The coalition of educators, parents and students says the governor’s bill would divert more money from public schools to charters which it says aren’t accountable to their local communities.
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Baker proposes allowing 12 new or expanded charter schools each year in districts in the bottom 25 percent on standardized tests, such as Boston, New Bedford, Salem, Holyoke, and Lawrence.
The director indicated a interest in obtain along with Democratic congress, but applied: “The valuable time has become gone to tackle this issue”.
Under the current formula, charter schools get more money from the state.
Charter schools began almost 20 years ago, ostensibly to provide an “alternative” to failing public schools, primarily in the inner city.
The per-student limit means a charter school could receive a maximum advance of $1,836 per student from their state tuition support, according to information shared by board staff. That could lead to a few schools receiving less than what they requested. “But the goal of lifting the cap is not to fuel a rapid seat expansion”.
Baker, in testimony before the Education Committee, said since charter schools were established in Massachusetts in 1993, they have been successful.
Senate President Stanley C. Rosenberg told reporters the Senate will decide by Thanksgiving whether to proceed with charter school legislation or leave voters to decide on a proposed ballot measure that would raise the cap.
Under Walsh’s proposal, cities and towns would continue to be responsible for 100 percent of the cost of pre-existing charter seats, as well as the cost of all new seats from the fourth year on.
Submit to School Committee authority: Charters don’t play by the same rules as traditional public schools. In many ways, Louisiana charters face challenges that are no different than the ones faced by traditional district schools: All schools are looking for great teachers in the classroom, an increase in Minimum Foundation Program funding from the state, and ways to personalize learning for every student.
“I’m amazed that the governor could sit here or stand here and push for legislation that is not consistent with what his mandate is as governor of all the people”, said Mel King, a former state representative.
Boston Mayor Martin Walsh also is planning to testify.
“Urban sending districts and urban charters enroll similarly high percentages of low income students”.
For Hairston, charter schools haven’t lived up to their hype and do not deserve resources over public schools.
The Columbus Dispatch recently examined Ohio’s quest for its share of these federal funds despite a history of fraud, weak oversight, and poor performance in the state’s charter sector.
All families should have access to a great school that works for their children, and we shouldn’t accept anything less than that as our vision for the future of public education in Louisiana.
The legislation is a response to two lawsuits in recent years alleging that D.C. charter school leaders created private management companies in part to divert millions of taxpayer dollars from schools for personal gain.
The schools submit information to the charter board, including budgets, board of directors meeting minutes and financial audits.
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The cap proposal, Baker said, is meant to increase the educational opportunities available to all students.
