I received an email this afternoon from the Northeast Charter School Network, a non-profit advocacy group that is urging parents and advocates to call, text, or email the Governor’s and State School Board office. Here is an excerpt from the email which links to an easy way to contact our state officials:
Follow this link or text “CTCharter” to 52886 to email the Governor and Board to voice your support for the new school proposals.
Every Connecticut student deserves a public school that will prepare them for college and the jobs of the future. Make your voice heard and tell the Governor and Board of Education to provide more quality public school options for our kids.
Be sure to share the link on social media, or tell your friends to text “CTCharter” to 52886, and get the word out to give our kids a chance. The opportunity is now!
Here are some facts to consider …
4,276 students are on waiting lists for Connecticut charter schools. Of those, over 1,100 of these students live in Bridgeport.
If you consider the statistics, it’s no wonder Bridgeport parents are seeking alternative options: Bridgeport is one of the lowest performing districts in the state, where less than one-third of 3rd grade students are reading at grade level. That number drops significantly in 10th grade.
In fact, only 12 percent of Bridgeport’s 10th graders met grade level goals last year.
The graduation rates are equally abysmal. Only about 66 percent of Bridgeport’s high school students graduate overall, that number drops to about half for low-income, minority and ELL students.
These numbers are unacceptable and, yet, some claim things are “just fine” in Bridgeport.
The truth is, Bridgeport’s students can’t wait around while we fix the district. Third graders and their families need better options for 4th grade. The opportunity really is now.
On April 2, the State Board of Education will vote on several charter school applications, two of which, Great Oaks and Capital Prep Harbor School, want to open up schools in Bridgeport.
These two schools can make an extraordinary difference in the lives of Bridgeport students, that’s why I’m urging my readers to speak out!
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