Seattle Schools Community Forum: City IS Going to Give K-12 Education Dollars to Charter Schools
I attended the press conference about the Mayor signing the City Council's resolution of support for the SPS levies. I asked the Mayor directly whether the City's oversight committee for its education levy had voted to share levy dollars with charter schools. She waved the question off and said we could talk "offline."
I had asked Dwane Chappelle before the press conference and he told me we could talk afterwards.
Both of them exited the room before I could talk to either of them. Here's what I was later told in an email:
Dwane Chappelle, Director of the Department of Education and Early Learning.
“The Families, Education, Preschool, and Promise plan invests to close the opportunity gap across our City. The Department of Education and Early Learning will allow all public schools and all public school students to apply for levy funds. This decision includes public charter schools in Seattle, which represent approximately 800 students at public charter schools, and the more than 54,000 students at Seattle Public Schools. This decision was made after consulting with the City’s lawyers and is consistent with past precedent which allowed a preschool organization affiliated with the public charter school to apply for Levy funding and ultimately receive funds. We look forward to continuing our critical work through a strong partnership with the City and District’s to advance our shared vision and values.”
On background for your other questions. This decision is part of the of the Implementation and Evaluation Plan for the Families, Education, Preschool and Promise Levy which will be transmitted to Council for approval in the coming weeks.So my thought for now is to write the City Council and say no to this. Council@seattle.gov.
Some of them are running for office again - maybe it should be pointed out to CONTINUE READING: Seattle Schools Community Forum: City IS Going to Give K-12 Education Dollars to Charter Schools