This is a model of a letter to a Senator or Member of Congress. It was written by Laura Chapman of Cincinnati to one of her Senators. It is clear and based on evidence.
Dear Senator Brown,
I recently received an email from you, intended as a response to my prior effort to understand your position on federal funding for charter schools and so-called “choice” programs beloved by Secretary DeVos.
You gave an uninformed response to my concerns about federal money pouring into the coffers of the charter school industry, money often added to by state funds and non-trival sums in private dollars.
Please pay attention. More than one third of federally funded charter schools, funded at $1.billion, never opened or closed soon after opening.
You should be investigating why Betsy Devos is treating our tax dollars as a personal slush fund for corporate charter schools while ignoring well documented evidence of waste, fraud, and abuse and cronyism in how these funds are used.
Charter school advocates posture about “high-quality schools” just like you do. In fact, many charter schools are terrible. Consider these facts.
Ohio 2018 report cards for 257 charter schools.
__235 charter schools received a grade of D or F (not exactly high quality).
__15 charter schools earned a C, merely average (not exactly high quality).
__ 4 charter schools had a grade of B
__ 3 charter schools had a grade of A.
Most federal funds are flowing to corporate chains with off-the-shelf franchise plans, hostility to collective bargaining, and an aversion to public schools with democratically elected school boards.
Charter schools claim to be public until they are sued in court. They are routinely draining money from local public schools while claiming to be underfunded.
Most charter schools do not need federal funds. They are being supported by billionaires and many Republicans who want to privatize public institutions, public services, public lands and natural resources.
Charter schools are not lacking in funds and should not be given more from the federal budget.
Please read this report before you respond. The three-page Executive Summary is a must read. https://www.scribd.com/document/403089110/Asleep-at-the-Wheel-final-Online-Version
Thanks for writing the letter, Laura.
I’ve been unable to find out if Brown gets campaign funds from charter schools.
I received no response from him related to my criticism of his choice of a TFA dilettante as advisor for education legislation.
Excellent!
Just sent a letter to Brown’s office:
Dear Senator Brown,
Copied below is a letter sent to you by Cincinnati constituent Laura Chapman. I would appreciate knowing of your views about her concerns, which I wholeheartedly endorse. Please do not reply with boilerplate language.
Great idea. I’ll follow suit.
The citizens will know which candidates/politicians have the people’s back when the term charter schools is replaced with the correct identifier, contractor schools.
The correct term is “private charter schools”.
Or even “private schools” which is what they are. The term charter is superfluous.
Citizens assume a private school is privately funded, not funded in entirety by taxes.
The word “charter” was a PR creation to promote the product while simultaneously duping communities and providing cover for politicians.
perhaps even more clearly, MUCH MONEY PAID OUT TO CONTRACTORS schools
Both times I wrote to Senator Brown on education issues, I received DFER propaganda. I like this letter writing campaign.
I suggest we send copies to the Ohio Democratic County chairs.
I’m convinced the state party and David Pepper are getting paid by Republicans. Never, ever has there been a more incompetent political party of which I am aware. They need to tarred, feathered, and ridden out of the state on a rail.
The past two selections of Democratic candidates for Governor and/or their campaigns suggest you’re right.Then, there’s been the repeated abandoned efforts to get redress on gerrymandering.
Watching Tim Ryan tonight, it’s no wonder he’s a darling of the Ohio Democratic Party. What an idiot. By the way, much like Palin and Russia, I can see his district from my porch.
Third Way’a corporate tool- Tim Ryan. But, Ohio’s Jym Jordan has earned the title of stupidest member of Congress.
Thank you for standing up for the public schools