NYC CITY COUNCIL MEMBER, CHARTER ADVOCACY GROUPS, AND FAMILIES VOW TO PRESS LAWMAKERS TO ELIMINATE CHARTER CAP THIS SESSION
With New York’s Leading Charter Advocacy Groups All Uniting in Call for Elimination of Arbitrary and Discriminatory Cap, Momentum Builds for End-of-Session Push
Council member Ritchie Torres Joins NYC Charter School Center, Families for Excellent Schools, Ed Reform and Charter Advocates StudentsFirstNY, Northeast Charter Schools Network, Coalition for Community Charter Schools, and Public Charter School Parents in Call for Charter Cap Elimination
New York, NY – New York’s leading charter advocacy groups were joined by school leaders, advocates, and parents of public charter school students on the steps of City Hall Friday morning to announce a push for eliminating the charter cap in the final month of the legislative session. Supported by New York City Council member Ritchie Torres, advocates outlined the pressing need to eliminate an arbitrary cap on high-quality public charter schools that left tens of thousands of parents on waiting lists, and vowed to pressure members of the State Assembly majority and Mayor de Blasio to support the measure.
In recent weeks, charter school networks like Success Academy and Achievement First have reported record numbers of applications for charter school seats, reflecting growing demand for charter options from New York’s families. With only 25 charter schools remaining under a cap for charter schools in New York City, the State Legislature’s failure to eliminate the cap threatens to serve as an arbitrary barrier to high-quality schools, disproportionately impacting low-income black and Hispanic families who apply to charter schools in outsized numbers.
“I believe that charters schools can coexist with a traditional public school system,” said Council Member Ritchie Torres. “I reject flatly the notion of an inherent conflict between the two. A system that contains both charter and traditional public schools is one that combines equity and innovation, and I see no reason to cap either one.”
“It’s crunch time. There are huge decisions to be made when it comes to the very future of New York’s vibrant, successful public charter school sector, and just over a dozen days left in this year’s legislative session to make them,” said James Merriman, CEO of the New York City Charter School Center. “We know that Mayor de Blasio and the Assembly share our mission to end the tale of two school systems – and to achieve this critical goal we must eliminate the arbitrary cap on charter schools, which now stands between high need students and their right to a quality public education.”
“As tens of thousands of public school parents in underserved communities continue to seek quality school options, a cap on great schools is a barrier that is increasingly difficult for the state legislature to justify,” said Tenicka Boyd, StudentsFirstNY’s Director of Organizing. “State lawmakers cannot continue to ignore how hundreds of thousands of children in low income communities in New York City have been left stranded in persistently failing schools. Albany needs to fix this and eliminate the charter cap.”
“If Mayor de Blasio is serious about being a Mayor for all kids, he should embrace the fact that families are exercising their right to school choice in record numbers,” said Families for Excellent Schools’ CEO Jeremiah Kittredge. “Parents clearly want to leave failing district schools for charters and want to see this cap eliminated–the Assembly can be assured that they will hear the voices of parents in this critical month ahead.”
“The only limit on charter school growth should be the demands of parents and the capacity of founding groups,” said Kyle Rosenkrans, CEO of the Northeast Charter Schools Network. “It’s time to end these arbitrary caps intended only to appease the union bosses and political elites who don’t believe in parent choice.”
“Albany cannot continue to stand in the way of choice for parents. Our neighborhoods are starved for good schools, and we won’t rest until they eliminate this cap on our children’s futures,” said Tracia Gill, a parent of a 6th grader at Achievement First Endeavor.
“NYC Coalition of Community Charter Schools supports lifting the charter school cap,” said Steve Zimmerman, Co-Director of the NYC Coalition of Community Charter Schools. “Throughout the five boroughs, our schools provide the innovative, arts-enriched and dynamic education that New Yorkers want for their children. New Yorkers need and deserve the educational options we provide.”
“For the 2015-16 school year, Manhattan Charter Schools had a combined total of 909 applicants, for only 105 available seats,” said Sonia Park, Executive Director for Manhattan Charter Schools. “This means that we have no other choice but to tell over 800 parents – parents that only want the absolute best education for their children – that we cannot accommodate them. That is a problem that our elected officials must face and help us address.”
“Central Queens Academy Charter School is committed to serving high need students, including significant populations of ELL and special education students in our incoming class. This year, we had over 500 applications for 100 seats,” said Suyin So, Founder and Executive Director of Queens Central Academy Charter School. “The numbers don’t lie: Queens parents want charter schools and it breaks our hearts to turn even one high-need student away – yet, absent support to expand, we are forced to do so each year.”
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About the New York City Charter School Center: The New York City Charter School Center is an independent non-profit committed to fostering an environment in which public charters can open and flourish, and, through their innovative approaches, provide models for improving all public schools. The Charter Center helps new charter schools get started, supports existing schools, and engages the charter school community around key issues. Learn more about the NYC Charter School Center at www.nyccharterschools.org.
