6641 N. Greenview Apt. 1 Chicago, IL 60626 Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky 2367 Rayburn House Office Building Washington, DC 20515 July 17, 2011 Dear Jan: I am writing to express my concern about HR 2218, the Empowering Parents through Quality Charter Schools Act, which is being considered by the House Education and the Workforce Committee. I'm very much opposed to this bill, and I support the attached recommendations fro Parents Across America. I'm concerned that the forces behind this bill actually attempting to dismantle traditional, communitybased public education with a concept that doesn't improve outcomes and that promises only to increase the quantity of charter schools rather than the quality of education. Unfortunately, it is clear to anyone who studies this matter, that the increase in charter schools comes directly at the cost of weakening neighborhood schools. I think there are a number of excellent recommendations from Parents Across America, including the following: •More democratic requirements in the governance of public charter schools and in the charterauthorization process itself, including the right of communities to approve or disapprove a charter school authorizations in their communities. •Requirements for transparent and democratic enrollment practices at charter schools, including a requirement for attendance boundaries. •Relief from federal punishments for states that are acting responsibly in capping the numbers of new charters authorized. I hope you share some of my concerns about HR2218. I often feel, as do the great majority of public school teachers, parents, and students, that our current administration has adopted a very strange attitude toward public education, and that it will be up to Congress to reign in some of the terrible decisions that are being made about charter schools and education policy in general. Thanks for everything. It's a pleasure to be represented in Congress by you. Best regards,
Tim Furman