Public Charter Schools Change Lives

As a Newark public charter high school graduate and current Rutgers student, I know the value a great education can bring. It’s why I help mentor current high school students in my home city through Rutgers’ Center for Precollege Programs. And it’s why I want to someday teach here. 

Charter schools are free, public and open to all. Public charter schools like Great Oaks Legacy Charter School, which educates over 1,000 students in Newark, are providing an excellent education to students in New Jersey’s most underserved communities. Last year in Newark, Black and Brown students enrolled in public charter schools beat the statewide average in literacy—a notable achievement, considering the nationwide struggle with literacy since the pandemic. 

It is important that elected leaders support quality education options like Great Oaks.That is why I remain an advocate for my school and other public charter schools in New Jersey, even after I’ve graduated. It’s also why I am an advocate for civic participation among students, especially 16- and 17-year-olds who were just given the right to vote in school board elections in Newark this year. 

At Great Oaks I led our school’s Advocacy Club and was President of Student Government, working with my peers to promote voter registration efforts and advocate to city officials for needs in our community.

I testified before state Senate lawmakers on the need to fairly fund public charter school facilities and performed at a prominent national education conference in Boston with a song I wrote to honor and inspire our educators. 

My charter school experience propelled me into opportunities I never thought possible. Every child in the state and across the country deserves these opportunities, and as an advocate and future educator I will continue striving for this goal. 

My experience at Great Oaks has helped shape the person I am today. Great Oaks has given me the tools and the platform to pursue my dreams and make a difference in my community. 

A great school can truly change your life.

Nathan Duguid
Newark, NJ

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