Charter Schools Are NOT Public Schools: Snow Day Edition

UPDATE: Bob Braun, who is now the best journalist covering Newark, has much more. Read it all, but here's a taste:

Newark public schools are open today despite some 12 inches of snow in some parts of the city. The city’s charter schools—whose leaders insist are just as public as conventional public schools—were closed. Apparently the safety of charter school children and teachers is more dear to the hearts of Newark’s school leaders than are conventional public school children and employees.

Essex County—Newark is the county seat—is under a state of emergency.  Every other school district in the county is closed.  Every school district in neighboring Union County is closed.

Every district bordering Newark—Elizabeth, Hillside, Irvington, East Orange, South Orange-Maplewood, Belleville, and Bloomfield—is closed.

The Montclair schools, where state Education Commissioner Christopher Cerf really lives, are closed. The Montgomery schools, where Cerf says he lives, are closed. The Delbarton School, where the governor sends his children, is closed.

It makes sense to close schools during a snow emergency. Children could get hurt. Could it be the state administration of the Newark schools doesn’t care about the city’s children?

I've brought it up many times here: charter schools are not public schools. They do not operate the same way; they aren't subject to the same laws and regulations about transparency; and students, parents, and teachers don't have the same rights when affiliated with them.

Here's an admittedly somewhat trivial but still instructive example. Yesterday, we had a pretty bad snowstorm here in Jersey. Many, if not most, districts around the state are closed today. But not Newark:

You see, as a letter that went out earlier this year to many Newark families said, State Superintendent Cami Anderson apparently believes time out of school creates more "opportunity for trouble." So bundle up, kiddos; don't want to say later that "crime went up"!

Of course, we don't have those worries about Newark's charter schools [all screen captures appox. 10:00 AM, 1/22/14]:

See, we have to get the NPS schools open, or there may be chaos in the snow-covered streets! But the charters?

Meh...

Enjoy your snow day, charter kids - but stay safe! Apparently it's just too awful out there for you or your teachers to brave the cold and the snow to get to school. Brrr!

But you NPS kids and teachers: get back to work, sit down, and shut up. You too, parents.

What are you products of "failure factories" doing out of school? Just because my kid's school is closed, that doesn't mean you shouldn't be at your crumbling school!