CHARTER ACTION ALERT
CHARTER SCHOOL EXPANSION DISRUPTS DALLAS ISD SCHOOLS AND STUDENTS
Why it matters: Opening charter campuses results in significant enrollment decreases to our neighborhood schools and costs these schools academic and program cuts.
In 2019-20 Dallas ISD funding was reduced by $270,952,500 due to charter schools.
Critical concerns about charter schools in Dallas ISD: Spanish
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 reduced from Dallas ISD is financially devastating and unsustainable.
3. The student outcomes are not better than Dallas ISD and when comparing “apples to apples” are often worse.
4. Charter schools often under-enroll English language learners, disadvantaged and at risk students resulting in segregated communities and the exclusion of certain student populations.
5. Charter school 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.
Current Charters Proposing Campuses:
Uplift Location: 9743 E. RL Thornton, Dallas Tx (at I-30 and Buckner)
ILT Location: 7811 University Hills, Dallas Tx (southern Dallas near UNT)
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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 Soraya Santos, DISD Graduate
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 Judy Bryant, Retired Educator
Kristen DeRocha, DISD Parent Amy Tawil, DISD Teacher
Brian Hasenbauer, Lake Highlands White Rock Democrats President
Katherine Homan Philomena Jones
Ruth Torres, Candidate Dallas City Council District 5 Sharon Howard
Deborah Williams Jerri Parkhurst
James McGee Jeff Howard
Nancy Rodriguez, DISD parent Sheila Walker, DISD Teacher
Holly Bandel Mary Parker, DISD Teacher
Ben Hall
Mary Parker: As one who believes that charter schools— in this case Uplift Charter— ultimately erode The Great Equalizer (public education), I would ask you to vote against the establishment of this charter school in East Dallas. I offer my assertion and my request as a 25-year teaching veteran with an M.S. in Counseling & Development, who currently teaches in Dallas ISD.
Ron Unger: I oppose Uplift Charter in East Dallas because the data clearly show that charter schools have the same or worse outcomes than public schools and actually harm public schools by diverting much needed money away from public schools. Charter schools in general, and Uplift Charter in particular, pay teachers less and spend more on administration than public schools, which stands to reason as the motivating factor for a charter school is profit not education.
Amy Tawil: I strongly oppose the Uplift charter that has reactivated its SUP at Buckner Blvd. and interstate 30. Our District does not need more inferior schools. We are draining resources from our traditional public school system using tax dollars to fund schools that our failing our children. I implore the CPC to deny this request.
Judy Bryant: I oppose charter schools such as this one proposed by Uplift because they take funds away from PUBLIC education where we serve ALL students and not just those handpicked by the charter. I don’t believe that charters really care about the students, but rather about the money they can make!
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.
Deborah Williams: I strongly oppose the expansion of the East Dallas Uplift to 12th grade. We have strong representation in East Dallas with Woodrow, Bryan Adams, and Skyline. This will unnecessarily take money from public schools.
Sheila Walker: Please don't add another charter school in our community!
Holly Bandel: Charter schools are not regulated like public schools and are a drain on the public education budget in Texas because of this deregulation. Dallas ISD is doing a great job in educating students and Charter schools often discriminate against special education and students that need the most in our communities.
Jeff Howard: They are not good neighbors and have no respect for the surrounding neighborhoods where they are located. The traffic impact on your neighborhood will never be the same as most of their students do not live in the area.
Donna Gregory: I am opposed to the expansion of charter schools. It is a means of transferring governance and taxpayer dollars to private control. I believe that the majority of parties starting charter schools are doing so to make money, not out of a desire to improve education for all our children.
DISD SUPPORTERS OPPOSED TO INTERNATIONAL LEADERSHIP TEXAS (ILT) IN SOUTH DALLAS
Dallas ISD Trustee Joyce Foreman Audrey Pinkerton, Former Dallas ISD Trustee
James McGee Donna Gregory
Lori Kirkpatrick, DISD Parent Ben Hall
Kristen DeRocha, DISD Parent Deborah Williams
Holly Bandel Carrie Griffith
Ron Unger
Donna Gregory: I am opposed to charter schools in general and to this charter school in particular as it does not have a good track record. The proliferation of charter schools will drastically weaken the traditional public schools, leading to many children being underserved. Charters are the start of privatizing the schools. This issue needs to be openly and fully debated in the public square so that all parents and citizens understand what is at stake.
Mary Parker: There are already multiple charters near the proposed location. I assert charters, ultimately, strangle the life out of public schools (The Great Equalizer - in theory). Please vote no.
Holly Bandel: Increasing charter schools in Dallas will be a disservice to Dallas ISD and the students the district serves. Most charters are unproven and unaccountable for the education they provide. Our Dallas ISD schools are proven and are providing what the students of our community need.
Carrie Griffith: Our community does not need a single additional charter school, especially one no voter approved!
Ron Unger: Charter schools don't outperform public schools, divert tax dollars away from public school into the pockets of private corporations, pay teachers less and have higher teacher turnover rates. The only benefit of charter schools is to profit for the charter school companies, not the students, parents, teachers or community.
