Ebony Dennis Barnes was among the Downtown speakers on Tuesday that filled Baldwin Plaza behind the state courthouse urging more public funds for charter schools that operate independently of traditional school districts. Governor Dan Malloy supports charter schools but with push back from state legislators and opponents who maintain charters swipe money from neighborhood schools. For charter school supporters it’s a matter of more choices for students and parents as state budget talks continue. Commentary from Barnes.
On Tuesday, more than 3,000 parents from every corner of Connecticut gathered here in Bridgeport to join the “March for Fairness.” I was proud to be one of them. We marched, and rallied, to tell our elected leaders to treat all public school children equally–and stop underfunding charter school students.
Every public school in Bridgeport is underfunded – but charter school students are given the worst treatment of them all. Each student gets $2,800 dollars less per year than the average district school student. That means that public charter school students are given just 74 cents on the dollar compared to traditional public school students. That adds up to millions of dollars a year–millions of dollars that our children deserve but aren’t getting.
That’s not something that parents can accept. Because that means are children are somehow worth less than other kids–when obviously that couldn’t be further from the truth.
This is an important time for our kids. As the Governor and Legislative leaders begin budget talks, it’s critically important that we remind our state leaders–public charter school students can’t afford to lose funding during this current budget crunch. And once we get past the cost-cutting, it’s long past time for us to reform our funding system, so that ALL children are funded fairly by the state of Connecticut.
I grew in Bridgeport. And I went to Bridgeport Public Schools as a kid. I know the children that are being underfunded, because children in our communities have been underfunded for generations.
When I was seventeen, I attended a retreat that brought together kids from neighboring towns. I was blown away by what I saw there. For kids from wealthy communities, school was a safe place. School was a place that prepared you for college and a career. Teachers were held to high expectations, and so were students. It was a different world from where I came from.
That experience opened my eyes to the inequality that divides kids in Connecticut. This inequality is driven by a funding system that de-values low income, black and Latino children. I know we can do better. And parents are committed to this fight for the long haul. In this upcoming budget season, we want to make one thing very clear: parents across Connecticut will NOT tolerate cuts to our schools. Instead, we will should begin a conversation with our state leaders about why charter school students should be treated fairly.
They complain that each child gets $2,800 less than public schools but they do not see the same number of English language learners and students with disabilities and who are special education as the public schools. So this really does not make sense. They also are not obligated to be as transparent about how they use their funds. The charter schools act like they are the solution to public education. If this were the solution then Fairfield and Westport would have charter schools. It all comes down to money and poverty. If the public schools are funded the way they need to be AND managed correctly then there will be change. And do not get me started on how charter schools use their money for middle management and administrative salaries and are WAY high. So charter schools could probably find the $2,800 if they cut some of the excess fat of these inflated administrative positions.
I will readily admit I do not know much about Charter Schools but I agree with the essence of the above comment. Charter schools seem to be similar to Parochial Schools–most of their students probably have support at home that encourages/reinforces learning because their parent(s)/guardian(s) are involved and set expectations. Money in and of itself does not guarantee a good education, it’s how the funds are used. It’s like a car, you can purchase a new vehicle for $18,000 that will provide you reliable and safe transportation for 10 years/100k miles or you can purchase a new vehicle that has bells and whistles for $35k that essentially provides the same. Did I get from here to there? Yes. Education can happen anywhere where there is an interested student and a caring instructor.
facts,
You should ask parochial school leaders how they feel about charter schools. Charter schools have truly hurt their host city public schools. They have decimated the parochial school system. Cathedral Academy (Bridgeport’s Catholic system) is down to three or four schools. St. Ann’s, St. Augustine’s (K-3), St. Raphael’s (4-8).
This tomfoolery over “underfunded” charter schools has got to stop. They are private schools funded by public dollars. These schools enrich private citizens who have invested in them. BPS has been underfunded for generations. These billionaires and millionaires are taking advantage of some of the most vulnerable people, and using their parents as pawns to do it.
and parents!
I included parents.
I believe Washington State got it right: Washington Supreme Court expels charter schools from state public school system.
www .salon.com/2015/09/10/washington_charters_partner/
I have the misfortune of spending considerable time lately in Bridgeport’s public high school classrooms as a substitute teacher (babysitter). The main problem is behavior of students. Where do they learn this behavior? Parents? More likely it is lack of parenting. Charter schools have been portrayed by some as the answer in urban centers. Some parents demand a private school education and expect the taxpayer to pay for it.
Bingo Tom White, you can spend $1,000,000 per student, but without proper home training it means nothing.
The Test Scores Don’t Lie.
While sometimes there is difficulty in its practice, the operating principles of the “public” education system is based on availability for all and to all. This is the cornerstone of our democracy.
And we are operating in Bridgeport as participants in that very democracy. Are we not?
If Bridgeport’s BOE weren’t so politicized at the expense of the good of the students, well then maybe charter schools wouldn’t be so attractive. The rest of this discussion is just bullshit, like the two twelve-year-olds in “Stand By Me” arguing whether Superman can kick Mighty Mouse’s ass.
*** Variety is the spice of life, so having more choices when it comes to kids’ education is very important. Especially with the problems that seem to be present in city public schools these days! Your kids, your money, your choice. ***
Take a look at the obvious expense just to have this rally The staging, sound system, and T-shirts cost something.