February 24, 2016 – Pending approval of the State University of New York’s Charter School Institute, the Child Development Center of the Hamptons (“CDCH”) intends to engage Gersh Management Services, Inc. (“Gersh Management”) to assume the administration and management of CDCH at the end of the current school year. CDCH is comprised of a charter school (the “Charter School”) and a separate preschool (the “Preschool”).

The Charter School is a public charter school serving general education, special education and gifted students in kindergarten through fifth grade. As a public charter school, students attend the Charter School free of charge and transportation is provided for most children by their home school districts.

The Preschool offers services for children from birth through five years of age. The Preschool is an authorized Preschool Evaluation Site equipped to provide services to children who meet the New York State eligibility criteria for early intervention or preschool special education.

“When we learned that CDCH and Family Residences and Essential Enterprises, Inc. (“FREE”) were considering a change in management, we reached out to FREE and developed a plan for us to take over management of the schools. Once we receive all necessary state and education agency approvals, our goal is to begin the transition to be completely integrated by the end of the current school year,” said Kevin Gersh, Founder and CEO of Gersh Management.

Gersh Management operates the highly regarded Gersh Academy and the Gersh Experience for children and adults on the autism spectrum. Gersh Academy and the Gersh Experience utilize approaches that have resulted in positive outcomes for thousands of children with autism and/or with other learning disabilities. These respected programs were created by Mr. Gersh, an advocate for special needs education, and focus on tailoring specific methods of learning to what each student requires. The programs’ customized student curriculums are an example of this methodology, which will be implemented at both the Charter School and Preschool. Gersh Management also operates West Hills Montessori School, West Hills Day Camp and other educational programs for children. 

Programs at CDCH will continue to be provided by experienced, certified teachers and other professionals. There may be administrative and leadership changes, but most of the staff and teachers are expected to remain. The Charter School will continue to provide support and related services to both general and special education students, including counseling, occupational and physical therapy, speech therapy, social skills and Applied Behavioral Analysis (“ABA”), with an emphasis on character education and empathic practices. Where appropriate, classes will be integrated to provide for the best learning environment for all students.

The Charter School will remain a public charter school open to all children free of charge.

During a recent bilingual presentation to parents at CDCH, Mr. Gersh stated “we encourage families interested in the charter school educational environment and our successful approaches working with children with disabilities to become familiar with our programs and the enhancements that will be taking place. We have a strong track record working with children of all ages, both on the autism spectrum as well as general education students. Our mission is to prepare all students for academic success and equip those with specific needs with the necessary social and life skills to succeed as well,” said Mr. Gersh.

Gersh Management will begin conducting a regional awareness campaign which will offer information sessions for parents to learn about CDCH. The campaign will include radio, print and social media to inform and educate the public about the benefits of a CDCH education.

“We anticipate a seamless transition in this interim period; services will not be disrupted in any way. We anticipate a strong increase in enrollment because of increased awareness and greater demand for these types of programs. The successful approaches that Gersh Management developed over the past two decades will be integrated into the curriculum. We encourage every family from the East End of Long Island to explore all we have to offer. Please contact us and schedule a tour or meeting with CDCH,” added Mr. Gersh. 

The Charter School is currently accepting applications for enrollment for the 2016-17 school year. Parents should apply and let their school districts know by April 1, 2016, which is also the deadline to apply for free school district transportation to the Charter School (applications for the Preschool will continue to be accepted for so long as spots remain open). 

To receive an application call (631) 324-0207 or e-mail info@cdch.org. For more information about CDCH, please visit cdch.org. For information about the nationally respected programs and services offered by Gersh Management, please visit: GershAcademy.org.