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April 29, 2010, Thursday

Plainfield's newest charter school set to hold star-studded benefit dinner

BYLINE: By, MARK SPIVEY

BODY:
STAFF WRITER
Barack Obama Green Charter High School co-founder Steven King knows that his school ultimately won't be judged by the star value of those scheduled to speak at its first benefit dinner.

But a lineup like this certainly won't hurt.

The school with an eco-friendly mission and curriculum, last year established by the state Department of Education and scheduled to open this autumn, has assembled Princeton University professor and civil-rights activist Cornel West, Newark Mayor Cory Booker and hometown-hero, musical legend George Clinton to appear at its May 20 fundraiser.

"We've been very fortunate, but part of that fortune is being timely," said King, who also serves as president and CEO of a research organization focused on developing sustainable urban-development solutions. "Dr. West has also started to get involved in sustainability lately ... and Newark is one of the leading cities in being involved with green initiatives. This kind of falls in line with (Booker's) strategic plan as well."

According to King, West recently responded positively to a request to speak at the dinner, then offered to reach out to try to bring Clinton on board as well. West and Booker are scheduled to appear as keynote speakers, and Clinton will perform live music and accept an honorary proclamation from Mayor Sharon Robinson-Briggs.

West, 56, is a philosopher and best-selling author who also had an integral role in the development of The Matrix film trilogy, playing a speaking part in each of the last two installments. Booker, 41, has been lauded for introducing sweeping reforms to New Jersey's largest city and recently stepped into the national media spotlight during a well-publicized mock feud with television personality Conan O'Brien. And Clinton, 68, is a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee and longtime leader of the musical group Parliament-Funkadelic, who started performing while working in a city barbershop during the 1960s.

"Everybody that I've talked to, people not just in New Jersey but New York, Philadelphia and other places, is just kind of like, "wow, that's a triple-header,' " King said. "It's good to hear that, good to see that people are really excited about it."

But King said he's just as excited for the first day of school. King, who also works as a researcher and program coordinator at Cornell University's School of Industrial Labor Relations, said that early interest in the high school has been strong. According to the school's mission statement, it is being founded to "prepare students to become informed, engaged and independent critical thinkers and to inspire leaders for sustainable development."

School officials earlier this month earned Zoning Board approval to establish the school at the existing Boys & Girls Clubs of Union County facility on West Seventh Street. The two organizations, the schedules of which are not anticipated to conflict, plan to partner to accommodate 120 students in 2010-2011, the school's first year of operation, with a eye on expanding to 240 students by its fourth year.

Charter schools are schools that receive funding from public-school districts, but operate independently of those districts. Barack Obama Green will be the city's first charter high school but its fourth charter school - others include the Central Jersey Arts Charter School, Queen City Academy Charter School and Union County TEAMS (Technology, Engineering, Architecture, Math & Science) Charter School. A fifth school, the Dr. Ellen G. Pressman Charter School, opened last fall but closed less than four months later due to lack of enrollment.

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