Here is a form letter that you can send to your legislators in opposition of SB 22:
I am writing in opposition to the Charter School Bill, SB 22. The current budget already threatens to strip K-12 public education of $834 million leaving public schools financially strapped. SB 22 will further defund public schools. It lifts caps on and promotes charter schools, virtual charters, and voucher programs, which siphons public money to private companies through the outsourcing of essential education services. This bill will create a 9-person authorizing board for charter schools; 3 appointed by the governor, 3 by the senate majority leader, and 3 by the speaker of the assembly. This limits legislative oversight and allows those with no specific experience in education to make influential decisions about schools. This bill would change current law that limits organizations to opening only one charter school, instead permitting one organization or company to open multiple charter schools. This allows non- and for-profit franchised charters to enter Wisconsin. In other districts this has resulted in devastating effects, including; high teacher and school management turnover, decreased community participation and school board governance, and pedagogy and curriculum that are streamlined to standardized tests.
SB 22 is of deep concern to me specifically because studies have shown NO EVIDENCE that charter schools do a better job of educating young people! In fact, there is evidence that, in terms of test scores, the majority of charter schools do no better or worse than public schools. SB 22 IS NOT THE ANSWER because it does not promote policy that leads to better learning outcomes for our children. What SB 22 successfully does is divert public funds to private companies, putting our children’s educational futures in the hands of businesses who are responsible to their share-holders and not to our communities and children.
