Charters mean school closures

This is the speech I wrote to deliver at the Dec. 6 SFUSD Board of Ed Committee of the Whole meeting on school mergers and closures, though I gave a slightly truncated version due to a 60-second limit.

Mark Sanchez heckled me audibly as I spoke, which was interesting. He teaches in a Redwood City charter school that the teachers' union local there views as a threat.

I'm Caroline Grannan, a parent at Aptos Middle School and School of the Arts.

I'm speaking as a parent volunteer to remind you that charter schools are a damaging factor helping force our district to close schools. When we approve a charter like Metro Arts & Tech, we have to look at closing an existing school like June Jordan or ISA.

Charter schools' record in our district is mediocre, despite the fact that the law has required school districts to allocate more money per student to charters than other schools get. All students in non-charter schools sacrifice to subsidize the charter schools that threaten other schools' survival.

Charter schools are a pet project of the political right — a potent weapon in the arsenal aimed at weakening and ultimately destroying public education. Busting teachers' unions is one of their main goals.

There are some quality charter schools, but they unwittingly add momentum to a movement that aims to harm public education.

More charter proposals will be brought before you to approve or deny. Every one of them threatens the survival and well-being of our existing schools, without providing benefits that justify harming our district and our students.

Any yes vote on any charter proposal is a nail in the coffin of an existing school. For the sake of our students, please vote no on all proposed charter schools.

— Caroline