Letter to My State Representatives

I am one of your constituents. I have keen interest in our public schools and funding for the schools that service the majority of our local families.
I understand that for some families the charter schools are a better fit. But that is a very small majority. I implore you to do all you can to please fund the public schools appropriately and consequently hold the charter schools to the same standards as our public schools, especially as they are receiving public funds as well.

Public schools, where all students are accepted and by law are the defaults for local school age children to attend, are held to state and federal accountability. Charters, meanwhile, can pick and choose their student body (they are not required to accept Special Ed or English Language Learners, for example, nor do they have to make the same accommodations for them if they are enrolled) and then aren't even held to the same standards of outcome.

The discrepancy in funding is to the detriment of the majority, allowing the public system to suffer (too large of class sizes, not enough funds for supplies) while the minority systems (charter schools) sit back and smile.

I oversee and train PTA leaders at ten local public schools. In the past year or so I have seen the discrepancies in funding and outcome accountability between the public schools and the charters grow. It does little to foster community spirit and even less to encourage local academic support.

This past year, I know many students were initially enrolled at the public school (in this case, C. Elementary) for one week or so and then were pulled to attend a brand new charter school that opened on a later date. Teachers, hired when enrollment numbers were peaking, had to be let go when the numbers of students dropped. Then, a month of so later, several of those same families, unsatisfied with the charter schools unfulfilled promises, came back to enroll their students back at C. By that time teachers were let go and classes were filled. Designated WPU funds were already assigned to the charter school for those particular students and isn't follow the student to the public school. The students who had stayed were clearly disadvantaged by this shift with more crowded classrooms and teachers already spread too thin, as were the returned pupils who now had to remake new friends and fit into a social system that had started without them, much less their academic routine that was now on a different page for them.

Similarly, this year G. Elementary had 30 students leave to go to a charter school, 26 of whom returned within 3 months.

We need to re-think the charter school systems and make them accountable for their methods. They should be tested on the same level as the public schools if they are teaching the UTAH STATE CORE. If they want EQUAL treatment, then they should be held to EQUAL standards.

I urge you to please hold the charter schools to the same standards our public schools are and fund our public schools are generously as possible.

Sincerely,
A VERY concerned Mom, PTA volunteer, friend and neighbor