Parents In NJ Suburbs Angry Over New Charter Schools

The battle over charter schools has typically resided in the inner-city, but the debate is now raging in affluent suburbs like Millburn, New Jersey

Typically, when parties clash over the creation of new charter schools, the battle takes place in the inner-city where public school are generally lackluster.  But in a recent New York Times article, Winnie Hu chronicles an on-going debate over charter schools in nicer suburban areas like Millburn, New Jersey.

MILLBURN, N.J. — Matthew Stewart believes there is a place for charter schools. Just not in his schoolyard.

Mr. Stewart, a stay-at-home father of three boys, moved to this wealthy township, about 20 miles from Midtown Manhattan, three years ago, filling his life with class activities and soccer practices. But in recent months, he has traded play dates for protests, enlisting more than 200 families in a campaign to block two Mandarin-immersion charter schools from opening in the area.

The group that Stewart is an active participant in, Millburn Parents Against Charter Schools, argues that the schools would re-allocate funds from its children’s education for unnecessarily specialized programs.  The schools in question would be based in nearby Maplewood and Livingston and would certainly draw students and resources from Millburn and other area districts.

“I’m in favor of a quality education for everyone,” Mr. Stewart said. “In suburban areas like Millburn, there’s no evidence whatsoever that the local school district is not doing its job. So what’s the rationale for a charter school?”

Those suburbs known for educational excellence, including Millburn, have become epicenters in the nation’s charter school battles.  These public disagreement raise important questions about the goals of a movement that began 20 years ago in Minnesota.  Charter schools, which are publicly financed but independently operated, have mostly been promoted as a way to give poor children an alternative to underperforming urban schools.  In short, their goal is to provide options akin to what those who can afford them have in the suburbs or in private schools.