Jess Deutsch, Princeton
Our family moved to the Princeton Public School district in 2005, so we were not here when the Charter School was founded. Given my background in education, I remember wondering, back then, why we had a charter school. It wasn’t clear to me why an “alternative” was needed when the public schools appeared so strong., Nonetheless, the Charter School’s existence has been a fact during the years in which we’ve raised our children here, and millions of all of our tax dollars have been directed toward it. I know families who have happily sent their children to the charter, and been more than pleased by it. Still, I continued to wonder what our school system overall was gaining from the charter., In the interest of following the Obamas’ example to “take the high road” and be an engaged citizen, I’ve tried to listen carefully as the heat has risen over the Charter School’s proposed expansion. I reached out to those I knew at charter and tried to understand their perspectives. I believe their good intentions for the children they serve and want to serve. I believe they want to be a place of excellence, compassion, and creativity, just like the all the other schools in our district. But I believe it is not in our community’s best interest to expand the Charter School at the expense of our school district., Given the powerful benefits of diversity in the Princeton Public School system, I understand the Charter School’s desire to attract a more diverse population. The impetus toward inclusivity characterizes our community’s best and most aspirational self. But the Charter School has not presented evidence that it is better positioned to serve more English language learners or low-income students more effectively than the Princeton Public Schools. I believe that we must make the best interest of our most vulnerable students and the closing of the achievement gap a major priority — and I am unconvinced that Charter School expansion is the answer., I ask the Princeton Charter School to share publicly more about the innovations it has incubated — what can PPS learn, for example, about curricular and social-emotional impact of a K-8 (as opposed to K-5 and 6-8) structure, and the importance of recess in middle school? The two-way street of collaboration would benefit all of our children, and that’s what charter schools are supposed to offer., I urge those who will make the decision about the proposed expansion to consider the opportunity cost for the school district overall if these funds are diverted to serve the small community of the Charter School. The tradeoff is untenable. The Charter School’s expansion proposal would damage the many for the benefit of few., I encourage our community to prioritize meeting the needs and potential of our most vulnerable students within PPS. I believe we can do better on this score, and we must. I am for our community’s best effort to offer excellence and balance, and I don’t think the charter expansion is the most judicious use of the $1.2 million at stake., I hope that out of this process, we can come together toward the common good., Jess Deutsch, EdM, LSW, Founder, Princeton Balance
