Charter School Bid Gets Lift From NYC Public School Cheerleaders

When the cheerleaders appeared in front of the suits, it was clear the Urban Assembly meant business at its annual gala Wednesday night. The students from UA’s all-girls School of Criminal Justice in Brooklyn -- wearing white bows in their hair, long-sleeved jerseys and pleated skirts -- jumped on shoulders and shouted, as cheerleaders do, though generally not at the New York Public Library, where the event was held.

The high-energy show reflects the nonprofit’s push to open its first charter school, adding to its network of 21 small public schools that got off the ground in the late 1990s with funding from the Gates Foundation. The move is the equivalent of a hand spring, allowing UA to bring its model of career and technical education, or CTE, into the charter environment.