Virtual Charter Tries Again

Hopefully, this time around they won't leave Teaneck with the impression that they will have to foot the entire bill for students that live in all parts of New Jersey.  That misunderstanding generated huge opposition last year.

If it goes through it would be great for He'atid which would be able to get the cost of their secular online education covered by the state.  It could also be an option for people who want to use a public school/Talmud Torah option but are concerned about the influences of non-frum peers in the public schools.

Dear Friends: There are many families like yours across New Jersey who are eager to enroll their children in the public school that works best for them. We would like to give you an update on the status of the Garden State Virtual Charter School (GSVCS), a proposed public charter school that would serve students throughout New Jersey. Those of you receiving this email had shared your information with our prospective partner, Connections Academy, requesting to be notified when this program was available in New Jersey. As you know, the GSVCS board prepared and submitted an application late last year to open our school in full accordance with existing state laws. While the school was not approved in the January 2012 round,we remain fully committed to offering a high-quality, highly accountable virtual public school alternative. New Jersey has fine public schools of which we can all be proud. But even our great public schools cannot meet the needs of every student. GSVCS will leverage state-of-the-art digital technology to deliver a high-quality, personalized public education to our students who, for a number of reasons, are not succeeding in a traditional classroom setting—students who are significantly ahead of or behind their peers, students with health issues that cause frequent school absences, or students who simply need a highly personalized approach to learning, to name just a few. In an effort to answer any questions you may have about the proposed GSVCS, we launched a website in December that is your “one-stop shop” for accurate news, information, and updates: http://www.gardenstatevirtualcharterschool.org. There you will find detailed information about the school: how it’s structured, its benefits for your children, and much more. We hope you will take time to review this great site. Of course, if there’s anything you would like to see posted, or if you have any other questions, contact us at info@gardenstatevirtualcharterschool.org. In the meantime, here are some steps you can take to make this public virtual school a reality in New Jersey soon: Speak in favor of virtual charter schools during next week’s public testimony at the New Jersey Board of Education meeting (Wednesday, June 6 @ 3 PM, Trenton, NJ). Please email us at info@gardenstatevirtualcharterschool.org if you would like to speak and for further details. Let us know if you would like to help us in our efforts, including serving as a founding parent or a board member. Please email us if you are interested. Send us an email outlining why this new option in public education is appealing to you and your children. (We may post your testimonial online, with your permission.) Share the Garden State Virtual Charter School page with your friends, family members, work colleagues, and other interested New Jerseyans who may be interested in learning more about this new option. Get to know your state legislators and share with them your reasons why this school should be allowed to open. Check us out (and “Like” us) on Facebook. We hope you are as committed to enrolling in this new public school option as we are to launching it! In the weeks and months ahead, we will share information and ideas on how you and other families who want an innovative new option in public education can get involved. We hope you will join us. The Founding Board of GSVCS and Connections Academy Connections Academy 1001 Fleet Street, 5th Floor Baltimore, MD 21202 888-816-5750 Unsubscribe from receiving these emails.