Withhold Final Approval for New Roots Charter School At This TIme

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SUNY Charter Schools Institute
Ralph Rossi, Vice-President and Generl Counsel
41 State Street, Suite 700
Albany, New York 12207

Attn: New Roots Charter School, Ithaca, NY

Dear Mr. Rossi,

We, the undersigned, are asking The Charter School Institute to place a freeze on all funding for the New Roots Charter School and/or withhold final approval for the New Roots application at this time.

As was eloquently stated recently in an editorial in The Ithaca Journal of January 8, 2009, This is a terrible time to be running a school, let alone starting one. New Roots is now poised to begin its operations during the worst of the fiscal crisis. The Commission on Property Tax Relief is recommending consolidation and mergers, including schools. In Tompkins County, [however,] we are multiplying educational offerings. [While] we are all for competition.we question how Paterson and the State Education Department are funding new school operations like New Roots while the public school system collectively holds its breath during the next year or so. The funding and opening of New Roots is 180 degrees off of where the rest of state government is heading in 2009. We think it would be proper for the state [and Charter School Institute] to freeze the openings of any new schools. New Roots curriculum could be folded into the district. The money saved could be used to prop up existing schools, or be used to stave off more cuts in other areas of government during the fiscal downturn. [While] competition is good, we question whether during the depth of a financial crisis is the best time to try it.

It would be wise and prudent for the Ithaca community to have a chance to support its existing public schools, educational programs, students and staff to the fullest extent possible during this time of severe financial crisis.


1202 Signatures

  • Corinne Frantz
  • Pat Ehrich
  • Frank Araneo
    • Comments
    • This school seems redundant given that Ithaca already has several "alternative" educational options. As such, I seriously question the motives of the sponsors.
  • Lisa Jervey Lennox
  • Madeline Estill
    • Comments
    • В
  • Laura E. Jones
    • Comments
    • В
  • Vicki Brew
  • Alison Shull
  • Ryan L Harrington
    • Comments
    • В
  • Donna Fleming
    • Comments
    • New Roots Charter School would serve a small number of students who are not currently underserved. Scarce educational dollars can be better spent.
  • Susan M Barnett
    • Comments
    • Please prove need first.
  • Pamela J. Hanna
  • Lynn Bertoia
  • Christianne White
    • Comments
    • in hard times I would hope we could collect our resources for the good of many, not splinter them into many parts
  • R Bruce van Dover
    • Comments
    • Doesn't target an underserved population; inappropriate in face of severe budget cuts; current system *works*
  • John F. Young
    • Comments
    • I really don't think that our area needs another publicly funded high school.
  • Jonathan Shu
  • Mary Grainger
  • Saskya van Nouhuys
  • Martha Frommelt
    • Comments
    • I am worried that by approving this school, you will do damage to the other 4,000 students due to this terrible budget time. In addition, I think this charter school notion could be accommodated via an existing school or schools.
  • Linda Woodard
  • Brent Lemberg, MD
  • Mary Jane Hetzlein
  • Joanne Trutko
  • Randi Beckmann
    • Comments
    • Typically charter schools are for larger cities. We are the smallest community to take on a charter school. The economic impact on ICSD is too great.
  • Stephen Ellner
  • Donna Raymond
    • Comments
    • The Ithaca district already supports one alternative school. Also, New Roots supporters haven't tried implementing their ideas within the school system, such as having courses about sustainability. New Roots would not be for the greater good; it would drain our schools' limited resources for the benefit of a few.
  • Janine Eng
    • Comments
    • at a time when our school, Cayuga Heights, has a limited amount of money for necessary supplies, such as for copy paper, it seems that we need to focus our resources on our immediate needs instead of funding a new school.
  • Paul F. Mutolo
    • Comments
    • Ithaca public schools are some of the most competetive in the state. It is unclear to see how diverting funds away from these needed school programs to a risky-at-best charter school venture would help the education in Ithaca and the environs. Please do not alllow this approval to move forward.
  • Rick Kaufman
  • Wing Eng
  • Joseph C. Sweet
  • Laurie Sedgwick
  • David Rutherford
  • Ellen McCollister
    • Comments
    • need is not established in these fiscally challenged times
  • James R. Engstrom
  • Flaminia Cervesi
  • Moira Lang
  • Pamela Mackesey
  • Kari Krakow
  • PETER C. KRAKOW
  • Seth Peacock
  • Meredith MacLeod
  • Carol Chernikoff
    • Comments
    • This is the wrong time to spend precious dollars on a new school. Money is neede to serve the existing schools in our district.
  • Martin Bernal
  • Denielle Adibi
  • Patrick Rameau
  • Matthew W. Herman
  • Lauren Trichon
  • Jim Morris-Knower
    • Comments
    • В