I believe charter schools are all about democracy and positive social change. They could complement public schools, spark educational reform through healthy competition, and serve as educational laboratories. They worry that low-income families wouldn't have equal access to charter schools, and that corporations might invest heavily, thereby influencing the curriculum. And I would argue that low-income families and minority kids also have challenges getting a decent education and equal opportunities in the public school system. In my mind, the whole charter school issue boils down to power and money and whether there's enough to share.
Schools get money according to the number of kids enrolled.
If I-729 passes and a kid goes to a charter school, state money follows the kid there. And public schools alone, in their present state, don't meet the diverse learning styles and needs of all kids equally. My belief in charter schools is rooted in my experiences working with kids. I taught English in public schools for 15 years. Classes were full of college-bound kids, behaviorally challenged kids, kids who had recently immigrated to the U.S., and kids about to drop out of school.