Public schools lose as charter schools spread

Richard Sens responded to my Betsy DeVos letter. Gee, he just couldn’t disagree without being disagreeable and insulting.

No, Mr. Sens, I am not a Prozac-popping ultra liberal afraid the sky is falling. But I am a 69-year-old grandmother who spent over 35 years in public schools, the same schools that afforded me many great opportunities.

You have completely missed the point. This entire charter school movement is about money. People see schools as a way to make money, hence the term “for-profit schools,” a term used by our former governor, Jeb Bush.

Where do you think the money for these charters will come from? They will come from your public schools, and to get that money programs will have to be slashed. Standards, as evidenced by New Jersey’s recent State Board of Education vote, will drop, since they will not be able to pay certified teachers. And if class size gets smaller, teachers will be fired and not have the luxury of teaching smaller classes.

So parents are “dreaming of a strong private school environment?” Well, as long as the taxpayer funds it, I guess you are right.

This story was originally published March 1, 2017 at 4:06 PM with the headline "Public schools lose as charter schools spread."