By Lance Christensen, Special to the Sacramento Bee
… Disappointed at less-than-forthright political leadership and locked out of district headquarters, parents continue to rally with their children outside local school board meetings, pleading for schools to be open five days a week through the end of the 2020-21 school year. Stories of disengagement and various levels of depression in children saturate every media platform. …
Now for the double whammy: The union-backed state legislature proposed the destruction of any competition to the traditional public school in Assembly Bill 1316. Emboldened by their public sector union benefactors, Assemblymembers Patrick O’Donnell (D-Long Beach), Kevin McCarty (D-Sacramento) and Cristina Garcia (D-Downey) authored legislation that will decimate free public charter schools by moving dollars focused on education activities to unnecessary bureaucratic regulation. . …
… Last month, the state Department of Education informed us that 160,478 students had left our public schools in the 2020-21 school year. …
For those that didn’t leave the state and/or send their kids to private schools, like Gov. Newsom did with his kids, most free public charter schools have proven to be a viable option allowing lower and middle-class families access to a rigorous education with fewer tax dollars. …
… Ultimately, the authors’ straw man reasons for AB 1316 led to it being shelved for the year. While the authors decide if it’s worth reviving in January, their colleagues should seriously consider the implications of effectively eliminating charter schools that offer tailored education plans and one-on-one specialized instruction for a wide spectrum of needs. Many students who attend non-classroom-based charters – including my children – thrive in this environment.
Click here to read the full commentary as published in the Sacramento Bee.