By Kimberly Montgomery–
[RE: SJUSD shoots down proposed charter school in Citrus Heights; appeal planned; Nov. 17th] I live in Citrus Heights and am teaching in Roseville, in the elementary district — a K-8 school district — and have been for 30 years… Charter schools do nothing more than take students and funding away from public schools, promising parents better education and better academic results .
There is no statistical evidence to prove that charters perform better overall than public schools. Charter schools are one way to privatize education.
The best solution to address the arguments made for a charter school is to ask why a parent would move a student to a charter instead of remaining in the public school, and then address those concerns within the school district. Letting the charter take money away from the public schools is only weakening the public school system, which is the ultimate goal of the charter school movement.
The fact that millions are spent to get pro-voucher, and pro-charter school candidates into positions on county school boards and school boards in districts nationwide is a big red flag that the ultimate goal is not to provide a better educational choice for our students, the lie told, but to instead push the unspoken political agenda of those big-money corporations and benefactors who are creating and financially supporting charter schools.
Support the local schools… put the funding into the local schools and the local kids. Find the solutions within your own district to counter the reasons any parent would choose a charter over a public school…
(Letter shortened due to 250-word limit)
OTHER LETTER(S):
Bad schools causing parents to send kids outside of the district
I have raised children, grandkids, and great-grand kids in Citrus Heights schools. My husband has lived here 80 years, and we have seen schools come and go, and what I am getting from the kids that live here is that the school district is in shambles, with low scores, and discipline. I am hearing that many of our young adults are sending there kids out of district to Roseville, Orangevale, or paying for private schools.
Also, some are sending their children to charter schools out of the San Juan district. Thirty years ago we put our grandson in a private school here because we were told by the teacher he had in kindergarten that he was smart, and if left in the Citrus Heights school he would be passed over because they had to spend so much time with some other kids.
-Carol Alexander, Citrus Heights
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