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Nearly 1,000 charter school parents from across the state will come together in Albany on February 2, 2016 for the 12th annual Charter Advocacy Day, the New York City Charter School Center and the Northeast Charter Schools Network announced today.
For Immediate Release: December 22, 2015
Contact: Jessica Mokhiber, (518) 573-0516, jmokhiber@necharters.org,
Elizabeth Kenigsberg, ekenigsberg@skdknick.com
NYC CHARTER SCHOOL CENTER AND NORTHEAST CHARTER SCHOOLS NETWORK ANNOUNCE KICKOFF FOR 2016 JOINT ADVOCACY DAY
12th Annual Charter Advocacy Day Expected to Draw Largest Statewide Crowd Yet to Push Legislators for Public Charter Support
Albany, NY – Nearly 1,000 charter school parents from across the state will come together in Albany on February 2, 2016 for the 12th annual Charter Advocacy Day, the New York City Charter School Center and the Northeast Charter Schools Network announced today. On the agenda is a celebration featuring parents, students, and supportive lawmakers, followed by dozens of meetings between charter parents and legislators. These meetings will give parents the opportunity to make the case for fair funding for all charters directly with legislators from across the state and all branches of government.
“It’s critically important that Albany legislators hear directly from charter school parents as to why all public schools must finally be treated equally – no exceptions,” said James Merriman, CEO of the New York City Charter School Center. “Many charters statewide remain victims of persistent funding inequities that funnel dollars away from some of the highest-need students in the state. We hope that lawmakers – especially those who represent districts with a high concentration of charters –listen to their constituents and level the playing field once and for all.”
“Charter school students across the state have been treated inequitably for far too long simply because their parents wanted something better for their children,” said Kyle Rosenkrans, CEO of the Northeast Charter Schools Network. “This year, parents, children, and educators are calling on legislators to solve the problem of inequitable funding, and provide support for facilities to all schools once and for all.”
Statewide on average, charter school students receive 75 cents on the dollar compared to students in district schools. The gap in funding is worse in places like Buffalo, where charter children only receive 60 cents on the dollar. In Rochester, it’s 68 cents on the dollar. Additionally, all schools outside of New York City are denied access to state facilities funding and are therefore forced to pay rent or mortgage, and spend scarce dollars on building maintenance – something other public schools do not have to do.
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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 New York City Charter School Center at www.nyccharterschools.org.
About the Northeast Charter Schools Network: The Northeast Charter Schools Network is the membership and advocacy organization for the more than 250 charter schools in New York and Connecticut. Its mission is to support and expand high quality charter schools. www.necharters.org
About NYC’s Charter Schools
Charter schools are free, independently run public schools that are able to innovate in their classroom structures, curriculum, and teaching methods. In return, they’re held to higher standards of accountability. More than 90 percent of the City’s charter school students are African-American or Latino, and over 70 percent are from low-income families. There will be 205 public charter schools serving over 95,000 students in all five boroughs for the 2015-2016 school year.
