Hoboken Charter School is managed by a Board of Trustees made up of parents, educators and community members.  The Board of Trustees meeting dates can be found on our school calendar.  Meetings begin at 7:00 p.m. with exceptions noted on the school calendar. The meeting location is 713 Washington Street.  The 4th Wednesday of the month is reserved for committees which may meet at an alternate time and location.  Changes are communicated via announcements in local papers, City Hall, the school website, and weekly school community communications.

Agendas, Minutes, and Meeting Highlights can be found here.

 

Member – Lisa McIntyre Member – Lisa McIntyre
Lisa, along with her husband Rob, is a parent of 3 HCS alumni. She has served in the past as an officer of the Parents’ Association/Friends for 5 years, in addition to chairing and assisting many school activities. She has been actively involved in school and community events and organizations, working hard to bring the two closer. She is currently the Director of an ocean conservation nonprofit and is a SCUBA divemaster in NYC. Previously, she has owned a local business, was an executive at a major global financial institution, and has served in various community and civic capacities. Contact at: [email protected]

 

Chairperson – Joy Wheeler Chairperson – Joy Wheeler
Joy has worked in technology start-ups for over 20 years.  She is currently the Co-Founder and Chief Corporate Affairs Officer for an innovative technology start-up that is focused on disrupting the apparel manufacturing industry. Joy and her husband, Brian are proud parents of an alumni and an 8th grader. Contact at: [email protected]

 

Member – Mark Silberberg Member – Mark Silberberg
Mark was a Co-Founder and Co-Director of the Hoboken Charter School from its inception until 2004. He is Director for Admissions & Outreach at The Lang School.  He is thrilled to be able to continue to support the mission of the Hoboken Charter School as a member of the board. Contact at: [email protected]

 

Member – John Berger Member – John Berger
Contact at: [email protected]

 

Member – Lauren Schickler Calmas Member – Lauren Schickler Calmas
Lauren has worked in the luxury watch and jewelry industry for over 20 years, focusing on brand management, business development and marketing.  She holds an undergraduate degree from Tufts University and an MBA from the Wharton School of Business.  From 2013-2022, Lauren served as Board President and now acts as the Board’s Hoboken community liaison. Lauren and her husband Steve have been residents of Hoboken since 1995 and are proud parents of two Hoboken Charter School alumni.  Contact at: [email protected]

 

Member – Grace Guandique Member – Grace Guandique
Contact at: [email protected]

 

Member – Christine Sheedy Member – Christine Sheedy
Christine has been a member of the Board of Trustees since August 2013.  She contributes to the Board as an at-large community member after spending eight years as the Parents’ Association representative to the Board of Trustees of Hoboken Charter School. Prior to joining, she was a Friends of Hoboken Charter School Trustee from 2010 – 2013. She is the proud mother of two children who each spent nine years learning at HCS, and are now in high school and college. A thirty-year resident of Hoboken, Christine works as a Human Resources executive, helping organizations and leadership teams improve their effectiveness through connecting people with strategy. Contact at: [email protected]

 

Member – Kelly Wilson Pansy Member – Kelly Wilson Pansy
Kelly Wilson Pansy is the Chair of the Finance Committee and has been on the Board of Hoboken Charter since 2020. She has been a Hoboken resident for 20 years and a parent at Hoboken Charter since 2016. As of 2021, she has three children attending Hoboken Charter School. Kelly has a background in finance and has worked in financial services since 2001. She currently works at Pegasystems Inc, advising corporate and investment banks on how to use low code software for digital automation. Prior to joining Pegasystems, she worked at Bloomberg as well as in corporate and investment banking for 15 years in both COO and client-facing roles in European banks. She has an M.B.A. from NYU Stern and a B.S. from Lehigh University. Contact at: [email protected]

 

Member – Matt Lipsky Member – Matt Lipsky
Matt is the Assistant General Counsel for a family office that manages the philanthropic assets of a high net worth individual. He is the proud parent of one child currently attending HCS and another that will join her sibling in the coming years. Matt has been a Hoboken resident since 2014.Contact at: [email protected]

 

 

Board Secretary (non-voting) – Steve Literati Board Secretary (non-voting) – Steve Literati
Steve is Hoboken Charter School’s certified School Business Administrator.

 

Non-Voting Member - Deirdra Grode Non-Voting Member - Deirdra Grode
Deirdra is the Executive Director of Hoboken Charter School.

 

Mission Statement

Dedicated to charting a course of success for today and tomorrow’s children, the Hoboken Charter School’s mission is to empower all students with an exceptional foundation that actualizes their unique potential. 

To provide and exceptional educational foundation, the Board, in active collaboration with the staff, the family and the community and using a clear system of accountability, will provide the tools to ensure that our students and staff shall:

  1. Work cooperatively in a safe, supportive and challenging learning environment that addresses individual learning needs;
  2. Apply problem-solving strategies and critical thinking skills learned through written, oral, technological and experiential application in and out of the classroom;
  3. Practice good citizenship by fostering respect for one’s self and others through a better understanding of the needs of a diverse society;
  4. Fully integrate technology into the learning experience using creative and effective teaching techniques;
  5. Appreciate, preserve and promote the quality and professionalism of the staff, administration and Board of Trustees.

System Goals 

In order to achieve educational goals for children, the Board of Trustees of Hoboken Charter School will strive to implement the following educational methods:

A. Insure that all instruction bears relevancy to the present of future needs and interest of students.

B. Insure that students have opportunities consistent with their ages to determine the nature of their educational experiences.

C. Insure that specialized and individual kinds of educational experiences are available for meeting the particular needs of students.

D. Insure that teachers are provided the opportunities to participate in planning curricula, procedures and regulations of the school district.

E. Insure that the resources available for education are used with maximum efficiency.

F. Insure that instructional, administrative, and support staffs are of high quality in every respect.

G. Insure constructive cooperation among parents, teachers, and community groups.

Education Outcome Goals 

As a base for its educational program and in accordance with the requirements of the State, the Board of Trustees of the Hoboken Charter School, following consultation with teaching staff members, parents and other residents of this district, adopts the following educational outcome goals for every pupil in this district.

A. Develop a desire for learning now and in the future.

B. Develop skills in mathematics, reading, writing, speaking and listening.

C. Gain a fundamental education in physical and biological sciences, social sciences and history.

D. Learn how to obtain, examine and use information to think critically and solve problems.

E. Develop good character and self-esteem.

F. Develop pride in work and feeling of self worth.

G. Learn to respect and get along with people with whom we work and live.

H. Learn how to be a good citizen by understanding and practicing democratic ideas and ideals.

I. Understand and practice the concepts of health and safety.

J. Appreciate culture and beauty in the world.

K. Understand and practice the skills of family living.

L. Learn how to respect diverse cultures and beliefs and to get along with people who think, dress, and act differently.

M. Learn about and try to understand the changes that take place in the world.

N. Learn how to be a good manager of time, money, property, and resources.

O. Understand how to use leisure time for personal enhancement.

P. Develop and understanding of various careers and the world of work

 

Community Complaints and Inquiries

Families and staff may have inquiries or complaints at times.  In these circumstances, they should address the matter with the staff member point of contact as listed in the school policies and guidelines books.  The first point of contact is typically the individual who most directly oversees a program (classroom teacher, club coordinator, etc.).  When a satisfactory answer has not been supplied, families and staff are encouraged to pursue the inquiry or complaint with the building principal. If the matter is not addressed satisfactorily at the building principal level, the individual should reach out to the Executive Director.  After these steps have been taken, the family can bring an unresolved matter to the Board of Trustees.  Additionally, in the case of a potential violation of the Charter School Act of 1995, families are welcome to reach out to the Board grievance committee as can be reached at [email protected].  This committee consists of the Friends Representative to the Board of Trustees, The Chair of the Board of Trustees’ Management Committee, the President of the Friends of Hoboken Charter School, an HCS teacher and at least one other Board of Trustees member.  In addition to the members of the grievance committee receiving this email, the entire board, Executive Director and Board Secretary will be a recipient of the email.