Unions and Districts Fight to Shut Down Charter SchoolsBaton Rouge, La., March 5, 2015 – The trial determining whether or not 13,000 Louisiana students will have a school next year concluded Wednesday in District Court, with dates set for brief submission and a ruling expected on May 15th. In the case, the Louisiana Association of Educators and Iberville Parish School Board filed suit against the State of Louisiana and the Louisiana Board of Elementary and Secondary Education in an effort to cut off funding to Type 2 charters in the state.“These schools mean the opportunity for success or the sentence of failure for so many students like mine across the state,” said Christin Kaiser, a Westwego parent and Louisiana Chapter Chair of PublicSchoolOptions.orgShe continued, “I sat in the courtroom and heard the plaintiffs talk at length about the impact of these schools to the district and to unions. What I care about is the impact to my child. Our school works for us, and we need them to remain open.”If the plaintiffs prevail, it is expected that funding to many Louisiana charter schools would end after the current school year, leaving their students without a viable school choice option and forcing many to return to failing or underperforming schools.“The union and the district fought to keep parent voices out of this trial, but it’s our children whose opportunities will be cut short if our schools are closed. Every child is different and we need the ability to send our children to schools that work for us,” said Kaiser.

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