Fwd: TAKE ACTION! Tell Legislators to Reject Bills that Divert Funding from Public Schools, Hamper Teachers' Ability to Educate

Sent from my iPhone 6

Begin forwarded message:

From: NC Justice Center <justice@ncjustice.org>
Date: September 22, 2015 at 4:01:07 PM EDT

Subject: TAKE ACTION! Tell Legislators to Reject Bills that Divert Funding from Public Schools, Hamper Teachers' Ability to Educate
Reply-To: julia@ncjustice.org

	September 22, 2015 TAKE ACTION! Tell Legislators to Reject Bills that Divert Funding from Public Schools, Hamper Teachers' Ability to Educate Two enormously destructive bills are moving very quickly through the legislature that could have devastating impacts on public education. House Bill 539 would divert millions of dollars of revenue from local public school districts to charter schools. This will allow charter schools to receive funding for services and costs borne exclusively by local public schools. These changes will deprive your local public school of funding at a time when they can least afford it. HB 539 would deprive local public schools of the following types of funding: Child nutrition indirect costs, even though charter schools are not required to provide Free or Reduced Price Lunch. Fees received for use of school property by outside groups. Includes after and before school programs run by the local school district Sales Tax Revenue, regardless of how it is distributed. Gifts and grants that are not restricted by the donor to be held in a specific fund for local schools. This will add to the administrative burden of understaffed central offices. Federal appropriations made directly to local schools. Supplemental property tax revenue, even if the charter school is located outside the taxing jurisdiction. Far from what the name implies, Achievement School Districts would harm schools, hamper teachers' ability to educate and undermine North Carolina's constitutional obligation to students. The North Carolina House is considering replacing Senate Bill 95 with a Proposed Committee Substitute that creates an "Achievement School District (ASD)" comprised of five schools chosen from the bottom 25% of schools across the state. These schools would either be closed entirely or turned over to charter school operators. North Carolina must a live up to the unfulfilled constitutional promise that students in these schools will have an opportunity to obtain a sound basic education. Parents, educators, and everyone in North Carolina who cares about education should be very concerned about both of these bills. Our state's future prosperity depends on making the right choices today. ACT NOW to protect our state's educational future against these bills, which are likely to move in the next 48 hours.
North Carolina Justice Center | 224 S. Dawson St., PO Box 28068, Raleigh, NC 27611 | www.ncjustice.org