Bernie Sanders Education Plan Regrets the Rise of Charter Schools



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Sen. Bernie Sanders spoke to chartered schools Saturday to call for a moratorium on federal funding for schools in a statement on the priorities of its education policy ahead of the 2020 elections.

In a 10-point plan, Sanders, one of two Democrat candidates for the presidential nomination, said that if he was elected, he would "desegregate schools" in part by banning federal spending for new charter schools, as well as prohibiting for-profit charter schools – which represent a small proportion of existing charters.

"The proliferation of charter schools has disproportionately affected communities of color," Sanders wrote, adding, "We do not need two school systems; we must invest in our system of public schools. "

Mr. Sanders of Vermont would also require that charter schools be subject to the same control as public schools and that teachers and parents represent at least half of the representation in all charter boards. In addition, his plan would require charter schools to disclose student attrition rates, non-public sources of funding, and financial interests.

Charter schools have been supported by the Obama administration and, in general, by the Democrats.

Senator Cory Booker of New Jersey, also a presidential candidate, has been a staunch supporter of charter schools. Last year, Mr. Booker said in an interview that "my loyalty is to a free public school and a high quality education", allowing charter schools and magnetic schools to be part of the mix.

Other Democratic candidates have unveiled their education plans in recent weeks. A proposal by Senator Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, focused on higher education, aims to cancel most student loans and eliminate tuition fees at public colleges. Former Housing Secretary Julián Castro announced similar goals, as well as proposals to increase teachers' salaries and create a national federally funded pre-kindergarten program.

Mr. Sanders unveiled his plan one day after Brown's 65th birthday. Board of Education, Supreme Court decision that legalized the desegregation of public schools in the United States. His name, Plan Thurgood Marshall for Public Education, refers to the lawyer who advocated for the cause N.A.A.C.P. before becoming a judge at the Supreme Court.

"Many American schools remain unacceptably isolated," Sanders wrote in his plan.

Sanders' plan also explains that black students are almost four times more likely to be suspended than white students – a disparity he attributes to "implicit racial bias" that also exposes Black youth to a risk increased poisoning in the criminal justice system.

"When a child is kicked out of school, he loses teaching time and is more likely to get involved in juvenile and adult justice systems," he said. plan. "We must end the pipeline from school to prison."

Parts of the plan focused on educators, stating that Sanders supported a baseline of $ 60,000 for teachers' starting salaries, as well as the organizing efforts of charter teachers.

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