26 JANUARY 20, 2022 RIDGEWOOD TIMES WWW.QNS.COM
New York City charter schools continue to emerge as
a new opportunity for diverse and inclusive education
BY ISABEL SONG BEER
EDITORIAL@QNS.COM
@QNS
With 272 charter schools
throughout the five boroughs
of New York City,
many parents are wondering what
exactly makes a charter school
different from a more traditional
public school.
If there are drastic differences or
benefits between public and charter
schools that suit their children’s
learning styles, is it a good idea to
make the switch? And what exactly
is a charter school?
According to the National Alliance
for Public Charter Schools,
charter schools receive government
funding but operate outside the previously
established school system in
the area where the charter school is
physically located. They maintain
independent operation from traditional
school districts, giving them
freedom “to design classrooms that
meet the students’ needs.”
The New York State Education Department
(NYSED) reports that approximately
145,000 NYC students
are enrolled in charter schools
— roughly 14% of all NYC students.
Charter schools in NYC also
encourage a diverse enrollment of
students. According to the NYSED,
in the 2020-21 school year half of
the student body in the NYC charter
school system identified as Black
and 40% as Latinx. Additionally,
79% of charter school students are
economically challenged, 8% are
multilingual and 9.3% live in temporary
housing.
“Charter schools employ many
many Black and Latinx educators,”
said James Merriman the CEO of
NYC’s charter school system on Jan.
13. “I think increasingly we are having
a ‘moment,’ and I think people
are beginning to realize that while
it is fine to have a white teacher and
CHARTER SCHOOLS
Kids at play at Challenge Charter School in Far Rockaway. Photo via Facebook/Challenge Charter School
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