Colorado Democratic Gov. Jared Polis blasted the Department of Education‘s proposed charter school regulation as “confounding” in an op-ed Friday, saying the proposed rule would reduce the availability of quality education.
The proposed regulation would restrict federal funding to over 9% of U.S. public charter schools that are operated by contracted for-profit companies. Experts have warned that, if enacted, the regulation could force many of the schools to close.
In his op-ed in the Washington Post, Polis lauded the success of public charter schools, both in Colorado and nationwide, noting that of the top 10 rated public schools in Colorado, seven are charter schools, and expressed grave concern about the impacts of the proposed regulation.
BIDEN RULE COULD FORCE CHARTER SCHOOLS TO CLOSE, FORMER EDUCATION OFFICIAL WARNS
“It’s confounding that the Education Department is about to create chaos and limit public school choice by instituting new rules that would gut the federal Charter Schools Program,” Polis wrote. “The CSP supports the development and expansion of high-quality public charter schools and provides technical assistance and training where there is demand.”
The governor’s op-ed comes just weeks after the public comment period for the new regulation expired. The comment period is required under the Administrative Procedures Act to allow the public to weigh in on proposed regulations before they are enacted. The Biden administration was heavily criticized for only providing a monthlong period for public comment, rather than the standard 60 days, for the charter school rule.
Polis did not address the brevity of the public comment period in his op-ed but criticized the administration for failing to solicit input from various stakeholders.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
“This package of proposed regulations was developed with no stakeholder engagement from governors like me, superintendents or charter schools across the country who are invested in the program’s continued success. They would result in reduced quality choices for parents,” Polis wrote.
