When “Choice” is Not Really Choice and When “Reform” is Not Really Reform

As Americans, we like having choices. Choices symbolize freedom, and, in some cases, choices propel competition. Choices represent a marketplace wherein low performers are compelled to improve in order to have a horse in the race at all. While this belief in the market may work for toothpaste, cable companies, or cell phones, this should not be the ideology we use when we think about public education. Education is not a business. Education is not entertainment. Education is not technology. And, unlike other businesses in the marketplace, public schools cannot improve if money is continuously siphoned away from it.

Public education is the foundation of our communities and the backbone of our democracy. It should not be a question. It should not be a choice. It should not be subject to competition. It should just BE. But, in order to just BE, it has to get a fair shake and support from its government. This cannot happen if our government continues to put the rights of charter and cybercharter schools above the rights of public schools.

There are a lot of misconceptions about charter/cybercharter schools that need to be corrected. First, these schools are NOT private schools. They are publicly-funded schools that operate using OUR tax dollars. Students do not pay tuition to attend charter schools. Instead, the money that would be allocated for that student in their community public school is reallocated to fund their place in the charter school. In many cases the per pupil spending that a district pays to a charter school far exceeds that which is actually spent on that child in the charter school. This means that, in some cases, the CEOs of the companies that run these charter schools are actually making a PROFIT on our tax dollars.

A 2018 survey by the Pennsylvania Association of School Administrators (PASA) found that districts pay, on average, $11, 306, for each general education student attending a cyber charter, and $24, 192 for special education students. The same survey said the “vast majority” of district-run cyber schools cost $5,000 or less per student. (WHYY)

Thus, at minimum, some charter schools are netting a $6,000 profit from our tax dollars.

This is problematic for several reasons. First, public education should not be run by a corporation, and corporations should not be making money off of our students. That is what’s happening in the charter/cybercharter world. Second, if these schools are truly public, they would accept all students, and, in many cases, they do not. At the simplest level, this means that our public tax dollars are, in short, funding a type of private education without calling it private education. Essentially, charters are wolves in sheep’s clothing.

Another misconception about charter/cybercharter schools is that they provide a better education to students than do our public schools. Again, this is simply not true. Report after report has shown that charter schools, particularly cyber charter schools, are underperforming in almost all areas, especially in math. Additionally, they are not adequately preparing students for post-secondary education. You can read WHYY’s synopsis of a recent Stanford study on PA’s charter schools here. Basically, parents are being sold a bill of goods. Charter/cybercharter schools are presented as good alternatives to public education when, in reality, they are not.

It would make sense that schools that receive ANY public money would be held to strict oversight and standards by the state. However, this is not the case with PA charter schools. Pennsylvania has been cited on numerous occasions for its lax oversight and regulation of its charter schools, dating back to the early 1990s. Susan Spicka from Education Voters of Pennsylvania refers to PA’s charter school legislation/oversight as the “wild west” (WHYY). If schools are using our public tax dollars, shouldn’t they be held to the same standards and oversight as our traditional public schools?

Right now the PA House and Senate are reviewing a package of four charter school bills. The Republicans sponsoring these bills consistently refer them as charter school REFORM when they are far from it. In fact, these four bills aim to give charter schools a wider berth in terms of property expansion and limits school boards’ role in setting the requirements for application into a school district. House Bill 357 essentially gives charter schools unfettered access to our districts and undermines our local schools boards’ authority in approving or denying charter applications in our districts.

According to Pennsylvania Association of School Administrators (PASA),

HB 357 provides for flexibility to charter school applicants and places further restrictions on the board of school districts for review of applications…prohibits local school boards to require additional information with an application, develop their own applications or require additional information beyond the standard application form…provides more flexibility to charter schools in seeking charter renewal and amendments…prohibits school districts from referring to their online instruction program as a “cyber charter school” unless the district applies to be so recognized and meets all procedures and requirements for application.

Voting for/against these charter school bills is falling largely along party lines. Those of us living in the eastern part of Montgomery County, for example, have house and senate members who oppose this legislation, so contacting them may not be our most strategic move. We need to bring the fight WEST. We need to write, call, and tweet at the PA GOP (https://twitter.com/PAGOP, https://twitter.com/PASenateGOP, https://twitter.com/PAHouseGOP). Contact the Senate Chair of the Education Committee Wayne Langerholc, Jr. (Wlangerholc@pasen.gov). His term ends in 2020, and we need to start thinking about running a real race against him. In the meantime, contact Senator Langerholc and tell him to stand up for PA public schools by supporting real charter reform and adequate and equitable funding for public schools.

Many families who live in a struggling or underperforming public school districts argue that they are dissatisfied with their schools and need choices for their children. These concerns are valid. However, robbing Peter to pay Paul is not the way to achieve this goal. Instead of moving students out of the district, we need to fight for adequate funding for our public schools. We need to demand that our legislators take up the fight for public education, not charter schools, FIRST. We don’t need more charter schools; we need better public schools. We can’t do BOTH.

Please contact your representatives and tell them to vote NO on any charter bills that do not involve a sweeping changes to current charter legislation in PA. We need complete regulation, oversight, and funding overhaul for charter and cybercharter schools. We need to increase funding of traditional public schools. We need and deserve a public education system that works for everyone in the Commonwealth. Below are some resources to help guide your communications with your reps:

• Read Education Voters of PA’s letter to the PA Senate regarding HB 357.
• Click here to contact your state senator to ask them to vote NO on HB 357 and three other charter bills coming through the statehouse.
• List of PA State Senators.
• Find your legislators.