“We urge Mayor Bill de Blasio to reconsider his course of action to close and stop the expansion of high-performing charter schools in New York City. . .
“Public charter schools are changing what is possible for all children, particularly low-income, minority and disadvantaged students. One of us has witnessed transformational results in New Orleans, where public charter schools have helped to rebuild and reinvigorate the city’s economy. The other was the founder of two innovative public charter-school networks in Colorado and New Mexico serving at-risk kids and has seen students make tremendous strides in high-performing public charter schools. Across the country, excellent public charter schools are demonstrating results for disadvantaged students that have not been seen in generations.
“Now is not the time to hit the brakes on this progress. Instead, we should hit the accelerator and make sure every child has access to an outstanding, high-performing public school, building on the proven model of public charters.”
— Two Democrats, Louisiana Sen. Mary Landrieu and Colorado Rep. Jared Polis, in a letter to The Wall Street Journal bashing Mayor de Blasio for the hostility he has shown charters