Delving into issue of charter schools

For some, this question has an easy answer. For others, the topic of charter schools is more complex. The media is replete with headlines locally and across the country that support and at other times malign charter schools, and the same goes for traditional public schools. New Mexico has 89 school districts and 97 charter schools, with about half the charter schools reporting to the state, the others to local school districts. More charter schools can come into being each year. What are the roles of charter schools and traditional public schools? Are there pathways for moving both charter and traditional public schools forward, together?

Since charter schools during this past year have been in the news and highlighted by the appointment of Betsy DeVos as secretary of education, the Interfaith Coalition for Public Education chose the question, “Charter Schools: More or Moratorium?” as a topic for study and a community forum.

On Thursday, Sept. 28, at the Santa Fe Higher Education Center, the Interfaith Coalition for Public Education will present four highly knowledgeable panelists to deepen our understanding of charter and traditional public schools: Anne Salzmann, head of school of The MASTERS Program, a charter school housed at Santa Fe Community College; Katie Poulos, director of options for parents and families at the New Mexico Public Education Department; Dr. Meredith Machen, education committee chairwoman, League of Women Voters of New Mexico; and Dr. Veronica García, superintendent, Santa Fe Public Schools.

In addition to the panel presentations and question-and-answer period, attendees will participate in small group discussions to reflect on the focus question and how charter and traditional public schools might move forward together to provide the best education possible for our children in Santa Fe.

Through a multilevel community engagement approach at the forum, participants will become more familiar with the characteristics of charter schools, how they are authorized, monitored and funded, and their evolving relationship to traditional public schools. Understanding is an essential first step to mapping out strategies to build a culture of educational excellence in all our schools.

The Interfaith Coalition for Public Education is an independent network of volunteer professionals who are committed to improving the quality of education in Santa Fe. We come together as citizens who believe in public education as social justice with two priorities: supporting student academic achievement and engaging the community to support public education.

In our efforts to engage the community, the coalition presented five forums in 2015 and 2016, including, “Our Schools: What Does It Take?”, “Our Schools: What We Can Do?” and “Our Schools: What About Funding?” Our forums are meant to present accurate information on the topic; to stimulate the public to think and learn more about particular issues; and to explore and then to execute community strategies to support our schools.

The forum, “Charter Schools: More or Moratorium?” will take place from 5:30 to 7:45 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 28, at the Higher Education Center, 1950 Siringo Road. We invite interested community members to join us to learn more about this topic and to voice your opinions — or to begin to form an opinion. We want to hear from you! For more information, contact coalition coleaders Lynn Bickley at lbick09@gmail.com or Nadine Stafford at nstafford@q.com, or go to www. icpesantafe.org.