Canales: Charter schools are out of control

AUSTIN, Texas – State Rep. Terry Canales’ previous criticism of the way IDEA Public Schools was being run has been resurrected for the launch of Our Schools Our Democracy (OSOD).

OSOD is a new effort dedicated to supporting Texas public schools and making charter schools more transparent and accountable to the public.

“Charter schools are out of control. While public schools in our state face an existential funding crisis, charter schools are playing with Texas taxpayer dollars like Monopoly money, voting to lease a private jet for over $15 million and leasing a luxury box at a sports arena in San Antonio,” Canales is quoted as saying in an OSOD press release.

The references to a private jet and a luxury box at a sports arena in San Antonio go back to the time co-founder Tom Torkelson ran IDEA. 

“I will not rest until we rein in the charter industry’s malfeasance and hold them to the same standards as our neighborhood schools. These scandals damage the public trust and drain public funds from where they belong – in the classroom with our kids,” Canales added, in the OSOD press release. 

Carrie Griffith, board chair for OSOD, said that through cutting-edge research and community organizing in local school districts, the group will work alongside parents, students, and the public to ensure that Texans are included in decisions that affect neighborhood public schools. She pointed out that that is where the majority of Texas students are enrolled.

“Our Schools Our Democracy launches at a critical time as our public schools are in a crisis exacerbated by the unlimited expansion of charter schools that are private nonprofit organizations but receive public funds,” the OSOD press release states.

“While charter schools were once heralded as an innovation in education policy, we have the data to assess the outcome of this experiment after 30 years: unlimited expansion approved by one appointed state official and unelected charter boards, low enrollment and campus closures at many new charter schools, and billions of dollars drained from local school districts and the families they serve.”

Griffith said that in concert with OSOD’s launch, it is releasing a new report detailing facts from the public record of three decades of Texas charter school policy. She said the report provides concrete examples of how insufficient state oversight and unchecked expansion of charter schools have allowed charter school officials to spend Texas taxpayer funds for questionable purposes while leaving parents and taxpayers out of the loop on decision-making. 

“Unchecked charter school expansion poses as much of a threat to Texas public education as private school vouchers because multi-billion-dollar decisions are being made with little input from parents or taxpayers. Meanwhile, our already underfunded public schools are further starved of state dollars, and our kids pay the price,” Griffith said.

“Our Schools Our Democracy exists to tell the success stories of Texas public schools and defend against the impact of the ever-growing footprint of the charter school industry in Texas. Our schools are in crisis, and it’s time for Texas parents and the public to have more power over the decisions that are shortchanging our children.”

Here are some top lines from the new report:

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● Existing charter schools can expand anywhere in Texas through a charter amendment with the sole approval of the appointed Texas Commissioner of Education and without a vote by any elected body.

● Charter schools have more than triple the high school dropout rate of public school districts.

● Public school districts have scored higher than charter schools on statewide STAAR exams over the last 20 years for all students/all subjects and in most individual subject areas.

● Five urban public school districts lost $5.3 billion in revenue over the last five years due to unlimited charter expansion.

● Charter schools can exclude certain students from enrollment and historically underserve special education students.

● Charter schools serve about 8% of students statewide but receive about 17% of all state aid for public schools.

Here are some highlights from the new report:

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Charter schools leave too many students behind:

• Unlike public school districts, charter schools can exclude certain students from enrolling and expel a student for any reason.

• The percentage of special education students served by charter schools is 29% less than the percentage served by public school districts.

• Almost half of Texas charter schools spend NOTHING on transportation for students.

• Charter schools spend an average of $437 more per student on central administration than public school districts.

Public school districts lose billions in revenue to charter schools:

• Charter schools serve about 8% of Texas students but receive about 17% of all state aid for public schools.

• Five urban public school districts have lost $5.3 billion in revenue over the last five years due to unlimited charter expansion.

Public school districts consistently outperform charter schools statewide:

• Charter schools have more than triple the high school dropout rate of public school districts.

• Public school districts have scored higher than charter schools on statewide STAAR exams for All Students/All Subjects and in most individual subject areas for the last 20 years.

Many Texas laws that apply to public school districts to protect taxpayers do not apply to charter schools:

• Unlike public school superintendents, charter superintendents can lease their own property back to their charter school despite the conflict of interest.

No cap on charter school enrollment:

• Existing charter schools can expand anywhere in Texas through a charter amendment with the sole approval of the appointed Texas Commissioner of Education and without a vote by any elected body.

• Since 2010, 1,128 new charter campuses have been approved by one appointed state official with no public notice, vote, or meeting.

Charter schools are not accountable to the public for major decisions:

• Charter schools have incurred billions in bond debt for facilities without any voter approval.

• Charter school boards are self-appointed, not elected and not accountable to the public and taxpayers.

The largest charter schools have a funding advantage over public school districts:

• All charter schools receive more than $1,000 per student in state funds regardless of their size from a state allotment to help small to mid-size school district.

• IDEA Public Schools with almost 77,000 students received nearly $75 million from the allotment in 2023-24, while public school districts of similar size received NOTHING.

“The stakes are high. The future of our local public schools that are dedicated to educating all children is at risk,” the report states.

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