As you may already know, the District 60 Board of Education recently rejected a charter school proposal brought forward by the Chicago-based LEARN Charter School Network, following a detailed analysis of the proposal by the administration. In their decision, School Board members cited several financial, educational, organizational and legal concerns they had with LEARN’s proposal.
Representatives of LEARN have chosen to appeal the Board’s decision, asking the Illinois State Charter School Commission to authorize their school and divert District 60 funds to pay for their school.
In the upcoming weeks, the Charter School Commission will consider LEARN’s appeal and make a decision that could negatively impact the future of public education in Waukegan. I am writing you today to ask you to stand with the district in opposition to LEARN’s proposal.
Neither the Board of Education, nor the administration, is against the idea of school choice. We firmly believe that parents have the right to do what they believe is best for their children’s future. The proposal by LEARN, however, fails to meet the unique needs of our community, and threatens to disrupt the neighborhood schools our parents know and love. As it is currently proposed, the LEARN Charter School is not a choice for most of our students.
Below are just a few of the reasons we believe LEARN’s proposal would negatively impact Waukegan students and families: A more in-depth list is available on our website, http://www.wps60.org.
* LEARN clearly is not, and cannot by the next school year, be prepared to provide the myriad of necessary special education services to the district’s population.
* LEARN’s proposal fails to sufficiently address the needs of ELL (English language-learner) students. It is clear from their proposal that the charter will neither adequately serve our community’s Spanish-speaking population, nor have a developed, comprehensive program that meets state and federal guidelines.
* LEARN’s proposal fails to describe a clear educational plan, and the curriculum in their plan is incomplete.
* LEARN is not committed to ensuring that all teachers are certified, and their current schools see annual teacher turnover rates as high as 30 percent — significantly higher than the turnover rate in our own district.
* LEARN’s proposal is not seen as fiscally-viable, and their plan does not contain any identifiable strategies for meeting budget and cash flow challenges.
* LEARN’s proposal would financially impact our district. We would be required to contribute $2 million to LEARN in year one, and a total of $16 million over five years, without realizing any savings in our own programs. This would likely lead to program cuts in our own schools.
* LEARN faces many staffing and facility obstacles as a Local Educational Agency that make its August 2015 opening date difficult to achieve.
It is for these reasons, and many others, that I am asking you as parents and community members to stand together against LEARN’s proposal. Community feedback is an integral part of the Charter Commission’s review of LEARN’s appeal. Therefore, I ask that you join us for a Public Hearing beginning at 5:30 p.m. March 31 at the Brookside Campus of Waukegan High School, 2325 Brookside Ave. Come out and let the Charter Commission know you do not support LEARN’s proposal.
The right charter school should indeed open its doors in Waukegan one day. LEARN is, unfortunately, not that school.
Donaldo R. Batiste, Ph.D.
Superintendent of Schools
Waukegan School District 60
