My Day: Charter Nation
Thank you for the mail. Thank you for your continued support of our nation’s charter schools. It is no secret that I am a charter school fan. One of the main reasons is that parents have a choice. Parents like charter schools. “School choice” is the American way. Charter schools are quite frankly, doing extremely well. And parents see and understand the dynamics behind all the reasons why. So, why is it that we cannot have some laws to examine the very state and federal agencies that ignore the parents (taxpapers) desires to change things?
So, many of you may not remember the federal ruling made in a landmark busing issue in Dallas, Texas, in the 70’s. Federal Judge Barefoot Sanders was presiding. I thought he was wrong then and fought for children to stay in their own neighborhoods. Essentially, the issue was that all blacks children were to be bussed out of their neighborhoods into other neighborhoods which were predominantly white areas.
The pendulum did not swing equitably both ways. At the time, my sons were in DISD elementary schools, we lived in South Dallas, owned a home, paid taxes, solid citizens in the middle of the bussing issue. I was a PTA officer and refused to have my sons bussed someplace else. The federal order prevailed. My husband agreed to move us and I agreed to move back to Dallas when the youngest son graduated from high school. We sold our home in Richardson, Texas and moved back to Dallas. Surprisingly, when we moved into our new home in Richardson, we met other parents that did the same thing. It was the beginning of the ‘black flight to the suburbs’.
Fast forward to 2016, charter schools have distinguished enrollments, distinctive accountability ratings as sanctioned by the Texas Education Agency(TEA) without the same financing as the ISD’s, the exquisite press corp offices or the retained legal staff. And parents like them and stand up for them. The pendulum I spoke of earlier, now has a new swing. Around the country, the noise level is to discredit them since they are still the ‘so called’ underdog. This week I asked a major newspaper to correct a “misleading” statement in one of their articles. Not sure how that will pan out, but my first reaction to the article was one of utter disappointment. The amazing fact after taking a ‘little poll’ of other charters was one of dismay. The stories ‘are always one sided’. The last time I checked, a pancake still has two sides. As a taxpayer, voter and homeowner most of my adult life, I vote for “school choice”.
Ester Davis is an award winning writer.
She can be reached at www.esterday.com, or
214.376.9000. MORE applause to Dr. Karen
Hollie, Pastor, Lifeway Church, on your 8th
Anniversary.
