Source: https://cloakinginequity.com/2016/08/01/breaking-news-aclu-finds-many-illegal-policies-in-charter-schools/
Timestamp: 2018-10-20 13:04:31
Document Index: 40561202

Matched Legal Cases: ['§ 47605', '§ 47605', '§ 1703', '§11135', '§ 2000', '§ 794']

Breaking News: ACLU finds many illegal policies in Charter Schools | Cloaking Inequity
Posted on August 1, 2016 by Dr. Julian Vasquez Heilig	14 comments
Although the law is clear, our review of California charter schools’ public, written policies reveals that many charters illegally prevent students from enrolling or remaining at their schools. Specifically, out of the roughly 1,200 charter schools in California, at least 253, representing roughly 25% of all of California’s charter schools, have policies that are plainly exclusionary because they:
Deny enrollment to students who do not have strong grades or test scores.
Expel students who do not maintain strong grades or test scores.
Deny enrollment to students who do not meet a minimum level of English proficiency.
Select students based on onerous pre-enrollment requirements such as student or parent/guardian essays or interviews.
Discourage or preclude immigrant students from attending by requiring parents/guardians or students to provide Social Security numbers or other citizenship information before enrollment.
Refuse to enroll students unless their parents/guardians volunteer or donate money to the school.
These practices disadvantage certain groups of students, including legally protected classes such as English-language learners, students with disabilities, and immigrants, among others, by deterring or outright precluding enrollment. These exclusionary policies violate the California Education Code, the California and U.S. Constitutions, and state and federal civil rights laws.[2]
The fact that the websites, handbooks, and other public materials of so many schools contain plain violations demonstrates a clear failure of accountability. The entities that authorize charter schools, which include the California State Board of Education, county offices of education, and local public school districts, are responsible for ensuring that charter schools follow all laws and abide by the terms of their charters.[3] Regardless of whether this failure is caused by a lack of resources, a misunderstanding of the law, or inadequate procedures for reviewing charter policies, it is troubling that so many authorizing entities have missed these clear violations of the law, all of which are publicly posted on the schools’ websites.
What is the ACLU and Public Advocates asking for?
We are calling on the California Department of Education to issue guidance making clear that the practices highlighted in this report are illegal and ordering any offending charter schools to change their policies and immediately and publicly notify parents/guardians and students.
We ask charter school operators and charter-authorizing entities to check charter policies and public materials for legal compliance and to ensure that schools maintain simple and straightforward admissions procedures.
We urge students and their families to check their local charter schools’ policies and advocate for changes when these policies are confusing, discouraging, or illegal. If the school refuses to remedy the problems, families, students and others should file complaints with the schools’ authorizers or the county office of education where the school is located. Because charter schools lack a centralized authority, we must all be vigilant in ensuring that they meet their obligations.
It’s been a rough week for charter schools. For more on what’s going wrong with charters click here.
[1] Cal. Educ. Code § 47605(d)(2)(A) (“A charter school shall admit all pupils who wish to attend the school.”).
[2] Cal. Educ. Code § 47605(d)(2)(A); 20 U.S.C. § 1703(f); Cal. Gov’t. Code §11135; Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, 42 U.S.C. § 2000d, et seq.; Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, 29 U.S.C. § 794; Plyler v. Doe, 457 U.S. 202, 229-30 (1982).
[3] Charter Schools FAQ Section 3, California Department of Education (last visited July 12, 2016), available at http://www.cde.ca.gov/sp/cs/re/qandasec3mar04.asp (“The charter authorizing entity is responsible for ensuring the charter school operates in compliance with all applicable laws and the terms of its charter.”).
tagged with ACLU
August 26, 2016	10:17 pm
August 14, 2016	5:37 pm
After working in a charter school in Cincinnati , Ohio I can say for a fact they participate in MANY illegal policies. I was appalled at the injustices the children have to put up with on a daily basis. Staff hired for teaching positions in which they are not qualified to teach to breaking the law when State testing is performed.
eltron34
August 1, 2016	9:57 pm
The thrust of the argument is that certain practices of some charter schools in effect deny access to some students, or push them out. One of the questions which will have to be addressed is how will a school foster high performance in students if some are failing terribly. To say that the school should ‘make’ every student do well brings with it a question also. How will they ensure that since the problems may be out of the teacher’s control?
There are schools, some of them belonging to church groups, which seem to be selective, very selective. Then one has to ask if the concern is only about charter schools. ACLU’s argument is an appealing; yet if there are students who are doing poorly is it okay to just allow them to continue knowing that will not change?
Pingback: Breaking News: ACLU finds many illegal policies in Charter Schools | Lloyd Lofthouse
August 1, 2016	7:22 pm
Pingback: Breaking News: ACLU finds many illegal policies in Charter Schools – Cloaking Inequity | Mister Journalism: "Reading, Sharing, Discussing, Learning"
Pingback: ACLU Finds Illegal Charter School Admissions Policies | LWVeducation
Pingback: BREAKING NEWS: ACLU in California Finds Many Charter Schools Break State and Federal Laws | Diane Ravitch's blog
Candace Crider
August 1, 2016	1:42 pm
Of course you must be admitted if your parents are in this country illegally, why can’t people get that (sarcasm intended). If it a charter school dedicated to the arts or to science and math of course there should not be any testing for admission to the school and of course you should not have to keep your grades up to remain in such a school (more sarcasm). The ACLU is a Liberal organization now, not interested in the rights of Americans or their Civil Liberties – their only focus is on Social Justice programs that undermine the attempts of people of any race or ethnicity to better themselves by hard work and accomplishment.
August 1, 2016	5:13 pm
I am proud to live in a country that provides 13 years of free education (and more in some states) to every human being regardless of where they come from or who their parents are. This is not the case in all countries, and in such countries where education is not free to all, there is rampant inequality and a generally a huge disparity between socioeconomic classes. Free education that is open to all is the foundation of a democratic society, and many charter schools undermine that through exclusionary practices.
Education is a human right. Let me rewrite that – education is a HUMAN right, not an “American citizen” right or a “wealthy person” right or any other kind of qualified right.
August 1, 2016	5:35 pm
The law is the law for all in this country. I know many people don’t like the fact that people in certain groups must be allowed the same rights as others but until the Constitution is chang d that’s the way it’s got to be.
August 2, 2016	3:08 am
Of course if you’re a private school with private money you can run your school the way you want, but charters are operating with the same public money as public schools do, and need to run by the same rules as public schools. Instead, many charters want to run like private schools but with public money. It can’t work that way. Everything about public schools is open to scrutiny. You can find out whatever information you want about how they are run, and about who gets paid what. Charter schools seem to evade this and it’s difficult to see how they are run or who gets paid what. Many charters are also anti-union and teachers are over worked and under paid. Charters operate with both public money and private donations.
August 1, 2016	12:39 pm
Spotlight on the self-focused agendas of charter advocates and the precious few admitteees they keep on roll: https://lucidwitness.com/2016/03/26/public-education-versus-my-babies/