Posted 9/6/06


Cyber Charter School funding came under fire again this summer when a hearing on PA House Bill No. 2616 was held in Allentown.

The bill, originally proposed on April 24 by Representative Karen Beyer, proposes serious changes in funding for Pennsylvania charter schools, and possible caps on new enrollments.

The meeting was held in Allentown on August 22, with over eight speakers on either side of the bill, and over 150 attendees showing their support or opposition.

“The overwhelming majority of people in the audience were supporters of charter schools, a fact that was not lost on the committee members since this is an election year,” said Carolyn Melo, PALCS math teacher. “Most of the committee members seemed willing to listen, but some had their minds made up before they even entered the room.”

The bill’s supporters brought up such points as questioning the qualifications of teachers and accountability of Pennsylvania charter schools.

“Those in support of cyber schools were able to demonstrate that cyber schools have a high level of accountability [and] do have very highly qualified teachers,” said Lynn Rodden, PALCS Parent Liaison/Western Pennsylvania Regional Coordinator.

Despite all the testimony and fight put up by the charter school supporters, there is still debate as to how much good the meeting did.

“The representative who introduced the bill dismissed the testimony as irrelevant,” said Melo. “But I think that the other committee members were impressed by the number of cyber school supporters who turned out.”

Some debates are still up in the air such as the true point behind the August 22 gathering.

“According to an assistant from Rep. Beyer's staff, the objective of the hearing was a continuation of the fact finding process that started with the first House Education hearing [in] January,” said Rodden.

“The stated purpose was to be an informational session on House Bill 2616, which changes the funding structure for Cyber charter schools,” said Melo. “Originally, it was advertised as a hearing, then changed to an ‘information meeting’.”

Possibly one of the most important things that this meeting has brought to light is the need for parents of charter school students to stick together.

“It's crucial that all cyber parents contact their state legislator and let them know how you feel about having a choice of where your children are educated,” said Melo.

“It is important for families to be informed about what is happening,” said Rodden. “It is also important for them to let legislators know how cyber [schools] have benefited their families.”

More information can be found at PACyberFamilies.org and PA House Bill No. 2616 can be found at http://www.legis.state.pa.us. All you need to do is search for Bill # HB 2616 in the upper right hand corner of the page.