Four weeks ago I wrote a letter to this paper that pretty clearly noted my opposition to the new charter school opening in South Brunswick this September. I noted that the school will be publicly funded due to New Jersey law that requires the home district of attending students remit 90 percent of their per pupil costs to the Charter School, and I noted my opposition to subsidizing an educational approach that by extension at least a bare majority of residents have not considered necessary to prepare K-8 students for high school and beyond.
Plain and simple, I was making the point that PIACS was providing an alternative type of service not unlike other private schools that offer their own spin on curriculum but PIACS will be doing so with public funding because of state law requiring the remittance of school taxes to charter schools.
The response was overwhelming. Dozens of people at softball games, school events, and on the sidewalks came up to me and thanked me for giving voice to their concerns. At no point, and let’s be clear here, did I accuse anyone of malfeasance nor did I think that I had lowered the discourse nor misrepresented the financial impact of the mandated funding of PIACS. It seems that my difference of opinion brings out the worst in some folks.
The May 14 WW-P News contained a letter from Drs. Chen-Hayes, Eng, Greene and Kang, all PIACS founders who took the high road and defended their school as an innovative effort to prepare our kids for the world of 2025. I would imagine that they see themselves as agents of change, challenging the notion that public schools are the be-all, end-all in education choices for our kids. They might be right, and they seem energized to demonstrate that they are right.
But then there is Mr. Parker Block, who decided to take the low road, an interesting tactic for the man who acts as the school’s spokesperson. To him I am ignorant, indecent and cowardly (his words). He questioned the points I raised in my letter yet doesn’t refute any of them by pointing out where I might be wrong. As the communications point person for school he had an opportunity to correct the public impression of the school but chose to ballistic. Instead, he compared me to Fox News, which I take as insult because I assume he meant to be insulting (I honestly never watched it so I can’t judge).
I do not lack the courage or the decency to determine Mr. Block’s motivations for helping to found PIACS. I simply don’t care what his motivations are, where or might be. I don’t care where he sends his kids to school or why, that is his choice. However, I thought I made myself abundantly clear that I disagree that the IB curriculum, with or without dual language immersion in any language, is somehow exclusively able to provide children with the quality K-8 education that New Jersey law requires schools provide and that West Windsor requires that I support through taxes.
Further, I don’t agree that public funds should subsidize this alternative to our current public school curriculum anymore than I should subsidize the French-American School of Princeton, the Princeton Latin Academy, the American Boychoir School, or any of the other alternatives in the area. I didn’t resort to school yard antics, a courtesy Mr. Block can’t seem to extend.
Mr. Block does actually make one point, but just one. The state Department of Education itself has enabled the “fast track” application process — a process that seems uniquely efficient in the annals of state government (just 90 days) as well as being decidedly pro-charter. PIACS presumably just took advantage of the state’s program and filed their application as required, the charter was received three months later. But the rest his letter was just some mud-slinging, ranting, and insults, which quite frankly reflects poorly on the school that would appoint him as their spokesperson.
I appreciate the other founders’ demonstration of collectively cooler heads and quite honestly wish them luck, since there are kids depending on them now. As I have no interest in providing Mr. Block an outlet for his pent up aggression I am out of the letters-to-the-editor forum after this one.
Who knows, PIACS in particular and charter schools in general may very well improve the provision of public education and work out for everyone in the end, but if Mr Block’s vitriol is any indication, it seems you better keep opinions to the contrary to yourself. I suppose that’s one way to effect change.
Sean P Sheerin
Van Wyck Drive,
Princeton Junction
