I have 2 kids in charter schools. Why is the state still asking the wrong questions about our school options? – NJ.com

By Jasmine Morrison

The state Department of Education has embarked on a review of charter schools in New Jersey and recently visited the school my children attend, Uncommon Schools’ North Star Academy in Newark.

As a parent who is deeply involved and passionate about my children’s education, I felt it was important for me to take time out of my day to participate in the conversation.

I joined a dozen other parents who were eager to tell our stories about how our children were thriving at the school. We wanted to let the DOE know that our children deserve to have fair funding for their school because charter schools in the state receive less funding than the district schools and no funding for facilities.

That’s just not fair.

The DOE, however, framed the discussion in a way that didn’t allow us parents to express how much we love our school and how our children are on a path to not only graduate from high school, but to attend and graduate from college. I never got the chance to share how much I, as a taxpayer, appreciate the critical thinking skills my children are learning.

Parents like me are seeking a better alternative to the district schools in our neighborhoods, where children often struggle mightily to learn against all odds. Today, 89 charter schools serve more than 49,400 students across the state, with the majority serving poor black and brown children in economically challenged communities such as Newark, Camden, Jersey City, Paterson, Trenton, Plainfeild, Asbury Park and Atlantic City. There are another 35,000 students on wait lists across the state.

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While I welcome the state’s review, my fear is that state officials are asking the wrong questions and not looking at the real issues facing students in urban areas. As a result, the DOE’s review won’t capture how much charter schools are positively impacting our children, our families and our communities.

Here’s what the DOE asked: What do you like about New Jersey’s approach to charter schools? What would you like to improve regarding New Jersey’s approach to charter schools? Are there adjustments the state can make to its approach to charter schools in order to better serve students and communities? In what ways can district schools and charter schools work together to improve educational, operational, and social outcomes?

The questions were vague and seemed to be geared more for policy experts to answer than parents. I only know what I witness when I visit the school as an involved parent. I know how the school is impacting my own child.

If DOE officials really wanted to know how we feel about the schools our children attend, they could have asked the following questions: What do you love about your school? Do you feel your child is getting a good education? Does your child feel safe at school? Are the school buildings up to par? What school would your child attend if it weren’t for your charter school, and what do you think about his or her chances for college then?

These are questions us parents would be more than qualified to answer.

It goes without saying that I am beyond impressed with the education my children are receiving at North Star Academy. My son started his education in a highly regarded suburban school in Essex County. When life events brought us back to Newark, he was fortunate to get into NorthStar Academy in the third grade through the universal enrollment system.

At North Star Academy, I noticed the academic difference immediately. He was required to read every night and he had homework every day of the week. This was not just busy work like his suburban public school. This was critical thinking skills in action. When he put on his uniform he was so proud. He felt like this was a privilege.

My youngest son’s education is nothing short of mind-blowing. He has been in kindergarten for only four months and he’s already reading with confidence on the same grade level as some of my friend’s children who have third-graders. His math skills are amazing. He is solving word problems that I did not see until at least the third grade myself.

My children’s school is safe and it feels like a family. Anytime I walk into their school, and that’s pretty frequently, the children are well-behaved, they’re sitting attentively at class and raising their hands when teachers ask a question. It might seem like this is what supposed to happen at all schools, but believe me, I’ve been to schools where chaos rules. Children cannot learn in an environment where teachers do not have control of the classroom.

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I wonder if the DOE even looked at its own data before it launched its charter school review. An analysis of the DOE’s most recent data shows that charter schools students in Newark outperformed the state average on the PARCC exam, with 60 percent of charter students in grades three to eight passing the 2018 reading tests and 48 percent of charter students passing in math.

The students at North Star did even better. An analysis of DOE data shows students at North Star scored 81 percent at grade level in reading and 70 percent in math, beating students in even the wealthiest school districts in Essex County. Before Uncommon Schools took over my children’s school in 2014, students scored 28 percent in math and 22 percent in reading on the NJASK test, according to DOE data.

There are schools in Newark and other urban areas in New Jersey where children are struggling to master basic reading and math skills, where children aren’t safe, where students are at risk of dropping out. My question for the DOE is this: Why, aren’t you reviewing those schools?

Jasmine Morrison is a parent with two children attending Uncommon Schools’ North Star Academy in Newark.

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