Lawsuit brought by teachers union aims to defund Type 2 public charter schools, likely kicking out over 13,000 students from their schoolsBATON ROUGE, La. – Earlier this week two groups claiming to be for equity in education filed amicus briefs with the Louisiana Supreme Court in support of litigation initiated by the Louisiana teachers union. In that litigation, the teachers union and Iberville Parish School Board seek to defund Type 2 public charter schools currently serving over 13,000 students. If the court rules rule in favor of the union, the 13,000 plus students would be forced out of the public schools their parents chose, with a majority being returned to lower-performing district schools than the ones they currently attend. The two groups filing briefs in support of the teachers union position are "Power of Public Education Lafayette" and "The New Orleans Education Equity Roundtable." The case will be heard by the Louisiana Supreme Court on Tuesday, September 5.STATEMENT FROM CHRISTIN WHITE-KAISER, AMICI AND LOUISIANA PUBLICSCHOOLOPTIONS.ORG MEMBER:“It is sad and beyond ironic that groups who claim to be for equity in education are asking the Louisiana Supreme Court to shut down public education options that serve many poor and minority families. Type 2 public charter schools have empowered many of these families to make a choice that’s best for their children. The wealthy have always had greater educational choice given their ability to move into certain school districts or to fund a private education. As parents, we hope these groups who claim to want equity in education do not get their way in court. Defunding these schools would rob educational choice from thousands of deserving families.”The district court, in May of 2015, established that charter schools are public schools and the current funding mechanism established by the state can continue. Despite the district court’s ruling, the teachers union pushed forward with an appeal. In January of this year the appeals court sided with the teachers union, triggering an appeal to the supreme court. PublicSchoolOptions.org is a national alliance of over 60,000 parents that supports and defends parents’ rights to access the best public school options for their children. The Coalition supports the creation of public school options, including charter schools, online schools, magnet schools, open enrollment policies and other innovative education programs. Additionally, we advocate for equal access without restrictions to the school that best suits the individual student’s learning needs whether it is public, non-public or home-based.###