By David Dunn
Executive Director Texas Charter Schools Association
During the past several sessions the Texas Legislature has struggled to reach agreement on legislation that would benefit public charter schools. This year Senate Bill 1830 authored by State Senator Dan Patrick and sponsored by House Public Education Committee Chairman Rob Eissler moves another step closer to becoming law.
The bill heads to the house floor after passing out of the House Public Education Committee last week by an 8-0 vote. The bill passed out of the Senate by a 31-0 vote earlier this session. The Texas Charter Schools Association (TCSA) including 316 charter schools and almost 56 000 students strongly supports this legislation.
The charter school movement is energized and now must keep up the momentum toward reform that benefits our broad spectrum of students. On May 6th an estimated 700 public charter school parents traveled from all around the state to rally at the Capitol in support of SB 1830 and facilities funding.
In addition to Senator Patricks bill a number of House members filed legislation to aid public charter schools evidence of growing support in the Legislature for public schools of choice.
In the past charter leaders have split over legislation that had the effect of pitting various types of charter schools against one another. This year the public charter school community remains unified in support of SB 1830 that would increase the cap on the number of open enrollment charters ease the renewal and replication of existing charter schools and provide incentives for co-location with traditional public schools.
The House Legislation allows for 15 new charter schools every year toward a new cap of 275 allows new charter schools to students with disabilities and streamlines the renewal process for all charters. However charter schools deserve facilities funding equitable funding is the #1 priority for the members of TCSA.
CSSB 1830 does not have everything we need in it but it is critical that they keep up the momentum by voting this legislation out of the House so they can send it to a Conference Committee. Once in Conference Committee the positive progress contained in CSSB 1830 (increasing the number of charter schools to meet our demand streamlined renewal process) could be combined with the reforms in Sen. Dan Patricks original Senate Bill 1830 (co-location incentives streamlined replication).
The critics of charter schools often do not understand the intricacies and the challenges of educating kids whose needs arent met with traditional schooling. The range of charter schools is also difficult for the public to grasp some of our schools graduate every single student towards college while others spend years educating kids with circumstances like pregnancy drug addiction and extreme poverty.
A recent RAND study found Texas charter students come to school with much lower test scores which supports the notion that many charter schools enroll students that have not excelled in the traditional public system. The achievement gap of these students is higher and the challenge to educate them is greater.
The public school system needs to be broad enough to reach all children in Texas who want to improve their lives through education; they all deserve a chance to contribute to our future. Reaching kids who can be completely transformed through education opportunity is a noble cause and that is happening all across Texas in charter schools.
Just recently TCSA member Tom Torkelson CEO of IDEA Public Schools serving the Rio Grande Valley was nominated for Time Magazines 100 most influential people in the world. This is no small achievement; the reforms taking place in Texas are being noticed throughout the world because they directly impact our future leaders.
This is Texas and this is America where every kid deserves a solid public education.
There will be no significant charter school reform this session unless CSSB 1830 passes the House. Reform matters to the 90000 kids learning in charter schools right now and to the 17000 still on waiting lists to get that same opportunity.
It is critically important that Texas legislators keep up the momentum of charter school reform by voting CSSB 1830 out of the House.
