William L. Phillis: The Supreme Court decision on charter school case

To: Superintendents, Principals, Treasurers and other interested persons

From: William L. Phillis

Re: The Supreme Court decision on the charter school case will either decelerate or accelerate privatization

Date: December 1, 2005

Visit our website at www.ohiocoalition.org and download the Educate Ohio petition and instructions

The Ohio Supreme Court’s decision on the charter school case will have a monumental impact on the future of public education in Ohio. The decision will either rein in the movement to privatize public education or greatly expand the privatization movement. Its impact will be far greater this year. It will address the very heart of how education is delivered and to whose benefit.

A ruling in favor of the state will give rise to the expansion of corporate takeover of a public function, i.e. public education. Such a ruling will accelerate the transfer of public funds to private entities.

It will set the stage for public policy and school funding to be set by private/corporate interests rather than by the public. It will result in stratification of schooling and thus society.

Early in Ohio history it was determined that education was too important to a democratic society to be left to the private/corporate sphere. The common school system was established to equally serve all the children of all the people. The debate as to who has the authority and governance to determine how public resources should be used was settled in 1851 when the “thorough and efficient system of common schools” clause was adopted by the people of Ohio. A Supreme Court decision in favor of the State Defendants will reverse a sound public policy decision made more than 150 years ago.