Public Education Partners (PEP) supports the proposed rules requiring that charter schools will not be affiliated with for-profit companies and that community impact studies will be required to inform the need, number, and types of charter schools to be created in a given community. The community impact study must describe how the plan for the proposed charter school takes into account the student demographics of the schools from which students would be drawn to attend the charter school. The community impact analysis must also describe the steps the charter school will take to ensure that the proposed charter school would not hamper, delay, or in any manner negatively affect any desegregation efforts in the public school districts from which students are drawn or in which the charter school is located.

The PEP board believes that the proposed rule changes should be absolute priorities. If charter schools must continue to exist as education options in Ohio, they should only operate with community input that’s coordinated with our public school districts.

PEP strongly supports the requirement for impact analysis. When the USDOE and the states decide who should get these grants, they absolutely should know the impact on segregation in the community. They should also know whether the charter school is welcoming a representative share of students with disabilities and students who are English language learners.

PEP strongly agrees with not allowing charters run by for-profit companies to get Charter School Program (CSP) funds. It is a disgrace how big for-profits run charter schools not in the interest of kids, but rather in their own financial interests.

Right now, in Ohio, nearly half of the charter schools are piggy banks for the for-profit corporations that run them. Two of the big for-profit chains, Accel and National Heritage Academies, run charters with sweep contracts. The non-profit schools are facades for the for-profit chains.

PEP wants the USDOE to keep its proposed regulations that ban schools run by for-profits from getting federal start-up and expansion funds. And don’t forget they have related corporations. Let’s close all of the loopholes and protect schools from profiteers.

Read this and this for more details.

Use the COMMENT button here to show YOUR approval for the proposed rule changes. If you need help with the message, here is some suggested commentary:

I am writing to express my strong support for the proposed rules for the Federal Charter Schools Program. There has been waste, fraud, and abuse associated with the program for far too long; I wish the proposed rules were even stronger.

As an Ohio resident, I support the proposed rules requiring that charter schools will not be affiliated with for-profit companies and that community impact studies will be required, and I believe those rule changes should be absolute priorities. If charter schools must continue to exist as education options in Ohio, may they only operate with community input that’s coordinated with our public school districts.