Washington,
DC has 51 charter schools on 69 campuses, more than any other
city in the United States, with the exception of New Orleans. Charter
schools were supposed to be innovative models of reform to improve
DCPS, but instead they have created a separate and unequal system that
is draining desperately needed funding from traditional public schools.
Despite their greater resources and political support, charter schools
as a whole have not succeeded in improving public education. Even
charter advocates agree that “quality” remains a problem in charter
schools, and public schools continue to outperform charters.
In August 2006, DCPS Superintendent Clifford Janey called for a
moratorium on charter schools. In an interview with The Washington
Post, Janey called on the mayor, the D.C. Council and education
officials to help develop a plan for evaluating the city's existing
charter schools before allowing any more to open. Save Our Schools
wrote an open letter to
Dr. Janey thanking him for taking this stand
and urging him to also call for a moratorium on expansion campuses.
We do not need any more charter schools in Washington DC! If you agree,
please download and circulate our petition
demanding a moratorium on new charters
and expansion campuses until there is equity and accountability between
traditional public schools and charter schools.
Send signed petitions to:
Save Our Schools Coalition
P.O. Box 15095
Washington, DC 20003
If you would like us to mail you a copy of the petition, or if you have
any
other questions, contact us at 202-521-0377 or
info@saveourschoolsdc.org.
         Moratorium on
Charter Schools
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