Volume III, Issue 8,  March 13, 2007

LEGISLATIVE ALERT!

(The following Special Alert was also issued by the New York Charter Schools Association)

Assembly's Proposed Budget Assaults Charter Schools

Dear Friend:

This is not a drill. 

The State Assembly has proposed a string of anti-charter school proposals that threaten the funding and operation of existing schools and will prevent serious charter expansion in the future. The Assembly's charter provisions, proposed in bill number A.4307-B, would:

• Sharply reduce annual funding growth for existing charter schools; this, despite over $1.4 billion in additional aid for traditional district schools.
• Require unionization of all employees (without employee input) with limited exceptions.
• Limit management's ability to discipline underperforming employees.
• Eliminate entirely SUNY-CSI's role as a charter authorizer, leaving the Board of Regents as the only authorizer in New York.
• Impose other limitations on charter school autonomy and flexibility. 

Details on these and the other anti-charter proposals contained in the Assembly's budget can be accessed by visiting the Center's Web site "Breaking News" page at http://nycchartercenter.org/breaking_news.html. The New York City Center for Charter School Excellence and New York Charter Schools Association (NYCSA) can answer any questions you may have regarding the Assembly proposal. For the Center, email Jeff Maclin at jmaclin@nycchartercenter.org. For NYCSA, call 1-888-465-4401 ext.104.
 
Over the last few days the Legislature (Assembly and Senate) released their own budget proposals. On the positive side, the Senate budget proposal will not impact your school, but would increase the number of charter schools authorized in line with Gov. Spitzer's proposal.  By contrast, the Assembly's budget presents significant funding and operational limitations on your school, and demands a response - from all of us. 

CALL TO ACTION!
 
The final state budget is due by April 1st - fewer than three weeks from now.  Time is short and it is therefore crucial for charter schools to get directly involved.  We ask that all charter schools mobilize parents, trustees and supporters to contact their state legislators, particularly their Assembly representatives, to oppose these anti-charter school measures that clearly threaten the educational and financial viability of your school.  In so doing, parents should demand funding equity, greater charter school opportunities, and the operational freedom for charter schools to educate their children.

Go to http://nycchartercenter.org/breaking_news.html to access a simple message in letter form for charter school parents as well as sample letters school leaders, board members, advocates and charter school supporters can send to Speaker Sheldon Silver, Senate President Joseph L. Bruno and Governor Eliot Spitzer. A list of NYC public charter schools and their respective State Senators and Assembly Members is also available on our Web site along with their office fax numbers. Given the time and sensitivity, we urge you to fax your letters directly to lawmakers.  

Contacting state legislators to oppose the Assembly's anti-charter provisions in Assembly Bill A.4307-B can be done using one or more of the following means:

• calling district and Albany offices (Click here http://assembly.state.ny.us/ to access Assembly Member contact information and here http://www.senate.state.ny.us/senatehomepage.nsf/home?openform to access contact information for State Senators).
• visiting legislators' district offices, unscheduled, if necessary or NYCSA can assist in arranging meeting.
• faxing or emailing the sample advocacy letter.

The New York City Center for Charter School Excellence and NYCSA also will be working with any charter schools that wish to send representatives directly to Albany while legislators are in session. 

PRO-CHARTER AGENDA

In addition to opposing the Assembly's bill, parents and other charter school stakeholders should go on the offensive by demanding pro-charter actions, including: 

• Cap-Lift: Support the Governor's proposed cap-lift; and
• Stimulus Fund: Increase the size of the State Stimulus Fund to enable charter schools to get funding for building needs.

Finally, it should be noted that legislators may not appreciate being pressured this way, and may claim that the Assembly's anti-charter proposals are merely a negotiating position.  But only by direct, grassroots pressure from charter parents and other supporters can we be certain to prevent any of these proposals from being enacted in the final state budget, which is due by April 1st -- fewer than three weeks from today!

PLEASE HAVE YOUR PARENTS AND STAKEHOLDERS CONTACT THEIR RESPECTIVE ASSEMBLY MEMBERS AS SOON AS POSSIBLE! 

  
Again, please do not hesitate to contact the New York City Center for Charter School Excellence at 212-437-8300 or the New York Charter Schools Association at 1-888-465-4401 for further details and assistance in making contact with state legislators.
 

The stakes are high as the viability of your school is threatened.  
 

MISSION

The mission of the New York City Center for Charter School Excellence is to stimulate the supply of high-quality charter schools and support ongoing student excellence in all NYC charter schools, impacting the effectiveness of public education. As an independent nonprofit, the Charter Center is an advocate, bridge and catalyst for the achievement of academic and operational success and sustainability of all NYC charter schools for each young person.