Chicago parents, teachers and other advocates for public schools rallied outside the James R. Thompson Center on Thursday, urging Governor Rod Blagojevich and state lawmakers to address a growing crisis in Illinois public schools.

Charter public schools have established a strong track record of overall success in the decade since Illinois began offering parents the option of sending their children to Charter schools.

Since that time Chicago’s charter schools has produced higher scores on statewide test in basic skills, higher attendance rates, higher graduation rates, and a 76 percent college admissions rate.( Office of New Schools, CPS, 2005 report). Despite that record, Illinois has the fewest charter schools of any large state, creating a waiting list of over 10,000 children hoping to attend one and turning the “chance for choice” into an illusion for most families. Charter schools are public schools, without entrance exams, and currently serve a student body that is 75 percent low-income, 29 percent Latino and 65 percent African American.

Advocates blame governor Blagojevich and lawmakers for failing to fund a $3.4 million grant program that helps local non-profit organizations launch new charter schools. Two schools affected by the lack of grant funding are Erie Elementary charter school in Humboldt Park and ACE Technical Charter High School in Washington Park.

Erie opened in 2005 and expects to serve 160 K-3 graders this year. ACE Tech was founded in 2004 to prepare Chicago high school students to immediately enter good-paying jobs in the technical field. It expects an enrollment of 550 students this year.  Both schools can benefit from grant money. There are currently 35 total schools that qualify for State start-up Funding.

The Chicago Math and Science Academy charter school is located in the 49^th Ward. Alderman Joe Moore spoke about the great success of the academy. “I had the privilege of attending the eight grade graduation and I was so impressed with the quality and intellectual curiosity exhibited by the students who graduated that day. The Chicago Math and Science Academy has provided the children and families in my neighborhood a quality education, and a sense of hope. That is why  I stand here today with other advocates urging the governor and other state legislators to restore funding to ensure other communities the same educational opportunities.”

Illinois law authorizes the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) to provide grants of up to $250 per pupil for up to five years to newly created charter schools in Illinois, but with more than 10,000 kids across Illinois on waiting lists to get into a charter public school, ISBE has recommended restoring funding for this line item, which has been left unfunded in recent years.

“Now is the time for lawmakers in our state and the governor to follow the advice of  ISBE  and restore the $3.4 million start up fund that is recognized and mandated in our state law,” said Elizabeth Evans, Executive Director of Illinois charter schools. “Illinois should also follow the lead of other states in the country and lift the cap. We need 1,000 charter schools not 34.”

Jessica Obey and Esoterica Braxton are from Houston Texas, and both attend charter schools. They are here in Chicago for the summer doing community service work in the KIPP Ascend Charter School located in the 24^th Ward and North Lawndale.

“I started out in public school and then went into a charter school. I feel the charter schools are more structured and   prepare you better for college,” Obey said. Braxton who has been in a charter school since elementary school agrees with Obey. “I feel the expectations are set higher, I wasn’t thinking about college at first but I am now,” she said.

Victoria Kofman, who has a doctorate in education, is an advocate of charter schools. She has gone into suburban areas talking with residents, who feel there is a need for a charter school in their area. Kofman decided on Round Lake, but without funding the school is just a dream. “I have taught in Schools in Chicago and the suburbs so I know the need to have more charter public schools,” she said.

Charter public school opponents have adopted a “politics-as-usual approach and blocked efforts to reform a decade-old law which limits how many charter public schools may operate in Illinois and even restricts which region of the state they can serve. The 1995 law makes Illinois charter public school cap the most restrictive in the nation.

Elizabeth Evans closed the meeting by stating that it is time to stop under funding the future of our children in Illinois. “We need to pay what is due and invest in all public schools fairly and at a level that will make Illinois a competitive success in the 21^st century,” she said.

Mary Moran is a writer for NLCN. Mary is a veteran of the U. S. Army  and journalism graduate from Columbia College in Chicago