Elizabeth Warren Gets Flak from MA Charter School Supporters
Democratic presidential nomination hopeful, Senator Elizabeth Warren receives serious criticism from charter school supporters in her home state of Massachusetts.
Massachusetts Parents United (MPU), an organization that actively advocates for the expansion of charter schools in Senator Warren’s home state, took offense from a remark made by the senator.
Keri Rodrigues, founder and president of MPU branded Ms. Warren’s remarks as “disrespectful and disgusting.”
The MPU president was referring to the comments made by Ms. Warren in a meeting with the National Education Association (NEA), the largest union of traditional school teachers in America. The meeting was part of the 3.2 million-member organization’s vetting process for arriving at a decision on who to endorse as presidential candidate for the 2020 presidential elections.
Senator Warren’s Remarks on Parents Complaining about Public Schools
In response to a question about charter schools posed by NEA president Lily Eskelsen García, the Massachusetts senator responded that parents unhappy with their children’s public school, should do more than just air grievances. Ms. Warren pointed out that if they will just opt out of public schools, what then happens to the children of parents who can afford only public schools for their kids?
She asserts that as elected government officials, their obligation is for all the country’s children, not just to a handful; adding that if parents think public schools are not working, they should take part in helping them get the support they need.
The Massachusetts senator elaborated by suggesting that parents can help by volunteering, and in providing support to get more resources for teachers and the school’s custodial and support staff, including school bus drivers and cafeteria workers,
Those comments were taken as a “slap in the face” by constituents who have been hoping that she would reexamine her views over charter school issues.
Although Senator Warren shares the same anti-charter school stance of the two other leading presidential hopefuls, former veepee Joe Biden and Senator Sanders, her position is slightly different. Mainly because she represents a state in which charter schools are reputed for having the highest performance rating.
Moreover, the Bay State has set the highest bars for transparency and accountability with regard to laws governing charter schools. As opposed to several states in which operators of charter schools were not only underperforming but also embroiled in cases of fund misuse.
