Saturday, September 4, 2010

SUNY official issues harsh words for Elmira charter school plan | stargazette.com | Star-Gazette

SUNY official issues harsh words for Elmira charter school plan | stargazette.com | Star-Gazette

SUNY official issues harsh words for Elmira charter school plan

Letter lays out inadequacies in proposal in unflattering fashion

BY ROGER NEUMANN •RNEUMANN@GANNETT.COM • SEPTEMBER 3, 2010, 7:40 PM

Undaunted by the harsh criticism of a state review board, an Elmira attorney said he'll apply for a fifth time to establish a charter school in or around the city.

"We're not quitting," Allan Charlap said. "Elmira needs a charter school."

But Charlap and his group have yet to convince the Charter Schools Institute of the State University of New York. In fact, after he declined to withdraw his fourth application following an interview with reviewers in July, the Institute's executive director wrote him a scathing letter explaining some of the concerns about the proposal.

The application "continues to fall well below SUNY's rigorous standards for approval," wrote Jonas Chartock.