RALEIGH -- North Carolina's Court of Appeals is telling charter schools seeking taxpayer money to buy and maintain their buildings and buses to take it up with lawmakers.
The appeals court ruled Tuesday that state lawmakers intended for charter schools to use their own resources to provide classrooms. The court said the alternative schools aren't entitled to the capital funds that other public schools get....
Tuesday, August 02, 2011
NC Charter Schools: No Access to County Capital Funds
Interesting decision handed down today:
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9 comments:
I'll admit to not knowing much about the specifics of charter school funding, but this seems fair. There are a lot of great charter schools out there and I think they've been a good complement to the traditional system. However, if charter schools get exactly the same funding as regular public schools without the same requirements (and still get to pick and choose their students), then we've just created a class of "separate but equal" public schools.
Heh. This would be why Watauga's charter school started in an abandoned dog kennel.
Denying capital spending actually makes sense--instead of starting with a massive investment, let the charter start with few students in a little corner somewhere. If it works, it will grow big and receive enough state money to expand. If it doesn't work, it'll wither at little cost to the community.
No busing/lunches is fine with me, if it avoids the regulation and forced busing that occurs in some places.
On the other hand, this does expose the duplicity of Democrats whining about charter school discrimination--it was their Democrat representatives who passed a law denying funding for busing/lunches in the first place.
But I'm sure those Democrats can find other excuses to protect their all-important Teacher's Union, oops, I mean Association, jobs.
It isn't just democrats that are catering to the teachers union. While most of watauga county is hurting and budgets are being cut everywhere our republican led county commission increased school funding by about 10% this year. Why? Because we needed it? NO, because we wanted to protect teachers jobs whether they were needed or not.
Not really,
Charter schools who get more applicants than their charter allows them to accept were (last I heard) required by law to choose by lottery--not "pick and choose."
From what I heard, at least, that's why Mountain Pathways didn't try to go the charter route. TRCS also (last I heard) had lotteries for the rare (at that time) occasions when they were over-applied.
Pick and choose in the sense that they do NOT have to accept students with any learning disabilities, behavior issues, language barriers ...other public schools must take EVERY child and provide appropriate services, no matter how expensive. That's what it means to have Universal Public Education - EVERYbody is included.
Are charter schools for profit companies ?
From the Wikipedia article on "Charter school":
"Charter schools are primary or secondary schools that receive public money (and like other schools, may also receive private donations) but are not subject to some of the rules, regulations, and statutes that apply to other public schools in exchange for some type of accountability for producing certain results, which are set forth in each school's charter. Charter schools are opened and attended by choice. While charter schools provide an alternative to other public schools, they are part of the public education system and are not allowed to charge tuition. Where enrollment in a charter school is oversubscribed, admission is frequently allocated by lottery-based admissions."
This article is, in general, a good overview of charter schools. You might also want to take a look at Diane Ravitch's latest book: "The Death and Life of the Great American School System: How Testing and Choice Are Undermining Education (2010)." I'm waiting for the e-edition to come out next month.
And from the website education.com: "Although public charter schools are afforded some level of exemption from state or local laws or requirements, they must conform to all federal laws and regulations including the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)."
That's one big difference between charter schools and private schools.
Opinionated, evidence please.
There were disabled students at TRCS last time I checked and very definitely students with behavior problems.
So many effected in this tough world today! As the rich get richer and the poor get poorer, here is a thought. As I see it im a high school drop out been to jail but that means nothing i see whats happening, anyone that isn't oblivious to the fact would see. Maybe if the right person is reading this understand this the poor and the middle class need help without them all you "top dogs" have no one to buy your product! I hope to see a better america and I personally believe small stones thrown in the water have the biggest ripples, and by turning your back on a the poor you have just thrown not a little stone in the water but i believe if we dont see a change soon we/you have thrown america in a turmoil pretty sooon i will be standing in line for "Wet Food"! sincerly someone who cares
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