A group of 400 charter school advocates from Chicago will leave Tuesday for Springfield to lobby state legislators to increase the number of public school charters allowed in Illinois.
A group of 400 charter school advocates from Chicago will leave Tuesday for Springfield to lobby state legislators to increase the number of public school charters allowed in Illinois. Under Illinois law, only 60 state charters for schools are allowed and half already exist in Chicago. So the Illinois Network of Charter Schools has organized a rally for advocates so they can address their concerns to legislators. “Unfortunately, our state has one of the most restrictive caps on commissioning charter public schools in the nation,” said Courtney Quaye, a spokesman for INCS. “Last week, President Barack Obama called for the removal of caps. We support his stance and look to bring more schooling options to the students of Illinois.” Both Obama and U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan have said they support charter schools and would like to see them expanded. Teachers, parents and students are expected to be among the advocates leaving Tuesday at 7:15 a.m., from Soldier Field, by bus, headed to the state’s capital. Charter schools began popping up in Chicago in 1997 so Quaye said they should no longer be considered an experiment, as some critics of them have contended. ______ Copyright 2009 Chicago Defender. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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