Anti- and Pro-Charter Rallies Planned for DeHart Center on Friday
A West Orange-based proponent of charters has decided to counter the anti-charter rally planned for Friday in Maplewood.
Things could get heated on Friday afternoon at Maplewood's DeHart Community Center as a proponent of charter schools is now planning to hold a pro-charter rally concurrently with the anti-charter rally already planned for Friday at 4:30 p.m.
West Orange resident Adam Kraemer is planning the counter-rally Friday, to make a case for charter schools coming to suburbia.
"I'm a proponent of options and choice," he told Patch. "Knowing that there's charters and options out there keeps schools on their toes … it's healthy competition."
Kraemer said he plans to stand outside the Maplewood Community Center in DeHart Park Friday starting at 4 p.m.
The anti-charter school rally — aimed at protesting the application by the Hua Mei Charter School that would draw from the South Orange-Maplewood and West Orange school districts — will take place at 4:30 p.m. inside the Maplewood Community Center and will include appearances by State Senator Richard Codey, Assemblywoman Mila Jasey and Assemblyman John McKeon.
"There needs to be some counter-argument present," Kraemer said. He hopes others will join him in passing out pro-charter school literature and informing the community that these so-called 'boutique' schools actually have a place in suburban Essex County.
"Parents should control the focus of their kids' education … I view it as something that can make good performing schools even better," said Kraemer, father of triplets currently enrolled at St. Cloud Elementary School in West Orange.
Though he said he likely would not enroll his children at Hua Mei should the school be approved by the state, he's hopeful Hua Mei will be the beginning of a "charter school movement" in the area.
Contrary to the concerns vetted by school officials and anti-charter school advocates, Kraemer contends charter schools will alleviate taxpayers and school districts, such as West Orange, that are struggling with overcapacity or overpopulation. (The charter application by Hua Mei has also met with formal public oppositiom from the South Orange-Maplewood Board of Education and the Maplewood Township Committee.)
"Any system that would take students out (of public schools) will save the taxpayer from paying for additional schools and hiring more teachers," he said. "While it's true that the tuition will have to go out of the district, it's equally true that every student that leaves the public school system will cost less to educate in the public school district."
The state will continue its review of the remaining charter school applications, requesting additional information and in-person interviews from the schools still under consideration. Final approvals are to be announced Jan. 17.
STurner
12:33 am on Thursday, January 5, 2012
I am floored by Mr. Kraemer's assertion that charters "will save the taxpayer from paying for additional schools and hiring more teachers." The charter will actually be an additional school, and will obviously need to hire teachers. Yet, the handful of students leaving each existing district school are not likely to reduce enrollment enough that we will need fewer teachers. So the charter would do the exact opposite of what Mr. Kraemer is touting as a benefit - it would ensure more expenses, rather than reducing the tax burden. I have heard some interesting rationales for supporting charter schools, but this one is quite unique.
Marian Raab
11:44 am on Thursday, January 5, 2012
Friday's rally at the Maplewood Community Center isn't just "anti-charter school"
In fact, we are NOT opposed to all charter schools. We oppose the second application of this "Boutique" Mandarin-immersion school because we feel it will siphon much needed tax dollars from our already cash-strapped public schools to benefit a select small group of students. We also feel that LOCAL voters should have a say in what charter schools can open in their towns. That's what Friday's rally is all about.
Mary Mann
11:59 am on Thursday, January 5, 2012
Thanks for the distinction, Marian. It's difficult to capture that in a headline, but I've adjusted the body copy a bit.
Adam Kraemer
8:06 pm on Saturday, January 7, 2012
With deference to S Turner if a student leaves the district to a charter school the cost to education that student in district is eliminated. Hence charter schools could produce aggregate cost savings to the So Orange- Maplewood BOE and West Orange BOE. The cost is a fraction of a percent of the total school budget going in tuition to this charter schools less offsets for fewer in district students to educate or about zero.
With deference to Marrian Raab I got the sense in talking the the anti charter school group that many of them would be opposed to any charter school operating under any plan servicing students of Maplewood & South Orange and West Orange with tax dollars. Thus, I think this really about protecting a government monopoly in education even though opponents of the charter school will not openly say so.