What about Charters and Choice?
DPS is capable of offering a quality education to every child, in every school, and must accept the responsibility of doing so through proper funding, teacher development, and community input. At this moment in the DPS journey, we should focus on reinvesting in the schools we already have. Our current schools need our support to better serve students and parents, and I do not see a need for additional charter investments while we are working to meet those needs. Reauthorizations must hold existing charters to the same standards that all of our schools are measured against. Reauthorization is also the time to assess if funds are truly meeting the needs of the students or are serving outside interests.
A choice model that provides access to education model variety can be a gift to students and their families. When a choice system becomes a search for an elusive notion of quality, it drives disparity and divides communities.