Arizona Rep. Shawnna Bolick Calls for Senators Kyrsten Sinema and Mark Kelly to Defend Charter Schools

Neil Jones

Arizona State Representative Shawnna Bolick (R-San Miguel) called on Senators Kyrsten Sinema (I-AZ) and Mark Kelly (D-AZ) to use their votes to protect charter schools around the nation from the Biden administration’s overreach.

“Will [Sinema] & [Kelly] stand with nearly 220K AZ public charter school kids and countless more families who support [school choice]? The teacher unions are using every tactic to drive a stake through [school choice],” tweeted Bolick

Bolick sent the two a letter outlining her concerns over the U.S. Department of Education’s (DOE) proposed regulations published in the Federal Register. She said these regulations would choke the advancement of charter schools in Arizona and around the country but that the senators have a chance to prevent this.

Under the Congressional Review Act (CRA), members of Congress can attempt to overturn any rules put forth by a federal agency. Members can introduce a joint resolution of disapproval, and if it can pass Congress and receive the president’s signature, the rule will not take effect.

South Carolina Senator Tim Scott (R), and 21 co-sponsors, did just this and introduced Joint Resolution 60 in September. The Senate is expected to vote on the resolution this week. Scott announced he would speak on the Senate floor against the regulations on Tuesday.

When the time for the Senate to vote does come, Bolick urged Kelly and Sinema to support school choice by giving this resolution an “AYE” vote.

“Charter schools in Arizona and elsewhere have thrived because they foster innovation and bring true competition to families,” Bolick wrote. “We already have working models that work without the federal government meddling in which schools deserve to be replicated with more strings attached, chocking innovation to the detriment of Arizona’s future workforce.”

According to EducationWeek, the Biden administration’s intent was to reign in the amount of federal money used on charter schools that close prematurely and ensure these schools do not interfere with “desegregation efforts.”

However, Scott’s resolution is not the only challenge the Biden administration faces, as the Pacific Legal Foundation (PLF) is involved in a lawsuit against the regulations. The PLF states that the DOE unfairly restricts charter schools from receiving federal funding. For example, a new requirement is proving a community need by demonstrating over-enrollment in existing schools or showing collaboration with local school districts. However, because local schools often compete with charter schools, they have no reason to collaborate and help the charter receive funding. Additionally, charter schools cannot exceed the racial balance of their community, meaning if a charter school seeks to serve minority students primarily, it could put itself at a disadvantage for doing so.

“The result of these requirements is to deprive deserving students of innovative educational opportunities that would otherwise give them a lifeline out of chronically failing public schools. It is wrong to force these students into schools that won’t serve their educational needs,” according to the PLC.

As for Arizona, Public School Review shared that in the 2022-23 school year, 569 charter schools will serve 219,683 students. These schools average higher math and reading proficiency scores compared to statewide averages. The majority of students in charter schools are Hispanic, making up 60 percent of those enrolled.

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Neil Jones is a reporter for The Arizona Sun Times and The Star News Network. Follow Neil on Twitter. Email tips to [email protected].
Photos “Shawnna Bolick” by Shawnna Bolick, “Sen Mark Kelly” by Mark Kelly, and “Sen Kyrsten Sinema” by Kyrsten Sinema.

 

 

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