CORE:   Caucus of Rank-and-file Educators

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

November 22, 2009  9 p.m.

Contract-to-Charter Conversion Reveals

CPS Circumvention of State Law

Number of Charter Seats Requested on 11/23/09 Almost Doubles Last Year’s Total

CHICAGO – On November 23, 2009, CPS is asking the Chicago Board of Education to nearly double the number of charter seats over last year’s total, 8,130 seats up from 4,200, according to data compiled by CORE researchers from CPS public documents (see below).  Over half of those “new charter seats” come from CPS’s proposal to convert eight contract schools to charter school status.

Jackson Potter, CORE’s Co-chair, noted that CPS appears to disregard the letter and intent of state law when privatizing schools.  Potter explained that over the past few years, when CPS had maxed out on the number of allowed charter schools, it began opening “contract” schools.  “CPS appears to be admitting that it did sidestep the charter cap law for years by asking the Board to convert eight contract schools to charter school status today.”

CORE member and CPS special education teacher Kristine Mayle explained that unlike contract schools, only 50% of the teachers need to be certified at these “new” charters for the next few years (see 105 ILCS 5 Art. 27A 10(c)). Moreover, charter schools are barred from joining the Chicago Teachers Union.  “Through shady moves like this, CPS is creating a rash of `new’ charter schools overnight.  Why?  Only half of new charter staffs need to be certified to teach.  CPS appears to be purposely creating a non-certified, low-wage, inexperienced, high-turnover workforce without workplace protections,” said Mayle.

Potter explained that when educators do not have contractual rights, “management can run wild.  My union contract backs me up so I can demand that my students receive an adequate education and proper services if they are English language learners, special education students, or are in need of counseling or medical support.  Without union protections, students are increasingly at risk.”  Potter challenged the media to interview charter teachers off the record on this issue.

“Once again, CPS makes proposals without public debate, meaningful accountability or publicly-available financial audits of these quasi-private charter school operators,” said Karen Lewis, co-chair of CORE, who renewed a call for independent financial and operational audits of all Chicago charter schools.

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CORE, the Caucus of Rank-and-file Educators, is a caucus of the Chicago Teachers. The group is comprised of teachers, retired teachers, educational staff and other champions of public education.