The Color of Change, an online civil rights group, posted this online petition addressed to the newly elected leaders of California.
Congratulations on your victories! Many of us campaigned for you, donated to you, and voted for you. Now we write to ask you to represent us – the public school students, families, teachers and taxpayers of the great state of California.
Given that a mere ten percent of California’s public school students attend charter schools, we sincerely request you make the following changes immediately upon taking office:
1. Ninety percent (or 10 out of 11) of your nominees to the State Board of Education (SBE) ought to come from traditional public schools and districts, not charters or pro-privatization groups. Current SBE Members disproportionately represent charters, or have financially benefitted from their relationships to charters.
2. Similarly, staff the California Department of Education’s (CDE) Advisory Commission on Charter Schools (ACCS) with seasoned educators from traditional public schools, and those who have “unwound” failed charters. Again, current members disproportionately represent the charter school industry, and pro-privatization groups.
3. Staff the CDE’s Charter Schools Division with a staff which will oversee and regulate the charter sector and individual schools, rather than enable and coddle them. Charge them with protecting kids, families, teachers and taxpayers from faulty education practices, fraud, waste and abuse.
4. Commit to participating in a conversation with the public school community about increasing funding for our schools and reforming existing charter law, including the appeals process and Proposition 39.
Why is this important?
It’s time to put our resources and support behind the educators and schools which continue to teach the overwhelming majority of California’s school children.
As you make staffing and personnel choices, we urge you to get the foxes out of the henhouse at the California Department of Education (CDE). The current configuration of the CDE devotes a disproportionate amount of staff and resources to a movement and agenda funded largely by billionaires which is underperforming, unaccountable, segregationist, rife with financial waste, and undemocratic.
Please consider adding your name.
If you want to learn more about the lack of supervision or oversight or accountability in California’s charter industry, read this report from the Network for Public Education.
Diane Ravitch's blog 
Excellent petition challenging the “Democrats” now running CA; a similar petition should be addressed to Cuomo, another “Democrat.” In prep for 2020, would be good if petitions like these morphed into a Charter for Public Schools which all candidates for office should be asked to explicitly endorse if they ask for our votes.
Ira, to do that (stand up to Cuomo) would require unions willing to oppose charter schools and to oppose Master Andrew.
Just thinking about a conversation I had today with my union rep, without going into details I have to disagree with any ‘go along to get along’ strategies or tactics. Do not placate the enemy in the war for public education. Oppose “centrists”. Strike, boycott, opt out, refuse test prep. Don’t compromise.
Imagine teachers unions coming together across the nation to aggressively and very vocally oppose charter schools; while there was opposition to charters attached to last years’ teachers strikes, the “news” strategically squashed that fact as much as it could.
Reblogged this on Crazy Normal – the Classroom Exposé and commented:
Please consider adding your name
The state laws that ban school districts from rejecting a charter proposal based on its harmful financial and other impact on the district need to be changed immediately. Actually, there should BE no appeal process whatsoever. School boards should have the absolute right to accept or reject charter proposals in their own districts, with no further recourse for the would-be operators. Also, at least in the past, the Calif. Dept. of Ed offered about $450,000 (each) to would-be charter operators, no repayment necessary, for the process of making their proposal and navigating the process. I haven’t been able to find out if that’s still the case or when or how it stopped. That must be stopped at once if it still exists and the funds redirected into public schools.
Reblogged this on David R. Taylor-Thoughts on Education.
My compliments on the wording of the petition.
We need to put our efforts and emphasis into public education not charter schools.