A letter to our Senators from the House Gallery

Dear Senators,

On May 21st, I sat in the House Gallery and viewed with great interest the process we have come to know as our democracy. As the House considered H4091, An Act relative to improving student achievement [aka "The Charter Cap Bill"], I watched Representatives read and withdraw the amendments they had carefully written to ensure that charter schools would offer some level of accountability and basic civil rights for children. A group of parents sat stunned in the House Gallery, asking each other WHY so many of these amendments were being withdrawn without any debate or explanation.

Fortunately for us, a charter school lobbyist from the Brennan Group was in the House Gallery too, and she let us in on the little joke: “This bill will pass today, without these amendments. A deal has already been struck.” Michael Norton of the State House News Service reported, "House Democrats appear intent on using the back channels, as they did during recent budget debate, to settle the more than dozen amendments pending to the bill." I ask you: Why did a paid lobbyist know more than the voters, parents, or even some of the Representatives on the House floor?

As a parent, as a constituent, as a citizen, I am asking you to please start asking questions too.

• Why is there a rush to pass a bill, without any amendments, that does not take effect until 2017?
• Why are we raising the charter cap before Auditor Suzanne Bump has completed her audit of charter school finances in Massachusetts? Please review and consider the report of this audit before voting on H4108.
• Why is it that charter school promoters will accept no compromise, and consider amendments to ensure basic civil rights, teacher licensing, equity and fairness for our children a compromise for THEM? Why are charter school lobbyists calling the shots and being granted better access to our elected officials than their own constituents?
• Why isn’t there a separate and equitable state funding mechanism for charter schools that does not divert state aid from traditional public schools?

I ask our elected officials to start considering the same questions parents are asking about charter schools, BEFORE voting on bill H4108 or allowing them to expand under the current inequitable funding structure and without any basic measures of accountability.

Thank you for your time, your public service, and your consideration.

Sincerely,

Krissy Cabbage