I Write The State Senate

Dear Senators,

As a veteran teacher in a traditional public school that has been both A rated by the NYCDOE and received a "Well Developed" designation by the NYCDOE Quality Review, I am urging you to NOT vote to lift the charter cap without increasing the accountability measures on charter school operators.

There are MANY examples of charter school non-accountability and fraud in the news - including the recent NY Times article on Imagine Schools (http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/24/education/24imagine.html), the city controller's report in Philadelphia that found financial mismanagement, fraud and criminal activity in 13 charter schools including one running a nightclub in the school on weekends (http://www.philly.com/philly/news/local/91791679.html), and in the Daily News where reporters found many NYC charter operators engaging in nepotism and conflicts of interest (http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/education/2010/04/22/2010-04-22_charters_family_plans_nepotism_conflict_of_interest_find_a_home_at_privately_run.html?page=1).

Charter schools MUST face the same financial accountability and scrutiny that traditional public schools have. Yet for some reason, Peter Murphy and other charter advocates say that charter schools are already "the most accountable entities in the Western Hemisphere" (http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/education/2010/04/22/2010-04-22_charter_school_champions_critics_clash_at_volatile_public_hearing_on_oversight_m.html)and should be exempt from an outside auditor of their finances and academic records.

The evidence is quite clear that raising the charter cap with the current bill will lead to more fraud, more non-accountability, and more nepotism. In addition, charters will continue to refuse to educate ALL students and take only students who score well on tests and behave well in school while traditional public schools educate ALL students regardless of academic skill level, ability, or behavioral issue.

For too long, now charter schools have enjoyed cache from the politicians and press, favoritism from education officials like Joel Klein and Arne Duncan, and millions of dollars from the hedge fund industry and Wall Street. But they have NOT played fairly by refusing to educate all students or by opening their books to outside scrutiny. In this ear when politicians of both parties say public schools and public school teachers MUST be held accountable, I say that charter school operators and their schools MUST be held accountable too.

The New York State Senate will be making a mistake by voting to raise the charter cap without additional accountability safeguards on charter operators and their schools. In addition, charter operators MUST educate ALL students and provide detailed records and statistics of those who are discharged and the reasons why they were dumped from their schools.

As a teacher at Fashion Industries High School in Chelsea, I will make certain that my colleagues know EXACTLY how their state senators voted on this bill. In a year when there is a lot of anger toward incumbents, you can be sure teachers at traditional public school will be mobilizing to hold politicians who harm the interests of traditional public schools accountable.

Sincerely,

_____________
Teacher of English
UFT/AFT Member
Registered Democrat