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hardo_chocolate t1_jclz6um wrote

🐂 💩. Charter schools, by law, have to educate every student in their communities equitably, hence these public schools admit their students through unweighted lotteries.

That test results differ across different schools is pretty normal — in fact they are all around the place, because test results tend to be normally distributed.

JCTimes is and has been a NJEA sock puppet.

This is another of their efforts to support the NJEA, the current JCBOE board, and higher property taxes - and rents!

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thelostcharming t1_jcmpsqr wrote

Hi, I am sorry to hear you feel that way about NJEA, but as I mentioned in my edit, MY personal goal is not to discredit anyone but to write what can be proven. Scores in most charter schools are far better but I want to know why. The small classrooms may be the key, the distribution of funds, the quality of teachers. As I mentioned below, the general perspective is that charters are selective, hurt local schools, etc, but I want to talk about the ones JC residents have access to, not the general idea of what a charter school does.

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hardo_chocolate t1_jcms7cf wrote

You’re fundamentally uninformed about charter schools. Ask your NJEA buddies to run the statistics on funding and class size and compare the outcomes.

For the last several years, JC Times has consistently embraced an adversarial approach to charters by specifically parroting NJEA’s spin on charters.

Enjoy the dark side.

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thelostcharming t1_jcmskmx wrote

I want to talk about the benefits of charter schools because their scores are higher but i want to get the perspective of someone who has children in them because they can compare the schools the best.

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bodhipooh t1_jcnb6ip wrote

>As I mentioned below, the general perspective is that charters are selective, hurt local schools, etc

That's NOT the "general perspective"... that's simply the narrative pushed by teacher unions because they stand to lose the most if/when parents get a choice in schooling.

As for why charters tend to do better, the answer is not that "small classrooms may be the key". That sounds like another self-serving finding to allow the local BOE and NJEA to push for higher budgets. The fact is that charter schools are a self-selective sample. People who choose to seek out other, better school options for their kids are already showing a higher interest and involvement in their kid's education. It's been shown over and over that the biggest determining factor in scholastic success is parental involvement. When parents take it upon themselves to be more involved in what their kids are learning, and actively participate in helping them in their scholastic experience, the result is a kid that does better. Unfortunately, a lot of parents don't understand this, or don't care, and some are simply unable to do it. To be fair, lots of parents are struggling financially and may be working more than one job, and their ability to get involved may be heavily curtailed. Others simply lack the experience/knowledge to understand the importance of getting involved. But, certainly, a lot just don't care, or don't care enough. Regardless of the reason(s) why a parent is not involved, there are no easy answers or solutions. We live in a country in which support for families is very lacking. As such, for a lot of people the option of being involved is not really a possibility.

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Adventurous_Tea_4547 t1_jcoygd0 wrote

As others mentioned, that is certainly not the general perspective of charter schools. It's simply the belief of those who strongly believe in public schools, which happens to include a lot of academics in education as well as teachers. Most people don't share those views.

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JournalSquire t1_jcospsg wrote

While you’re at it, please improve JCT’s reporting on traffic safety issues. Rob Leir’s reporting has been very irresponsible on multiple occasions. You’re doing the community a disservice.

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mikevago t1_jcmlx1u wrote

I'll just echo what everyone else is saying: charter schools in Jersey City are by lottery and therefore aren't more selective. So are you being disingenuous? Or do you just not know the basic facts of what you're reporting on?

I do have two kids who went to a K-8 charter (TECCS), and I can't imagine the tests were administered any differently, but the kids did get a lot of support, despite the school's criminal lack of funding in its early years. Smaller class sizes meant they got a bit more attention, and the faculty and staff really took the "community" in the name seriously. I always felt like the people there were invested in my kids and wanted them to do well.

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hardo_chocolate t1_jcmwgd1 wrote

Mike — the journo is looking to get a sound bite that can be twisted to fit in with the JC Times support for the NJEA, JCBOE, and well you know … higher taxes (more gentrification).

It’s a typical mid-election cycle hit job that in a few years’ time, when the NJEA needs to undermine the charters, there is already a planted piece in a semi-credible “blog”. It is money the NJEA takes from teachers — union dues — that both JCTimes and the NJEA use to undermine charters.

TECCS is a middle of the pack charter. They have been chronically underfunded, but in recent years appear to be rebounding. Other charters haven’t been this successful.

And, Mike, I appreciate that you are forthcoming. I always respected that in you.

Need to go back into my lair.

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mikevago t1_jcnk6rr wrote

Ironically, the state budget cuts helped TECCS financially, because it was the state that was short-changing them. (There were several funding loopholes they were on the wrong side of — schools founded after 2007 got less money, charters got less money, there was a third thing I can't remember.) When the city passed the commuter tax, the charters actually got their fair share.

But there's a minimum per-student funding in New Jersey that, by law, every school has to get, and for several years TECCS was operating at 2/3 of that minimum. It's a goddamn miracle that school is as good as it is.

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thelostcharming t1_jcmp4lt wrote

Thank you, I am aware that lottery takes place when too many students/parents apply and that if a student has a sibling in a charter they will get preference because there is a benefit to them being together. I say there are more selective because that is the national perspective and I want to make sure that in Jersey City, people know how they work and if they work (like with your children). If there is more support and the right kind of support, where students feel they're cared for, that is something that makes a significant difference.

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mikevago t1_jcnjvrk wrote

No, there is always a lottery, in every instance. We came to TECCS in the second year it was a school and they ended up going through the whole waiting list to fill their spots, but they still started with a lottery. There is never not a lottery. I beg you, do literally any research into how our charter schools work before you try writing about them.

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jcskunk t1_jclvx9y wrote

Huh? Charter schools are not selective because they are not allowed to select. It is true that parents can choose the charter schools but that's the point of charter schools. Bad charters close, successful charters grow.

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gigiwasabi_jc t1_jcmmmw0 wrote

You “know” charter schools are more selective? Charter schools in JC enroll students through lottery.

You could try to make a correlation about families that are informed or motivated enough to enter a lottery > being more involved in kid’s education > higher scores I guess. But that’s not the same as the schools cherry-picking their students.

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yomama1211 t1_jcm1o3a wrote

Lol can I apply to your newspaper where my job research would consist of asking questions on Reddit? 💀

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VanWorst t1_jcm75mv wrote

Hey, Reddit's an excellent place to find unconfirmed reports from anonymous sources!

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thelostcharming t1_jcmpd9c wrote

My goal is to reach out to JC wherever I can, facebook, twitter, reddit, any way possible so that I can hear the neighborhoods perspective and formally interview them because unless there are EXTREME circumstances, I and most journalists prefer to not use anonymous sources as there is no way to confirm their words.

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hardo_chocolate t1_jcmt51n wrote

I’m sure. Don’t you want to speak with someone whose statements you can misrepresent and skew the way the NJEA directed the JC Times? Come on — honestly you can’t be this naive.

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Ilanaspax t1_jcpzqs6 wrote

Privatizing public education - what could go wrong?🙄

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Byzantium-1204 t1_jcp7syh wrote

Is this the same journalist who is on Nextdoor soliciting info for the JCT?

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