Charlie Baker Optimistic Voters Will Lift Charter Cap in Massachusetts Despite Rising Opposition
Just two weeks prior to the upcoming vote in Massachusetts on whether to remove the state’s charter cap, Governor Charlie Baker expressed optimism that new charters would be opened next year and networks seeking expansion would be able to enroll students from their waiting lists. Governor Baker, in a speech hosted by the Manhattan Institute in New York City, stated his support for lifting the cap, arguing that it would provide city students with more school options, especially those who have typically lagged behind their suburban counterparts. He emphasized the importance of providing all children with access to high-quality education in order to prevent them from falling behind and facing greater challenges in the future. Governor Baker also highlighted the success of charter schools based on two decades of experience.
Recent opinion polls indicate that voters will vote against Question 2, a ballot referendum that seeks to allow the state to authorize up to 12 new charters or charter expansions each year. Governor Baker acknowledged that the outcome of the campaign remains uncertain and too close to call at this stage. He described the discussion around the question as the most prominent and public debate in Massachusetts in the lead-up to the election.
During his speech at the Harvard Club in midtown Manhattan, Governor Baker encountered a handful of protesters who opposed charter expansion. However, he argued that the progress in Massachusetts’ education system, as evidenced by the state’s improvement on the National Assessment of Educational Progress, was achieved by raising curriculum standards in the 1990s, which also included the introduction of charter schools.
Governor Baker highlighted the success of charter schools in cities across Massachusetts compared to traditional public schools in affluent suburbs. He attributed this success to longer school days and school years in charter schools. Additionally, he argued that charter schools were the only intervention that has shown the ability to narrow the achievement gap between white students and African Americans in the past 20 years.
Governor Baker disagreed with the argument made by teachers unions and advocates that charters drain money from traditional public schools. He cited multiple studies that all concluded that charter schools do not take money away from regular education. However, some researchers have suggested that charter expansion may require districts to reduce costs, such as laying off staff or closing schools, in order to compensate for lost revenue when students transfer to charter schools.
The statewide cap on charters currently stands at 120, but there is also a funding cap that limits districts from spending more than 9 percent of their budget on charters, unless they fall within the lowest-performing 10 percent of districts, which can spend up to 18 percent. This funding ceiling impedes further growth of charters in Boston, even though some researchers have identified them as the most effective in the country.
If voters approve the ballot question on November 8, the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education would have the authority to approve the establishment of 12 new charters or expansions that fall outside of the funding cap.
Both proponents and opponents of Question 2 have spent millions on advertising campaigns. Pro-charter groups such as Families for Excellent Schools, as well as major national teachers unions, have provided funding for these campaigns. Pro-charter PACs have spent a total of at least $17.5 million, while the union-funded Save Our Public Schools PAC, which opposes lifting the cap, has spent $9.3 million.
In Boston’s affluent suburbs, the "No on 2" campaign, which argues that charters drain funding from traditional public schools, appears to have resonated with voters. The campaign criticized Governor Baker for his appearance at the Manhattan Institute and its television advertisement campaign that highlights the benefits of charters for underprivileged students.
In every community in Massachusetts, there are numerous families who have a strong affection for their local public schools. However, the implementation of Question 2, which eliminates all restrictions on charter school expansion, will result in further reductions in funding for urban, suburban, and rural school districts.
Renowned members of the Democratic party, including U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren and Boston Mayor Martin Walsh, have publicly expressed their opposition to this proposal. Conversely, U.S. Representative Stephen Lynch supports it.
Statewide surveys indicate that there is a growing opposition to lifting the cap on charter schools. A poll conducted by the Western New England University Polling Institute in April revealed that 51% of voters would be in favor of lifting the charter cap, while 26% were against it.
However, a more recent poll conducted by the same organization earlier this month showed that 47% of likely voters are now against charter expansion, while only 34% support it. Interestingly, 47% of likely African-American and Latino voters support the lifting of the cap, while 36% oppose it.
When asked about the poll results, Governor Baker stated that he was not surprised by the desire of minority communities for more charter schools. He emphasized that the purpose of this question is to provide children and families in underperforming school districts with additional educational options. He believes that everyone in Massachusetts should have access to the same choices and opportunities.
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