Bowman: Don't let Richmond dictate charter schools
By Laura Bowman
Bowman is the leader of the child and public school advocacy group Parents Across America-Roanoke Valley, a chapter of the national Parents Across America organization. She’s a stay-at-home mom and an active parent volunteer in Roanoke County Public Schools.
I’m writing you today concerning state Sen. Mark Obenshain’s Charter School Bill, SJ 6. This bill, if passed in the General Assembly and then voted into law by Virginia voters in 2016, would harm our state’s financially strapped public schools by taking funding away from them.
In addition, local decision-making power would be removed from our school boards and localities.
Furthermore, by opening the door to charter school expansion in the commonwealth, passage of the bill into law would invite the myriad problems charter schools have experienced across the nation.
Weekly, I read news stories about charter school fraud, waste, embezzlement and mismanagement. There’s an alarming lack of oversight, transparency and accountability in many charter schools. There are reports of charter schools closing overnight, employing unqualified educators, and having high teacher turnover rates due to hostile work environments.
Many charter schools use selective enrollment tactics to ensure higher test scores. Students with indivdualized education programs, children with behavior problems and English language learners are often not allowed to attend charter schools, or are pushed out once enrolled.
Humiliating and abusive practices are being reported in so-called “no excuses” charter schools, and there are reports of charter schools failing to comply with the IDEA Act. Some charter schools are being rightly accused of promoting “separate but equal” education, and accelerated segregation by race and class.
Charter schools de-fund our public schools and cause cuts in the numbers of teachers and faculties in them. In addition, when children leave their neighborhood schools for charter schools, communities can see their property values go down.
Virginia has only seven charter schools, so citizens of the commonwealth are largely unaware of the disturbing and worrisome problems charter schools are having across the country.
The question we must ask ourselves is: Considering the fact that Virginia’s public schools are consistently ranked between fourth and sixth in the nation, why are we even considering opening this Pandora’s Box in our state?
It’s important we understand that nationwide, only 17 percent of charter schools fare better than their public school counterparts, and 37 percent have worse outcomes. Numbers like these don’t inspire confidence in change and Bowman: Don't let Richmond dictate charter schools - Roanoke Times: Commentary:
