Lie Down With Dogs

My daughter’s charter school – like many urban charter schools – is run by rabid Democrats.

This doesn’t faze me. In picking a school, I care as little about the teachers’ personal politics as I do about their taste in music. Institutional politics is another thing altogether – but the institution’s politics, while institutional (and ergo a tad left of center for my taste), aren’t a major issue. My kids’ charter schools both deliver the best education my kids – especially my daughter – have ever had. That’s what counts.

Of course, as DFL/Teachers’ Union shill Nick Coleman crowed the other day, the DFL-dominated legislature (nothing but a group of markers for the state’s educational establishment), tired of the competition from charter schools, wants to cap the number of these highly-successful operations.

The Senate voted on the cap bill. And a funny thing happened.

I got this letter, forwarded from my daughter’s advisor, from the state charter school organization:

If your Senator is listed below as voting to lift the Cap on Charter Schools, please write a “thank you” letter to the individual. Also, please make sure to thank all of the six democrats who showed their support of charters by voting against the cap.

True, as far as it goes but, um, hello? Teaching moment here?

How about telling your largely-Volvo-driving, Whole Foods-shopping, Al-Gore-worshipping membership that maybe, just maybe, the DFL hates what you we all stand for, and ask them to cross their party lines and thank the Republicans who stood up for our cause?

SENATORS WHO VOTED TO LIFT THE CAP ON CHARTER SCHOOLS:

Republicans:

• Day, Dick
• Dille, Steve
• Fischbach, Michelle L.
• Frederickson, Dennis R.
• Gerlach, Chris
• Gimse, Joe
• Hann, David W.
• Ingebrigtsen, Bill G.
• Johnson, Debbie J.
• Jungbauer, Michael J.
• Koch, Amy T.
• Koering, Paul, E.
• Limmer, Warren
• Michel, Geoff
• Neuville, Thomas M.
• Olson, Gen
• Ortman, Julianne E.
• Pariseau, Pat
• Robling, Claire A.
• Rosen, Julie A.
• Senjem, David H.
• Vandeveer, Ray
• Wergin, Betsy L.Democrats:
• Cohen, Richard J.
• Erickson Ropes, Sharon L.
• Metzen, James P.
• Rest, Ann H.
• Scheid, Linda
• Torres Ray, Patricia

If your Senator is listed below as voting for the Cap on Charter Schools, please write a letter of disappointment in the vote to your Senator.

ACTION REQUEST –

SENATORS WHO VOTED TO KEEP THE CAP ON CHARTER SCHOOLS:

Democrats:

• Anderson, Ellen R.
• Olseen, Rick E.
• Bakk, Thomas M.
• Olson, Mary A.
• Berglin, Linda
• Pappas, Sandra L.
• Betzold, Don
• Pogemiller, Lawrence J.
• Bonoff, Terri E.
• Prettner Solon, Yvonne
• Carlson, Jim
• Rummel, Sandy
• Chaudhary, Satveer S.
• Saltzman, Kathy L.
• Clark, Tarryl
• Saxhaug, Tom
• Dibble, D. Scott
• Sheran, Kathy
• Doll, John
• Sieben, Katie
• Kubly, Gary W.
• Skoe, Rod
• Langseth, Keith
• Skogen, Dan
• Larson, Dan
• Sparks, Dan
• Latz, Ron
• Stumpf, LeRoy A.
• Lourey, Tony
• Tomassoni, David J.
• Lynch, Ann
• Vickerman, Jim
• Marty, John
• Wiger, Charles W.
• Moua, Mee

Catch that?

Except for six DFLers – of whose motivations I’m unsure, but for whose actions I’m thankful – the DFL voted a straight ticket to…

…to what?

To protect the Teacher’s Union’s monopoly on education. To constrict school choice. To tell those parents and groups who, dissatisfied with the results we’re getting from the public system (and unable to either homeschool or put our kids in private schools), decide to find a better option “like it or lump it”.

The rationalizations I’ve heard for this “cap” are ludicrous; “We want more oversight on charter schools?” Show me a public school that would survive if it had to balance its own books!

Here y’go, fellow charter school supporters. Your party (and I’m comfortable in saying that most of you, at both of my kids’ schools, are DFLers at the very least) has screwed you us.

What are you going to do about it?