Led by conservative Republican leader Eric Cantor, the House of Representatives passed a bill that grants new funding and exemption from federal laws to charter schools. The bill passed 360-45.

Wrote the D.C. Paper, “The Hill,”

“Republicans have touted the issue of school choice and access to charter schools as a way of limiting the federal government’s role in education policy. Charter schools receive public funding, but operate independently and therefore are not subject to federal regulations.

“Expanding education opportunity for all students everywhere is the civil rights issue of our time,” House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.) said. “I say we help those students by expanding those slots so they can get off the waiting lists and into the classrooms.”

If schools need to be exempted from federal laws to be successful, why not roll back unnecessary and burdensome federal laws for public schools as well as privately-managed charter schools?

Relief from federal regulation is “the civil rights issue of our time”? What a mockery of the concept of the original civil rights movement, which fought for federal regulation of school desegregation, of housing, of jobs, and of voting rights. How did George Wallace’s ideas become “the civil rights issue of our time?

The purpose of the bill was not just to help charter schools but to exempt them from the basic tenets of transparency and accountability that are required of any publicly-funded institution.

Consider which proposals were rejected and are NOT in the bill:

“Teachers unions such as the American Federation of Teachers and the National Education Association raised concerns that the legislation would not subject charter schools to federal education requirements, such as reporting teacher attrition rates and student discipline codes.

But the unions, key Democratic party supporters, did say that the measure would include some improvements over current law such as creating weighted lotteries for charter school funding.

The House rejected, 190-205, an amendment offered by Rep. Kathy Castor (D-Fla.) that would require the secretary of Education to develop conflict of interest guidelines for all charter schools receiving federal funds, such as disclosing individuals with financial interest in a given charter school.

“There have been very serious cases all across the country over the past few years involving the conflict of interest in charter schools,” Castor said.

But Kline said the proposal would be unnecessary.

“This amendment is an overreach of federal authority,” Kline said.

Members also rejected, 179-220, an amendment offered by Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (D-Texas) to require charter schools to publish data regarding student enrollment criteria, discipline policies and orientation materials on their websites.

“It is important to ensure that our parents have information. and certainly should have info regarding the kind of discipline atmosphere that is there. They should also know whether or not there are serious commitment to making sure that their child’s holistic future is in front of them,” Jackson Lee said.

Kline said that requiring charter schools to publish such information would impose an unnecessary workload not required of public schools.”

Make no mistake. This toxic bill is a victory for the forces of privatization.

The only place to stop it is in the Senate.

Call or email your Senators and ask them to defend public schools from the corporations and entrepreneurs now poised to open and expand their chain schools.

Read more: http://thehill.com/blogs/floor-action/house/205706-house-passes-bipartisan-charter-school-reform-bill#ixzz31FSVnH6n
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