In the current issue of Spectrum Magazine
Web Link (page 5) Superintendent Jan Christensen, in a PR piece, uses a full page of donated space to urge parents not to leave the regular schools in favor of the Charters.
If that is not criminal, it should be!
Here is one paragraph from that PR piece:
Eventually KIPP and Rocketship will serve a
total of about 1,500 students who live in Redwood
City and other nearby communities. While some
local parents have expressed an interest in having
their child attend one of the new charter schools,
others have expressed concern about the potential
loss of resources to students who remain in the
RCSD’s existing schools. RCSD receives funding
based on the number of students it receives.
When the number of students drops, the amount
of money the state provides to the district drops,
and the district cannot offer as many services to
students who remain in the existing schools. By
law, the school district cannot reject a charter
because it will have a negative financial impact on
the remaining schools.
The message was also conveyed to parents:
"In a recent letter to parents of RCSD students,
Superintendent Jan Christensen stated her belief
that parents deserve to choose the school that is
right for their child, and she encouraged parents
to consider the benefits of keeping their children
enrolled in Redwood City School District schools:
“We offer an education that will open many doors
of opportunity for your children in the future!"
Do you agree that these communications are inappropriate? Is their a distortion of the facts? If a parent decides to send their child to a private school, doesn't the reduced burden on the district more than offset the lost revenue?
