No to IL HB 494 - charter moratorium

On Wednesday, April 24, 2013 I, along with everyone who is on Wheaton-Warrenville CUSD 200 email list, received a request to contact our state senators requesting that they vote for a one year moratorium on any new charter schools. This request was CUSD 200's response to the proposal from Virtual Learning Solutions.  Their reasoning:

Funding for the online school would come directly from local taxpayer dollars that normally go to OUR school District, Wheaton Warrenville CUSD 200. The proposal calls for Virtual Learning Solutions to receive $8,000 for every District 200 student who enrolls in the online school. If the student drops out of the online school and wants to return to District 200, the funds remain with Virtual Learning Solutions. We find this problematic at time when state funding for education is challenging at best.

Before you contact your state senator, I recommend that you read arguments for the other side.  The Illinois Policy Institute has an article on this, in which, Josh Dwyer contents that HB 494

would set a dangerous precedent by making it acceptable for the Illinois General Assembly to intervene in the charter school approval process, even though a charter school commission already exists at the state level to review complex cases or appeals by charter organizations that have been turned down by school districts.

See: http://www.illinoispolicy.org/blog/blog.asp?ArticleSource=5769#.UXpuG7dcIcE.email

And watch this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zHg21dANljY

From a taxpayer point of view, the $8,000 per student is cheap.  The per-student cost for CUSD 200 to educate a child is now around $12,000/year.  And the state will pay approximately $1,300/student for TRS pensions in 2013.  Paying $8,000 for the charter school vs. $13,300 for traditional education is quite a savings. 

More important is the actual education received.  Much like homeschooling, the Virtual Learning Solutions would require an active parent to ensure that the student is doing his studies and to involve the student in extra-curricular activities.  Let’s ask our senators to vote against HB 494 and let the existing process work.  Good competition will motivate our school district to become better and will give parents a choice.  I believe that no matter how caring or well educated school staff is, they will never pay the close, sustained attention to a child’s particular needs that a loving parent does instinctively.

For details on any IL bill or contact information for any IL Senator or Representative, start at 

On Wednesday, April 24, 2013 I, along with everyone who is on Wheaton-Warrenville CUSD 200 email list, received a request to contact our state senators requesting that they vote for a one year moratorium on any new charter schools. This request was CUSD 200's response to the proposal from Virtual Learning Solutions.  Their reasoning:

Funding for the online school would come directly from local taxpayer dollars that normally go to OUR school District, Wheaton Warrenville CUSD 200. The proposal calls for Virtual Learning Solutions to receive $8,000 for every District 200 student who enrolls in the online school. If the student drops out of the online school and wants to return to District 200, the funds remain with Virtual Learning Solutions. We find this problematic at time when state funding for education is challenging at best.

Before you contact your state senator, I recommend that you read arguments for the other side.  The Illinois Policy Institute has an article on this, in which, Josh Dwyer contents that HB 494

would set a dangerous precedent by making it acceptable for the Illinois General Assembly to intervene in the charter school approval process, even though a charter school commission already exists at the state level to review complex cases or appeals by charter organizations that have been turned down by school districts.

See: http://www.illinoispolicy.org/blog/blog.asp?ArticleSource=5769#.UXpuG7dcIcE.email

And watch this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zHg21dANljY

From a taxpayer point of view, the $8,000 per student is cheap.  The per-student cost for CUSD 200 to educate a child is now around $12,000/year.  And the state will pay approximately $1,300/student for TRS pensions in 2013.  Paying $8,000 for the charter school vs. $13,300 for traditional education is quite a savings. 

More important is the actual education received.  Much like homeschooling, the Virtual Learning Solutions would require an active parent to ensure that the student is doing his studies and to involve the student in extra-curricular activities.  Let’s ask our senators to vote against HB 494 and let the existing process work.  Good competition will motivate our school district to become better and will give parents a choice.  I believe that no matter how caring or well educated school staff is, they will never pay the close, sustained attention to a child’s particular needs that a loving parent does instinctively.

For details on any IL bill or contact information for any IL Senator or Representative, start at http://ilga.gov/