BUFFALO, N.Y. (WBEN) - "I couldn't have been more surprised." Reaction from Sam Radford of the District Parent Coordinating Council in Buffalo, to news of a bill that has been introduced in Albany, by Assembly Majority Leader Crystal Peoples-Stokes, to place a three year moratorium on charter schools in Buffalo starting in July.
"At a time when we're coming out of a pandemic, to limit the options for parents, is possibly the worst thing that you can do."
A reason for the legislation, saturation; that there are enough charter schools in place to meet the need.
"There's no possible way we have reached that point," argued Radford. "Charter schools give parents an option to go to a school where they can get better results for their children. For people who don't have the resources, a charter school is an important option when your child is going to a [public] school that is not meeting their needs."
Charter schools are often confused with private schools. Many assume that you have to pay to go to a charter school. But that is not the case. "A charter school is a Buffalo Public School. Not a public school in the traditional sense. But it has a charter in a specific area and they are held to higher standards," said Radford. If a charter school does not meet its standards after five years, it can be closed.
Radford finds it ironic that you can't close a failing public school, but you can close a failing charter school.
This school year, in particular, for many families that desire classroom learning for children in the city, a charter school might be the only option. Most students in Buffalo Public schools can only be in a classroom two days a week, and about 40% of Buffalo Public students are attending school remotely.
"My granddaughter has been going to a charter school four days a week since the beginning of the school year. Buffalo Public was the last district in the state to allow kids back into school buildings. And they doesn't even have a plan yet to bring all students back," he said.
Radford says the timing of taking the charter school option away, couldn't be worse.
Radford is enlisting parents and the Urban Think Tank, a coalition of ministers, lawyers and community leaders, to fight this. He knows it's an uphill battle as the moratorium is supported by two powerful unions, the Buffalo Teachers Federation and New York State United Teachers Union. "I hope people send letters to Assembly Majority Leader Crystal Peoples-Stokes and State Senator Tim Kennedy. This is not the time to disenfranchise parents and limit their options."
