No on I-729: Charters do not deliver as promised

The state Office of Financial Management projects that we will be paying up to $18 million more to cover the costs of students currently enrolled in private schools or home-based instruction who change over to charter schools. This may be a conservative estimate since there is nothing in the initiative to prevent private non-sectarian schools from "converting" to charter schools. Forty to 45 percent of the students in Philadelphia and St. Louis’ charter schools are from private schools.

Wait a minute, you say. How can someone make money on a charter school if they have to be nonprofit? The "applicant" charter school board or state university’s governing board must be a nonprofit corporation. However, the initiative specifically allows these boards to contract with any public or private entity — for any and all real property, equipment, goods, supplies, and services including educational instructional services. The Edison company estimates its revenue from the state of Maryland alone will be $50 million over the next five years.

I-729 would send public tax dollars to new charter schools with few requirements for accountability to elected officials, parents or taxpayers. The initiative states that "charter public schools shall report at least annually to its sponsor and to parents of children enrolled at the charter public school." Our common public schools are open to scrutiny from school board members, the public and parents every school day of the year.

The initiative states that charter schools will be exempt from all state and local rules except those relating to state and federal health, safety and civil rights, state required tests, hiring of teachers, record checks, financial and audit requirements, annual performance and progress reports and the open public meetings act.

The initiative does not identify exempted laws and rules. A problem is that state laws cannot be amended by reference and, therefore, the sponsors of the initiative needed to identify each law or rule that will be waived. Another problem is that the statutes established by the Legislature have been enacted to protect students, parents, employees and taxpayers.

Which laws will be waived? Those that apply to student attendance, suspension and expulsion? An employee’s rights relating to dismissal? A parent’s right to examine curricula and exempt students from objectionable materials? A taxpayer’s right to know and review programs and materials funded with their dollars? If these and other laws are not necessary, why not remove them from all schools currently operating under the direction and accountability of elected school boards?

Sending public dollars to schools run by non-profit organizations, especially those that choose to contract with private for-profit companies — as I-729 specifically allows — is contrary to Washington’s state constitution that clearly requires a general and uniform system of common schools. Selling our schools to for-profit corporations will lead to a serious erosion of the foundation of our democratic society — our common schools. Just think about it. Seventy percent of the charter schools in Michigan are now run by for-profit corporations.

Do we need to improve? Definitely! Do we need your help and support? Absolutely! Our goal is to have a system of public schools where all students have the opportunities and educational programs they need to meet our new, higher standards. Diverting funds, teachers, parents, students and energy from our public schools is not the answer.

We need to keep the public in public schools. We need to keep your attention, your support, your tax dollars — and our accountability to you. Vote NO on Initiative 729!