Bernie Sanders calls for end to
for-profit U.S. charter schools
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[May 18, 2019]
By Ginger Gibson
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Democratic
presidential hopeful Bernie Sanders is calling for a sweeping overhaul
of publicly-funded charter schools, rolling out a plan on Saturday that
will put him at odds with some of his opponents and underscore his
renewed efforts to win black voters.
Sanders, a U.S. senator from Vermont, wants to ban for-profit charter
schools and halt the creation of new charter schools while imposing new
rules on the existing ones, according to a summary of his proposal
provided by his campaign on Friday.
Charter schools receive government funding to operate but are more
autonomous than traditional public schools. Students do not pay to
attend.
Most charter schools are operated by nonprofit groups, and many take
private donations on top of government funding. However, a pro-charter
school group estimates 15 percent of them are operated by for-profit
companies. Additionally, some nonprofit charter schools have come under
fire for contracting with for-profit companies to operate the schools.
![](http://archives.lincolndailynews.com/2019/May/18/images/ads/current/culligan_sda_daily_FESTIVALS_2017.png)
Charter schools, which enjoyed bipartisan support at their inception in
the 1990s, have become the subject of increasing division. Many
Democrats have grown critical of them, arguing the schools are used by
the wealthy to pad their pockets while still neglecting millions of
students in failing schools.
Groups like the NAACP have become vocal opponents of the current charter
school system.
But charter schools remain popular in some predominately black
communities, where they are seen as the best option where public schools
are weak.
As a result, Sanders' proposal, meant to show how his liberal policies
could help minorities, comes with some political risks for the
candidate, who struggled in his last presidential campaign in 2016 to
gain support from black voters.
Sanders will roll out a comprehensive education platform in a speech in
South Carolina on Saturday, his campaign said.
Supporters argue charter schools can serve as laboratories for
innovation in education that can flourish without the bureaucratic
constraints of traditional schools.
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![](../images/051819pics/news_s35.jpg)
U.S. 2020 Democratic presidential candidate and U.S. Senator Bernie
Sanders (I-VT), speaks at the 2019 National Action Network National
Convention in New York, U.S., April 5, 2019. REUTERS/Lucas Jackson
![](../images/ads/current/fitzpatrick_lda_SPONSOR_2017.png)
But critics of charter schools say they have done little to export
the innovation they promised to traditional schools, which still
educate the vast majority of students. Instead, critics argue,
charter schools have taken resources from the rest of the public
schools to serve a small, select group.
Critics also say the schools are mainly serving middle-class,
predominately white populations to the detriment of students, mainly
minorities, in traditional public schools.
The position taken by Sanders, one of more than 20 Democrats vying
for the nomination to challenge Republican President Donald Trump in
the November 2020 election, is in stark contrast with some of his
opponents.
Former Congressman Beto O'Rourke of Texas has previously voiced
support for charter schools, and U.S. Senator Cory Booker was a
vocal supporter of them as mayor of Newark, New Jersey.
Booker's support of charter schools is proving to be a liability
with some black voters.
Booker is "well liked," said Corey Strong, former chairman of the
Shelby County Democratic Party in Memphis, Tennessee, but he "has an
issue with charter schools."
![](http://archives.lincolndailynews.com/2019/May/18/images/ads/current/peasleymemorials_lda100213.png)
(Reporting by Ginger Gibson; Additional reporting by Sharon
Bernstein; Editing by Colleen Jenkins, Jonathan Oatis and Tom Brown)
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