Charter Schools
Check out these charter schools
for your child to attend in Brooklyn
BY EMILY DAVENPORT
It is prime school-search
season in New York City. If you
are one of the thousands of families
weighing their child’s educational
options for pre-Kindergarten,
elementary, middle,
and high school, you are in the
thick of applications, essays,
and assessments or testing.
Aside from your regular work
and daily activities during this
time, you now must add researching
schools, contacting
administrators, and touring
neighborhood options to your
busy to-do list. This is true
whether you considering public
or private schools.
So, how does one choose
the best option? Begin with the
big decision — public or private.
Then, take a look at the
options within your preferred
category. For those utilizing
the city’s public school options,
you have many options in your
district, with priority at your
zoned school, and you will also
have access to a host of charter
schools.
Charter schools (founded
by not-for-profi t Boards of
Trustees) receive government
funding, but unlike public
schools, they operate independently
under a contract
(or “charter”)—an example of
what has been labeled by some
as “public asset privatization”
or contracting out. Many of the
city’s charter schools utilize
public school space. Since the
passing of the New York Charter
Schools Act of 1998, there
has been debate from government
offi cials and families
alike on whether these schools
should be considered public.
According to the United States
Department of Education,
given that charter schools are
open to all students and do not
charge tuition, they are categorized
right alongside your
area public schools.
“We serve the communities
in which we are located,”
says Emily Kim, the Chief Executive
Offi cer of Zeta Charter
Schools, which has sites in the
South Bronx and the Inwood/
Washington Heights areas.
Zeta opened its doors in the
fall of 2018.
Charter schools may not
have all the regulations of
a districted school, but they
are accountable for academic
results and upholding promises
COURIER L 14 IFE, JANUARY 15-21, 2021
that the charter school
stemmed from. With well over
200 charter schools in the city,
there are tens of thousands of
New York City families that
are served by these institutions,
and these schools have
thousands more on their waitlists.
So, why are so many families
choosing charter schools?
Charter schools have more
fl exibility in their offerings,
a longer school year, extended
daily hours, and additional
programming. “Much of my
experience is in charter education,
and I love how charters
are free to innovate and
raise the excellence bar for
children,” Kim says.
Although every charter
is different (the model, goals,
and policies may vary) — overall,
they are outperforming
their neighborhood counterparts
on state tests (English
language arts and math).
“Parents deserve to have
a high-quality school option,
as well as a choice as to where
they send their children to
school. Charters provide parents
with much-needed educational
options for their children,
which raises the bar for
public education, generally,”
Kim says. “We serve families
and want them to be close
partners with us in their children’s
education. Through
this partnership, we ensure
that children meet their highest
and best potential.”
Many families are drawn by
the opportunity to send their
children to high-performing
charter schools. Most operate
through a lottery placement
system due to the demand.
“We were zoned for a failing
public school (math and reading
scores were in the single-digit
percentile), and private school
is too costly,” says Tiffany G.,
who is a parent at Harlem Hebrew
Language Academy Charter
School. Her daughter, now
in fourth grade, started at the
school in kindergarten.
“Public schools in New
York are wonderful if you are
wealthy and thereby able to
afford an affl uent neighborhood
where high-quality public
schools can be found. For
many who are not wealthy or
able to afford expensive neighborhoods,
public schools are
poor performing, sometimes
perilous places. The current
public school system exacerbates
our city’s economic system
of have and have-nots,
while many charter schools
offer a high-quality education
accessible to all New Yorkers
regardless of income,” she
says. Adding: “There is a tremendous
amount of variety
among charter schools, as they
are not bound by all the same
regulations as public schools.
Shop around to fi nd the school
that is the best fi t for your
child’s learning needs.”
For families in the midst
of the school search, a common
online application (available
via nyccharterschools.
org) represents approximately
75% of New York City’s charter
schools, adding ease to
the process of applying. The
online form, due by April 1,
makes searching school options
and information on each
accessible. New York families
interested in applying to charter
schools should check individual
school websites for listings
of tours, open houses, and
application instructions.
Brooklyn Charter Schools
Ascend Public Charter
Schools
15 K-12 schools in
Brownsville, Bushwick,
Canarsie, East Flatbush,
Cypress Hills, East New York,
and Lefferts Gardens
347-464-7600, ext. 1002
Explore Schools
718- 989-6730
Launch Expeditionary
Learning Charter School
1580 Dean St., 3rd Floor,
Brooklyn
718- 604-6910
PAVE Red Hook Charter
School (K-8)
732 Henry St., Brooklyn
PAVE Red Hook Charter
School (pre-K)
76 Lorraine St., Brooklyn,
718-858-7813
Williamsburg Charter
High School
718-782-9830
admissions@thewcs.org
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