All personnel actions after formal
establishment of the Board of Trustees,
• Budget planning, financial management
and school budget approval, and
• Review of all program evaluation
materials, and those related to accreditation.
Section 5 - Educational Program
Students who live in
A school curriculum based upon active student learning
with problem-solving focused on actual situations and examples will be highly
relevant for students. At its heart will
be the framework provided by The New Jersey Core Content Standards, but the
clear application of the curriculum will be upon the human and natural
environments of
This charter school will utilize human and natural
environments to provide a meaningful context for learning for students in
grades K through 8. The curriculum will
center on an awareness of the importance of these environments to the
development of people and of human societies.
Students will be encouraged to develop a personal understanding of their
potential in order to impact these environments both as individual learners and
as collaborators with other students.
The curriculum will also require students to set personal
goals and to work cooperatively with teachers and parents in assessing their
progress. Computers, and other
technology, will be used by students in data analysis and problem solving
beginning in the early elementary grades.
Instruction will take place both in and out of the
conventional classroom. Where
appropriate, students will visit and study at off-site locations such as Liberty
Science Center, Stevens Institute of Technology, and other cultural,
educational and historical sites. The
emphasis will be on real hands-on learning and problem solving.
Parents (guardians) will be expected to play an important
role in the curriculum by reinforcing concepts learned by children during the
school day, assisting in the classroom when possible, and by frequent meetings
with teachers and other parents. In
those situations where parents (guardians) are legitimately unable to do so, other
provisions will be made such as having another adult (i.e. student intern or
adult volunteer) provide the close follow-up on instruction with the individual
student. This characteristic of close
teacher-parent (guardian)-student relations will be an important part of the
overall character of the school.
As detailed elsewhere in this proposal, parents
(guardians) will also be required to sign a contract agreeing to work with the
school toward the attainment of the stated learning goals by full participation
- or by agreeing to allow another adult to play that role for their child.
The Elysian Charter School will meet all core curriculum
standards recently enacted by the State Board of Education. Grades K through 4 will utilize the Grade 4
level standards as cumulative progress indicators to be worked toward each year
in a planned sequential manner.
Similarly, the core curriculum standards for Grade 8 will be
sequentially infused in the curriculum for grades 5 through 8.
The curricular design will also center on the following
content, concepts, and skills in each major subject area. Please note this is not all-inclusive at this
stage of development, but the curriculum does reflect main areas of focus.
Specific Content of the
Core Curriculum
Major Assumption: Every student in the charter school will
complete the core curriculum and be expected to master its content and skills
at a satisfactory level. Teacher time
will be scheduled to allow for the planning necessary to fully implement the
state standards within the academic theme of the school. Parents and the community will also be active
participants in this process through school committees and open community
forums.
The following
Content Area descriptions for each subject are illustrative and not intended to
be all encompassing:
Arts
Content Summary: Charter school arts learning will feature the
development of student skills and talents in dance, music, theatre and visual
arts. Students will understand the
importance of the arts in society, and specifically in the
• to enable students to understand and
influence an increasingly complex technological environment, and
• to emphasize the importance of the
humanities in assisting students to understand that the arts are the products
of complex social, cultural, and intellectual trends that cross all societies
and cultures.
Cumulative Progress Indicators by the End of Grade Four: Students will be able to communicate their
responses to dance, music, theatre, and visual arts with supporting statements
based on aesthetics. Projects and
activities will use local and regional issues, resources, and themes for
developing knowledge and skills in working individually and in groups.
Cumulative Progress Indicators by the End of Grade Eight: Students will understand the use of basic
arts elements and forms to create an aesthetic response - contemporary artists
and art from the region will serve to illustrate these elements and artistic
techniques. Students will also be able
to utilize oral, written, and critical thinking skills to communicate their
ideas about the aesthetic qualities of art.
Students will demonstrate their artistic skills through performances,
exhibitions, and demonstrations.
Health
and Physical Education
Content Summary: Students will understand the importance of
personal decision-making in setting health goals and in ensuring safety. Environmental threats to health will also be
a focal point of student study. The
importance of proper nutrition and exercise will be stressed in this
curriculum. The main goal of this part
of the curriculum will be to develop students who are both health-literate and
physically educated. The context of life
in an urban area will be utilized to provide a background for critical health
and physical education issues.
Cumulative Progress Indicators by the End of Grade Four: Students will understand the importance of
responsible personal health behaviors, physical fitness, and the
physical/behavioral effects of alcohol, marijuana, and tobacco products. Students will also study the impact of the
media on gender stereotypes, as well as the importance of friends and family
relationships. The curriculum will also
feature the development of student locomotor and movement skills. Local fitness activities and facilities will
sometimes be used to illustrate key concepts.
Cumulative Progress Indicators by the End of Grade Eight: Students will be able to practice
health-enhancing behaviors, formulate personal health and fitness goals,
understand the impact of stress, loss and other crisis factors, access sources
of information, and understand the laws regarding drug and alcohol use. Local and regional examples, business
facilities and economic and cultural patterns will be utilized in instruction.
Language
Arts
Content Summary: The language arts curriculum will feature the
development of student abilities to express ideas, formulate questions and
search for, and apply, information.
Computer technology will be employed to teach writing and research
skills at all grade levels from One to Eight.
Students will develop skill in written and oral
communication by utilizing study materials with environmental themes with a
special emphasis on the human environment.
Students will develop their listening, reading, and speaking skills by
planned, sequential learning activities.
A special focus on storytelling as a means used by humans
to explain their human and natural environments will be an important part of
the language arts curriculum. Students
will be encouraged to develop and share their own stories through oral and
written activities.
Cumulative Progress Indicators by the End of Grade Four: All students will be able to speak and read
effectively and clearly, tell, retell, summarize and paraphrase stories, read
aloud, and write cogently. Writing will
be enhanced by clustering, brainstorming, freewriting, and editing techniques. Special focus will be placed on the linkages
between text readings and actual examples taken from life in
Cumulative progress Indicators by the End of Grade Eight: Students will develop higher order critical
thinking skills by an analysis of local and universal themes, diverse cultures,
and the common aspects of human existence.
A special focus will be on the enhancement of student reading, writing
and thinking skills while using real examples of concepts, events, people, and
institutions from their immediate environment.
Literacy forms, concepts and techniques will also be introduced in a
unit covering the author’s use of symbolism and allusion in creating propaganda
and in advertising. This will serve as
an introduction to these higher order skills as required later in the core
curriculum (to be mastered by Grade 12 in state standards).
Mathematics
Content Summary: Students will learn how and when to apply
mathematical concepts, and an important emphasis will be placed on the
enjoyment of mathematical learning. Math
will be taught as a problem-solving tool for hands-on projects. Students will use mathematics to consider
both theoretical concepts and practical projects within a local and regional
context.
Mathematics instruction will use specific concrete human
and natural environmental examples to teach mathematical skills and concepts. An example of this would be the use of
mathematical calculations to study community population growth, and in the
construction of models and diagrams to illustrate environmental issues.
Cumulative Progress Indicators by the End of Grade Four: Students will be expected by Grade 4 to be
able to utilize calculators, computers, graphs and concrete models to
illustrate mathematical concepts. At the
kindergarten level, environmental pictures related to the community will be
used to illustrate basic numerical concepts.
Students will be able to investigate and understand
mathematical content appropriate to these early grades. Student problem solving will also utilize
concrete, symbolic and graphical models for study. Skills in data collection, organization and
analysis will be employed by students in problem solving utilizing local
examples as much as possible. Students
will use cooperative learning strategies to explain their work to other
students. A key purpose of the
mathematics curriculum is to enhance the student’s understanding of the
importance of mathematics in everyday life.
Cumulative Progress Indicators by the End of Grade Eight: Students will be able to apply mathematical
concepts and processes in everyday life and in their careers. In working on specific problems taken from
the area’s human and natural environments, students will be able to formulate
questions, generalize from data, and propose solutions. Methodology will be based upon inductive (or
discovery) learning, and the use of alternative models and solutions in
problem-solving. Students will employ
computers and calculators in working on these problem-solving topics and
models. The essentials of algebra,
geometry, calculus and the use of statistics will all be taught as a part of
the mathematics curriculum. Special care
will be taken to understand the role of gender in mathematics and to promote
the high performance of young women in this subject.
Science
Content Summary: Students will understand fundamental
scientific principles, their application in studies of human and natural
environments, and the use of science-based skills in problem solving. Students will use computers and scientific
equipment to study problem-centered thematic units focused on basic concepts of
science. The curriculum will feature the
life cycles of organisms and the interrelationship of living things. Students will be encouraged to understand
their personal connection to the natural world and the importance of treating
it with respect. Students will use
scientific skills to study specific scientific projects in their community and
region.
Cumulative Progress Indicators by the End of Grade Four: Students will be able to understand the basic
diversity of life and the role of science in understanding it. Students will also use computers and
technology, from grades 1 to 8, in conducting scientific studies. The curriculum will focus on local and
regional case study problems in order to enable students to work on experiments
and projects designed to understand the scientific issues raised. Science will be used as a means of
investigation for students as they study the impact of humans on the ecology of
Cumulative Progress Indicators by the End of Grade Eight: Students will be able to identify problems
and conduct experiments to solve them.
The results of experiments will be organized and interpreted by students
by this grade. Students will also
evaluate arguments and theories when developing their interpretation of an
experiment or study project. Students
will also study the lives of scientists and meet some of those who are working
in the region. Instruction will be both
on-site in the community and in the classroom/laboratory. A key aspect of science in the middle grades
will be an analysis of the role of science in responding to changing political,
economic and social conditions. Examples
and case studies from the local, regional and national areas will be
employed. Students will also see by this
kind of action study that science is a field of inquiry involving much trial
and error before solutions to problems/challenges are discovered.
Social
Studies
Content Summary: Students will understand the significance of
key principles of the United States Constitution and know the rights and
responsibilities of citizens in a democratic society. Local, county, and state governments will be
studied by students, with a special emphasis on the executive, judicial, and
legislative branches of government. In
the early grades (K through 4), students will study and evaluate the role of
the family in the community and the impact of the community on the state and
region. A special focus will be placed
on the ways in which people can improve their environments and on the
background of diverse cultures.
Cumulative Progress Indicators by the End of Grade Four: Students will be able to identify the common
and different elements in major world cultures.
Cultural institutions such as the family and community will be featured
in basic lessons and units. Students
will also be able to use computers for classroom activities and projects by the
end of Grade 4. By utilizing local and
county maps, students will understand spatial concepts, including distance and
location. Students will also be able to
identify the continents and oceans of the world. Local and regional information will be
utilized in order to develop student understanding of population
characteristics, economic patterns, and the impact of geography on human
development of the region. Local and
regional sites will be used to demonstrate concepts, view landforms and to
visit businesses relevant to the issues being studied.
Cumulative Progress Indicators by the End of Grade Eight: Students will study the impact of technology
on human history and the effect of humans on the environment. For both of these issues, specific local and
regional sites will be visited for illustrative purposes and guest speakers
will be utilized. Much emphasis will be
placed on the multicultural diversity of the community, region and nation in
social studies teaching units. All
students will acquire historical understanding of political, sociological and
economic ideas and forces. Special
emphasis will be placed on the role and obligations of an active citizen in a
democratic society.
Students will also study the impact of people and their
governments on the human and natural environments. Students will be encouraged to place the
history of
World
Languages
Content Summary: This charter school will feature the study of
the Spanish language, resulting in the ability of all students to be able to
communicate verbally and in writing.
Note: Spanish
was selected due to the high percentage of Spanish-speaking people in
Cumulative Progress Indicators by the End of Grade Four: Students will learn simple statements in
Spanish and study Spanish-speaking cultures in grades K through Four. Language study will also include basic
vocabulary, parts of speech and elementary word identification.
Cumulative Progress Indicators by the End of Grade Eight: From grades 5 through 8 students will study
the contributions of Hispanic authors and leaders to world culture. Conversational Spanish mastery will be
stressed in these grades. Local native
speakers will be utilized in instruction.
Workplace
Readiness
The curriculum will focus on
building self-management skills leading to the creation of motivated,
self-disciplined students. An important
ingredient in this part of the curriculum will be the use of technology to
solve problems. Local and regional
businesses will be utilized as partners in this area of student
instruction. This area of focus will be
integrated in a cross-content manner into the other subjects described here.
Methods of Assessment for These Areas:
This will be described more fully in the assessment
section of this proposal, however it is important to state here that curriculum
content student learning will be measured by a variety of techniques including,
but not limited to, the following:
• Standardized commercially produced
tests,
• Portfolio assessment,
• State assessment measures,
• Teacher generated assessments, and
• Computer programmed assessments.
b. Define
the school calendar, school day schedule and hours of operation.
The Elysian Charter School will follow the yearly
calendar of the
The after-school activities and some transportation of
students will require the school opening and closing times to be closely aligned
with the
c. What
grade range or ages will your charter school serve?
The Elysian Charter School will provide education for
grades K (full-day) through 8. For the
first year of operation two classes will be offered at each level (K, 1st, and
2nd) for a total of six classes. In each
subsequent year, one grade level (up to two classes each) will be offered until
the full K through 8 grade range is in place.
d. How
will your educational program provide for innovative strategies and practices
that will promote high student achievement.
Teachers and professional staff will work closely with
college professors from several
participating institutions of higher education to put in place an
innovative and challenging curriculum.
In addition, staff of the Center for Educational
Innovation of the Manhattan Institute will provide assistance, as needed, on
curricular design and innovation.
e. Describe
any partnerships which would enhance high student achievement through support
services such as health, nutrition and counseling.
Health services and meals will be provided on a cost basis
by the local district. Counseling
services and Child Study Services will be shared with the local district if a
student I.E.P. (Individual Education Program) cannot be fully developed by
charter school professional staff. Other
services, as needed, will be arranged on a cost basis with the
Section 6 - Student Assessment
a. Describe
the method of assessing whether students are meeting the educational goals of your
charter school, or the process by which assessment will be developed.
Assessment of student learning will be based upon state
guidelines, tests, and standards and also upon additional evaluative measures
of the charter school. In particular,
the charter school will use portfolio evaluation as an integral part of the
assessment of learning for all students.
Portfolio evaluation will be conducted on a frequent basis throughout
the school year.
Teachers will also assess group achievement of their classes
in meeting curricular goals and make appropriate adjustments in instruction if
necessary.
Reviews of student, group and class achievement will be
held at least twice a year with parents of the students. Special attention will be paid to curricular
adjustments, methodological changes, and to ways of enhancing parental
assistance as a means of addressing any perceived problems.
b. Describe
any assessment indicators your charter school has established which are in
addition to those established by law.
In addition to required portfolio assessment, the Board
of Trustees will ask the professional staff, in consultation with parents, to
suggest any other appropriate standardized test which might be helpful in
monitoring student learning.
School effectiveness will be carefully monitored by the
Board of Trustees in conjunction with outside consultants and affiliated
institutions. The results of this
continuous, on-going institutional self-evaluation will be reported in the
Annual Report of the charter school.
c. How
will your charter school ensure high academic achievement as assessed through
the required statewide assessment program?
Student assessment results will be reviewed by teachers
and parents and necessary adjustments made to the curriculum. This school is based on the assumption that
all children can learn - and that they can learn at a high level of
achievement. The curriculum will
challenge them to do their best and specific strategies will be employed to
enhance their study skills. Since
parents (guardians) will be an important part of this process, they will be
provided with the training necessary to reinforce lessons/homework at home.
As described earlier, each student will have an adult
parent, guardian, or assigned adult to work with on assignments and who will be
the principal contact with the school.
Students who are assessed as having learning/achievement
difficulties will be provided with added tutorials by a college teaching intern
working with the classroom teacher and/or by cooperative learning strategies
employed with other students.
d. How
will your charter school address the needs of students who do not perform at
acceptable levels of proficiency on the statewide assessment program?
It is anticipated that students will be carefully
assessed prior to statewide testing so that academic deficiencies will be noted
early in the program and a plan for remediation put in place for each student.
Students who do not perform at acceptable levels of
proficiency on the statewide assessment program will immediately be placed in
the school’s tutorial program which would involve an adult tutor. This would be supplemented by student
tutorial assistance through cooperative learning strategies.
Tutors would work with the student to remedy weaknesses
by a detailed plan with target dates for achievement of goals. This plan would be developed under the
supervision of the students’ classroom teacher(s).
Section 7 - Admission Policy and Criteria
a. Describe
your student admission policy and the criteria for evaluating the students to
be admitted.
This charter school will be open to all students residing
in
Students will be considered for admission to the charter
school based upon submission of an application by the parent (guardian) which
will verify parental and student interest in the charter theme and a commitment
to abide by the terms of the admission.
The student and parent (guardian) will be interviewed
regarding their interest in the school.
School admissions personnel will encourage parents to find the
appropriate school match based on the student’s interest. No student will be denied admission through
this process; the main purpose of this interview will be to familiarize the
parent (guardian) with the school’s mission and educational program. However, if applicants exceed available
space, some students may be denied admission by the lottery process described
below.
The parent (guardian) will be required to sign a contract
(See Appendix C) which will detail the extent of parental involvement required
in order for their child to enroll. Of
course, the parent contract is not meant to exclude, preclude or discourage
applicants and the school will grant waivers and reductions in cases of
hardship. Such instances would include:
• a single parent with two additional
jobs;
• families with a large number of children;
• parents whose work schedule precludes
them from attending school functions;
• parents whose “free” time is
substantially consumed caring for a family member with a physical or mental
condition;
• situations in which parents simply
cannot meet certain requirements, such as households in which parents cannot
speak or read English, or in which parents are functionally illiterate; and
• situations in which there is no
parent.
In instances where waivers are requested, an effort will
be made to develop reasonable alternative requirements. Also, the school will work with the family to
find adults who can act as “big brothers” and “big sisters” to fulfill specific
requirements which support and reinforce classroom instruction. These adult volunteers will act as an
advocate for the child, assuring that the child is not at an unfair
disadvantage. [For more on Parental
Involvement and the Parent Contract, see Section 11.a.]
Prior school records (unless a Kindergarten applicant)
will also be required to be sent from previous school. These will not be used in the admissions
process, but will be used for student need evaluation purposes.
Pursuant to the Charter School Act of 1995, priority in
admissions will be given to:
•
• Sibling(s) of a currently enrolled
charter school student.
If more applications (and signed contracts) are received
than the number of available seats, a lottery will be held to determine
admission to the school. Students from
out-of district locations will only be admitted on a space-available basis in
accordance with the charter law.
The admissions process will be handled by an Admissions
Committee consisting of parents, teachers, professional staff and the school
principal. The Admissions Committee will
be appointed by the Board of Trustees of the charter school.
Admission criteria for the phase-in of grade levels for
four year initial charter will be as follows:
PHASE I: September
1997, Admission for:
Kindergarten:
Parent/student
interest in Theme. Signed contract by
parent.
First
Grade:
Student
interest in Theme. Signed contract by
parent. Review of Kindergarten Records
(for student interest).
Second Grade (two classes):
Student
interest in Theme. Signed contract by
parent. Review of First Grade Records
(for student interest).
PHASE II: September
1998, Admission for:
Third
Grade (two classes):
Student
interest in Theme. Signed contract by
parent. Review of previous school
records (for student interest).
PHASE III: September
1999, Admission for:
Fourth Grade (two classes):
Student
interest in Theme. Signed contract by
parent. Review of previous school
records (for student interest).
PHASE IV: September
2000, Admission for:
Fifth Grade (two classes):
Student
interest in Theme. Signed contract by
parent. Review of previous school
records (for student interest).
b. Describe
the random process your charter school will use to select students if there are
more applicants than there are spaces available.
If there are more applicants than available spaces, the
names of those students who applied and who have also submitted signed
contracts from a parent (guardian) will be randomly assigned a number and
numbers will be drawn from a lottery to be held on a date specified, and
publicized, by the Board of Trustees. If
this process has resulted in the filling of all available spaces, 20 remaining
students may receive standby status (5 per class in the first year of
operation). Standby status would follow
lottery ranking and would require parent (guardian) request for such status.
c. Define
the “reasonable criteria” which will be used to evaluate prospective students.
“Reasonable criteria” for admission to the charter school
will be as follows:
• Student interest in the school’s
theme: If student lacks interest in the
theme, the parent (guardian) will be urged to examine other schools,
• Interview with parent (guardian) and
child,
• A review of past student school
performance to ascertain interest,
• Available space, and
• Parent (guardian) agreement to, and
signing of, a contract regarding specific responsibilities (Appendix C).
NOTE: Students
who lack interest in the school’s theme will not be denied admission, but they
{and parent (guardian)} will be counseled to attend their regularly assigned
school or other appropriate educational site.
d. Define
the terms and conditions of non-resident student enrollment.
Non-resident students may apply for admission on a
space-available basis. If more
non-resident students apply than there are available spaces, a lottery will be
held which will follow the procedures for the resident lottery described in
Section 7b of this application.
A calendar for non-resident enrollment will be developed
to follow the dates for resident enrollment.
If resident enrollment accounts for all available spaces, then
non-resident enrollment procedures will not be activated.
Section 8 - Student Discipline Policy and Expulsion
a. Describe
the criteria your charter school will follow to suspend or expel students.
Suspension or expulsion from the Elysian Charter School
would be based upon extremely serious violations of a Code of Conduct to be
developed by teachers, parents and professional staff and approved by the Board
of Trustees and also reflective of state law (18A: 37-2; 37-2.1).
Such a policy would include the following criteria for
immediate suspension:
• Assault upon a teacher,
administrator, board member or employee of the board of education.
• Assault with a weapon on any school
property, on a school bus, or at a school-sponsored function committed against
a teacher, administrator, board member, employee, or another student.
• Possession of a firearm, or a crime
while committed with a firearm, on school property, on a school bus or at a
school-sponsored function.
Appeal process for each of these infractions will follow
state guidelines/law that specify a hearing on charges within 30 days following
the day the pupil is removed from the regular education programs.
Expulsion proceedings will be governed by NJA: 37-2.1
which details the process:
Any
pupil who commits an assault, as defined pursuant to N.J.S. 2C:12-1, upon a
teacher, administrator, board member or other employee of a board of education,
acting in the performance of his duties and in a situation where his authority
to so act is apparent, or as a result of the victim’s relationship to an
institution of public education of this State, not involving the use of a
weapon or firearm, shall be immediately suspended from school consistent
with procedural due process pending suspension or expulsion proceedings
before the local board of education.
Said proceedings shall take place no later than 30 calendar days
following the day on which the pupil is suspended. The decision of the board shall be made
within five days after the close of the hearing. Any appeal of the board’s decision shall be
made to the Commissioner of Education within 90 days of the boards decision. The provisions herein shall be construed in a
manner consistent with 20 U.S.C. § 1400 et seq.
Amended by L.1995, c. 128, § 5.
Under these policies the principal would gather evidence,
consult with the student’s teachers, and then recommend suspension or expulsion
of the student to the Board of Trustees.
The Board will provide for student/parent (guardian) appeal of the
principal’s recommendation. Any further
appeal of the board’s decision will be conducted in accordance with state laws
and regulations.
b. Describe
any rules or codes of conduct which will govern student behavior.
In addition to the criteria for suspension or expulsion
to be approved by the Board of Trustees, the charter school will disseminate a
Code of Conduct for students. It might
include these elements:
Students are expected to:
• treat each other and
adults with respect,
• avoid engaging in sexual harassment
and gender bias,
• avoid using racial and ethnic
stereotypes,
• not plagiarize in academic work,
• not cheat on tests, and other assessments,
• not destroy or deface property,
• not steal, and to
• not create a safety hazard for others
or themselves.
c. Describe
your charter school’s disciplinary policy.
Disciplinary actions involving violations of the State
law (18A:37-2, 37-2.1) or of the Code of Conduct will be referred by
professional staff and teachers to the principal. The principal will take appropriate action
after speaking to all concerned parties.
Key ingredients in the principal’s discipline procedures will include:
• parent conferences
• official letters of reprimand/warning
• consultation with teacher(s) and
counselor(s)
For extremely serious infractions, as detailed in Section
8a, the principal will recommend to the Board of Trustees the suspension or
expulsion of the student. His/her
actions will follow the guidelines of state law delineated in 18A: 37-2.3.
Section 9 - At-Risk and Bilingual Students and Students with
Disabilities
a. Describe
how your charter school will meet the needs of at-risk students.
All students will be academically evaluated after
admission to the charter school. Any
academic deficiencies will be noted and a specific plan of action for remedying
these weaknesses will be developed by the classroom teacher in consultation
with counselors and other professional staff.
These plans will be reviewed with parents (guardians) and updated
annually. In some cases, extensive
tutorial instruction and supplemental instruction may be required.
The charter school will coordinate carefully with the
local district to ensure that the Individual Education Program (IEP) for
students with disabilities be fully met.
This will necessitate close contact between professional staff in the
charter school with those in the district.
The specific details of these arrangements will be developed with the
b. Describe
how your charter school will meet the needs of limited English proficiency
(LEP) students.
The academic program, except for language instruction in
Spanish, will be conducted in English.
LEP students are fully eligible for admission to the charter school.
However, LEP students will be offered in-school and after-school
tutorials to improve their knowledge of English. Both written and spoken English will be
emphasized in these after-school sessions.
The school will also assign an adult tutor to assist the student during
the school day. If appropriate, cooperative
learning strategies will also be employed.
c. Describe
how your charter school will meet the needs of students with disabilities.
Students with disabilities will have an I.E.P. developed
in conjunction with the
All students will be academically evaluated after
admission to the charter school. Any
academic deficiencies will be noted and a specific plan of action for remedying
these weaknesses will be developed by the classroom teacher in consultation
with counselor(s) and other professional staff.
These plans will be reviewed with parent(s) (guardian(s)) and updated
annually. In some cases, extensive
tutorial instruction and supplemental instruction will be offered.
Elysian
Section 10 -
a. Provide
a copy of the certificates for all classroom teachers including School
Directors, and professional support staff; also include a description of their
proposed qualifications.
All classroom teachers and professional support staff
will hold appropriate
Proposed qualifications for teachers, school counselors
and the principal (Director) are as follows:
Teachers
• B.A. or B.S. degree
• teacher certification
• skill in teamwork
• proficiency in interdisciplinary
teaching
• interest/experience in environmental
approaches to teaching
School
Counselors
• earned master’s degree in psychology,
counseling, school psychology or social work
• counselor certification
• interest/experience in working in an
urban setting
Principal
(Director)
• earned master’s degree
• administrative certificate
• interest/experience in school’s
academic theme
• skill/experience in working with
parents
• skill/experience in sharing academic
leadership with teachers
Certificates are not yet available as director and staff
have not been hired. Certificates will
be available and sent to the Commissioner according to the following timeline:
1 May, 1997 Principal
and initial classroom teacher hired (2 certificates).
b. Describe
charter school staff responsibilities.
School staff responsibilities will be delineated in each
person’s job description, but there will be an overall emphasis on teamwork and
shared decision making. Teachers will be
expected to play a major role in curriculum design and assessment. Counselors will work closely with teachers in
monitoring student progress. The
principal (Director) will be a team leader with experience in collaborative
leadership.
Major staff responsibilities will be as follows:
Teachers
• design curriculum
• create portfolio system of assessment
• share in school planning and
governance
• classroom teaching
• student advisement
School
Counselors
• assist in the design of the tutorial
system
• design the counseling
services/program for students
• counsel students
• guide students in conflict resolution
Principal
(Director)
• manage the daily school operations
• provide collaborative leadership to
teachers, staff and parents
• work cooperatively with parents
• practice shared decision making with
parents and teachers
• budgetary management
• teacher/staff hiring and evaluation
• report to Board of Trustees on all
operational matters
• classroom teaching as needed
c. Specify
security and protection to be afforded to employees of your charter school in
accordance with the streamline tenure guidelines established by the
Commissioner.
The Elysian Charter School will establish a streamline
tenure system consistent with the guidelines established by the
Commissioner. This system will feature
clearly stated evaluation criteria, guidance in remedying deficiencies, and due
process in a timely fashion. All
evaluation criteria will be designed by a team of administrators and teachers
led by the principal (Director). This
evaluative criteria will be forwarded to the Board of Trustees after
consultation with the bargaining agent.
For instance, the evaluation criteria will likely feature
these components:
• Teaching Effectiveness - as measured
by student surveys and by professional observation.
• Scholarship (knowledge of subject) as
measured by professional observation.
• Ability to relate well to children,
as measured by student surveys and professional observation.
• School and community service, as
measured by participation in school collaborative planning, curriculum design
and committee service.
All teachers will be observed by other teachers and by
the school principal (director).
Tenure will be acquired consistent to the processes and
criteria set forth in N.J.S.A. 18A: 28-5, N.J.S.A. 18A: 28-6, N.J.S.A. 18A:
17-2, and N.J.S.A. 18A: 28-6. Once
streamline tenure is acquired, the individual may only be dismissed or reduced
in compensation for the reasons specified in these same statutes. A streamline tenured employee could only be
dismissed or reduced in compensation by the following process (in order of
sequence):
• charges are certified by the board of
trustees,
• written bill of particulars provided
to the employee,
• for charge of inefficiency: a 90-day corrective action period, after
which the board may decide to proceed with charges,
• for this and all other charges: a panel of six arbiters established to hear
such cases - as specified in commissioner’s directive, law, or regulation,
• the board shall serve the employee
with charges,
• the employee has 15 days to answer
such charges to the arbitration board,
• upon notice in writing by the
employee to the Commissioner that the employee wishes to contest the charges an
arbitrator will be assigned by the Commissioner from the six-member arbitration
panel,
• a hearing will be held within 30
days,
• discovery procedures completed 15
days prior to the hearing, and
• arbitrator’s decision, rendered
within 20 days of hearings is not appealable to Commissioner. Judicial Review shall apply in accordance
with N.J.S.A. 2A: 24-1 et. seq.
d. Provide
a detailed explanation and justification for any adjustments which your charter
school will request to expedite the alternate route program which will provide
for the certification of persons who are qualified by education and experience.
The Elysian Charter School will request an adjustment in
the
e. Describe
the criteria and standards to be followed in the hiring of charter school
staff.
Three of the most important criteria for hiring of teachers
and professional staff will be that the candidate:
• shares the vision for an
environmentally based curriculum,
• has excellent academic credentials
and/or practical experience, and
• cares deeply about the well-being of
children.
During the hiring process the charter school will
carefully check academic transcripts, references, prior experience, and do a
criminal background review. Prospective
teachers will be asked to demonstrate their teaching ability through an actual
classroom lesson.
The principal (Director) will chair a small committee of
parents and teachers to assist him/her in the interviews and in recommending
candidates. The principal’s
recommendation will go to the Board of Trustees for final action.
f. Describe
the targeted staff size and the teacher-to-student ratio.
The goal of the Elysian Charter School is a 15:1 ratio.
The Elysian Charter School will hire six full-time
teachers for the first year of operation.
It is projected that the breakdown would be two kindergarten teachers,
two first grade teachers, and two second grade teachers (one of whom will be
the principal/director).
Enrollment Level Classes Teachers needed
15 each = 30 Kindergarten (two classes) two teachers
15 each = 30 First
Grade (two
classes) two teachers
15 each = 30 Second Grade (two classes) two teachers
Total =
90 Students K - 2
range (six
classes) Total = Six
Teachers
Classroom size will be 15.
Therefore, during the first year of operation, the school
will consist of two kindergarten, two first grade, and two second grade
classes, for an estimated total of 90 students.
In addition, one of the teachers will serve as the school
principal/director. A school counselor
will be hired on a per-diem or shared time basis. Psychological, janitorial, and child study
services will be shared with the local district on a cost basis. School financial/business functions will be handled
by a part-time employee hired by the charter school.
In each subsequent year, one additional grade level will
be added as the classes move forward.
Once fully staffed, the school will be a K through 8 charter school
consisting of two classes at each grade level.
g. Describe
your policies and procedures regarding the following: salaries, contracts, hiring and dismissal,
and benefit packages.
Salary Levels
Salaries will follow the minimum and maximum set in the
Charter School Act of 1995 regarding the salary scale.
For the 1997-8 school year, the
BA BA + 30 MA BA
+ 60 MA + 30 Ph.D
Minimum $30,242 32,328 33,018 34,746 36,600 38,100
Maximum $57,014 59,227 59,960 61,792 63,424 65,054
The charter school will not exceed these figures and will
hire individuals at the step on the salary scale commensurate with their
experience and qualifications. The
salary scale will be developed after consultation with the bargaining agent (if
any).
Awarding Contracts
All state statutes and regulations will be followed for
the awarding of contracts. All contracts
will be reviewed and approved by the Board of Trustees. The board will work closely with the local
district to secure the best possible price from vendors.
Hiring and Dismissal of
Employees
This charter school will be an equal opportunity employer
in accordance with existing state law and regulations. Hiring will be in full compliance with
affirmative action guidelines and will reflect the racial and gender diversity
of the community and region. Dismissal
process for non-tenured employees will reflect a sequence of steps as follows:
• negative/positive recommendation by
Supervisor/Superior,
• appeal and review at next level, the
Evaluation Committee,
• Committee recommendation to Board of
Trustees,
• Final decision by Board of Trustees.
All employees will be reviewed a minimum of twice yearly,
with teaching staff being observed at least four times each year. All regulatory and statutory procedures for hiring
and dismissal will be followed. The
Principal/director will be reviewed by a special committee appointed by the
board every three years. Teachers will
be reviewed by the Evaluation Committee which consists of teachers and parents
and is chaired by the director. This
committee is appointed for a three-year team by the Board of Trustees.
Benefits for Employees
The charter school will offer a benefits package,
including health and life insurance, comparable to the
• enrollment at no cost to the employee
in a health/medical plan,
• non-contributory life insurance at no
cost to employee,
• eyeglass plan, at cost to employee,
• dental plan, at cost to employee, and
• enrollment in TPAF pension plan.
The charter school will collaborate wherever possible
with the
Board Role
It will be the responsibility of the Board of Trustees to
develop these policies, procedures, and pay scales and to utilize
administrative staff in making appropriate fiscal recommendations.
Section 11 - Parental and Community Involvement
a. Describe
the procedures to be implemented to ensure significant parental involvement in
the operation of your charter school.
Parental involvement is a defining characteristic of the
Elysian Charter School - in fact, parents are the driving force behind its
creation. It is the belief of the
founders that a public school can be created to which parents of children
attending the school will feel a deep commitment and obligation.
In addition, careful research and practical experience
indicates that parental involvement is a critical element in the educational
success of children. The Elysian Charter
School, in its effort to insure that all children become competent learners,
will encourage and, when possible and appropriate, require various forms of
adult involvement on behalf of each student.
(We recognize that some families may be burdened in ways
that may make it impossible for them to fulfill all of the school’s
requirements. In such instances, the
Elysian Charter School will work with the family to arrange for adult volunteers
to act as a “big brother” or “big sister” to ensure that each student will have
a responsible adult serving as their advocate and participating in school
functions with them.)
Specific procedures have been developed to attain and maintain
the high degree of parental involvement we propose:
First, the governance calls for the Board of Trustees to
be elected by parents of children attending the school.
Second, prior to admission to the school, parents of
children applying will meet with the director and teaching staff of the school
and will have the school’s mission and goals explained to them. Parents will then be asked to sign a contract
in which their responsibilities as parents of Elysian Charter School students
will be outlined (Appendix C). Of
course, this contract is not meant to exclude or discourage any parents from
applying for their child’s admission - rather, it is meant to establish from
the very outset that the school and the family are partners with a mutual responsibility for the child’s education.
Third, parental involvement is a two-way street: the school will ensure that parents receive
the information they need to get involved and stay involved. Although the specifics of such a
school-to-family communication program will be developed by the yet-to-be-hired
director and teachers and will reflect their particular styles and
personalities, we expect that parents will be kept informed of class goals,
weekly assignments, at-home activities and supplemental lessons. We also envision four-times-a-year workshops
for parents on a broad range of child, family and school topics.
Fourth, the school will urge parents (with their
children, when appropriate) to devote at least three hours of their time per
month to some activity or job aimed at improving the school’s facilities or
aiding the teaching staff. Examples of
such activities might include shopping, library work, translating, fund
raising, gardening, preparation of snacks, and, chaperoning.
And finally, parents will be encouraged to serve on
committees dealing with such issues as curriculum, assessment, admissions and
discipline. It is expected that parents,
teachers, and administrators will work collaboratively with the Board of
Directors to chart the direction of the school.
b. Provide
information on the manner in which community groups will be involved in the
charter school planning and development process.
Mile Square Families, as the driving force behind the
Elysian Charter School, is a broad-based community group already deeply involved in the school’s planning
and development.
Beyond that, Mile Square Families has been single-minded
in its goal of involving the entire community of
• Mile Square Families appeared before
the Hoboken City Council and Mayor, seeking their support and cooperation - as
well as a liaison - as the group pursued its charter school initiative (See
Appendices D and E).
• Mile Square Families has created a
cooperative and open working relationship with
• Representatives of Mile Square
Families have met with the president of the local teacher’s union (Hoboken
Education Association) to inform her of our goals and objectives and to seek
her advice on how we might address the local district teachers’ concerns.
• Membership in Mile Square Families
costs nothing and is open to all
• In cooperation with the city’s Parks
Department, Mile Square Families has sponsored two public picnics and one tag sale
(of children’s used clothing, books and toys) in the town’s central park and
open to all residents of
• Mile Square Families has also
contacted all local ministers, priests and rabbis, informing them of our
initiative and asking their help and support in promoting our events and
identifying members of their own communities who could aid us in developing the
Elysian Charter School.
• A public meeting has been scheduled
for November 3. This final proposal for
the Elysian Charter School will be presented and a Q&A session will be
held. (A bilingual volunteer will
translate for Spanish-speaking audience members.)
We expect Mile Square Families and the Elysian Charter
School to continue to reach out to the
Section 12 -
Discussions have been held with Dr. Edwin Duroy regarding
the leasing of public school space for the charter school. It is anticipated that the
Timeline for lease agreement with
January, 1997 Lease
details discussed once charter is received from the state.
February, 1997 Finalization
of details and signing of lease.
Summer, 1997 Charter
school set up within leased space.
September, 1997 Charter
school formally begins instruction of students.
The
It is also not anticipated that a facility would be
purchased.
Section 13 - Financial Plan
a. Provide
the specifics of the financial plan for your charter school; include a description of the charter school
fund development plan.
The Elysian Charter School will create separate financial
accounts in keeping with GAAP guidelines.
A General Fund Account for Government Funds will be used for monies
received from the local levy budget category.
A Special Projects Fund and an Enterprise Fund will be created for
special activities and internal services.
A fund for charitable fund raising will be created.
A full charter school development plan is now being
written. It will set as a goal of
$25,000 for an unrestricted fund-raising campaign for the first year of
operation. It will target corporations
and foundations in the
b. What
provisions will be made for auditing of your charter school pursuant to
provisions of N.J.S.A. 18A:23-1 et. seq.?
The Board of Trustees will select an accounting firm in
accordance with statuary and regulatory requirements.
c. What
are your charter school enrollment projections for the first four years?
Year I (1997-8) 90
Year II (1998-9) 120 add two 3rd grade classes (15
per class)
Year III (1999-2000) 150 add two 4th grade classes (15
per class)
Year IV (2000-2001) 180 add two 5th grade classes (15
per class)
The school will grow in enrollment in each year for the
first four years by the addition of one new grade level each year.
d. What
are your charter school non-resident enrollment projections for the first four
years? What is your ultimate enrollment
goal for non-resident students?
It is anticipated that most, if not all, students would
come from the
e. Identify
the districts from which the projected enrollment was determined.
The sole or primary source of enrollment will be
If there is an inadequate number of students registering,
then non-resident students could also be drawn on an available space basis from
the surrounding communities of
f. Using
the attached budget summary sheet, follow the directions and prepare a first
year budget covering projected sources of revenue, both public and private, and
planned expenditures.
The budget summary sheet is attached as Appendix A.
g. Describe
your charter school cash flow management plan and how it will ensure a smooth
cash flow from the local district.
The cash flow plan is described in Appendix B.
Section 14 - Transportation
a. Describe
your procedure and time line for notifying each district of residence of your
transportation needs.
Like the
Existing (1996-97) shuttle lines, serving approximately
40+ kindergarten students with two runs every morning and afternoon, are as
follows:
Morning
From
to Elysian
• First bus leaves at
• Second bus leaves at approximately
Afternoon
From Elysian
• First bus leaves at
• Second bus leaves at approximately
Once registration of kindergarten students is completed
in April and May of 1997, the
Section 15 - Waiver of Regulations
At present, the Elysian Charter School is not requesting
any waivers of regulations. As discussed
earlier, the Provisional Teacher Program (
Section 16 -
a. Describe
the process which will be used for charter school self-evaluation; include the
role of the Board of Trustees, administrative and teaching staff, parents and
students and consultants.
The charter school principal (Director) will, under the
direction of the Board of Trustees, implement a system of continuous, ongoing
self-evaluation. All concerned parties
(teachers, parents, staff, and students) will have a role in the evaluation
process. Each year, an Evaluation
Committee consisting of the concerned parties will measure the school’s
progress in attaining its stated goals.
The Evaluation Committee will utilize the following elements in its
evaluation process:
• Parent surveys
• Student surveys
• Test scores
• Review of Portfolio Assessments
• N.J. assessment and testing scores
• Standardized test results
• Student attendance rates
• Interviews
Other elements may be added by the Evaluation Committee.
Each year the Evaluation Committee will meet in September
as a committee and begin to meet with the Director and teaching staff to begin
the evaluation process by gathering preliminary information. The committee will review student achievement
results as well as parent and student satisfaction surveys. The school’s teachers will be interviewed
individually by the committee in order to hear suggestions for program and
student learning outcomes improvement.
Upon completion of this evaluation process the committee
will develop a report containing its review findings and recommendations for
school improvement for the next year of operation. The findings in this report will then be
presented to parents or guardians of enrolled students and teachers for
discussion. After this meeting, a final
report will be developed which will be forwarded to the Board of Trustees. The board will discuss the recommendations
and an open public meeting where the public may comment, and then take action
by majority vote on the report's recommendations. All actions of the board on this, and other
matters, will be governed by the state
Open Public Meetings Act” P.L. 1975, c.231 (c10:4-6 et. seq.) regarding
such public meetings.
b. Describe
how your charter school self-evaluation process will support development and
dissemination of the required annual report.
The results of the school self-evaluation study by the
Evaluation Committee will be as represented in the final Evaluation Report
approved by the Board of Trustees which will be mailed to all parents in the
school and also distributed to those parents interested in enrolling their
children for the first time in the charter school.
A detailed summary of the results and recommendations
will be included as an important component in the Annual Report issued
to parents. Both the Evaluation
Report and the Annual Report will be distributed to the local board of
education, county superintendent of schools and the Commissioner of Education.
The timeline for the development of the Evaluation
Report and Annual Report is as follows:
le='font-size:12.5pt;mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;font-family:
Roman-WP'>1 September 1997 Evaluation Committee Appointed by
Board of Trustees.
to Board of Trustees;
Public testimony invited.
prepared by Director,
staff and parents.
students and/or
prospective students. Annual Report
used as an
information guide for
student registration.
to local Board of
Education, county superintendent of Schools
and The Commissioner of
Education.
c. Describe
the system your charter school will use to maintain school records and
disseminate information regarding that system to the community.
The charter school will maintain all
student, fiscal, and other records in accordance with standard practices and
with applicable state guidelines. All
files will be open for review by the
Information regarding the school's
mission, admission policies, self-evaluation, and any outside evaluation, will
be disseminated to the community in the annual report. In addition, the school will communicate
information to parents (guardians) of students via a brief monthly newsletter.
d. How
will your charter school staff be evaluated?
Describe your standards/criteria for staff performance evaluation.
Staff evaluations will be conducted
in accordance with policy and a timetable approved by the Board of Trustees.
All individuals will receive a
written evaluation of performance by a supervisor and each will have a
conference with the supervisor to discuss the evaluation.
e. Describe
your standards/criteria for staff performance evaluation.
The following elements will be included
in a staff performance evaluation:
• Knowledge
of field/academic area
• Sensitivity
to students and their needs
• Ability
to work as a team member - collaboration skills with both teachers and parents
• Written/spoken
communication skills
• Reliability
in completion of assignments/projects
This list will be reviewed, revised
and possibly expanded by the Board of Trustees once a board is appointed.
Section 17 - Time Table
15 Oct. to
Jan. 1997 Commissioner’s Decision
Jan. to
March 1997 Hiring of Principal (Director) and teaching/professional staff
Jan. 1997 Leasing of building space
April to
May 1997 Student Registration
1 May 1997 Initial group of certificates sent to D.O.E.
July to
Aug. 1997 Curriculum development
Sept. 1997 Opening of
Elysian
Section 18 - Liability
Insurance
Once a lease for a facility is
secured, property insurance (if needed under lease) and personal indemnity
insurance will be secured.
Component parts of planned insurance
will include the following:
• school
board legal liability coverage,
• student
accident insurance,
• official
bonds for officers,
• property
damage / fire insurance, and
• general
liability insurance.
If automobiles are purchased then appropriate
liability/collision coverage will be obtained.
All employees will be provided with
health insurance (without cost to them) and will have the option of
contributory dental coverage.
Section 19 - Documentation
In this section is the Certificate
of Incorporation for Mile Square Families, Inc.
APPENDIX B:
CASH FLOW CHART
|
REVENUE
SOURCES |
July
‘97 |
August ‘97 |
Sept. ‘97 |
Oct. ‘97 |
Nov. ‘97 thru June ‘98 |
|
Local Share: Kindergarten (30 students) First Grade (40 students) State Share: Pre-K (30 students) Kindergarten (30 students) First Grade (40 students) Fund Raising |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total Revenues |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
style='width:63.6pt;border-top:solid
windowtext 1.0pt; border-left:solid windowtext
1.0pt;border-bottom:none;border-right:none; mso-border-top-alt:solid
windowtext .75pt;mso-border-left-alt:solid windowtext .75pt; padding:0in
4.8pt 0in 4.8pt;height:20.1pt'> |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
To: Dr. Leo Klagholz
From:
Date:
RE: PROPOSAL FOR A
The accompanying proposal has its origins in
the state’s first Charter School Public Hearing, held at Stevens Institute in
In the days immediately following, word
continued to spread through the local grapevine - mostly parents with young
children, talking to other parents - about the meeting and about charter
schools. In this tightly knit
mile-square city, word travels fast and within just a few weeks, informal
gatherings were held and the parents found themselves organizing into groups to
continue to share information and discuss charter schools and public school
education in Hoboken.
Mile Square Families, then, is the result of
a spontaneous coming together of parents and families concerned about the
education and well-being of children in
Why so urgent?
In 1980, the public school population in
Encumbered as it is by size, laws, and
contracts,
We have the encouragement and support of our
city’s civic leaders. We have worked
hard to build a trusting and cooperative relationship with our public school
officials. We certainly have the support
of many, many families in town. Mile
Square Families is confident in its dedication and abilities and urges you to
approve this application for a charter to create the Elysian Charter School of
Hoboken, New Jersey.
Respectfully
yours,
Carlos
Azaceta
Susan
Azaceta
Diane
Davidson
Virginia
Dooley
Michael
Evers
Peter
Hsu
Lynn
Kluepfel
Deb
Mercora
Frank
Rosner
Jeanne
Rotunda
John
Salak
Melissa
Starrett
Cynthia
Tavlin
Georgia
Diehl van Ryzin
Michael
Weinberg
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Letter
to Commissioner Klagholz
Application
Summary
Executive
Summary
Prologue
About
The Name of Our School
Introduction 8
Goals
and Objectives 12
Description
of Founders 16
Governance
Structure 21
Educational
Program 26
Student
Assessment 35
Admission
Policy and Criteria 37
Student Discipline
Policy and Expulsion 41
At
Risk and Bilingual Students and Students With Disabilities 43
Parental
and Community Involvement 51
Financial
Plan 55
Transportation 57
Waiver
of Regulations 58
Time
Table 62
Liability
Insurance 63
Documentation 64
APPENDICES
Appendix A Budget
Summary
Appendix B Cash Flow Chart
Appendix C Parent
Contract
Appendix D Letters of Support
Appendix E Community Outreach
APPENDICES
Appendix A Budget
Summary
Appendix B Cash Flow Chart
Appendix C Parent
Contract
Appendix D Letters of Support
Appendix E Community Outreach
[1]* Since
the original conception of the Elysian Charter School of Hoboken, it was the
intent of the founders to include a prekindergarten program. It is their belief that it is appropriate -
and even vital - to begin a child’s formal education at four years of age, and
that such a program would enhance the school’s overall character.
Be
that as it may, the most recent state funding levels - as well as an analysis
of the school’s projected budget and cash flow - preclude the school from being
able to offer such a program in 1997.
The founders will continue
to explore ways to create such a program and, should such a program become
financially feasible in the future, ask that they be able to reserve the right
to expand the school “downward” to include a prekindergarten program.
* New Jersey State Department of Education. Core
Curriculum Content Standards.
* U.S. Census Bureau, 1995 Report, as cited in
The New York Times,
* Upon receipt of the charter, Mile Square Families will begin a major fund raising effort (under development now) through which we expect to reach out and garner support from local businesses, trade associations, and other civic groups.