The chief executive officer of the New York City Center for Charter School Excellence, Paula Gavin, talked to The New York Sun’s Julia Levy about the new center at the start of National Charter Schools Week.

Q. What is the Center for Charter School Excellence?

A. The Center for Charter School Excellence is a nonprofit organization, which was established to support individual charter schools, which are all each individual nonprofits. I say it that way because we are an advocate, a bridge, and a catalyst – ABC. We are able, through the ABCs of our organization, to advocate for the schools to bridge schools together with each other, networking, to bridge them to traditional public schools, and we’re a catalyst for best practices. So we will provide technical assistance, we’ll provide training, we’ll provide consultations, we’ll provide best practices exchange, all to drive academic excellence.

Are there organizations in other cities that do what you do, or are you unique?

There’s nothing like this that has been established in two respects. One is that we’re funded by private funds. Generous philanthropists decided that this is important for the charter-school movement. That’s unique. The second thing that’s unique is that because we have been funded, we can provide services from the moment somebody has an idea for a charter school to when they’re up and running for multiple years.

Why did you personally get involved in charter schools?

I love, love New York City kids. I think the potential is dramatic. I believe every child deserves a good education, and I truly believe that every young person has the potential to succeed in school and in life. I’ve seen it in my 14 years at the YMCA and I wanted to be a part of the public education system.

How have your previous experiences prepared you?

My background with the YMCA has really given me a grounding in the kind of social development that works for young people. But the second thing is that I really do passionately love this city, but I’ve also now worked in this city. I have the knowledge of how communities function. I have the knowledge of organizational efficiency and effectiveness. And that’s where the AT&T background comes in, because I always say nonprofits are a business with a little “b.” They have to be run with accountability and autonomy. So does a charter school.

In other cities, charter schools generally don’t have the support of the school district. Here they do. How does that impact the way charter schools operate?

Tremendously. It is a gift to the charter-school movement. It is a gift that has multiple aspects. Number one, the relationship within the school system is much more compatible. That doesn’t mean it’s not stressful. These are options in public schools that obviously challenge the existing public schools. So there’s a natural built-in tension. But the spirit of cooperation is high. That relieves a lot of … energy that is not focused on the good of the kids. The other thing is that the chancellor here has worked hard to make facilities available to charter schools, and the most difficult thing for charter schools in the first two years is finding facilities.

What are some of the biggest challenges charter schools face?

They have five years [before the school is up for state charter renewal] to produce really dramatic academic results. I used to think five years sounded like a long time. But five years when you’re doing a start-up business is a very short amount of time, and in the first year, you have got to hire good teachers, put together a staff beyond the teachers that are also talented. You’ve got to put in place your academic program. You’ve got to make sure parents are really committed. You’ve got to establish a culture of commitment. There are many things that have to be done quickly. It is an incredible leadership challenge.

What did you learn from the case of Reisenbach last year, when the school’s charter was not renewed?

There are two things that I know that we learned from that. I wasn’t here, but it had been identified. One is just this whole financial area, just making sure there are sufficient funds to support what the school must do. … The second is the whole leadership area: making sure that the board and the staff leadership has really been trained and is in place to do what it needs to do.

What do you do if you notice a school leader isn’t doing something right?

The school has to welcome us. They’re independent nonprofits. So, basically, we establish a relationship with them, and go in and consult with them, or maybe do a review. We’ve brought in some experts who go in and study a school and give them a report, so it’s not just an observation, it’s a much more thorough diagnosis of what’s working and what isn’t.

Have you done that?

Yes, there are four different schools we’ve gone in and done reviews on, and given recommendations to both school leadership and the board.

How long are the wait lists for charter schools?

There are about 8,000 children in the schools, and there are probably just as many on the waiting list. How much demand is there? There might be much, much more that isn’t on a list. I had a call one night about a week ago at eight o’clock at night from somebody that had read our news insert, and it was a parent with a 3-year-old asking if she could go on the waiting list for a school. I said, “No, the lottery is the lottery. It’s a public lottery.” When her child is ready, she can be in a public lottery.

In the fall, there will be almost 50 charter schools. Is that enough to meet demand?

I think the demand’s going to keep growing, so that number’s going to keep going up. We’d love to have 100 charter schools in the city.

There was a study by the American Federation of Teachers claiming charter schools weren’t working. What do you think of that?

When you look at students who are in charter schools over time, there’s a clear message that they do better. It’s still a new industry and it’s still an emerging area of education, but I can give you just as many data points that say charter schools are doing very well as say they’re not. The point is, I think many charter schools are doing quite well.

In New York City, we’re quite pleased with the progress. The progress will be measured on test scores, but we’re not where we want to be. Our children deserve to all be proficient in English and math – 100% proficient – and we’re far away from that.