Bx Charter School Supporters Want More Funds

By REZA MALEK

The front steps of a Bronx school seemed like the ideal place for parents to gather to demand that state leaders unfreeze funding for charter schools and put them on a par with public schools.

The parents, who were all sporting their bright yellow “All Kids Count” and “#LoveMyCharter” t-shirts filled the steps of the Girls Prep Bronx Middle School on Thursday morning along with the New York City Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.

“It felt great to know that I’m not the only that’s fighting for this issue,” said Yvonne Guillen, a parent organizer at Families for Excellent Schools. “A lot of parents are fighting for this issue, and it’s very important for kids to get what they deserve.”

Over the last six years, regular public schools were funded six times more than charter schools, Guillen alleged.

Guillen said that she would like the funds to go towards acquiring more resources for the kids. “If they’re working with the little bit that they had, imagine how much more they could be doing if they had the funding.”

“We’re here in the same community and we’re here together,” Guillen added.

Charter schools have been under fire fromthe de Blasio Administration and DOE officials draining resources from the public school budget and forcing out students with disabilities and behavioral problems.

Charter schools, which rely on both public and city funding, have also been accused of being run as a business more than as a school.

“All families should have access to a wealth of great school options,” said DOE deputy press secretary Harry Hartfield, “and we are investing in all our public schools to ensure that parents have choices they need to meet the unique needs of their child. It doesn’t matter whether a student attends a traditional public school or a charter public school ¬we want every child to get the education they need to succeed.”