Cloaking Inequity

Parents, superintendents, policymakers, think tanks, school board members, California Teachers Association and the ACLU are calling on Governor Brown to sign legislation to increase accountability and transparency at California’s public charter schools. Today, a media teleconference panel will occur to “outline impact on students from charter fraud, waste of taxpayer funds.”

The coalition of parents, lawmakers and elected leaders, education leaders and community groups will come together in a media teleconference Thursday at 10 am PST to call on Governor Jerry Brown to support co-sponsored legislation that increases accountability and transparency at California charter schools.

Recent news reporting and academic studies have documented the waste, fraud and abuse by privately-managed charter schools, which have cost taxpayers millions while hurting students. The California Teachers Association and other civil rights groups have sponsored and supported numerous pieces of legislation to ensure equal access for all students.

Teleconference speakers include:

• State Treasurer John Chiang to talk about the need for tighter laws to address fraud and waste in California’s public charter schools.
• Assembly Member Mike Gipson, author of AB 709, which addresses the need for transparency and accountability and is now on the governor’s desk awaiting action.
• Carol Kocivar of the California State Parent Teachers Association will talk about the need for all students to have equal opportunity to attend a charter school.
• Dr. George McKenna, Vice President of the LAUSD School Board, to talk about the impact on students in the state’s city where the charter movement is expanding and promises to expand significantly in the coming years.
• Anaheim Union High School District Superintendent Mike Matsuda will share experiences from Anaheim and the negative impact on students and communities.
• Bob Lawson from In the Public Interest will discuss recent findings showing the public appetite and support for tighter measures to eliminate fraud, waste and discriminatory practices that keep students from accessing non-traditional public schools – charter schools.
• Amy Roylance, parent of a student at the Livermore Valley Charter School, who had to withdraw her students on the first day of school this year. The charter is being investigated by the Alameda County District Attorney’s Office for financial fraud and potential criminal charges.
• Victor Leung of the ACLU to discuss their recent report, Unequal Access.

  The call is restricted to media but I can share the information if you send me an email at jvh@alumni.stanford.edu.

  For more on what’s going wrong with charters click here.

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