Letter
Great 'zine
Great 'zine! I am truly impressed. The issue on charter schools was excellent, though I don't agree with all points of view. It was one of the most well-rounded perspectives I've seen on why they're an issue and how they're viewed. It's the kind of information the general public needs if we're going to make intelligent decisions—though by the looks of things in Salem, it may be too late for that.
Kathryn Firestone
Portland, Oregon
Basic Principles
Now that the 1997 Montana State Legislature has adjourned, I can attempt to catch up on some old business. Part of that old business is my response to "Boomers Want Choice,'' by Bob Anderson, Executive Director, Montana School Boards Association. Bob's point of view appeared in "Charter Schools: Education Leaders Voice Their Views," Northwest Education, Spring 1997.
The charter school bill Bob touted, SB370, was old news long before your publication. MSBA caused SB370 to be introduced in the 1995 Legislature. It came in ugly, a frontal assault on teachers and their professional unions, the Montana Education Association and Montana Federation of Teachers.
As originally conceived, SB370 authorized local school districts and the Montana Board of Public Education to create charter schools that could waive accreditation standards, teacher certification, collective bargaining, teacher tenure, teacher retirement, and even federal law! SB370 did not mention any kind of partnership among trustees and teachers. SB370 provided no guarantees of equitable student access or parental involvement. During the bill-drafting stage, MSBA agreed only to write in teacher certification.
Despite our differences with SB370, MEA/MFT did not work to kill the bill. Instead, in the Senate, we were able to get SB370 amended to our satisfaction, if not MSBA's. The Senate passed SB370 on to the House. Unfortunately, the House Education Committee stripped all our amendments out of the bill and then tabled it.
All this happened over two years ago.
This year, another charter school bill, SB371, was introduced, not by MSBA but by legislators who don't think much of public education. SB371 mandated local school districts to create charter schools exempt from state laws, school district policies, accreditation standards, teacher certification, and collective bargaining. Just about any individual or group of individuals could qualify for a charter and receive public funding. SB371 blatantly invited home schoolers to compel school districts to recognize them as charter schools. SB371 potentially violated Montana's constitution.
MEA/MFT hammered SB371 without remorse. We made no attempt to work amendments into this bill. It was beyond repair. MSBA tried without conviction to make something of SB371. Fortunately, the Senate agreed with us and refused to take the bill from the Senate Education Committee where it died on the table.
Do MEA/MFT oppose charter schools? No. Are we ready to sit down with the Montana School Boards Association and work on charter school legislation? Yes. Have we encouraged our local affiliates to model a "charter school" in their communities? Yes. But in our willingness to work with MSBA or local school districts we are not willing to surrender basic principles.
We believe alternative education, like charter schools, must be public, exist under the auspices of school districts, require teacher certification, embrace collective bargaining, and guarantee equitable student access and parental involvement. We believe these things without apology.
Eric Feaver, President
Montana Education Association
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