A special and important edition of At Our Core this week. You have likely heard some increasing rhetoric both in Denver, and across the nation about charter schools. Lines are being drawn for the 2020 presidential election, with the announcement by Bernie Sanders supporting a ban on for-profit charter schools, as well as a “call for a moratorium on the funding of all public charter school expansion until a national audit on the schools has been completed.” This will quickly trickle down to local Board elections here in Denver and Aurora. Despite the fact that charters in Colorado are prohibited by law from being for profit, and despite our results and our mission, charter networks like DSST will be thrown into the fray. Below we’ve captured some of the stories from the last few weeks that bring the divisions to light. Whether you’re a teacher, a Dean or a Home Office employee, we’re all going to be asked questions on these topics in coming months, and in some cases asked to defend our work. The following articles will help give some context.
Chalkbeat, May 22, 2019
By Erica Meltzer
New Democratic divide on charter schools emerges, as support plummets among white Democrats
Chalkbeat, May 14, 2019
By Matt Barnum
Bernie Sanders Wants to Destroy the Best Schools Poor Urban Kids Have
New York Magazine, May 18, 2019
By Jonathan Chait
Wall Street Journal, May 21, 2019
By Jason L. Riley
Need a refresher on the basics of what it means to be a Charter School in Denver? Click here.
Want to talk more about any of these topics? Shoot us an email and we’re happy to set up time: mac@scienceandtech.org.
Want to get more involved in our advocacy work that is trying to help shift the narrative? Learn more here!