Above: Protest against public school privatization. Above and all photos from Flickr.
York, PA is considering a plan to turn some or all of its schools into charter schools, also known as privatized schools fund ed by the public. An all-charter school switch would be unprecedented in the nation.
Seven providers submitted proposals to the school district this summer and has been narrowed down to two operators. The Community Education Council will rank each proposal and present them to the school board. David Meckley, the district’s Chief Recovery Officer, says he will make a recommendation on how to proceed by October.
York students, educators and families are fighting against the plan by politicians to completely privatize York City public schools. Those involved with the rally included the employee unions, the York NAACP, and York Concerned Clergy.
The Rev. Aaron Willford, a former member of the city school board, told YDR.com “The main message is to say no to those who (want) to charterize schools,” adding that children shouldn’t be “guinea pigs.”
They held a rally protesting privatization on Sept. 17, 2014 and again on Sept. 24, 2014.
YDR.com reports: “Some at the rally questioned the track records of the two operators being considered and decried the idea of bringing in for-profit companies to run schools.” Nikiyah Perry, a senior at William Penn Senior High School, said ‘They say charters are here to give you choice, but if you take away the public school option what choice do you have?”
YDR.com reports “The two operators being considered — Charter Schools USA and Mosaica Education — appeared at a Community Education Council meeting. Beforehand, community members marched at a rally organized by the York NAACP, a group of concerned clergy and district employees.