The Facts About Charter Schools
Charter schools are out-of-state, for-profit corporations that make personal profits from education tax dollars. The introduction of charter schools to Alabama will take nearly $200 million a year from our neighborhood public schools. Yet, major studies prove that charter schools fail to provide a better alternative to existing neighborhood public schools. Our kids can’t afford to lose another $200 million every year to fund an educational experiment that doesn’t even work.
Charter Schools Don’t Work
Studies by Stanford University, the U.S. Dept. of Education, and the RAND Corporation prove that charter schools fail to provide a better alternative to our neighborhood public schools.
The Stanford University study concludes that charter schools fail at their mission twice as often as they succeed.
That’s not a passing grade!
We Can’t Afford Charter Schools
- Charter schools will take nearly $200 million a year from our neighborhood public schools.
- Neighborhood public school funding has been cut for four straight years with no end in sight.How can our kids afford nearly $200 million more?
- The current plan wil send those tax dollars to out-of-state, for-profit corporations.
- Charter school corporations make hundreds of millions of dollars in annual revenue from local tax dollars. Charter CEOs make personal fortunes in salary every year.
Charter Schools Lack
Transparency and Encourage Corruption
Corruption is rife in the charter school industry:
- Fully one quarter of Philadelphia charter schools are under investigation for fraud, financial mismanagement, and conflicts of interest.
- A California charter school chain closed 60 charter schools after an audit revealed theft and misappropriation of public funds by its founder.
- A Minnesota charter school closed after its owner was sentenced to federal prison for using school funds for personal vacations and expenses.
- Turkish-run charter schools are under investigation in Ohio and Illinois for abusing an immigration loophole to bring teachers suspected of being part of a right-wing group into the country.
- Charter schools lack standards. They ignore teacher certification and curriculum, are not subject to board oversight, and are not publicly accountable – all standards designed to keep our kids safe and make sure they are learning. Charter schools create an environment where fraud and corruption are encouraged.