Class Size Matters opposes lifting the cap on charter schools because this diverts resources and attention from existing public schools.
At a time when the City and State should be focused on resolving the inadequacies the courts found in our public schools, raising the cap on charter schools does nothing to improve the systemic conditions for the vast majority of our children and in some cases, could actually worsen conditions in their schools.
In addition, the proposal to allow Mayor Bloomberg to force conversions of schools into charters without parental consent is simply not acceptable.
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Creating more charter schools will drain resources from existing schools. The only significant growth in the New York City education budget this year was an increase of $200 million in spending on charter schools, while the spending on services for our traditional public schools was flat.
Creating more charter schools will drain resources from existing schools. The only significant growth in the New York City education budget this year was an increase of $200 million in spending on charter schools, while the spending on services for our traditional public schools was flat. •In many cases, the administration’s insistence on putting most new charter schools into other school buildings either for an “incubation” period or for the long run causes overcrowding and/or prevent class sizes from being reduced at the host school, because every new charter school eats up precious classroom space with administrative offices, media rooms, cluster rooms, etc.
In many cases, the administration’s insistence on putting most new charter schools into other school buildings either for an “incubation” period or for the long run causes overcrowding and/or prevent class sizes from being reduced at the host school, because every new charter school eats up precious classroom space with administrative offices, media rooms, cluster rooms, etc. •Of the 58 NYC charter schools that currently exist, 36 of them share space with traditional public schools. In many instances, this has forced an increase in class size in the host school. Last year, DOE tried to force several charter schools into existing public school buildings over the protests of parents and teachers – despite the fact that this would have led to larger class sizes and a loss of cluster rooms in these schools.
Of the 58 NYC charter schools that currently exist, 36 of them share space with traditional public schools. In many instances, this has forced an increase in class size in the host school. Last year, DOE tried to force several charter schools into existing public school buildings over the protests of parents and teachers – despite the fact that this would have led to larger class sizes and a loss of cluster rooms in these schools. •According to current NY State Education law, the Charter Schools Act of 1998, Article 56, Section 2850, part 3C, no conversion of a traditional public school can occur without the prior consent of parents at that school. Yet the bill introduced last year in the Legislature would eliminate this right – but only from parents in New York City.
According to current NY State Education law, the Charter Schools Act of 1998, Article 56, Section 2850, part 3C, no conversion of a traditional public school can occur without the prior consent of parents at that school. Yet the bill introduced last year in the Legislature would eliminate this right – but only from parents in New York City. But if the cap on charter is going to be lifted, despite the opposition of many parent and stakeholder groups, the following are requirements that we would consider absolutely necessary:
1) Charter schools are able to cap enrollment and provide smaller classes than the average NYC public school. If the cap is to be lifted, our public schools must be provided with sufficient funds, along with strict accountability measures, to ensure that the same benefits of smaller classes are provided to all students.
2) No traditional public school, including those in NYC, should ever be allowed to be converted into a charter school without the consent of the parents at that school, as NY State education law currently requires. We vehemently oppose any efforts to strip these rights from NYC parents.
3) No charter school should ever be placed into the building of another public school without the approval of the parents at the host school.
