We will work to ensure that no public schools are privatized or taken over by corporate charters that end up running schools like a business. We oppose charter schools that don’t agree to their districts’ collective bargaining agreements with classified workers and teachers. Charters shouldn’t be used to bust unions.

We also share concerns about some charter schools that have served as vehicles for the enrichment of real estate speculators. From speaking with teachers, a lot of these charter systems make it seem that the opportunity is equal for everyone, but some still screen students or give admission to those who have a special interest into the school’s particular educational focus or sometimes make students write 5 page essays without grammatical errors, etc. One of the reasons is because the schools need to have “numbers” (standardized test scores at a certain level). Our strategy is to improve all public schools by providing them with the resources they need, rather than hiring teachers and classified workers with lower pay and benefits. We will also oppose any voucher system that would re-direct public education funding to private schools, including through tax credits. We believe that public schools should be a place for ALL students to have a quality education and should not be burdened by any financial desires from those “managing” the schools just to make profit.

Educators should have the freedom to be more innovative in their classes without restrictions by mandates, and teachers should have resources and technology incorporated as it is crucial in the learning environment, something that is currently being underutilized and underfunded. Right now, through this pandemic, we are seeing the impact that such a lack is having on the education of our children.

We also believe that educators should not be graded or measured based on standardized tests by students. We believe that there should be adequate measures that will empower educators, such as a well-rounded curriculum that not only lets students learn the subject matters but also helps them become better members of their community. The No Child Left Behind Act focuses heavily on math and literacy which takes away other opportunities for growth such as working in teams and creative/critical thinking which is crucial after graduating from school. Also, many schools receive funding based on how well the schools perform in terms of standardized testing and that has a major drawback on educators and students especially with low-income families and communities of color who lack fewer resources to begin with.

We also believe that teachers should have additional resources when it comes to full inclusion teaching where teachers teach both special education and general education. This can put lots of pressure on the teachers as the teachers sometimes do not specialize in special education. We will work to ensure critical consciousness among educators, making sure that teachers who are going into urban schools, have a critical education or theoretical background, and have an understanding of the systemic issues students are facing, especially students of color. You cannot have a top down approach from people who have never set foot in the community that students come from. There needs to be community involvement, even from the students, when it comes to decision-and-policy-making in education.

We will work to make educational institutions more welcoming especially to students’ parents whose first language is not English so that there is no intimidation and that there is a clear understanding between parents and educators.