Here in New York, we’re all waiting to see what the incoming mayor and his schools chancellor will mean for charter schools. While we’re waiting, it may be worth looking at New Jersey to see how another big city trying to reform its troubled schools is looking at charters.
The city is Newark, and its schools superintendent is Cami Anderson. Her position on charters is clear: She wants to expand them. And her new plan to give parents more options includes making space for charters in district-owned buildings.
Certainly both the need and desire for more choice is there. Today, there are roughly 8,000 Newark students enrolled in charters — about one out of every four students — with another 10,000 on the waiting list. According to a poll by the Newark Charter School Fund, 71 percent of Newark’s residents want more charter schools.
Of course, one thing New York and Newark do have in common is the resolute opposition of the teachers unions and their politicians. Anderson was heckled at a recent school-board meeting, and one of the candidates for mayor, Councilman Ras Baraka, will be holding a protest rally Friday against the new plans for expansion.
We’ll be honest: We have doubts about some of the conditions the Newark charters have to accept under Anderson’s deal — primarily, ceding control over admissions to the city. In addition, not all charters are excellent; some need to improve.
But it sure is interesting that just across the Hudson, a big-city schools superintendent and thousands of desperate parents recognize that any hope for improvement begins with healthy, thriving charters.