Are Charter Schools Public or Private? Trying to Have It Both Ways When Federal Emergency Money Is Involved
One reads that a pandemic is likely to inspire greed as people struggle protect themselves and their loved ones. Right now that theory seems to be confirmed by the behavior of charter school advocates, who want to have it both ways. Such advocates call their institutions “public charter schools,” but when it is convenient, the same prominent advocates insist that charter schools should qualify to benefit from federal funds appropriated for the purpose of shoring up small businesses. Public and private all at the same time.
Nina Rees is the president and CEO of the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools. On Wednesday, she published a commentary in which she poses as a supporter of the needs of public schools and charter schools alike. She affirms the importance of the $13.5 billion in the emergency federal CARES Act, money to provide relief for publicly funded schools including traditional and charter schools: “First, the $13.5 billion in emergency K-12 funding that Congress passed will be allocated to states and distributed to Local Education Agencies (LEAs) according to the formula that guides Title I funding. Districts and schools that typically receive Title I funds should see around 80 percent more money this year. Charter schools that operate their own LEAs are assured funding. Those that are overseen by school districts will rely on their districts to provide funding. Secretary DeVos and governors should encourage districts to make these decisions solely in the interest of students, without regard to differences in school model.”
The website of Rees’ organization, the National Association for Public Charter Schools, on the other hand, promotes a strategy for charter schools as though they are private businesses and not public schools at all. The organization’s website explains how charter school operators can qualify for loans designed not for educational institutions, but instead for small businesses CONTINUE READING: Are Charter Schools Public or Private? Trying to Have It Both Ways When Federal Emergency Money Is Involved | janresseger
Big Education Ape: Tell Congress Charters Should Not Line Their Pockets During the COVID Crisis - Network For Public Education - http://bigeducationape.blogspot.com/2020/04/tell-congress-charters-should-not-line.html