|
To share more about where we are headed this year and why your partnership matters now more than ever, here is a message from our Executive Director, Genevive Walker:
Dear Friends,
As educators, families, community leaders, and advocates, we share a common goal: ensuring that every child in Connecticut has access to a high-quality public education, regardless of where they live or which public school they attend.
Today, I am writing to invite you into an important ongoing conversation about funding equity for Connecticut's public charter schools.
Charter School students are public school students. Common Ground and other Connecticut charter schools are public schools. We educate thousands of students across our state, yet we continue to receive significantly less public funding than traditional district schools. Unlike local districts, charter schools do not receive local tax revenue and must operate with substantially fewer resources while being held to the same (often higher) expectations for student achievement and accountability.
This funding gap is more than a line item in a budget. It has real consequences for students, educators, and school communities.
When funding at Common Ground falls short:
- We have fewer resources available for academic and enrichment programming.
- Our teacher and staff salaries become less competitive, making recruitment and retention more challenging.
- Our student support services are limited despite growing needs.
- Our school leaders are forced to make difficult decisions about priorities that no public school should have to make.
Every dollar that is unavailable to a charter school is a dollar that cannot be invested in students, educators, and opportunities.
As someone who has spent many years serving students and families through public schools, charter schools, and nonprofit leadership, I know that lasting progress happens when people come together around shared values and shared solutions. This is not about competition. It is about fairness. It is about recognizing that all public school students deserve access to the resources they need to thrive.
Connecticut has made important progress in recent years, but Common Ground still does not receive full funding under the state's education funding formula and continues to operate without access to local education funding streams available to district schools.
Over the coming weeks, we will share more information about:
- The impact of funding disparities on students and educators.
- Firsthand experiences from teachers and administrators.
- Opportunities to advocate for greater funding equity.
I believe that strong public education benefits everyone. By working together, we can build a system that provides all students with the resources, opportunities, and support they deserve.
Thank you in advance for your partnership to move us closer to a more equitable future for every public school child.
In partnership,
Genevive Walker, Executive Director
| 
