The national board of the NAACP endorsed the resolution passed by its 2016 annual convention calling for a moratorium on charter school expansion!
So-called reformers, who falsely claim to be in alliance with the civil rights movement, should read the resolution with care. They should stop closing schools, they should abandon privatization, they should turn their efforts and money to helping improve public schools. They should help to foster desegregated schools and communities. They should insist on health care facilities and fully funded services at every school. They should support social justice for all children and families, not privatization of public services, which generates segregation and inequity.
Here is the statement of the national board of the NAACP:
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 15, 2016
CINCINNATI – Members of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) Board of Directors ratified a resolution Saturday adopted by delegates at its 2016 107th National Convention calling for a moratorium on charter school expansion and for the strengthening of oversight in governance and practice.
“The NAACP has been in the forefront of the struggle for and a staunch advocate of free, high-quality, fully and equitably-funded public education for all children,” said Roslyn M. Brock, Chairman of the National NAACP Board of Directors. “We are dedicated to eliminating the severe racial inequities that continue to plague the education system.”
The National Board’s decision to ratify this resolution reaffirms prior resolutions regarding charter schools and the importance of public education, and is one of 47 resolutions adopted today by the Board of Directors. The National Board’s decision to ratify supports its 2014 Resolution, ‘School Privatization Threat to Public Education’, in which the NAACP opposes privatization of public schools and public subsidizing or funding of for-profit or charter schools. Additionally, in 1998 the Association adopted a resolution which unequivocally opposed the establishment and granting of charter schools which are not subject to the same accountability and standardization of qualifications/certification of teachers as public schools and divert already-limited funds from public schools.
We are calling for a moratorium on the expansion of the charter schools at least until such time as:
(1) Charter schools are subject to the same transparency and accountability standards as public schools
(2) Public funds are not diverted to charter schools at the expense of the public school system
(3) Charter schools cease expelling students that public schools have a duty to educate and
(4) Cease to perpetuate de facto segregation of the highest performing children from those whose aspirations may be high but whose talents are not yet as obvious.
Historically the NAACP has been in strong support of public education and has denounced movements toward privatization that divert public funds to support non-public school choices.
“We are moving forward to require that charter schools receive the same level of oversight, civil rights protections and provide the same level of transparency, and we require the same of traditional public schools,” Chairman Brock said. “Our decision today is driven by a long held principle and policy of the NAACP that high quality, free, public education should be afforded to all children.”
While we have reservations about charter schools, we recognize that many children attend traditional public schools that are inadequately and inequitably equipped to prepare them for the innovative and competitive environment they will face as adults. Underfunded and under-supported, these traditional public schools have much work to do to transform curriculum, prepare teachers, and give students the resources they need to have thriving careers in a technologically advanced society that is changing every year. There is no time to wait. Our children immediately deserve the best education we can provide.
“Our ultimate goal is that all children receive a quality public education that prepares them to be a contributing and productive citizen,” said Adora Obi Nweze, Chair of the National NAACP Education Committee, President of the Florida State Conference of the NAACP and a former educator whose committee guides educational policy for the Association.
“The NAACP’s resolution is not inspired by ideological opposition to charter schools but by our historical support of public schools – as well as today’s data and the present experience of NAACP branches in nearly every school district in the nation,” said Cornell William Brooks, President and CEO of the NAACP. “Our NAACP members, who as citizen advocates, not professional lobbyists, are those who attend school board meetings, engage with state legislatures and support both parents and teachers.”
“The vote taken by the NAACP is a declaratory statement by this Association that the proliferation of charter schools should be halted as we address the concerns raised in our resolution,” said Chairman Brock.
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Founded in 1909, the NAACP is the nation’s oldest and largest nonpartisan civil rights organization. Its members throughout the United States and the world are the premier advocates for civil rights in their communities. You can read more about the NAACP’s work and our six “Game Changer” issue areas here.
Wonderful. I am sure that you helped get the word out.
Hooray! There is hope for the future!!!
Ann Cronin
Sent from my iPhone
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Tremendous!
http://www.afscmeinfocenter.org/blog/2016/10/selected-statistics-from-the-public-elementary-and-secondary-education-universe-school-year-2014-15.htm#.WAKFxr0wqAY
http://www.afscmeinfocenter.org/blog/2016/10/revenues-and-expenditures-for-public-elementary-and-secondary-education-school-year-2013-14-fiscal-year-2014.htm#.WAKF-b0wqAY
And my favorite –
http://www.afscmeinfocenter.org/blog/2016/10/state-tax-subsidies-for-private-k-12-education.htm#.WAKGrL0wqAY
This is brilliantly stated.
I like that the NAACP isn’t just saying “we don’t want charter schools”, but is giving a lucid and (in my opinion) convincing argument as to why they they oppose charters’ expansion.
“We are calling for a moratorium on the expansion of the charter schools at least until such time as:
(1) Charter schools are subject to the same transparency and accountability standards as public schools…”
I’m glad they listed this number one. Charters must be transparent. What makes the public doubt them is their fight not to be. And their fight to define “accountability” as only about test scores and nothing but test scores, and how they achieve them is none of our business.
“We are moving forward to require that charter schools receive the same level of oversight, civil rights protections and provide the same level of transparency, and we require the same of traditional public school…”
This should not be controversial. It makes sense. Any use of public money without oversight or transparency is not good.
Bravo! All groups wanting justice and opportunity for children need to unite and let policymakers know their sellout to corporate greed will be noticed and answered on election day. We should form a coalition and visit representatives to demand support for public education.
Bravo!
Charter schools are the billionaires attempt to give a second class Wal-Mart education to minorities and the poor.
It’s not like they’ve replicated select private schools and built a dozen or so for the poor,
When do they actually donate their money to the poor, instead of directing it all towards pointless meddling to control public funds?
“When do they actually donate their money to the poor,”
When they quit stealing way more than their fair share of the economic pie.
In other words: NEVER!
Direct and well-stated. Their “meddling” is about ripping off the middle class and poor, so that the richest 0.1% can gorge.
“So-called reformers, who falsely claim to be in alliance with the civil rights movement, should read the resolution with care. They should stop closing schools, they should abandon privatization, they should turn their efforts and money to helping improve public schools. They should help to foster desegregated schools and communities. They should insist on health care facilities and fully funded services at every school. They should support social justice for all children and families, not privatization of public services, which generates segregation and inequity.”
You hear that, Ed Post and its minions? If you want to help “poor kids,” you still can.
Reblogged this on DelawareFirstState and commented:
They are calling for a moratorium on the expansion of the charter schools at least until such time as:
(1) Charter schools are subject to the same transparency and accountability standards as public schools
(2) Public funds are not diverted to charter schools at the expense of the public school system
(3) Charter schools cease expelling students that public schools have a duty to educate and
(4) Cease to perpetuate de facto segregation of the highest performing children from those whose aspirations may be high but whose talents are not yet as obvious.
Thanks for the summary.
Thank you Diane, for this wonderful posting.
Thanks Diane! It is terrific news. I logged on too late yesterday and when I tried to call the NAACP, their offices were closed for the day. So glad that more and more people are starting to see the deceit in the “civil rights” spin that ed reformers use when pushing charters.
This is a big deal! As long as minority groups supported charters, the Democrats for Education Reform people could use them as beards to cover their anti-union, pro-profit goals. Maybe this will shake some loose from the reform movement.
See mu post below, a new beard has been grown.
What’s wrong with beards?
This blows the cover of those “liberals” ( a’ la Thomas Frank) in office or policy making positions who have used the guise of civil rights as means of justifying mostly self severing policy. Policy that either enriched their campaign coffers or personal bank accounts or sometimes both.
Those that are pushing the assault on public schools never had the interests of children, of poor children as a central concern. They will be unfazed by this, as that civil rights is pretty antipathetic to their world view. Segregation and destruction of “Public goods” was always one of the goals on the right. As Kumashiro points out, Gates may contribute a lot of money but he is essentially drowned out by the totality of right wing philanthropy.
It is an Orwellian world we live in, when Right To Work(for less) can be portrayed as in the interest of workers. When gutting social security can be called for as a means of saving it from future cuts. When a billionaire demagogue can steal populism as an issue from the party of FDR . When segregation by way of the destruction of Public Schools becomes a civil right. Do not expect the mime to disappear.
Charter schools are the civil rights issue of our time, but not for the reason “reform” proponents claim. Quite the opposite is true, as they destabilize neighborhoods and exploit minority students for profit with an end result of increased segregation.
The mime will not disappear ever, but those opposing the establishment will multiply, organize, launch, and eventually flourish. But it will be a long, protracted fight.
The secret is two parts, in my very Norwegian option:
First, people oppressed by the establishment must agree with each other and come to consensus that they are indeed oppressed by the 1% establishment, and they must part with all sorts of labels, such as Southerner, Yankee, agnostic, atheist, LGBGT, straight, conservative, liberal. They must focus on the fact that they all have the SAME universal human needs.
Second, people must acknowledge and buy into the powerful concept that in their glued-together numbers, they far outnumber the billionaire class and can defeat them if they mobilize and join forces politically and remain, as a large group, actively and unitedly participating in civics with no relent.
In those two very profound secrets for success – and they are easier said then done but NOT impossible – America can reclaim its glory as a true democracy with a large, fat, majority middle class.
Then you can join modern Europe as the rest of the relatively more civilized world.
Having read Jack London’s Iron Heel, I am the perpetual optimist. Even if that economic and cultural revolution takes centuries to take hold.
As for Europe, you can not seriously believe that the Oligarchy has given up. The great equalizer in Western Europe was WW2 that destroyed much of entrenched wealth and left millions in need of a strong social (economic )state. As we have seen in Britain the right has been rolling back since Thatcher, the neo liberal (right wing economic ) assault has resulted in Brexit as social support programs diminished and working class Brits got hammered. Many parallels can be drawn to what is happening here.
Social Security and Medicare are as popular here, as are most social programs in Europe. I suspect that the attack on these programs is a model for what is happening on both sides of the Atlantic. The Oligarchy is willing to spend decades and billions,shaping public opinion. We have a barrage propaganda from the ed reformers to the Peterson foundations assault on ENTITLEMENTS and on and on . As Chomsky says democracies use propaganda to replace the bludgeon.
Well put, Mr. Herman.
For Joel- AARP supported ALEC up until a few weeks ago. Today, Huffpo reported that AARP gives awards to Republican lawmakers who want to cut S.S. IMO, AARP promotes the same type of propaganda of alarmism that the 0.1%have perfected, in the theft of the common goods, from the middle class and poor.
Massachusetts state representative Paul Heroux opposes charter school expansion. He is against lifting the charter school cap in Question 2 of the ballot.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/paul-heroux/dont-raise-the-massachuse_b_12502860.html?
Democracy’s win in Massachusetts could be a watershed moment in American history.
Take THAT, Mr. Messina and Mr. Nathan!
This is quite a good thing, but as usual with the deformers, there is always cause for concern. I have recently become aware of a deformer front group operating in Chicago that is made up entirely of African Americans shilling for all of the things we have been fighting against. I do not know who funds or advises them. Their spin and disinformation is almost as blatant as Trumps, and it’s all of the same old nonsense we’ve seen before, but targeted at the African American community. It’s all about the greedy teachers, the bad, self interested unions and all of the usual pro charter, pro school choice screeds. One new thing amongst the dross is an attack on the use of TIF funds to support the schools based on the absurd idea that using that money directly harms investment in the African American community. No mention is made of the numerous diversions of TIF monies to developers who could easily have secured private VC funding for their projects, like the Pritzkers and other friends of the mayors. They call themselves Chicago Unheard. I call them Judas Goats. Sorry to be posting bad news amidst such a strong victory, but the fight goes on.
The so-called “education reform” movement, of which charter schools are the biggest profit-making part, has always had resegregation of America’s schools as a key agenda item. The fact that billionaires and hedge funds could pocket tens of millions of public tax dollars from this new kind of segregation was just a bonus. The first calls for “reform” in the form of vouchers arose immediately after the 1954 Supreme Court ruling on Brown v. Board of Education in which the Court declared that separate but equal was inherently unequal and ordered racial integration of the public schools. That ruling triggered “white flight” from public schools to private schools — but parents quickly realized that the tuition cost of private schools was more than they wanted to pay out-of-pocket. That realization led political and private resegregationists to the concoct the “reform” of vouchers, and to sell it to eager parents by deceptively marketing it then (and now) as merely giving parents free “choice.”
But the 1950’s voucher reform faded away when it became clear that because of school attendance boundaries no more than a few token blacks would be attending formerly all-white public schools. In 1972 when the Supreme Court finally ordered busing to end the ongoing de facto segregation, the reform movement rose from its grave and has been alive ever since then trying new tactics to restore racial segregation because it’s unlikely that the Court’s racial integration order can ever be reversed. When it became clear in the 1980’s that vouchers would never become widespread, the segregationists tried many other routes to restore racial segregation, and the most successful has been charter schools because charter schools can be sold to blithely unaware do-gooder billionaires as well as to unscrupulous profiteers who recognized charter schools as a way to divert vast amounts of tax money into their own pockets and into the pockets of supportive politicians at every level of government.
Reports from the NAACP and ACLU reveal the facts about just how charter schools are resegregating our nation’s schools, as well as discriminating racially and socioeconomically against American children, and the NAACP Board of Directors has ratified a resolution calling for a moratorium on charter school expansion and for the strengthening of oversight in governance and practice. Moreover, a very detailed nationwide research by The Center for Civil Rights Remedies at UCLA shows in clear terms that private charter schools suspend extraordinary numbers of black students and students with disabilities.
An essential part of the strategy to mask their underlying motives has been for segregationists to sell the public on the necessity for charter schools because public schools are allegedly “failing.” With all manner of “research” that essentially compares apples to oranges against foreign nations’ students, and with the self-fulfilling prophecy of dismal public school performance generated by drastic underfunding of public schools, and with condemnation of public school teachers based on statistically invalid student test scores, the segregationists are succeeding in resegregating education in America via what are basically private charter schools that are funded with public money.
And now the Office of Inspector General of the U.S. Department of Education has issued a warning that charter schools posed a risk to the Department of Education’s own goals. The report says: “Charter schools and their management organizations pose a potential risk to federal funds even as they threaten to fall short of meeting the goals” because of the financial fraud, the skimming of tax money into private pockets that is the reason why hedge funds are the main backers of charter schools.
The Washington State and New York State supreme courts and the National Labor Relations Board have ruled that charter schools are not public schools because they aren’t accountable to the public since they aren’t governed by publicly-elected boards and aren’t subdivisions of public government entities, in spite of the fact that some state laws enabling charter schools say they are government subdivisions.
Charter schools are clearly private schools, owned and operated by private entities and must (1) be required by law to be governed by school boards elected by the voters so that they are accountable to the public; (2) a charter school entity must legally be a subdivision of a publicly-elected governmental body; (3) charter schools should be required to file the same detailed public-domain audited annual financial reports under penalty of perjury that genuine public schools file; and, (4) anything a charter school buys with the public’s money should be the public’s property.
NO FEDERAL MONEY SHOULD BE ALLOWED TO GO TO CHARTER SCHOOLS THAT FAIL TO MEET THESE MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS OF ACCOUNTABILITY TO THE PUBLIC. Hillary Clinton could, if elected President, on day one in office issue an Executive Order to the Department of Education to do just that. Tell her today to do that! Send Hillary the above information to make certain she knows about the Inspector General’s findings, about the NAACP resolution, and about the abuses being committed by the private charter schools.
Often labeled “progressive”, Sen. Sherrod Brown, recently got the $71 mil. to expand charter schools in Ohio, that he requested from the U.S. Dept. of Ed. And, he has been unwilling to help his fellow Ohio Democrat get elected to the U.S.Senate.
He’s been described as “always buckling” on issues involving the financial sector.