Florida teachers’ union blames public school decline on burgeoning charters

After a Florida school district announced it was cutting 700 positions, the local teachers’ union was quick to point the finger at charter schools.

“It’s a drain on public schools when we have to share funds that were sent to the district,” said Tammie Brooks-Evans, president of Duval Teachers United.

Another teacher, who asked to remain anonymous, even implied charters are “less than” traditional public schools.

“I think that many charter schools open and I think you certainly have good intentions to begin with. But that [funding] dollar becomes very important, and that when we look at some of the charter schools, the certification of their staff is very different than public schools,” the teacher said.

Duval County Public Schools (DCPS) loses about $7,200 in funding for every student who switches from a traditional public school to a charter. Meanwhile, it currently spends $9,000-$10,000 annually per student. 

Since charter school enrollment has risen from 2,000 to 25,000 in past 15 years, it’s no wonder the district is cutting staff and weighing the closure or consolidation of dozens of schools  

But local parents have high praise for DCPS’s charters, citing the undesirable large class sizes and impersonal instruction at traditional public schools.  

“My children now are in a smaller family environment, where they are not overlooked,” said one parent, Jasmine Lemons.  

“[My 6th grader] has ADHD and some learning difficulties and was struggling academically,” said another. “We decided to try Seaside Charter as an alternative. We liked the idea of smaller class sizes and a more holistic approach to education.”  

“The difference in his education and experience is immense,” said a third parent. “Public school is just pushing these children through, and they do not care as much as [the charter] did.”  

DCPS also has a relatively high ratio of charter schools – 44 charters out of 205 total schools. 

But the evidence in favor of charters isn’t all anecdotal.  

Charter school students nationwide are performing better academically than their public school counterparts, and Florida is no exception. 

According to a 2017 report, Florida charter students consistently demonstrated higher rates of grade level performance, smaller achievement gaps between white, Black and Hispanic students, and larger overall learning gains. 

And until public schools can make their education worth the taxpayer dollars, families will keep looking for better learning opportunities for their kids.