Children of many ages, from many different parts of the world, enter public school, and, obviously, bring with them different educational, social and language needs. All of them want to learn English and to progress academically. In order to meet both those goals many children need to be taught core academic subjects in their native language so they do not fall behind while they are learning English. CPS has consistently supported strong language acquisition programs for non-English speaking children and has opposed efforts to replace them with an English-only immersion approach. CPS has worked closely with leading bilingual organizations in opposition to the so-called UNZ ballot initiative that would not only outlaw successful bilingual programs but leave teachers and school officials open to damaging lawsuits for helping children in their native language.
Massachusetts has two types of charter schools. Commonwealth charters are publicly-funded, privately-run schools exempt from many of the mandates and expectations placed on public schools. Communities have no say in the creation or cost of commonwealth charters. Power to establish these schools rests entirely with the un-elected state board of education, which since 1996 has been dominated by commonwealth charter school proponents. Money to fund commonwealth charters is deducted on a per pupil basis from a local school district's state education aid. Charters receive their funding first, off the top of Chapter 70 aid, and, thus, are largely insulated from the uncertainties of the state budget process. Studies consistently show that commonwealth charter schools serve fewer low income, special needs, and vocational students then district schools and enroll fewer English language learners. Yet, while serving less-expensive-to-education children, they receive what is called the "average per pupil" expenditure in the local public school district.
CPS has opposed commonwealth charter schools as they are regulated and funded, believing that all schools should be democratically accountable to their community and that the expectations and mandates we as a society have set forth should be equally applied to all publicly funded schools.
Horace Mann charter schools operate as part of the local school system but are accorded greater flexibility over their curriculum, staffing, calendar and budget. Horace Mann charters are established by agreement of the school committee, other municipal officials, parents and the teachers' association. CPS has been supportive of Horace Mann charters and has been disappointed that the board of education has given the concept almost no support.
During this state budget crisis, CPS has actively supported a moratorium on opening new and expanding existing commonwealth charter schools. Working closely with legislators, parent groups, the media and major education constituencies, CPS helped gain strong legislative support for a moratorium. However, House Speaker Thomas Finneran, kept the bill from reaching the House floor, thus denying members a chance to vote on the measure. CPS plans to help re-file the legislation in 2003.
CPS has joined with numerous organizations, particularly the Alliance for High Standards NOT High Stakes and the Coalition for Authentic Reform in Education, calling for the state to assess students with a broad range of measures, including portfolios, work samples and some standardized testing, as set forth in the Education Reform Act of 1993. CPS has strongly opposed the DOE regulation that students pass MCAS as an absolute requirement for high school graduation. CPS believes one standardized test should not determine a child's educational future.
Students of color have often not received their fair share of education resources. CPS believes that an integrated school setting furthers educational opportunity for all students. CPS has worked closely with legislators and with the Massachusetts Coalition for Equitable Education to maintain state support for districts that allow children to chose among schools in their district, while working to ensure that all schools reflect the racial diversity of the community. CPS has been very skeptical of "neighborhood school assignment" because such plans generally group students by race and economics reflective of their neighborhood and have historically led to more resources going to schools in wealthier, often whiter, areas. Despite efforts of the CPS coalition, opponents of voluntary integration were able to strip money for programs, known as Chapter 636, out of the FY03 budget, effectively ending, at least for the short term, almost 30 years of state support. CPS is working closely with MCEE to restore funding for these important programs.
CPS believes that integration is not an end in itself. Academic achievement is the real test of school culture. The state must commit its resources to closing the achievement gap which has left many students of color behind in terms of educational opportunity.
CPS continues to champion the state's constitutional protection against using tax dollars for tuition at private and religious schools. CPS believes that public funding for private schools would draw hundreds of millions of dollars away from the public system and undermine educational opportunity for the vast majority of children. Vouchers would also prove a prescription for unprecedented sectarian divisiveness by forcing taxpayers to underwrite religious institutions to which they do not belong, and whose teachings they might find objectionable. Further, vouchers work to undermine religious freedom by involving the state in the finances and oversight of religious institutions.
Vouchers pose an additional injustice because private schools are exempt from many of the important mandates and expectations placed on public schools. CPS believes its is deeply unfair to allocate scare education resources to schools that systematically exclude thousands of children.