All About Charter Schools inNew York: Charter Legislation and Law, Charter School Numbers, Enrollment and Academic Achievement, and Charter School Resources and Support Organization Contacts, as well as New York Department of Education Charter School Offices

Charter Schools in New York

Law:   Passed in 1998

Rank:   10th strongest of the nation's 40 charter laws

CER Grade:   B

Schools:   38

Students:   10,954

POLITICS:

THE GOOD FIGHT: Despite facing significant challenges to their charter school law, New York reformers can rest easy for a while as the legislative session ended with no changes that would have impeded this reform of choice in the Empire State. Charters' growing support has caused numerous challenges, such as reduced funding and a limit to further charter growth. Republicans and Democrats fought long and hard over these proposed changes but in the end, the House leadership was able to stave off additional challenges. Kudos go to Assemblyman Joe Bruno, who had the foresight to see that charter schools play a unique and positive role in educating his state's children. From CER Newswire June 24, 2003.

ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL OPPOSES MOVE TO LIMIT N.Y. CHARTER SCHOOLS: U.S. Department of Education Under Secretary Eugene Hickok urged school choice advocates to oppose a bill that would limit the number of charter schools in the New York. By Kathleen Lucadamo, New York Sun Times, April 30, 2003. Link here to view the full article.

SUPPORT SYSTEM: New York City Chancellor Joel Klein appears to be headed in the right direction on a number of fronts. Whereas previous Chancellors have paid lip service to charters and let their bureaucracies micromanage to extremes, Klein says he wants to see an environment where the charters "can feel supported and can thrive." Recently auditors discovered thousands of empty spaces in classrooms city-wide, but charter schools have waiting lists as much as twice their capacity. Klein is considering increasing the pace of quality charter approvals and he should also consider opening up space for them in existing buildings. Read more in the CER December 2002 Monthly Letter.

THEM'S FIGHTIN' WORDS …from the New York State School Boards Association (NYSSBA): "The NYSSBA shall seek legislation to establish a moratorium on the granting of additional charters to new charter schools until such time that the legislature mitigates the negative financial and educational impact of the current charter school law," says one of the group's position statements for 2002. Not only are some pro-charter school board members upset about this outwardly hostile position, but it also explains why it was necessary for New York to craft a law giving authority to entities other than local school boards. It's unlikely that the school boards group will get its way. However, most policymakers with integrity are concerned not about whether a particular district feels the pinch from the creation of a new charter public school, but whether or not the money that the taxpayer spends to educate children is used to do just that. (From CER Newswire, January 15, 2002.)

DEVELOPMENTS:

FEDERAL FUNDING: The feds announced the delivery of new federal funds under the public charter school grant program. The program provides up to $198 million for individual charter schools, research grants and best practices dissemination. To the program's credit, states like Florida and New York received substantial funds for their growing number of charter schools. From CER Newswire October 8, 2002. For a complete list of the grants, go to http://www.ed.gov/PressReleases/10-2002/10072002.html.

CAPITAL CAUSE: It would appear that there is good news for New York charter schools coming out of the new state budget. Included in the FY 2002-2003 budget is $6 million for the Charter School Stimulus Fund provides money to implement charter school programs and can also be used for capital purposes. Additional funding is also in the budget for charter school authorizers and the State Department of Education to defray the costs of conducting standard background checks on prospective employees in charter schools and public school districts. CER Newswire May 22, 2002.

CHARTER SCHOOLS COULD BE GOOD FOR BOTH STUDENTS, TEACHERS by Peter Murphy: "Charter school conversions could improve the lot of students and parents in Buffalo while providing public school teachers the best of both worlds: retaining (and even enhancing) their current legal and contractual protections, and providing an opportunity for the means and ability to better educate students. Teacher unions have been part of the charter school movement in other states, and they should be part of its success here in New York. Special to The Buffalo News, January 27, 2002
(Peter Murphy is vice president of the New York Charter School Resource Center, a nonprofit organization that assists people planning charter schools. He formerly served in the Pataki administration where he helped write the charter school law.)

RESOURCES:

SUPPORT ORGANIZATIONS:

Charter Schools Institute
Purchase Office:
735 Anderson Hill Road
Purchase NY 10577-1400

Albany Office:
74 North Pearl Street, 4th Floor
Albany, NY 12207

Purchase Office:
Phone: (914) 251-7922
Fax: (914) 251-7923
Email: charters@purchase.edu

Albany Office:
Phone: 518-433-8277
Fax 518-443-5227

Website: www.newyorkcharters.org

The Charter Schools Institute (CSI), was established by State University of New York (SUNY) to help them administer their responsibilities as charter sponsors. CSI also will also provide research and analysis on charter schools and other issues affecting K-12 education.

New York Charter School Resource Center
1 Penn Plaza, 36th Fl.
250 34th St.
New York, NY 10119

Contact: Gerry Vasquez
Telephone: (212) 896-3901
Fax: (212) 849-6901Email: nycharters@yahoo.com

Website: http://www.nycharterschools.org/

The New York Charter School Resource Center (CSRC) helps charter school organizers with information and technical assistance.

New York Charter Schools Association
18 Corporate Woods Blvd.
Albany, NY 12211

Contact: Bill Phillips
Telephone: (518) 465-4400
Fax: (518) 465-3383
Email: bphillips@nycsa.org

Website: http://www.nycsa.org/

The New York Charter Schools Association provides technical assistance to member charter schools.

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION:

Charter and New School Development
New York City Board of Education
110 Livingston Street - Room 302
Brooklyn, NY 11201

Tel: 718-935-5814
Fax: 718-935-4003

Website: http://www.nycenet.edu/newschools/charter.htm

The Office of Charter and New School Development is responsible for coordinating the Charter School initiative for the Chancellor and the New York City Board of Education.

New York Board of Regents Charter Office
NY

Website: http://www.nysed.gov/emsc/charter.html

Office of Innovative Programs
Office of Elementary, Middle, Secondary, and Continuing Education, New York State Education Department
Room 875 Education Building Annex, Washington Avenue
Albany, NY 12234

Tel: 518-473-7155

Website: http://www.emsc.nysed.gov/topics/charter.html