Charter school have recently become a hotly debated topic in Livingston and, I am afraid, a source of division in our community, as well as a wellspring of misinformation. I want to take this moment to set the record straight regarding my beliefs on charter schools and my involvement with the Asian community.
As a candidate for council last year, I pledged that one of my priorities – besides cutting municipal spending and taxes – would be to create an Asian outreach program for Livingston.
About 16 percent of the township is of Asian descent – a sizable minority. Many Asian-Americans face barriers to full integration into the community and it was my hope that a town council-supported Asian outreach program would break down communication and cultural barriers between our Asian neighbors and the community at large.
Shortly after my election last November – as I sat down with leaders of the Asian community, I learned of their desire for greater communication with municipal officials and of their interest in creating a Mandarin language charter school.
I embraced the desire of our Asian Americans neighbors to pursue the feasibility of a charter school because I believed it was one way – and just one way – of helping the Asian-American community as well as the community at large.
Many Asian Americans had expressed to me their desire to retain their cultural identity as a minority population in our community – a concept I fully respect as Jewish woman whose family remains committed to following Jewish traditions.
My support for a charter school was in no way meant to be an attack on the excellent public education offered by the Livingston School system, which I fully support. Nor was it intended to divide the community along ethnic or political lines. I understand how much Livingston parents love their school system and the last thing I want to do is diminish the quality of education in the township. At the same time, I do not want to ignore the desires of our Asian community. It is their legal right to pursue a charter school in New Jersey.
A recent New York Times article highlighted the emotions churned up over charter schools, going so far as noting that some supporters of charter schools have received threatening e-mails from those opposed to charter schools. I find that unfortunate, especially in an area that prides itself on its progressive diversity. This kind of heated community division is exactly the OPPOSITE of what I had hoped for when I embraced the idea of an Asian outreach program. I want the community to come together to embrace its diversity, not be driven apart by that diversity.
For the record, you should know that despite what you may have heard, I have not been asked to raise funds, make any donations, or sign any bank guarantees for a charter school. I have not been asked to sit on the board for the proposed Mandarin-language immersion charter school, nor serve as a trustee, nor will I have ANY affiliation with the school when and if it is created. My involvement has been purely as an advocate of school choice with a firm belief that this would be beneficial to Livingston residents and ANY town progressive enough to participate in this educational opportunity.
And, let me add, that any assistance I offered the charter school advocates is within my role as a private citizen. My position as a Founder of the Hanyu school poses no conflict of interest (as some have mistakenly asserted and has been confirmed by Township legal counsel) since there is no personal gain for me if a charter school is approved. The faulty logic some are seeking to apply to the "conflict" issue could just as easily be applied to the council members who have children in our public school and oppose the charter school. They are acting in what they believe are the best interest of their families, are they not?
Rather than belabor the point, let’s just say that passions are strong on both sides and that everyone comes to the issue with a personal interest. Public debate is a good thing – and we need more of it in Livingston. However let’s keep the debate civil and on point and not use public forums for political bashing and character assassination.
Perhaps I have been naive in thinking that broadening school choice would be good for the community as a whole. Perhaps I have misread the depth of misperception that many parents have about the negative budgetary impact charter schools might have on the general public schools. It was never my intention to create such concerns and I welcome the opportunity to help allay them.
My goal from inception was to create a bridge to our Asian American neighbors, not to erect barriers to community tolerance. I hope that the community can move forward with respect for differing opinions and mindful of the fact that Livingston is a community composed of many interests and points of view – and we should be tolerant of all of them.
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