Tubman’s budget was cut by $1.2 million costing them an estimated 12 positions. Suddenly DCPS says the hold harmless provisions no longer apply and they say the school will have an enrollment drop of 152. This is because they are in a swing space. It’s funny the Post article mentioned schools with smaller cuts but not this one.

I support that every penny should go towards supporting our public schools to improve their students, teachers, and staff.

Anonymous wrote:https://www.washingtonpost.com/education/2025/03/04/bowser-dc-school-budget-education/

I am a charter school parent and I am deeply disappointed in Mayor Bowser, who I voted for. DC Charter schools educate over 47% of students in the District. Yet the Mayor's proposed new funding shorts charter schools by millions of dollars.

When our kid's best and favorite teacher takes a job at another school or the school cuts a beloved extracurricular program next year, let's all remember that this Mayor doesn't see all kids in DC the same, and doesn't fund all schools the same.

Where are you getting this? The article says she is asking for more money for both DCPS and Charter schools.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So it sounds like the gist is that the WTU organized and got themselves a contracted increase.

Charter system advocates consider non-unionization a feature, not a bug, so their lack of organization and not getting pay increases should be considered part of their model of operations. If staff costs are the primary expense in DCPS and PCS and PCS aren't unionized, why should you expect parity?

WTU negotiates and somehow they are supposed to translate that into a gimme for PCS teachers they didn't work for?

This. They constantly sh*t-talk the union, but they want the raise the union negotiates. Having it both ways must be nice.

+1 to both of these responses. As a former charter school teacher who now has kids in the public school system, it is interesting to reflect on how anti-union the charters were, and how one sided the perspective was while working at charters. I know many charter teachers who have switched to DCPS bc of the better pay, union, stability etc.
Also, I am sure some charter schools do a great job of educating all kids with all sorts of behavior and special education needs, but what the prior poster said is also true. The public schools end up serving a lot of kids that charter schools push out which increases costs for specialized instruction etc

Could not agree more with the PPs who note that charters pride themselves on being anti-union, because it makes them nimble & flexible. Might want to nimbly and flexibly approach the ed reform corporate donors at this point.....

I read OP's link and it says funding for charter schools is INCREASING

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:“Six campuses, however, are facing cuts”

Dunbar and what others? Anyone know how to find out?

You can go through individual school budgets if you really want to know. https://dcpsbudget.com/

But I would suggest looking through the mayors proposed budget itself.

Mendelson named them in the DCPS oversight hearing. Tubman is projected to lose a bunch of students due to swing space, so is taking a budget hit. Jackson Reed is also getting a cut as their enrollment shifts over to MacArthur.

Ballou STAY is another. I don't remember the other two.

Anonymous wrote:So it sounds like the gist is that the WTU organized and got themselves a contracted increase.

Charter system advocates consider non-unionization a feature, not a bug, so their lack of organization and not getting pay increases should be considered part of their model of operations. If staff costs are the primary expense in DCPS and PCS and PCS aren't unionized, why should you expect parity?

WTU negotiates and somehow they are supposed to translate that into a gimme for PCS teachers they didn't work for?

Absolutely this. A lot of charter schools and advocates want to piggyback off WTU efforts while constantly bad mouthing them and calling them leeches. Well, this is the result.

Anonymous wrote:“Six campuses, however, are facing cuts”

Dunbar and what others? Anyone know how to find out?

You can go through individual school budgets if you really want to know. https://dcpsbudget.com/

But I would suggest looking through the mayors proposed budget itself.

“Six campuses, however, are facing cuts”

Dunbar and what others? Anyone know how to find out?

Anonymous wrote:So it sounds like the gist is that the WTU organized and got themselves a contracted increase.

Charter system advocates consider non-unionization a feature, not a bug, so their lack of organization and not getting pay increases should be considered part of their model of operations. If staff costs are the primary expense in DCPS and PCS and PCS aren't unionized, why should you expect parity?

WTU negotiates and somehow they are supposed to translate that into a gimme for PCS teachers they didn't work for?

This. They constantly sh*t-talk the union, but they want the raise the union negotiates. Having it both ways must be nice.

So it sounds like the gist is that the WTU organized and got themselves a contracted increase.

Charter system advocates consider non-unionization a feature, not a bug, so their lack of organization and not getting pay increases should be considered part of their model of operations. If staff costs are the primary expense in DCPS and PCS and PCS aren't unionized, why should you expect parity?

WTU negotiates and somehow they are supposed to translate that into a gimme for PCS teachers they didn't work for?

I don't really see a problem is giving more money to DCPS schools over charters if you're forced to make school budgeting decisions. I didn't vote for Bowser and think she's far too conservative but public schools are required to take every kid, including kids charters routinely kick out. That means per pupil spending has to be higher.

I'd also note charters are also anti union which means less stability in teaching positions overall.

This city has bent over backwards for charters often at the expense of overall student education and well being.

This is a terrible idea. Cut everything else before you cut schools.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/education/2025/03/04/bowser-dc-school-budget-education/

I am a charter school parent and I am deeply disappointed in Mayor Bowser, who I voted for. DC Charter schools educate over 47% of students in the District. Yet the Mayor's proposed new funding shorts charter schools by millions of dollars.

When our kid's best and favorite teacher takes a job at another school or the school cuts a beloved extracurricular program next year, let's all remember that this Mayor doesn't see all kids in DC the same, and doesn't fund all schools the same.