Criticism of charter school is bogus

To the editor:

Re: “Did new charter fake community outreach?” May 30:

I have never been a supporter of charter schools and voted in the Assembly against expanding the number of such schools. But they are coming and it is vitally important that the new schools be top notch schools with excellent leadership. The issue is, unfortunately, no longer whether new charter schools will open, but the quality of the schools that will open.

The negative tone of last week’s article regarding the efforts of a respected educator, Dita Wolf, to open a charter school is most regrettable. I know Ms. Wolf because my office is just down the block from PS 7 where she served as a teacher, an assistant principal and as principal. She was a superb administrator who presided over impressive academic gains while maintaining order and discipline. She created an admirable esprit de corps at the school among parents and staff. The fact that she is involved with the Toscanini School proposal led me to overcome my usual antipathy to charters in general and endorse this project.

From my perspective it appears that more than adequate community outreach was attempted. If the Community Education Council chair of district 10 felt that the CEC was bypassed, I would think he would have reached out to the applicants. The phone number and e-mail is in the public application. The fact that a number of local officials have endorsed this should in and of itself confirm the community outreach effort. If Ms. Wolf has stated that packages of material about the school were sent to the CEC, she certainly deserves the benefit of the doubt. After all, the school was publicly advertised and has a website. There are no secrets here.

It is a shame that The Riverdale Press would give credence to charges that appear to be politically motivated. Is it possible that who Ms. Wolf is married to motivated the article more than a search for the truth? Is it possible that a well-respected educator has been caught in the crossfire of a local newspaper war?

Jeffrey Dinowitz

Assemblyman