Charter schools campaign draws strong pushback from teachers’ union
News that a business-backed coalition with ties to Governor Charlie Baker could spend up to $18 million on a campaign to increase the number of charter schools in Massachusetts drew a reaction from teachers’ unions this week.
A strong one.
American Federation of Teachers Massachusetts president Tom Gosnell released a statement Tuesday calling the planned spending – which kicked off with direct mail to Democrat-controlled districts, including that of Senate President Stanley C. Rosenberg – “a downpayment on the over $100 million in public funding they could rob from our locally controlled public schools every single year.”
The campaign, run by the Great Schools Massachusetts coalition, is seeking to pressure lawmakers to consent to legislation that would raise the cap on charter schools. But organizers are also preparing, if the legislative results don’t go their way, for a November ballot question. AFT, which claims 25,000 members, and its allies are gearing up to fight both measures.
Continued Gosnell, “If they think they can rip off Massachusetts voters and taxpayers with sleek mailers and slick ads, they’re wrong. If they think they can come from out of state and tell legislators and communities in the top-ranked state for education how to improve our schools, they’re wrong.”
Play nice, everybody.Charter schools campaign draws strong pushback from teachers’ union - The Boston Globe:
