I agree! Well said!!!

Jodye and all others who are so vehemently against the idea of charter schools, please try to keep in mind that behind all of the lawsuits and political posturing there are sweet elementary school students who love their school and educators dedicated to providing a unique and enriching educational experience.

Big-monied school? You mean the one with an operating budget equal to 1% of the entire district budget. Political pressures? You mean the type that the NJEA uses everyday to get what they want? I got a letter in the mail recently from Barbara Keshishian (NJEA President) asking me to consider a voluntary donation to fund their "war chest". She makes just $550,000/year and yet needs donations.

The school system in town has been going downhill for at least 2 decades. Look at the ratings over time as well as the steady increases in cost/pupil. Also, blue ribbon high school? Not since 1990.

Kevin - I believe you are mistaken. Zoning Board members have to have training in land use law to serve. They voted unanimously to approve the zoning variance (probably for a reason and after receiving expert testimony fromvaroius safety, planning, engineering and traffic professionals). Township Council has no such training and their decision which was not based on the facts, merits of the case, or the law will unfortunately cost the tax-payers more money. The Council's personal feelings have no consequence in this case, it's all about the facts and the law. Hatikvah has no other choice but to take the matter to court, and they will win.

I believe that state law requires zoning and planning board members to have 5 hours of land use training...that's it... I believe, that some of these members are actually exempt from this law (mayor's representative, etc). Naturally, you would assume that those appointing these volunteers to board positions would find people knowledgeable with land use issues for these positions, but I know that it is not always the case. Furthermore, I believe there are many cases that can be found on the internet where a town council has gone against a planning board decision. They are, after all, the elected governing body. Decisions they make come with consequences from the electorate population....you don't like it...then vote them out.... Same can't be said for the volunteers.... Of course, "I think" is only my opinion...nothing more....but as far as I can see, the appeal process is in place so that the elected governing body can make an important decision and not some volunteers....In my thought process, I cannot see how the NJ Supreme Court can reverse a decision made by an elected governing body regarding a municipal land use law when the law says that this governing body is allowed to do so.... My opinion is that this is the same situation that allowed the state education chief to use his/her discretion in allowing the Hatikvah charter despite low EB resident enrollment in the school. There either was no law saying that he couldn't, or there was a law saying he could...

LOL. Thanks

SP: "Though" should read "thought"

Harlan and others...."I think" is, of course, my opinion. Please see my comment above regarding my thought processes that resulted in my opinion. I could be wrong...I'm not a lawyer....but, to me, my reasoning seems sound. The law says that town council makes this decision and Hatikvah wants to say they weren't qualified or were biased.....I think Supreme Court will uphold the law that says town council makes this land use decision....

Riiiiight! The "little school" who hired the high-priced, big-name democratic operative / lobbyist / national pundit Julie Roginsky to send out this press release and work the press for them. No one is buying this anymore.

I personally don't think something is unfair and biased just b/c something doesn't go Hatikvah's way...it's a matter of whether or not the deciding body is biased or not. If a court of law makes a reasoned decision based on facts of law, then that's a different story. Keep in mind when you make these uninformed accusations that our two "concerned citizens" availed themselves of an option to appeal a decision. Hatikvah has every right to do so as well and does so on behalf of elementary school children, a fact people forget when they're so wrapped up in lobbing accusations.

Spare us the holier than thou' bit, Lori. I've seen how you speak to people.

Good one "Really". Thank you for furthering the discourse. I believe I am entitled to an opinion, and you don't further your cause by attacking a perfectly legitimate comment. Folks are accusing Hatikvah supporters of poor behavior on the Patch site, but I see some really vicious, uncalled for remarks from the anti-Hatikvah contingent. Talk about double standard.

Well I do atleast appreciate that Lori has previously apologized to posters on here for her poor behavior and tone. So, in that sense, I can agree with Jean.

I too wish to thank Lori for bringing adult conversation to this forum rather than the acerbic comments that can be found posted under anonymous names having different points of view.

Cade, 1) this is a publicly funded school we are talking about, and 2) the schools in town are very far from crowded.

I don't know how you can say the schools are not crowded, I have 3 kids in school in eb... my youngest has 37 kids in his kindergarten class, my older two have to share books with classmates because they don't have enough for the entire class...when I went to the same exact schools we never had more than 30 in a class and had extra books if we left them at home. Sure it's been a while since I was in school but the classes are definitely far larger and the school hasn't changed one bit (one of the few schools they haven't renovated since it was built) and I will admit I know pretty much nothing about how charter schools work...I'm assuming they function similar to a Catholic school would being that this school is clearly religiously based by the Hebrew writing on their insignia

So, Cade, your child is the Toms River student attending Hatikvah. Interesting. I had wondered why Hatikvah was so desperate for students that it had to cast its net as wide as Toms River.

Cade, Hatikvah is a public school and it does not teach any religion. Hebrew is a language, not a religion. If a school teaches Spanish, that doesnt make it a Catholic school just b/c Spain is a Catholic country.

joyde...what? my child would never attend that school ...and ironically to your comment although I once lived in Tom's river, I no longer live in Tom's river due to the fact the hurricane demolished my home so I now live in east Brunswick again where I was born and raised...I have no idea what that comment has to do with anything. and Lori, does it offer any other language options as do all other public schools? if not that what educational value does the Hebrew language give in america today? most careers that require you to be bilingual require spanish which is much more useful in this country. I have never even heard of a public school that has hebrew as a language option...do they require you to learn Hebrew or do they give you the option of a useful language as well?...who besides someone from a Hebrew speaking country, which is generally of the Jewish faith would have a reason for their child to learn Hebrew and people complain about public schools saying the pledge of allegiance to our country because it refers to God

Cade, at this time the school does not offer other language options, but my understanding is that is part of the vision. The school is in its infancy relative to other EB schools and in order to maintain quality of the education they need to take things one step at a time. While I would be interested in Spanish as it is spoken more commonly, studies show that learning a second language, whatever the language, enhances cognitive development and makes it easier for a child to learn additional languages in the future. Keep in mind that half of the students are not Jewish, but still see the educational advantages of learning a second language. Again, from a developmental point of view, the second language provides value. I hope this addresses your question.

Absolutely deborah. Not everyone needs to agree. That being said, when you tell me to "get off my high horse", it doesn't appear as though you feel I'm entitled to my opinion, which differs from yours, so you might consider staying away from accusing others of being intolerant of disagreement. Ive seen you do this countless times, but i dont see you showing yourself to be open-minded or tolerant of disagreement. Also, Deborah with no last name, when the school was approved, I was excited about the opportunity it would present for education in East Brunswick. That's what I was thinking about. This school has been under attack in one form or another since before day 1, and that's a fact. 3 court cases, hearings, skewering in the media. There may or may not be bias, and it's not to say that some folks don't have reasonable concerns, but after 3 years of this, it has gotten old. The old expression comes to mind here: just b/c someone is paranoid doesn't mean somebody isn't chasing them. Let the courts decide this thing and let's call it a day.

" Let the courts decide this thing and let's call it a day"

Amen Lori.....In the end nothing we say/write here has any significance other than making us "feel good" about our POV. The courts will decide and we will go on.
**PEACE.**

@ deborah....."ANY TIME things dont go your way or someone even voices an opinion they are dismissed, attacked, and/or labeled as biased"

I am afraid you speak the truth deborah regardless of which side you are on.

Just as an FYI, there is no religion taught at Hatikvah and therefore no opportunity to or interest in preaching religious beliefs.

Take a look Deborah, the vast majority of cuts had nothing to do with the need to fund Hatikvah. Please see the data below. Also, in the end I believe funding for Hatikvah from EB schools turned out to be less than projected.

Despite the cuts and tax increase, according to School Business Administrator Bernard Giuliana, the amount to be raised by taxes has changed very little over the last several years, and said tax increases should be blamed on a decrease in state aid, including a mid-school year grab of more than $5 million last year.

In 2010, state aid was cut mid-year by $5,008,573 when the governor announced that certain school districts with enough “surplus,” or fund balance, should use that money instead. Giuliana said the money needed to make it through the rest of the year wasn’t surplus, but money earmarked for the 2011-12 school year, the same year it's planning for now.

Just a few months later, for the current school year, the district took a $6,633,436 in state aid hit, and lost an additional $423,969 to the School Development Authority. It also had to deal with a required $1.3 million payment for a new charter school, and an additional $2.4 million in cuts from the Township Council.

Lori, I don't think anyone would disagree that the cuts East Brunswick endured in 2010 were not all due to the charter school. However, (and now keep in mind, you previously said earlier Hatikvah numbers are no longer relevant) if the charter school were to close and the eight traditional public elementary schools absorbed those 110 students, there would be little to no cost incurred by the district for those students, and the school budget would no longer have that $1M+ expense on its books. That amount could restore some of the programs lost or be passed on to taxpayers via tax relief. Please also call School Business Administrator Bernard Giuliana to confirm that, if you'd like.

Kelly, I don't disagree. I just want to be sure people understand that 90 per cent of the cuts were due to factors unrelated to Hatikvah.

Kelly, as someone stated on the other comments, had the school district been at a high right now as opposed to having approximately 1,000 empty desks, people would be complaining that absorbing 110 more students will result in the need to build more classrooms or hire more staff at a high expense. Someone also wrote that around 20% of the teachers in the district don't even teach anything. They are "overhead". So I think someone should come back with the numbers to see how truly efficient the district is. I doubt it is bloated, but it is certainly not lean. At one time, Irwin school was closed and so was Smith Elementary. Enrollment was down and the BOE made the responsible decision to close un-needed facilities. When the town had two junior high schools, again they re-structured to save money by turning one into a middle school (that was due partly to the population trend at the time) and using Smith as an annex to Churchill. Having bonded so many millions of dollars over the past 15 years to renovate the schools has resulted in debt payments that simply cannot be afforded right now, given the volume of tax appeals going on in town and the volatility of state aid. The school draws 1% of the district budget I read. To say that is the reason for all of the money problems in the district is difficult to substantiate. That's like saying a family that can't afford the mortgage should just cut out their netflix subscription and all will be fine.

To continue, all charter schools are challenged to do more with less. They get fewer dollars per student and on top of that they have added expenses such as rent.

They do not have the ability to fund improvements by referendum and have to pay higher interest rates to borrow money. Their administrators are not paid as much as the public schools either. 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 articles I read on this website discuss a zoning board decision. Yet, it has just become a public forum for people to vent their anger at a school in ways that has nothing to do with their search for a building. Charter schools provide a choice. That's all. If you don't want choice then that's acceptable. But if you do want choice, it can be a gift.

Dear Attack,
After the cuts endured in 2010, I do not believe there is any if much bloat in the budget. If there is, then, by all means, we should all be looking at it and identifying places to save.

I don't see how your analogy matches this situation. Given the picture you paint of having excess room in our facilities, I find it even more appalling that we are now forced to pay for a ninth elementary school. It is a duplication of services that we do not need. With a ninth school comes a ninth nurse, a ninth SBA, a ninth principal, ninth custodian, ninth electrical bill, etc. - all which we do not need when 8 elementary schools are, as you pointed out, more than we need to service the student body in town.

If there were something innovative that you think Hatikvah has to offer, there is no reason it could not be implemented in our public schools. Unless it is affordable to provide a particular program to all students, it's unacceptable to me to only provide it to some.

Moreover, we should be deciding collectively as a town what we can and can not afford. If school board members do not spend our taxes the way we see fit, we can vote them out. Our tax dollars that go to Hatikvah are not spent in a way that we have any say in, nor are the board members elected.

Attack,
To your second post: The idea that this school does more with less is a fallacy. In addition to the per pupil spending it reports to the NJ DOE, it also has a shadow budget it operates with under another 501c3 named the "Friends of Hatikvah Charter School." (It's EIN # is 45-2692359). In addition to that it has multiple fundraising efforts and has received numerous infusions of cash from the Hebrew Charter School Network. In addition to that, the Eisenreich Foundation just purchased the warehouse for them in the amount of $2.7 Million, and that is before demo and renovation costs. There are also the costs of high priced attorneys, lobbyists and consultants that are not accounted for in those reported per pupil costs.

I understand your point. However the parents have chosen to not enroll their children in the other schools. There must be a reason for that. I am not familiar with the charter school's educational approach (inquiry based vs. lecture) but it departs from the other schools in a way that appears to attract people. The town has a good history of public schools, but the latest data demonstrates a decline. The high school has not seen blue ribbon in over 20 years and actually fell 50 places on the list of best HS last year I read. Is that true?

About your second post...although you have done more research on their funding, your entire post is actually an example of their innovation. You wrote that they have used outside funding to enhance their financial "picture". That funding is probably used to provide even more opportunities and a higher quality education for the children. That by engaging outside sources, they have been able to accomplish things the other schools could not. If the BOE engaged outside funding they could easily exceed the total amount of funding for the charter school and introduce many new and exciting programs. But that requires a certain amount of work.

Perhaps now a days that type of innovation is becoming a necessity. I've read stories of municipalities that have raised funds from sources other than tax revenues to make the town a better place. Why not in public schools? Calling it a "shadow budget" is negative. It's actually a plus.

It is late, but your comment about the voters holding the school board members accountable I agree with 100%. How many of us have stuck to the same old routines year after year in our personal lives only to talk about change that never happens. Well, too many years have gone by at the BOE for maintaining status quo. A new year, a new budget, another struggle, some more cuts, an election, and then a new year. It's been going on and on - same as the year before - with little to no thinking outside of the box.

We are getting a new superintendent. Maybe we need a new school board to complement that. A group of people that are perhaps more ambitious and forward thinking as opposed to the ones that only look backwards in order to deal with today's challenging issues.

The possibilities are unlimited. If the BOE really wanted to turn this entire situation around they could do some wonderful things. Imagine consolidating the 8 elementary schools into 7 and turning the 8th into a Performing Arts Charter School? How about using some empty space in town (there is plenty) and creating a Science and Technology school? What about a school focused on teaching the trades? You can't deny those places are bursting at the seams. I bet we would have waiting lists for those schools and every district in the state would be looking at East Brunswick and scratching their heads in envy. This could be the future of education - and it deserves a serious look.

@Don't attack this writer...who are you? I would seriously love to see the town evolve to offer all those options to the kids. My daughter loves dance and singing and I hope she can one day incorporate them into her career. I would send her to a performing arts school in a second! Are you interested in running for BOE??

Thank you Christine for your kind words. The job of our public schools must be to educate our children so they can succeed in life as opposed to being able to pass standardized tests. Assessments should be based on their work and not a multiple choice exam. It is truly amazing how many students come out of high school and can't balance a checkbook, don't understand what credit card interest is or the value of a dollar, let alone how to save one. We are creating a generation that believes all the answers come from a search engine and that critical thinking is not necessary.

Your example of your daughter is very powerful. Why make her wait until college to experience the full spectrum of a career in the arts? She will only learn so quickly taking after school lessons at a studio. If a child has a talent, desire, and an interest they should be encouraged early and offered options to ensure they succeed. Want to learn a trade, why wait until after high school to apprentice? You won't need Devry. Want to be a doctor, why wait for college for pre-med classes? Go to the Health and Sciences School. I am not suggesting that a single town maintain all these schools, but more so they would be "regional".

I did some reading about Hatikvah. They instruct Hebrew from kindergarten. If learning a foreign language at a young age has benefits and puts emphasis on multicultural diversity and tolerance of differences, then what's so terrible about learning this as a child?

'Don't attack this writer' - it would be wonderful to teach all kids a second or even third language starting at an early age. even before kindergarten, the benefits are many. in East Brunswick public school we had a great program that started at third grade, teaching French or Spanish. Now,- our public school students start learning a foreign language in middle school while a selective and exclusive group of kids start learning Hebrew in kindergarten - and we, tax payers and parents of former and current public school students pay for this small group to learn an exotic and rarely spoken language.

Good morning E-Nonymous. Offering a taste of foreign language at 3rd grade, to some or all the students is not really a very effective way to introduce children to a second language. You see, the public schools in this country have been doing the same thing for decades. They provide a general education in math, science, history, and language. In high school, students get to take elective courses in areas of their interest. So basically everyone receives the same curriculum until the later years when a sprinkle of flavor is offered among elective courses. When budget cuts loom, electives are cut first (as in 3rd grade foreign language) because the district is preserving the "core curriculum". This approach is backwards.

Was 3rd grade Spanish taught to everyone? What if I did not want my child to learn Spanish. What if I'd rather my child learn to master an instrument? In the district, there is a very large music program, but it is thinly spread out across all of the schools and probably one of the first programs to get a budget cut. It is far more efficient to eliminate this setup and place music in one or two locations, intensely, so that the students who want to enroll get much more music study time and those that don't want to be in music don't go to those schools.

The future of education is to arrange a district in a manner that focuses on strategy and choice as opposed to the concept of providing everything to everyone, everywhere in a less focused manner.

Don't attack, what you are suggesting, while well-intentioned, is not scalable to the district, as you point out yourself. I, for one, am not comfortable for a system where instead all of our children benefiting, a lucky few get a program at the expense of the rest of the students getting now in stead of some.

Don't attack, to your point that the school district should be fundraising: of course, they should and they do. But, you an I both know that the Steinhardt Foundation for Jewish Life is only interested in investing millions of dollars in schools that push its own ideology. And, I for one am also not comfortable with public dollars being used to fund schools that push any political or religious ideology.

You are welcome to do that with your own money but not with public money.
And, if you disagreed, where were you or Michael Steinhardt to advocate that our public schools incorporate the ideas that you are suggesting?

You've laid out your position and I respectfully disagree with you.

Allow me to be a peacemaker here. It sounds like "Don't Attack" is advocating a system where whoever has earned and can donate the most money (even if they are not familiar with our town) gets to decide what and how our children are taught. And, "Kelly" prefers a democratic process whereby voters make those decisions instead of outside political influence and money dominating. Can we just agree to disagree and go back to making snowflakes?

Kelly, Michael Steinhardt is one of millions of philanthropists investing in schools. Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerburg provided $100 million to Newark Schools. Does this mean he is pushing anything? You indicated that Steinhardt is pushing his own political and religious agenda. I cannot agree with this statement. The School of Culture, Education & Human Development located at New York University is named the Steinhardt School of Culture, Education & Human Development. That is not a religious school and has no political agenda. While it may be true that Steinhardt may be more interested in a school like Hatikvah as opposed to a school focused on athletic training and development, that is his choice. I am certain there are many professional athletes that would be willing to donate to the township's athletic program. But I'm sure none of them have been approached. This is where the BOE is missing the mark. At their meetings, they discuss bus policies, pass resolutions, talk about upcoming events and the latest test scores. What they are not doing enough of is discussing how to adapt education to today's world.

Lori, I'm afraid you are clouding the issue. Superintendent Jo Ann Magistro was very clear what services she had to cut in order to pay the Hatikvah bill. She included the list in a letter she provided to me for materials I presented to the NJDOE in my district's fight against Tikun Olam. So, unless you would like to call Dr. Magisitro a liar, these are the services that were indeed cut in order to fund Hatikvah:

The elementary foreign language program
The summer Academy for at-risk students
21 extra-curricular clubs
3 sports programs

You can belittle the amount of money that is taken from public schools to fund charters, and you can obfuscate facts by saying that charters do not account for the only loss of funds, but how can you deny that to serve the needs of a few, the many must lose programs?

Jo Ann Magistro has served the district for countless years and many good things happened during her tenure. However, it is now a new beginning. Her list of cuts that were made to "afford" a charter school is rather disappointing. She took the easy way out and pointed fingers and placed blame. That is very negative and instead she should have motivated the BOE to find new ways to increase revenue and do positive things.

@Darcie, Lori is not calling Dr. Magistro a liar. I must say however, I am extremely disturbed that you posted on this public blog Jo Ann Magistro's involvement in supplying you with official materials to help fight a charter school in your town. This comes as a huge disappointment and certainly taints her character and will make others question her integrity, as a steward of education. I sincerely hope she was not doing this while "on the job" in East Brunswick. A lot of people read what is written here and I'm sure your post will draw attention from many.

Don't Attack - you've made the most sense yet! I agree with Christine - you should run for the BOE. We need people who know what they are talking about and are not afraid of bully's like Joanne Magistro & Bernie Giuliana.

I will gladly debate this with anyone willing to use their full name. I will not engage in the kind of dialogue that has been happening on these threads with anyone using a pseudonym while calling me out by name. Use your name "Don't attack this writer - on the road" or I will not engage with you. I am willing to own my comments with my first and last name. Are you?

Don't attack, I'd repeat the question:
"And, if you disagreed, where were you or Michael Steinhardt to advocate that our public schools incorporate the ideas that you are suggesting?"

@attack - The superintendent is required BY LAW to provide any documents Darcie or other members of the public request. I can understand your confusion given that you think it's acceptable for a public charter school to use a shadow foundation, as it was pointed out here, to hide its money.

Kelly, I have not been an outspoken advocate to incorporate these suggestions into the township schools. That is the job of the people serving on the BOE. I can only offer opinions based on my feelings on how the public schools - not just here - are falling behind and slow to change. However, Michael Steinhardt is an advocate for education, research, and the constant adaptation to social changes that affect society. He is not alone. Without knowing him personally, I cannot really offer an answer as to why he hasn't come to the town school board in person. How much money has the Walton Family Foundation invested into education? Critics say that money should not be mixed with education. Yet, how many public state universities rely on donations to carry out research and to survive?

I do not have access to your information on the school. What religious and political agendas are they furthering?

Darci, money is fungible. Joann Magistro can assign service cuts to a particular portion of the budget cuts, but the fact is that money is fungible so it's an arbitrary assignment. I'm not belittling cuts...they affect my older daughter. And I'm not obfuscating - I was merely sharing information I had found.

Here's a question I've been wondering about. Given the cuts made, to the foreign language program for example, where did funding come from for the kindergarten? And why wasn't the money instead used to restore some of the services that were cut. I've been out of the loop on this and I'm wondering if anyone happens to have any information?

'Don't attack' says that - "Michael Steinhardt is an advocate for education, research, and the constant adaptation to social changes that affect society.". That is now exactly what i read on the Steinhardt Foundation home page:"The Steinhardt Foundation for Jewish Life, formerly Jewish Life Network/Steinhhardt Foundation, was founded in 1994 by Michael H. Steinhardt to strengthen and transform American Jewish life so that it may flourish in a fully integrated, free society.

Our philanthropy seeks to revitalize Jewish identity through educational and cultural initiatives that reach out to all Jews, with an emphasis on those who are on the margins of Jewish life, as well as to advocate for and support Hebrew and Jewish literacy among the general population."
They are not looking to "affect society" they are looking to affect the Jewish community, and "with an emphasis on those who are on the margins of Jewish life".

Michael, if the school were not attempting to expand and double in size, I could see your point. But, I think taxpayers who do not want the amount cut from the public schools to double are entitled to their point of view.

Michael - I think you are forgetting that the issue the Council had to decide was not about the school's existance, but WHERE Hatikvah wants to put it. I think most understand it is here to stay (like it or not), but WHERE it wants to go is honestely not in the best interest of all residents. If my children attended Hatikvah, I would not want it in a warehouse in an industrial zone.

Meredith, I completely agree with you. I have a daughter in the EB public school and I would LOVE to see innovations and cutting edge educational programs. When I moved to EB 13 years ago, I did so b/c of the reputation of the school system. Since then however the school's ranking has declined sharply. It's a great disappointment and is bad for everyone in town, even those who don't have school-age children, as property values decline when school rankings are not strong. I am very anxious for the EB BOE to re-focus their attention on what matters most...raising the quality of education for our children so they develop the skills so critical to excel in an increasingly competitive world. We either need a new BOE or this board needs to roll up their sleeves and get to work.

Steinhardt's daughter, who runs another one of his Hebrew Charter Schools: Berman did note that the Hebrew skills taught at schools like Hebrew Language Academy could give Jewish students a head start on the road to religious education. “In the past, Hebrew schools have spent a lot of time teaching the Alef Bet,” Berman said. “All of a sudden, you will have these kids who speak wonderful Hebrew but have had no Jewish education.” In the communities around these schools, third-party organizations have set up programs of after-school Jewish instruction to meet the specific needs of this new breed of Jewish student."
Also, from: From: http://www.jewishjournal.com/cover_story/page2/how_jewish_are_hebrew_charter_schools_20100824

In East Brunswick, similarly, Steinhardt also funded the after school religious program that works in conjunction with Hatikvah.

“A passionate, Israel-oriented, Hebrew-speaking community will almost certainly support Israel and stay connected to Judaism,” wrote Starr in the Autumn 2011 issue of Contact, describing another new HCSC school, the Kavod Elementary Charter School, which she is the director of.
Also, from: http://forward.com/articles/155713/hebrew-charter-schools-focus-on-israel/?p=all

Your first posting seems benign. The next entry talks of an after-school program separate from the auspices of the school. I read all of the links you provided and need assistance in understanding your entries. Are you in support of charter schools in general but not in support of this particular school? Or are you not in support of any charter schools / institutions outside of traditional district schools?

Doing a simple search I found a district in Louisiana that is actually fighting to open more dual-language charter schools. http://www.nola.com/education/index.ssf/2011/12/jefferson_parish_parents_back.html

You imply (correct me if I am wrong) that a Hebrew language school is educating children about Israel in an unfair manner. I think that speaks volumes since children are unaware of prejudices to christians, jews, or muslims unless they acquire that from home. In other countries, textbooks teach children about hatred towards the west and anti-american sentiments. If a second language school is teaching children about diversity and tolerance - regardless of the language - I think that is acceptable. The article you referenced from forward.com discusses education about Arabs living in Israel as well as other non-jewish faith affiliated people.

One thing you have not addressed; learning Hebrew does not mean studying Judaism. It's just a language. There is no evidence that a non-jewish student learning Hebrew makes them become Jewish activists.

all that but to think people try and in some cases succeed to get the pledge of allegiance banned from public schools because of "one nation under God" being a religious sentiment. Seems to be a double standard for me...I believe this school is specifically designed to appeal to a certain section of the population, not the general public so there is no reason to take away from everyone else's education to enlarge it, especially being children from other townships attend. I have to send my child to the public schools in the town or pay for a private education, and if this is in fact considered a "public" school then I don't understand how non residents can even be attending. it still sounds like a religious based school to me though and should be privately funded to begin with...if it was a school of the arts or technology or something of that sort it would be one thing....after all the fights to get anything referring to Christianity banned from public schools it seems a bit contradictory. What's there is there if we like it or not but I see no reason to make it even larger and spend more of the public's money on a school that only appeals to a select population. If the hebrew language truly is the only part of the Israeli faith they teach why not offer an additional language as well for those who will never have any use for the Hebrew language

Don't attack, it looks to me that that you asked what Michael Steinhardt's agenda was when he opened these schools that include Hatikvah, and someone tried giving you some quotations to answer that. I would agree with you on some of the points you make, but the second article is speaking specifically about the charter school, not an after school program, when it points to a mission of teaching students an Isreal-oriented curriculum as a means of staying connected to Judaism. I don't know the answer here, and I can't speak for 'i live here,' but I am definitely uncomfortable with big money coming in and deciding how district money gets spent, especially when there might be a political or religious agenda behind it - and that goes for any religion, my own included.

I think we got side tracked from the conversation which was whether this school is doing more with less, and I think the clear answer here is no, it is not.

Beyond that find intersting all the friends and family hired at these schools. If this were a traditional public school, people would call that "favoritism" and "nepotism."

@Cade, I understand your comments and your statements. But the forum for your concerns would seem to be the State of NJ, perhaps the governor's office. The present process to open a charter school is largely a state-regulated concern and not within the township's jurisdiction. That is why municipalities have tried to use zoning and planning to thwart schools from operating in an attempt to derail and close them. Unfortunately, those types of efforts are not legal and recognized as the equivalent of using zoning to keep high density housing from being built in town. Or worse, using zoning to create an entire town of composed of strictly mansions for the wealthy.

As far as out of town resident attendance, that is all outlined in a charter. Outside districts can send students, but those outside districts must pay the host town for those students.

@dont attack: it's not the idea of charter schools that I have an issue with, it's always good to have options when it comes to education and children's individual talents and interests early on, but after doing some research on the school is pretty apparent in my opinion that they are trying to push a religious agenda in a public school. if they want to make it an early multilingual school that's fine, then offer more than one language .I just feel if you want a specific religion based school that's what private school is for. I understand hebrew is a language not a religion, but the school also focus quite a bit on Israel and their culture, which don't get me wrong learning about different cultures isn't a bad thing, but it should be a bit more well rounded towards all cultures if they don't want it to be seen as a private religious school passing itself off as a public school...there's a difference between a multicultural school and a Hebrew school...and once again this is only my opinion based on the research I've done and people I've spoken to, I don't feel that the township should approve a larger school and put more money into a school that does not benefit the public as a charter school. One thing I can't find out but am quite curious about is how many students there are of different faiths, what kind of diversity do they offer?

Cade, 50 percent of the students are of faiths other than Judaism. I myself am Jewish, but don't have a particular preference for learning Hebrew and while learning about Israel is fine, this too is not the draw for me. What I like, as I suspect many of the non-Jewish families like is the cognitive benefits associated with learning a second language, the favorable student:teacher ratio, the inquiry-based lessons that are very creative and mind-expanding, and the multi-cultural nature of the school. They learn not only about Israel, but about cultures around the world. My daughter comes home talking about what she's learned about Africa, China and other countries. All of these factors together make the school an attractive option - for those who choose it.

Lori, how could you possibly have access to a number such as 50%?

Kay, I simply asked. Beyond that, while I wouldn't be able to assign a percentage this way, seeing the obvious diversity in my daughter's classes over the years supports this assertion.

Lori, are you saying that this school has a record of its students religions?

Kelly, I have no idea what data public and charter schools are required to collect. This may have been anecdotal information. The real point is, despite what those not familiar with the school might think, this is a school with a diverse population with children of different cultural and religious backgrounds.

Lori, how can you be comfortable just throwing out a random numerical value for information that you don't even know if it exists?

Lori, I find that statement ironic being when I inquired with the school about the question of diversity among students I was told that "they can not release that information due to privacy policies"...nothing more said

And here I thought one of the purposes of public schools were to help the newly immigrated assimilate into the U.S!

What ever happened to U.S. tax dollars being spent teaching our children to be advocates of the American way?

Meredith, I linked the article for all to read. I wasn't trying to quote something out of context. However, pardon me for being abit too cynical here...but seriously actually "teaching" one thing now and being "in the process" are too different things. Could it be that being "in the process" was a response to the criticism? Please explain to me the lesson the kids get by "HaOlam" street (translation "The World" street) because that's the way it is in Israel. So what is the similar curriculum for the Arab families going to look like? They will have their street and no Jewish families? Hmm...wonder how you teach the kids about the street in Orthodox neighborhoods in Israel?

Norman - I'm sorry - I don't understand your question. Where did I say that? I believe my posts re-iterate the need to hold out elected officials and school administrators accountable for improving education. I don't know much about Hatikva, so I'm not sure how a school teaches apathy.

Oh, you're right Meredith. I'm sorry, there are just so many characters here to keep up with. It was Don't attack this writer who said, "Kelly, I have not been an outspoken advocate to incorporate these suggestions into the township schools. That is the job of the people serving on the BOE." Wrong person, right adjective: apathy.

Why get involved, right, Don't Attack? This town surely isn't your responsibility or anything. Obviously the BOE should be able to mind read what every resident in town wants and implement every single one of those ideas and find the money for all of it, too.

Wow, the nerve of some people thinking that people who live here should care about their schools here. That's just crazy, especially when you can use your political connections to get the commissioner of education to grant you a charter even when you don't meet the requirements, and then essentially force the BOE to react to a small, greedy group who want whatever benefits themselves regardless of the affect on anyone else in town.

Folks...I have been posting as Norman for sometime now. Just recently we now have a new "Norman"...Hey new Norman please change your handle so you do not confuse people...unless you are doing it on purpose???

@Don't attack- We have a new "norman" that has taken my identity by using my handle...not sure if it is on purpose or not..but I just noticed he uses a small n and I use an upper case N. Please do not confuse me with him...see my earlier posts in this thread.

Norman: I will be on the lookout for the rogue norman. Appreciate the clarification.

I think this comparison misses the mark and trivializes the issue of separation of church and state.

However, just to play along, I'll entertain it and point out that in your example, the public would have full access to any expenditures of that donation, which is not the case with money in Hatikvah's shadow foundation. Also, once the donation in your example would be made to the BOE, the Board would be fully responsible for all ethical standards associated with that money, also not the case with Hatikvah's hidden finances.

@Don't attack.... you forgot a critical part to your Cake Boss analogy....The Cake Boss Foundation has specified that all your home ec classes must bake Italian cakes or they will withdraw their support....Hmm...I absolutely think the district should decline this offer.... Don't you?

Good point, Kevin Wyman. If a traditional public school accepted a donation like this, it would be considered PAY TO PLAY.

Well, yes, Merrill, that's a given, because Michael Steinhardt has his own staff person on the Board.