Charter schools become Alabama governor's race issue


November 25, 2009

Associated Press

MONTGOMERY, Ala. - Alabama's two Democratic candidates for governor are divided sharply over whether the state should allow publicly funded charter schools that operate without many of the rules that public schools must follow.
The six contenders for the Republican nomination have also chimed in on the issue - mostly supporting the idea of charter schools, though with varying degrees of enthusiasm.
In the June primaries next year, the issue could be a significant one for the Democratic candidates, Agriculture and Industries Commissioner Ron Sparks and U.S. Rep. Artur Davis. The state teachers union, which carries clout in the Democratic primary, opposes shifting money from public schools to charter schools, a position shared by Sparks but not Davis.
Davis views charter schools as an innovative way to improve the academic performance of students needing help, while Sparks says they would take money from mainstream public education at a time of extreme budget cuts.
Davis also says Alabama is among only about 10 states that do not allow charter schools and could lose out on a share of $4 billion in education stimulus money for innovative education programs if the Legislature doesn't act on the issue.
His position is echoed by Republican Gov. Bob Riley, who is not running for re-election. Riley said in a recent newspaper opinion piece that the Legislature needs to adopt charter school legislation to help the state receive the stimulus money.
But Sparks said Alabama has been innovative in many areas, such as its nationally known reading initiative and the creation of magnet schools, and does not need charter schools to compete for the stimulus money. Sparks said the middle of a recession is not the time to make such a move.
"How can we talk about creating another type of school when we don't have enough money to take care of the ones we've got?" Sparks said.
There is only slight disagreement on the issue among the GOP candidates for governor: State Rep. Robert Bentley, former two-year college Chancellor Bradley Byrne, State Treasurer Kay Ivey, Greenville Businessman Tim James, former Riley cabinet member Bill Johnson and former Chief Justice Roy Moore.
Byrne, Ivey, Johnson and Moore support charter schools, while Bentely prefers a trial program first and James doesn't want money taken from the education budget to create them.
Sparks' position has a powerful ally, the head of the state's teachers union, Paul Hubbert. Hubbert said he would lobby against creation of charter schools in the upcoming session of the Legislature, which begins Jan. 12. He said the state can't afford charter schools after two years of education spending cuts.
"Some of our school districts are barely able to keep the doors open. It would be sinful to take money from them to open new schools," Hubbert said.
But Davis said he believes charter schools would give parents a greater choice of where to send their children to school and improve their chance of succeeding.
"I do think charter schools have a history of raising the academic levels of low-performing students. Children need options within the school system to give them a better shot at learning," Davis said.
Sparks and Davis have spoken out repeatedly in recent weeks on their opposite positions on the charter schools issue. In recent days, Republican candidates have also been heard, particularly Byrne, who held a news conference Monday and issued a lengthy statement expressing his support for charter schools.
"I strongly believe that charter schools will better serve the children and families of this state in many ways," Byrne said. "They will provide greater educational options for our students, give parents the right to choose the school that best suits each child's needs, put our education tax dollars to more productive use, incentivize school and teacher performance excellence, and create higher standards for discipline and character development."
Ivey also released a statement expressing strong support for charter schools. She said she felt they would improve traditional public schools by offering competition.
"Charter Schools offer hope and a way out for students trapped in a failing academic environment. When traditional schools don't work, charter schools do," Ivey said.
James believes that charter schools work, but doesn't want the state to take money from the education budget to fund them, said campaign spokesman Brett Hall. He said James also wants to be careful about accepting the education stimulus money and make sure the grants don't "obligate the people of Alabama to do something we don't agree with."
Bentley, a retired Tuscaloosa physician, said he would want to try a few charter school programs on a trial basis to see how they work.
"There are good charter schools and poor charter schools. I do not believe charter schools are the answer to our education problems," Bentley said.
Moore said he advocated for charter schools when he ran for governor in 2006.
"I think there need to be alternatives to public schools like charter schools," Moore said. He said other alternatives would include scholarships to private schools or tax credits for parents who send students to private schools.
"We need to allow parents to choose," Moore said.
Johnson said he favors charter schools and other systems, like private school vouchers, that would give parents more choice.
"My personal choice would be vouchers where parents would have the choice of sending their children to religious based schools," Johnson said

MONTGOMERY, Ala. - Alabama's two Democratic candidates for governor are divided sharply over whether the state should allow publicly funded charter schools that operate without many of the rules that public schools must follow.

 

The six contenders for the Republican nomination have also chimed in on the issue - mostly supporting the idea of charter schools, though with varying degrees of enthusiasm.

 

In the June primaries next year, the issue could be a significant one for the Democratic candidates, Agriculture and Industries Commissioner Ron Sparks and U.S. Rep. Artur Davis. The state teachers union, which carries clout in the Democratic primary, opposes shifting money from public schools to charter schools, a position shared by Sparks but not Davis.

 

Davis views charter schools as an innovative way to improve the academic performance of students needing help, while Sparks says they would take money from mainstream public education at a time of extreme budget cuts.

 

Davis also says Alabama is among only about 10 states that do not allow charter schools and could lose out on a share of $4 billion in education stimulus money for innovative education programs if the Legislature doesn't act on the issue.

 

His position is echoed by Republican Gov. Bob Riley, who is not running for re-election. Riley said in a recent newspaper opinion piece that the Legislature needs to adopt charter school legislation to help the state receive the stimulus money.

 

But Sparks said Alabama has been innovative in many areas, such as its nationally known reading initiative and the creation of magnet schools, and does not need charter schools to compete for the stimulus money. Sparks said the middle of a recession is not the time to make such a move.

 

"How can we talk about creating another type of school when we don't have enough money to take care of the ones we've got?" Sparks said.

 

There is only slight disagreement on the issue among the GOP candidates for governor: State Rep. Robert Bentley, former two-year college Chancellor Bradley Byrne, State Treasurer Kay Ivey, Greenville Businessman Tim James, former Riley cabinet member Bill Johnson and former Chief Justice Roy Moore.

 

Byrne, Ivey, Johnson and Moore support charter schools, while Bentely prefers a trial program first and James doesn't want money taken from the education budget to create them.

 

Sparks' position has a powerful ally, the head of the state's teachers union, Paul Hubbert. Hubbert said he would lobby against creation of charter schools in the upcoming session of the Legislature, which begins Jan. 12. He said the state can't afford charter schools after two years of education spending cuts.

 

"Some of our school districts are barely able to keep the doors open. It would be sinful to take money from them to open new schools," Hubbert said.

 

But Davis said he believes charter schools would give parents a greater choice of where to send their children to school and improve their chance of succeeding.

 

"I do think charter schools have a history of raising the academic levels of low-performing students. Children need options within the school system to give them a better shot at learning," Davis said.

 

Sparks and Davis have spoken out repeatedly in recent weeks on their opposite positions on the charter schools issue. In recent days, Republican candidates have also been heard, particularly Byrne, who held a news conference Monday and issued a lengthy statement expressing his support for charter schools.

 

"I strongly believe that charter schools will better serve the children and families of this state in many ways," Byrne said. "They will provide greater educational options for our students, give parents the right to choose the school that best suits each child's needs, put our education tax dollars to more productive use, incentivize school and teacher performance excellence, and create higher standards for discipline and character development."

 

Ivey also released a statement expressing strong support for charter schools. She said she felt they would improve traditional public schools by offering competition.

 

"Charter Schools offer hope and a way out for students trapped in a failing academic environment. When traditional schools don't work, charter schools do," Ivey said.

 

James believes that charter schools work, but doesn't want the state to take money from the education budget to fund them, said campaign spokesman Brett Hall. He said James also wants to be careful about accepting the education stimulus money and make sure the grants don't "obligate the people of Alabama to do something we don't agree with."

 

Bentley, a retired Tuscaloosa physician, said he would want to try a few charter school programs on a trial basis to see how they work.

 

"There are good charter schools and poor charter schools. I do not believe charter schools are the answer to our education problems," Bentley said.

 

Moore said he advocated for charter schools when he ran for governor in 2006.

 

"I think there need to be alternatives to public schools like charter schools," Moore said. He said other alternatives would include scholarships to private schools or tax credits for parents who send students to private schools.

"We need to allow parents to choose," Moore said.

Johnson said he favors charter schools and other systems, like private school vouchers, that would give parents more choice.

"My personal choice would be vouchers where parents would have the choice of sending their children to religious based schools," Johnson said.

 

 


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