Horrible Special Education & Discrimination in Charter Schools isn’t just a Delaware thing, USA Snapshot #netde #eduDE @delaware_gov

Delaware charters have become well known for being very bad at accommodating children with special needs.  It’s not all of them, but the bulk of them have a very hard time giving children what is required by federal law.  Recently, Kendall Massett, the executive director for the Delaware Charter School Network, wrote an article on a Delaware blog asking parents to tell why charters are so great.  To get the word out about why parents should choice their children to charters.  She also talked about how her organization wants to get more charters in Delaware’s other two counties, Kent and Sussex.  No thank you, Kendall.  We have more than enough.  Until your “great” charters fully follow the law, I don’t want to hear about MORE charters in Delaware.

To be fair though, I decided to see if this is just a Delaware issue.  It’s not.  It’s all over the country.  New York, Texas, Florida, Louisiana, and more.  I went through different search sites, and found an overwhelming amount of links.  All I put in was “charter schools not accommodating special needs”, and they appeared.  I’m going to put several links up, and I encourage every special needs parent and non-special needs parent around the country to pass the word around about America’s charter schools!

Included in these articles are special education issues, as well as numerous other tactics and illegal activities America’s charter schools have accomplished in their 18 year existence.  Well done charters!

Massachusetts: http://www.bostonglobe.com/opinion/2014/07/13/charter-school-battle-erodes-middle-ground/ehBkNEg8rtplHN1Gta18CK/comments.html?p1=ArticleTab_Comments_

Florida: http://contextflorida.com/julie-delegal-charter-school-grades-alarm-every-floridian/

Minnesota: http://dianeravitch.net/2013/06/13/charter-school-rejects-student-with-special-needs/

Louisiana: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-09-21/oprah-backed-charter-school-denying-disabled-collides-with-law.html

Texas: http://www.texasobserver.org/parents-say-top-ranked-charter-school-shortchanges-special-education-students/

New Jersey: http://co.chalkbeat.org/2014/06/18/new-report-raises-questions-about-special-education-ehttp://bobbraunsledger.com/for-special-ed-one-newark-is-two-newarks/nrollment-in-denver-charter-schools/#.U8sE5rlOXIU

Ohio: http://www.wkyc.com/story/news/education/2014/07/08/charter-school-i-can-schools-union/12355565/

Tennessee: http://www.nashvilleledger.com/editorial/ArticleEmail.aspx?id=71407&print=1

Arizona & Texas: http://cloakinginequity.com/2014/06/08/parent-horror-stories-from-basis-corporate-charter-hurting-children/

New York: http://www.specialneedsnewyork.com/2012/01/discrimination-of-students-with-disabilities-by-charter-schools/

Pennsylvania, Michigan, Ohio: http://educationopportunitynetwork.org/will-anyone-stop-charter-school-corruption/

Illinois: http://www.substancenews.net/articles.php?page=4757

Minnesota: http://dianeravitch.net/2012/07/28/minneapolis-charter-doesnt-want-special-needs-students/

Louisiana: http://www.splcenter.org/access-denied/special-education-in-new-orleans-public-schools

Texas, Arizona: http://dianeravitch.net/2014/07/18/great-hearts-charter-schools-coming-to-texas-in-controversy/

New York (Buffalo): http://blogs.buffalonews.com/school_zone/2014/07/see-how-many-special-ed-students-are-educated-in-buffalo.html

Everywhere: http://janresseger.wordpress.com/2014/06/27/financial-corruption-and-academic-failure-in-charter-sector-beg-for-oversight/

And let’s not forget the letter from the Office Of Civil Rights that was written to the US Department of Education in May of this year.  They usually don’t arbitrarily write letters like this unless there is something to it: http://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/letters/colleague-201405-charter.pdf

And I love the following website.  It hasn’t been updated in a while, but it clearly shows how corrupt things are out there in charterville, all over the country: http://charterschoolscandals.blogspot.com/

Last, but most certainly not least, is a scathing report by The Center for Popular Democracy and Integrity in Education, and this also came out in May.  The report echoes what the Inspector General for the US DOE said about charter schools: http://integrityineducation.org/charter-fraud/

Delaware parents, do not let charters invade your towns in “slower lower” Delaware.  Just look at the enrollment preference that has occurred in Wilmington and what has occurred as a result.  Yes, some of you will say those problems were always there, but the charter schools have magnified it and actually caused segregation many times.  Like I said earlier, there are some good charter schools, but the overall illusion that is created, giving parents “choice” only applies to a certain clientele.  Kendall Massett, stop with the “we want parents to tell their stories about charter schools”.  Cause every time you do, more and more of us will come to tell our opinion.  It has to be embarrassing.  Or you can ignore this and continue to do it.  Either way, thank you for sharing your opinion and allowing us to share ours.