Charter schools and school choice tear at the fabric of locally operated public schools and the communities of western Massachusetts in which they are situated.
The introduction of charter schools and school choice in the early 1990s began a process of systematically dismantling our small communities.
What happens today, for example, a child living in Holyoke will attend school in Easthampton, an Easthampton student may attend Northampton, a Northampton student may attend Hatfield, a Hatfield student may attend a charter school and a Hatfield charter school student may then attend school in Granby.
The cycle of students moving from school to school is not an educational ideal but this is not the real issue. With each move, a family moves it’s limited time, money and energy.
Of particular concern is the political energy that is moved out of the family’s local community. This political energy is energy lost from the system.
While yes, the family can invest personally in their new situation, the local political energy is impacted; the political trickle down can be significant. I believe the local community school is pre-eminently poised to deliver the best educational experience when the school has the full support of its community and all the stakeholders.
When the community stakeholder base is destabilized by programs like choice and charter every community is weakened. As communities become weaker the state educational system suffers.
Massachusetts has a long positive history of supporting local authority and control of schools; the state should rethink this issue a bit.
It is never too late to re-empower our local communities and school boards. Please remember that the most important resources of any community are its children.
Alfred J. Venne
Florence