Lawmakersmustwalk back charter schools
Texas lawmakers are facing one of the biggest budget shortfalls in recent history. Comptroller Glenn Hegar predicts the state will face a projected budget shortfall in the billions. But even in the headwinds of economic devastation from the coronavirus pandemic and falling oil prices, lawmakers have an opportunity, one that allows them to fund public schools by walking back unfettered charter school growth.
The state of Texas spends about $3.6 billion each year to support a second school system, made up of privately administered but publicly funded charter schools. It’s time to ask why and evaluate our return on investment.
Recent charter school scandals have made national headlines and put a spotlight on charter school boards, like IDEA Schools using funds on a private jet and luxury boxes at sporting events. Time and time again, IDEA and other charters have frittered away scarce public resources while falling woefully short in taking in their responsibilities, especially to students with special needs.
Even with these welldocumented inequities, the commissioner of education approved costly new charter schools amid a global pandemic, a time when our public schools need our support, re
sources, and funding more than ever. Twenty education advocacy groups penned a letter pleading with the commissioner not to expand expensive, unaccountable charters this year, but he
approved them anyway.
IDEA was approved for 12 new campuses. That approval means IDEA can expand enrollment by 15,000 students at an estimated additional cost to state taxpayers of more than $16 million per year, compared with educating those same students at a real public school.
Why is this happening even as the state confronts an unprecedented budget crisis?
Follow the money. Texas is a welcoming place for charter profiteers, and much of their money has found its way into state elections. In this election cycle, one particular charter advocacy PAC made expenditures to candidates totaling $1.6 million. Almost $900,000 of that PAC funding came from out- of-state billionaires like Walmart heiress Alice Walton, a strong supporter of school privatization.
As we head into a legislative session where state lawmakers will have to make difficult budget decisions, we must make it clear that Texas is making a bad investment in for-profit charter schools. Lawmakers should put a stop to further charter school expansion. In this election, legislative candidates in both parties campaigned on their propublic education credentials. Now is the time for them to say no to funding two school systems in Texas. Over 100,000 Texas AFT members, former members, and retirees voted during the last election and they will be watching.