Commissioner Renews Charters of Eight Charter Schools
Commissioner of Education William L. Librera recently renewed the charters of eight charter schools. The schools originally opened in 1999. Under the charter school law, the Commissioner must decide whether to renew existing charter schools before their original four-year charter expires.
The eight schools whose charters were renewed are: charter-TECH High School for the Performing Arts, Somers Point; Oceanside Charter School, Atlantic City; Discovery Charter School, Newark; Marion P. Thomas Charter School, Newark; Maria L. Varisco-Rogers Charter School, Newark; PACE Charter School of Hamilton, Hamilton; Village Charter School, Trenton; and Franklin Charter School, Franklin Township (Somerset County).
In addition to the eight schools he renewed, the Commissioner placed two charter schools on probation. The two schools are: Liberty Academy Charter School, Jersey City; and New Horizons Community Charter School, Newark. The Commissioner will decide in March whether to renew the charters of these two schools.
A brief description of the 10 schools follows:
School: |
chARTer~TECH High School for the Performing Arts |
School Code: |
80-7410 |
County: |
Cape May |
Host District(s): |
Linwood City, Mainland Regional, Northfield City, Ocean City, Sea Isle City, Somers Point |
Year Approved: |
1998 |
Year Opened: |
1999 |
Approved Grade Levels: |
2002-03 Focus: Grades 9 to 12 with 250 students; Five-Year Projection: Grades 9 to 12 with 250 students. |
Contact: |
Dr. Janet Mitchell, Lead Person |
Address: |
413 New Road |
Telephone: |
(609) 926-7694 |
Fax: |
(609)926-8472 |
E-Mail: |
jmitchell@chartertech.org |
Web Site: |
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Program Description: |
The Ocean City ChARTer TECHnical High School for Performing Arts is committed to public arts and advanced technology education. The charter school will employ technology in teaching and operations. Each student will have a home page, e-mail address and computer. Students will receive specialized instruction and performance opportunities and will prepare artistic performance portfolios and academic portfolios. Parents will be encouraged to contribute four hours per month as volunteer service to the school. Students will be required to contribute two hours per month to support the school or community. |
School: |
Oceanside Charter School |
School Code: |
80-7420 |
County: |
Atlantic |
Host District(s): |
Atlantic City |
Year Approved: |
1999 |
Year Opened: |
1999 |
Approved Grade Levels: |
2002-03 Focus: Pre-Kindergarten to grade 8 with 314 students; Five-Year Projection: Pre-Kindergarten to grade 8 with 356 students. |
Contact: |
Ms. Jeanine Middleton, Lead Person |
Address: |
1750 Bacharach Boulevard |
Telephone: |
(609) 348-3485 |
Fax: |
(609) 348-5951 |
E-Mail: |
jmiddleton@oceansidecharter.com |
Web Site: |
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Program Description: |
The Oceanside Charter School will focus on the merging of Technology, Science and Math, coupled with an intensive reading curriculum entitled, Success for All. This focus will allow students to embrace the use of project-based activities and the integration of a real-world thematic curriculum designed to develop a new age of problem solvers. |
School: |
Discovery Charter School |
School Code: |
80-6320 |
County: |
Essex |
Host District(s): |
Newark |
Year Approved: |
1998 |
Year Opened: |
1999 |
Approved Grade Levels: |
2002-03 Focus: Grades 4 to 8 with 75 students; Five-Year Projection: Grades 4 to 8 with 75 students. |
Contact: |
Ms. Irene Hall, Lead Person |
Address: |
303-9 Washington Street |
Telephone: |
(973) 623-0222 |
Fax: |
(973) 623-0024 |
E-Mail: |
adewey@aol.com |
Web Site: |
|
Program Description: |
2002-03 Focus: Grades 4 to 8 with 75 students; Five-Year Projection: Grades 4 to 8 with 75 students. Discovery Charter School is committed to educational reform and student achievement and plans to become a showcase, nurturer of talents and a model of educational excellence for the state. In the fall of 1999, the school will admit students in grades 5 and 6. It will be a lively, inquisitive, multi-age school community. Teaching and learning will be a naturally active and interactive discovery process through a curriculum that will be project-based, multi-dimensional, interdisciplinary, academically challenging and stemming from the learners' natural curiosities. |
School: |
Marion P. Thomas Charter School |
School Code: |
80-7210 |
County: |
Essex |
Host District(s): |
Newark |
Year Approved: |
1998 |
Year Opened: |
1999 |
Approved Grade Levels: |
2002-03 Focus: Kindergarten to grade 5 with 210 students; Five-Year Projection: Kindergarten to grade 5 with 210 students. |
Contact: |
Ms. Karen Thomas, Lead Person |
Address: |
17 Muhammad Ali Avenue |
Telephone: |
(973) 621-0060 |
Fax: |
(973) 621-0061 |
E-Mail: |
lbarrett_1@netzero.net |
Web Site: |
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Program Description: |
The African proverb "it takes a whole village to raise a child" is the cornerstone of Marion P. Thomas Charter School. The nuclear village that the school seeks to create consists of: two full-day kindergarten and first-grade classes for the first year; caring and creative teachers; an educational exchange with institutions of higher learning; business and community collaboration to enhance vocational/entrepreneurial ideology; parent participation; small class sizes; and an extended school day. |
School: |
Maria L. Varisco-Rogers Charter School |
School Code: |
80-7735 |
County: |
Essex |
Host District(s): |
Newark |
Year Approved: |
1999 |
Year Opened: |
1999 |
Approved Grade Levels: |
2002-03 Focus: Grades 6 to 8 with 48 students; Five-Year Projection: Grades 4 to 8 with 144 students. |
Contact: |
Ms. Teresa Segarra, Lead Person |
Address: |
441-43 Broad Street; P.O. Box
180 |
Telephone: |
(973) 621-8209 |
Fax: |
(973) 621-8206 |
E-Mail: |
office@mvrogerscharter.org |
Web Site: |
|
Program Description: |
The theme of the Maria L. Varisco-Rogers Charter School is, "effective academic and personal development through the use of technology, individualized learning plans and personal counseling. The school staff is dedicated to the belief that middle school youth, who are provided with a mixture of attention from caring adults and competent professionals, a computer-based approach to the curriculum, an effective individualized instruction plan and a personalized counseling program, will succeed in becoming confident, capable life-long learners. |
School: |
New Horizons Community Charter School |
School Code: |
80-7290 |
County: |
Essex |
Host District(s): |
Newark |
Year Approved: |
1999 |
Year Opened: |
1999 |
Approved Grade Levels: |
2002-03 Focus: Kindergarten to grade 5 with 500 students; Five-Year Projection: Kindergarten to grade 5 with 500 students. |
Contact: |
Dr. Leonard Fitts, Lead Person |
Address: |
45-59 Hayes Street |
Telephone: |
(973) 848-0400 |
Fax: |
(973) 596-0984 |
E-Mail: |
dranglin@newcommunity.org |
Web Site: |
|
Program Description: |
The New Horizons Community Charter School will provide a challenging core curriculum for all students in grades K-5, using the Direct Instruction approach in reading, language and mathematics curricula. The Direct Instruction method consists of polished lesson plans that have been implemented successfully and refined for over thirty years. This distinctive and proven curriculum uses a mastery-based approach that ensures competence before students move on to new material, but without delaying students who are ready to advance. Complementing the schools rigorous academic program will be a structured, orderly environment, shaped in large measure by its character education program and the Schools Code of Civility. |
School: |
Liberty Academy Charter School |
School Code: |
80-6235 |
County: |
Hudson |
Host District(s): |
Jersey City |
Year Approved: |
1999 |
Year Opened: |
1999 |
Approved Grade Levels: |
2002-03 Focus: Kindergarten to grade 8 with 500 students; Five-Year Projection: Kindergarten to grade 8 with 450 students. |
Contact: |
Mr. Frank McCree, Lead Person |
Address: |
153 York Street |
Telephone: |
(201) 395-9400 |
Fax: |
(201) 395-9655 |
E-Mail: |
fmccree@libertyacademy.org |
Web Site: |
|
Program Description: |
Liberty Academy Charter Schools educational goal is to prepare students to be creative, intuitive and analytical thinkers with a solid understanding of the history of ideas. Liberty Academy Charter School believes that character development and personal management skills should form the basis for schooling, and that students must be empowered to take responsibility for their own learning and development. The school facilitates the learning process within an environment that encourages high ethical and academic standards and reinforces the positive values taught at home. |
School: |
PACE Charter School of Hamilton |
School Code: |
80-7500 |
County: |
Mercer |
Host District(s): |
Hamilton Township |
Year Approved: |
1999 |
Year Opened: |
1999 |
Approved Grade Levels: |
2002-03 Focus: Kindergarten to grade 3 with 144 students; Five-Year Projection: Kindergarten to grade 3 with 1204ne!! Taylor for $63! ormat a little. on Friday. students. |
Contact: |
Ms. Debbie A. Davis, Lead Person |
Address: |
1949 Hamilton Avenue |
Telephone: |
(609) 587-2288 |
Fax: |
(609) 587-8483 |
E-Mail: |
ddavispacecharter@yahoo.com |
Web Site: |
|
Program Description: |
The mission of the Pace Charter School of Hamilton is to instill in its students a genuine love for learning supported by an appreciation for the use of knowledge. The Pace Charter School of Hamilton will strive to cultivate relationships with the community as a whole, and with the people, services and resources that comprise it; creating a learning environment that extends beyond the walls of the schoolhouse and playground. |
School: |
Village Charter School |
School Code: |
80-8140 |
County: |
Mercer |
Host District(s): |
Trenton |
Year Approved: |
1998 |
Year Opened: |
1999 |
Approved Grade Levels: |
2002-03 Focus: Kindergarten to grade 5 with 255 students; Five-Year Projection: Kindergarten to grade 8 with 323 students. |
Contact: |
Ms. Sylvia Rider, Lead Person |
Address: |
101 Sullivan Way |
Telephone: |
(609) 695-0110 |
Fax: |
(609) 695-1880 |
E-Mail: |
mrosa0471@aol.com |
Web Site: |
|
Program Description: |
The Village Charter School will have five major features: inclusive classroom: an appreciation for and an understanding of the unique characteristics of others will be promoted; integrated curriculum: children learn to think by drawing associations, making comparisons and linking knowledge learned in school to that which they discover in real life; whole child development: the child's physical, social and emotional well-being all relate to learning; literacy: all children will learn to read with understanding, write with clarity, speak and listen effectively; and assessment: academic standards that enrich the climate for learning and extend the prospects for success for all students will be established. |
School: |
Franklin Charter School |
School Code: |
80-6520 |
County: |
Somerset |
Host District(s): |
Franklin Township |
Year Approved: |
1998 |
Year Opened: |
1999 |
Approved Grade Levels: |
2002-03 Focus: Kindergarten to grade 8 with 336 students; Five-Year Projection: Kindergarten to grade 8 with 336 students. |
Contact: |
Ms. Renee Best, Lead Person |
Address: |
49 Napolean Court |
Telephone: |
(732) 764-4102 |
Fax: |
(732) 764-4103 |
E-Mail: |
jegilmore@mail.com |
Web Site: |
|
Program Description: |
Franklin Charter School intends to provide an innovative, interdisciplinary approach to the early introduction of real-life problem solving, especially in the areas of science, mathematics and technology and will regularly assess its program against the New Jersey Core Curriculum Content Standards. The charter school will offer an 11-month educational program including seven hours a day of core instruction and before-school, after-school and summer programs. Uniforms will be mandatory. |