STATEMENT FROM NYC CHARTER SCHOOL CENTER CEO JAMES MERRIMAN ON CHARTER SCHOOL UPK AUTHORIZER OVERSIGHT
(New York, NY) Please credit the following statement to James Merriman, CEO of the New York City Charter School Center:
"We respectfully disagree with the Commissioner’s decision and do not believe it is correct.
“While we concur that DOE has the right to inspect charter school UPK programs, it is the letter of the law that it is the authorizer – not the DOE – that is responsible for oversight of the charter schools that provide pre-kindergarten. The Commissioner’s decision overstates DOE’s authority and impermissibly allows the DOE to define what that charter pre-k program should look like down to the smallest detail. This essentially forces charter schools to provide pre-k in the exact same manner as the DOE. This is not what the UPK statute intended or provides for, and we strongly believe that the commissioner’s decision should be appealed, and that on appeal it will be overturned.
"It is unfortunate that DOE is trying to stifle the autonomy of charter schools when their time would be better spent on evaluating what great teachers and leaders in the very best charter schools, traditional district schools and nonprofit providers are doing to make pre-kindergarten an investment that pays off in increased student achievement. Innovation and effectiveness are what matter, not box-checking or using a one-size-fits-all compliance regime, which is the power that New York City seems inexplicably preoccupied with protecting."
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