The Equity Project Charter School made headlines even before it opened in 2009 because it promised teacher salaries of $125,000 a year, plus the chance to earn annual bonuses of $25,000. But spend a day with the teachers and you’ll learn that the thing they like best is not the money but the chance to work with interesting colleagues who help them perfect their craft. “Last year I grew more as a teacher than I had in six years teaching before,” one teacher told us on our visit.  

The school, which will serve grades 5 to 8, has solid academics, including Latin, as well as daily classes in music and physical education. Many children enter 5th grade with weak reading skills, some are just beginning to learn English, and others need special education services. But teachers are flexible in their approach, adapting their lessons to what the children seem to need, rather than insisting they conform to rigid rules and regulations. For example, in a science class with two teachers, one teacher explained concepts in both English and Spanish. When one child had an emotional outburst, the other teacher took him for a long walk on a running track outside the school until he calmed down.

Teachers have a pleasant rapport with children and seem eager to make sure they have fun. Although the school has no gym, a physical education teacher improvised a game of Dance Dance Revolution to give kids aerobic exercise on the rainy day of our visit. An attendance teacher hands out alarm clocks to help ensure kids arrive on time—and will even drive to pick up a child who misses the bus in the morning. The school’s high attendance rates reflect the fact that children like coming to school, says Principal Zeke Vanderhoek. Classes are held from 7:45 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Vanderhoek, who taught for three years at the now-closed IS 90, says investing in high-quality teachers is more worthwhile than any other educational reform, such as reducing class size. Recruiting and retaining the best teachers means valuing them—not just in terms of salary but also in less tangible ways. “Talented people want to be in an environment where they can grow,” said Vanderhoek, a Yale graduate with a master’s from Teachers College who founded a successful test prep company, Manhattan GMAT. “Talented teachers learn from one another. We give them the chance to observe one another.” Teachers have time to reflect on their practice during a six-week “summer development seminar,” which Vanderhoek describes as a “relaxed environment without kids.” He has attracted an experienced staff from as far away as Hawaii.

Temporarily housed in 14 red trailers on the grounds of the George Washington Educational Campus in Washington Heights, TEP has purchased land about a half mile away and will build a permanent facility once the needed funds are raised.

The school had disappointing test scores its first year but rose during its second year (although they were still below the city's average.) Vanderhoek is hopeful that scores will continue to improve without resorting to drill-and-kill test prep.

Special education: TEP has more extensive special education services than many charter schools. One teacher who came from Manhattan School for Children, a pioneer in special education inclusion, says TEP has been successful moving a number of children from “self-contained” classes in elementary school to general education classes at TEP. The school offers SETSS (special education support services) in the early morning, so children do not need to miss regular class time. Children with significant academic difficulties may focus on reading instruction instead of taking Latin. The school offers occupational therapy and physical therapy.


Admissions: Children are admitted by lottery held in April. Preference to District 6. (Clara Hemphill, March 2011)