HB 1136: Politicians’ Choice

Despite the mantra of “parent choice,” this bill would potentially eliminate public school parents’ choice in the Indianapolis Public Schools, Gary Public Schools, Cannelton, Tri-Townships and Union school districts. This bill is a direct attempt to privatize our public schools. The bill says that if 50% or more of students who live within the school’s district boundaries are using school choice to attend another nonpublic school or school outside of their boundary, they will dissolve the school district and make it totally charter schools. Outrageous. 

To learn more about this, please see our ICPE co-founder and Board member, Dr. Vic Smith’s latest version of Vic’s Statehouse Notes on our website’s blog.  In addition, our friends at Indiana PTA have some excellent information and an interesting powerpoint presentation on their website.  Friend of ICPE, Dr. Michael Shaffer of Ball State University, penned this op-ed in the Fort Wayne Journal Gazette which likens HB1136 to “Grand Larceny” because it would remove public property, paid with public taxes and hand them over into private hands of charter operators. 

We must stop this bill. But realize that there are more bills to come like it, and we must be prepared to fight. 

Some talking points (aside from the links above): 

• Public schools belong to the community. Taxpayers fund our schools and pay for the buildings and transportation. Giving those assets to private charter school management companies is tantamount to theft.
• School board members are elected by their communities to make decisions on their behalf. Removing public school boards for appointed boards is undemocratic. Local communities should have local control.
  
• Taxpayers currently can see how and where their money is spent in public school budgets. Every dollar is accounted for with the transparency and accountability of public school laws. Charter schools do not have the same requirements and are more susceptible to fraud.
  
• Roughly 1 in 3 charter schools have been shut down in Indianapolis alone. Why are we making the assumption that these failures are a better model for success than our public schools?
• Charter schools do not have to serve all children and often leave children with the highest needs in the traditional public schools for special education.
• School closure is not only disruptive to communities, it is traumatic for children. Do not destabilize our children’s education. 

TAKE ACTION

Please contact the House Education Committee Chair, the bill’s author and your own representative and tell them this bill should not get a hearing.

Find your legislators here.