Central Queens Academy Charter Schools
Education Administration ProgramsNew York, United States51-200 Employees
Central Queens Academy Charter Schools operates two public charter schools in Elmhurst, New York, on a 120,000-square-foot campus. Founded in 2012 to serve NYC District 24's multicultural and multilingual communities, the network includes CQA I, which began as a middle school and expanded to a full K-8 by 2024, and CQA II, opened in 2024 as an elementary school with planned growth into a second K-8 by 2031. The student body is largely first- or second-generation immigrant students, many from communities of color living below the poverty line, representing 60 home countries and dozens of languages. The schools aim to advance literacy, rigorous academics and culturally responsive supports to prepare students for education, the workforce and community life. In 2025, CQA launched a teacher residency program with Touro University to develop teachers on site, including dual certification in Childhood Education and Teaching Students with Disabilities and a Master of Science degree.