After withdrawing December’s charter vote, the Board of Education (Board) looks like they’re bringing back charters for a vote in January. But what has changed in the past month? 

Did CPS follow its own policy on community hearings on charters?  No!

Did CPS conduct a serious look’ at the fiscal health of charters and develop a system for stricter oversight? No!

Was there new breakthrough research to disprove what we know about charters? 

• 1 of 11 students left charters last school year,
• 5 of 6 Charters perform no better than traditional public schools.
• Charters “cream students” and underpay teachers and staff.
• No financial audits exist and are not listed in the CPS budget.

No!

Or did Rahm Emanuel’s campaign co-chair, Juan Rangel, the head of United Neighborhood Organization (UNO) charters, clout these votes back on the Board’s agenda?   Said Rangel about the December Board vote …

 “What we didn’t like, especially in the charter school community, is this question whether charters are even a viable option,” Rangel said. "We also want to make sure that there’s not a policy shift at CPS and that CPS will still be allowing parents the right to have an option.”

Let’s force that shift and tell charters that their money and clout cannot buy our city!

Call, e-mail, and visit your aldermen and the alderman of your school’s district and tell them the Board cannot rubber-stamp new schools when it won’t support existing schools.

Speak out at the Board meeting on January 26th, 2010 at 125 S. Clark St. Meeting begins at 10:30, speaker signup at 6:00. The charter profiteers will definitely be there in full force.