President's Call to Reform Charter Public School Laws Should Be Followed
CHICAGO, April 21, 2009 — In a recent print advertisement, the Illinois Network of Charter Schools (INCS) and the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools have called on the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) president to take bold action by supporting the growth of charter schools. The state and national charter school organizations have challenged union chief Randi Weingarten to help Illinois meet President Obama's call to reform charter public school education laws and allow for the addition of charter schools in districts where they are needed.
By most accounts, education in the United States is at a crisis point and Illinois is no exception. Charter public schools are a proven educational model with more than a decade of success. Yet, restrictive laws and bureaucracy encouraged by the Chicago AFT affiliate create artificial and unnecessary barriers to charter school growth. In Chicago, more than 13,000 families are waiting for the chance to attend a charter public school. However, due to one of the harshest caps in the country only one in 44 students in Illinois has this opportunity of a lifetime. "Schools are crumbling, the achievement gap is more like a huge crater and because of this our students are quickly falling behind their global peers. Union leadership must accept this reality and the fact that charter public schools are at the table and here to stay," said Elizabeth Evans, executive director of INCS.
AFT President Weingarten has said "if you really actually believe in kids and believe in their success, those of us in education, we really shouldn't be in the sandbox fighting with each other. We should be … trying to figure out how to work together." Evans responds, "We do need to get out of the sandbox and make the most of having a president and also a secretary of education who realize that our future depends on the investment we make in children today."
In states like Illinois, students that attend charter public schools are more likely to graduate and continue on to college than their peers who attend traditional public schools. Graduation rates are a strong indicator of a school's success and despite these achievements the Chicago Teachers Union, AFT's Chicago affiliate, stands in the way of additional charter schools. "Our stance has always been to put the kids first and make sure that they have the best public education options possible. In essence, that is our responsibility as empowered teachers, committed reformers and concerned parents. We're taking that message directly to elected officials and their constituents with this ad," Evans concluded.
The Illinois Network of Charter Schools (INCS) is dedicated to improving the quality of public education by promoting and invigorating the charter school concept. The voice of the state's charter schools, INCS advocates for legislation to strengthen charter schools, educates the public about the value of charter schools, and supports the dissemination of best practices throughout the system. For more information, visit http://www.incschools.org.
Contact:
Jenni Johnson
CGC Communications
312-733-0644
Email
# # #