Hi John,

Budget negotiations are dragging into another week, and Governor Hochul is planning to push hard in the coming days for her proposal to reauthorize “zombie charters” — charter schools that failed and closed — in an effort to allow new charter schools to open.

Email Governor Hochul and your State Legislators now and tell them: Don’t raise the cap, and don’t reauthorize zombie charters in the final budget.

Make no mistake: Hochul’s zombie charter proposal is no compromise. Either of her proposals to expand charter schools — reauthorizing zombies, or lifting the regional cap — would mean more new charter schools opening in New York. And the fact is that New York doesn’t need more charter schools, period.

While they have been busy lobbying in Albany for expansion, New York City’s charter schools have eliminated 7,500 spots for students — including some of the biggest chains and worst offenders when it comes to transparency and accountability, like Success Academy. Clearly, there are already plenty of seats in charters going unfilled.

So why is Governor Hochul fighting for more charters to open at all — either by lifting the regional cap or reauthorizing “zombie” charters that failed and closed — when there aren’t enough students to fill the seats that already exist?

If data were driving public policy, we would not be talking about charter schools right now. It is only on Governor Hochul’s budget agenda because of the influence of her billionaire donors, who have their own interests and profits at stake in the charter fight.

Email Governor Hochul and your State Legislators now and tell them: Don’t raise the cap, and don’t reauthorize zombie charters in the final budget!

In solidarity,

Jasmine Gripper