PROPOSED ANTI-CHARTER INITIATIVE IN THE NEWS
Visions has received numerous inquiries from our families and staff about a potential ballot measure, the Elimination of Charter Schools Initiative that has been cleared to begin collecting petition signatures for possible inclusion on the November ballot. The initiative calls for the elimination of charter schools by repealing all laws governing charter schools, effective July 1, 2017. It would require charter schools to convert to traditional public schools or close, at local school districts’ discretion. All remaining funding and property would be transferred to the state. Secretary of State Alex Padilla made this announcement this past Monday, February 8. The initiative is in its beginning stages and would need at least 365,880 valid signatures, by August 8, 2016 before it could qualify for the ballot.
The backers of the initiative are focused more on for-profit organizations and for-profit charters, which is a very small fraction of the charter schools in California. Visions is, as are the vast majority of California charter schools, operated as a non-profit public school; it is tuition-free and open to all students. Also, as with all charter schools, Visions is held accountable to state and federal academic standards.
In the meantime here are some things you can do:
- Share your experience about the benefits of charter schools with friends, family, your legislator, etc. The more voices that support parent choice in education, the harder it will be for misrepresentations about charter schools to take hold.
- Help inform your friends and family members that your school is a public school and that charter schools are public schools.
- Read the fine print in any ballot measure to make sure you understand what you’re signing. Sometimes the wording to get your attention is misleading.
-Jody
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