Parents, Students Read Names of Thousands of Students on Cyber Charter Waiting List, Ask Lawmakers to Expand School Choice
Families Encourage House to Pass Senate Bill 619, Expand Educational Opportunities for Thousands of Students on Cyber Charter Waiting List
LANSING—As lawmakers in the Michigan House of Representatives this week plan to vote on critical school choice legislation, Michigan parents and students today gave a voice to the thousands of students currently languishing on waiting lists to enroll in cyber charter schools by reading their names aloud outside the state House Chamber during Tuesday’s House Session.
The State House of Representatives is expected soon to vote on Senate Bill 619, a measure designed to lift the state cap on enrollment in cyber charter schools, expanding educational opportunities for parents and students.
“We made the decision to enroll our sons Yakini, Zhi and our daughter Zuri in a cyber school because we were not satisfied with the education they were getting in our local district,” said Artavia Ceteways. “Failures in our kids’ schools literally break parents’ hearts and we cannot dismiss them.
“We were lucky enough to have our children accepted at a cyber charter public school but 10,000 other students are not as fortunate because of the state’s arbitrary cap. These children deserve a voice and deserve someone to fight for them.”
Parents have broadly praised Michigan’s cyber charter schools for helping gifted students excel, struggling students catch-up, students with health and developmental problems succeed and students who were victims of bullies find a safe learning environment.
SB 619 would lift the cap on the number of students permitted to attend cyber charter schools. Because of current law, only two cyber charter schools currently operate in Michigan despite the fact that nearly 10,000 students currently languish on waiting lists, clamoring for the opportunity to enroll their children in cyber charter schools.
More information about cyber charter schools and National School Choice Week can be found online at http://www.publicschooloptions.org/michigan/.
