FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 17, 2016
Contact: Mitch Schwartz, (646-930-0229), mschwartz@skdknick.com
NEW RADIO CAMPAIGN FEATURES PROMINENT LATINO ELECTED OFFICIALS EDUCATING SPANISH-SPEAKING PARENTS ABOUT THE CHARTER SCHOOL OPTION
Senator Díaz of the Bronx; Senator José Peralta of Queens; Assemblymen Marcos Crespo and Luis Sepúlveda Stress Charter Schools Are Open to Serving All Students & Encourage Families to Learn More
New York, NY – For the first time ever, New York elected officials have lent their voices to a campaign to inform Spanish-speaking New York City parents about the charter option, the New York City Charter School Center announced today. The three-week radio campaign - running on La Mega, New York City’s largest Spanish-language radio station - features Senator Rubén Díaz Sr., Senator José Peralta, Assemblyman Luis R. Sepúlveda, and Assemblyman Marcos Crespo.
“We’re excited to work with these four trailblazing elected officials,” said James Merriman, CEO of the New York City Charter School Center. “As we all agree, every child – regardless of their zip code or background – should have access to a public school that meets their needs and can provide a high quality education. We appreciate that these Senators and Assemblymembers are helping us spread the word: charter schools serve all children and offer families an important choice.”
The radio spots are part of the Charter Center’s multilingual, multimedia “Charters Open Doors” campaign designed to alert non-English speaking families about public charter schools. The campaign also supports the Charter Center’s ongoing efforts to bring awareness to the ease of applying to multiple schools online via the Common Online Charter School Application. The common application, which is offered in 10 languages, enables parents to access information on and apply to more than 200 of the City’s charter school campuses.
“I am proud to support charter schools, and all education programs that help our children, especially children in underserved families, so they can have the same opportunities to learn as children in more privileged communities and school districts,” said State Senator Rubén Díaz Sr. (D-Bronx).
“I am glad to join with the Charter Center as they work with communities to close the gap on English Language Learner enrollment,” said State Senator José Peralta (D-Queens).
“Charter schools are public schools, and they’re open to all students in our city,” said Assemblyman Luis Sepúlveda (D-Bronx).
“Charter schools work hard for their students, especially ones that are learning English for the first time,” said Assemblyman Marcos Crespo (D-Bronx). “I am thrilled to work with the Charter Center to reach families in my community and inform them that charters provide a great public education to all students.”
Applications for the 2016-17 school year close on April 1. To get more information and apply, families should visit www.chartersopendoors.org.
# # #
About the New York City Charter School Center
The New York City Charter School Center is an independent non-profit committed to fostering an environment in which public charters can open and flourish, and, through their innovative approaches, provide models for improving all public schools. The Charter Center helps new charter schools get started, supports existing schools, and engages the charter school community around key issues. Learn more about the New York City Charter School Center at www.nyccharterschools.org.
About NYC’s Charter Schools
Charter schools are free, independently run public schools that are able to innovate in their classroom structures, curriculum, and teaching methods. In return, they’re held to higher standards of accountability. More than 90 percent of the City’s charter school students are African-American or Latino, and over 70 percent are from low-income families. There will be 205 public charter schools serving over 95,000 students in all five boroughs for the 2015-2016 school year.