CHARTER ACTION ALERT
February 10, 2021 UPDATE: Uplift Charter has requested a hold on their application to build a new campus in East Dallas at I-30 and Buckner. I anticipate reactivation and will note that here if/when that occurs.
NEW UPLIFT CHARTER CAMPUS PROPOSED WILL DISRUPT DISD SCHOOLS AND STUDENTS
Why it matters: Opening a new Uplift campus will likely result in significant enrollment decreases to our neighborhood schools close to the new Uplift site and may cost these schools academic and program cuts as the enrollment falls. In addition, Uplift has made this decision without input from parents or community members from these neighborhood schools.
Location: 9743 E. RL Thornton, Dallas Tx (at I-30 and Buckner) Spanish
Summary: Critical concerns about Uplift Charter Schools in Dallas ISD:
1. There is no elected school board to oversee taxpayer funding - this means no elected trustee to oversee your tax dollars and no ability to vote out the trustee if you do not agree with how they are managing the school.
2. The money transferred from Dallas ISD taxpayers to Uplift is financially devastating and unsustainable.
3. The new Uplift campus will pull students from DISD and disrupt education for students.
4. The Uplift student outcomes are not better than Dallas ISD and when comparing “apples to apples” are often worse.
5. Uplift practices discriminatory admissions and enrollment policies resulting in segregated communities and the exclusion of certain student populations.
6. Uplift practices yield concerns about educational inequity for students, such as larger class sizes, less teacher pay, higher teacher turnover, and spending more on administration and less in the classroom.
In the 2019-20 school year Uplift Charter school drained $71,955,000 from Dallas ISD.
Click to read the full report here:
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DISD SUPPORTERS OPPOSED TO UPLIFT IN EAST DALLAS
Dallas ISD Trustee Joyce Foreman Audrey Pinkerton Former Dallas ISD Trustee
Bernadette Nutall Former Dallas ISD Trustee Pastors for Texas Children
League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) District III
Our Community Our Schools League of Women Voters of Dallas
Christina Rodriguez, President of LULAC Council 272 "The Education Council"
Lori Kirkpatrick, DISD parent Omar Jimenez, DISD graduate Isaac Steen Soraya Santos
Kristen DeRocha, DISD parent: Charter schools say that they take anyone, but the very nature of a lottery system requires family buy-in. These types of students are generally more compliant. This makes the charter appear more effective, when really, you’ve just taken the stronger kids and claim victory. The result is that you leave more vulnerable kids behind in the neighborhood schools with reduced funding. Charters are not the answer, they are making things worse. NO MORE CHARTERS.
Brian Hasenbauer, Lake Highlands White Rock Democrats President
Katherine Homan Philomena Jones Ruth Torres, Candidate Dallas City Council District 5
Deborah Williams Jerri Parkhurst Sharon and Jeff Howard Nancy Rodriguez, DISD parent
James McGee