The recent letter titled "False Bill of Goods" contains many conclusions based on incorrect facts. I will attempt to point out just five of them.
1. "Do you realize that private and charter schools aren't held to the same stringent standards as public schools?" Fact - Indiana charter schools are public schools and are held to the exact same stringent standards as traditional schools. Private schools are not, but charters are.
2. "Did you know that charter schools are not required to hire licensed teachers? They can hire anyone who has had two years of college with good grades." Fact - Currently, Indiana charters are required to hire licensed teachers. Under the bill being considered, charters will be allowed to hire teachers that have a 4-year degree in their subject and who have obtained a 3.0 out of 4.0 grading scale.
3. "Did you know private and charter schools can choose not to enroll any child because of ability, etc?" Fact - Statement is true for private schools, absolutely false for charters. Indiana charters cannot discriminate because of ability, race, disability, religion etc. Since charters are public schools, they have to accept anyone who comes through the door, same as traditional schools.
4. "Did you know that charter and many private schools are run for profit?" Fact - Indiana charter schools can only be started by 501(c)(3) organizers - non-profits.
5. "Did you know that many charter schools have claimed bankruptcy after opening their doors and taking money from parents and the public who never got that money back?" Fact - Charter schools are public schools and cannot charge parents tuition. How can parents lose money if their children attend charters for free? Only three Indiana charters have been closed by their sponsors. To my knowledge, none went bankrupt.
The other letter titled "Concerns About Privatization" has several statements that I just don't understand what they have to do with HB 1002, the charter bill.
"HR 1002 is the beginning of the end for any poor child who will struggle for a better life through education. Free education has been a linchpin of what it means to live in the United States, the land of opportunity. Without decent education there is no opportunity." I totally agree with the latter two statements, but the first one has me baffled. The charter model is mainly used in districts where poor kids are struggling in traditional schools. Indiana charters presently serve 70.1 percent minority and 65.1 percent free/reduced lunch kids in their schools. The statewide average in traditional schools is 26.9 percent minority and 46.7 percent free/reduced lunch. The kids the writer references are the ones being served, and there are currently 3,500 kids on waiting lists to enroll.
I appreciate the dialogue about the proposed education reforms, but hope that future letters are a little more factual. Please read the actual bills. They are available online at IN.GOV
