This afternoon the Greater Boston Chamber testified in favor of legislation lifting the cap on charter public schools in under performing school districts in Massachusetts.
Our greatest natural resources in the Commonwealth are talent and innovation. The preparation that our future entrepreneurs and skilled workers receive begins in grade-school. Therefore, we can’t afford to risk the quality of that education in any way; we must commit to protecting it.
That is why the business community in Greater Boston and throughout Massachusetts sees supporting and improving all of our public schools, including charter public schools, as a critical component to maintaining the Commonwealth’s long-term economic success and leveraging our biggest competitive advantage: a skilled, talented, and well-educated workforce.
Massachusetts charter public schools are clearly meeting the challenges laid down over a decade ago in the 1993 Education Reform Act. Their success reveals a few things:
- Despite criticism, charter public schools have made significant advances over the years;
- They have come to represent an important component in the state’s educational landscape; and
- The competitive environment generated by their success has lead to significant improvements to the state’s overall quality of public education.
Yet challenges remain, and in order to meet those challenges and capitalize on the momentum created by charter school success, more work needs to be done by a diverse group of stakeholders.
Legislative support is crucial. Amending the current law – which prevents charter public school expansion in communities across Massachusetts – is a good first step. The Chamber supports the proposal – outlined in the legislation filed by Representative O’Flaherty and Senator Hart – that would raise the cap on charter schools for districts that have scored in the bottom 10 percent statewide on MCAS for two consecutive years.
Passage of this legislation is critical, as it will expand opportunities for educators and students in districts with limited resources, while continuing to ensure that the Massachusetts economy leverages the educated workforce that has become the state’s most important competitive resource.
