Subject:
Please pass S.9568-A (Mayer)/A.10729-A (Ramos) to give communities a real voice in charter school decisions!
Message:
Dear Legislator:
As a constituent who cares deeply about public education, I am writing to urge you to support S.9568-A (Mayer)/A.10729-A (Ramos), which would require public hearings and a local vote before a charter school can be established, expanded or renewed in our communities.
The public should have a say in how their taxpayer dollars are spent, including whether a new charter school should be established in their school district. Currently, communities have no meaningful voice in these decisions, even though charter schools have a direct impact on local school budgets, property taxes and the resources available to students in our neighborhood public schools.
The financial impact is significant. In New York's most charter-saturated districts, the majority of Foundation Aid increases over five years have gone to corporate charters rather than to support students in public schools. When students leave for charters, public schools lose per-pupil funding but still face fixed costs, forcing cuts to programs for the students who remain. School districts must be able to plan for the opening or expansion of a charter school, and the currently established timeline does not allow sufficient time for such planning.
As New York City has reached its charter school cap, we are seeing the proliferation of charter schools across the rest of the state. Meanwhile, in New York City, charter schools consistently expand without community oversight. This legislation would address both concerns by requiring:
- Outside of New York City: Two public hearings and a local vote for the establishment, expansion or renewal of a charter school.
- In New York City: Two public hearings and a vote of the Community District Education Council for the establishment, expansion or renewal of a charter school.
Public schools are governed by elected boards, hold open meetings and maintain public budgets. Charter schools, by contrast, are run by private, unelected boards that too often make decisions behind closed doors. They are also exempt from the same fiscal transparency and accountability requirements that apply to our neighborhood public schools. If charter schools are going to receive public dollars, they should be subject to meaningful public input and oversight.
Additionally, corporate charter schools consistently underserve students with disabilities and English language learners. If they want to be part of our communities, they must serve all students — and our communities must have a voice in holding them accountable.
I urge you to pass S.9568-A (Mayer)/A.10729-A (Ramos) and restore local control over charter school decisions. Accountability, transparency and public input — that's all we're asking for. It's the same standard we already expect of our public schools.
I respectfully ask that you bring up this issue with your conference and I would greatly appreciate a response to this email.
Sincerely,
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