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People Power Trounces Big, Dark Money, as Question 2 Suffers Decisive Defeat

November 28, 2016 by

By Lisa Guisbond

Question 2’s defeat was a victory for public education and for the power of educating the public about charter schools. The Save Our Public Schools campaign’s message, disseminated by an army of teachers, parents, grandparents and students, proved more compelling than the false narrative carried on a huge wave of out-of-state dark money, the most ever spent on a Massachusetts ballot initiative. The margin of defeat was a decisive 62 to 38 percent.

The yes side, backed by Wall Street, hedge funders and other wealthy backers of “education reform,” spent twice as much as the no side on TV ads. The “No on 2” team, in contrast, invested in building a grass roots movement that made more than 1.5 million voter contacts in doors knocked and phone calls made, as well as many other one-to-one conversations with family, friends and neighbors. All told, the yes side spent almost $26 million to the no side’s $14.5 million.   → Read More

Filed Under: Education-Other

150 (now 213!) School Committees Say No to Q2

October 6, 2016 by

BOSTON — More than 150 (make that 213) democratically elected Massachusetts school committees have voted to oppose Question 2, the ballot question that would allow expansion of privately run charter schools anywhere in the state, take millions of dollars away from successful local district public schools, and cause the elimination of music and art programs, increased class sizes, and other damaging cuts in the schools that most families choose. (The Boston and Newton School Committees have also passed No on 2 resolutions, Boston unanimously!) Click here to read more.   → Read More

Filed Under: Education-Other

More than 100 MA School Committees Say No on Question 2!

September 15, 2016 by

Southborough, MA — More than 100 democratically elected Massachusetts school committees have now voted to oppose Question 2, the ballot question that would allow significant expansion of privately run charter schools anywhere in the state, take millions of dollars away from successful local district public schools, and cause the elimination of music and art programs, increased class sizes, and other damaging cuts in the schools that most families choose.

Not a single school committee or city council has voted to support Question 2. Click here to read more.    → Read More

Filed Under: Education-Other

Massachusetts Democratic Committee Votes No on 2!

August 17, 2016 by

Thanks to the Massachusetts Democratic Committee for passing the following resolution overwhelmingly on Tuesday, August 17. Here’s the text of the resolution:

Democratic State Committee Resolution Regarding Question 2

WHEREAS, the Massachusetts Democratic Party platform states that “Massachusetts Democrats are committed to investing in public education”; and

WHEREAS, the national Democratic Party platform states that charter schools “should not replace or destabilize traditional public schools”; and

WHEREAS, more than $400 million in taxpayer money was diverted to charter schools statewide last year from local school districts, forcing cuts to programs that families and students value; and

WHEREAS, charter schools typically serve far fewer special needs students, English language learners and economically disadvantaged students than the traditional public school districts they are located in and use hyper-disciplinary policies and suspensions for minor infractions to push out students; and

WHEREAS, charter schools use public funds, but local communities and their school committees have no control over their design, approval, operation or renewal; and

WHEREAS, Question 2 on the November 2016 ballot would allow the state to approve 12 new charters schools a year, every year, forever, with no limit on how much money a single district could lose; and

WHEREAS, this would nearly triple the number of charter schools in just ten years and take away more than $1 billion a year from our local public schools within several years; and

WHEREAS, the Question 2 campaign is funded and governed by hidden money provided by Wall Street executives and hedge fund managers; and

WHEREAS, the unfettered expansion of charter schools, at the expense of local district public schools, that would occur if Question 2 passes is clearly at odds with the national and state party platforms, and would lead Massachusetts in the wrong direction;

THEREFORE, let it be resolved that the Massachusetts Democratic State Committee opposes Question 2

   → Read More
Filed Under: Education-Other

Update: State Overestimates Charter School Waitlist Numbers, Again

August 3, 2016 by

empty-314554_960_720August 3, 2016 — How many students are on waitlists for charter schools this year?

The state Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) says 32,600 in the headline of its press release.

But DESE’s own report (linked from http://www.doe.mass.edu/charter/enrollment/fy2017Waitlist.html) gives 23,601 as the number of students who applied to charter schools this year and did not get seats.

It’s clear from the report that even this figure is much higher than the actual number relevant to any discussion about the charter school ballot question, probably several thousand too high.

What’s more, DESE apparently has the data needed to tabulate the true number, but has not released it.

Rolled Over, Not Rolled Over, Partly Rolled Over

DESE’s release is headlined “State Estimates 32,600 Students Remain on Charter School Waitlists.” That’s the number news media used.

But a spreadsheet in the report gives 23,601 as the number who applied this year and didn’t get in, for both Horace Mann and Commonwealth charters.   → Read More

Filed Under: Education-Other
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