Frances Lucerna is the principal of El Puente Academy, which serves a largely Hispanic student body of 135 students in grades 9-12. By combining a strong community resource that operates throughout the day and evening with relevant and challenging academic program, El Puente Academy is helping students discover their own potential. The school's first two graduating classes have sent over 75 percent of their students on to college, a significant achievement for young people who previously would not have dreamed of such a future for themselves. They have established an organization that includes such a remarkably effective school that schools similar to it are being formed in other parts of the country. With this legislation, New York joins 34 other states and the District of Columbia in granting charter schools.
Charter schools are public schools that are free from school district bureaucracy.
They offer increased accountability in exchange for increased autonomy. New York's charter school legislation allows up to 100 new charter schools to be created, and an unlimited amount of public schools to convert to charter schools. The schools have brought creative educators and community organizations together and have worked with the Board of Education to make more personal learning environments with high standards in all parts of the city. It is important to see if this legislation will further the progress of schools in the areas of accountability and autonomy. Within the schools, success continues to be recognized by and shared with the wider community.