Charter Discussion at the 32nd Democrats

Several Democratic districts have taken up the issue of charter schools; of those that have, most have come out against them.  Here is a program from the 32nd Dems happening this week.


32nd District Democrats Program 
February 8, Wednesday  7pm 
Masonic Hall Shoreline, 753 N 185th St, Shoreline
  (map)  
 
 Why Democrats Are Opposed to Charter Schools
It would be hard not to notice the intense lobbying efforts to promote charter schools by Stand for Children, the League of Education Voters and, now, the Washington State PTA.
 Lining up against charter schools are the League of Women Voters, NAACP, the state teachers union (WEA) and most Democrats.
 Charter schools have been rejected by the voters three times, most recently in 2004, and both the State party platform and the King County platform affirm our opposition.
Sarajane Siegfriedt, Chair of the King County Democrats Legislative Action Committee, recently traveled to Olympia in an ice storm to testify against the current bill, which is sponsored by Democrats. She will discuss: 
  • What's behind the current push? 
  • Who is using whom? 
  • What's the truth about New Orleans charters?
  • Is this why we lost Race to the Top?
  • Would you want your kid to sign up for one?
  •  

Comments

seattle citizen said…
Maybe the discussion will include why LEV and others are such blatant propagandists?

This from a new thread on the LEV blog, a teacher explaining why he likes charters (actually, the humor is in how he just likes a charter, but has been edited to make it sound like it's charters generally. This is emblematic. Note the bracketed plural and the singular "it" - obviously, he was commenting on a particular school. The pasted quote, and the rest of the text doesn't show us what charters can do that publics can't, it's just that they're....charters?

"[Charter schools] represented a lot of what I didn’t find in traditional public schools but it had a lot of what I wanted in public schools, the social mission, a commitment to equity, educating one and all, a much clearer college joining mission…”
2/6/12, 9:07 PM
Anonymous said…
Is that the whole program? It seems like a stretch to title it "Why Democrats are Opposed to Charter Schools" - last time I checked, I was a Democrat and I support charter schools. Heck, last time I checked, the President was a Democrat who supports charter schools. Maybe the program should be called "Why This Presenter Wants the 32nd District Democrats to Oppose Charter Schools"

- seems reasonable
2/8/12, 1:02 PM
Anonymous said…
The West Seattle Blog covered the 34th dems and the anti-charter resolution passed 58-10.

http://westseattleblog.com/2012/02/34th-district-democrats-marriage-equality-charter-schools-public-bank

--yumpears
2/9/12, 3:53 PM
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