WWW.QNS.COM RIDGEWOOD TIMES JANUARY 20, 2022 27
CHARTER SCHOOLS
white administrators, it is so important
that Black students see people
like them in positions of leadership
in front of the classroom, who understand
some of the struggles that
kids come into school with.”
Since charter schools do not operate
in any of NYC’s established
public school systems, they are
able to implement certain rules
and regulations that other public
schools in the area are not — especially
COVID-related protocol.
“Charters are overseen by an independent
board of trustees, which
itself is overseen usually by one of
three entities in New York City —
either by the board of education,
by the NYS education department
Board of Regents and also by the
Charter School Institute of the
SUNY trustees,” Merriman said.
Because of this, charter schools
are not governed by the NYC
Schools Chancellor or the Department
of Education, and each school
is able to make independent decisions
regarding the safety of their
students as the COVID-19 pandemic
continues to spread.
“Charter schools have to follow
the same health and safety regulations
that district schools do,” Merriman
said. “They follow what the
department of health NYC and NYS
tell them to do in terms of testing,
vaccination, social distancing. But
on the other hand, they can also
make their own decisions about
whether it makes more sense to go
virtual. Many of the charters — not
all — stayed open, but many decided
that they would hold the first two
weeks of class virtually.”
Charter schools are designed to
accommodate the individual learning
needs of students, and this includes
students in need of special
education.
“At the NYC Charter School Center
we actually have a collaborative
which almost every charter school
belongs to better provide special
education,” Merriman said. “Providing
special education well is
very, very difficult, but charter
schools are stepping up to that
and have basically the same rates
of students who are identified as
needing special education as those
in district schools.”
With five more charter schools
being planned to open in the coming
year, it is clear that the popularity
of charters is increasing.
“We are trying to make sure students
actually get the services they
need, and beyond that succeed as
we hope all students do,” Merriman
said.
Two arts-rich public K-5 schools in
#02_rw
Manhattan
Afterschool Available
www.manhaancharterschool.org
212-533-2743 212-964-3792
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