The hundreds of parents and children who rallied at City Hall Tuesday to urge state lawmakers to lift the cap on city charter schools are just one sign of the justice of the cause.
As Monique Bowens of Brooklyn told the Post at the rally, “We need to lift the cap because public schools are not teaching kids right.” And: “We get a better education in charters.”
Her son “pays more attention to charter schools. It’s like a family situation. “
And Natasha Burrell of Harlem: “It’s like upward mobility. Public schools are not functioning well. They haven’t been for a long time. The success of charter schools, in general, should speak for itself.
Gov. Cathy Hochul wants to let only 21 “zombie” charters be recycled for the city, and let Gotham use some of the 85 charters still available under the statewide cap.
The so-called progressives who control the state legislature are protesting — at the behest of teachers’ unions, which only Losers from letting charters flourish.
It is a simple fact that charters are often only Good public schools in the neighborhood — but many neighborhoods don’t have them yet, even though at least a dozen promising charters are eager to open as soon as the caps stop holding them back.
As parent activist Wai Wah Chin wrote last month: “It’s hard to go to a parent gathering without hearing their complaints about the district’s schools, their anguish over poor choices and the stories that they or their friends How have left or are planning to leave the system. — whether charter schools, parochial schools, private schools or out of town altogether.”
Charters generally do better in teaching than the regular public system, with many of their students passing proficiency tests in math and English — even though charters largely enroll children from low-income families, and receive less than half the funding per student. .
And polls show city parents strongly support opening more charters.
But unions spend millions on legislation to ignore people’s demands.
Hochul’s proposal isn’t remotely radical: the cap has been raised one way or another three times Under Democratic governors: Eliot Spitzer in 2007, David Patterson in 2010 and Andrew Cuomo in 2015 legislation. anyone to the policy The case for having any caps died long ago.
And no, charters don’t hurt (or steal money from) public schools: they do are Public schools, alternative schools less burdened by bureaucracy and union regulations.
In fact, an area’s regular public school improves when a charter opens nearby: competition (and a good example) helps.
Only lawmakers who prioritize the needs of children’s special interests stand in the way.
