More than two hundred students, teachers and parents from Western New York's 16 charter schools will be boarding buses bound for Albany this morning, to speak before elected representatives in Albany regarding funding. They will join thousands of charter school supporters from all corners of New York State who will be traveling to the Capitol to meet with state leaders to discuss the budget crises and its effect on charter schools.
Charter schools in Buffalo enroll 20 percent of Buffalo Public School students.
Superintendent of Buffalo Public Schools Dr. James A. Williams, currently in Washington D.C. at an education conference, will be sending a statement to Albany that calls for an even playing field between public schools and local charter schools when it comes to funding and student abilities. The Buffalo Public Schools are facing a $71 million reduction in funding this year, while the charter schools stand to gain the $16 million they expected.
"The way the economy sits right now, we can't afford a dual system of education," says Dr. Williams. As he explains it, it would be one thing if a charter school were to take over an entire school's population and that school were subsequently closed, but by depleting the top student population, school by school, public schools are left with a deficit of strong academic learners and the money that follows them.
Add to that the fact that a charter school can return a non-performing student within the first year, and Williams says there comes a question of separation and segregation. He would expect charters to have a cross-section of students that has the same percentages of disabled, bilingual and special education students that the public schools have - and to keep each student they accept for an entire year.
"To reduce aid to public schools, while charter school funding stays intact would be both inequitable and unethical," Williams says. "That takes us back 50 years, before anti-segregation wars were won in Greenfield, NC."
Within that student population that charters can't or won't take, Williams points to other problems. "The law states that if a student comes in speaking no English, they are to be given a math test on day one, and an English test after one year," he says. "Some of these students have never been in school before, and there is no research to support why they have low test scores." It becomes a problem for the District, such as with the recent placement of the International School on a watch list.
Beyond Albany, Dr. Williams is eager to hear what higher levels of government are willing to do for American students and their schools. "What is the plan for public education?" he asks. "I have yet to hear it."
It is very disappointing to see such a one sided and simplistic post on such a complex and politically divisive issue in our community. I never would have pegged BRO as being anti-Charter school, but this post makes me wonder.
Also, who wrote this? From now on when no author is referenced on a post, are we readers to simply assume "press release"?
Is the mission of BRO still to promote good things about the City? If so, how do posts like this fulfill that mission?
Very disappointing.
I don't see how this is Anti-Charter School.
This is a one-sided piece with incorrect "facts" supplied by James Williams and no response from any other point of view. Charter Schools were subject to a funding freeze this school year (ie no increase from last year and they only get 2/3 of the money the district does). Charters didn't get ANY of the federal stimulus money this year, whereas districts did: that's why their spending went up...
"To reduce aid to public schools, while charter school funding stays intact would be both inequitable and unethical," Williams says. "That takes us back 50 years, before anti-segregation wars were won in Greenfield, NC." Anti segregation?? What? That's the inflammatory rhetoric that the union leaders are trying to paint charter schools with. It's ridiculous -- most charters are educating a disproportionately high number of poor and minority students and most are doing a better job, especially in New York.
There are too many points to refute in this article -- I don't know where to start!
Seriously?
Yeah, it sounds like typical bantering. It's not fair that (Your school name here)gets less money then (Other school name here). Up next the inevitable "teachers get paid too much" argument.
did you note that charters only get 2/3 the funding per student that public schools get AND that they have to pay for their own buildings out of that 67% while public schools have their buildings handed to them? Does it still seem fair and balanced reporting?
As far as I know, based on what I have read on here in the past, BRO publishes one-sided stories about a particular event or issue and then leaves it to the readers to discuss the issue. So lulu and lizliz....why not just give your thoughts on the subject and tell the "other" side to the story instead of simply complaining about the post?
Just a thought. The beauty of this type of medium is that everyone gets to share their thoughts. But if your thoughts are just a b@*ch-fest about the medium, what exactly is the point?