Newark Charter School Fund Statement on the Release of the Advocates for Children of New Jersey 2010 Newark Kids Count Report

NEWARK, NJ – Nov. 10, 2010 – Mashea Ashton, the CEO of the Newark Charter School Fund, released the following statement regarding the release of the Advocates for Children of New Jersey 2010 Newark Kids Count Report:

“We share ACNJ's recommendation that we need to identify what's working in both successful charter and traditional schools and replicate those strategies.  However, we also note that ACNJ reports that at the 8th grade level, nearly all Newark charter schools are outperforming the district in both math and language arts. This is critical because it demonstrates that charters are playing a key role in preparing Newark students for high school and college.

“Also the report points out that nearly 6,600 parents are on charter waiting lists, clearly signaling their demand for charter options.”

“In addition, the report shows that charters are serving are higher percentage of free or reduced-price lunch students than the district and other positive outcomes regarding attendance and longer school day.”

“We should not overlook or over-generalize these positive outcomes as we're looking at what works in both the charter sector and the district schools."

The Newark Charter School Fund is funded and governed by national educational foundations to make grants that support the quality and sustainability of Newark’s charter schools.

For more information or to arrange an interview with Mashea Ashton, please contact Bruno Tedeschi at 908-591-3631.