Neighborhood Schools And The Public Charter Scam

by Dorothy Reik
President, Progressive Democrats of the Santa Monica Mountains

It should be a given that all schools must be created equal and that they must provide the same great education to all of our children. That is why I am opposed to "public" charters-- and "magnet" schools. Let's remember the genesis of these schools-- they were created in response to forced busing. If minority children were going to be bused in, these white parents were going to be sure the "right" children were going to com-- those whose parents could navigate the system-- find the schools, fill out the applications, follow through and then drive their kids to school-- and maybe even contribute money to fund the librarians, music teachers, etc. that these schools needed to fill the gaps left by our fatally underfunded schools. These children were effectively removed from their neighborhood schools.

Meanwhile, left behind were the latchkey kids, the ones whose parents couldn't play the game, parents who worked multiple jobs and had other challenges. Their kids stayed in their neglected neighborhood schools with no parents who could raise funds to fill the gaps in their education, sparse supplies, old textbooks and, too often, failed administrators. Their teachers were and are new, inexperienced, many from Teach for America-- two years, a line on their resumes, and they were out, making way for another round of political wannabes looking to benefit from saying they were teachers. There would be no libraries, music teachers or other perks for these children-- children who were and are the most in need of special care-- music and art to bring them out of their shells, paper and pencils, and most of all experienced teachers with a history at their school-- teachers who taught their older siblings, who understood the neighborhood, who had met the parents. And without the friendship of those children who had moved on to greener pastures.

Patrice Cullors writes movingly of her experience when she transferred out of her neighborhood school to one in an upscale San Fernando Valley neighborhood. Her mother did not fill out her form but her friend's mother did and Patrice moved from a prison-like school with metal detectors to one with green lawns and shade trees as well as experienced teachers. What would become of her had her friend's mother not filled out those forms? Would she have been a co-founder of Black Lives Matter? Would she have written a great book-- When They Call You a Terrorist? And what became of the friends she left behind who needed her to inspire them?

Segregated schools are still with us but even in the inner city some families are better off than others and their children have moved out of the neighborhood schools leaving the other, less advantaged students behind to fend for themselves and try to avoid the school-to-prison pipeline. What are their chances without friends whose achievements can inspire them, committed teachers, successful administrators who have not been transferred from other schools whose activist parents won't have them, without music and art to help them express themselves when they cannot verbalize their experiences? I taught in a neighborhood public school before busing and I can tell you today which children would have left for "public charters" and "magnets" which ones would have been left behind. Almost forty years after leaving teaching their faces are still with me-- especially the ones who would have been left behind.