At the school’s board of trustees meeting March 9, Dean Erie Lugo announced that he had received a letter notifying him that the New Jersey Department of Education (NJDOE) has placed the school on probation for 90 days. The letter from Acting Commissioner Christopher D. Cerf outlines 16 areas of improvement that the school must address, including developing plans to  “increase rigor of instruction,” “maximize instructional time,” “revise curriculum” and “implement a student discipline system that is fair and uniformly enforced.”

The school has 15 days to submit a ”comprehensive remedial action plan.” At the end of the 90-day probationary period, Cerf will decide whether to approve renewal of the school’s charter. If the school has not shown adequate progress on the 16 points listed in the letter, the state could decide to close the school.  

Dean Erie Lugo said that, despite this news, he is thinking positively.

“I am saddened that we are on a 90-day probation, but hopefully in that we will come out a better school after this process.” Lugo said.

Representatives from the New Jersey Department of Education visited the school on January 19 in order to determine whether to renew its charter for another five years.

Every five years, all charter schools are reviewed by the state to make sure the school is meeting all state requirements. The NJDOE representatives checked whether the staff is certified, test scores are improving and the school’s vision of “educating tomorrow’s leaders today” is being fulfilled. They also examined class structure, lesson plans and curricula, student records and financial records.

In order to assure immediate action on the concerns outlined in the letter, the board of trustees asked that a committee be formed to draft the action plan. The committee consists of Lugo, assistant deans Sean Sawyer and Michele Bruce, history teacher Hans Winberg, English and journalism teacher Susan Chenelle, Board of Trustees Secretary Ruddys Andrade, and Dr. Muriel Rand and Dr. Deborah Woo, New Jersey City University’s academic affairs officers.

English and journalism teacher Susan Chenelle said the school got some valid criticism and that she looks forward to working with the committee.

“If everyone pulls together and stays positive, we can satisfy the state and make improvements that will benefit the students,” Chenelle said.

Science teacher Thomas Frech said the students have a part in these efforts.  

“Students have to be interested in learning new things to support a rigorous instruction,” he said.

In order to have better classroom management, teachers need more support from administration, Frech said.

“Teachers can’t be expected to resolve everything by themselves if calling parents is not improving the situation,” he said.

History teacher Robert Donnelly said that “as a group we need to embrace the recommendations.”

“This is a good list, and if we want to make improvements in this school, we need to take this list seriously,” Donnelly said. “If and when we are rewarded, we will have been given a renewal we can be proud of because it will be reality.”

Board of Trustees President Marco Valdivia said he was surprised that the school was placed on probation.

“It is a time to take actions, and hopefully it gives us an opportunity to accomplish what the state wants,” Valdivia said.

Trustee John Coccioli said he felt the state’s response was drastic.

”Nothing in the 16 points stands out as something to shut down the school over, but maybe the curriculum could be tweaked,” Coccioli said.

Student reactions to the news consisted of different levels of surprise and overall concern.

Junior Emmaline Dolison said that if the school closed she’d “be graduating with people I don’t know.”

She urged students to “take your education seriously” and “do what you have to do and do what you’re here for.”

Senior Aaron Gadsden said he was not very surprised by the state’s action.

“This school does not [perform as well] as it was expected to,” Gadsen said.

Senior Alexis Domenech, who was interviewed by the state representatives during their January visit, said she was surprised by the NJDOE’s decision.

“It brings a concern to the people who are graduating this year and next year,” she said.
Domenech said that the board should ask students where they see the flaws and what they should do in making the curriculum more difficult.

According to sophomore Chyna Rivera, the school can meet the state’s requirements within 90 days “if they work hard and work together.”