CPS and CTU Have Been Heard - it's Time for Charter School Parents to Have Their Say

52,000 charter school parents made the decision to choose a charter school – thousands of their representatives kick off "Parent Voice for School Choice" fair funding campaign with rally.

CHICAGO, Sept. 28, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Thousands of parents and community members will make their voices heard on October 2^nd at a citywide "Parent Voice for School Choice" rally on October 2 at UIC Forum, 725 W. Roosevelt Road, to stand up for charter school students and launch a fair funding campaign. Doors open at 6 p.m. and the rally begins at 6:45 p.m.

Charter public school parents represent the largest group of parents supporting public school choice in Chicago. They will be calling upon the city's leaders to ensure that other families have access to school choice, and that public school dollars follow public school kids to proven education options that work. "My child's education deserves to be funded at the same amount as every student in the city.  Anything else is just unfair," said Rhonda Coleman, parent of a student at a Noble high school.

State law allows CPS to fund charter schools 25% less per pupil than traditional CPS schools, and additionally, charter schools do not have access to the facilities or teacher salary budgets that traditional public schools have. This amounts to a funding burden that charter school teachers and students are unfairly forced to shoulder.

With 52,000 students enrolled in charter public schools today in Chicago and another 19,000 on waitlists, charter school student populations are growing and many believe it is time to address the funding disparity. "School choice is an essential part of school reform," said Juan Rangel, CEO of the United Neighborhood Organization which operates a network of 13 charter schools. "Parents want choice. That means charter school funding must be fair and brought into line with all other public schools."

Beth Purvis, CEO of Chicago International Charter School, a 16-campus charter network, also advocates for equity: "Charter public schools are open-enrollment schools that serve neighborhood children; anything less than equitable funding unjustly punishes families who have exercised their legal right to a public school education."

School choice advocates from across the city will call on leaders to ensure every child has access to a quality public education. "It's important for elected officials to know that constituents want fair treatment for their schools and better options in Chicago and across the state," says Andrew Broy President of the Illinois Network of Charter schools.

Parents, alumni, teachers and leaders will rally the crowd, celebrating high-quality public school options like charter schools, as well as sharing their stories about the importance of school choice and equitable public school funding.

The Illinois Network of Charter Schools (INCS) is dedicated to the improvement of education by establishing high-quality charter public schools that transform lives and communities.  As the voice of the Illinois charter schools, INCS advocates for legislation on behalf of the charter sector, provides support to strengthen charter schools, and influences education policy for the benefit of all public school students.

Contact Sylvia Ewing 312 629-2063 X 33 [email protected]

SOURCE Illinois Network of Charter Schools