By Laura Barrett

T;he;MTA;is;fighting;back;against;a;multipronged;attack;by;well-funded;interests;that;are;seeking;to;lift;the;cap on;charter;schools;and;pave;the;way;for;greater privatization;of;our;public;schools.

Because;the;state’s;public;schools;are considered;by;many;to;be;the;best;in;the;country, the;attacks;have;placed;Massachusetts;in;the national;spotlight.

Charter;supporters;have;filed;a;lawsuit, collected;signatures;for;a;ballot;question;and;filed several;cap-lift;bills,;including;one;submitted;by Governor;Charlie;Baker.

In;response;to;the;bills,;the;Massachusetts
Education;Justice;Alliance;delivered;a;letter;to;the
state;Senate;in;late;October;that;concluded,;“We
speak;with;one;voice;in;response;to;this;threat:
Enough.;We;cannot;compromise;out;of;fear.;We
urge;you;to;oppose;lifting;any;of;the;existing;caps
The;MEJA;is;a;coalition;of;community,
educator,;parent,;student;and;social;justice
organizations.;The;letter;detailed;several;key
reasons;for;its;position.

n This year alone, charters are diverting
more than $419 million from district schools
after reimbursements are taken into account.
This;leaves;district;schools;with;inadequate
resources;to;provide;their;students;with;the;basic
education;services,;enrichment;activities;and
social;services;they;need;and;deserve.
n Charters are often approved by the Board
of Elementary and Secondary Education over
the strong objections of a large majority of local
taxpayers, residents and elected officials in the
affected communities.;In;addition,;once;a;charter
is;approved,;parents;and;students;have;nowhere;to
turn;to;address;problems;caused;by;the;school.
n Most charter schools fail to serve as
many high-need students as their sending
districts,;especially;English;language;learners
who;have;very;little;English;proficiency,;students
with;significant;disabilities;and;very;low-income
students.;As;a;result,;districts;have;fewer
resources;to;educate;a;higher-need;population,
leading;to;flight;from;district;schools;and;a
downward;spiral.

n Most urban charters use a hyperdisciplinary model that drives out students who don’t fit their paradigm,;contributing;to the;school-to-prison;pipeline.;In;addition,;despite repeated;unverified;claims;of;long;waiting;lists, charters;generally;fail;to;fill;vacancies;when;these students;leave;or;are;pushed;out.

Last;year;the;Senate;rejected;charter;cap-lift bills.;If;that;happens;again;this;session,;as;the MEJA;urges,;the;issue;is;expected;to;be;on;the ballot;next;fall.;The;ballot;question;would;allow the;state;to;approve;12;new;charter;schools every;year;on;top;of;the;number;permitted;under existing;state;law.

These;new;charters;could;be;opened;in;any community;in;the;state;regardless;of;student performance,;the;impact;on;a;district’s;finances;or charter;enrollment;practices;that;push;out;high-need;students.;In;fact,;the;state;could;replace;all;of the;public;schools;in;a;given;district;with;charter schools,;undermining;rights;for;educators;and students;alike.

“The;charter;movement;generates;profits for;private;interests;in;large;part;by;wiping;out unions,”;said;MTA;President;Barbara;Madeloni. “Anti-worker;forces;have;smashed;unions;in;the private;sector;and;now;they;are;going;after;public-sector;unions;with;a;vengeance;because;we;are;a potent;force;for;economic;justice,;employee;rights and;democracy.;We;will;fight;this;by;taking;our case;for;excellent;public;schools;for;all;directly;to the;voters.”

For more information and updates, please go to massteacher.org/charterschools.

Loss of funding is key focus of hearing testimony

By Scott McLennan

A;steady;procession;of;advocates;for;public;education;—;including;parents,;educators,;administrators,;legislators,;civil;rights activists;and;labor;leaders;—;underscored;the destabilizing;effects;that;Commonwealth;charter schools;are;having;on;district;public;schools;during testimony;at;a;recent;State;House;hearing.

The;MTA;and;its;community;partners;in;the Massachusetts;Education;Justice;Alliance;are;among those;supporting;Senate;326,;one;of;the;many charter-related;bills;heard;by;the;Legislature’s;Joint Committee;on;Education;on;Oct.;13.;The;bill,;filed by;Senator;Marc;Pacheco;(D-Taunton),;would;place a;moratorium;on;any;charter;school;expansion;for three;years;and;require;all;teachers;in;charter;schools to;be;fully;certified.

Members;of;MTA;locals;from;around;the;state waited;several;hours;in;Gardner;Auditorium;before being;able;to;testify;on;behalf;of;S.;326;and;against legislation;filed;by;Governor;Charlie;Baker;that would;expand;charter;school;growth.

Union;leaders;joined;superintendents;and;school committee;members;on;community-based;panels testifying;about;the;adverse;effects;that;charter schools;have;on;public;schools.

Educators;hammered;home;the;point;that;the
method;by;which;charter;schools;are;funded;unfairly
siphons;money;from;traditional;district;public;schools.
At;the;same;time,;they;said,;charter;schools;do;not
face;the;same;challenges;as;district;public;schools.
Several;of;those;testifying;provided;data
showing;that;district;schools;have;far;greater
proportions;of;English;language;learners;and
students;with;special;needs;than;the;charter;schools
that;enroll;students;from;those;communities.
“When;did;it;become;acceptable;to;take
resources;away;from;one;child;to;give;to;another
child?”;asked;Fall;River;Educators’;Association
President;Rebecca;Cusick.;She;described;how
students;from;disadvantaged;backgrounds;are
particularly;hurt;when;the;traditional;schools;they
attend;lose;significant;resources;to;charter;operators
who;“prey;upon;the;hopes;and;dreams;of;parents.”
“If;the;wealthiest;sent;their;children;to;the;same
schools;as;the;poorest,;schools;would;get;everything
they;needed,”;she;said.
Ludlow;School;Committee;member;Jake
Oliveira;framed;the;funding;issues;in;practical;terms.
Senator Marc
Pacheco
(D-Taunton)
testified about
the impact that
charter schools
are having
on public
education amid
a standing-
room-only
crowd at a
State House
hearing on
Oct. 13.