[Please do not sign this petition if you have already signed another petition against the Tikun Olam Charter]. This petition expresses the opposition of Jewish residents of Highland Park, Edison, and New Brunswick and others to the Tikun Olam Hebrew-Language Immersion Charter School application and supports the passage of charter school reform legislation that would provide for local control, accountability, and the equitable and representative composition of charter schools.
[
Please do not sign this petition if you have already signed another petition against the Tikun Olam Charter].
Whereas,
We, the undersigned Jewish residents of Highland Park, Edison, and New Brunswick, and other communities,
strongly believe the proposed Tikun Olam Hebrew Language Immersion Charter High School would not well serve any significant part of the Jewish community, and that the Jewish community in Middlesex County is better served by its own private day, afternoon and Sunday schools,
and
share concerns that the proposed charter school would drain funds from our public schools at a time when they can least afford it due to state budget cuts; causing Highland Park and other local communities feeding students to the charter school to raise already high property taxes, further adding to the double burden borne by Jewish day school parents who pay tuition in addition to their local property taxes.
We therefore:
strongly oppose the chartering of the proposed Tikun Olam Hebrew Language Immersion Charter High School; and
support the passage of the proposed two-part legislation sponsored by Assemblyman Patrick Diegnan that would provide for local control in granting charters, for transparency and accountability, and for student-body composition that reflects the demographics of home districts (including special needs and ESL students).
