How can the Patch just lump all charter schools in together like this? The other charters in Middlesex County do not suffer from the same ethics and legal problems as the two supported by the Hebrew Charter Network. Tikum Olum was caught before they opened, fortunately. But, Hatikvah was continued on in this manner, because there is no oversight for the Department of Education.

I agree completely with Bob. New Brunswick is a different situation. East Brunswick is a Blue Ribbon school district. There was absolutely no need for a charter school. If you want to learn Hebrew, then pay for it and learn it on your own time and money. Taking the fund from the public school for this is an outrage!

There's nothing offered in a charter school that couldn't be offered in a public school. If its more feasible to offer such a program on a county-wide basis, it can be done through magnet or vocational schools. I see no reason to turn our tax dollars over to a private organization where there is no accountability for how that money is spent.

I reject the idea that because I am fortunate enough to live in a town such as East Brunswick that I cannot have choice in where my child goes to school. Just because someone lives in East Brunswick does not automatically mean one is wealthy enough to afford private school, which prior to the existence of charter schools was the only available choice beside the community public school. (Please let me be absolutely clear that I mean private schools in general, like Rutgers Prep for example NOT religious education)

Hatikvah offers more than language immersion, which while a huge benefit is NOT the reason for my choice. They also offer smaller student teacher ratios and Inquiry Based Learning which research shows enhances learning and is not generally happening in the other township schools.

While I oppose public money being used for private and religious school vouchers, I believe public charter schools offer an appropriate compromise, preserving public education while providing a laboratory for innovative teaching methods.

It seems as thought Hatikvah supporters feel that anyone opposing ther presence of the school in EB is anti-charter school. There are several of you well-known adovcates who are very fond of slinging that accusation at anyone who voices a valid concern about the school. There are many people who are pro-charter scchool in certain situations. There was never ever a vote in EB regarding the school, whioch is typically the case with a charter school. The fact that HAtikvah's charter required 90% enrollment of EB residents and is currently only at little more than 50% is appauling. Yet EB residents are still supposed to be happy about the large amount of money being sucked out of the school district, which serves thousands upon thousands of children, to serve a mere 50 or so EB residents. THAT is the disgusting part. Try to step back for one moment and see the other side.
Additionally, it is almost comical that the school's opponents are often labeled anti-semetic but the school isnt a Jewish school, right? YOu cannot have it both ways---if you believe the opposition is due to anti-semetism than musn't it be a jewish school? The council did the right thing to reject the variance; what would have happened in the future when other businesses wanted to open in that area? Suddenly you have a problem b/c there are kids there. You are not ENTITLED to have a school wherever you want. ENough!

Additionally, the foundation that purchased the building in quesiton for 2 million dollars is a Jewish foundation. I only point that out because the costant denials of the school having any affiliation with religion is absurd. I am Jewish myself but I strongly disagree with public tax money going to this school. I am not anti-semetic--I am anti-inequity and anti-entitlement.

well said Anne. What about private schools as well?

The charter school in East Brunswick has been met with such resistance because it is the first time in its history that a checks and balance has been put in place to hold our BOA accountable. The bully tactics of the BOA to relentlessly try to block the success will not go unnoticed. I'd like to know when the township council received zoning training to be educated in overturning a decision of another township department. The council should have thrown this request back to the BOE and let them look like the fear mongering entity they have been. The BOA main problem is that with a charter school we are able to educate each child to a cost of $4,000 less per child per year. I can only imagine the anger of the NJEA boss who makes $500,000 a year, that there is a more cost effective way to educate without having a wasteful union overlay. Is the union actually there for the kids or for their pockets? The council needs to focus on controlling the waste of the BOA instead of being allowed to be manhandled. Very disappointing event from the eyes of a long time East Brunswick resident with 4 children in the district and a product of the school system myself.

Jim Johnson, you are entitled to your own opinions, not your own facts. If you looked at the money the school spends per child, it is not even near as efficient as the district is. What does the NJEA have to do with this? The NJEA is organizing charter schools teachers - it means more money for them. Based on your reason, the NJEA must love this school!

It is costing more money for the town because the money that should be allotted for the charter school should be eliminated from the budget. We are down over 1000 enrolled kids in East Brunswick since 2004 yet we run the same amount of schools and continue to build. It would make sense to empty out one of the older elementary schools and lease that to the charter school. We could actually show some profit. Wouldn't that be smart..

Charter schools are private schools receiving public money. They are unaccountable to the duly elected school boards. The public does not get to vote on the charter school board of directors and they don't get to vote directly on the charter school budget. In addition, the residents have absolutely no say whether a charter school is imposed on their district. Charter schools do drain resources and money from the actual public schools; public schools have fixed expenses that don't go down if pupils opt for the charter school. And after a certain period of time, the charter school can get to keep the pupil's tuition, even if he/she bails out of the charter school and returns to the REAL public school. Charter schools do not have the same percentage of special needs kids and English learners. They can counsel out the behavior problems and the kids who lower their scores. When charter schools flop for whatever reason, then the kids must immediately be placed back in the REAL public schools. This has happened with several charter schools in Trenton and with little notice to the parents and school district.

That NJEA boss does not earn $500,000, that's a zombie myth that never dies. It's more like $325,000 and he's not getting public money, it's private money. A small fraction of charter schools are unionized.

Joe you put it perfectly. They have no accountability to the BOE (who they thoroughly disrespect and insult, even on their own school's official website). The residents of the town overwhelmingly did not support the school's opening because charter schools are meant to be in towns where the schools are failing. They have a definitley purpose but not here. And it is getting very old being told that if we are not in favor of the school we are anti-choice. there were enough choices already if they had been willing to pay for them instead of as Anne said "highjacking" money from the school disctrict. they think they are adding appeal to the town but in fact it is the opposite. In fact you can obvioulsy live anywher ein the state and come to the school so why would it be adding appeal to our town?

Where is everyone getting their information from ? In standardized testing, such as SATs , we are not in the top 10, or even top 20. We ranked only #34 in the State of NJ and NJ is below the National average. Do we have a good school system, Yes, is there room for improvement ? Also yes.

The effort, money and time, continually fighting the Charter School concept can be better spent elsewhere. If it was a Science Charter School vs a Hebrew Language Charter School would the attacks continue? I think not. That is what really concerns me.

regarding your comment about a science charter; to use the analogy it would be like if 50 kids from EB and an equal amount from assorted towns, got a special science program and to cover the expense, the thousands and thousands of EB kids in the public schools LOST science. DO you not realize that EB has been forced to cut elementarty second languages, among other things, because of Hatikvh? And those of you who will deny it is because of Hatikvh, dont bother. If you can claim that they instituted full day kindergarten only because of you than own up to them losing money because of you. You cannot cherry pick the impact hatikvah has had on the rest of the community. Of course there will be resentment.

Please allow me to make some observations. What if we were to look at education as a service industry? After all, in EB, the BOE manages a $103M budget to provide a service (education). Up until very recently, the BOE has had a monopoly and total control over this service. If we were to look at history, anytime a service industry has a monopoly, the level of service as well as value decreases due to lack of market forces. This is why US government broke up Bell Telephone into Baby Bells, AT&T, etc. Market dynamics (i.e. competition) forces organizations to innovate, improve, do things better in order to provide a better value to the consumer. So what has happened in EB in the last 15-20 years? The school rankings have dropped and the school system is no longer considered on the cutting edge as it had been very deservingly in the past. While all of NJ is under tremendous fiscal pressure, other school districts have managed to improve. Where are the EB innovation, improvement, energy, new ideas?

And where is the accountability of BOE and school administrators? This is what public government struggles with in general - lack of accountability for providing improving value to the tax-payer. I don't know much about Hatikva and do not necessarily agree with their choice of Hebrew as a language. However, teaching a second language (no matter what is) starting in kindergarten has shown in studies to improve overall academic performance. Having 2 teachers in the classroom to provide more individual attention to the student seems like a good idea to me. It appears to me that this charter school is competing for students with the traditional public schools, who up til now have had no competition and therefore no impetus to innovate and get better. If EB BOE provided a service which was perceived to get better - a lot fewer parents would be willing to send their kids to the charter school (as I understand it, it is their lawful right to do so if they choose). Competition breeds a better product. Rather than make excuses and point fingers, the EB BOE and school administrators must innovate and improve the service they provide. Taxpayers must hold their elected officials accountable for the value they receive for their tax dollar. I have not seen that happen so far, and it seems that the mere existence of this Hatikva Charter school is putting pressure on them to perform. Heck, if I was them, I wouldn't want the school here either, it would make my job a lot easier.

THANK YOU KELLY!

Kelly - thanks for your reply. However, if all industries said "I can't innovate because I need more money" they would all be dinosaurs. The EB public schools have been in some level of decline long before this charter school came about. I understand it's easier to point fingers than to look at yourself in a critical way (as the EB BOE does). I have to ask - why would any non-Jewish child want to come to this charter school? When you come up with an honest answer for that question, you will start looking at real issues which may include: lousy contracts, no administrative accountability for performance, overpayment for supplies/utilities, bad decisions on facilities management, inability to improve teaching personnel due to tenure rules, lack of innovation in teaching methods or approaches. I don't have the answers, but you all need to start asking the questions. Pointing fingers at a school which (as I understand from reading the posts) accounts for 1% of the school budget will not solve the underlying issues. It's just a diversion from the real problems.

I didn't know much about charter schools, but after what I've seen in East Brunswick, I do not think I support them.

Kelly - I believe I responded. To answer your comment the same way you answered mine: Imagine if all the energy and money the BOE spent on fighting the school was spent on innovating and providing a better product? Once again - why do non-Jewish parents send their kids to this school? No-one has answered that question yet. Maybe answer is that they perceive it is better than the other choice. Demand MORE from your BOE and school administrators. Become the better choice - that's the solution. Competition is tough, but in the end, the consumer - YOU and ALL YOUR CHILDREN will benefit.

Kelly - private sector scenarios are applicable. The public sector has been sliding too long. NJ is the second most taxed state in terms of property and income taxes. The school performance should be commensurate with that dubious honor, but in EB it is not. Please open your mind to other possibilities and solutions. I implore you. Insulting the school will get you no-where to what you really want.

Kelly - if those parents felt they were not getting something better, the school would be empty. Competition is better for both public and private sectors. Compete, be better, be creative. Consumer sentiment will sort this issue out. Legislating parental (consumer) choice in public education out is a mistake in strategy. It breeds incompetence and lack of accountability (something we can all see).

Kevin your comments are absurd. The only thing public about hatikvah is that it is funded with the public's money. Only 57% of hatikvahs student body is from EB.( as opposed to the 90% the charter requires). They have 50 something students who are residents. Thats not a small group of people. There is no way of speaking rationally with some of you. By the way, I find it humorous that it has been said on here numerous times that the charter called for 90% , not 57%, and no has responded to that. And to say the BOE has no accountability is equally absurd. Their records are an open book by law and the members are elected.

Is there a reason that the vacancies in the East Brunswick school system, created as a result of parents choosing to send their children to Hatikvah, could not be filled with children from nearby districts that are not nearly as good as EB, such as New Brunswick or South River?

There has been a lot of talk about the Inter-District School Choice program during these debates, but it is unclear how much this program is actually utilized. When someone chooses to send their child(ren) to a school in another district, does their home district pay the tuition or does the family have to pay it? If it is the former, then there is no reason that EB should not be able to find replacements for the children that it loses to Hatikvah? If it is the latter, then the program is not a realistic alternative to charter schools.

Instead of declaring civil war and dividing communities, proponents of public education should unite on behalf of new charter school legislation that would enable charter schools like Hatikvah and traditional schools to cooperate rather than compete.

Kevin, are you really suggesting that the per capita rate of what EB recieves for each of those students is paying for everything? At less than 14k per student they have to staff an entire school which is the tip of the iceberg. How efficient do you think it is to operate an entire school for just 100 kids?

Kelly you say above that u am entitled to my opinion but as I read thru these post you bash everyone who doesn't agree with you. Pony up to an open adult debate here and respect others thoughts and comments. Your "facts" are hearsay and far from the actual truth. You obviously have a beef with the charter school. Dig into the years of corruption of the BOE instead of coming here as their puppet. I personally nailed the BOA at a council meeting 3 years ago as they tried to bond 6 million for expenditures that were already included in the previous budget. Its all public record so do your homework. East Brunswick schools are in decline. There is rampid drug issues in our highschool. Kids as young as 7 grade has been caught dealing drugs in Hammarskjold. That is FACTS. Your points or empty and are obviously tied to the continued coverup by our illustrious BOA. I will continue to challenge the BOA as long as I have a vested interest in the academic success of my children. Also use your real name instead of hiding behind some imaginary screen name.Be proud of your personal comments instead of mud slinging with a fictional name. That proves to me that your cowardness is unworthy to be taken serious. I am out there for the town to see and don't need yo hide behind smoke and mirrors.

No George.. attack not, give my opinion yes..

I have a question. Is East Brunswick paying for just the 50 or so Hatikvah students who live in East Brunswick? Are the 50 or so non-resident students paid for by the towns in which they live, or is East Brunswick footing the bill for all?
My opinion is that Hatikvah is a private school, as Montessori is a private school. Each offers an innovative method of instruction, each offers smaller class sizes and a more desirable ratio of teachers to students. Yet Hatikvah is receiving public funds, while Montessori and other private schools are not.
I believe parents have the right to choose whether to send their kids to private schools rather than public schools.. But not on the taxpayers dime. Those who feel they cannot afford private school tution should look into scholarships to see it their kids would qualify.

I have put facts in my post George. Hense the silence from "Kelly" I don't enjoy reading comeback posts from folks here the hide behind names.. just saying "George"

Myrna, non resident students @ Hatikvah receive tuition from the towns they come from. And as far as parents choosing to send their kids to private schools, in East Brunswick, they still pay their property taxes, which funnel almost 70% to the public school cartel in addition to the tuition they pay for the private school education. The " taxpayers dime" goes to extort money to buy politicians in exchange for votes. From the municipal to the national level, part of these extorted monies go to fund politicians who cater to the whims of the unions. Just look at the $600 million the teachers union used to try and thwart Governor Christies election bid. Part of that money was my tax dollars at work, supporting a cause I do not believe in.

EBHS: Ranked 121 out of 328. Seems your assertion is "wild, unsubstantiated" and without facts. Hypocrite.

Luz
I am a proud Hatikvah parent and non-Jewish East Brunswick resident
I am just sick about your comments against Hatikvah.As a parent I had the opportunity to send my kids to the EB public schools and compare between them and Hatikvah and with no doubts my choice is HATIKVAH.Our school is not about religion like some of you stated.Hatikvah is about a new learning opportunity for our children with innovating and non-traditional methods of education.OPEN YOUR MIND PLEASE!!!

Jim, since you find the person making the argument more important than the argument itself, would you mind me asking if your spouse is on the zoning board?

Missed the desimal point on the $600 million the extortion association donated to the campaign to defeat Governor Christie. Should be $6 million. but just as the taxpayers have funded over $ 100, 000 in legal fees trying eliminate the charter school, whats a missed decimal point among friends. Thousands of more tax dollars will be spent on litigation after the council caved in to the special interests by revoking the variance at the Lexington location.

Kevin-Your thinking on this issue seems to be clouded by your passion for the school. To respond to Myrna's quesiton, the districts from where all the other students come pay EB per capita. The amount is less than 14k per student. That is the same amount a school that is ALREADY UP AND RUNNING receievs per student. The difference is that EB has to pay for everything but the physical building. Staffing teachers, custodial staff, specialists, pay utilities, transportation, and a million other things. Highland Park sends the same percentage of their kids to Hatikvah as EB does--why arent they splitting the bill with EB?? ** I am not 100% sure if EB has to provide transportation to the kids who live in towns like Toms River. Not sure how that works. But SURELY you can see that it is much less efficient to start up and operate a new school that will only serve 100 kids than 800??

Lucy, I misread your post earlier. You say they have 50 something EB residents. Next line you say 57% of the students are residents. Using their current enrollment, that equates to 112 students. Nice.

Next, if HP sends the same percentage as EB then that is 57+57 = 114%. Excellent.

Don't you think the costs to pay the teachers and staff is part of the 14k per student? Or are you saying that the 14k is pocketed while the town pays everyone's salary?

But I'm sure you'll post a clever (wink wink) reply to cover up for your pure disregard for facts (or simple math). Are you even a taxpayer in town? Or are you living in a rental unit? Or with mommy and daddy?

Kevin I will ignore your completely moronic statements. I said HP sends almost the same percentage of their students to the school as EB sends of its students. Read more carefully. I will admit to not knowing the exact number of students. That is not the point. It doesnt change the fact that little over half the students are residents. I am not going to reply to your other comments because unlike you I have other things to do. Good luck with your school. You are obviously a charming and lovely person.

Your school is in a sad state if you are the kind of parent they are dealing with. I did not "spread" any lies. What are you even talking about? Once someone on here starts spewing nasty insults its time to call it a day. Dont bother replying because you have lost what credablilty you have when you asked if I rent or live with my parents--both insulting and moronic at the same time. AGain, the point is not the # of students---it is that little more than half are residents yet EB is footing the bill for everything over the 14k per student which will result in millions of dollars. I am assuming that is too complicated of a concept for you which is why you resorted to calling it a lie and insulting me.

Lucy, sounds like you are not sure of anything but spouting the teachers union's mantra. Do not challenge our strangle hold on the public's tax dollars! Sounds like you are not 100% sure of anything but still need to say something, no matter how irrelevant and uniformed. And you call us morons? If you are going to ignore Kevins posts, why did you respond? Who's the moron?

Its great that you are all dispelling the myth that you're bullies.
I am sure you are doing wonders for your cause by treating people this way.

Let's focus the good ol twp BOE for a minute. I ran a search for East Brunswick High School and sorted by number of classes taught. I was astounded by the fact that there are actually 37 out of 197 (19%) teachers working there - YES, this does not include any secretaries, cafeteria workers or aides - that are earning a combined $3,084,001 per year plus benefits to teach ZERO students. WOW, that's wonderful for the taxpayers. If I had the time I would run the same report for the entire district to see if 20% of our entire district teaches NO ONE.

All while this is going on, the EBHS dropped 50 spots on the NJ list of best high schools. It is now #121. I don't recall a press release from the BOE about this. As a taxpayer I think we are owed some explanation as to why the rankings keep falling and our taxes keep rising. Blue Ribbon was awarded to the high school in 1990! Over 20 years ago. How come not since then?? Maybe Anne, Lucy, and Kelly could investigate?!

In East Brunswick, the top 16 employees at the BOE office make a combined $2,103,887 a year plus vacation, medical, benefits, pension, etc. That's an average of $131,493 per person. Education is a very nice profession, but it is also a good business. So when you put forth a claim that not enough money is reaching the kids, you must consider how many dollars go to administration, employee benefits, facility costs, energy, debt, capital improvements, insurance, transportation, IT costs, replacement of old equipment...all this adds up to 60% or more of the budget.

"The real financial problem in town is due to the fact that about 10 years ago the BOE went on a spending spree and bonded millions and millions to build and expand the schools in town. But in 2004 the school population was 8,300. Today is it around 7,300. So the district is hemorrhaging YOUR tax money every year to house 1,000 empty desks while maintaining huge expensive facilities way above their means. In the 1980's they had this problem and as a result CLOSED Irwin School. Hatikvah's building is not being bonded by referendum and is not paid with taxpayer money."

Anne, my post stated 7 grade not 7 year old. And it is facts. A 7th grader in Hammarskjold was caught trying to hook kids on cocaine and while distributing was finally reported because a strong kid stood up and did the right thing. He was suspended for a mere 3days and nothing was said as to not tarnish our "excellent schools". See "Anne" you just proved that reading is fundamental, where did you fail?.
George, you are correct. I also VOLUNTEER as a coach for 9 years in fastbreak. Was on the PTA in memorial for 5 years ending as president before running the school store last year in the present school my children attend. So what point is what? Do I not have a say because we actually volunteer in our schools. I even coached 2 teams last year because no parents would step up and I didn't want to see 20 kids miss out on fun. Shame on me for trying to have a say in this forum where most don't seem to have any other interest but their own. I applaud those that will put there names here and for the positive intellectual comments. What is there to hide? Were all residents in this friendly town right? Done here, I like factual debates not those that try to smear a fear monger. Next I'll be called a racist because I don't agree. Going to enjoy my family friday night which "Anne" "Kelly" and "George" should be doing instead of festering in their anger. Good night folks! God Bless.

Dear Lucy, just who is bullying who?

Thanks for the lawsuit guys!!!

http://www.mycentraljersey.com/article/20130118/NJOPINION0201/301180007/Ignore-zoning-regs-East-Brunswick

Hey Kelly, who's attacking the BOE? What's wrong with putting some facts up on this board? I don't see why you feel its ok to viciously attack Hatikvah all day long while parents are writing about the wonderful school you want to take away from them and their children. You don't like it when the tables are turned? I don't see you praising the board of Ed anywhere! Unless of course it includes a criticism of Hatikvah.

Distasteful and reckless speaking of our public schools in a manner other than abundance of love and pleasure? Aren't you the same Kelly that posted 5 Lexington is a superfund site (wholly inaccurate) without taking a single second to pause and think that there are people within feet of that building in houses who don't appreciate you making up such statements affecting there property values.

All in all it is a shame that people like debbie, kelly, anne, Deborah, Anne, Lucy, debbie morris, and all of there other alter egos are probably the same characters that have now gotten the town in a legal mess. If they had to pay the legal bills maybe they would have chosen to focus their energy elsewhere. Two public entities are now going to court. Which taxpayers are getting pick pocketed now? Can't wait to see the list of programs cut out of the municipal budget next year to pay for the fine work of 2 people in a town of 45,000+.

You girls can stay up all night and all weekend posting replies, including your hatred of the school and blind love for the BOE in an attempt to sway the readers. But the fact that remains is that voters will remember how you chose to spend their money. And you can rest assured that your assistance in getting these boneheads out of office is greatly appreciated.

Steven, you make a good point. I am wondering, what about the valid concern that if the school in fact ends up there, will that affect future industry from being able to move in? Many feel are afraid that if a business that was zoned to be there tries to buy or rent the response will be "but what about the kids playing there?", etc. You have acknowledged that EB will be losing 80k a year of lost revenue already by the school moving into that building (regarldess of municipal law that is still the reality). Seems kind of silly to be calling all of the lawsuits a frivolous waste of rhe town's money while not batting a eye at costing the town that annual income. What are your thoughts?

http://www.amsterdamnews.com/education/new-charter-school-will-focus-on-harlem-history/article_8c31066a-60f1-11e2-b43c-0019bb2963f4.html

Michael Hill Goldstein, if Steinhardt is so concerned about education, why wouldn't he open a school in say Camden or some other district where students could probably really use a safer alternative, instead of opening them in a district like East Brunswick where children already have a viable option? Why does he only open schools in Jewish communities?

Yes, Gideon, that is where my question emanates from. With all the areas of Harlem where parents could really use an escape from failing schools, Steinhardt chose a predominantly Jewish neighborhood where there is already many offerings of charter schools. Hence, the segregation that has occurred there among the charter and traditional schools. He did the same in Brooklyn where he opened up a school for his daughter to run. So again, why East Brunswick, instead of Camden or Paterson?

This post SERIOUSLY undermines those writers who INSIST everyone except them are spreading lies (i.e. Anne, debbie, Lucy, jodye, kelly, Deborah, etc.) This posting puts this issue to rest. Unless Jodye wants to say that the Clerk of the Township of East Brunswick is a liar too.

TOWNSHIP OF EAST BRUNSWICK

NOTICE
East Brunswick Residents
The following actions were taken by the Planning Board of the Township of East Brunswick at a public hearing held on July 15, 2009:
Application #09-10V - Frieman Realty - 5 Lexington Avenue - proposed site plan with bulk variance for a 91,252 square foot three story office building with parking deck at 5 Lexington Avenue on Block 322.05, Lot 3 in the P-I, Planned Industrial Zone. -
WAS ADOPTED
All resolutions are on file in the Office of the Planning Board, Department of Planning & Engineering, 1 Civic Center Drive, East Brunswick, N.J.
($12.76) 994961

TOWNSHIP OF EAST BRUNSWICK

PUBLIC NOTICE
PLEASE TAKE NOTICE that on Wednesday, May 13, 2009 at 8:00 pm, the Planning Board of the Township of East Brunswick will hold a public hearing on the application of 311-79th Street Corp. The public hearing will be held at the Municipal Complex, 1 Jean Walling Civic Center Drive, East Brunswick, New Jersey. The premises which is the subject of the application is located at 5 Lexington Avenue, East Brunswick, New Jersey and is located in the PT Zone. Said premises is also known as Block 322,05, Lot 3 on the Tax Map of East Brunswick Township.
The application is for Preliminary and Final Major Site Plan Approval to permit conversion of existing warehouse space into OFFICE SPACE...

The application for development and all supporting maps, site plans and documents are on file in the office of the Department of Planning and Engineering and are available for public inspection, Monday through Friday, during normal business hours. Any interested party may appear at the aforesaid hearing, either in person, or by their attorney, and be given an opportunity to be beard with respect to the aforesaid application.
/s/ Evan N. Pickus, Esq.
Pickus & Landsberg
Attorneys for Applicant
949147

"Not accountable" I would like you to look at this thread and tell me exaclty what "lies" i am spreading. I complimented steven and asked for his thoughts on something. The fact that you are lumping me in with others demonstrates everyones case in point---whoever is not a supporter is bullied, insulted, and called a liar. You are a dispicable and reprehensible person. It is exactly people like you that have given hatikvah a bad name. Keep up the good work!

I would like to know the percentage of special needs kids and English language learner children there are in the charter school as compared to the regular public school. Do they counsel out the behavior problems or the kids who lower their test scores? That does happen at many charter schools.

Everyone saying things like this school provides less with more money, should I assume your kids go here? how do you know this twisted fact? Pls stop commenting on things that you have no experience of. If anyone here who sent their kid to this school & is unhappy, I would love to read their comment. And to those who are saying we shouldn't have had this school in EB, pls wake up, its old argument. The Supreme Court has already given the decision so stop. And about our tax money spent in EB, really? I have lived here for more than 10yrs & have never had any choice on how my tax money is spent so why a sudden outburst?Many parents are happy because EB schools started full time KG program, well why wasn't it available before Hatikvah?I send my kids to this school & love the way they teach here & there is no religious teaching or i wouldnt have sent my kids here as i am not jewish. Oh & those who have a problem with Hebrew,why did you complain when they took out foreign language from primary school? Or is Spanish/French an acceptable language but not Hebrew? To those who are complaining about their tax money, how was it fair when I lived here for so long and paid highest taxes & yet had no kids for long time in public school? Its just when your tax money is concerned you shout is it? Is it fair that people who have 6 kids may pay similar school tax to those who only have one or None? First look at our base tax system before complaining about something that's legal & valid.

Thank you Sara, one of the few people who is giving facts. I am a proud parent of Hatikvah & find it great for my kid. But that doesn't mean I will talk badly about other schools in EB because I have no experience. Similarly all the people here who don't have kids in this school should stop commenting as your comments are baseless. I am not Jewish either but find the teachers are great & thats whats making me choose this school. My kid is thriving in it. Tax money issues are also not valid as I haven't seen any choices given to me on how the town would use my money. Every year a new tree is planted in front of my house & an absolutely healthy tree is taken away, when I called the township about this, they said I do not have a say over this, so what's the point. I will stay here till I can & move if the opportunity offers. I have friends who live in Monroe & are happy about their schools & have friends who live in EB who are unhappy so I personally do not base my decision solely on blue ribbon & yes we are not really ranking high at the moment which is a fact for everyone to know if you search online. So pls stop the bashing & if you have doubts/questions, come & visit the school & then write about it. We have a Principal whom you can talk to directly, who listens to parents suggestions & knows the kids in our school & guides them personally. These are some of the reasons why I am sending my kid to this school. Hope you can understand that & not just judge me automatically.

I work in education and have taught elementary school in four districts in NJ. My kids go to Hatikvah.
A few people have questioned why people who are not Jewish would send their kids to a Hebrew Language School. It goes beyond the Hebrew language, really. To me, it doesn’t matter if it’s Hebrew. It’s obvious that Mandarin, Spanish or most any other language would be more practical. But the benefits of learning any language at a young age go far beyond being able to converse in that given language. Research clearly shows that learning a language at an early age is beneficial to the developing brain. Learning a language in an immersion environment, one where students engage with teachers only in Hebrew for nearly two hours a day, greatly increases the rate of learning. My kids come home with new words every day. They sing songs and are beginning to put together sentences. Compare this to the 45 minutes a week Spanish instruction kids get in the regular schools.
Research also shows that learning a third language is easier than learning a second. So if a Hatikvah kid wants to learn a “more practical” language later in life, they’re in great shape.

Can Hebrew be taught in a secular way, completely separate from any religious connection? Yes.
I worked on a farm in Israel for a year. I worked with Brazilians, Japanese, Russians, Brits, Danes and none of us were there for religious reasons. We were travelers interested in meeting people of other cultures and different backgrounds. Some of us took Hebrew language classes, and we all learned some just by working in the immersive environment, side by side with native speakers.
Hatikvah’s International Baccalaureate curriculum follows a similar ideal. Kids of all backgrounds learn together in a place where respect for cultural differences and values is a central pillar of the teaching model.

Also, Hatikvah’s inquiry based math curriculum appears to as effective as any I’ve taught with in mainstream schools. Expectations of student achievement is higher there. My kids are challenged more than they have been before and are being driven to rise to that challenge in a supportive and dynamic environment.

Some have asked why we aren't focusing our efforts on improving the regular public schools. Making these kinds of changes in the regular public schools is an enormous undertaking. East Brunswick Schools are following the 'best practices' models that are being adopted by districts around the country. I have no doubt that these models are better than what most of us got in public schools as kids. Research-based practices are improving all of our schools.
But as districts begin to all follow the same paths and pick and choose which parts of which models to follow, compromises are made. By the time curricula are handed down to teachers, many of whom are not invited to participate in the process of selecting the plans, they are watered down. Teachers, feeling constant pressure from administration, parents, communities and the larger society, can get cynical. Forced to teach everything and to ensure students make “adequate yearly progress” in all areas, many teach to the middle, making it difficult for most students to make exemplary progress.

The teachers at Hatikvah are fully involved in the development of curriculum. They are invested in its full success and they teach it with a passion because they deeply believe that the way they are teaching their students will enable all kids to grow. Their energy and enthusiasm is remarkable, and is communicated to their students.
That's why I send my kids there.

All schools share that obligation. Hatikvah has a similar proportion of students classified with learning disabilities as the general school population.

I know that I've spoken to a number of hatikvah parents who are very happy with the services provided to their kids with special needs. Any parent with kids of any type of disabilities is free to bring their kids to the school they feel best suits their specific needs.

According to the State Biard of Education, 10.4% of Hatikvah students are classified with special needs. Next door at Central, the percentage is 17%.

Interesting, Reuben. For someone who's been a teacher in 4 NJ districts, you don't seem to know the difference between the State Board of Ed, and the Department of Education. Based on your numbers here, I can see you looked at the school report cards. That school report card also indicates that Hatikvah had a student mobility rate of 99.0% for that same year. That's quite a few unsatisfied customers. So many that students left, and then the student who filled that seat left, also.

George- I've taught everyday math, a traditional Scott Forman math program, math investigations, and envision math. All good programs with different strengths.
I know schools and teaching pretty well, if that's what you are wondering. .

To the likes of Anne, so you visited the school & didn't like it, fine. Dont send your kids to this school but stop slandering the school. About lies, be specific, what did they lie about? People said they lied about number of students, guess what Supreme court didn't think so, it proved you all wrong. Then people said they lied about their curriculam, well let me tell you, I am very happy with their curriculam, so you guys are wrong again. Then people said,its a jewish school. Well, my child still follows my religion and let me tell you that there is not one religious aspect taught in school. And its so funny that people who say its jewish school have no kids in this school to prove that fact. Now stop being a liar yourself, just because you do not like this school you are attacking it with vicious comments, not thinking that EB kids attending this school can get affected. You know,you will lose another court battle soon, then lets see what else you come up with. I already said, those who are not sending their kids to this school, stop talking about it, its like a person who never swam in his life, talking about swimming techniques. You have a choice not to send your kids here, just like I have a choice to send my kids here. And let me tell you, even I visited other public school my kid would have gone to, didn't like it,doesn't mean I can start slandering it on a public forum. All those who do not like this school, do not send you kids here but pls don't tell us what to do.

Well said, Proud Parent! I only hear amazing things about the charter school, and the exceptional education that the kids receive. I'm quite sure that the vast majority of the town is behind you and have no doubt that these few ignorant attackers will lose again in court. Keep it up!!

Wow, Staci now you are going to tell me, where I live? Inspite of me saying clearly I live in EB? Are you paying my mortgage or have you bought a house on my name in Edison, that I do not know about? Pls share...would love to have an extra house. This is how people against this school talk. Without any fact. They come to school with a prejudice and then just say the school is bad, they lied. They talk about their curriculam without ever seeing it for themselves and how our kids are thriving on it. We had few EB residents who falsely gave their kids names to enroll & then pulled out last minute to show that enrollment is not full, guess what whenever you do such despicable things, it never works out. And this school opened just as they said it would. We could see the frustration of people involved in getting this school started but all they kept saying was, wish they truly would put their kid here and take them out next year if they truly didn't like whats being taught here. They never once said bad things about these people. I like that in a school, these days when people are quick to point a finger, I am happy I met some nice people. I personally met one such Mum who had enrolled & used to tell us all how nice other schools in EB were.If you find anything that is not great then instead of giving suggestions on how to improve you will attack,thats how people are these days but are other EB schools perfect? Do u know this school is open to constructive suggestions? Guess not.

There are some vaid points some mature thinkers here who put their points forward without being malicious, I would love to see you at the school & give suggestions on how we can improve this school. You will find it refreshing that even one individual can have a say here which you will not see in other EB public schools. I can give you an example, I read about a great activity to teach children how bullying affects kids. I forwarded the email to the Principal (yes, we can directly contact her) & she responded back immidiately. The teachers loved it too and it was used in school the week after as an activity. Can you have that kind of a one on one relationship with your school Principal? I went to another public school in EB when it was time to enroll my second kid & wanted to talk to the Principal. I was told they will call me when the appointment is schedulled, waited for two weeks & never got that call. These might be small things for someone but I like to know that when needed I can talk to the Principal, I myself learnt in a small school & loved the close community feeling we kids got. So this feels right to me, doesn't mean I can tell you what to do. You make your own decisions but while talking on a public forum, can we at least be civil & mature & actually show some respect to those who like this school for whatever reason, instead of judging them? Thats all I ask.

Please do not pay too much attention to that, Sara. "Staci", "Lucy" and many other names are probably only 2-3 individuals. If I had to guess - Deborah Cornavaca, Christine Rampolla and one of their dear friends from the school board. They just keep changing their names in order to show more support.

I hope nobody wastes their energy and replies to them. Have a wonderful day!!

Thanks Janet. I feel bad because I feel like people judge us because we have chosen this school for our kids. It is a nice school & we parents are happy with it. So why can't other people just accept that? You do not have to put your children here but we can put our kids where we want. I have never seen a choice in EB about how my tax dollars are spent. But I never thought how dare they spend my money like this because if I feel that strongly then I have a choice to move out of EB. So how is it any different? All of a sudden people are like dont use my taxpayers money for this school. Well why did you spend our taxpayers money in court battle with this school, knowing you would lose? But I guess thats ok with these people. Again they will spend more money on court battle, and mind you it has my taxpayer money too. Just wish people would embrace change & work towards making things better for all of us than fighting with each other. No one wants to think that if Hatikvah does good, EB ratings can go up again...No, they just want to put us all down. And you claim you care about kids in EB?

Well, these attackers are simply incapable of building and creating new things, so they resort to spending their energy on trying to destroy, insight and lie about their motives.

Btw, I am Proud Parent, its my id but got an error so writing under Proud Parent1. I dont have to write under different names to get my point across.

They will never change so please do not waste your energy, instead focus on spreading the truth about the amazing education which Hatikvah offers.

Charter schools drain resources from the regular public schools, they do not educate the same spectrum of students that the regular public schools do, which are left with the more expensive students with bigger needs. Public schools have fixed costs which do not decline when some students leave for a charter school. Why don't the residents get a vote or say whether a charter school will be dumped into their district?

Joe R, since you seem to be so knowledgeable, could you please tell us all what is the total percentage that Hatikvah charter school receives from the entire East Brunswick school budget? Please help us understand by giving us an accurate percentage.

In other words, is it 5%, 10% or possibly more?

I'm still waiting to hear from Joe R regarding charter schools that "drain resources" from regular public schools. Does anyone know the percentage regarding Hatikvah charter school? I thought everyone knows by now, since all the attackers seem to be so knowledgeable.

Deborah Cornavaca, since you seem to be such an "expert", could you please help us with the exact percentage.

"Just The Facts" I'm SO glad that you posted this. While it may appear that the school district paid 1.8 million to the charter school, in reality the school district ended up paying slightly more than 1.1 million. The 1.8 figure is what they ALLOCATED but not what they actually spent. Therefore, simple calculation will bring us to 0.8%, less than one percent, yes - LESS THAN ONE PERCENT!!

Now if less than one percent, bought us free full day kindergarten in EB (which I'm sure you will deny), employing dozens of new teachers and staff and providing us with such an amazing school choice - IT IS A BARGAIN! I know you hate competition, and you may find it hard to believe but competition is good for you too. Good night!!

Oh, the oft repeated "competition" mantra. Education is supposed to be about cooperation, collaboration and collegiality not a cut throat competition where rivals try to cut each others throats for very limited funds. Charter school zealots go out of their way to slime, degrade and swift boat the regular public schools. They have such a high opinion of themselves, only charter schools are innovative, they have a monoply on innovation (their favorite word) in their own minds; they propagandize to an unsuspecting public. I find this very offensive, we're not talking about manufacturing widgets, we're talking about education. Charter schools are designed and meant to undermine the regular public schools, they are private schools getting public money. Shouldn't the residents get a say whether a charter school is placed in their district or not? The charter school is unaccountable to the duly elected school board, they do not work in cooperation with the regular public schools. It's not a fair competition when the charter schools do not have the same percentage of at risk students.

Thank you so much for presenting the facts, The Real Facts. This is quite helpful! I cannot believe that all of this negative energy and tax payers money was spent over less than 1% of their budget. Simply Unbelievable! On second thought, you are probably right, this is not over the less than 1%, this whole thing is about fear of competition. I mean you cannot blame them, now they will need to be accountable and do some real work, and hopefully stop wasting their energy trying on trying destroy their competition.

It is public information like every public school. Stop misleading the public, please.

I could support that, too, Cathy, as long as that 8th school (performing arts or music or language immersion) was a traditional public school and not a charter.

Shocking Kelly. You would support anything but a charter school. This is hilarious!

this is interesting! I heard the exact same thing about her!

re: the complaint that Hatikvah "had to fill" up seats with out-of-town students..... Does that also apply to the EB BOE having out-of-town employees?

Hatikvah's Property Owner Sues East Brunswick Township Council for Illegal Collusion, Denial of Due Process
Emails Between Council Members and Hatikvah Opponents Demonstrate Pattern of Illicit Coordination Between Parties
The Eisenreich Family Foundation, which owns the property at 7 Lexington Avenue that has been designated as the prospective location for the Hatikvah International Academy Charter School this September, has filed suit against the East Brunswick Township Council for violating its due process and tainting the application process through illegal coordination and illicit conflicts of interest.

In mid-2012, the East Brunswick Zoning Board unanimously voted to allow the Hatikvah school to relocate to a new facility on Lexington Avenue. Subsequent to its decision, East Brunswick residents Deborah Cornavaca and Christine Rampolla, who had long opposed Hatikvah’s existence, appealed the zoning board’s decision to the township council.

The township council, in deciding to take up the appeal, had the duty to act as an impartial judge in the matter. Instead, a pattern of coercion, intimidation and collusion has been revealed throughout the process. Private emails between Council President Michael Hughes and Councilwoman Nancy Pinkin and Cornavaca and Rampolla, obtained under the Open Public Records Act, clearly demonstrate illegal coordination between members of the council and the appellants on the issue of charter schools in general and Hatikvah in particular

In an email to Council President Hughes on January 2009, 2012, Cornavaca requested a meeting for herself and Rampolla “to discuss our work and the ways you and the town council can be supportive” of their anti-charter school advocacy. Hughes replied with potential dates for their get-together.

In a separate email on September 26th to Councilwoman Pinkin, Rampolla provided the councilwoman with anti-charter school materials to review in advance of the council’s decision to review the zoning board law. This coordination directly violates the council’s responsibility to act as an impartial judge and jury on the matter.

At the initial hearing in December, Hughes proceeded to threaten the Eisenreich Foundation with a code violation of the existing Hatikvah school location if the plaintiff did not agree to move the hearing date to the end of January. The bizarre threat did not take into account that Eisenreich had no ownership or relationship with the school’s current property on Cranbury Road

“Despite their responsibility to act impartially in this matter, the record clearly shows that members of the council illegally coordinated and colluded with opponents of the Hatikvah Charter School to overturn a unanimous ruling by their own appointed zoning board,” said Danna Nezaria, President of the Hatikvah International Academy Charter School Board of Trustees. “Instead, the council’s plainly illegal actions have led to yet more waste of taxpayer money, despite the fact that the law is clearly on our side. It’s time for the council to stop playing politics and for East Brunswick taxpayers to demand that their elected officials stop their unethical and blatantly illegal behavior.”

For Immediate Release: Contact: Julie Roginsky
Tuesday, February 12, 2013 (201) 222-8282