ALBANY, N.Y. October 15, 2016 — The 600,000-plus member New York State United Teachers commends the national NAACP on today’s vote to call for a halt to the expansion of charter schools nationwide. NYSUT said:
“We applaud the NAACP for speaking truth. There should be no further expansion of charter schools in New York or anywhere else until policymakers and lawmakers seriously address significant problems with charters, beginning with how the charter industry operates here in New York state. Too many charters in New York fail to serve all students equally, suspending or driving out those who are struggling while, at the same time, cherry-picking students who score the highest on state tests. That is wrong. In addition, charters drain scarce funds from regular public schools, and are often approved even in the face of strong community opposition. Too many communities have been left paying for charters, without a voice or a vote in how they operate, even as their own public schools, which serve all students, are left to suffer. That is also wrong and we commend the NAACP for speaking out and calling for a moratorium on charter school expansion.”
New York State United Teachers is a statewide union with more than 600,000 members in education, human services and health care. NYSUT is affiliated with the American Federation of Teachers, the National Education Association and the AFL-CIO.
See also: NAACP statement