New Roots Charter School shares evidence of strong community support, addresses budget issues, and issues statement about ICSD response

April 11th, 2009

For related news, see the Ithaca Journal's story

For the whole packet given to the press, including a statement by Dean of Students Rudy Blackman, see "Related Files" below.

FROM THE DESK OF TINA NILSEN-HODGES
Principal, Superintendent of New Roots Charter School

Letter to the Community:
Dear Neighbors,
On April 8, 2009, I received a call from the Ithaca Journal asking me to comment on a letter to
the Charter Schools Institute that had been unanimously approved by the Ithaca City School
District Board of Education at their meeting on April 7. The letter requests that the Charter
Schools Institute "revoke the NRCS charter for the 2009-2010 school year," citing their inability
to determine how to account for New Roots funding in the budget to be presented to taxpayers on
April 22.

When we called our authorizer, the SUNY Charter Schools Institute, we learned that they had not
yet received the letter. We were surprised that the media was the first to receive this letter, not
the party to which it was addressed. This suggests to us that this letter is primarily for public
display, a publicity stunt. We are concerned that it will further confuse and upset local families
by implying that New Roots may not open in the fall. With nearly 90 students enrolled from 10
regional districts, New Roots enrollment is exceptionally strong for new charter schools at this
point in the year, and we are firmly on track to open our doors in September.

For the Board of Education to say that if the Charter Schools Institute doesn't tell them what to do
they simply will pretend New Roots doesn't exist is beyond comprehension. The people of Ithaca
deserve better. After nearly a year's advance notice, it is irresponsible for the ICSD Board of
Education to claim that they do not know how to budget for a charter school.

The Ithaca City School District Board of Education and Superintendent Pastel first learned about
our application for a charter on May 14, 2008, when we sent an email detailing our assessment of
the fiscal impact on the ICSD. They received a copy of the entire charter application in June,
were informed that the application was approved by the SUNY Board of Trustees in September,
and told that the process was finalized in January 2009.
Are we to believe that in the 11 months since first learning about the application for New Roots
that the school board is only now thinking about how to budget for the school?

There are 115 charter schools currently operating in the State of New York; the first one opened
ten years ago. There are plenty of districts that ICSD officials could have called for assistance in
figuring out how to budget for a charter school. They could also have contacted the Charter
Schools Institute or the Charter Schools Association for assistance.

In fact, after our approval this fall, I asked the Charter Schools Institute to provide contact
information within the State Education Department for someone who could help the district with
budgeting for a charter school. I conveyed this information to Superintendent Pastel both
verbally and via email on Friday, December 12, 2008 at 5:34 P.M. There is no excuse for
claiming ignorance now.

We want to be very clear about this now in order to avoid a situation like the one that developed
in response to statements about my early outreach to the district about New Roots in fall 2007.
Dr. Pastel has stated that she was not aware of our interest in developing the New Roots program
within the ICSD despite verbal and email notification, as well as reference to an Ithaca Journal
article that she acknowledged within my presence on the first day of school in September 2007.

My interest in engaging the ICSD in exploring sustainability education initiatives on the
secondary level was also documented in my administrative internship proposal, which was
approved by the ICSD Board of Education in spring 2007, and was discussed in my interviews
for the administrative internship position with two assistant superintendents in spring 2007.

Not responding thoroughly and publicly to the notion that the New Roots founding team had
simply sent "one email" to the ICSD on this matter has led to repeated public dissemination of
misinformation. We are taking time from laying the groundwork for our fall opening today
because the ICSD Board of Education's decision may undermine families and kids' ability to
exercise their legal right to consider their public school choices, and the right of taxpayers within
our district to access additional state aid for communities with new charter schools. As a result of
the barrage of misinformation spread throughout the community in the past several months, I fear that some parents and students who were very excited about New Roots may have been
discouraged from applying, negatively impacting both the benefits of greater school choice on our
young people's success and the district's access to over $1 million in transition aid in 2010.

New York State recognizes that it takes school districts time to adjust their programs and budgets
when a charter school opens in their district for the first time, and provides financial support for
this time period. Transition aid helps districts with 2% or more of their students in a charter
school through the adjustment period. We have asked Dr. Pastel to give permission for ICSD
employees to offer information so that district students know that New Roots is an option, thus
increasing the likelihood that this level of 108 ICSD students at New Roots will be reached
during our first year. So far she has not done so, and building-level PTA leadership has also
declined to disseminate information about New Roots. How might kids in the ICSD benefit from
having an additional $1 million dollars in school funding next year? And how many young
people who are not thriving in the large high school system will continue upon their present
course because they do not know about their legal options?

Yes, these are challenging economic times for school districts, but the good news is that New
Roots students are only entitled to about 70% of the dollars allocated for their education within
the Ithaca City School District. We are charged with educating students for about $12,000-the
ICSD keeps the remaining $6000 for each of our students, which will more than cover services
that they are entitled to such as transportation on regularly-scheduled bus routes and special
education services that they were already receiving from the district.

New Roots will be an excellent value for taxpayers' dollars; one we hope will inspire creative
thinking about how to provide an excellent education for less among district schools in these
challenging economic times.

Finally, I have to make a comment about the letter's reference to Ithaca being a district with no
failing schools. The Ithaca City School District serves the needs of many students well.
However, there are far too many students who are left behind. The district's passing rates on
Regents exams and graduation rates for students of color and students who are economically
disadvantaged are shockingly low.

New Roots is working with two national partners who have extensive research documenting their
success in developing schools that support ALL students in achieving high levels of academic
engagement and achievement, from those at risk in other school settings to those that are looking for greater challenges than those offered in traditional classrooms, igniting passion for learning in students who might otherwise simply go through the motions at school.

Families in our region have the right to know that this type of learning environment is an
option for their child.

It is time for all those involved in education in the City of Ithaca put their differences aside and
work together to ensure that the needs of every child are met. I can assure you that the leadership of New Roots Charter School is ready to do just that.

Sincerely yours,
Tina Nilsen-Hodges
Principal
New Roots Charter School