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THE MAG A ZINE FO R CH ARTER SCH O O L E X ECU TIVES
 EDITORIAL
Editor in Chief:
Alonzo Ellis

Production Editor:
ZĞďĞĐĐĂnjĂƌŶĞĐŬŝ

Production Director:
Hayley Gold

Project Directors:
Eric Gunn
Hanim Samara >ĞƩĞƌĨƌŽŵƚŚĞĚŝƚŽƌ

Correspondents: ƐǁĞƵƐŚĞƌŝŶĂŶŽƚŚĞƌŚŽƚĂŶĚŚƵŵŝĚƐƵŵŵĞƌŝŶƚŚĞŶĂƟŽŶ͛ƐĐĂƉŝƚĂů͕ƚŚĞĐŚĂƌƚĞƌƐĐŚŽŽůŵŽǀĞŵĞŶƚ
^ŚĞůůĞLJ^ĞLJůĞƌ͕^ĞŶŝŽƌ^ƚĂītƌŝƚĞƌ ŚĂƐŐĂŝŶĞĚŐƌŽƵŶĚ͕ĂůďĞŝƚŝŶĐƌĞŵĞŶƚĂůůLJ͕ƚŚĂŶŬƐƚŽWƌĞƐŝĚĞŶƚĂƌĂĐŬKďĂŵĂĂŶĚŚŝƐĂĚŵŝŶŝƐƚƌĂƟŽŶ͘
dŝīĂŶLJEŝĐŚŽůƐ͕^ƚĂītƌŝƚĞƌ dŚŽƵŐŚƚŚĞǁŚĞĞůƐƚƵƌŶƐůŽǁůLJ͕ƚŚŝƐŝƐĂůůŽǁŝŶŐŽƵƌǀŝƐŝŽŶĨŽƌƚŚĞŵŽǀĞŵĞŶƚƚŽƐŚĂƌƉĞŶĂƐǁĞ
,ŽůůLJůĞdžĂŶĚĞƌ ĐŽŶƟŶƵĞƚŽďĞůŝĞǀĞƚŚĂƚĐŚĂƌƚĞƌƐĐŚŽŽůƐĐĂŶƌĞǀŽůƵƟŽŶŝnjĞƚŚĞĐŽƵŶƚƌLJ͛ƐĞĚƵĐĂƟŽŶƐLJƐƚĞŵ͘
Z͘͘ŶĚĞƌƐŽŶ
Jim Barlow KŶDĂLJϭϰth͕WƌĞƐŝĚĞŶƚKďĂŵĂĐĂůůĞĚŽŶŽŶŐƌĞƐƐƚŽĂůůŽĐĂƚĞĂŶĂĚĚŝƟŽŶĂůΨϱϮŵŝůůŝŽŶŝŶĨƵŶĚŝŶŐ
Lauren Muscarella ĨŽƌĐŚĂƌƚĞƌƐĐŚŽŽůƉƌŽŐƌĂŵƐũƵƐƚĂƐŝƚďĞŐĂŶĚƌĂŌŝŶŐŝƚƐLJĞĂƌůLJĂƉƉƌŽƉƌŝĂƟŽŶƐ͘^ƵĐŚĨĞĚĞƌĂů
ƉƌŽŐƌĂŵƐĐĞƌƚĂŝŶůLJƉƌŽǀŝĚĞƐƵƉƉŽƌƚƚŽƐŽŵĞŽĨƚŚĞŬĞLJĐŽŵƉŽŶĞŶƚƐƚŽƚŚĞĚĞǀĞůŽƉŵĞŶƚŽĨƚŚĞ
ŵŽǀĞŵĞŶƚ͗ŚĞůƉŝŶŐǁŝƚŚƚŚĞŝŶŝƟĂůĐŽƐƚƐĂƐƐŽĐŝĂƚĞĚǁŝƚŚƚŚĞůĂƵŶĐŚŝŶŐŽĨĐŚĂƌƚĞƌƐĐŚŽŽůƐĂŶĚ
ƉƌŽǀŝĚŝŶŐĮŶĂŶĐŝĂůŝŶĐĞŶƟǀĞƐƚŽƐƚĂƚĞŐŽǀĞƌŶŵĞŶƚƐĂŶĚƉƌŝǀĂƚĞůĞŶĚĞƌƐƚŚĂƚĞŶĂďůĞƐĐŚŽŽůƐƚŽďƵŝůĚ
ĂŶĚƌĞŶŽǀĂƚĞĨĂĐŝůŝƟĞƐ͘

tŝƚŚƚŚŝƐůŝŐŚƚƐŚŽǁĞƌŝŶŐĂƩĞŶƟŽŶŽŶƚŚĞŵŽǀĞŵĞŶƚ͕ƚŚĞďĞĂƚŐŽĞƐŽŶĨŽƌƚŚŽƐĞĐŚĂƌƚĞƌƐĐŚŽŽůƐ
ƚŚĂƚĂƌĞĂůƌĞĂĚLJǁŽƌŬŝŶŐŚĂƌĚƚŽĞĚƵĐĂƚĞƚŚĞŝƌƐƚƵĚĞŶƚƐĂŶĚĨŽƌƚŚŽƐĞƚŚĂƚĂƌĞƚƌLJŝŶŐƚŽŐĞƚƐƚĂƌƚĞĚ
ŝŶƚŽĚĂLJ͛ƐĐŚĂůůĞŶŐŝŶŐĂŶĚĞǀĞƌͲĐŚĂŶŐŝŶŐĞĐŽŶŽŵLJ͘/ŶƚŚĞĨĂĐĞŽĨƚŚĞƐĞŽďƐƚĂĐůĞƐ͕ŽƵƌƐƵŵŵĞƌ
Bull Run Media Executive Team ĞĚŝƟŽŶŚŝŐŚůŝŐŚƚƐϯϱƐĐŚŽŽůƐĨƌŽŵĂĐƌŽƐƐƚŚĞĐŽƵŶƚƌLJƚŚĂƚĂƌĞŶŽƚŽŶůLJƚƵƌŶŝŶŐĨĂŝůŝŶŐƐĐŚŽŽůƐŝŶƚŽ
<ĂůĞŶĂůƐƚŽŶͲ'ƌŝĸŶ͕WĂƌƚŶĞƌ ŶĂƟŽŶĂůůLJƌĞĐŽŐŶŝnjĞĚƐƵĐĐĞƐƐƐƚŽƌŝĞƐ͕ďƵƚĂůƐŽƚŚŽƐĞƚŚĂƚĂƌĞƐĞƌǀŝŶŐƚŚĞŝƌĐŽŵŵƵŶŝƟĞƐŝŶƐŽŵĞŽĨ
<ĞLJůĂĂƌƌ͕WĂƌƚŶĞƌ ƚŚĞŵŽƐƚƵŶŝƋƵĞĂŶĚŝŶǀĞŶƟǀĞǁĂLJƐ͘
ůŽŶnjŽůůŝƐ͕WĂƌƚŶĞƌ
dŽďĞƐƵƌĞ͕ĂĐƌŽƐƐĞĚƵĐĂƟŽŶƐĞĐƚŽƌƐ͕ŽƉĞŶŝŶŐƚŚĞŵŝŶĚƐŽĨƐƚƵĚĞŶƚƐĂŶĚĨŽƐƚĞƌŝŶŐĂƐĞŶƐĞŽĨ
Publisher: ĐƵƌŝŽƐŝƚLJŝƐƐŽŵĞƚŚŝŶŐĂůůƐĐŚŽŽůƐŚŽƉĞƚŽĂĐŚŝĞǀĞ͘DĂƌŝƟŵĞĐĂĚĞŵLJŚĂƌƚĞƌ,ŝŐŚ^ĐŚŽŽůin
<ĂůĞŶĂůƐƚŽŶͲ'ƌŝĸŶ͕WĂƌƚŶĞƌ WĞŶŶƐLJůǀĂŶŝĂƉƌŽǀŝĚĞƐĂŵĂƌŝƟŵĞĞĚƵĐĂƟŽŶŝŶŽŶĞŽĨƚŚĞĐŽƵŶƚƌLJ͛ƐŽůĚĞƐƚƉŽƌƚĐŝƟĞƐ͘ƐƚĂďůŝƐŚĞĚ
ƚŽƉƌŽǀŝĚĞƵŶŝƋƵĞůĞĂƌŶŝŶŐŽƉƉŽƌƚƵŶŝƟĞƐĨŽƌƐƚƵĚĞŶƚƐ͕ŽŶƚŚĞŽƉĞŶŽĐĞĂŶĂŶĚŽŶůĂŶĚ͕ƚŚĞƐĐŚŽŽů
Executive Editor: ŽīĞƌƐŵƵůƟƉůĞŚĂŶĚƐͲŽŶůĞĂƌŶŝŶŐĞdžƉĞƌŝĞŶĐĞƐ͘tŚŝůĞĂĐƌŽƐƐƚŚĞĐŽƵŶƚƌLJ͕:ŽŚŶ,ĂŶĐŽĐŬŚĂƌƚĞƌ
<ĞLJůĂĂƌƌ͕WĂƌƚŶĞƌ ^ĐŚŽŽůŝŶhƚĂŚĐĂƚĐŚĞƐƚŚĞĂƩĞŶƟŽŶŽĨŝƚƐƐƚƵĚĞŶƚƐƚŚƌŽƵŐŚĐƵůƟǀĂƟŶŐĂŶĂƉƉƌĞĐŝĂƟŽŶĨŽƌŵƵƐŝĐ
ĂŶĚƚŚƌŽƵŐŚƵŶŝƋƵĞůĞƐƐŽŶƐƐƵĐŚĂƐ͞ZŽĐŬĞƚĂLJ͘͟
Design Department:
^ŚĞƌLJǀŽŶŶDĐŽŶĂůĚ͕^ĞŶŝŽƌĞƐŝŐŶĞƌ BothtŝůůŝĂŵƐďƵƌŐŚĂƌƚĞƌ,ŝŐŚ^ĐŚŽŽů in New York and^ĂĐƌĂŵĞŶƚŽŚĂƌƚĞƌ,ŝŐŚ^ĐŚŽŽůin
:ƵůŝĞ,ƵĚĂŬ͕'ƌĂƉŚŝĐĞƐŝŐŶĞƌ ĂůŝĨŽƌŶŝĂƌĞŇĞĐƚƐƵĐĐĞƐƐƐƚŽƌŝĞƐƚŚĂƚƉƌŽǀĞǁŚĂƚŝƐƉŽƐƐŝďůĞǁŝƚŚƐƚƌŽŶŐůĞĂĚĞƌƐŚŝƉĂŶĚĂǀŝƐŝŽŶ͘
Ashish Kansara
tŚŝůĞ^ĂĐƌĂŵĞŶƚŽǁĂƐŽŶĐĞƉůĂŐƵĞĚǁŝƚŚǀŝŽůĞŶĐĞĂŶĚŚŝŐŚĂďƐĞŶƚĞĞŝƐŵ͕ƚŚĞƐĐŚŽŽůŶŽǁŚĂƐĂ
Jay Vandewani
͞tĂůůŽĨ&ĂŵĞ͟ďŽĂƐƟŶŐĐŽůůĞŐĞĂĐĐĞƉƚĂŶĐĞůĞƩĞƌƐĂŶĚĐŽůůĞŐĞƉĞŶŶĂŶƚƐŽĨǁŚĞƌĞŝƚƐƐƚƵĚĞŶƚƐŚĂǀĞ
ŵĂƚƌŝĐƵůĂƚĞĚ͘tŝůůŝĂŵƐďƵƌŐ͛ƐĨŽƵŶĚĞƌǁĂƐĂŐƌĂĚƵĂƚĞĨƌŽŵƚŚĞƌŽŽŬůLJŶƉƵďůŝĐƐĐŚŽŽůƐLJƐƚĞŵĂŶĚ
Operations
ĐŽŵŵŝƩĞĚŚŝŵƐĞůĨƚŽŐŝǀŝŶŐďĂĐŬƚŽƚŚĞĐŽŵŵƵŶŝƚLJďLJĐƌĞĂƟŶŐĂƐĐŚŽŽůƚŚĂƚĨŽƐƚĞƌĞĚƐƵĐĐĞƐƐ͘
<ĂƌLJŶŽǁƚLJ͕ŝƌĞĐƚŽƌŽĨKƉĞƌĂƟŽŶƐ
Daniella Gonzalez
Kelly Matlock /ƚƐĞĞŵƐĂƐƚŚŽƵŐŚĞǀĞƌLJĂƐƉĞĐƚŽĨƐŽĐŝĞƚLJŝƐŵŽƌƉŚŝŶŐ͘ŚĂƌƚĞƌƐĐŚŽŽůƐĂƌĞĂůƐŽĂƉĂƌƚŽĨƚŚŝƐ
ĞdžĐŝƟŶŐĞǀŽůƵƟŽŶĂŶĚŐůŽďĂůůLJŝŶƚĞŐƌĂƚĞĚĐƵůƚƵƌĞ͘dŽƚŚĂƚĞŶĚ͕ĐŚĂƌƚĞƌƐĐŚŽŽůƐĂƌĞĂŶƐǁĞƌŝŶŐƚŚĞ
Advertising Sales ĐĂůůƚŽƉƌŽĚƵĐĞƐƚƵĚĞŶƚƐƚŚĂƚĂƌĞĐƵůƚƵƌĂůůLJĂǁĂƌĞĂŶĚĨŽĐƵƐĞĚŽŶŝŵƉƌŽǀŝŶŐĂŶĚƐĞƌǀŝŶŐƚŚĞǁŽƌůĚ͘
& Marketing Department: /ŶƚŚĞƐĞƉĂŐĞƐ͕LJŽƵǁŝůůƌĞĂĚĂďŽƵƚƐƵĐĐĞƐƐƐƚŽƌŝĞƐďŽƌŶĨƌŽŵĞdžƉĞĐƚĞĚĨĂŝůƵƌĞ͖ĂŶĚƐĐŚŽŽůƐƚŚĂƚ
Bjorn Michals ƚƌƵůLJĂƌĞƉƵƐŚŝŶŐƚŚĞĞŶǀĞůŽƉĞĨŽƌƚŚĞďĞƩĞƌŵĞŶƚŽĨŝƚƐƐƚƵĚĞŶƚƐ͕ĐŽŵŵƵŶŝƟĞƐ͕ĂŶĚƚŚĞĐŽƵŶƚƌLJ͘
William Lee Yin
~CST

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 Contents

Cover Story
Improving Education in Broolyn
Williamsburg Charter High School

Eddie Calderon-Melendez, founder of Williamsburg Charter High School

(WCHS) in Brooklyn, New York, founded his school with an interest in
helping improve the prospects for children in the neighborhood in which
he grew up.

page 31

Features
7 Teachers Unions & Charter Schools 53 Encouraging Diversity
The Argument for Joining Forces Creating a Multicultural Classroom Environment

10 A Bipartisan Debate 81 State Focus

The D.C. Opportunity Scholarship Program The Socioeconomic Impact of Charter School in Texas

12 Taking Time Off 87 Beyond the Idea

Preparing a Substitute Teacher for Your Classroom Examining Charter School Law

13 Energizing Your Classroom 159 Charter School Strategies

Top 12 Ways to Motivate Students Helping Autistic Children

51 The Specter of Segregation 161 A New Dimension of Learning

Examining the Racial Divide in Charter Schools Exploring University Partnerships

4| Charter Schools Today Summer 2009

Williamsburg Charter High School
A Founder's Vision for Local Youth
Produced by Eric Gunn & Written by Tiffany Nichols

Eddie Calderon-Melendez, founder of Williamsburg Charter

High School (WCHS) in Brooklyn, New York, started this school
determined to improve the prospects for children in the neighborhood
where he grew up.

The Origins of a Dream

Mr. Calderon-Melendez is himself a product of Williamsburg’s public

schools. He went on to attend college and graduate school in New
York City, at New York University and Columbia University. Mr.
Calderon-Melendez’s commitment to local youth has been a theme
throughout his professional career. He worked for a number of years
in the Bronx before returning to Williamsburg, where he built the
youth and family services division of a large nonprofit into a premier
youth development and after school education provider.

WCHS is proud to boast an 81.5 percent

graduation rate for its first class, far in excess
of New York’s citywide average of 58 percent.

Working with kids in the after school hours was fulfilling, but
it brought into sharp reality the failure these young people were
encountering during their school-day hours. With that in mind, Mr.
Calderon-Melendez took on the challenge of school reform in his
neighborhood, attempting to transform the notoriously dysfunctional
Van Arsdale High School into a smaller, better school. However, the
bureaucratic challenges to achieving change within the Department of
Education’s existing parameters were formidable, and with deep regret,
Mr. Calderon-Melendez stepped away from that effort.

Despite the outcome of the Van Arsdale initiative, Mr. Calderon-

Melendez found himself more committed than ever to the issue of
urban school reform, particularly at the high school level. That led
him to pursue the possibility of opening a charter high school. In
2004, his dream was realized, and New York City’s first high-school-
only charter school, authorized by the New York City Department of
Education, was born. Calderon-Melendez was fortunate enough to
secure a loan from the Nonprofit Financial Fund for $375,000 in order
to finance the endeavor.

Williamsburg Charter High School (WCHS) began with a class of

131 ninth grade students and graduated its first class in June 2008.
Students matriculated at a wide range of colleges and universities,
including Johns Hopkins University, Wesleyan University and Mr.

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32 | Charter Schools Today Summer 2009
Calderon-Melendez’s own alma mater, New York University.
Throughout the school’s development, there have been several other
outside organizations that contributed greatly to its success. These
include WCHS: EQ Architecture designed the new school building;
JPS Solicitors provide its consulting services to help with federal grant
and renewal applications; and Fruchter, Rosen, and Co. provides the
school with auditing services.”
A New High School
The mission of WCHS is to engage students in a “rigorous and
demanding liberal arts education” leading to graduation and to
the pursuit of higher education. One of the foundations of the
school’s academic program is the study of Latin, which all students
undertake. Latin is considered the lynchpin of a strong, classically
based education. By undertaking sustained study of Latin, WCHS’s
students arrive at a deeper understanding of the origins of much of the
English language, and well as the interconnections among language,
art, literature and history in western society. For inner-city youth
unaccustomed to high expectations and a demanding curriculum, this
can be a challenge. For WCHS, it is a chance to provide students with
the support they need to meet that challenge.
In addition to the Latin requirement, all students entering ninth grade
are screened for competency in English and math. Students showing
remedial math needs are automatically enrolled in a comprehensive,
two-year algebra sequence designed to build skills and fill in gaps for
F
R  C.
Fruchter, Rosen and Company P.C. (“FRC”) is a
“boutique” full service CPA firm originated in 1990 and
servicing a diversified client base primarily in the New
York metropolitan area. Our continuity of staff and
hands-on partner involvement has allowed us to
provide quality audit, and tax services, as well as
consulting services to many of our clients. We
currently provide auditing services for more than 20
charter schools.
Since its inception, FRC has continuously passed the
AICPA peer review required every three years. The
review evaluates our firm’s organizational structure
and system of quality control policies and procedures.
FRC wishes to offer its congratulations to
Williamsburg Charter High School for its feature in the
summer edition of Charter Schools Today.
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 North

34 | Charter Schools Today Summer 2009

students who enter WCHS below grade

Need a loan?
level in math. All freshmen are enrolled in
Freshman Seminar, an introductory course
focused on critical thinking and writing. By

Our doors are open.

emphasizing math and English competency
from day one, WCHS works to ensure that
students have the foundational skills in which
more sophisticated learning can be embedded.
What Success Looks Like
Statistics regarding high school graduation
among inner-city youth--particularly the
Hispanic and black students who represent
the majority of students at WCHS—are dire.
Yet in a community in which many students
are likely to drop out and lose track of their
long-term goals, WCHS is proud to boast an
81.5 percent graduation rate for its first class,
far in excess of New York’s citywide average of
58 percent. That same class also secured $1.9
million in scholarships and financial aid to
enable them to pursue their dreams of higher
education.
An Enormous Need
With 16,000 students between the ages of 14 and 18 living in
With nearly 30 years experience lending to nonprofits, Nonprofit Finance Fund
(NFF) is dedicated to making sure charter schools have access to the facility
loans and lines of credit they need to serve their communities in good times
and bad.
A $2 million facility loan and a $500,000 line of credit from NFF are allowing
Williamsburg Charter High School to replicate its successful business model.
NFF facility loans and lines of credit can help you:
● Buy, build or renovate a new facility
● Manage government grants
● Expand programs or launch a new venture
● Temporarily smooth cash flow for operations
NFF has offices in seven cities nationwide. For more information on NFF loans and terms, visit
nonprofitfinancefund.org.
the surrounding area, and limited options for quality high school
education, the need for more schools like WCHS is strong. With that
in mind, Mr. Calderon-Melendez and the board of WCHS embarked
on an ambitious expansion plan. In autumn 2009, two new high

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 North
schools will be launched—Believe Northside Charter High School
and Believe Southside Charter High School. Both are modeled
after WCHS, and hope to replicate its many successes. All of these
schools are expected to operate under the umbrella of the Believe High Your source for Classic,
Schools Network, a charter management organization set to launch in Foreign Language and
July 2009. ESL Publications.
A Place to Call Home 1-800-662-0301
www.bastosbooks.com
WCHS, along with the Believe High Schools Network, will be moving
to a new home come autumn 2009. That new facility, at 116,000
square feet, is the largest, privately developed charter facility in New Bastos
Book Company
PUBLISHING
DISTRIBUTION
York State, will be home to a school of nearly 1,000 students (projected bastos@bastosbooks.com
to grow to 1,250), and will provide state-of-the-art educational P.O. Box 770-433, Woodside, NY 11377
opportunities while still hewing to WCHS’s rigorous, college-focused
curriculum. The two new schools will inhabit the space being vacated
by WCHS. with the availability of theater, dance and studio art space. And parent
engagement is expected to increase as well, given that WCHS will now
It is not only students who will benefit from having a “home of have a home of its own.
their own,” but teachers as well. The strong and ongoing emphasis
at WCHS on professional development will be enhanced by having Eddie Calderon-Melendez began his own educational journey in
appropriate facilities for seminars, workshops and other faculty Williamsburg. With the success of WCHS, and the opening of two
learning opportunities. Students and faculty from the new schools new high schools, he is giving back to the youth of his community
will also have a chance to engage in cross-school learning, further what was given to him so many years ago: the chance to excel in
reinforcing the connection among all stakeholders at the three schools. an educational setting that cares about students as learners and as
Opportunities to showcase student talent will be greatly enhanced individuals.

36 | Charter Schools Today Summer 2009