SB 1552 Hearing: Charter school, parents rights bill

By Taxpayers Association of Oregon
OregonWatchdog.com

Oregon State Senator and longtime parents right advocate Dennis Linthicum has sponsored SB 1552 which helps parents create more successful charter schools in Oregon. Oregon State Senator Dennis Linthicum states, “The artificial cap on virtual charter school enrollment caps children’s futures. It’s outdated, and needs to change. The money that funds education in this state doesn’t belong to schools. It belongs to Oregonians. The money should follow students and fund their educational needs, not prop up the dismal state of our current system.”

SB 1552 has a hearing scheduled for Thursday Feb 24th in the Senate Education Committee.

SB 1552, Official Bill Explanation: “Removes requirement that student must receive approval from resident school district before enrolling in virtual public charter school not sponsored by school district if specified percentage of students in school district already are enrolled in virtual public charter schools not sponsored by school district. Removes requirement that school district that does not give approval for enrollment in virtual public charter school not sponsored by school district provide information about other online options available to students”

Because Charter schools are less bureaucratic and more parent friendly they have an amazing record of success.  Wall Street Journal noted even success in the difficult neighborhood of Harlem New York, “Back In 2013, a higher percentage of the fifth-graders in a Harlem charter school passed the mathematics test than any other public school fifth-graders in the entire state of New York. The success of New York City’s charter schools is not only a threat to educational dogmas. Competition from charter schools is an existential threat to traditional public schools in low-income minority communities, which tend to have even lower educational outcomes than traditional public schools as a whole. In a number of low-income minority communities in New York City, charter school classes and classes in traditional public schools are held in the same buildings, serving the same communities. Some of the contrasts are almost unbelievable. In 28 classes in these buildings, fewer than 10% of the students reached the “proficient” level on statewide tests. All 28 classes were in traditional public schools. All charter school classes at the same grade levels in the same buildings did better—including six grade levels where the charter school majorities reaching the “proficient” level ranged from 81% to 100%.”

Here is the official description on how to testify at the hearing:

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• • Submit written testimony on a bill or topic scheduled for a public hearing:
    • Electronic: https://olis.oregonlegislature.gov/liz/2022R1/Testimony/SED
    • Mail: Senate Committee on Education,
    900 Court Street NE, Room 453, Salem, OR 97301Written testimony may be submitted up to 24 hours after the meeting start time.

• • Register to testify live remotely:
    • Registration is required to testify by phone or video.
    • Register online: https://survey.sjc1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_ah1JhQi2lPn6mI6
    You will see a confirmation screen and be sent an email with information on how to join the
    meeting. If you do not, contact the committee assistant.
    • Register by phone: 833-588-4500 (U.S. toll free). You will be given a phone
    number to call into the meeting.
    • Registration closes one hour before the meeting is scheduled to begin.
    • A public access kiosk is at the Capitol Building for anyone without access
    to a phone or computer to join a meeting by video.
    • Neither registration nor use of the public access kiosk is a guarantee that you will be able to
    testify during the meeting. Committee chairs may determine that public testimony must be
    limited. For this reason, written testimony is encouraged even if you plan to speak.
    • Unless otherwise noted on the agenda, testimony is only accepted by committees for bills or
    topics scheduled for a public hearing. See the Oregon Legislature’s website for information on
    contacting individual legislators directly on bills or topics not scheduled for a public hearing.

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