Hoboken Charter School

I too am shocked by some of the previous comments. I have been nothing but pleased by the quality of education my children receive at HCS and the nurturing environment in which it is provided. Teachers and staff encourage communication with families, and having 2 teachers per class is an amazing asset. My children enjoy school, feel safe and are learning and developing! Our board is stronger and more active than ever, working hard towards getting us back into a Hoboken bldg that is better than before, and the appt of Ms. Grode (princ) and Ms. Jain (VP) has strengthened the school, esp. our middle school (MS). In the past many children left for private MS however over the last 4 yrs, almost all of the 4th graders continue onto our MS program. I sure every school has a few unhappy parents or children for whom the school is not a good fit but the % of neg comments here just doesn't match up with what I hear. My complaints: (1) some parents just don't get involved despite the sch attempts (2) we have a lot less $/poor facilities compared to other schools. My suggestion is to hit the playgrounds and speak to parents of the school before making a conclusion from this website.
—Submitted by a parent

This isn't bad school however not a great one, but definitely a school that would be better if they practiced what they teached. They don't. I am very disappointed.
—Submitted by a parent

It's such a disappointment to see all of these negative reviews. I'm a student at Hoboken Charter and I think that it's a wonderful place. The learning experience there is great because you always have fun classmates and you'll always get a great teacher. Teachers are the key to our education, if you don't have a teacher you enjoy then you're not going to have a good time and you won't try as hard in class. Hoboken Charter has great staff with tons of supporting people to help you out in times of need. There's not a single teacher that's not enjoyable to learn from. The staff that work there aren't cruel to us students at all, I've been in about an estimated 4 fights throughout my 9 years of attending Hoboken Charter and i can safely say that there was no HARSH punishment. In a matter of fact i barely even remember if I had a punishment, but at the end of the day everyone in the school was supporting me again and helping me get back on my feet. Now this is my opinion as not everyone has to be the same, but I can safely tell you that Hoboken Charter may have been all these horrible things you say it might be, but I know for a fact that it's an outstanding school and i still love it.

This school is an embarrassment to the community. It is unfortunate for the family and students who are still attending HCS. My child learned next to nothing while attending HCS. The teacher was ineffective, as was the absent and unqualified administration. As a parent, I would advise any prospective parents run far away and put your child's needs first. Don't buy into the promises they make.
—Submitted by a parent

As a student who attends this school, I am shocked by some of these reviews. Your all saying: We should be closed down, They use slang, They are not safe, There are too many fights. No, No, No. We don't use slang, there are barely any fights at all! Who are you people? If some kids are getting bullied, the teachers and principle will sit them down and talk it out. No harsh punishments. And for the safety. The kids at Hoboken Charter School, are probably the safest in the nation... honestly. The teachers are, oh I don't know, AMAZING. We kids, are getting the proper education we need! Many have been graded advance in the NJ Ask. I myself have. Overall, this school is one in a million. As the school says, "Where children come first, and learning comes naturally."

The High School has become a horror, due to poor leadership and mismanagement. The teachers are still great and helpful, but the principal leaves much to be desired when it comes to administration. This is not a large school, nor does it have a numerous student body, but students still fall through the cracks and that is largely due to leadership and following through.
—Submitted by a parent

My child does not attend this school. However, I have witnessed many times at the playground (Church Street SQ) that the staff members are rude and not very attentive to the children. I often wonder what would make them watch these children, as I fear someone grabbing one and walking off. As for the rudeness.. Simply put its unprofessional ghetto slang used on these children. I hope these are not the teachers as I would never allow my child to be exposed to that type of talk!

My son has excelled in Hoboken Charter School, makes all 'A's and enjoys going to school. The teachers are experienced and really care about the students. They go out of their way to help each student with after school help, different programs for electives, and an all in all great environment.
—Submitted by a parent

I think they need to close the school. They are still having fights at the school and the punishment is unfair because they cater to the kids they like more. The staff is incompetent in many areas and you don't know who is in charge. This is a politically correct school only so whose fooling who..
—Submitted by a parent

New principal is great. Teachers are much happier and the kids are benefitting. School will shortly move to new space in town which will be a huge improvement. Excellent HS acceptances this year for the eighth grade. Middle school program is better, elementary school remains excellent
—Submitted by a parent

Discipline and fictitious security issues have become a distraction and produced some bad publicity- largely false and poorly reported in the local press. The core academics of the school from K - 8 are very high quality and the teachers are truly outstanding in amost every case. The student body is very diverse and range from very low-income, low motivated and poorly prepared kids to very high achieving, college bound, driven young people. I like this aspect of the school because it mirrors the real world. Administration and governance need work. The current principal is leaving and we all hope the Board of Trustees will hire someone really top notch to strengthen the middle school program. The Board of Trustees appear to be mostly ceremonial appointments so I am not sure who is setting curriculum and management policy for the school. HS should be jettisoned.
—Submitted by a parent

An excellent school who strives to do their best. The provide children with a service learning based program. K-8th strives to give their best and the high school also does their best. I do agree that the high is small and for student seeking more variety well they could always transfer but the high school does a great job in giving a surpass education to students.
—Submitted by a parent

I am a high school student at Hoboken Charter high school and to be honest its ok. To me it's not the best highscool and you hear a lot of students saying that. Next I can only talk about the high school I find Hoboken Charter High school needs more programs and let the students decide what subjects they would like to take. Everyone wants to do something different for their future , and we're not expose to alot of things. Since it is a small school, its hard and they have their own ways of doing things which is good and bad. Instead of having french as an elective we should be able to choose what language we would like to take. I feel if we have after school programs and a better school schedule you can attract alot more people.
—Submitted by a student

This is a wonderful school. All staff does their best to make sure student succeed. You will never fully give everyone what they want but as someone who sees all the hard work...it is a beautiful school.

I have 2 children at the Hoboken Charter School. A first grader and a second grader. Our family collectively thanks the universe that we have a school as wonderful and intellectually stimulating as this one. The staff is completely dedicated and the administration gives their all. They are always there for us when we need them and are completely supportive of the teachers. The curriculum is outstanding and the service learning component is excellent. Last year during the civil rights studies and MLK march, my children were so facinated by what they learned that we had such great dialogue at the dinner table for weeks! I truly love the teachers, the principal, the director and the children that make HCS a special place to be everyday!! I also know when I drop my children off that they are safe!
—Submitted by Jennifer Spadavecchia, a parent

The problems that the high school student points out start in the middle school. The bullies are out of control and the administration only provides lip service to the problem.
—Submitted by a parent

I am a returning student of the Hoboken Charter School and the 2007-20008 academic year will be my senior year. I have been in the Hoboken Charter School since fourth grade and must say that the schools high school is by far the worse high school in Hoboken. There is no discipline and the students pretty much run the classrooms. The curriculum is not at all challenging.The school itself is rundown with kids who don't even want to learn or make themselves better. I advise all parents of the school to stop making changes in the middle school because the high school is in need of improvement drastically.
—Submitted by a student

My Child is in the Hoboken Charter High school and I am not at all pleased. I took him out of Hoboken High because I was told that Hoboken Charter School was a better school but it is not. The two schools are the same when it comes to discipline and academics. I am not pleased and I am also currently looking for a well disciplined public school In Hoboken and Jersey City but I cannot seem to find one which greatly disappoints me
—Submitted by a parent

This is our daughter's first year in HCS and we are very pleased with her progress, wonderful staff and all the attention she gets there. Great school.
—Submitted by a parent

My child is just completing Kindergarten and I am so pleased with the progress she has made this year. The teachers and community of parents have been absolutely wonderful. I couldn't be more pleased with the school!
—Submitted by a parent