Charter Schools Are NOT Your Friend!
By Marda Kirkwood
Many frustrated parents are turning to charter schools and vouchers to solve their problems with the public schools. But just as you would not jump off a cliff without assurance that there is a deep swimming hole under you, you should not embrace charter schools and vouchers without understanding the issue and potential effects completely. So let's examine the issues and answer some relevant questions.
What is a charter school? It is a public school that receives a 'charter' from the legislature to operate outside the regulations governing other public schools. This covers a wide spectrum of possibilities and is heavily dependent on the enabling law and charter.
Isn't the WEA against charters? Isn't that reason enough to support them? The teachers' union is split on this issue. The NEA has publicly favored charters. The WEA, while it actively opposed I-177 last year, hasn't made up its collective mind. In the 1998 legislative session, its lobbyists were actually working against one another. In the summer of 1998, the WEA published a pro-charter piece in its newsletter to members. Superintendent of Public Instruction Terry Bergeson, a former WEA president, was one of the most active proponents of charter schools this session. Gov. Locke, an enthusiastic WEA supporter, publicly stated that a charter school bill was his highest education priority for the session.
Isn’t this our way to escape Goals 2000? No. Charter schools are actually required by Goals 2000 [Sec. 308(b)(2)(I)]. An Internet study of charter school legislation around the country by a Washington state researcher revealed that, almost without exception, charter school legislation is heavily linked to Goals 2000-style education 'reform' and that they are further along in those reforms than the regular public schools. Charters are a way of getting around laws that get in the way of the 'reformers.'
But the people really want charters, don’t they? No. Charters failed at the ballot box in 1996 by 2:1. A 1998 pro-charter rally in Olympia "drew about enough people to fill an elevator," according to one witness. Ask around. Most people don’t even know what a charter school is.
Don’t charter schools (and vouchers) empower parents? Not really. "He who pays the piper calls the tune." What government funds, it controls. Vouchers always come with strings. Charters not only come with strings, but they generally put government power and public money into the control of private corporations, entirely beyond the reach of the voter. The only power the parent has is to remove the child from the school, always an option of last resort.
Who controls the education dollar? For vouchers the government controls. For charters, it is private corporations, in partnership with the government. We used to call this fascism. Today it is euphemistically referred to as a "public-private partnership." In neither case is the taxpayer in control of his own money.
Won’t choice make the public schools better by providing competition? Choice will, but charters and vouchers are not really true 'choice.' The government controls both systems because it funds both. How logical is it to compete against yourself? And how does this help the consumer (parent)? Proctor and Gamble owns most laundry soap brands. Smaller companies that may have superior products cannot get a foothold in the market because of the P&G dominance. If, eventually, you are only able to buy P&G soaps, where will your choice be then? So it is with charter schools. Eventually, the government will control all the private schools and no true choice will be available at any price.
Then, charter schools and vouchers will take over the present private school system? This is a dangerous possibility. A private school can maintain its independence and autonomy only by not taking public money. When the government interferes by subsidizing only parts of the market, some of these schools will be lured into taking the money and losing their identities. Others will simply no longer be able to compete and will close down. Religious schools will be the hardest hit because the constitution prohibits them from participating.
What does the Constitution say about this issue? Article IX, sec. 4, of the Washington State Constitution prohibits any public money from going to religious schools. Since 85% of the private school system is religious, this is a big issue. Article IX, sec. 2, requires a "general and uniform system of public education." For some public schools to be required to follow state regulations while others are exempt violates this provision, clearly unconstitutional. Most of the bills that have been proposed even violate our form of government.
How do they "violate our form of government?" Ever heard of "taxation without representation?" There have not been provisions in charter school proposals for those without school-aged children to have a say in how public money and facilities are used. Charter schools are often exempt from open public meetings and records laws. Another issue is conversion of existing public schools to charter schools. (According to some sources, all 100 Seattle schools would have converted to charter schools if the charter bill had passed.) Proposals have had the conversion being authorized by petition of teachers and parents in the school, not by vote of those whose taxes support the school. Do the teachers pay taxes in that district? Are the parents registered voters, or even citizens? These are some very prickly issues.
Fortunately, there is a solution! It is called Freedom of Conscience in Education (HB2030/SB5774 of the 1999-2000 legislative session) and it would give us TRUE CHOICE. Under this proposal, if you find that the public schools violate your conscience, you may register with the county treasurer as a conscientious objector. You then become exempt from that portion of your property taxes that go to support K-12 public education, provided that you donate an equal amount to the private school of your choice in the same county or spend it homeschooling your own children.
Since the money never becomes public, the taxpayer may choose to give it to a religious school. The schools receiving the money are not restricted in its use. They could accept it as tuition for a student, establish a scholarship fund for needy students, use it to upgrade their facilities or buy equipment, or lower tuition for everyone, allowing more people to be able to afford it. This will ultimately strengthen our already healthy private school system. Since all taxpayers are eligible, those with no school-aged children are not disenfranchised. Parents will truly be in control of their children’s education. Public schools will finally get the competition they need.
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