As many of my faithful friends know, the school my children attend did not earn the charter renewal that would allow it to continue running for another 4 years. The parents and teachers took to grass roots efforts, creating and growing a base of support of over 1000 individuals inside and out of NJ, we participated in several drives, writing letters, making phone calls, gaining some level of media attention, but it was for naught. The Board of Trustees, parents who were appointed to "lead" our school as the volunteer leaders, made the decision to not pursue an actual legal path to requesting a reversal of the decision by Chris Cerf the commissioner of the DOE in NJ.
I haven't written about this for some time now...it has felt too raw, too sore, just too sensitive for me to use my words. But it is time. I faced the facts even before we were told the charter renewal was denied. I had a feeling that we were not going to be approved due to some very justified reasons. Our test scores SUCKED ... our administration had many turn-overs, with three "executive" level directors within the initial years of our chartering, and our BOT lacks (IMO and that of the DOE) the ability to actually lead the school into a period of significant, positive change. There has been a great deal of teacher and family churn as well...teachers coming in for a year and leaving either of their own accord or not..families deciding that their children need a sports program or a real music program or a gifted and talented program. All very real and valid reasons to leave the school. I know these issues as I know the back of my hand, as I know the way to get home from work..and yet I am sad and I lament losing not the school so much, certainly not the administration or the BOT, but the community of parents and children that I have come to really know and love...the teachers and aides who really have done the best job possible to not only provide solid education, but instill a love of learning in the children. I will miss not the brick and mortar of the buildings, because truth be told, the buildings are horrible too..but the flesh and blood of our families who are now left to scatter and find our paths into the larger system of Winslow Township (which is less than welcoming once you get beneath the outward veneer of "welcome letters" and "open houses" that are planned -- ask for a personal tour if you cannot attend the open house tours and you will be told "no") or into the few choice school slots that are available, or into the private/parochial school networks that surround our diversely rich community.
I am scattering as well... having applied for both children to the Choice schools in Pine Hill. My soon to be 6th grader has a seat, my soon to be 1st grader is in the lottery. Tonight (Tuesday April 23) I will be attending the lottery where 3 out of 5 children will be awarded a "seat" -- this feels too much like a really crappy game of musical chairs at someone's overly warm basement birthday party. Should we win a spot, there's no real celebration, as this means that one of dd's classmates won't win a slot. There will be no celebration whether we win or not...maybe there will be a slight feeling of relief for me so that I don't have to juggle two totally separate district calendars, but no celebration.
So I will put on my big girl pants, go tonight and hold hands (figuratively for those of you who know me...no way I am really touching anyone else on purpose) with my fellow TIFECS refugees and hoping for the best, that somehow there will be seats found for those who are "wait listed" and we can all find a "home" for our kids and their education. I remain sad for the loss of our school, as I believe that there could have been measures taken about a year and a half ago to create a strategic plan to improve the future, but the time for suggestions and conversations is long over. I hope that each of the families floating in the breeze right now finds a fertile spot to put down roots and that the children will continue to grow and mature as students and become the amazing people I know they are destined to be.
Catch ya later.
