The Charter Schools Initiative I-1240 isn’t the solution you want
October 21, 2012
The Charter Schools Initiative I-1240 isn’t the solution you want
(Updated 10/21/2012)
I will not be supporting the new charter school initiative, and here is why.
People think that charter schools will:
- offer choices of a variety of curricula
- offer improved curriculum
- thwart the teachers’ union
- be responsive to parents and students
This initiative will do none of these things. Please read the fine print. Charter schools are not inherently good or bad. The devil is in the details. Don’t just be impressed with the title or introductory hype. The proponents are counting on your NOT reading the 39-pages of details.
I read of the text of the initiative. It is similar to the recent unsuccessful state bill in several ways:
- It has an all-appointed charter schools commission (pages 10-11, Section 208), therefore the commission is not accountable to the voters and taxpayers through elections.
- The charter school “Authorizers” must follow the standards of the “National Association of Charter School Authorizers” (pages 14,16,20). This is a non-governmental organization (funded in part by Bill Gates) not elected by anyone and located out of state ( http://www.qualitycharters.org/).
- Charter schools can get rid of cumbersome education laws and regulations (page 8-9 Section 204 (3)) (which could include some of the ones we like, such as learning about the Pledge of Allegiance, etc.).
- Yet charter schools MUST follow the mediocre STATE education standards, which are now the Common Core State Standards (federal learning standards), so every charter school would have the same learning standards as the public schools….no real choice (page 8 Section 204 (2)(b), page 18 ). Charter schools must also still follow the cumbersome federal reporting regulations (page 25).
- NO charter schools can teach anything faith-based. (page 9 Section 204 (4) ).
- The state will favor charter school applications which are aimed at helping the at-risk student, which is nice, but non-at-risk families should not be under the mistaken impression that the charter schools are for their benefit (page 17 Section 213, page 18).
- Regular public schools could convert to charter schools (pages 5, 19), possibly resulting in no school in that area being accountable to the voters and taxpayers.
- Unions could still be formed (page 38).
- The initiative alters the State Constitution without going through proper amendment procedures (page 3).
Please think: if a solution to education problems is to avoid cumbersome government regulations, why wouldn’t the state simply repeal some of the cumbersome regulations in the regular K-12 system?
This charter system is a way to restructure governance so that the education system is unreachable by the voters and taxpayers. All charter school decisions MUST align with the comprehensive mandates of the National Association of Charter School Authorizers (NACSA) essentially making it the final authority in charter school matters over state schools, local school boards, the State Board of Education, the legislature, and even the governor. The NACSA is not elected. It isn’t even appointed. It is a non-governmental body funded by foundations such as the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Since this initiative establishes a mechanism by which public schools may convert to charter schools, there is the potential for all schools to be placed beyond the reach of students, parents, voters, and taxpayers. It goes against local control by gutting the authority of elected education officials.
There is a lot of rosy rhetoric associated with this initiative, so please look at the facts objectively. READ THE TEXT. The coalition sponsoring the initiative are the usual backers of big government solutions.
School choice is good, but this is not it.
Joyce Fiess
The Charter Schools Initiative I-1240 isn’t the solution you want
(Updated 10/21/2012)
I will not be supporting the new charter school initiative, and here is why.
- offer choices of a variety of curricula
- offer improved curriculum
- thwart the teachers’ union
- be responsive to parents and students
I read of the text of the initiative. It is similar to the recent unsuccessful state bill in several ways:
- It has an all-appointed charter schools commission (pages 10-11, Section 208), therefore the commission is not accountable to the voters and taxpayers through elections.
- The charter school “Authorizers” must follow the standards of the “National Association of Charter School Authorizers” (pages 14,16,20). This is a non-governmental organization (funded in part by Bill Gates) not elected by anyone and located out of state ( http://www.qualitycharters.org/).
- Charter schools can get rid of cumbersome education laws and regulations (page 8-9 Section 204 (3)) (which could include some of the ones we like, such as learning about the Pledge of Allegiance, etc.).
- Yet charter schools MUST follow the mediocre STATE education standards, which are now the Common Core State Standards (federal learning standards), so every charter school would have the same learning standards as the public schools….no real choice (page 8 Section 204 (2)(b), page 18 ). Charter schools must also still follow the cumbersome federal reporting regulations (page 25).
- NO charter schools can teach anything faith-based. (page 9 Section 204 (4) ).
- The state will favor charter school applications which are aimed at helping the at-risk student, which is nice, but non-at-risk families should not be under the mistaken impression that the charter schools are for their benefit (page 17 Section 213, page 18).
- Regular public schools could convert to charter schools (pages 5, 19), possibly resulting in no school in that area being accountable to the voters and taxpayers.
- Unions could still be formed (page 38).
- The initiative alters the State Constitution without going through proper amendment procedures (page 3).
Please think: if a solution to education problems is to avoid cumbersome government regulations, why wouldn’t the state simply repeal some of the cumbersome regulations in the regular K-12 system?
This charter system is a way to restructure governance so that the education system is unreachable by the voters and taxpayers. All charter school decisions MUST align with the comprehensive mandates of the National Association of Charter School Authorizers (NACSA) essentially making it the final authority in charter school matters over state schools, local school boards, the State Board of Education, the legislature, and even the governor. The NACSA is not elected. It isn’t even appointed. It is a non-governmental body funded by foundations such as the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Since this initiative establishes a mechanism by which public schools may convert to charter schools, there is the potential for all schools to be placed beyond the reach of students, parents, voters, and taxpayers. It goes against local control by gutting the authority of elected education officials.
There is a lot of rosy rhetoric associated with this initiative, so please look at the facts objectively. READ THE TEXT. The coalition sponsoring the initiative are the usual backers of big government solutions.
School choice is good, but this is not it.
Joyce Fiess