Charters Schools Push for Ease on Limits
Overcrowding, cuts make changes necessary, backers say
Mon, 27 Apr 2009 13:41:00
A staggering 30,000 New York City students now sit on a waiting list to get into charter schools.
The waiting list, created when 30,000 students applied for 8,500 slots, is by far the largest ever in New York City and is expected to grow to at least 50,000 by next year. But state money for charter schools was just frozen at last year’s level in the budget, leaving many school operators with the difficult job of managing the explosion in popularity without an increase in state dollars.
“While politicians continue to argue,” about the merits of charter schools, said James Merriman, CEO of the New York City Center for Charter School Excellence, “the customers of the public education in New York State have made up their minds.”
Merriman is hoping the state will adjust regulations to permit more than one school per charter, allowing the most successful schools to form networks. These networks would essentially then become small charter districts but without the red tape of having to start a new corporation and new board every time a school opened.
A single charter can now operate an elementary school, middle school and high school, but cannot, for example, operate three middle schools that funnel into a more economically effective large high school.
“Each time you did it, it would count against the cap,” Merriman added. “This wasn’t tricky.”
Charter schools are governed by a charter that sets certain accountability measures the school must reach. While they receive public funding, charter schools operate free from some of the rules imposed on public schools.
The state budget resulted in what Merriman calls a “double cut” to funding. Charter funding is determined by a formula based on the district’s expenditures. Because the formula depends on knowing all the district revenues and expenditures, it uses the numbers from two years prior. Two years ago, district funding saw a major increase, and charters were supposed to benefit from that this year. But due to the economic downturn, the governor and legislature agreed to freeze charter funding and prevent that increase from happening.
The powerful New York State United Teachers (NYSUT) union lobbied for a charter school funding cut proportionate to the cut in state aid that the district received. The double cut comes because it is cut based on current funding as well as on the one two years ago.
“We believe at a time when state aid is going up,” said Merriman, “and charters are going to be frozen, that if this were to actually happen, it is singling out charters.”
And while the city can make up for any gap in state education aid by raising property taxes, charter schools lack that option.
Many people who think the budget freeze is unfortunate see the hand of lobbyists from the United Federation of Teachers (UFT), pushing the state to regulate charter schools more than it has previously.
“It’s not a great deal of money. The debate on this has been clouded by people who are very hostile toward the union,” said Sol Stern, a senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute who specializes in education.
Stern added that people should not be surprised that the UFT lobbyists are taking on an active role in going after the charter school funding.
“I’m shocked,” he deadpanned. “There’s gambling in Casablanca.”
The waiting list, created when 30,000 students applied for 8,500 slots, is by far the largest ever in New York City and is expected to grow to at least 50,000 by next year. But state money for charter schools was just frozen at last year’s level in the budget, leaving many school operators with the difficult job of managing the explosion in popularity without an increase in state dollars.
“While politicians continue to argue,” about the merits of charter schools, said James Merriman, CEO of the New York City Center for Charter School Excellence, “the customers of the public education in New York State have made up their minds.”
Merriman is hoping the state will adjust regulations to permit more than one school per charter, allowing the most successful schools to form networks. These networks would essentially then become small charter districts but without the red tape of having to start a new corporation and new board every time a school opened.
A single charter can now operate an elementary school, middle school and high school, but cannot, for example, operate three middle schools that funnel into a more economically effective large high school.
“Each time you did it, it would count against the cap,” Merriman added. “This wasn’t tricky.”
Charter schools are governed by a charter that sets certain accountability measures the school must reach. While they receive public funding, charter schools operate free from some of the rules imposed on public schools.
The state budget resulted in what Merriman calls a “double cut” to funding. Charter funding is determined by a formula based on the district’s expenditures. Because the formula depends on knowing all the district revenues and expenditures, it uses the numbers from two years prior. Two years ago, district funding saw a major increase, and charters were supposed to benefit from that this year. But due to the economic downturn, the governor and legislature agreed to freeze charter funding and prevent that increase from happening.
The powerful New York State United Teachers (NYSUT) union lobbied for a charter school funding cut proportionate to the cut in state aid that the district received. The double cut comes because it is cut based on current funding as well as on the one two years ago.
“We believe at a time when state aid is going up,” said Merriman, “and charters are going to be frozen, that if this were to actually happen, it is singling out charters.”
And while the city can make up for any gap in state education aid by raising property taxes, charter schools lack that option.
Many people who think the budget freeze is unfortunate see the hand of lobbyists from the United Federation of Teachers (UFT), pushing the state to regulate charter schools more than it has previously.
“It’s not a great deal of money. The debate on this has been clouded by people who are very hostile toward the union,” said Sol Stern, a senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute who specializes in education.
Stern added that people should not be surprised that the UFT lobbyists are taking on an active role in going after the charter school funding.
“I’m shocked,” he deadpanned. “There’s gambling in Casablanca.”
