Charter School Advocates Converge On Albany
Monday, February 7, 2011 at 08:37AM More than 2,000 city parents, students and teachers arrived by the bus load Monday in Albany. Their message to lawmakers: the charter school lobby is here to stay.
"We want to make sure that people continue to support this movement every year. Not some years, we take a day off or a year off," said one rally attendee.
Last year, charter advocates successfully lobbied lawmakers to raise the statewide cap on the number of charter schools from 200 to 460. And this year, even without any specific legislation on the table, they came back. After rallying they fanned out to meet with local representatives.
"I have to let them know that it's still important. No matter what...it's still important. I don't want them to forget about charter schools," said one charter school parent.
"When you come to Albany you have more of a voice than if you go to another, because this is the capital of New York," said one charter student.
Monday's event was all organized and funded by the New York Charter School Center, a non-profit advocacy organization. The publicly funded but privately run schools remain a political lightning rod. Critics say they're an attempt to privatize public education and are fueled by Wall Street donations. To counteract that reputation, the charter center trains parents to advocate for the schools, and then brings them out, en mass, to public meeting and events like the one in Albany.
"Lots of people think charter schools are private schools. Charter schools are public schools and we're here to correct that misunderstanding," said one charter school parent.
Most of the parents who spoke with NY1 say they've never been politically active before. Many brought their children, saying they want them to also learn about the political process.
"I want him to see that education is so important and he has to fight for it," said one parent.
State law doesn't give charters funding for facilities. Changing that will be the lobby's next big political push.
Eighty of the city's 125 charter schools were represented in the state capital on Monday. They say they're a movement that's only getting stronger and better organized, and want elected officials to listen.
