Just say no to Charter Schools.    The tax dollars diverted to charter schools could be better spent in
the public schools or - not spent at all - by lowering property taxes.


Send your child to public schools or to private schools.

Quoted from rachel72

Schenectady has to do something of value for these kids. Charter schools have to show academic achievement for all their students, the teachers union doesn't have to be involved, teachers performance is directly related to the students scoring on standardized test and the concentration is on academics rather than pensions for administrators.

Schenectady hasn't been successful in running a High School. Make a Charter High School where students HAVE to succeed.

Well said! It is a no brainer here......the schenectady school district has one of the WORST performance record in the state. In light of those 'proven findings'......it would be advantageous to seek an alternative. Although private schools fair better in the city, not all folks who live in the city can afford them. If they could, we wouldn't be having this cyber conversation.

As charter schools grow, public schools will scale down accordingly. It would be equilatuive. These kids deserve better than what the Schenectady school district can offer. These kids need better choices that their parents can afford.

Quoted from bumblethru

As charter schools grow, public schools will scale down accordingly. It would be equilatuive. These kids deserve better than what the Schenectady school district can offer. These kids need better choices that their parents can afford.

That's absolutely the key in Schenectady. The school taxes are VERY high and compound with private school tuition, the reality is that ONLY THE WEALTHY IN SCHENECTADY can afford a good education. A middle class family of 2, 3, 4 children is not able to send their children to a catholic school. $15,000 per year plus taxes?!

Therefore in Schenectady, the poor get a poor education and that's practically discriminatory. The worst part is that there is no choice at the City High School. Half don't even graduate...would a parent really want those odds for their children.

My daughter is a teacher at a charter school in a nearby city. She is very proud of the school she works at and the students. They have outscored most schools in the whole Capital District : )  

The pay for teachers isn't as much as city school districts but the rewards in knowing the students are learning is great.

Quoted from DemocraticVoiceOfReason

Just say NO to charter schools -- they are not accountable to the taxpayers and spend taxpayer dollars.

neither are the unions....

Quoted from DemocraticVoiceOfReason

Send your child to public schools or to private schools.

OK, DV, you offer only two options.


1.   The private school option.   Tell us DV, with total household income of $30,000 a year, would you please answer the question of HOW parents are supposed to send children to private school??????    

2.   The public school option.   Violence   Bullying  Substandard education.


Tell us WHY, DV , WHY is it that you oppose parental choice in education for the people who live in Schenectady and CANNOT afford to pay tuition

Can you answer that question?

Quoted from DemocraticVoiceOfReason

Just say no to Charter Schools.    The tax dollars diverted to charter schools could be better spent in
the public schools or - not spent at all - by lowering property taxes.

Must be a communist talking.

In communist countries, most party faithful had money and could and can send their children to private schools.    But everything else is government.  Government schools, goverment theaters, government hotels, government gin mills, goverment stores, goverment transportation, government everything.  Sounds rather like what you want for Schenectady.  The taxpayers--the working people---foot the bill for the (dem) party faithful and their cronies who in turn create government theaters, government hotels, goverment schools, goverment gin bills, goverment stores, government transprotation, government docks, government everything for the benefit of the rich--the dem party faithful who are exempt from paying taxes and therefore can afford to send their children to private schools, live outside of the city in safe neighborhoods, and go out and socialize at taxpayer exepense at all the taxpayer funded theaters, gin mills, hotels, etc.

Look at how much money has been dumped into the SSD over the years and just look at what the taxpayers in the district have to show for it, high taxes, gang fights daily, and low student scores on state tests.

Charter Schools are not up to Eric Elys standard. That's why we need one-NOW! DVR doesn't understand when you take a student out of a failed system and give them a better education at half the cost that this is a good thing.

      Not everyone can afford or wants a Catholic school education. We need to be open to other successful alternatives-especially for our less fortunate students.

It is really a very simple idea to comprehend.

Charter Schools receive property tax dollars but the property owners have NO vote on their budget
or their school boards.  That is wrong -- therefore they should NOT be funded through our local property
tax dollars.  

Parents can CHOOSE to send their children to Charter Schools .. but they should bear 100% of the cost for
them by paying tuition and raising money to support the school.  

Just say NO to Charter Schools.

Charter schools are responsible to the state and if they don't measure up to state standards they can shut them down.  Public schools dislike charter schools because they take money away from them period.

New York State Law requires that public schools provide money for Charter Schools (in the current Schenectady City budget - over $1 million is spent just bussing students to the Albany Charters), as well the public schools GIVE MONEY TO CATHOLIC SCHOOLS and there is absolutely NO REPRESENTATION! Lunches, books and materials for Catholic schools - a portion of that is paid by the taxpayer money.

So, this argument about public schools funding Charter schools is mandated by law and Shadow is right...if the Charter school students are unsuccessful, the school is closed. The teachers have a vested interest in the students - the students fail, the teachers do also. A system of accountability sounds refreshing.  

Quoted from Shadow

Charter schools are responsible to the state and if they don't measure up to state standards they can shut them down.  Public schools dislike charter schools because they take money away from them period.

A Charter School is coming to Schenectady County. Praising Catholic schools is fine but not the option many deserve. The City taxpayers are tired of wasting $1 MILLION to bus kids to ALBANY CHARTERS. Enough is enough. President Obama and Gov Cuomo both support Charter Schools. Hopefully, one can be up and running by September 2011.

Obama and Cuoma are very much in favor of charter schools. I believe that was one of obama's campaign proposals.

Charter schools will ultimately lower property taxes (as they are not as costly), give the kids another choice and still be overseen by NYS.

Id send my kid to a Charter School if there were one available.  I would not send her to a Catholic school because we are not Catholic.  There are a lot of kids in the SSD that are not Catholic and are forced to go to the public schools.  There isnt much of a choice because their families cannot afford tuition.  I know I cant afford it.  Also I dont see where the three R's have to include religion.  My child scores high on her testing.  For the past three years she has scored all 4s and one 3.  I think thats pretty darn good.  Im proud of her.  Next year she will be attending a new school.  Not sure which one yet.  Id like to see a choice for her.