FROM YOUR EGRPS PTA LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE
SENATE PLAN WOULD ALLOW UNLIMITED NUMBER OF CHARTER SCHOOLS
CONTACT YOUR SENATOR TODAY!
The Senate Education Committee approved legislation (a bundle of bills collectively called, “The Parent Empowerment and Education Reform Package”) to remove the overall cap on charter schools in the state; to create a new class of charter schools -- "conversion schools" -- which can be created at the instigation of the teachers or parents of a traditional public school; to remove limits on the number of recently-introduced "cyber schools"; and to require all school districts to accept non-resident students under "schools of choice" if they have the capacity (EGRPS already accepts schools of choice students who make up about ten percent of the total student body). Capacity is not defined, which means that Lansing could decide that all schools districts must increase classroom size to accommodate more schools of choice students. This legislation will have even more devastating economic effects on public schools and it is another assault on local control. Furthermore, it does nothing to improve education in our state. This legislation is on the fast track. Please contact your senator (for EGR residents, Senator Mark Jansen (SenMJansen@senate.michigan.gov ph.: 517-373-0797) and ask him not to support this package of bills. Tell him that in combination with the 2011-13 state budget, this legislation threatens the state's promise to provide youth with a quality education. TAKE ACTION and contact your lawmakers. If you do not know who your senator is, you can look it up at http://senate.michigan.gov/ and click on the “Find Your Senator” link on the left hand side of the page. For more information, please check www.egrpseducationadvocates.blogspot.com.
