BATON ROUGE, La. – PublicSchoolOptions.org Louisiana parent leader and amici Christin White-Kaiser made the following statement on the Louisiana First Circuit Court of Appeal’s decision to reverse the district court’s ruling in the case of Iberville Parish School Board, et al v. Louisiana State Elementary and Secondary Education Board, et al. The lower court, in May of 2015, established that charter schools are public schools and the current funding mechanism established by the state can continue, allowing over 13,000 Louisiana children access to the school that works best for them.With the First Circuit Court of Appeal’s decision, the education of 13,000 Louisiana students is imperiled.STATEMENT FROM CHRISTIN WHITE-KAISER, PUBLICSCHOOLOPTIONS.ORG LOUISIANA PARENT LEADER:“The decision handed down from the appeals court yesterday is stunning and wrong. Their decision to overturn the lower court’s ruling puts in serious jeopardy the education of over 13,000 students. It also endangers the rights of parents to choose the best educational option for their child. We urge the state board of education to appeal this decision and let the Louisiana Supreme Court bring final clarity to the case. We are confident the Supreme Court will side with students and families, not the teachers union, and assert the constitutional guarantees and rights of students attending public charter schools.”In February of 2016, the First Circuit Court of Appeals granted a motion to accept an amicus brief filed by PublicSchoolOptions.org and two Louisiana parents in the case of Iberville Parish School Board, et al v. Louisiana State Elementary and Secondary Education Board, et al. If the plaintiffs are successful in their suit, public funding would be discontinued to Type 2 charter schools in the state, which could cause those schools to close. Many of these students would be left without other public school options and sent back to a local school that has already failed to meet their learning needs.###PublicSchoolOptions.org is a national alliance of 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 these public schools for all children.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]