In addition to the question of why such charter schools don’t have to follow the same rules as everyone else, there’s another critical issue here. The more money CPS is compelled to dole out to charters, the less it will have for its dead-broke regular schools.
With enrollment falling in Chicago, it’s an ideal time to stop opening charter schools.
Because of the commission’s decision, Concept will open a school next year on the southwest side that won’t have to answer to the school board or Mayor Emanuel—making it the envy of every regular public school in the city. (Concept has pulled back on its plan to open a Lincoln Square branch.)
It didn’t have to go down like this.
In the meantime an outfit called Virtual Learning Solutions proposed opening online charter schools in 18 towns, including Naperville, Aurora, Saint Charles, and Elgin.
The school boards in those suburbs not only rejected the applications, but counterattacked.
The boards convinced state rep Linda Chapa LaVia to introduce a bill imposing a one-year moratorium on the creation of online charter schools. It passed the General Assembly last year and the Virtual charter proposal was dropped.
Think of it as the state saving the state from the state.
By the way, Chicago would be exempt from the moratorium. I guess no one will save Chicago from itself.
Chapa LaVia has subsequently introduced a second bill that would strip the commission of its authority to overrule school districts on creating new charters.
So it looks that at some point we’ll see a clash between Senator Steans and Representative Chapa LaVia. I’m sure I speak for many constituents in Steans’s liberal north-side district when I say: “Go, Linda, go!”
It will be very interesting to see which side Mayor Emanuel takes as Chapa LaVia’s bill heads for a vote, probably in the spring. We know he almost never sees a charter school he doesn’t like. But this is also a chance to make sure the state isn’t chewing up more resources for Chicago’s schools.
Talk of peace and joining hands is cheap. It’s time to see if the mayor and his board will deliver.
Article Appeared @http://www.chicagoreader.com/chicago/illinois-charter-school-laws-tie-cps-hands/Content?oid=12272840