Families urged to support passage of charter reform bill SB1115

Students in Lincoln Park social studies classes learned about charter schools and the potential impact of Senate Bill 1115, a comprehensive charter reform bill pending in the Pennsylvania General Assembly.

The Board of Directors of Lincoln Park Performing Arts Charter School at its Sept. 10 board meeting approved a resolution supporting passage of SB 1115.

On Thursday, Sept. 20, nearly 300 Lincoln Park students in social studies classes of all grades, 7-12, were visited in their classrooms by Fred Miller, communications coordinator for the National Network of Digital Schools. Miller gave an overview of charter school history in Pennsylvania, explained how charter schools are created and funded, and engaged students in discussions about school choice and the proposed legislation. He visited classes taught by Mr. Deem, Mr. Harmon, Ms. Cvitkovic and Mr. Enochs.

He told them their school is asking students and parents to contact their state senators and representatives to voice support for the bill.

Miller encouraged students and parents to visit www.childrenpa.com to learn more about proposed charter school reform. The website offers easy links to contact legislators, and has information about a rally planned Sept. 24 in Harrisburg to kick off support for SB 1115. The legislative session will only last eight days, so the need for support is immediate, Miller said.

“SB 1115 contains the most important changes and improvements to charter school law since Pennsylvania created charter schools in 1997,” Miller said, noting that was about when most of these students were born. “You need to understand how lucky you are to live in a state with school choice, where schools like Lincoln Park can be created.”

Several students asked what will happen if SB 1115 doesn’t pass.

“If charter law isn’t changed, we will have missed the best opportunity in 15 years to ensure the future of charter schools in this state,” Miller said. “If it doesn’t pass, opponents will renew efforts to cut funding and make it harder for schools like Lincoln Park to operate.”

Students talked about why they chose to enroll in Lincoln Park, saying they thought it offered a better education, would advance their career goals in the arts, or offered a more positive learning environment than their old school. Most transferred from school districts. A few had attended private schools or were home-schooled.

Quite a few said they ride buses an hour and a half each way to come to school each day at Lincoln Park.

One young man described what happened when he told teachers at his old school that he had been accepted into Lincoln Park. He said thought they would be happy for him; instead they criticized him, saying he was taking funding from their school.

Several were aware of problems caused by budget deficits in their home school districts, and have heard charter schools getting some of the blame.

“Charter schools in Pennsylvania were set up to compete with school districts for students,” said Miller. “Competition forces all schools to be better, but it also causes friction.”

Students were surprised to learn that home districts pass along to charters only about 75 percent of per-pupil funding that they receive in tax dollars, and that school districts consume 97 percent of K-12 public school funding in Pennsylvania, compared to 3 percent by charter schools.

A couple of students suggested the charter reform bill should increase funding for charter schools.

“It’s true that charter schools are educating students at 75 cents on the dollar, but they aren’t asking for more,” said Miller. “Charter schools acknowledge there are flaws in the funding formula. They are willing to work together with all parties for common-sense solutions.”

Creation of an advisory committee with a mandate to study charter funding and recommend changes to the governor and legislature is one of the most important provisions in SB 1115, he said.

A flier given to students explained that the bill:

• creates an independent statewide board for better oversight of all charter  and cyber charter schools;
• streamlines the process for granting new charters;
• creates an advisory committee to recommend fair and equitable changes in funding;
• extends the charter renewal period from 5 to 10 years, and for new charters from 3 to 5 years, thus enhancing charter schools’ stability and viability;
• strengthens ethical and accountability standards, including requiring annual independent financial audits of charter schools;
• holds charter schools to the same unreserved fund balance limits as school districts;
• provides direct tuition payment to charters from the state.